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#depending on how this shakes out i could get a very decent chunk of the chronological content of this arc written
infinitethree · 2 years
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OOC::
I DIDN'T FORGET THIS TIME!
Chapters three AND four now up, rip Quackity, you pissed off the wrong people.
and because I'm not sure if I'll be able to work it in elsewhere; the chapter title that got yeeted was "A Crown of Eranthis". Erantis symbolizes hope, new beginnings, and rebirth.
It would be the next chapter chronologically, but uh...things got shuffled because of tone issues. So A Fistful of Petunias (one of my absolute FAVORITE titles) got shifted to be the first chapter of the next fic.
...Though, ngl, I could still have A Crown of Eranthis be the second chapter. Eeh. Depends on how the tone shakes out, and if I need to split things up again.
There are a LOT of words after the cut, largely about overall plans.
In other news, I have a decent chunk of the next chapter of Chaos, Fitting In, and Sibling Acceptance Rituals done. Shenanigans happen.
I hope everyone is ready for Caper and Spark, the time looping Tommy and Dream. And if his majesty decides to grace us with his fucking presence, Ranboo Prime!
++ I have a lose plan for how things will shake out from there. This plan is roughly:
2-4 chapters left for Chaos, Fitting In, and Sibling Acceptance Rituals. At minimum there will be the Prank Guild and a chapter wrapping it all up. A Path As Unlikely As It Is Inevitable: somewhere in the ballpark of 5-6 chapters. Interspersed multiverse travel & slice of life segments. Progress is a Relative Thing (as is Okay): Adjustments. You'll understand what that means when we get there. Unclear number of chapters. Swords, Shields, and a Beating Heart: 4+ chapters. Take a wild guess who shows their faces! Bastard lad is introduced for the (chronological) first time. There's a solid chance this will only be more confusing for people, but that's fine! That's what his whole goddamned backstory fic exists for.
...But the Stars Shine Brightest at Night: 2+ chapters. Setup is paid off, Daz is shown to be a terrifying fucker, etc etc.
And that's the current plan. Will things change? Probably, yeah! Do I know how? Fuck no, my muse is a chaotic bitch who just decided that tonight was the night to finish A Grave Tactical Error for no fucking reason.
Speaking of which, for those curious about the plans on THAT end of the timeline:
Quiet Strengths, Often Overlooked: 2 chapters. Reformation Team is formed. You get to see it this time! Favorite chapter title is "A Fistful of Petunias".
Plans and Revelations: 5 chapters. Reactions. Favorite chapter title is "Jaisone Choked by Columbine". It only slightly wins out over my second favorite.
Begrudgingly Accepted Assistance: 3 chapters. A visit. Technically, these are all done already. However, they were written before All Things Being Equal was started. There are definitely some major alterations that will need to be made. Favorite chapter title is "Azaela-scented Hope".
Fifty-Two Cards, Twenty Questions: 2 chapters. Healing and information. Favorite chapter title is "Is the Path Lined with Asphodel, or Mock Oranges?".
Something Close to Freedom: 2 chapters. An unexpected result. This is the final part of the reformation arc. While others might take place in that time frame, this is all that's currently planned. Favorite chapter title is "Solidago Hanging by the Door".
After that, things get a little murkier. I think I want to do something a bit more slice of life to fill things in and be a bit of a breather. This is where you might see ones like "To He Who Holds the World" or "An Undead Ex-President" be rewritten to adhere to the new timeline/events.
And then we have the BIG rewrites. These titles are, very obviously, placeholder ones. No idea how long they'll be, but there are mmmmm a few changes already becoming clear. :)
Visions 2: Electric Boogaloo (tentative title: The Past that Haunts): I have no fucking clue if Vio will remain the primary POV character or if Day will grab that from him again! I'm so torn, because on one hand...the glory of Vio realizing that Day knows about this reality because he lived through it. On the other, Day! Day POV!! I might start with Vio and swap to Day. Even so, that might mean losing out on the 'what the fuck am I experiencing right now' confusion of Day waking up in canonland. Some extra elements are in play that will alter things significantly. minor fun fact: Visions has the highest number of kudos by a notable margin! People really, REALLY like Day apparently! I can't blame them, he's so good. Vacation: The Revengence: The least-planned one. We're gonna get some fun interactions this time. Does this mean Theo spotting Niki and wordlessly radiating 'get near my family and fucking DIE' energy? Yes. Yes it does. That also might happen in the last one, again, still unsure. Dee and Tubbo still get along like a house on fire, and might even light a literal house on fire. Them being weird uncles to Michael will almost certainly be dropped, I'm sorry to the possible one person who liked it. Also likely to be dropped is the visit with Dream and Techno. I will absolutely find another use for the 'you're a garbage man with garbage words trying to build a throne from your TRASH' line from Orph because it's one of my favorites. Heavy Handed 2: 2 Heavy, 2 Handed (tentative title: Dies, Died, Will Die; Lives, Lived, Will Live): The current chapters will still more or less be there, just...redone. There's also two new chapters planned--Day talking w/ Sapnap, George, Ant, and Bad, and then Day, Vio, and Sam. Those are both FRAUGHT conversations that Theo isn't going to be present for for. Obvious reasons. Like, one is deeply personal due to feelings of abandonment and betrayal (which Theo would ABSOLUTELY resent them for) and the other is personal due to the literal torture that Sam condoned (which Theo would try to murder Sam for and tbh might STILL try and murder him for). There are a few other changes planned. Ones that maybe impact a few things. :) Still probably no actual fight though lmao. In all honesty, I would seriously consider throwing that element, and consequently this entire fic, out if it hadn't been referenced several times already later on. Day has a solid reason to want to move over (Atlas can't leave the SMPza due to admin bullshit, they're effectively all trapped there due to being unwilling to leave him behind) and Vio has a good reason to want to force Day to tell the truth about his past (if/when it got uncovered later nobody will ever trust him again + he would NOT want the angry, resentful immortal who went through horrible torture to skip out on therapy). But since it was, it's staying in. Aaand that's about it! I'll be using the tag RoadmapRoadtrip for any further talk of future plans.
We're...going to save the things going on with Blood & Gold (Daz's backstory, tentative title.) for another time. Bastard lad deserves his own post and also this one is getting LONG.
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atlafan · 3 years
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a/n: Hello! My lovely patrons said it was alright to post the first part of my new miniseries here. I hope you enjoy this because it’s a fun story. If you’d like to see what happens next, subscribe to my patreon! 
Warnings: angst and fluff, misunderstandings, some smoking of weed (THIS IS A SLOW BURN)
Words: 9.9K
Summary: Harry is 25, and decides to go to graduate school. He's in a film studies program, and becomes a GA for Dr. Casey Robertson, who he assumes is a man. When he goes to Casey's office for their first meeting, he realizes that Dr. Robertson is a woman. The two get along great as the semester progresses, and Harry starts to form a little crush on Casey. There's just one problem...she's engaged.
Harry thought he’d have his life together by now. His whole life he was told if he went to college, he’d be guaranteed a good job and a lasting career. He soon learned, however, that things wouldn’t be that simple. All he wanted to do was watch movies, and review them. He tried making a YouTube channel where he’d review the films he watched, but the videos didn’t get many views, and the few comments he’d get were pretty lewd.
He was sick of working at a grocery store during the day, and a bar at night. He barely had the time to do the things he liked, and he just wasn’t happy. So, he did what any other depressed twenty-five-year-old would do: he applied to graduate school. It made his parents happy since it would give him a break from having to pay off his student loans, and help him find some direction. Harry was able to secure a decent enough GA position that would pay him enough that he wouldn’t need to worry about a job, and he was able to find an apartment with some other graduate students.
So, there he was, enrolled into a Film Studies program, and he’d be a GA for the Writing, Literature, and Publishing undergraduate program. He wouldn’t be teaching or anything, but he would be helping out with a lot of grading and course design. He’d need to have office hours available, and be willing to work with students that have questions.
His roommates were nice enough. Two of them were in biology programs, and another was in art and animation program. Everyone had their own room, and they all had to share a bathroom, but it was okay. They were all adults, and all agreed on chores and how to keep things clean. The four all went out for drinks the first weekend they all moved in to get to know each other better. Harry could really see himself being friends with these people.
He was a little nervous about being a GA. He had to do a good job this semester in order to keep his grant money. It had been a while since he had been in a classroom, so he wasn’t sure how he’d do juggling his own classes and schoolwork along with helping a professor grade for their various courses. Luckily, a good chunk of Harry’s classes would be online, and he only needed to go to one in-person lecture. He got an email from the admin of the Writing and Literature department about meeting with a Dr. Robertson a week before classes start. This was the professor he’d be working with.
He wasn’t given a ton of information on what he needed, so he put his laptop in his backpack, threw on a pair of jeans and a nice button up, and headed out the door. He rolled up his sleeves and the ends of his jeans since it was a little hot out. His glasses were on, and his hair was still a little wet from his shower, but other than that he was feeling pretty confident in his look. He wanted to make a good first impression since he’d be working with this professor all year and not just the fall semester. Harry wondered what type of office he’d be given. He was hoping it would at least have a window, but he’d be grateful for whatever private area he’d be given. He was essentially being given a place to write and he wasn’t going to take it for granted.
As he enters the building, he realizes he has no idea where he’s going. He finds the directory, and sees that Dr. Robertson’s office is up on the second floor. He makes his way up, and takes a deep breath before heading down the hall to their office. As he approaches, he sees a woman with wild, wavy hair up in a high ponytail wearing black, high waist leggings, a slightly cropped tank top and sports bra combo, and was mumbling to herself as she rummaged through her bookshelves.
“Um, excuse me…” Harry speaks up.
“Oh!” The woman jumps. She sets her book down and pushes her glasses back up her nose. “You must be Harry, please, come in.” She waves him in.
“Are you Dr. Robertson?”
“I am.” She nods and extends her hand out for him to shake. “Have a seat.” Harry sits down in one of the chairs across from her desk. “You look a little confused.”
“It just doesn’t look like you were, um, expecting anyone…”
“I know, my office is a total disaster. I’m normally okay with organized chaos, but right now it’s just straight up chaos.” She chuckles. She notices Harry’s eyes drift to her cleavage for a moment. “I didn’t dress up for this since I knew I’d be cleaning things up around here, I apologize.”
“No! Uh, no need. I…I’m sorry, I thought you were a man…”
“Casey is a woman’s name.” She blinks.
“It’s also a man’s.” Harry runs a hand through his hair.
“Is it going to be a problem that I’m a woman?” She raises an eyebrow at him.
“No, of course not. I guess I was just picturing some older guy with a dark office and a bottle of whiskey in the corner that he sips on out of crystal.” He chuckles nervously.
“Ah, well, you know what they say about people who assume.” She smirks.
“I’m not making a very good first impression, am I.” It wasn’t a question.
“That depends.” She leans back in her chair.
“On?”
“What your favorite movie is.” She grins. “As long as it’s not The Wolf of Wallstreet you’ll be fine.”
“I mean, it’s not, but I don’t mind that movie. I thought Leo’s performance was good.” Harry shrugs.
“It definitely was, but I don’t think it needed to be three hours long, nor did I need full frontal of Margot Robbie’s vagina, but that’s besides the point. What’s your favorite movie?”
“This is going to sound cliché, but…it’s Citizen Kane.”
“Is that your favorite because it truly is, or is it your favorite because someone told you it should be?”
“No, it’s genuinely my favorite. I’m a big fan of Orson Welles, I think the film was extremely innovative at the time, it still is by today’s standards. And I love how it was blatant commentary on the harms of yellow journalism. It’s cool to think back on how much trouble Welles had with the distribution for it too.” Harry realizes how excited he’s getting, and clears his throat. “Sorry.”
“Never apologize for the things you’re passionate about.”
“What, uh, what’s your favorite movie?”
“The Wedding Singer.” She smiles.
“Isn’t that an Adam Sandler movie?”
“It sure is.” She says proudly. “Look, I can admit that some of his movies aren’t great. However, I’ve written a ton of academic pieces on The Wedding Singer.”
“Really?”
“Mhm, during a time of uncertainty with AIDS there was LGBTQ representation. The actor that played George ended up coming out as transgender, and lived out her days proudly as a woman. Not to mention that Adam Sandler doesn’t use being gay as a punchline, like, ever. There’re always people of color represented in his films as well. And on a personal note, as a Jewish woman, it was always nice seeing that his characters were Jewish. That type of representation was really important to me as a kid.”
“Wow, I guess I never really thought about that.”
“Well, that’s why I have a PhD and you’re going for your master’s.” She smirks. “Teasing.” She pulls some papers out of her desk. “Okay, so this fall I’m teaching Advanced Screenwriting, Analyzing Screen Media, and two sections of freshman Composition. I’ll need you physically there during the composition classes since those will be the ones I’m going to be having you grading the work for. I’m all for helping first year students learn the basics, but I just don’t have the strength to grade their papers this year. Plus, it’ll be good for you to learn how to properly grade an array of work.”
“All that sounds good…you won’t need help with your other classes?”
“Maybe next semester. I teach a scriptwriting class in the spring, along with some other writing courses. You’re going to be taking some pretty high-level stuff this semester, I don’t want you getting overwhelmed.”
“You know what classes I’m taking?”
“Of course I do. I’d be stupid not to look into the person I’m going to be working with. Even though I’m not your graduate advisor, I hope you know I’d be happy to help you with whatever you need. Are you coming right from undergrad, or did you take some time off?”
“It’s been a few years since I’ve been in school. I’m twenty-five.”
“Sometimes it’s good to take some time off, figure out what you want to focus on. What exactly are you hoping to get out of a graduate film program?”
“I want to write high-level film reviews. I was hoping to make a video series, but it’s really tough to build a base on YouTube. I got discouraged.”
“If you ever want me to watch what you have out there already, I’d be more than happy to.”
“Sure, that’d be great. So, uh, where will my office be?”
“Oh, honey, did you think you were getting your own office?” She can’t help but giggle. “We’re not in the science building, GA’s don’t get their own offices over here.”
“How will students meet with me if they have questions?”
“They won’t need to meet with you, you’re not teaching.”
“But I’ll be grading, what if a student wants to question me on a grade?”
“Then they can come to me.” She shrugs.
“Dr. Robertson, where am I supposed to get my own work done?”
“Mi oficina es tu oficina.” She smiles. “You can work in here any time you like. I actually have a key for you.” She opens a drawer and pulls out a key. “Here you go, don’t lose that.”
“What if you’re meeting with a student?”
“As you can see, we have a lovely lounge at the end of the hall, you can go there and set up shop if you need to. You’re a GA, Mr. Styles, pay your dues. Now, here are my syllabi, and you should have gotten an email stating that you’ve been given access to all my courses. There are rubrics for all of the assignments as well, as long as you follow those you should have no problem grading.”
“Alright.” Harry takes the different sheets of paper from her, catching sight of the ring on her finger. “Are you married?” He wasn’t quite sure why he asked, but he couldn’t stop himself.
“Hm? Oh, no.” She laughs. “Just engaged.” She extends her hand to look down at her ring. “Been engaged for over a year, we can’t seem to decide on a date. My fiancé is a lawyer, and a highly sought after one at that.”
“Why not just pick a random day to go to a courthouse?”
“Well, we both have big families, and we don’t want to disappoint any of them.” She sighs. “It’s fine, we’ll figure it out at some point. Neither of us are really in a rush. We’ve been together five years, it’ll happen when it happens.” She studies Harry for a moment. “What about you?”
“What about me?”
“Have anyone special?”
“Oh!” Harry’s cheeks redden. “Um, no…nothing serious, anyways.”
“Maybe you’ll meet someone here. You should go to the GA meetings, meet others doing what you’re doing.”
“I’m living with three other GA’s, we’re getting along pretty well so far. But I’ll definitely check out when those meetings are.”
“Good.” She smiles.
“May I ask how old you are? You seem so accomplished, I mean…look at all of the degrees and certificates you have.” Harry motions to the various frames on the walls.
“Some of those are just recognition certificates. I’m twenty-eight. I did a 4+1 program to get my master’s so I could zip right along into a PhD program. I was lucky enough that I was hired on full-time after getting it. The department really values me.”
“That’s awesome.” Harry smiles. “Anything else you’d like me to know about your classes?”
“Not at the moment. Would you be comfortable giving me your cell number? Anything I can do to have less emails, you know?”
“I don’t mind.” Harry smiles again and takes out his phone, handing it to her.
“Thanks, it’ll be much easier to tell you if something changes last minute this way.” She texts herself before handing him back his phone.
“Your fiancé won’t mind you texting me?” Harry asks playfully, warming up to her a bit more.
“No, why would he? We’re not one of those couples who reads each other’s texts. My phone is my property just as his phone is his property. We trust each other.” She rests her elbows on her desk, putting even more of her cleavage on display for him without realizing it. “Besides that, I’m not trying to start an affair with my GA who should be very careful about flirting with me so that he doesn’t end up on some very thin ice.”
“I…I…I wasn’t-“
“You were being cheeky with me.” She crosses her arms over her chest as a smug smile sets on her lips. “I like to tease, Mr. Styles, you can relax your shoulders now.”
“I think it’s going to take me some time to get used to your sense of humor.” Harry says with a relaxed sigh.
“Well, you’re stuck with me for an entire year, so you’ve got plenty of time to figure me out. Now, if you don’t have any other questions, you can go on and enjoy the rest of your day.” She stands back up. “I need to continue organizing my books, and the rest of this mess.” Harry nods and stands up.
“It was nice to meet you. You know you can just call me Harry, right?”
“Sure.” She smiles. “I prefer to be called Dr. Robertson in the classroom, when we’re not in there you can just call me Casey.”
“Okay.” Harry smiles.
“Oh, wait! Are you free the day before classes start? I was hoping to take you to lunch as a sort of good luck thing.”
“I can definitely do lunch the day before classes start.”
As Harry walks back to his apartment, he can’t help but think about how cool Casey is. She’s a bit frazzled, yes, but she seems like someone Harry will be able to easily work with. At least he wouldn’t have to kiss the ass of some stuffy old professor. Casey’s ass is one Harry wouldn’t mind kissing, but she had a fiancé to take care of that for her. He had to admit, Casey was insanely attractive, but he’d politely just admire her from afar and respect that she was very much a taken woman. Besides that, it would be incredibly inappropriate to even try to start something up with the professor he was GA’ing for. No, he’d keep things professional. He wasn’t even looking for someone to be with right now anyways. If he felt the need to hook up with someone, he could either head down to the bars or download Tinder.
//
“Alright, if we could settle down and get started!” Casey shouts over the buzz of students talking in her first section of composition. “My name is Dr. Robertson, and that is what I’d prefer to be called. My pronouns are she/her. I encourage you all to be vocal about how you’d like to be addressed just the same. This is Mr. Styles, you may call him Harry. He’s going to be grading all of your work this semester, so you can send any and all excuses his way.” Casey grins and sits down on top of the desk at the front of the room. “Now, I’d like us all to go around the room and say your name, where you’re from, and what TV show you binged over the summer. I know for me, I rewatched Boy Meets World for the millionth time, and it was still just as good.”
Harry was impressed. Most of the time students hated ice breakers, but this was a pretty engaging one. Once the class of twenty-five is through, Casey goes over their course page in Canvas and the syllabus.
“Now, this specific course of composition has a topic, so we’re going to be writing about television this semester. If you don’t think you can write about that, then you may want to find another section of composition to take. I will say, we’re going to have a lot of fun in this class. We’re going to watch some interesting shows, and you may find that you’re ‘to watch’ list will have grown exponentially by the end of the semester.”
Casey asks if anyone has any questions, and a few do which causes some lively class discussion for the remainder of the period. She lets them go about fifteen minutes early. Harry walks over to her as she unplugs her laptop from the monitor on the lectern.
“Seems like the majority of them are going to enjoy the content for this class.” Harry tells her, but all she does is hum her response as she looks down at her phone. She sighs heavily before putting her phone in her pocket. “Everything okay?”
“Hm? Oh, yeah. Just figuring out what Daniel and I are going to have for dinner, nothing serious.” She waves him off as she slings her bag over her shoulder. “How are your classes going so far?” She asks as they walk out of the room and head towards her office.
“Pretty good, I don’t think anything is going to be too difficult for me. I have to watch a lot of movies, but I was expecting that.” Harry shrugs.
Once they’re in her office, Casey sits down at her desk, and Harry makes himself comfortable on her couch. This is the routine they had started since she took him for lunch a few days ago. They worked in a comfortable silence together, occasionally taking breaks to chat. Casey was happy she got assigned a GA that knew the difference between work and play. Her cell phone ends up ringing about five different times. By the fifth time Harry heard the buzzing, he couldn’t help but speak up.
“If you need to take that I can step out.” Harry says.
“No, it’s fine.” Casey sighs. “It’s just Daniel being Daniel.”
“What do you mean?”
“His time is more valuable than mine.” She rolls her eyes. “He knows I’m working.”
“What if it’s an emergency?”
“It’s not.”
“Casey, he’s called you five times-“
“It’s not an emergency, now mind your business.” She snaps and stands up with her phone in her hand. “I’ll be back shortly.”
Casey didn’t share too much personal stuff with Harry about her fiancé. When they had lunch together, she told Harry his name is Daniel, and she explained the type of law he practiced, but not much more than that. She didn’t get into how they met, or how he proposed. She didn’t even seem to be excited while talking about him like she did when she and Harry first met. Casey returns about ten minutes later, and sits back down in her chair.
“I’m sorry if I overstepped.” Harry says softly.
“You didn’t.” She sighs. “I snapped at you for no good reason, I apologize.”
“Is everything alright?”
“Mhm.” She says without looking at him, and going into her email on her computer.
Harry furrows his brows as he looks at her, but gets back to what he was doing. If she didn’t want to talk about it then he wasn’t going to push her. Harry notices her resting her chin on her fist as she looks at the picture of her and Daniel that she had on her desk. She sighs heavily and shakes her head, returning to her emails.
“I have my lecture in a bit, so I’m gonna head out.” Harry says, putting his backpack on.
“Alright, have a good class.” She gives him a soft smile. “See you tomorrow.”
“Yeah.” He smiles back. “See you tomorrow.”
//
Harry’s lecture was long and boring. It was a class all about black and white films, and the beginning of cinema up through the 1950’s. It would be a class full of dense reading materials and learning about theorists that Harry had only briefly learned about previously in undergrad. Normally this would be a class Harry would be really interested in, but the professor had to be at least 70, and he was quite monotone.
When he gets home to his apartment, he grabs a Bud Light out of the fridge, twists the cap off the top, then settles onto the couch. His roommates were all still in class and would be meeting up for pizza in a bit, so Harry had about an hour to himself before he was to go downtown to meet up for dinner. He takes his phone out and scrolls through his various notifications. Halfway through his beer he decides to text Casey.
Harry: any thoughts on Dr. Jensen?
Casey: oh god don’t tell me he’s teaching your lecture course…
Harry: yeah…so is he going to stay boring all semester?
Casey: that dinosaur should have retired years ago, I’m so sorry you have to have a class with him. Is it the early cinema through the 1950’s class?
Harry: that’s the one! The content is interesting enough, but I was on the verge of falling asleep the whole time, idk how I’m gonna survive an entire semester with the guy. Any tips on how to survive his course?
Casey: def make sure you keep up with the homework. He’s one of those jerks that’s been using the same syllabus for the last 20 yrs, so he doesn’t update his exams. I’d also recommend getting a recorder for his lectures, keeping up with notes is basically impossible during class, but if you can go back and listen he actually makes a lot of good points
Harry: you’re a lifesaver, thank you!! 😊
Casey: any time! I actually like a lot of the movies he has on his syllabus, so if you ever want a movie buddy just let me know!
Casey: I’ve got that couch in my office literally so I can comfortably watch movies
A sigh leaves Harry’s mouth when he sees that she rushed to make it known watching movies would only be an on-campus thing. Would it be so weird if she came to his apartment for a movie night?
Harry: that sounds great, I actually have to watch The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari by the end of the week. I’m sure you’ve seen it a million times though…
Casey: I have, but it’s one of my favorites so I won’t mind watching it again
Harry: really??
Casey: yeah! I love German Gothic films, I took a class solely on them in grad school, I can’t get enough. The makeup, the sharp edges, the harsh shadows, it was all just so interesting
He sees the time on his phone and realizes he needs to head downtown to meet up with his roommates. Harry wasn’t one for using his phone while eating with friends, so much to his dismay he has to end the conversation.
Harry: learn something new about you every day! I have to get going, meeting up for pizza with friends. Did you figure out what you and Daniel are having for dinner?
Casey: pasta…have fun with your friends!
Harry: a classic choice, I love pasta
He almost wished he hadn’t sent that last text. She didn’t respond to it. Harry groans at himself, and picks himself up to head outside. He couldn’t wait to stuff his face with some greasy pizza, drink some more beer, and just unwind with his new friends. It was nice being back in school and feeling like your responsibilities could be put on the back burner for a bit. Schoolwork was a less anxiety inducing thing to focus on, as opposed to what the fuck Harry was going to do with his life. Casey would be a great mentor for him. She was essentially doing what he thinks he’d like to be doing. He had an entire year to pick her brain, and he wasn’t going to waste the opportunity. With any luck he’d be her GA again next year, but he didn’t want to get too far ahead of himself.
//
Casey and Harry were getting along famously. It was nearly October, and they were already in perfect sync. She was beyond grateful for him and his speedy grading. He was a fast reader, and she was not, so having him grade all of those papers and forum posts for her composition courses freed her up to focus on the work in her other classes. Harry tried his best not to bring up Daniel. Any time he did, Casey seemed to shut down. He’d only ask because he wanted to make sure Daniel wasn’t doing anything abusive to Casey. She never came in with a scratch on her, but Daniel could easily be doing something mental. Daniel never showed up to Casey’s office. If Harry were engaged to Casey, he’d want to visit her all he could, but maybe Casey didn’t like being visited since she always had something to do.
“Hey, Casey, what’s this faculty Halloween party about?” Harry asks her one Thursday afternoon. “I got an e-vite for it.”
“Oh! I forgot they put you on the faculty email list. You should go, it’s a lot of fun. It’s a great way for all of us to get together outside of the monthly faculty meetings. Everyone dresses up, it’s at one of the bars downtown. We get two drink tickets, and the rest you buy yourself.”
“Do other GA’s go?”
“Sometimes.” Casey nods. “It would be a good way for you to meet some of the other GA’s, and other faculty members. You can never have too many of us in your corner.”
“That’s true. What do you think I should dress up as? Like, how all out do people go?”
“Definitely keep it classy, appropriate, but don’t be afraid to have fun. Daniel and I usually do a couple’s costume. We have so much fun going to the store every year and figuring out what we want to do. It works out great cause his law firm has a costume party every year too.” She smiles. “We’re headed to the fabric store this weekend actually to start thinking of ideas.”
“Oh, that’s good. Um, what have you gone as in the past?”
“I’ll show you!” Casey grabs her phone, and wheels herself closer to Harry so he can see. “Last year we went as Bob and Linda from Bob’s Burgers, the year before that we went as vampires, and the year before that we went as Cosmo and Wanda from The Fairly Oddparents.”
“Aw, you guys looks so happy.”
“Yeah.” Casey swallows and locks her phone, wheeling back over to her desk. “Can’t wait to see what we come up with this year.” She mutters as she gets back to her work.
“I’ll have to really think about it. I haven’t dressed up for Halloween in forever.”
“Your friends didn’t have parties?”
“They did, but I was usually working. The bar I worked at had costume contests and stuff, so we were always busy. I’d get too hot from running around to dress up as anything.”
“Oh, that makes sense. Hmm…” She taps her chin as she thinks. “You could go as, like, a baseball player or something.”
“You’re just saying that because you want to see me in a pair of those tight pants.” Harry smirks.
“I see you in tight pants every day, it wouldn’t be anything new.” She says smugly before turning away from him.
“I do not wear tight pants every day.” Harry scoffs. “They may be tight in certain places, but it’s not like I’m walking around in skinny jeans.”
“True.” She side eyes him. “Maybe you could go as a Jonas Brother, all of them wear tight pants, or they used to.”
“I don’t think anyone at that party would get the reference.” Harry rolls his eyes.
“Well, don’t say I didn’t help you think of anything.” She shrugs.
Harry chuckles softly as he gets back to grading papers. He loved when Casey would tease him. He had grown a lot more comfortable with her sense of humor, and they would often end up in hysterics from their banter.
“Casey.” A tall man with salt and pepper hair wearing an expensive looking suit stands in the doorway. He was holding a small bouquet of flowers, and his eyes looked tired. “Baby, can I take you to lunch?”
“Daniel, I’m working.” Casey stands up. “Harry, this is my fiancé, Daniel. Daniel, this is my GA, Harry.”
“Hi, I’ve heard a lot about you.” Daniel says to Harry, then turns his attention back to Casey. “Please, you didn’t pack a lunch this morning. Let me take you out.”
Casey sighs, and ushers Daniel out into the hallway.
“You can’t just show up like this.” She says quietly.
“I’m really trying here, Honey.”
“I only have an hour, so we need to go somewhere quick.”
“That’s fine, uh, I got these for you. Know how much you like tulips.”
“These aren’t even season.” She smiles as she takes the flowers from him. “Thank you, Sweetheart, let me just go grab my jacket.” Casey goes back into her office and grabs her things. “Harry, I’ll be back in a little while.”
“Okay, I’ll probably be in class by the time you get back.”
“Alright.” She nods, and zips up her jacket.
“Do you want me to put those in some water for you?” He asks, nodding towards the flowers.
“Huh? Oh, no, that’s alright. They won’t last more than a few days as it is. It’s not worth it.”
//
Harry had ended up putting together a Clark Kent costume by wearing a light-wash pair of jeans, some converse, a Superman tee shirt with a jacket over it half zipped, and his glasses. He styled his hair to give the front an extra curl. The faculty would definitely be able to see the effort, but it also didn’t look like Harry was trying too hard. He heads downtown to the bar with his roommates, as they were all invited too. They all decided to be super heroes in disguise, so they made sure to take a ton of pictures before going to the party. Harry’s jaw nearly hits the floor when he spots Casey wearing a Morticia Addams costume. Even though Casey wasn’t showing much skin, her off the shoulder dress was leaving little to the imagination.
“Excuse me.” Harry says to his friends before making his way over to Casey. “Hi.”
“Harry!” She beams. “I’m so glad you could make it.”
“Me too, uh, what do you think of my costume?”
“I love it! Very cute and creative.” She smiles. “No one ever really thinks about dressing as the secret identity.”
“Casey, don’t you look lovely!” Dr. Lind says to her. “Where’s your Gomez?”
“Oh, uh, Daniel’s busy working a case. He couldn’t get away and I told him not to worry about it.” Casey explains.
“Aw, that’s too bad. It’s been ages since we’ve seen him. Have you two picked a date yet?”
“No, not yet. We both have had a lot going on, and we can’t seem to agree on the best time to do it. I’m sure we’ll figure it out soon.”
“You two should just elope, get it done at a courthouse and then have a big party for your families. I mean, the point of being engaged is not to stay engaged.”
“It’s only been a little over a year.” Casey mutters.
“I know, Dear, but you-“
“You know what’s great about being in a monogamous relationship? What happens between Daniel and I is between Daniel and I, none of this really concerns you, Nancy. I appreciate your input, but it’s not needed, excuse me.” Casey has to bite back tears as she walks away.
“My goodness, I didn’t mean to upset her.” Dr. Lind says to Harry.
“I’ll go see if she’s alright.” Harry finds Casey getting a new drink from the bar. He pulls her to the side to have a private word. “Dr. Lind always oversteps, she had no right to speak about what you should be doing.”
“I know that.” Casey says, looking away.
“Did Daniel really have to work late tonight?”
“No.”
“What happened?”
“Harry, I don’t want to talk about it.” She says before sipping on her drink. “I just want to have a good time tonight and not think about it, alright?”
“I can respect that, but I don’t think drinking your problems away is a great idea.”
“Harry, no offense, but I don’t need your opinion on this.” She brushes by him and goes to speak with some of her other friends.
A few hours pass, and it was starting to get a little stuffy in the bar, so Harry heads out for some fresh air. He sees Casey outside with a cigarette between her fingers. As he gets closer, he realizes it’s not a cigarette.
“Casey, are you smoking weed?” Harry asks her.
“It’s medicinal.” She mutters, blowing smoke in the opposite direction as to not hit him in the face with it. “It’s for my anxiety.”
“Wouldn’t it be easier to take an edible?”
“Not when I need it to work right away.”
“Did you drive yourself here tonight?”
“I did, but I can just take an uber home.” She shrugs. “I came out for some air.”
“So did I.” Harry rubs the back of his neck. “I’m not trying to pry into your life, but things won’t get better if you keep shit bottled up.”
“I just prefer to keep my private life private.”
“Believe me, I get that, but…god, I wish you’d just talk to me, I’m your friend.”
“Daniel and I had an argument earlier and I told him not to come with me because I didn’t want to pretend like everything was fine. I couldn’t stand in that bar around my friends and colleagues pretending like everything’s fine with him when it’s not. We’re far from fine, and we have been for a while.”
“Did something happen?”
“The morning before the day I first took you out to lunch he told me he was up for a promotion at the firm…partner.”
“That’s good, isn’t it?”
“It would have been if it didn’t involve us having to move to New York. He took the bar exam out there without telling me, and he passed. They want him out there to work on larger cases, as a defense attorney. I wouldn’t have been opposed to moving, but he just assumed that I would. He said I could teach anywhere with no regard with how I’d feel about leaving this institution, our friends, and family behind. And then he told me it wouldn’t even matter because he’d be making enough money for me to never have to work another day in my life and that I could just stay home taking care of our future children.”
“That’s a bit old fashioned.”
“It is, which was shocking to me because he’s never acted that way towards me. He’s always been so modern, so progressive. I think he was given advice from the wrong people. Anyways, he took the job in New York because he basically had to, he would have been stupid not to take it, so we’ve only been seeing each other on weekends. And when we do see each other, we just end up fighting…we don’t even sleep in the same room.” She shakes her head. “I don’t know what we’re doing anymore.” Her voice cracks, but she swallows her tears down. She spent too long on her makeup to ruin it from crying. “We’ve grown apart, it’s as simple as that, but neither of us have the courage to end it. I love him so much, but lately…lately I’ve been feeling like love just isn’t enough.” She looks up at Harry who had been nice enough to stand out in the cold with her to listen to all of her woes.
“I’m so sorry.” It’s all he can think to say. “You should be home with him…trying to work it out.”
“I couldn’t get out of the house fast enough today. I told him to just go back to New York. He’s got a whole new life out there. I’ve been to his apartment a few times, and I didn’t feel like I fit in at all. I don’t even know why he still wants me, he could easily find someone new out there.”
“How could he not want you?” Harry steps a little closer to her. “You’re smart, funny, and…you’re a knockout. If I were him and I saw you about to leave the house looking like this, well…I wouldn’t have let you leave the house.”
“Why, so you could tell me to change into something less form fitting?” She scoffs as she crosses her arms over her chest. Her blunt all but forgotten.
“I would have asked you to take the dress off, that’s for certain. As far getting something back on…” Harry takes another step closer to Casey, making her cheeks feel warm.
“Well, it’s a good thing you’re not Daniel.”
“I didn’t have much to drink tonight. Let me drive you home, and I’ll take the uber back to my apartment. That way you don’t have to worry about coming back for your car tomorrow.”
“I couldn’t ask you to do that.”
“You’re not, I’m making a suggestion.”
“Okay, yeah, if you don’t mind. I only live, like, fifteen minutes from here. We, uh, rent a townhome.”
Casey hands Harry her keys, and they make their way around the building to the parking lot. The drive is quiet. Casey could feel her eyes starting to droop. Harry had the heat cranked since it had gotten chilly. He watches the map on the navigation screen to make sure he makes the right turns to her house. He pulls into her driveway, and orders his uber.
“Thank you for driving.” Casey says.
“Any time.” Harry smiles and gets out of the car. He jogs around to the other side to open her door, and walks her up her front steps. “You gonna be okay?” He rubs his hands up and down her arms to keep her warm.
“Yeah.” She smiles softly up at him. “Harry, I-“ The front door opens with Daniel standing there.
“Casey, thank god, Baby, I’m so sorry.” He wraps his arms around her, kissing her without acknowledging Harry. “No argument is worth you leaving angry like that for.” He kisses her again.
“Daniel.” She pushes him off of her. “Harry’s here, he drove me home.”
“Oh! Sorry about that.” Daniel says. “Thanks for driving her, man.”
“No problem.” Harry’s uber pulls up in front of the house. “That’s my ride, uh, have a nice night.”
Harry’s gaze lingers on Casey for a moment before making his way to the car. Daniel leads Casey inside the house.
“Did you have a good time?” Daniel asks her as they both walk into the kitchen.
“I guess.” She shrugs. “Would have been more fun if my Gomez had been there with me.” She pouts at him.
“You told me you didn’t want me there.”
“I also told you to go back to New York, so clearly your listening skills are selective.”
“I was so mad at you that I actually almost left, but I couldn’t make it out of the driveway.” He comes over to her, caressing her cheek. “Casey, I want to figure all of this out with you. I don’t want to fight anymore, and I’m sick of sleeping alone.”
“I feel the same way. Let me take all of this off and put on some pj’s, and then we can talk.”
“Okay.” He smiles. “Want me to make you some tea?”
“That’d be great, thank you.”
//
Casey: I’m not able to come in today, I’m not feeling great…do you think you could handle my classes today? You can have comp peer edit their papers, and my other classes can just watch a movie
Harry: sure! Is there anything else you need?
Casey: just some rest, thanks for understanding
Harry had wondered for the rest of the weekend how things went between Casey and Daniel. Maybe he hung around and they were going to spend Monday together. All in all, he hoped Casey was okay. Her Monday classes were sad not to see their beloved Dr. Robertson, but many of the girls in class had no problem with Harry taking over for the day.
As a lark, Harry picked up some pepto bismol and other things that might make someone sick feel better. He pulls up to Casey’s house, and sighs with relief when he doesn’t see Daniel’s car. He rings the doorbell, and waits for Casey to open door.
“H-Harry?” She says as she opens the door. She had on an oversized, quarter-zip fleece and a pair of joggers. Her hair was in a loose, low ponytail with some strands left out in front. Her eyes were red and puffy, as was her nose.
“Hey, I…I brought you some pepto and some other stuff that might make you feel better. I didn’t know if you caught a cold or…are you okay?”
“Oh, Harry!” She wails, and throws her body into his, crying into his chest. Harry wraps his arms around her and moves them both further into the house, closing the door. “I’m not sick.” She sniffles as she looks up at him. “I’m…heartbroken.”
“What happened?”
“Daniel and I broke up.” Her voice cracks, and she shoves her face back into his chest. He holds her close and rubs her back. “We stayed up all night on Saturday talking.” She hiccups, stepping back from him and leading him into her living room. “We watched the sun come up in tears.” They both sit down on her sofa. There was a somewhat tattered blanket that she snatches, hugging it to her chest. “We just couldn’t come to a compromise that worked well enough for the both of us.” She pauses for a moment, closing her eyes and taking a deep breath. “We didn’t yell or argue, we just talked everything out. He agreed that we grew apart and that we still loved each other very much. He was feeling defeated because he felt like he was the only one trying. I knew I stopped trying because I just didn’t have the strength anymore. He’s coming back next weekend to pack up the rest of his things. After we got some sleep on Sunday we went out to get him some boxes, and he packed as much as he could into his car. Five years over and done with just like that.”
“Casey, I’m so sorry.”
“I just needed today to, like, rest and regroup, but I just spent it crying…mourning the loss of my relationship.”
“That sounds like a pretty healthy way to deal with it.”
“Every time I tried to sleep, I just cried. I haven’t eaten all day, I’ve just been in here…wallowing.” She laughs coldly at herself.
“Let me make you something to eat. Do you have food in the kitchen?”
“Harry, you don’t have to. I know you have homework to do.” She frowns.
“My bag’s in the car. I can make you some dinner, and I can work on my assignments. I can even put on one of the movies I need to watch.”
“You really don’t have to babysit me. I’m a grown woman, I can take care of myself.”
“Casey, I want to help. Why don’t you go take a shower or something? I’m sure I’ll be able to find my way around your kitchen. I can just whip up some pasta.”
“You’re very kind, thank you.” She sniffles. “A shower sounds nice, I’ll go do that.”
By the time Casey gets downstairs, all cozy in a fresh fleece and pair of sweatpants, Harry had finished making some ziti mixed with some peas. He seasoned it with some parmesan cheese, pepper, and adobo.
“Hey.” He smiles when he sees her.
“Smells good in here.” She smiles back, hopping up onto one of the stools at her kitchen island. Harry puts a bowl of food in front of her before sitting down next to her. “Thank you.”
“Stop thanking me, would you?”
“I can’t help it.” Her bottom lip quivers as she takes a bite of food. “This is just so nice of you.” She sniffles.
“Casey, come on.” Harry chuckles and cradles her cheeks to thumb her tears away. “Can’t have you crying into your dinner.” He pouts cutely at her making her giggle before letting her go.
Harry eats while getting some work done, typing away at his computer. Casey eats her dinner slowly, not wanting to overwhelm her empty stomach. She also got her period earlier in the day, so she knew her tears had to have been in overdrive because of that. She finishes her food with a sigh and sets her fork down.
“All done?” Harry asks softly.
“Mhm, I can clean up.”
“No, let me-“
“Harry, I’m not helpless, please.” She hops off her stool and takes both of their bowls and put them in the dishwasher. “Did you figure out which movie you need to watch for class?”
“I have a choice between Some Like it Hot and The Apartment.”
“God, I can’t stand The Apartment.” Casey groans. “Let’s watch Some Like it Hot, it’s way more entertaining. I actually have it on DVD.”
“Oh, perfect.” Harry follows Casey into her living room, and he sits down as she sets the movie up. “I’ve never seen this one before.”
“Really? You’ll love it, it’s a classic. Marilyn Monroe is in it, and she’s just wonderful.” Casey sits down and hits play on the remote. “Can I get you anything? Water?”
“I’m all set, thank you.” Harry smiles, sitting back into the couch, making himself more comfortable. “You feeling a little better now that you’ve eaten?”
“Yeah, I-“ Casey’s phone starts ringing, and she sees that it’s Daniel. “I’m sorry, I need to take this.” Casey gets up quickly, and makes her way upstairs. “Hi…”
“Hi.”
“You don’t sound great.” Casey says softly.
“Been crying all day.”
“Me too.” She sighs.
“Are we sure we’re doing the right thing? If it hurts this much, shouldn’t we try to find a way to make this work?”
“Daniel, we went round in circles all weekend. You’re staying in New York, and I’m staying here. I don’t want you sacrificing your career for me. We’re not the same people we were five years ago…we’re both different now. I…I don’t want to wait for things to get started anymore.”
“So, you’d rather start over with someone new than just wait a little longer to get married to someone you know and love?”
“I want to marry someone who doesn’t lie to me about a promotion! You didn’t even talk to me before you accepted. It was like I didn’t even matter in your life, Daniel, don’t you understand that?”
“I know it was wrong of me to do that, I just thought you’d be on board…”
“Well, you thought wrong.”
“Apparently so.” There’s a beat of silence between them. “I’ll be coming back late on Friday. I should be able to pack everything else up during the weekend.”
“Okay, do you want me to stay with Lola? Like, do you not want me here?”
“I’m not going to kick you out of your own home, Casey. Besides, I’ll need you there so we can properly divide things up.”
“Right, yeah…”
“And we didn’t exactly get to have a, uh, proper goodbye.”
“Daniel.” Casey giggles. “I don’t think doing it one last time would be a good idea.”
“I’m not saying we need to plan it out, but if it happens…”
“We’ll see. I really am sorry we couldn’t compromise on things.”
“Me too. Well, I’ll let you go now. Sleep well.”
“You too.” Casey sighs as she hangs up, and makes her way downstairs. “Hey, Harry, if it’s all the same, I think I’m gonna just go to bed, but you can borrow the DVD if you want.”
“Oh! Okay.” Harry pauses the movie and stands up. “Everything alright?”
“Yeah, I’m just hormonal and tired. I’m ready to just crawl into bed and get cozy. I want to have a fresh start tomorrow.”
“Right, makes sense.” Harry gathers his things, and Casey walks him to the door.
“I can’t thank you enough for coming by.”
“All I did was make a little dinner.” Harry shrugs.
“It was more than that and you know it.” She pokes his chest playfully. “You’re a great friend.” She opens her arms up for him, and he gladly accepts her hug. He holds her close to him, maybe for a beat too long, but he likes the way she feels pressed up against him. Harry was also known for not being the first person to end a hug. Casey’s arms start to loosen around him, and he looks down at her. Her eyes widen when she sees Harry start to lean in. “Woah, what are you doing?” She steps back from him.
“N-nothing.” His face flushes.
“Were you just going to try to kiss me?”
“What, no! Of course not.” He swallows.
“Yes you were!” She pinches the bridge of her nose and takes a deep breath before looking at him. “Hi, I just broke up with my fiancé, who I’ve been with for over five years, what part of that made you think it was a good time to pull a move on me? Was all of this because you just wanted to try and get a piece?”
“Casey, that’s not what’s happening. I genuinely came to check on you. I…I just misread a signal, that’s all.”
“What signal? I literally just said you were a good friend and hugged you!” She puts her hands on her hips and frowns at him. “I’m really disappointed in you, Harry. You never struck me as the kind of guy to be nice to a girl just to try to-“
“I’m not one of those guys.” He shakes his head. “I’m really sorry. I didn’t mean to make you uncomfortable or disrespect you, I just thought…”
“Harry, you’re my GA.”
“I know.”
“It would be highly inappropriate for us to get involved. I mean, I know I’m only three years older than you, but at the end of the day I have a position of power over you. You’re a bright man, Harry, don’t be stupid and risk messing up your future because you have a crush.”
Harry looks down at his shoes, shoving his hands into his pockets.
“I understand what you’re saying.” He looks up at her. “But you haven’t said that you don’t like me back.” He smirks, making her mouth fall open. She was speechless. “Sleep tight, Casey.” Harry turns and opens the door, letting himself out. Casey stands in her doorway.
“You’re on thin ice, Styles!” She calls after him.
“I’ll make sure to step with caution, Dr. Robertson!” He shouts back before getting into his car.
Casey shuts her door, and sighs, leaning against it for a moment before bringing herself up to bed. She goes through her nightly routine, and gets herself settled into her sheets. She knew there was an underlying reason as to why she didn’t want to try harder with Daniel. The more she got to know Harry, the more she’d dread coming home to her now ex-fiancé. She used to love coming home to Daniel and recounting their days, but she realized she just didn’t care about his cases anymore. She wanted to have high level talks about film and media. Daniel would always listen, but he never really understood why Casey was so passionate about her work. To him, it all just seemed like a hobby rather than a career. Harry, on the other hand, had the same passions as her. He understood how stimulating talk about film and media could be. She wasn’t having sexual feelings towards Harry, but she couldn’t wrap her head around the emotional attachment that begun. She figured maybe she couldn’t love Daniel that much if she’d rather spend extra hours in her office with Harry instead of trying to get home to Daniel before heading back to New York. It pained her, but that was the truth. Tonight confirmed that Harry was definitely into Casey. Now all Casey had to do was figure out how she felt about Harry, but she needed to get over Daniel first.
//
“You’re here early.” Casey says to Harry the next morning.
“I wanted to talk to you about last night. I feel really bad about how I acted. I thought that maybe we were having a moment. I apologize for misreading things. Kept me up all night.”
“Have a seat.” She motions to her couch and he sits down. She turns in her seat to face him. “Don’t worry about last night. I was in a vulnerable state, and I was more affectionate than I should have been. Nothing really happened between us, so it’s all good. It’s going to take me some time to get over Daniel. Five years is a long time to be committed to one person. I’m seeing him again this weekend, and who knows what could happen?”
“What do you mean?”
“We could easily get back together, and then what? The last thing I want to do is hurt you. Besides that, you’re my GA, it would be wrong. You understand that, don’t you?”
“Of course I do. It’s not like…I mean…it’s nothing, okay? Think I’m just into you cause we have so much in common. And I really look up to you. You’re so accomplished, you know?”
“A smart woman doesn’t intimidate you?”
“Not at all.” He shakes his head. “I think smart women are incredibly”, Harry gets up from his seat and sits on the edge of Casey’s desk, “incredibly sexy.”
“You’re not really sorry for trying to kiss me last night, are you?” She smirks up at him.
“I’m sorry for upsetting you and for overstepping a boundary.” A grins starts to pull on his lips. “But I’m not sorry that it’s lead to you admitting that you like me.”
“I never said I liked you.”
“You never said you didn’t.”
“Harry.” Casey sighs.
“Listen”, Harry gets off her desk and sits back down on the couch, taking out his laptop. “take as much time as you need to get over Daniel. I’ll be right here when you’re ready for me.” He peers up at her from his laptop, smiling from ear to ear.
“You’re insufferable.” She shakes her head, getting back to her own work.
“And yet, here we are.”
“Harry, it’s 8:30 in the morning, we don’t have class until 10. Do me a favor and stay quiet until then, yeah?”
He makes a motion as to zip his lips, making Casey chuckle and roll her eyes. Later that day, when Harry had to leave for his own lecture, Casey snuck off to go see her friend, Lola, who works in the financial aid office.
“You busy?” Casey asks her friend as she sits down.
“I’m always free for you, Honey.” Lola smiles warmly. “What’s up?”
“Um…Daniel and I decided to officially end things over the weekend.” Casey says quietly. Lola had a cubicle to herself, but there were always wandering ears.
“Oh my god! I knew you guys were on the rocks, but holy shit.”
“He didn’t want to give up New York, and I didn’t want to give up here. It sucks, I’m totally heartbroken.” Casey frowns, trying not to cry again.
“Why didn’t you call me? I would have come over or something.”
“Well, I sort of just wanted to be alone…um, but someone came by to take care of me.”
“Oh, who?”
“H-Harry.”
“Your GA?!” Lola whisper-screams, and Casey nods. “Holy fuck, did anything happen?”
“No.” Casey shakes her head. “He just made me dinner…but he tried to kiss me before he left. I called him out on it, but…I don’t know, like, I…fuck.” Casey pinches the bridge of her nose and sighs. “I don’t really know how to articulate this.”
“You find your GA, who happens to only be three years younger than you, attractive.” Lola says for Casey.
“Yeah, that’s pretty much it. But I don’t want to get involved with anyone else right now. I still love Daniel, like, my heart is still with him.”
“But you also think you like Harry.”
“Well, what’s not to like about him? He makes me laugh, I like talking to him, he’s very sweet…and…fuck, I can’t even think like this. This is so unethical of me. If this were a male professor with a female GA, I’d be totally against it.”
“Yes, but that’s not the situation. You’re twenty-eight, he’s twenty-five, it’d be weird if you didn’t fall for each other.”
“I feel like it’s like when you fall for your therapist, you know? Like, what if he just likes me because he looks up to me? I shouldn’t even be entertaining the thought of this, right? It’s got to be against the rules.”
“Are you his professor?”
“Of course not, you know I don’t teach graduate level courses.”
“So, he in no way is going to be graded by you?”
“No.”
“And he could have easily been assigned to any other professor in the department. There was no special request on your part. And again, he’s twenty-five-years-old, it’s not like he’s some naïve twenty-one-year-old kid who just finished undergrad, you know?”
“That’s true.” Casey chews on her bottom lip. “I don’t know, think I need to get over my break up before I do anything.”
“I think that’s a good idea. You were together for over five years, that’s not something you’ll get over in a day, Babe. What do you say you and I grab drinks this weekend?”
“I can’t, Daniel’s coming back to pack up the rest of his things and he wants me there.”
“Alright, how about on Thursday? We can go for happy hour downtown after I get out.”
“Yeah, okay.” Casey nods. “Think I could definitely use some girl time, thanks.”
“Don’t mention it. Don’t overthink this Harry thing either. It’s not a problem yet, so don’t turn it into one.”
“You’re right, it’s just been a little flirting, it’s not like anything’s actually happened between us. If he really likes me, he’ll be patient.”
“And don’t forget, you’re worth the wait.”
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neovisioned · 4 years
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♡ꜜ eddie ate dynamite﹫johnny suh
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fangs - matt champion PLAYLIST
pairing : johnny x reader (f), feat. ten as johnny’s best friend and roommate and jaehyun as your college friend. 
genre : fluff, another case of smut with too much plot, pianist!johnny, guitarist!reader, college!au, neighbour!au, strangers to friends to lovers, warnings : ten being a cockblock, it’s overall really cute. heavy making out, grinding, marking, slight choking, slight thigh riding, mutual masturbation, slight panty kink and menhandling, oral, penetration. word count : +22k synopsis : where you never really tried to make friends with your neighbours. after all, most of them – if not all – are families that would not have much time to talk to a college student. you don’t mind, you’d rather spend some time with your guitar. but your new young neighbour doesn’t seem as anti-social as you are, it’s eleven past meridiem when someone airdrops a tab sheet on your computer, you play it. a/n : i got this idea while i was showering just after i ordered my electric guitar, i also felt like shit so figured writing about my ult would cheer me up.
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Calm and clean streets, pretty cherry trees dotted in red, small park filled with multicolor flowers, you remember the day you moved in your neighborhood like it was yesterday. You don’t say it much, but you love everything about your district. Yes, it might be mostly – if not totally – filled with small families and couples in their thirties, and they usually don’t have much to tell you, you still love the tranquility.
No college students being obnoxiously loud, no parties every week, no gatherings of wannabe frats.
You have to say, you got lucky. The small – but convenient and comfortable – apartment you’re ranting is what you could call a “perle rare”, a gem.
After searching and searching for anything that could fit a college student and it’s budget, you found this very building, freshly built. Only fifteen minutes away from the city center, exactly seventeen minutes away from your university, you couldn’t really believe your eyes, you even thought it was a scam at first. A more than decently sized apartment at the second to last floor, elevators, almost soundproof walls, balcony, big windows facing south, you couldn’t ask for more.
Even better, the owner was a family friend, a deal that made everyone happy was quickly made and, a few days after your twenty-first birthday, you moved in.
It was a bit more than a year ago and you have to say, you quickly made yourself at home, you didn’t mind leaving alone either. Besides, you had friends over a few times a month, and your family didn’t hesitate to visit without any notice.
Ah, and, a few days after moving in, you found this very cute and cosy coffee shop down the street. Oh, how you got addicted to their éclair au chocolat and their croissant. You’re a regular there, now, and the short brunette girl at the register still makes fun of you for your pronunciation. They also make a pretty good iced vanilla coffee, one you’re drinking this very moment, hands turning cold over the transparent plastic.
“Y/N, hey ! I have something for you !”, a voice you quickly grew familiar to sings the moment your badge opens the front door to your building. Sun Sangkyu, building H7’s concierge, doesn’t even wait for the glass door to close behind you to stand up from his chair, searching for the said “something”.
He’s a balding man, you’d say he’s around sixty-something years old. He agreed to work at the desk for good money despite his age, you remember him saying he loves it, it distracts him for the day while his wife volunteers with kids in a less wealthy area. Sangkyu wears big glasses that often fall down the bridge of his nose, eyes half moons whenever he smiles with his little diastema.
“Ah-a, I know what it is !”, you match his tone almost perfectly, a smile stretching your lips. Walking a bit closer to the men’s cubicle, one he customized so much it contrasts with the minimalist style of the entrance.
Red banner for the Chinese New Year, you’re surprised he did not take it down sooner. Next to it, he has multiple drawings from the kids in the building, pictures of him, his wife and kids.
“There it is. Such a tiny box, what did you order ?”, he asks, and the middle aged men doesn’t hesitate to shake the box a little, bringing it to his ear. He’s a bit too curious for his own good, but you don’t mind, it’s funny.
“Guitar picks.”, you tell him with a laugh once he lets the cardboard box fall into your waiting hands.
At that, he frowns.
Small pout on his thin lips, his dark brown eyes shift to the left as he tried and search in his memory.
“But…What about the ones you brought last winter ?”, he asks carefully, almost like he’s scared of not recalling things well. But, after all, you were the only guitarist in the building.
“I…lost them…”, you answer after a few seconds of silence, like a child admitting they misplaced something to their father.
“Ya…”, his instinct kick in with the noise escaping his face, slightly rolling his eyes, drawing out the last letter. “Anyways, I have something else for you.”, he looks at something on the floor, probably where he left his leather bag.
“But, I didn’t or-.”
“My wife made some yesterday !”, he cuts you abruptly, wide toothy smile as he slides a paper bag. And, oh, you already know what they hold by the smell alone. Baozi, steamed stuffed buns Sangkyu’s wife can make like a real master, your mouth salivates with the thought alone.
“Oh, bless her.”, a sigh tumbles from your lips, clenching the small bag against your chest. As you open your mouth to thank him, the slight buzz of the door opening catches your attention. You notice a rather tall men pushing the door with his back, strong arms holding boxes.
“Thank you very much, Sangkyu. Have a nice day !” You conclude with a smile, nodding as the oldest returns the gesture, face already towards the unknown men.
You don’t pay much attention, quickly walking towards the elevator with your two precious items in hand. Your index taps the code and your floor number like a mechanism and, just before the metallic doors close, you catch the unknown men sighing, “One more box and we’re done, Mister Suh !” Ehm, the apartment on the second floor probably found a new owner, you think at first, the thought brushed away in a second.
The ride to your floor is a quick one, your full attention on the small box in your hand, one you’re trying to open as best as you can. But you quickly find hard to rip the thick duct tape with your left hand occupied with the wrapped food.
“Oh, fuck !”
What was meant to happen, happened. As the feminine yet weirdly robotic voice announces your floor with a “Floor number nine, floor number nine.”, you drop the small box. The cardboard hits the floor with a small sound, laying lifeless a few centimeters away from your shoes. Great, that will teach you. Leaning down, you pick the box up with a sigh, straightening your back as the grey metallic doors open in front of you, left wrist twisting to let your digits wrap around your keys. And it’s your turn to frown. Eyebrows furrowed, you take a step forward, taking your body out of the elevator before the doors close and head down again.
Boxes, boxes everywhere. Your door’s on the left, body naturally facing your apartment but your eyes can not help but look at the overwhelming amount of…stuff laying there. Probably a dozen cardboard boxes in the hallway, the door’s open to the empty apartment if it’s not for all the wrapped furniture in the entrance. Uh, so it’s not the second floor. You have to say, you’re a bit surprised. When you moved in, you remember this very apartment being owned by a middle-aged woman, the fake blonde told you about the three other places she owned and ranted all year around. Be it to travelers, students, young adults. Someone ranted it for two months at best, before moving out, you don’t even remember their faces, to be honest. You never asked why it was always empty, you just figured the area was more appealing to families that would rather buy their own place rather than rant it for god knows how much.
Well, seems like you have a new neighbor. Maybe, just maybe, you’ll introduce yourself later, once they’ll be done with moving in. Let’s be real, you’re not Bree Van de Kamp from Desperate Housewives but, you were well raised. Ah, and, you should probably tell them about your habit of playing the guitar a bit too late at night, you think as you finally take your attention off the open apartment and go for your own. Everything might be pretty well isolated, you don’t want to risk starting beef with people you barely know leaving right next to you.
Plus, who knows, maybe they’re nice.
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Knife stabs the duct tape, the brown layer easily ripping under the sharp object. Comfortably sat on your bed, you quickly tear the cardboard with your hands, leaving the packaging on the floor of your bedroom, neatly leaving the small bag of picks you ordered on your white sheet.
It’s around ten and a half post meridiem when you finally get around opening your order. College life is one you knew would be busy, but seventeen years old you never knew you’d spend hours on an essay’s introduction. But thank god, you finished a good chunk of your assignment, showered, ate and now, it’s time for a bit of relaxation.
It’s sort of a ritual for you, a way to reward yourself after a productive day. You take a long shower or a good bath – it depends on the bath bombs you have in stock –, you eat a good, hot meal and get to your room for some alone time with none other than your beloved guitar.
The sun’s already set, the streets’ lights filling your bedroom. And, that’s when you notice the dim light coming from the room right on front of you. The layout of every apartment being identical, you know it’s another bedroom, few meters away from your own. It’s a bad habit you developed after your old neighbor left, you’d pull your curtains to the side and eventually took them out, they clashed with your room’s aesthetic anyways. After all, if no one was leaving there, you would let your window wide open for a bit more light.
You figure you should maybe go and find where you stacked them and get ready to struggle for an hour before eventually, putting them up again. But for now, you don’t mind, if your new neighbor actually pulls his curtains to look outside, all they will be able to see’s your light purple colored walls, paintings and pictures, your overly packed schedule stuck right on top of your desk.
You don’t let your mind wonder too much, after quickly opening the thin packaging, you let the small plastic picks fall on your bed. Medium sized, you choose the color you like the best, abstract design in red, black and white. Now that you think about it, you really don’t know where the six other ones disappeared, you even used to keep the last one in your phone case.
Digits wrap around the slender neck of your electric guitar, picking it up from the stand it rested on for a few days now, instrument easily finding its place on your lap. Ah, how you love the feeling of the smooth material under your fingertips, left hand on the body to keep it from falling as you lean forward. The Jack cable you left laying there a few days ago moved a bit, hiding under your bed but you’re quick to grab it, plugging it where it belongs. A flick of the wrist, you turn on your amplifier, turning a few settings. Now that you have neighbors, maybe you should turn the volume a bit down. Until now, you could play as loudly as you wanted thank to the building’s isolation and a few other…reasons. The men living right above you was a bit older than Sangkyu, and he had a few hearing problems, plus he didn’t mind the music at all even if he heard it a bit, when your window was opened. The women leaving right under you is in her mid-thirties, a nurse that had a working schedule you cannot wrap your head around. One thing you know, she’s never there from nine post meridiem to some ungodly hour in the morning.
You’ll talk to your new neighbors tomorrow anyways, brushing the thought off as you place the strap on your shoulder.
“Eddie ate dynamite.”, you mumble under your breath, pick plucking at the three top strings. In tune, great. “Good bye Eddie.”, the three last strings are slightly out of tune, but your quickly arrange that with a few twists. Right hand flat on the six strings, you stand up from your bed, walking to your desk with a few steps. You had left a tab sheet open on your devise before going for your bath, screen lighting up as you open it. It’s a song you practiced once a few weeks back before forgetting about it. Bold, black letters, “Fangs – Matt Champion”.
Eyes scanning the numbers, your fingers quickly find the strings without you needing to even look at your guitar’s neck. Your body follows quickly, shoulders and head moving at the rhythm, it’s a chill tune you can warm your fingers up to. It’s a moment you adore, when your entire building’s silent, fresh breeze of the early summer sneaking into your room, multicolor lights flashing in your bedroom (tiktok made you buy them). Tones and sounds of stings being pulled fill your room, it’s no hard for you to remember the notes at the end, eyes closing as you finish the song.
A good song to start on, you think before opening your eyes and…?
“What’s that ?”, you ask out loud, eyes squinting at the window that opened itself on your screen. Apparently, someone’s trying to airdrop something. It’s probably a mistake, you think at first. A weird mistake, for sure, your laptop clearly had your name on it. Your index finger’s about to decline the request before you take a look at the actual picture sent. Is that…A tab sheet ? Your eyebrows furrow a bit more. Clearly, this was not a mistake. Eye travel to the window, could it be ? Your neighbor’s room is now lit up, but you can’t make anything up in it, unconsciously waiting for a head to pop-up. But hélas, no movement comes from the other side. It could come from anyone, but you doubt
“The Less I know The Better – Tame Impala”.
Ah, you’re not a stranger to the song, you have it in multiple playlists, but you never took the time to look at the tabs. At least the person has some good taste. It’s a weird situation for sure, is this…a request ?
Unconsciously, your fingertips press on the right strings. Eh, might as well try it, right ? Tune familiar, you go through the intro easily, though maybe you should’ve taken something to loop the sound. Irises focused on your screen, you try your best not to mess up, eyes sometimes traveling from your computer to the neck of your guitar. Brown polished wood glow under the purple light, it softly transitions to blue, green, and you stop after the chorus.
Maybe you’ll keep the sheet.
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Cold morning breeze, sounds of a city waking up. Birds singing a bit too loudly, a few cars driving by, chatter from families and young adults all around, voices muted by how high you’re apartment is.
You follow along, body turning in your bed, though maybe in a less graceful way, softly shaking the sleep out.
You changed your sheet right before going to sleep, after playing a few other songs, flowery fragrance comforting, nose deep into the soft fabric. You almost think about not leaving your bed but hélas, you have some classes to attend today.
At least, they’re starting a bit late. Sleepy eyes shift to your clock, the very one that woke you up, nine ante meridiem, you have an hour to get ready, that should be enough.
Another bad habit, your hand grabs your phone as you roll over to your side, cheek squished on your pillow, one eye closed. Maybe you should not do that, apparently the second eye's vision can and will go down if you do this too much. You have an appointment soon anyways, working on your computer all day long got your eyes dry.
Checking mails, social media, texts, you tour your phone before finally stepping out of bed.
Music theory class, multiple hours of it. But, at least, it didn’t end late at all, today was your only free day. But again, depends on what is your vision of freedom, you'll probably end up at the bakery slash coffee shop down the street to study a bit more.
Arms stretching above your head, your lips part in a yawn you quickly hide behind your hand. Fuck, you probably slept on your arm, shoulder aching under your fingertips massaging the muscle.
Walking around your bed, you take a few steps, dragging your feet on your floor towards your window. You needed a bit of fresh air before anything else.
The weather's pretty good today, you note as you fully step in front of your window, skin gratefully taking in the sunlight, a few white clouds here and there in the sky but nothing to complain about. The sun seems to already be heating the air up, maybe you can go for a light coat today, or a thick top alone.
Naturally, your eyes fall straight forward, to the very window you were looking at the night before.
Curtains pulled to the side, your curiosity gets poked, maybe you can have a quick look at the room, right ?
It looks empty anyways, you think at first, but it seems the universe wants to annoy you a bit today. Just as you're about to detail the room opposite to yours, a figure walks in.
His shadow is the first thing you see, stretching on the beige painted walls of the room before he eventually steps in front of his window as well.
Fortunately for your dignity, the men has his back turned but how... Broad do they look, even from a distance.
You have no idea why, but you're stuck there, one side of your brain telling you to leave before you get caught and inevitably get label as the creepy neighbor while the other whispers that you might want to see the strangers' face.
Shoulder blades move against the tanned skin, hands quickly run in his honey colored locks, pushing them back, it seems your neighbor's getting ready too.
That's when you realize your hand's still gripping your window's handle, right hand falling to your side, you really should go and get ready too but... You wonder, is he the one that sent you the tab sheet yesterday ? Wouldn't you want to put a face a the music taste ?
As you're about to take a step back, the men turns slightly, applying what you can only assume is cream to his face, digits running down his jawline as he angles his head as desired. And oh, the one second long glimpse you get at his profile is enough to make your lips part.
Shiny locks falling in front of his eyes, straight nose, full lips, sharp jawline, a curse almost falls down from your lips. You'd think anyone would find the guy attractive from the small peak you just got but... Isn't this a bit... Weird ? You suddenly feel like a whole voyeur, your eyes detaching from the stranger as your morals kick in.
He doesn't look like a father, or maybe he's very young father ? But again, you didn't see anything for a baby yesterday, nor did you hear one crying yesterday night...
Maybe he moved in here with his significant other, even though young couple usually go for the other side of the city.
Or maybe, he's a college student like you are, does he have a roommate ?
Pupils traveling up again to the window, you're about to get on your toes for a better look. Maybe you should say introduce yourself tonight, rather than guessing and throwing hypothesis out there. And maybe, just maybe, you want to get a better look at his face.
He turns around, you duck to the side.
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It’s around six after meridiem when you finally, finally get up from the sit you occupied for several hours now. Maybe you should’ve taken a break between two massive paragraphs to write, you think as your arms stretch up above your head. Thank god, the beloved coffee you decided to drop your bag in had some comfortable light beige chairs, cushion as still cloud-like, exactly like you found them the first day you entered the shop.
You wonder how they keep them so clean, someone must’ve dropped their dark coffee or chocolate on the unforgiving fabric at least once, you surely fear being one of these clients.
“You done ?”, familiar voice hums, and you just nod at the question, eyes falling on the black clock right behind the counter.
“Yeah, I can’t think anymore.”, you tell your friend, hand grabbing the second cup of coffee you brough, shaking it lightly to estimate the amount of liquid left. Jaehyun, maybe your closest friend in your university, pouts at that. Dirty blonde hair fall in front of his eyes as he grounds, before he lets his forward press against his computer’s touchpad. The poor guy had been struggling for an hour now, the rhythm of his fingers tapping on his keyboard gradually loosing speed. You have to say, you were in the same situation, writing and rewriting the same sentences again, brain refusing to cooperate after already vomiting out a few large paragraphs. But, unlike your friend, you decided to stop there for the day, you still had a full week to finish it anyways.  
“I can’t do this anymore.”, the Korean grounds again, dramatic nature kicking in as his head snaps back, rolling backwards, the men cannot go a day without faking death.
“Save it, we still have a week to do it.”, you sigh out, but you don’t hide the smile growing on your face at his antics. Though, you don’t wait for his answer, saving your own file before closing your laptop.
“Six days. Six.”, he corrects, like a day changes anything anyways. See, Jaehyun needs to turn his paper in a single day before yours, since he had chosen to attend the very class twenty-four hours before you. Rolling your eyes, you know the men cannot read your facial expressions, bag turned as you drop all your belongings into your bag.
“You gonna stay ?”, you simply ask, there’s no need for you to point out the slight difference in days. Jaehyun nods fingers running on his touch pad as he zooms out his Word Documents, eyes scanning over his six pages for any underlined errors. “Well, good luck. I didn’t finish this, want it ?”, you ask, eyebrows slightly raised as you push the still fresh iced coffee towards your friend, who doesn’t need more, lips wrapping around the straw.
“Text me when you’re home.”, Jaehyun mumbles, mouth filled with tiny ice pieces, pieces he quickly swallows. “Don’t work too late, text me too.”, you finish it like you too usually do, quickly waving before you walk out of view.
“Are you done, Y/N ?”, another familiar voice calls you out, one you know pretty well by now. See, the coffee shop is getting more and more exposure as days go by, but it does not meet the owner and workers will forget about the regulars, like you. “For the day, yeah. Still have a few things to write but I should be done tomorrow or the day after.” You smile at the brunette, Hana, coffee “Flâner”’s cashier. As said, she’s a brunette with the longest locks you’ve ever seen. Or maybe she has black hair, you think it depends on the lighting. Anyways, she’s been there since the opening, working 4 days a week, greeting costumers with a smile and a light French accent whenever she spoke, thought you remember her saying she was born somewhere else.
“Ah, I hope you’ll have a good grade !”, she says cheerfully, black irises leaving your form as she places some cakes into their signature black box. “Is…Jaehyun staying ?”, the smallest asks, even behind the counter, you can’t help but notice her small, petite figure. It’s like she doesn’t dare to look at you, and a small smile stretches your lips. Oh…She doesn’t hide her crush very well. You wonder, is Jaehyun staying late for another reason as well ?
“Ah, yeah. He’s proofreading what he wrote today.”, you explain, fainting obliviousness.
“Oh, alright !”, she responds with a smile, eyes flickering from your figure to the your friend’s. You’re about to leave, let them somewhat alone if you forget about the three other costumers drinking their tea, when your eyes fall the small cakes she’s arranging behind the glass. And god, how they look tasty. You guess they’re make of a chocolate mousse, a shortbread at the bottom, your mouth salivates. As said, you’re not the Bree Van de Kamp of your building but, if you’re going to greet your new neighbors today, shouldn’t you bring something ? And no, you’re definitely not doing this because of what happened this morning, no way.
“What are these ?”, you ask, taking a step closer.
“Un royal !”, she answers in French, your eyes squint as you try to say it back. How the fuck does she do that -r sound.
“Can I have two of them ? And a croissant, please.”, you order, hand already fishing for your phone. God, this shop will make you go bankrupt, they will also make you addicted to their food, if you’re not already.
“Sure, ma’am !”, the young girl answers, before she grabs yet another black box. Fingers push the cardboard until it takes the shape desired, iron tool dropping the cakes into it. You’ve done this so many times, it’s ironic. Right hand grabs the box, left hand turning your phone screen towards the young girl so she can scan the code.
“Thank you, good bye !”
“See you soon, Y/N !”
The glass door is pushed with a shoulder, smile stretching your painted lips when you give another look inside the shop, catching Jaehyun walking up to the counter. “Buying three coffees isn’t a way to flirt, Jaehyun.”, you laugh to yourself before leaving.
It looks like the sun is about to set, sunlight a lot less aggressive compared to the beginning of the afternoon. Cakes in hand, the walk to your building is a short one, though you come across the Hwang family from the fourth floor going to the park, greeting the mother with a smile, waving lightly at the twins she’s holding hands with. Ah, you really do love this area, you think as you walk along the park’s barrier, catching a few giggles and screams from young kids. And, from the sound of it, they started opening the water in the fountains.
“Cakes again !”, Sangkyu might be on the older side, he still has some sharp eyes, you note. The door closes behind you with a small noise, the lock activating itself. “Yes, cakes again.”, you say, shooting him a fake-ly offended glare, left hand to your chest. “But these aren’t for me, they’re for the new neighbor.”, you point out, walk slowing down in front of the men’s cubicle.
“Ah ! Mister Suh and…”, his face contours as he tries his best to recollect the second name. Oh, maybe it was a couple, good thing you got two cakes, even though you got one for yourself… “Right ! His roommate, Mister Leechayapornkul !”, his features light up with a smile as he correctly – you assume – recollects the second name. Ah, a roommate, you think, interesting. “Oh, I didn’t know they were two. I’m going to introduce myself now.”, you tell him with a smile.
“Ah, by the way, have you heard ? Miss and Mister Jeon want to organize something for the building’s anniversary, I’ll keep you up to date !”
On that, you leave the old men with a smile, quickly strolling to the elevator. The metal cubicle stops at the third floor, a young girl you don’t really know polite greets you before pushing the fifth button floor, she’s probably friends with the kids on that floor.
“Floor number nine, floor number nine.”, the metal doors open on your small hallway, and for the first time, you walk towards the right door. Deep, dark green color like yours, your shoes barely make a noise on the light beige carpet as they lead you to your neighbors’ place. You stay there for a second, mind questioning the dumbest things, should you wait a bit ? How many times should you knock…? Raising your fist up, the first joints of pointer and middle finger tap a few times on the dark wood. One, two, three. You wait.
Though, everything seems silent, if it’s not for the small noise of the elevator going up and down. Are they…Not there ? A small pout on your lips, you shift on your feet, both hands grabbing onto the black box. The apartment was silent, you guessed your new neighbors were not there, your luck.
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From : Jaehyun, 8:37 pm. : “im home !!” : “ended up proofreading and wrote the second to last part” The well familiar name flashes on your phone, alongside a picture you took when you visited his family on the country side. Jaehyun’s rather tall body’s folded as he tries to ride on a small tricycle, legs so long his knees are above the handlebars. Quickly, your thumbs tap on the small keyboard as you walk toward your room.
After entering your bedroom, you decided to eat a bit earlier, taking a shower before going back to your guitar. The shower was a cold one, if the sun had already set, the air was dense, heavy. Moments after stepping out of your shower, a thin layer of sweat managed to gather around your hairline. It’s like the weather suddenly switched to the middle of summer, and you definitely were not ready for it.
To : Jaehyun, 8:38 pm. : “is it because of the third coffee you bought :D ?”
To : Jaehyun, 8:40 pm. : “…i do not know what youre talking about .” To : Jaehyun, 8:40 pm. : “when are you gonna ask her ?”
You send the message before locking your phone, throwing the devise on your bed. You’re quick to set up your guitar, since you left you amp’ plugged in yesterday. Right index flicks the switch up, before you plug the Jack cable in. However, as you’re about to flop on your bed again, you notice the screen of your phone lightening up as your college friend calls you.
“How did you know ?”, it the first think he asks, tone whiny, the second you accept the call and press the speaker button. “It is very much obvious, Jaehyun.”, you laugh out, left hand finding its place around the neck of your black and white guitar as you bring it on your lap.
“Do you she’s int-.”, Jaehyun starts as you play out a few random chords, thumb stroking the six strings ever so softly. “Yes.”, you cut him before he even manages to finish his sentence. “She’s into you. I thought you knew.”
“I, uh, I wasn’t sure.”, he mumbles, and you hear his fork pick whatever his eating. After hanging out around the male for some years now, you figured your good friend was a bit clueless when it came to his looks and charms. Yes, Jaehyun knows that’s he’s handsome, you don’t miss the opportunity to remind him whenever he gets dressed up or send you a selfie, as a good and supportive friend.
But, Jaehyun doesn’t really weight the affect he has on girls, guys, and everyone in between. You remember when this guy in your Music Therapy class, and another girl, you don’t really remember what hear studies were about, but she was in your distant group circle and they both had a big – massive – you’d say, crush on your friend. You remember both of them throwing some light hints at first, thought the girl went a bit harder after as the first eventually dropped it. Jaehyun, him, was completely oblivious until you told him one night, when he was staying over after a night out. “Ask her out already !”, you sign out, left hand over your guitar’s string, blocking any sound.
“I will soon, okay ! Give me some time, I’m…Thinking about the right way to do it.”, your friend starts, drinking something in between his words. “Anyways, moving on ! How’s your neighbor ?”
You sigh at the question, opening your laptop as you search in your files for something to play, you really should organize your things a bit better, you think to yourself.
“They weren’t there.”, you breath out, eyes unconsciously flickering to the window. From this angle, you can’t really see much, apart from the vague shapes behind the curtains, yellowish light on before you even came in your room.
“They ? Oh…Is it a couple ?”, Jaehyun asks, tone slightly disappointed. See, this morning, you obviously told your friend about the airdrop…Thing. Obviously, you had texted him before going to sleep but decided to keep much of the details for a real life conversation. After a hushed story-time, eyes travelling to your teacher every now and then to make sure he was not looking at you, you told him about what happened this morning.
Of course, it immediately poked the blonde’s curiosity, who would not be. As said, you and Jaehyun had been friends for some years now. When you two met, he was in a relationship that ended a few months after, you being there for him had strengthen the bond, he had been single ever since and you, had been single all the way. Sure, you had a few crushes, two or three people shooting there shot but, the crushes were always short-lived, nothing serious.
So, when Jaehyun heard that you found someone attractive after months of radio silence of the channel of your earth, someone who lives next to you at that, your friend jumped on the occasion, already hoping for something to happen before you even got to introduce yourself to the guy.
“I don’t know, Sangkyu said they’re two roommates.”, you inform, trying to recall the two names the oldest men told you hours before.
“…Are you sure you don’t want me to stalk ?”, Jaehyun proposes for the second time today. As soon as you finished your small story this morning, the Korean asked if you wanted him to do some stalking, promising and selling his apparently, amazing, skills in the domain.
“Jaehyun, no. I didn’t even introduce myself.”, you breathe out, half-desperate, half laughing at his antics. “Alright, alright. Go see them soon, alright ?”, there’s a small silence, you simply hum at his question. “Play me something while I do the dishes.”, your friend yawns and you oblige pretty quickly, after finally finding a song to practice to. Maybe you need a little more practice on the song, one by Frank Ocean in the “channel ORANGE” album he put out in 2012, if you recall correctly. On the other line, the sound of water running and dishes being done drowns the voice of your friend slightly singing to the song, one you two have on the collective Spotify playlist you have. Your attention stays on your screen, just in case you forget a chord and, as you’re starting the second chorus, something comes between your eyes and the sheet. Your hand comes flat on your guitar strings, stopping the music at once. You already know what it is.
Jaehyun does not stop the water, but his voice does comes closer, microphone muted every now and then as you hear him struggle. “Why did you- Oh, fuck, nooo. There’s sop everywhere.” You laugh breathlessly at his whines, eyes quickly looking at the black screen of your phone, like you’d be able to see your friend. Though, you hear him wipe his screen, cloth going over his microphone again.
“There ! Why did you stop ?”, he asks, bringing his mouth a bit too close to his phone. Staying silent for a second, your finger tap on yet another Airdrop. “He sent another one.”, you simply say, a bit quietly, as if your neighbor will be able to hear you. Pupils look over at the window, you almost want to get up and walk to your window but…
Jaehyun gasps softly over the phone, “Play it, play it.”, he says as you’re scanning the sheet sent. And oh, he’s that type. It’s crazy how two songs alone help you draw a quick sketch of your neighbor’s personality, or his music taste at the very least. Unlike yesterday, you don’t hesitate and open the file sent, though you have to say you already know the chords.
“Jae’. He sent The Neighbourhood’s Daddy Issues.”, you squick into the phone after grabbing into with your right hand. Jaehyun knows well, you still love the band but had an unhealthy obsession a few years back, not to mention your massive crush on Zach Abels.
“Oh. Ooh. He’s like that.”, Jaehyun notes as well, before he presses you again to play it. Urged by your friend, you lean forward to adjust the reverb on your guitar. “That’s…Kinda hot, though.”, your friend whispers out and you, yourself, can’t comprehend the sound that comes from your lips, something between a laugh and a choked gasp.
“Jae’…What ?”
“No, but, I mean…Daddy Issues, that’s hot.”, he tries to explain himself, you quickly shut him up by running your fingers over the six strings. You don’t really need to look at the tabs, from memory, your fingers find their rightful place.
“3D, 5D, 3G, 5D, 5B, 5G.”, you say as you play the notes, humming the rest as you play the intro.
“C minor, G minor, B flat major.”, and from then, you remember the song pretty easily. Between two chords, you turn the volume on your guitar up, just to make sure your neighbor’s hearing you play.
“That’s flirting.”, concludes Jaehyun once you’re done with the song, you know him well enough to know his mouth a bit agape.
“It is not.”, you tell him, though you’re not sure yourself what this is.
“You have to talk to him like, right now.”, he urges so loudly you have to turn the volume on your phone down.
“Now ? No ! I’m in my pyjamas, and I don-.”, you start, and it’s your friend’s turn to cut you off. “’kay, okay ! Go talk to him tomorrow, please ?”
“I will, don’t worry.”, you start, but before you can continue, you’re phrase’s cut again but this time, it’s by…A piano.
Your mouth parts for a second, a single syllable falling from your lips before you close your mouth. The tune’s familiar, but you never heard in played on a piano. Your head slowly raises, eyes fixated on your window.
“Can you hear this ?”, you quietly ask Jaehyun, who answers with a soft “Yeah”, sounding as dumbfounded as you do. Slowly, you get up from your bed, leaving your guitar on your bed, that’s when you realize how hot it is. The fabric of your shirt sticks to your skin, hands lacing into your hair as your push them up in a makeshift ponytail to let your neck get some air.
It's after a few notes that you finally put your finger on it. The Weeknd's last album, “After Hour”. “Repeat after me.”, you tell Jaehyun, I single “Oh” coming from his lips as he recolls the song.So he's a musician as well, you conclude easily. You never heard anyone play this very song on the piano, you wonder if it's his own arrangement.
On the other end of the line, the blonde's silent, carefully listening to the soft piano tunes as you do the same. Few steps take you to your window again, just like you did this morning. This time, curtains are pulled to the side, enough for you to  see the same broad shoulders under a black hoodie, back straight as his head hangs down towards the keyboard.
From your spot, you can't really see his fingers, but you do see his hands quickly running over the black and whites, pressing confidently. Seeing a pianist's always mesmerising, eyes stuck on the figure, you try your best to get a better view but, what can you do from your room ?
When the song ends, unlike this morning, you don't hide behind your wall. Your neighbor doesn't move, stretching his arms above his head, fingers laced together, a curse falls down your lips.
“Y/N. Send him a sheet.”
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It's around five in the afternoon when you find yourself in front of your neighbor's door, holding a black box of cakes, for the second time this week. Your classes had ended two hours earlier today and maybe, maybe you should use that time to work on your assignment but since last night, you don't think you can go another day without introducing yourself to the building's new people. Plus, you have enough time, you tell yourself.
It's ironic, isn't it ? You weren't the type to go out of your way to speak to your neighbors, most didn't have a lot in common with you but now. Now, this nameless, a bit too handsome young guy moves in and you're bringing some patisseries in front of his door.
Music brings people together, you've always thought, you've always known and this, this is a pretty good example. You're pretty sure you wouldn't have went out of your way like this if the guy didn't send you a tab sheet, if he didn't play last night.
Like yesterday, you bring your first up, knocking a bit more confidently this time, thought you let out a breath you didn't know you were holding.
You barely have the time to let your hand fall down to your side when a deep, voice a bit far away let's out. “Coming !”
Of course, broad shoulder guy had to have a deep voice to go along side.
“Oh, hi.”, your soul almost jumps out of your body when the deep green door abruptly opens to reveal none other than your - handsome - neighbor.
“Hi...! Uh, I'm your next door neighbor, the name's Y/N.”, you let out, maybe you should thank your past self for practicing this very line right before stepping out of your apartment.
Your right hand's stretched out in front of your for him to shake, but your attention's on something else. Deep brown eyes stare down at you, they almost make you feel small. Or maybe they're a honey brown, you wonder as the plane blocking the sun finally moves away to reflect into his eyes.
Yes, definitely honey brown eyes, the same eyes that turn a crescent shape, just like before a full. moon.
He smiles at you with the same full lips you saw from your window, hands wrapping around your own.
“Ah, yes. Johnny, nice to meet you !”, he says, hand slowly shaking your own. Finally, a name on the face. You quickly notice the slight simple in the middle of his cheek before he lets go of your hand.
“Oh, I bought some cakes from the coffee shop down the street.”, you tell Johnny, both hands one the black box.
At this, his lips turn from a smile to an - o shape, eyes round. Maybe you guessed right at the moon phase.
“You didn't have to !”, your neighbor blurs out, hands at his sides for a few seconds before they eventually accept the gift when you slightly push the box towards him. Your eyes fall to his hands for a quick second and yes, definitely some pianist hands.
“It's just a small welcome gift ! I wanted to drop them yesterday but, I think you weren't there.”, you explain, a lot, lot more relaxed, though turning your attention away from the men's hands. This isn't the moment nor the place.
“Ah yeah, me and Ten we're out for the first grocery shopping trip.”, he explains, right shoulder leaning against his door frame. You get a quick glimpse at the apartment itself, though you don't look at it too long, everything looks already set up. You remember taking a week to get everything as home-like, but you guess having a second pair of arms help.
“Ten ?”, you ask, right hand wrapping around your left upper arm. Probably the one Sangkyu was talking about the other day.
“Yeah, he's my roommate.”, Johnny answers, letting a silence settle between the two of you. “Do you want to come in ? I won't be able to eat two cakes by myself.”, the men proposes after a few seconds, pupils landing on the black box. He probably saw the two cakes thank to the transparent part of the cardboard box, at the top.
Come in ? And... Eat with him ? Suddenly, your palms grow sweaty, slightly shifting one foot to another. “Oh, but. Your roommate.”, you mumble out.
Sure, at first, you bought two cakes, one for him and one for you. Though you thought you'd eat them by yourselves, when Sangkyu told you about the second person living there, you figured you'd keep the two cakes for your two neighbors.
“He's at his parents’ house to get some things, he won't be there until the day after tomorrow.”, the brunette tells you with a smile. His body moves a bit more, enough to let you enter. “Come on, I need someone to help me eat all of this.”
How can you say no to this ?
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“Wait, it ends like that ? There’s no way he does that.”, laughs Johnny, a full laugh that shakes his chest, right under his plain white t-shirt. Short sleeves rolled up to his shoulders, his body leans back, black jeans covered legs spread on his one person sofa.
“I swear he does, watch the second season !”, you interject quickly, straw mixing the iced tea in your long glass, ice cubes clashing against each other before eventually melting away.
“Yeah, I guess I will…! I never thought he’d kill her.”, you neighbor says, and he seems genuinely choked, bushy eyebrows raised.
After taking a step in his apartment, the pianist led you to the biggest sofa, where he left you for a few minutes. People say boys are bad at decorating their place, but you have to say Johnny and Ten’s apartment was already looking pretty good. Beige walls, a few black and white pictures were hung up right above the dark sofa. Wide windows on your left, your apartment has the opposite view. While you have a view towards the city center, street lights fascinating at night, Johnny has an amazing view on the park.
Large television right in front of you, you quickly notice de PlayStation 4 and switch neatly placed under it. On your right, just like your apartment, the small open kitchen, counter the only thing separating the two rooms. The honey-eyed seemed to have found his marks easily, navigating in the kitchen quickly. After taking out two plates and two small spoons, he placed the two cakes, refusing your help every time you offered it.
“Iced tea ?”, he had asked, taking out two long glasses when you agreed. Red hibiscus iced tea was poured and handed, before he sat in front of you. You do not remember well how the conversation around the series “You” started, but you recall seeing his Netflix profile on the tv screen.
“So, you live alone ?”, he asked after some seconds of silence, pillow lips wrapping around his metal straw.
“Yeah, I’ve been there for a year, I’d say.”, you start out, spoon digging into the chocolate mousse. “You’ll see, it’s lovely here.”, you tell Johnny with a smile he mirrors.
“I’m sure it is, everyone’s really nice. Especially Sangkyu.”, you laugh at that, the old men really has the power to give one memorable first impression.
“Ah, Sangkyun-.”, you laugh, “He’s something.”, you point out, yourself taking a sip of the iced tea. “Really good memory too, he made fun of me for buying two sets of guitar picks in a few months span.”
“Oh, right, the guitarist.”, Johnny smiles, placing his empty plate on his table. Pink tongue pokes out to wet his lips, your eyes shamefully follow the movement before forcing yourself to find his honey eyes again.   There it was, you didn’t know when nor how to bring the subject up, but you were thankful it happened naturally. For two people, two strangers, the conversation was going pretty well.
“Exactly ! By the way, sorry if the music’s too loud.”, you add quickly, yourself reaching towards the table to leave your empty glass. You’ll have to ask for the receipt. Johnny’s reaction is almost comical, his head shaking from left to right. “No, no ! It’s not too loud, not at all. T-That’s why I sent you a sheet, I liked it.”, he blurs he words out quickly, cute, you think.
Crossing one leg over the other, your eyes shift to the left for a quick second at the small compliment. “Thank you. You’re a good pianist.”, you return with a smile, spoon scraping the last bit of biscuit.
“Thank you very much, it means a lot. Have you been playing for long ?”, he asks, glass a quarter full left on the table. His right arm comes behind his sofa’s backrest, getting more comfortable.
“Since I was…eleven. Got an acoustic for my birthday and ended up selling it for an electric a year and a half later. What about you ?”, you explain, remembering the light brown instrument your parents got for you, you also remember it being way, way too big.
“Ah, yeah, I’ve always liked the sound of an electric guitar better. I was seven, or eight. My mother wanted me to learn and I ended up really liking it.”, he explains, fingers tapping on the sofa’s fabric.
Music brings people together, you tell yourself a second time when Johnny tells you about how her mother loves the sound of a piano, how she’d always stop next to her when he played. A kind of art that helps you learn more about a person, when he tells you his favorite songs to play and you tell him yours.
“But you do have a real pianist’s hands !”, you argue back when Johnny down plays one of your compliments, to which the brunette looks down. Crescent shaped eyes fall on his ring clapped fingers, a small smile on his lips he struggles to hide. “You noticed ?”, he asks, and you try to convince yourself his voice did not get lower.
“Well, yeah. A music student always looks at people’s hands.”, nice save, Y/N.
You learn the young men kept music as a hobby and currently studies international commerce et economics, Ten is a long, long time friend pursuing performing arts. You learn your neighbor’s not only a good looking men, brown locks falling in front of his, nose crunching up every time he finds something funny, rosy lips tugging up to reveal a row of white pearls. He’s also extremely well mannered. Soft spoken, polite, his chuckles put you in a comfort zone, the way he almost doesn’t let you help him clean the two plates a bit too cute. You find his presence entertaining.
Maybe it’s because you just met him, things to learn about him awaiting, but you don’t see the hours running by, nor does he.
It’s around ten post meridiem when Johnny insists to walk you to your door, handwritten receipt of his hibiscus iced tea in hand.
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“Do you want me to st-”, Jaehyun asks over the phone for the third time in a week, or maybe for the fourth time, you lost count. Your devise rests right next to your laptop, which is propped on your desk.
“No, Jae'. I don't want you to stalk him.”, you breathe out into your microphone, fingertips tapping on your touchpad at a random rhythm. A paragraph, the conclusion, and you should be done on your essay.
“Too late. Got him !”, he almost chants out and, at that, there's a silence. Clear sign of your disappointment and your blonde friend's concentration. “Oh, wow. He's a photographer too ?”, he asks as if you can see his screen.
You hate it, you hate how your curiosity gets picked by the simple sentence. Needless to say, Jaehyun was filled in by every bit of information you got once Johnny walked you to your door, at least he waited two days before searching for your new neighbor's Instagram. Or at least you think.
“Oh wow. OH. Woah.”, your friend gasps into his microphone, your index taps aggressively on your keyboard, deleting the last sentence you wrote. He’s obviously doing it on purpose, pushing your bottoms. The blonde knows how curious you are, he’s just trying to see how long you can keep it together.
“Uh, Ja-. Show me, what did you find ?”, not very long, obviously.
“Ah, see ! Wait, I'll send you some screenshots. He's hot.”
He is, you want to answer, but would rather shut your mouth for now or you’ll never hear the end of it. Eyes finally leaving the screen of your laptop, they travel to another, finger unlocking your phone.
Your text messages with your friend enlighten your features, bubble appearing at the bottom.
“Finding him was extremely easy.”, Jaehyun points out, before a few screenshots are sent at the same time.
And indeed, you see how easy it must've been for your blonde boy. User johnnyjsuh.
He must've been pretty popular in his old schools, you think after looking at his followers.
Pictures of him in the same white shirt you saw him in days prior, pictures of him with an argentic camera, selfies, mirror selfies, outfit pictures. His feed is almost as good as Jaehyun's. And that says something.
Unlike Jaehyun, you don't have to be careful, worried you'll accidentally like one of his pictures. Shamelessly zooming on the screenshots your university friend sent you, you unconsciously pull your bottom him between your teeth.
He's cute. Too handsome it should be illegal.
“That's a lot but, yeah.”, Jaehyun giggles, you learn you don't have much of a filter between your mind and mouth. “Follow him !”
“Are you crazy ?”, you almost scream out, eyes wide at the suggestion. “He'll know we searched him up.”
Basic social media rules, you can't follow the guy when you don't even have his number, nor talked to him more than twice at this point, if him talking to you in the elevator counts.
“Alright, alright. Don't scream in my ears like that, I have earphones.”, he complains, not leaving you a second before continuing. “Y/N, don't be a coward, airdrop something.”
“I-.”, you start out, attention drown back to your computer. With one tap of your finger, you manage to hide your word document, piano sheet open behind it. You’ve searched a few sheets the day prior, downloading one before going to sleep that night, just in case.
After all, he sent you two tabs, why wouldn't you send him something ?
Tap, tap, you open the airdrop settings. You really should, hm ?
“Alright. I'm doing it.”, you finally say, more to yourself but your friend softly cheers on anyways.
“Ocean Eyes - Billie Eilish.”, from the songs he sent you, it's a fair guess your neighbor is familiar with this one too, you’d doubt he doesn’t know who Billie Eilish is.
“Johnny's IPhone”, it's a click away. One you reach, tapping on the touch pad again. Sent. There.
“Now we wait.”, you announce, leaning back .
“Tell me if anything happens, I have a call to take.”
On that, simple goodbyes are said, you promise Jaehyun you’d tell me if anything happens, he hangs up after saying good bye a second time.
Minutes go by, you don't really know how many, maybe five where you debate going back to your essay, finger frantically tapping on the Word Document icon. Before a few notes are heard.
Piano notes, fingers pressed down on white and black keys. It has the power to make you smile, lips tugging upwards, there’s obviously not a doubt who’s playing at this very moment. Even the way he plays feels confident, he's sure of himself, he knows what he's doing.
Attention for your school work long gone, your pupils naturally find your window again.
It's slightly open, the music would come in easier if it was fully pushed, you think to yourself.
Do you even have to hide anymore ? You guess not. He knows, you know, it's just music you want to enjoy, you convince yourself even though your palms are slightly warm, heart fluttering in your chest.
Leaving your phone on your desk, you quickly walk to your window, right hand in the handle pushes it towards yourself. Warm breeze enters your bedroom, in a soft gush that sends your baby hairs floating away from your face, framing your features.
The sun's just starting to set, purple hue tiger stripes on the blue sky but your eyes are on another shade of purple.
Johnny's wearing a light lilac hoodie, brown locks the only thing you can see, he hasn't moved his piano, his back facing you again.
Forearms against the window frame, you lean forward, humming at the summer sent floating in the air.
A bit too quickly, your neighbor ends the song, hands lingering on the keyboard. Finally, his right hand grabs the very phone he propped up on his piano to see the sheet you sent him, sliding it in his back pocket.
He stands up, fingers toying with a button on his instrument, probably turning some things off.
He turns around, you don't duck to the side.
The men's visibly taken back, his turn stopping mid-way, lips slightly parting for a second. Honey brown eyes find yours before his pupils travel down at your body behind your glass window. He genuinely smiles after a few seconds, eyes half crescents, full lips tugging upwards, you can almost hear his giggle.
“Hi.”, voice soft, Johnny says once he opened his own window a bit more, forearms on his frame, mirroring your own posture.
“Hey, that was very good.”, you tell him, head tilting to your left.
“Ah, thank you. I messed up somewhere in the beginning, though.”, one hand scratches the back of his neck like an embarrassed teenager, before his elbow rests on the frame, hand holding his jaw.
“Ah shoot, I'll send something easier next time.”, you tease, to which he laughs lightly, the sound airy.
“Would be easier to send it by text, wouldn't it ?”, Johnny asks, one eyebrow raised and you have to say, you took a second to understand. But when the brunette hands you his phone, pricy devise between two apartments on the ninth floor, your eyes grow wide.
Your number, he wants your number.
Probably just because you two are neighbors, you have a bunch of your neighbors’ phone number too...
And also probably because sending sheet via airdrop isn't the most convenient thing in the world. Don’t over think it, Y/N. Don’t overthink it.
Two hands grab his phone, just in case, and you struggle to remember your phone number all of a sudden.
You have to retract in your room, too scared you're going to drop the devise with your slightly trembling hands before eventually typing in your name and phone number. You don’t get why you’re so nervous, maybe it’s because Johnny didn’t stop looking at you, slightly giggling at your antics.
“Oh, by the way. I'm sorry if sending that tab sheet the first time was too much. I just couldn't resist.”, Johnny blurs out once he gets his phone back, sliding it back into his pocket. It’s his turn to look slightly nervous, hand rubbing at his shoulder.
“Ah, no, not at all ! It was fun, plus I think we might share the same music taste.”, you reassure him with a smile.
“Really ? You should send me your playlists.”, your neighbor says with an enthusiastic tone, eyes lightening up.
If Jaehyun was there, he'd tell you this was blatant flirting. Maybe you'd agree. At that very moment, you thank your past self for having a pretty organized Spotify accounts, you're one of these people with matching playlists accounts and vague names, a playlist for each feeling almost.
“Yeah, sure ! I'll send you my Spotify user !”, you immediately tell him, as keen as he is.
“Nice, and I c-.", his sentence is abruptly cut by a surprised noise falling from his lips, brown eyes looking up at the sky. He sticks out his right hand, palm up.
Rain starts pouring down.
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Saturday, laundry day. It’s not a moment you particularly cherish but at least, you do not have to walk meters or kilometers to wash your clothes. Half thorn basket on your left hip, your right hand mindlessly scrolls through Johnny’s playlist, small smile on your features.
See, after the rain started pouring down, you two decided to return to your rooms in unanimity. Now that he had your number, communication was a lot, lot easier. As promised, you sent him your Spotify profile, where he followed you and you did the same.
User youngho’s listening to “The Weekend – SZA” from “late summer nights and city lights” playlist.
Your playlist.
User citylight’s listening to “Angelina – WIINSTON” from “yellow” playlist. His playlist.
Blatant flirting, Jaehyun would say.
Johnny has his playlist organized by colors, a simple theme you quite like. You have to say, you like all of them but, you had to follow his “purple”, “blue” and “yellow” playlist, where your neighbor managed to capture the color’s feeling. However, after a few days, the “red” playlist sat untouched. You didn’t dare. For having a similar playlist Johnny was actually shamelessly listening to, you knew exactly what the “red” playlist held.  
To : Johnny, 1:25 pm. : “how does angelina only has 40k view on youtube !!”
You quickly type on your keyboard, right after saving the said song to your likes. Finding new artist and finding new song’s always fun, especially when Johnny’s as invested as you are. He’d send you his thoughts on some songs, and you quickly learned the brunette was musically more intelligent than some people in your course.
From : Johnny, 1:27 pm. : “I honestly don’t know….” : “It’s such a catchy song too like”
Double text. Fuck, Jaehyun really got into your brain, didn’t he ? The notification bar slides down for a few seconds, enough for you to read his texts. At the same time, the metallic doors of your elevator open up to the lobby. Leaving your devise in your basket of dirty clothes, you figure you’d answer in a few minutes, once you’re done with your laundry.
“Good afternoon, Sangkyu !”, you call out the the older men before he manages to see you. It’s a fun thing you like to do, catching him off guard whenever you can. Turning his face towards you, the bold men vigorously waves.
“Y/N ! Hello !”
You don’t stop by his cubicle, rather turn to your left right before. There’s built the building’s laundry unit, you thank the architect every week for this. You do pay a little for it every month but again, it’s better than having to walk for minutes with a basket of heavy fabric. Four small machines and four bigger, it’s enough for everyone in the building. It’s also where some announcements are tapped, probably because people usually sit around the laundry room waiting for their clothes.
You’re probably going to watch an episode of Chambers while your clothes watch, you think to yourself as you open the door. It seems the universe has some other plans for you.
By now, it’s almost comical how easily you recognize Johnny’s back. Brown t-shirt on his broad shoulders, his head bob to a rhythm you can’t hear. He’s dropping his wet clothes in the machine to dry them, face turning towards the noise as you close the heavy door behind you.
“Oh, Y/N, hey !”, his smile is heard through his voice, right hand taking his earphones one. Johnny places his Airpods in their case, one you quickly notice is Marvel themed.
“Hey, Johnny.”, you wave with a hand, taking your earphones off as well.
“I was just listening to your playlist.”, the brunette says, shaking his earphones in his hand. You laugh at that, leaving your basket on the table. You assume the second basket there is Johnny’s. “Same !”
There’s a comfortable silence, the brunette pushes a few buttons on the machine and his clothes are sent for a cycle. You, yourself, drop your clothes in the washing machine after setting your phone on the brown table. You’re about to turn around and sit down, but you’re abruptly blocked by a tall figure, accidently bumping into Johnny’s chest.
“Oh, sorry.”, he breathes out, you hear him place another basket on his machine, right hand on your shoulder as if his chest did anything more than surprise you. “No worries…How many clothes do you have ?”, you ask with a laugh, not meaning to sound rude. But your neighbor’s dumping a second whole basket into the machine right next to you.
“Ah, Ten. He needs an entire outfit every day. Sometimes he even changes in the middle of the day.”, the machine quietly starts after the blue liquid is poured, Johnny leans against it. You’ve never seen your neighbor so up close, how is his face so symmetrical ? Slender eyes curling inwards, short little lashes batting a few times.
“Y/N ?”, fuck. His lips sure were moving and you didn’t register anything at all, you probably look dumb.
“I’m sorry, wh- what did you say ?”, clearing your throat, your eyes travel down to the machine, looking at the settings like you forgot to turn something on.
“I found your guitar picks. I mean, I assumed they’re yours.”, he says again, but he doesn’t hide the wide smile on his lips. You probably look dumb, really dumb. Right hand fishes into his back open, before he presents what indeed is one of your guitar picks, the light blue one. He holds it between his thumb and index, you notice he does so the right way, maybe he plays guitar.
“Oh, yeah. That’s definitely mine. Where did you find it…?”, you half ask, already knowing the possible answer. His palm opens to reveal not one, but two other picks of different colors.
“Washing machine.”, he says simply.
You learn Johnny uses a detergent that smells like vanilla and some flower blossom you can not distinguish, but the smell sure is comforting. It floats in the air as he folds his clothes next to you while doing a very detailed report on The Weeknd’s new album.
“But he’s right, though. “Repeat after me” is just a song where he brainwashes her but it’s so good.”, you tell Johnny while you take care of your wet clothes.
“His storytelling skills just keep getting better.”, he approves while popping a candy in his mouth. “Want some ?”
“Oh yeah, thanks !”, dropping the small chocolate in your hand, both your attentions are caught by the sound of the door opening. A lady in her mid-thirties enters the room, dyed red hair stopping at her shoulders.
“Miss Jeon, hi !”, you great the lady with a smile, one she easily returns. For the entire year you’ve been there, you don’t think you ever saw her without one tugging her lips.
“Hey, kids !”
Ah, yes. Miss Jeon also insists on calling everyone slightly younger than her “kid”. You don’t mind, though. You notice the rolled up paper in her right hand as she takes the hairband out.
“Doing laundry, eh ?”, she starts out, “Ah, it’s a great thing you two are here. Me and my husband are organizing a little gathering for the building’s anniversary.”
Right, Sangkyu told you about it, you remember. You hear Johnny hum behind you, to what Miss Jeon continues.
“It’ll be Saturday in two weeks ! Johnny, you and your roommate could come and get to know everyone a bit better, yeah ? Though I see you’ve already made friends with our Y/N.” Oh no, there she goes. You love the Jeons, but they’re so, so talkative, and they never know when to stop. They’re like parents taking your old embarrassing pictures out when your friends are over. Your eyes grow wide, a slightly embarrassed chuckle coming out of your lips.
The lady struggles to unwrap the paper, to which Johnny leaves the shirt he was folding to help her out.
“Ah, thank you. You know, Y/N isn’t really that talkative, but I think it’s because we didn’t share a lot in common, and we’re not as young and handsome as you.”
God. Stuck on your chair, wide eyes look at the scene as your neighbor chuckles. “Oh, really ?”, he urges her to continue to your misbelief,  but you quickly understands he’s doing it on purpose, crescent eyes sparkling with amusement as he looks over at you, the young and handsome bit wasn’t necessary but it sure did boost his ego.
Miss Jeon finally unfolds the paper, a big announcement on the anniversary gathering she’s holding. In the park, with the date and hour, you guess you should find an appropriate dress for the event and something to eat to bring.
“Anyways, it’s great having new faces ! You’ll come, right ?”, sticking he paper to the wall, the lady claps her hands, a little joyful jump when Johnny nods.
“Yeah. We’ll go together, yeah ?”
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You learn Johnny isn’t only a good looking guy, he’s also a really good friend.
The friendship grows easily, after Miss Jeon left, he helps you out with your clothes while already planning what to bring for the gathering. The brunette tells you he’s better at cooking salty dishes than sugary cakes. You agree on that, it’s one of the many reasons why you buy anything sugary at the coffee shop down the street. Nonetheless, you and your new neighbor decide to challenge yourselves, you propose some French crepes and Johnny agrees on using his kitchen for it, with the help of Ten who’ll surely be here. Surely, the kids living in the buildings would love them and, they aren’t that hard to make.
You two walked to your apartment floor, basket in hand, though Johnny’s ability to carry two at the same time is rather impressive. One on top of the other, you try to be as discreet as possible when your eyes travel down to his arms, flexing, to his ring clapped fingers, gripping at the handles. He doesn’t walk you to your door but, is it really necessary ?
It’s funny how the universe seems so willing to put him on your path.
Every now and then, you catch a glimpse of the men through your window, walking in his room, mindlessly walking back and forth when he’s thinking about a composition, pen taking on his full bottom lip. He seems really concentrated whenever he tries to write something, eyebrows furrowed, whispering quietly to himself. He catches you carelessly dancing to songs late at night under your lights, moving like nobody’s watching, hands in the air as the singer’s angelic voice seems to control your body, silently giggling when you catch his eyes and abruptly stop.
He seems to vaguely have the same schedule as you do, you see him getting ready some days of the weeks, applying cream on his face like the first time you ever caught a glimpse at his sharp features at a distance. And you bump into him in the elevator every other day, both so exhausted with your classes, heavy backpack carelessly throws over your shoulders, so tired you two would rather smile and stay silent in the metal cubicle. You see him with his roommate a few times too, the first time happens to be right in front of their door, both of them carrying two bags of groceries.
Finally, you’re introduced to Ten, a much smaller and a bit thinner guy, though you quickly find out his personality might be as big as Johnny himself. His bright smile and laugh are both extremely contagious, and you also notice for yourself how much he cares about his appearance. Just like Johnny told you when you first saw him in the laundry unit, he wears different outfits like he’s going for a runway every day. Sharp eyes covered under his jet black hair, you can’t help but notice the multiple piercings on his ears.
Funny enough, you catch your new friend at the “Flâner” coffee shop, getting the exact same cake you brought him and some dark coffee, he tells you he got addicted to everything they do but regret not having enough time to sit down and study here.
On top of that, he never stops texting you, you never stop texting him. Conversation flows easily to the point where you sometimes have to pause to type out a response while you’re on the phone with Jaehyun.
Ah, your dear friend Jaehyun. Your blonde friend follows the events like a drama, though you tell him multiple times that “Nothing will happen, we’re just neighbors.”
Are you, though ? You don’t know if neighbors send each other sheet, you and Johnny never stopped, it became easier with his number. You don’t know if neighbors talk to each other by the windows, for so long it leaves marks on both your arms at the end of the night, red dent on your skin. You don’t know if normal neighbors talk to each other that much.
You and Johnny tip toe on the lines between neighbors and friends, the line between friends and…a little more ? The line snaps right before the building’s anniversary.
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Thursday, one in the afternoon when the metal doors of your elevator open to your hallway. The sun’s shining, birds singing, your teacher’s car broke down, leaving you with a free day. Truly, the universe was on your side, you thought when you got the text from your classmate. After texting Jaehyun who told you he already went to the mall at your opposite, you decided to use that time to buy some curtains and take a day off your studies. A well deserved day off, you might add.
After searching again and again, you thought it’d be better to get new ones. You remember the old ones got dirty anyways. Plus, it’s not like you want to hide yourself from Johnny, he has some and you figure you should too for some privacy every now and then. A pack of clear curtains in your hands and some cushions in a bag for your living room, you step out of the metal cubicle, only to be greeted by a Johnny standing right in front of your door. Attention caught by the sound, your friend turns around, half expecting to see you and, he looks slightly flustered ? Short eyelashes bat a few times, rosy cheeks as he opens his month just to close it right after.
“Hey, Johnny ?”, you start, completely clueless at first, you don’t notice the white fabric he has in his hand. “Do you need something ?”, you ask, setting down all the new things you bought down, alongside your bag as you fish for your keys inside.
“I-uh…”, he starts. Why is his voice so shaky ? Eyebrows slightly raised, a knee down, you look up at your friend with a curious look. At that, the brunette looks away. Honey eyes diverge to his right as he shifts his body from left to right.
“Johnny ?”, keys in hand, you rise to your feet, slightly turning away to open your door, struggling a little at the last lock.
“We uh, got some clothes mixed up.”, he tells you, pink hue on his cheeks. You take a few seconds to understand, before recalling the meeting in the laundry unit.
“Oh ! I didn’t even notice anything missing.”, you tell him with a laugh, before your smile wavers to a more…stunned expression. The white fabric he’s holding in a hand, you only need a second look to distinguish the lace waistline you know too well. Your panties. He’s holding your panties. God, you didn’t even notice ? You wear these often, you don’t have that much panties. “Oh.”, you say again, with a much different tone. Heat washes over your body, a much deeper shade of pink coloring your cheeks.
Lips dry, you extend your hand down, almost timid to hold your own piece of clothing.
Johnny stays quiet, handing you the white underwear, hand hiding in his pocket right after.
“Erhm, thank you.”, you mumble out, hiding the fabric behind the pack of clear curtains, like he did not have the time to look at it before.
“I’m sorry, I found them in my shirts this morning and I first thought about just leaving them at your door but it would’ve been even more awkward.”, he laughs slightly, hand rubbing at the back of his nape again. You laugh lightly at that, it sure would’ve been even weirder to find your panties in a box in front of your door. Creepier too.
“Would’ve been very Joe-like.”, you tell him with a smile, the atmosphere immediately a lot less tense. You’re thankful for it, it’s clear Johnny didn’t want things to be…weird either. He laughs a little, cheeks high, before noticing your new purchase, especially your curtains.
“Oh, redecorating a bit ?”, his arms cross in front of him, biceps building up, stretching the sleeves of his shirt. “Ah, a little. I just needed new curtains, I forgot where I stored the old ones.”, you tell him, shoulder leaning again your door. “Putting them on was a nightmare.”, you sigh a little, head resting on your door as well. When you first moved in, you had to put the curtains all alone and only remember the ache in your neck and arms.
“…Was it ?”, he asks with a sly smile, eyebrows lightly furrowed like he’s questioning your experience.
“Some of us aren’t blessing with your height, Johnny.”, you tell him with a fakely annoyed glare, “I almost fell down and broke my back.”. You dramatize with a pout on your lip, to which Johnny only smirks lightly.
“Need some help ?”, Johnny finally, head tilting to the side. “I don’t want you breaking your back.” Yet, Johnny thinks.
“Ah, please !”, no need for him to propose a second time, you’d take anyone to help you with these demons any day, let alone someone like Johnny. One hand turns your door handle, proceeding to push it with your body. “Welcome to my humble home.”
Johnny lightly chuckles at your antics, curious eyes scanning over your apartment. It’s always weird to see an apartment so similar to yours yet so different, he hums at the sent of the light incense you blow out right before leaving. Sliding your shoes off, your friend follows quickly after, though he takes them with one hand to neatly store them right next to your door.
“It’s really pretty.”, he hums behind you as you walk towards your living room, letting the back full of cushions on your table. Smiling brightly as his compliment, you have to say you were pretty proud of your decorating skills. You took multiple months to pile everything you wanted up and, after a year, all your plants grew green and luscious.
“Thank you very much !”, hands gathering your hair, you quickly attach them with a hairband you always have on your wrist. “Do you want something to drink ?”
“Hm, maybe later ! Let’s start with these nightmare curtains first.”
“Alright, let me just get the stool.”, and on that, you take a second to remember exactly where you stored it before quickly jogging to the small closet near your entrance door. You don’t remember the last time you used it, you take a few seconds to take the cold iron object out of its hiding place, one foot stuck in a random box you still have there. You finally pull the object with a sharp tug and not without a small sound of struggle. Johnny is quick to grab into the heavy object and lets you take care of the pack you just bought. For the few seconds you take to move from your living room to your bedroom, you pray you didn’t leave anything too embarrassing there, you really didn’t think you’d have Johnny over today. But thankfully, when you open your bedroom door, the only think you left on your bed’s your pyjamas or rather, shirt you sleep in you didn’t fold the morning.
“So that’s the room.”, Johnny notices softly, the very room he seems fragments of from his own. Curious eyes look over your desk and the multiple things you sticked right above it, before they travel to the side he definitely never saw from his window. Denty fingers gaze at your guitar’s neck like he’s afraid of touching it without your permission, though it’s definitely clear you don not mind.
“It is ! Is it weird seeing it entirely ?”,  you joke a bit around as you sit the pack down on your desk. Scissors you leave on your desk are used to cleanly open the transparent protection as Johnny opens the stool and places it where he desires. “Really weird, I’m used to…this.”, he jokes too, thumbs and pointers digits forming a frame in front of his eyes. “And that’s what you see. My room looks so empty from here.”, Johnny notes, leaning a little in front of your window.
“It looks like you only have a bed and a piano in there.”, you tease him.
“I don’t ! I spent two entire days decorating it ! I’ll show you next time.”, he promises and somehow, it has the power to make your lips part a little, heat slightly burning your cheeks. The brunette doesn’t notice though, and immediately starts helping you out with your curtains.
Or rather, you help him. Johnny does most of the work on your curtains and you won’t complain. The men takes things into his hands, stepping onto the stool. Where you needed to climb the four steps, Johnny barely needs to climb two, body barely needing the extra height. His hands work quickly to detach the metal bar on each side, fingers twisting at the sides. When the black bar is finally off, he hands it to you so you can work on the hoops and slide the curtains in, which you do quickly.
As easily as he took it out, Johnny slides the metal bar back in before screwing each side in. From this angle, his jaw looks even more sharp, eyes focused never leave his work. He looks even more intimidating, especially when his eyes look down at you and you have to dodge eye contact. “Much easier like that.”, you say, almost dumbfounded at how easily he just did…that. Johnny laughs with the breathy giggle you’re starting to get used to. “See, only took a few minutes at best.”, Johnny says while stepping off the stool, hand lightly touching the curtains.
“Wait, let me throw this away.”, you mumble out, picking the packaging in your hands. Again, Johnny isn’t slow to follow, telling you he’ll help you with your stool. The young men follows you quickly, easily finding the small closet you store anything and everything in once you point it with your index. From your small kitchen, the sound of the stool being pushed inside and the door closing is followed by Johnny’s joyful “Done !”.
“What do you want to drink ?”, you finally ask when the brunette sits down right in front of your kitchen counter. Elbows on the cold grey material, he stares for way too long at the two choices you offer him. Tropical juice in your right hand, still unopened bottle of some bubbly beverage in the other, your friend acts like it’s a life or death decision. “C’mon ooon.”, you laugh out, arms getting tired at the way you’re holding the heavy bottles.
Finally, the brunette points your right hand with an index.
“Oh, you’re a slytherin ?”, he asks when you open your cupboard. Glasses on the bottom and mugs at the top, you look up at the same exact mug he noticed. Right in the middle, the grey and green logo is a clear statement on your Hogwarts house.
“Yes, a very proud slytherin.”, you tell him while setting the two tall glasses on the counter, pouring equal amounts of juice into them. “Let me guess, Gryffindor ?”, you ask, arching an eyebrow.
“I actually never took the test.”, Johnny says, to which you dramatically gasp. “And I never watched the movies. One of my friend’s just a really proud slytherin as well, I bought so many slytherin themed gifts that I just can recognize the logo right away.”
Double gasp, you set your glass down, eyes growing wide as you’re trying to judge if he’s actually joking or not. You found he definitely isn’t, but he does find your reaction quite funny. His laughs resonates into his glass, liquid half drowned.
“Are you for real ?”, you ask him just to make sure, and your neighbor just nods.
“A hundred percent, I just never really had the chance to watch it.”, poking his tongue out, pink muscle collects the drop of juice threatening to fall down.
“In 2020 ?”, you’re dumbfounded, you never thought someone could actually go so long without watching it. “You have to watch it.”
“I will. One day. Maybe.”, Johnny teases, eyes falsely rolling back.
“Now.”, you tell him, a certain sense of urgency in your voice. “I won’t let you get out of my house uneducated, young sir.”, you tell him before looking through another cupboard, hand pushing some unopened chips bag and opened for too long biscuits. Finally, your hand find the flat package you were looking for, proudly taking out for Johnny to say right after checking for the expiration date. “I have popcorn.”
How can Johnny refuse ? How can he, who he has to say, already has a soft spot for you, say no to such a proposition ? Not when your clutching the said uncooked popcorn bag against your chest, slight pout he’d probably kiss away on your lips. Wait, what. Johnny understands he’s utterly fucked once he agrees after a very short time thinking, he’s fucked because he knows the more time he spends with you, the more he’s probably going to fall. You, on the other hand, only understand what you did once Johnny comfortably takes place on your coach. You’re unaware of it, but you have the same exact soft spot, the same small butterflies whenever music is heard from the other’s bedroom, the same tiny smile creeping up whenever one sends a song recommendation, the same tingly feeling in the middle of your chest whenever one catches a glimpse of the other.
Another thing the two of you have in common, you two have some impressive actor abilities, if Johnny acts cool and unbothered, totally not lowkey stressed and watched over by adrenaline at this very moment, you can do the exact same.
Has his thighs always been so…Muscular ? Firm ? Your eyes quickly move away when you catch the train of your thoughts, looking into your bowl like it’s most interesting thing ever as you pour down the hot popcorn. Picking one up, you pop in into your mouth, unconsciously trying to distract your thoughts. This brand’s popcorn really good, right amount of caramel on each piece, you wonder what hickeys look like on Johnny’s caramel skin.
Fuck, bravo. Way to go. It’s his jeans, you blame it on his jeans and how they seem to perfectly hug his legs as he spreads them on your coach, one arm right behind it as he scrolls on his phone with the other.
If the brunette’s thumb is scrolling ever so slowly on his twitter timeline, his mind isn’t really able to read the small tweets at this very moment, not when you set the bowl full of popcorn down on the table before dropping on your knees in front of your tv. Why does he have to see everything in such a way, Johnny quickly blinks and tries to get his attention back on his phone but what can he do when you’re right in the background, in the peripherical vision.
He sees you looking for the movie in the pile of CDs and games you have, before finally finding the very first Harry Potter, a triumphant “Ah-ha !”, coming out of your lips.
“You’ll love it.”, you tell Johnny once you place the CD in the CD player, something you haven’t done in actual months, seating down right next to him. You’re some what grateful you only own one single sofa that’s enough for two people and a bowl full of popcorn right in between.
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“Wait, is that how Cedric dies ?”, Johnny’s mouth hangs open at the young actor laying seemingly lifeless on the grass after a fatal spell, a gag sound coming out of your friend’s lips when Voldemort’s bare feet comes in contact with the Hufflepuf’s face. “I hate this shot.”, you tell him, slightly disgusted at the scene, before you yawn loudly against your hand. The glass you refilled many time is now empty, you leave it right next to the empty pizza box Johnny insisted on buying.
It’s midnight, you can barely process the hour it is, not how long you stayed by Johnny’s side to the point where you’re curled up next to him under the blanket you two are sharing. At the end of the first movie, you were happy to see a pretty speechless and invested Johnny, it was still pretty early, around four and a half in the afternoon and you both agreed to watch the second. At the end of the second, he offered to buy pizza and something to drink while you popped the third movie. Let’s just say Johnny got a bit excited when you said the four movie was your favorite and midnight being still a bit early for two students, you agreed on watching a last one.
“So, what do you think ?”, you ask once the credits starts rolling, lazy smile stretching your features. Your tall friend flops off the coach, letting his body slowly fall on the ground to grab his phone charging. “This one’s definitely the best, I mean, the whole Marauders thing ? Love it.”, he tells you, head resting on the sofa you’re still on. “I wanna know what my house is now.”, he mumbles while unlocking his phone, searching the right quizz.
“Wait, wait. Let me read the questions !”, you tell him, hand stretching to get his phone, and the brunette gives it to you without hesitation. You, who took the exact same official test four times, are familiar with questions and ask them one by one. Day or night, forest or beach side, Johnny thinks about his answers before. Familiar animation before the sorting hat reveals his pick, you hide the phone with a hand. “Guess.”, you tell him after looking at the result, results you would’ve easily guessed.
“Gryffindor ?”, he asks with a slight bit of doubt in his voice.
“Gryffindor !”, you tell him with a dramatic shout, mimic the sorting hat’s. His head rolls back with a grown, eyes screwed shut even though he has a smile stretching his full lips.
“Ah-! I lowkey wanted to be a Slytherin.”, he tells you, big puppy like eyes looking at you from below.
“Oh, really ?”, you ask, slightly surprised. You had to say Johnny was more of a Gryffindor than a Slytherin.
“Yeah, I wanted us to match.”
Full lips out in a pout, it’s your turn to think about kissing it away.
You understand you’re fucked when Johnny helps you out in cleaning your living room, washing your glasses while you dry your plates and bowl. He understands he’s fucked again when you hum a song he’s familiar with but can’t put his finger on the name. You both are fucked when he slides right behind you to set your glasses in your cupboard, chest brushing against your back. It feels strangely domestic, comfortable and…Normal ? A soft “Be careful”, comes out of his mouth and his breath moves a few pieces of your hair, arms stretching up to carefully place the glasses he just washed. It’s your turn to walk him to his door, where you two understand Ten’s already fast asleep, loud snores coming out of one of the rooms.
How strange it is, people say time alters in airports, empty trains stations and others. Time alters in front of Johnny’s door. He leans against his door frame like the first time you two met, lazy eyes looking down at you as you stretch a bit more.
“It was fun.”, he tells you quietly, tired smile stretching your lips. You return it, sighing as your muscle wake up.
“Yeah, glad I got you into Harry Potter.”, you tease him a bit, “Might have to buy you some Gryffindor themed things.”
“Ten’s gonna lose it when he learns he wasn’t the one to get me to watch it.”, you frown at that, head tilting to the side.
“Wait, he tried ?”
“Yeah, but he never sold it like you did.”, he hums and for a moment, it seems his mind isn’t really where his words are. Honey eyes drop for a quick second to your lips, but he regains his thoughts as quickly.
“Oh, he’s gonna kill me, isn’t he ?”, you joke a bit, though you’re surprised you managed to get Johnny into the saga quickly when he told you before that him and Ten knew each other for years. The brunette’s laugh is breathy, controlled so he doesn’t wake up his roommate who’ll probably kill him right before killing you. “If he finds out, totally. We don’t have to tell him, though.”, and, did his voice just drop even lower ? You didn’t think it was possible, the man’s voice is already deep but right now, in the dead of the night, it almost seems sultry.
“Oh wow, having our secrets already ?”, you breath out, biting a laugh down on your bottom lip. It does it for Johnny, his attention was already on them right before but, his slightly clouded mind could not really help himself. He doesn’t take his eyes away, not even when your mouth slightly parts at the realization. Only then do you wonder if it is mutual, your breath alters for a second, just when the taller let’s a simple “Yeah” tumble from his lips.
He leans down, or at least, you think he does. A millimeter, maybe you dreamt it, maybe he was going to hug you, a millisecond, a third voice gets heard from the deeps of the apartment.
“Johnny ? Turn the fucking light off.”
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“Y/N-ah, Y/N !”, Sangkyu sings the moment you step foot in your building with your grocery bag. You guess quickly it’s because of tomorrow’s gathering, the old men always loved a reason to party, with moderation obviously.
“Hi ! You seem particularly happy today.”, you tell him, stopping in front of his cubicle, you notice he added another drawing to his wall, probably the kids on the first floor.
“I am ! We finished making the cakes a few hours ago and they are de-li-cious.”, his eyes disappear as he smiles brightly, you decided you love this man with all your being.
“Ah, I can’t wait to taste them !”, you hum, switch your bag from your left hand to your right. Even without knowing what him and his wife did, you can at least guess without a doubt that it is going to be as delicious as he says it is.
“Just a day ! What are you making ?”
“French crêpes !”, you tell him while lifting your bag, proud smile at your pronunciation, you just went and bought some milk and flour for it right after leaving your university, Johnny told you he had everything else.
“Ah, yes, with our new neighbors, hm ?”, he starts, smile turning vicious and oh, you know where he’s going. You wonder if Jaehyun and him are working hand in hand. Let’s just say Jaehyun did not drop the subject, not when he learned you accidently ignored his texts the other night because of a movie night with the brunette. Not when you told him you think Johnny almost kissed you. Or hugged you.
“Yes.”, you tell him simply, not going any further. You hope he will drop the subject, but you know he probably won’t.
“We hear you two playing, but you should both play something together.”, Sangkyu tells you, not taking the hint or maybe, he decided to ignore it. But he is not wrong, you two should play something together. You have to say, you didn’t know your playing was so loud but if no one ever complained, it was a good thing, right ?
“We should.”, you tell him with a smile, ready to go towards the elevator, his voice stops you a second time.
“Do you like him ?”, he suddenly asks. God, he really is acting like a father who also wants to be a friend. You suddenly stop right in your track, hand turning towards the oldest.
“Who ?”, you ask dumbly, but Sangkyu isn’t one to take your fake attitude.
“Johnny.”, he tells you straight forward and a bit too loudly, arms leaning against his counter with a too happy smile.
“Sangkyun…”, you whine, quiet in case anyone walks in.
“Y/N-ah…!”, he mocks the tone of your voice and you whine even more.
“Come on, you can tell me.”, you says, you know he won’t ever let you go and even if he does, he’ll draw his own flowed conclusions, better tell him already.
“Maybe, yes.”, you tell the oldest before walking a bit too quickly towards your elevator, index jamming into the up button.
“I knew it !” and, when you hide yourself in the metal cubicle, you see your old friend making a few happy dance moves with his arms, you wonder if you’re seeing Jaehyun in the future.
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“Alright, how’s this ?”, you ask Jaehyun after stepping right in front of your phone. You’re actually video chatting with your blonde friend, but you can barely see half of his face, he decided to hold his phone so close you could only see from his hairline to the bridge of his nose.
“Turn around.”, he says, breath overloading his device’s microphone. You do so anyways, showing him the outfit you decided to wear for tonight. Obviously, it was just a small gathering between neighbors, you didn’t have to go all in with a cocktail dress but, a nice and pretty one was expected. Following your friend’s order, you turn to show off a black, thin strapped, body hugging dress you got a year ago and yet, never wore.
“Is that your mom’s jacket ?”, Jaehyun asks, chewing on what you think is a handful of chips. You hum at the question, you’re indeed wearing the oversized jean jacket you mother used to wear when she was in college. “The dress looks hot, when did you buy it ?”
“Eh, last year ? Around the middle of the summer.”, you tell your friend, stepping out of your phone’s camera to search for your earrings. “Wait, you never wore it, right ?” “Nope.”, from a distance, you can hear Jaehyun mumbling something about you having too many clothes. Maybe he’s right, but you brush the remark anyways, taking your rings.
“How’s my makeup ?”, you ask, kneeling in front of your phone, you step closer to let the blonde have a closer look at your eyes makeup. “You know I don’t know shit about makeup !”, he complains, finally letting you see his face as he moves his phone. “Jaehyun, does it look good ?”, you ask him, acting annoyed at his antics.
“Yes, you look good.”, he says, voice somewhat a high pitched tone as he snaps a picture once you stand up again. “If lover boy doesn’t kiss you tonight.” Small smile stretches your lips at the compliment, you decide to brush the second sentence off, applying some lipstick before checking your watch.
“And you’re telling me he acted like nothing happened ?”, Jaehyun asks, sound of the chips bag covering his voice. You sigh at that, eyes rolling a little, you think no matter how many times you’ll tell him, he’ll keep asking. “He did. I mean, his roommate was there so, he couldn’t really…Y’know ?”
A quick glance at the bag you’re supposed to bring down to the gathering starting in fifteen minutes, it holds the dozens of crêpes you, Johnny and Ten made a bit earlier. Just like it was planned before hand, you showed up after class to their apartment, Ten was the one who opened the door. Apparently, Johnny was a bit late, his teacher’s lecture went on for a bit longer than anticipated and when he showed up, he immediately helped with the batter. The brunette greeted you like he usually would and acted like nothing happened the night before, though you don’t blame him, not when his roommate was between the two of you half of the time. You had to bring your own pan after realizing how many crêpes you’d actually make and, after about two hours, you left to get ready. Let’s just say Jaehyun was not happy with the lack of exciting events. You weren’t either, but you still somehow hoped something would happen tonight, somewhere deep in your thoughts. However, you didn’t want to think too much about it, tonight was a gathering to celebrate and have fun, you didn’t want to overthink what happened the night prior.
“Anyways, I have to go.”, you finally tell you friend, who simply tells you to enjoy yourself and text him after before hanging up.
Heavy bag of crêpes in your hand, you slide out of your apartment after spraying some perfume on your neck. Locking your door, your neighbors are quick to follow as you agreed to go together and, fuck.
He looks hot, Johnny looks hot. There’s a slight second where you stay silent and take in his figure, legs hugged by a tight pair of black jeans, cotton white blouse slightly open on his caramel chest, the golden hour isn’t even here and yet, the slight bit of sun hitting his skin makes him glow. You know, you know he caught you staring and yet he stays silent, slight smirk tugging a side of his full lips.
“Y/N, Ma’am !”, Ten’s voice drags you out of you reverie. The men takes a step closer, you notice the very pricy Yves Saint Laurent grey and white top he’s wearing. “You look fucking good ! Right ?”, it seemed the men only needed a few hours to get familiar with you, but you don’t complain and smile at the compliment.
“You do, you look amazing.”, if Ten managed to make you smile brightly at his antics, Johnny’s low voice only makes you blush and your eyes waver a bit, not knowing where to look, almost unable to keep eye contact with the tallest. “Thank you. I-, hm, you too.”
Great.
“Thank you. Let’s get going, I don’t want to be late.”, thankfully, he doesn’t say more, hand grabbing onto his own bag where you assume he has the chocolate and strawberry spread.
“Wait, what about me ?”, his roommate asks, acting so offended you wonder if he isn’t actually hurt by the lack of compliment you and his roommate showed. The smallest frowns, angry glare at Johnny who doesn’t even notice him as he went towards the elevator to call for the metal box.
“This shirt looks amazing on you, very pricy too.”, you tell your neighbor with a laugh, stepping right behind the tallest, waiting.
“And I already told you it looked good.”, he says, right before stepping in the elevator.
“Thank you, Y/N.”, the black haired says your name a bit louder, but you don’t pay too much attention either.
Poor thing, if you and Johnny aren’t aware yet of the tension, Ten sure is, and he hates every bit of it when he understands, stuck in an elevator where he’s the third wheel. By the way, has your elevator always been so small ? Your back leans against one wall as Johnny does the same right in front of you, honey eyes traveling from your eyes to your uncovered collarbones. The brunettes tries, he really tries to stop his eyes from traveling down but they do eventually, swallowing built up saliva when his pupils travel down your hips, to your naked legs.
Ten’s almost about to say something, just to break the thick silence before the doors opening saves the young men, he decides he definitely is not going to stay with the two of you tonight.
You, on the other side, seem to finally be able to breathe once you step out the elevator, Johnny’s attention did not go unnoticed. Try and act normal, probably the only thing going on your mind and Johnny’s.
“Hey, look who it is !”, Miss Jeon’s voice is heard before you can even see her. You’re familiar with the park the gathering is taking place in, but it sure looks amazing in the late afternoon. At this time of the year, the grass’ green, flowers bloomed, small fruits are starting to turn red under the summer sunlight. Even better, the water fountains are on, the one right in the middle is large, tall, multicolor lights when the moon shines. Finally, when you and your two friends turn the corner to enter the park, you’re physically greeted by Miss Jeon who’s wearing a really pretty pen skirt, hair flowing in the soft summer wind. “Miss Jeon !”, you greet her with a smile which isn’t enough for the lady who pulls you into a hug. One hand grabs yours and the tallest makes you swirl around, a high pitched “Wow ! Look at you !”, coming out of her lips.
“You look amazing, darling. You two, too.”, as always, the lady is extremely cheerful. You notice hers and other neighbors’ kids already playing around in the park, loud screams every now and then. A bit closer to the fountain, multicolor light are hanging from the threes, you can faintly distinguish a song playing. Large tables are set there, alongside chairs were parents and others are all talking together, setting whatever they bought.
“Go set everything there, we’ll start eating soon.”, Miss Jeon instructs, and you follow her orders as she stays in front of the park to greet anyone coming.
Everything is quickly set up where all the deserts are, neighbors come until you they flood the park, you almost think everyone’s here. “I did not expect so many people.”, Johnny tells you, taking a plastic cup to get himself some juice right before giving you a cup.
“Me neither.”, you tell him, eyes glazing over the last people walking in. Almost everyone responded to the call, a pretty heart warming sigh. Some of your neighbors you never actually talked to are here, mostly because they’re from other buildings from the same project.
“I see Ten is already making friends.”, you continue, eyes catching your friend talking to another neighbor, one you think is in his early thirties, you’ve talked to him once, maybe.
“Ten is a social butterfly.”, Johnny laughs into his cup, before eventually taking a step forward toward the black haired. If his roommate was going to socialize, he might as well too.
“I think it is overrated.”, ah yes, now you remember why you did not much to this guy. James is a foreign, blonde, man bun type of guy who finds everything overrated, it’s almost impossible to talk about your hobbies and interests with him without being ripped apart. He probably isn’t that mean just, not that good at social interaction. You see Ten’s expression turning from excited to somewhat confused, to what you intervene.
“What is ?”, you ask, and you don’t really like when the blonde acts like he did not notice you and Johnny walking.
“Oh, Y/N, hi. Long time no see.”, he says, not paying any attention to Johnny. You greet him anyways, slightly taken back by his attitude. “And you are ?”
“Johnny.”, the men behind you says, stretching a hand out to shake his.
“Oh, strong grip.”, slight contortion of the blond’s face, he quickly retracts his hand when Johnny lets go.
“Anyways, when are you letting me see you play ?”, James ask and oh, how you have to search in your memory to understand what the fuck he’s talking about. The blonde wants to learn how to play the guitar, that was, maybe eight months ago.
“Oh eh. One day, maybe.”, you awkwardly laugh.
“We hear you play every night, don’t say you don’t have time for me !”, he tries and laugh off the sentence. Ten shifts, poor thing seems taken back but thankfully, Johnny’s quick to react. As you’re about to respond, his hand slides on your waist, “I’m pretty busy with uni’, but I can send you some great guitarists’ videos.”, you choke out, mind slightly bugging at the brunette’s touch.
“She’ll let you know when she has time for you.”, the tallest does not hesitate and, it visibly annoys the blonde. A sharp “Okay .”, tumbles from his lips before he leaves towards the salty foods.
“He’s weird.”, Ten finally says, Johnny doesn’t take his hand away.
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It takes hours for Johnny to address it again.
The midnight breeze always feels special, soft, fresh, it licks the thin layer of sweat the bolt sun created on your skin. Your jacket’s off your shoulders, loosely hanging on the crook of your elbows, seating on the cold marble of the fountain.
Soft sound of the water running behind you, all the kids have been sent to sleep, alongside their parents and other hard working adults needing of sleep, just the low sound of some jazz music you’re unfamiliar with and some chatter as the background noise.
You shoes kick off some small rocks and sand, eyes looking up at the multicolor lights still hanging on the trees. You laugh off one of Johnny’s joke, before he gets serious again, his left hand lightly touching the fountain’s water.
“By the way, sorry about earlier. I didn’t ask if I could touch you like that.”
You have to think for a slight second to understand what he’s talking about, hand grabbing onto the bowl of ice cream you set aside for yourself. Your spoon digs into the chocolate cream, taking a fair amount of whipped cream.
“Oh ! Oh, no. Don’t worry about it, I don’t mind.”, I liked it, you would’ve said if you were a little bit more brave. Spoon in your mouth, you eagerly gulp down the frozen desert, Johnny only softly smiles.
“Is he always like that ?”, he asks, body turning a bit more to face you. He’s close, really close, but it became normal. It became normal for him to have your naked thigh against his, you shamelessly look down at it for god knows how many times tonight. It became normal for you to almost be able to feel his breath die on your skin.
“I don’t know, tonight was the second time I ever talked to him.”, you tell him, tongue quickly cleaning the tiny drop of ice cream forming at the corner of your lips. Johnny stays silent for a second, eyes flickering from your eyes to your lips, before its feels like he shakes his thoughts away. His gaze stays fixated on your eyes so confidently it’s even worst than him looking at your lips, you shift under his pupils, crossing a leg over the other.
“He seems really pushy.”, Johnny breathes out, and he finds the exact same octave he was speaking to you in just last night, right in front of his apartment. It’s clear he only is replying for politeness.
“You have hm, some ice cream, here.”, the brunette hums, again ripping you out of your reverie. Left hand covers your mouth, index and middle finger brushing at the corner but it seems you are not picking the right side.
“Wait, no-.”, he laughs for a quick second, crescent eyes before they shift to something else. His thumb quickly wipes the other side of your lips, and you freeze. You lock dead in your position, eyes slightly larger as he helps you clean up with a soft yet deep “There you go.”
For hours now, Johnny had been the only thing on your mind. From the moment he stepped out of his apartment, the moment his eyes seemed to devour every bit of your body, the moment he left is hand lingering on the small of your waist. To the moment he sat down to eat, legs, strong thighs spread, the moment he talked to the smallest kids from the second building, the moment he lead you behind the fountain with a hand in the small of your back.
But, when Johnny lets his lips capture the tip of his thumb, cleaning the bit of ice cream, you think you might never be able to think about anything else but him, but Johnny.
You have to look away, desperately trying to gather your thoughts, something you can’t do when the brunette’s looking at you with such innocent eyes.
“You okay ?”, he asks like he didn’t do anything, like he did not just do that.
“Yeah, I-.”, you have to leave you plastic bowl somewhere behind you, brain fuming to find something else to say.
“You’re blushing. You had the same look yesterday.”, he notes, and…He knows ? He knew before you did, that’s what his slight smirk tells you. “It’s a shame Ten had to ruin it, but I like this setting better.”, Johnny hums, but he never takes his eyes away.
“Could’ve kissed me anyways.”, you dare to say. Your mouth goes dry, for some reason, biting down on your bottom lip. The brunette comes a little closer, and just like last time, you can't help but get lost in his irises, notice the way his eyes curl at their inner corner, now how his pupils slowly eclipses the soft brown of his eyes.
Tongue poking at the inside of his cheek, his lines a bit closer again, hand sliding under your chin. You stop breathing for a second, eyelids involuntarily growing heavy.
“Did I miss my shot ?”, you can almost feel him mouth the words.
“Maybe, but I can give you another one.”, you manage to tease, face tilting to the side before he even does anything. If he doesn't do it himself, you'll break the distance, but he holds you in the palm of his hand, so hypnotise under his spell you can only anticipate his next move.
“Good, would've hated myself for missing it.”, he says and, as you hoped, the brunette finally lets his lips crash against yours. It's soft, a kiss to taste the water, though he himself taste the chocolate you just ate.
Pillows lips slowly starts moving against yours, you easily follow his rhythm, sighing when his hand moves from your chin to your neck, deepening the exchange.
Your hand easily finds his hair, finally letter your fingers grasp onto the soft locks. It's a soft grip, yet Johnny sighs softly against your lips, sound turning into a slight groan once you bite down on his bottom lip.
That does it for him, the kiss quickly turns needy, desperate, he touches where he can, second hand lightly running up your thigh.
Arms wrap behind his neck to keep him close, body leaning backwards, Johnny has to plant a hand on the marble behind you, second hand wrapping behind your waist.
The brunette doesn't hesitate a second more, like he's afraid of letting go of the moment, afraid you're gonna slip away between his fingers like the clear water of the fountain. Pick tongue laps at your bottom lip, you part them without a moment of hesitation. It's eager, rushed, the taste of the desert you just ate still lingers on your tongue while you get the fruity drink he was sipping on moments before.
Finally, when you have to let go for some air, breathing altered by the exchange, Johnny doesn't let go. Long kisses are planted at the corner of your lips, he takes his time until he travels down to your jaw where you stop him.
And, before he can ask you anything, you quickly grab his hand in yours, “Let's go inside.”
He follows quickly behind, leaving everything behind, you take the second gate of the park. Shorter, you also don't have to walk in front of all your remaining neighbors like this, lips swollen, eyes blown.
You don't think you've ever walked so fast to your apartment, you don't think you've ever been so happy to see Sangkyu's spot vacant.
The silence is heavy, breath still uneven when you push the button of the elevator and the doors open immediately.
If you didn't know the men behind you was as desperate as you were, you definitely understand once he pushed you inside the small cubicle.
He blindly pushes the button to your shared floor, right hand wrapping around your throat to swiftly push you against the cold wall. If he doesn't tighten his grip, you sure wish he did, but you have other things to care about at the moment. The hand previously around your neck plants itself right next to your hand and this time, he has to lean down to capture your lips another time.
Completely pinning your body to the cold metal, he uses his hips against yours, a gasp escaping your lips he uses to slip his tongue between your lips again. And, you let a breathy moan come out of your lips when he pushes his hips flush against your, hard on pressing against your body. Even with the two layers, you can feel him.
You never felt so hot inside this elevator, it moves without stopping at any floor, no music as the silence is filled by your soft breaths and the sound of his mouth against yours.
Beat washes over you, if your panties weren't ruined already, they sure are now. Now that the brunette rolls his hips, slowly, tentatively slow, just to make you feel every inch. Your mind's clouded, body reacting by itself when it archs away from the wall.
He lets his forearm rest against the metal wall, about to travel down to your neck, hips grinding against yours.
When he's about to bite down on the skin of yours neck, teeth grazing over the flesh, the doors open to your floor.
It's Johnny's turn to grab onto your hand, pulling you out of the elevator but he never stays too long away from your body.
Full lips pepper kisses on your face, before he breathes out against your skin.
“Your apartment, yeah ?”
Obviously, you want to tell him, naturally walking towards your door.
“Unless you want your roommate to walk in on us.”, you let a breathy giggle out, facing your door.
Fuck, now out of all times, you can not find your keys. Maybe it's because your shaky hands can barely search your pockets. Hard to blame yourself when the brunette stands behind you, hard cock pressed against you, arms tightly wrapped around your stomach, face buried in your neck.
“Baby, they're here.”, the tallest hums, voice so low it vibrates against your skin. His right hands pats one of your front pockets. A simple “Oh.” tumbles from your lips at that, mind hardly registering the way he still his moving against your body, nickname rolling out of his tongue too easily.
Finally, you manage to force your key into your door, quickly twisting the metal piece before you push the door open.
This time, you don't know if you pull Johnny in your apartment or if he pushes you in, the door is loudly shut before the men tries to take your near your coach, as you drop your jacket off somewhere.
“Johnny.”, you try to whine, but it comes out as a breathy moan as the men soflty sucks on the skin between your neck and shoulder, a pale purple petal blooming. His name coming from your lips sounds oh so delicious, Johnny decides he loves the way it sounds, determined to hear it again and again, louder and louder. “Let me at least close the door.”
When he lets you do so, not whitout a pout on his lips, they find yours again in a desperate kiss, hands grabbing the back of your thighs.
“This dress looks so fucking good on you.”, he growls once you let him pick you up, black fabric riding up your thighs.
“Got dressed up for you.”, you confess, your own lips traveling down his neck when the brunette sits down on your coach. He chuckles lowly, head rolling back, humming at the small attentions you're giving him. “Hm, saw you putting your makeup on and knew you'd look ravishing.”, he says.
Large hands on your hips, Johnny easily pushes your hips down on his thigh.
“Wow, I'll make sure to pull my curtains next time.”, you tease, blooming flowers on his collarbones.
“Give me a fucking show next time.”, he growls out, hand ghosting over your neck before his thumb traces your bottom lip again.
You almost freeze, mere thought of following his oder the next time you catch him in front of his window a little bit too appealing. Having him so close yet, too far to feel his touch, you already felt it for days.
“Come on, ride my thigh.”, you moan out.
Forceful hands help you find a rhythm, one you easily follow once your thoughts get over your dizzy mind. You mouth hands open, hands grabbing onto his arms at the sudden gesture. Johnny only smirks, an eyebrow arching up.
If he didn't before, he sure does look like a god at this very moment. Blown out pupil look directly into your eyes, honey color you know so well eclipsed. Swollen, red lips, a hue painted over his cheeks, small love bites trialing down. Soft brown hair messy by your hands.
“What ? You think I didn't see you glaring ?”, there's a slight mocking tone in his voice, slight embarrassment washing over you but your body follows his voice anyways. Strong thigh under your core, you can barely gather words to reply, it's even harder when he flexs his muscles under you.
Your hips rocks back and forth, delicious pressure against your nub but you need more, more than just his thigh. He has everything to offer and if you don't get it now, you might go crazy.
And so, you tell him. “Johnny, need more.”, your voice sure sounded a lot less weak but the men obliges.
“Impatient little thing.”, he gestures towards your room, and when think you might not be able to walk all the way there without him pushing you against another wall, you surprisingly do.
When you turn around and crawl up your bed, Johnny's quick to follow, hands gripping onto the fabric covering his back before he pulls it over his head.
Defined abs under his caramel skin, strong arms holding himself up, you need a moment to take everything in, hands running down his chest when he hover over your body.
“Take it off.”, he demands, voice almost strict. Leg over his hip, you barely use any force to change positions.
You sit on his lap a second time, supporting yourself on your knees to take off your dress. The brunette uses his elbows, mouth parting when you pull the fabric over your hips. He barely needs any support to sit up, hands grasping the black dress to help you take the fabric off entirely.
The brunette mumbles praises into your skin, lips ghosting over your neck, hands touching wherever they can. Desperate, he maps your body, learning every curve, every inch.
“So beautiful.”, he mumbles out, before his right hand traces the line of your panties.
They're soaked, wet patch on his black jeans and he doesn't fail to notice.
“Already so wet, hm ? Fuck, can I ?”, he doesn't hesitate once you give him your verbal permission, a finger running over your folds over the light fabric.
What a simple touch can do to you, you don't doubt the men doing it also has a huge part in it, but you shiver under the slight attention.
Biting down on his bottom lip, ring clapped hand dips into your panties, where his index and middle finger gather your juices, humming contently.
You're about to complain again, ask him to do something already but he beats you at it, both fingers effortlessly sliding between your lower lips.
“Fuck, ah— Johnny.”, hands gripping his shoulders, your eyes screw shut once he finds a slow and torturing pace, moving in and out as his thumb brushes over your bud.
It's sensual, burning, one hand travels down his chest until you're met with his jeans, quickly working on them once he nods.
You curse his tight jeans for a moment before he helps you push the fabric just enough, alongside his grey briefs.
And fuck, he's big. You knew when he grinded against your inner thigh, but the way his cock slaps against his stomach, head red and hungry, has your mouth parting, core clenching against his fingers.
“Shit, yeah. Good girl, right there.”, Johnny loses himself in praises, head rushing with thoughts he groans out once your hand wraps around his length.
It's probably the honest thing you've ever seen, Johnny's head rolls back, it hits the wall of your bedroom, Adam's appel bobbing up and down. The pace of his fingers matches the rhythm of your hand around his cock, eyes slightly opening just to watch your slender fingers around him and the way you take his.
“You're so fucking tight, god.”, a third finger goes alongside and you have to pose, jaw hanging open and the brunette can not resist.
His mouth finds yours again, kisses deep, messy, hurried. It's like his starving, he growl against your mouth when your thumb runs over his slit and your hips move against his fingers.
“Fuck, wanna taste you.”, he flips you over too easily, a gasp coming out of your lips when you back harshly hits your bed.
Strong hands gripping at your panties, your hear the sharp snap of the elastic breaking under his soaked fingers.
“Johnny !”, it's between a whine and a moan, how can him ruining your panties be so fucking hot.
“Will get you new ones if you want.”, you can barely recognise his voice, his fingers slide the fabric down and he looks up at you, eyes hungry, lips red.
“You have no fucking idea how hard I was when I found your panties.”, he confesses and, before you can reply, his mouth dives in. Tongue flat against your core, your legs instinctively close around his head, but his hands are quick to pin your thighs to the mattress while yours find his hair, messing it even more.
“Yeah ? Fuck, you're so good, your tongue feels so good.”
Johnny only hums, tongue running up and down until he wraps his lips around your button of nerves. The brunette's eating you out like a starved men, shamelessly, the wet sounds filling the room.
When he takes a break to breathe, he pops his fingers into his mouth, cleaning them.
“Taste so good.”, every word he says fires your body up even more, his mouth doesn't even need to speak for it to affect you, but you need him.
He dives a second time, fingers joining this time. Pace a lot less slow, his lips wrap around your bud a second time, focusing on the small button while his fingers quickly move.
In, out, in, out. Long fingers quickly build up the tension in your stomach, cold rings contrasting with his hot breath.
You only need a little bit more, when his fingers curl the right way, his groans vibrate at the right moment. Your fingers tighten around his locks as you come undone, loudly, unapologetically.
Wet lips, glossy eyes, Johnny looks at your figure as you arch your back away from your bed, moaning into the air.
It takes almost minutes for you to come down but, when you do, Johnny's about to dive a third time. Your hand stops his head.
“Want you inside, want to feel you.”, you tell him once you pulled him towards you face again. A quick kiss is planted on your lips where you can taste yourself, before he hides his face again in your neck, breathing heavily.
“Do you have a condom ?”, he asks, blown out eyes looking into your own.
You nod quickly, pointing at your bed table. You hear the brunette thanking the gods, he didn't want to have and walk all the way to his own appartement to get one. Leaning towards the said bed table, he pulls the small door open and find the box there.
Taking a little foil package between his lips, Johnny quickly closes the small door before hovering over you again.
Pearly teeth are used to open the packaging, he doesn't wait a second to roll the material out on his hard shaft, sighing slightly.
“So tiny, can you even take me ?”, it seems the brunette asks himself, hand jerking himself off.
You answer him anyways, “I can, please.”.
Soft smile on his lips, the brunette uses his hand to align himself with your drenched core.
The tallest thought about this very moment for hours the night before, but nothing prepared him for the tightenes, your wet, hot core wrapping around his head.
You both moan in almost unison, Johnny has to hold himself from slamming in. You, on the other hand, have a hard time wrapping your head around how he's stretching you out so nicely.
A mixture of pleasure and slight pain you're quickly addicted to. A hand claws at his back, the tallest moves inch, by inch, by inch.
“So fucking tight. When's the last time someone fucked you properly ?”, his sudden change in behaviour gives you whiplash, you can only whine at his question and mumble something about not knowing when, exactly.
“Please, fuck me.”, if you have to beg, you will but thankfully, Johnny doesn't have much patience tonight. Once he's fully in, he doesn't hesitate to pull out just to ram in. Your body rides up, head thrown back, moan silent.
“Gonna fuck you nice and deep. Stretch you, yeah ?”
You can only nod eagerly, Johnny laughs breathlessly. His forearm supports his body right next to you head, necklace hanging over your body, right hand tightly holding your hip.
He barely gives you the time to adjust, hips snapping at a steady pace.
Headboard sharply knocking against your wall, your thankful your neighbors aren't here. Still sensitive, your moans turn breathless, barely audible. Forehead against your own, Johnny doesn't hide his moans, your name, any profanities coming to his mind.
“Fuck, turn around for me, baby.”, breathless, chest irregularly moving up and down, he helps you do so after moving out.
Flipping you on your stomach, the brunette curses at himself a second time. His body flush against yours, he supports himself next to your head again, second hand affectionaly running in your hair.
He takes you from behind, cock easily sliding in this time. Moans hidden in your pillow, Johnny doesn't take that, using the hand locked in your locks to turn your head.
“Don't hide your moans, wanna hear you.”
Just like he wanted after stepping into your apartment, the tallest has you whining his name, loudly, until you're numbed, fucked dumb until his name's the only thing you know.
A snap of his hips reaches deeper, it's there you feel the tension threatening to break.
It's like he can read you, he does it again, breathy laugh coming out of his lips.
“Come around me, let go. Let go for me.”, it's all you need, you easily follow his order, core tightening around his shaft.
“God, your pussy’s gripping me.”, his hips alter, lips finding yours again. “Gonna make me come so hard.”
Fucked out, yet you managed to raise your hips, core clenching around him. That does it, loud growl resonates in the room, mixed in with your name.
“Are you okay ?”, Johnny asks, voice soft after he pulls out, throwing the condom in your bin.
You hum, too tired to answer, you smile nonetheless when he takes you into his arm, arm pushing your hair to the side.
“This isn't how I wanted things to go.”, he hums, picking a fallen eyelash from your cheek.
“Oh, really ?”, you ask, tired, his hand running up and down your spine putting you to sleep.
“Wanted to take you out on a date first.”, he admits. “But how do you want me to resist when you were calling me like a siren singing at a lone traveler.”
© NEOVISIONED l NO REPOSTING OR TRANSLATIONS ALLOWED.
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dappercritter · 3 years
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Godzilla vs Kong: Brutally Honest Thoughts
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(Took me long enough, eh? Depending on home video releases be like that.)
So first things first, I have a confession to make: I spoiled the movie before I watched it. I was impatient and they had only announced an HBO Max premiere in the states and a theatrical run in Canada at the time. Afterward, I got heads-up from a friend and immersed myself in the opinions of those lucky enough to see it early. I’m just saying that I have some preconceived opinions that I’m sticking to.
That said, Godzilla vs Kong turned out to be more fun than I expected! But you already knew that. Everyone did. The two kings of movie monsters had their rematch and this time it was with glorious Hollywood SFX powering it this time.
The human story was fun but it’s clear they stopped trying at this point. Team Kong stole my heart, especially Jia. Team Godzilla (although the Conspiracy Crew would be a more fitting term since they spend more time chasing down mysteries than trying to back or understand Godzilla) was more fun than I expected and their dynamic was surprisingly enjoyable. Bernie is actually kind of funny, it's nice to see Madison acting more assertive, and Josh was fine--he was the only sane man of the bunch but he was also the butt of the jokes. Still, all the hardcore conspiracy jokes got old fast and it feels off seeing the daughter of two scientists turn into an edgy conspiracy crackpot. Why not an edgy science major?
Team Apex are fun villains, especially Walter Simmons who's a great megalomaniacal CEO type, but Ren Serizawa is a joke. I like his actor's performance but he's just another footnote. Nobody bats an eye at his last name, although the only heroes he interacts with are Nathan Lind and he just misses Team Godzilla. He really could have just been any other villain, but instead, they had to sully Serizawa’s legacy further while robbing a good actor of some interesting material. (As is, it turns out he was just an egotistical jerk with daddy issues--an easy puzzle to solve on day one--after all...)
However, I still cannot and will not approve of the fact that somebody thought it would be a good idea to make the heroes of a sci-fi story into hardcore conspiracy theorists in this day and age. Likewise, I’m not a huge fan of how they essentially made the Hollow Earth into its own universe complete with a crazy portal and an environment with its own laws of physics, nor am I totally crazy about the huge leap in technology that was made between this and KOTM, or G’14 for that matter.
The monsters as awesome as they are, are the biggest mixed bag in the show.
Kong is at his best in ages, and while I am all for the new heroic warrior character that Legendary have crafted and I acknowledge that making him a worthy opponent for their god-tier Godzilla was going to be a hurdle, I think they did a splendid job. Seeing Kong using agility and acrobatics was a glorious sight to behold, and something about Kong becoming a tool-user and weapon wielder just feels right. It’s a far better demonstration of Kong as a “thinking animal” (*wink, wink*).
I’m much less thrilled about their treatment of his greatest opponent ever. After everything they’ve done to build up Godzilla as the incredible force of neutral good fighting to maintain balance and all the build up to ancient rivalry debating back to a great Titan war--even going as far as putting his name in front Kong’s this time!-- they’ve reduced Godzilla back to glorified bully for Kong. He only gets the minimum amount of sympathy from the cast of his movie before they go off to deal with the conspiracy plot or focus on Kong and the Hollow Earth. Worse still, he is somehow more powerful and more aggressive than ever for a good chunk of the movie which leads to an outcome I’m sorry to say we all saw coming. Somehow, I suspect that the reason behind this was how Wingard cited Godzilla vs. Mothra, vs. Destoryah, and Shin-Godzilla as influences for the monsters scale and story, which while cool and all, are all movies where he was played up as a mostly stoic antagonist rather than a three-dimensional character like Kong. (Though ironically vs. Destoroyah and Shin did a better job of making Godzilla feel more sympathetic and in both of them he was a walking nuclear reactor meltdown.)
Due to the unfortunate time constraints of the three-way deal between Toho, WB, and Universal at the time this was in production, Kong was unable to secure a proper sequel that could develop his skillset like Godzilla’s did. Nevermind the fact the filmmakers completely surrendered to the “nothing matters but the monsters” mentality that a chunk of the fanbase has been spouting since this universe unofficially kicked off almost 10 years ago. (Sidenote: Oh god, I’m turning in an old fart already.) As a result, the movie trips over itself trying to set up Godzilla and Kong’s rivalry as well as building up Kong as a worthy opponent to Godzilla while expanding on their shared lore, and as a result countless plot points set up in in the previous movie and tie-in movie are thrown out the window. I’m sorry to say but in spite of all hopes and illusions of grandeur, it’s safe to this damn thing is a Kong movie with Godzilla as the bad guy.
...at least until HE shows up. Yup, Mechagodzilla. The biggest spoiled twist of the centuries steals the show so the movie can pull a Dawn of Justice. But! It does it much better than the fractured DCEU’s most controversial entry ever could. Mechagodzilla’s inclusion gets a decent amount of build up thanks to Team Godzilla/the Conspiracy Crew, and when he shows up, does he make an impression! At first, I wasn’t sure how to feel about his inclusion or his design, but I’ve come to like this one. He’s basically a kaiju terminator built in Godzilla’s image made purely out of heavy machinery piloted by the best Ghidorah head. It’s a jarring change of pace compared to previous MechaG’s but it grows on you after a while. With the abundance of weaponry stuffed into him, he feels like a fitting update of the original killing machine, and even if his inclusion feels like an easy way out of the big showdown, it’s fun to see him played as a literal colossal heel for the kings to team up against. Not to mention he looks shockingly good with those red highlights. However, one still can’t help but wonder how and why he was made in this universe, or how he feels like pure heavy machinery one minute and then an extra-large Ultron unit the next.
As for the the big throwdowns we’ve all been waiting for... well, we’re still in the mixed bag deparment. While the fights are all exciting and excellently choreographed, and benefit from some more eclectic lighting and cinematograph, I’m sorry to say that as far as the rematch of the century goes they dropped the ball on this one.
Don’t get me wrong, the fights are all great in their own ways, but there’s a drastic change in the feeling of weight and power with the monsters. Godzilla, Kong, and even Mechagodzilla all feel strangely floaty in most of their fights. One moments they feel like true behemoths shaking the very earth with every movement and then it’s like they’re in Godzilla Unleashed, running, jumping, and throwing each other around with speed that feels that almost makes you wonder if the Hollow Earth’s gravity inversion stuff is leaking out into the world. While it’s all perfectly cool, you can’t help but wonder how Kong is able to leap between aircraft carriers and buildings, when Godzilla got the ability to blow a hole through the Earth itself, or how a colossal machine is able to move so nimbly or why it has to be flashing blue all the time.
It’s fascinating and fun but you just can’t help but wonder how we got from almost posthuman disaster and war movies exploring how we’re at the mercy of the ancient almost mythical forces beyond our comprehension, we’ve found ourselves smack dab in the middle of Bayformers meets Jurassic World levels of Hollywood absurdity where anything and everything can and will happen in the name of getting to the monster fights. Although I can’t say I’m surprised given the director’s take on Death Note made some questionable choices with it’s take on the infamous cast while still coming up with some genuinely inspired choices. Still, all things considered we could have gotten worse compared to ther cinematic universes made by WB and Universal.
As for some misc. thoughts to close up this rambling mess:
-The soundtrack is fantastic. A great continuation of the feel of Skull Island’s mixtape with some truly wonderful picks. Special mention goes to the opening and ending songs, and they GOT AN ELVIS PRESLEY SONG IN HERE! YES!!! The three kings of pop culture together at last!
-While this movie didn’t need to be any more overstuffed, it would have been nice if the rest of the Titans didn’t disappear entirely from this movie. I get that Godzilla: Dominion already explained what happened to them all more or less, but it really is a missed oppurtunity that we never got to see another Titan war. Or Rodan attacking Kong to avenge his pterosaur bretheren from days long past. Speaking of which...
-“Save Mothra” jokes be damned, Mothra would have been a welcome gues star, not just to help break up the big fight, but to show off Godzilla’s softer, more protective side. And yes, I want more Mothzilla. Shut up, we deserve it.
-Boy, Monarch sure does a whole lot of nothing up-top, huh?
-The cinematography is a great update but there’s a little too much neon lighting, especially in the Apex HQ and the Hollow Earth throne room. It feels like they’re trying just a little too hard to sell the more futuristic, Hollywood sci-fi feel.
-The score is... great but not that great. Of course, I’ve always had mixed feelings about Tom Holkenburg (AKA Junkie XL)’s music. I liked Kong’s themes, but they REALLY dropped the ball with Godzilla’s theme. Mechagodzilla’s works really well as long you ignore that it’s just Godzilla’s theme in this movie with an ominious choir added in.
-The new Hollow Earth creatures are all perfectly fine. Actually, I thought they were another highlight! Especially the Warbats, Hellhawks, and Doug the Titanus Foetodon Man.
-I want to do a release the extended cut campaign but I don’t think any of us have the energy for that s**t anymore.
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petri808 · 4 years
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Fandom: Fairy Tail. Rating: Mature.  Nalu AU ANGST trigger warning.  Based on this post.  Just under 10k words
Lucy Heartfilia is diagnosed with a heart defect. Stuck in the hospital waiting on the transplant list, there is only one thing bringing any light to her dreary world; a volunteer named Natsu Dragneel who truly becomes her bittersweet savior.
@uzumaki2810 Here you go, I hope you like it :)  Also thank you to the angst queen @doginshoe IM SORRY I FORGOT TO ADD THIS MESSAGE ;-; she beta’d and bore the tears with me to make sure it was a good story :)
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It all started back in her last year of middle school when puberty really kicked into overdrive and she developed a well-endowed chest.  She assumed the little pricks of pain related to the added weight cause they sure gave her a backache if she pushed herself too hard.  Exercise was overly exhausting, so there went any chances of making the cheer squad in high school.  Not that Lucy was really interested in sports, but by the start of high school she realized any physical activity needed to be avoided.  But she didn’t want to worry her father since it was a random pain that would only surface if she exerted herself; ergo it was her boob’s fault, and she kept the pain to herself.
As time passed, and her high school years carried on, Lucy did her best to ignore the symptoms, even when something new manifested itself.  Fatigue…  she was studying too hard.  Rapid heartbeat… well, there was that cute boy that just walked by.  Shortness of breath when she laid down…  it’s just from the weight of her chest.  Each and every time, Lucy found a rational explanation.  She buried her nose in her studies as an outlet, which she really didn’t mind so much.  Her favorite thing to do in the world was to write quick fantasy stories she’d make up, and she’d often spend her breaks holed up in the library researching some new topic of dragons or fairies or whatever had caught her attention.
“Ugghhhh,” Lucy flinches as the blinding white light breaks through the surface of her vision.  She shields her eyes and slowly opens them but can only manage a tiny squint.  Her mind was groggy, and she swore her limbs felt like dead weights.  “W-Where am I?”        
She hears the muffled sound of her father’s voice calling for a doctor.  Why was there a slight ringing in her ear?  Something about she’s awake now, hurry?  The rest had been too muffled to understand.  Had she been asleep?  Lucy was completely confused. But the light… the light was so bright!
“Ms. Heartfilia?  Ms. Heartfilia, can you hear me?”
It was a strange male voice talking to her.  Where did her father go?
“Yes,” she croaks out, flinching as her body is coming out of its slumber and suddenly a sharp pain hits her again.  Lucy winces, this was worse than before.
“Ms. Heartfilia, do you know where you are?”
She shakes her head.  
“You’re in the hospital, dear.”
Wait!  It was her father’s voice again.  What did he mean she was in a hospital!  Lucy forces herself to open her eyes fully, though, keeping her hand between her face and the overhead lights.  “Why am I in a hospital?!”
Lucy hears the doctor's voice again, seemingly at a distance because her viewpoint was limited, speaking to someone.  Fainted.  Temporary amnesia.  Congenital heat disease.  Wait what?!  “Hey what’s going on?!” she calls out then is hit by another spike of pain.  Damn it!  “Dad?   Hello?!”  But it’s like she was being ignored.  Birth defect.  Advanced case.  Surgery.  “Someone please talk to me!”  Tears prick at the corners of her eyes.  “Talk to me!!!”  A third, and now the largest stab of pain hits her.  Lucy cries out at the pain and curls in on herself.  More shouting and the voice returns, hands probing something near her chest, and machines starting to blare out warning beeps.
“Please calm down Ms. Heartfilia, calm down, don’t push yourself too much or the pain will get worse.”
How could this get any worse…
That was 3 years ago, and the sands of time were running low.
Her father had done all he could, dragging her to specialist after specialist, exhausting a chunk of his fortune on doctors from one coast to the other, only to be told Lucy would need a heart transplant or she may not see her twenty-first birthday.  The most they could do for her while she waited on the transplant list was implant a ventricular assist device into her body.  It gave her a small measure of freedom instead of being tied to a normal transcutaneous machine, but it was still uncomfortable.  Her movements were restricted, she had to be careful of catching a cold, and what ended up being the hardest part, was the breast reduction surgery they had her undergo at the same time of the VAD surgery to reduce the weight and strain it added to her heart.
For so long she’d blamed her large breasts for causing all her pains, but now that she knew they weren’t, it was sad to see them go.  They were a part of her after all, no matter how much of a headache they could be.  For weeks after the surgery, Lucy could barely look at herself in the mirror.  She didn’t recognize herself anymore.  This youthful woman with tubes sticking out of her stomach which attached to a device around her waist that helped her weakened heart muscles do their job to keep her alive.  That had been the diagnosis, a congenital birth defect that weakened her heart muscles, and as she aged, the muscles would continue to deteriorate.  Oh, her father was so furious when they were told she didn’t qualify for an artificial heart because death wasn’t imminent.  
It hadn’t taken long after completing high school that the depression had surfaced.  All of her friends were moving on to college, most to distant campuses so she had no one to talk to.  Lucy would hide away in her bedroom for days at a time as the internal struggle mounted.  Why continue to go through this pain and struggle… why not just end it quickly and painlessly.  It was tempting.  From the research she’d done on heart defects, the end wasn’t very pretty.  Her only hope was a donor, but people die every day on the transplant list waiting for a heart that never came, just growing weaker and weaker….
At least the VAD had given her two decent years, but her days of being an outpatient at the hospital had come to an end.  Even with the device assisting her heart, Lucy’s body was struggling to deal with the strain.  The smallest exertions required fuel from her heart to power her body, so even something as minimal as the fatigue of reading a book for too long could trigger an arrythmia or worse, and the pain that may accompany it.  She needed to stay in the hospital so that her heart could be constantly monitored and if there was any sudden change, they could address it quickly.
The doctors were doing their best to keep her alive in the hopes a donor would surface.  But you never knew when one would become available, and her time was running short.  The original prediction of not making it to twenty-one was fast approaching.  Frankly, Lucy felt like it was by the luck of the draw and the odds were better at a Las Vegas casino.  It was a lonely experience being cooped up in the hospital and thankfully there was one glimmer of happiness amongst the sterile white halls.
“Lucy!”      
“Hi Natsu.”
He smirks, “I brought you something.”  The young man was bouncing on the balls of his feet with his hands clasped behind his back.  
All the volunteers that visited the hospital were kind people, but there was one that made Lucy smile the most.  A young man named Natsu Dragneel.  She’d told herself at the beginning of her medical odyssey that she wouldn’t let anyone get too close to her, not only for her protection but there’s.  The pain of losing someone you care about was an emotion Lucy had borne at the tender age of five when her mother lost her own battle to cancer, and it was a feeling she didn’t wish upon her worst enemy.  But this man sure made that promise a tough one to keep.    
Natsu’s adoptive mother was a long-time surgery nurse at this hospital, who had had taught him the value of life.  It was because of seeing her kindness towards people that spurred his decision to be a volunteer.  Even at eighteen years of age he knew that volunteering would be difficult, and five years later, he would admit it never got any easier.  Many volunteers eventually burn out, especially when dealing with the terminal patients, but Natsu pushed through, reminding himself it was those very patients that needed their support the most.
“Oh,” she quirks an eyebrow, “what is it?”
“Tada!” he whips out a single yellow rose with pinkish-red tipped petals and hands it to her.  “My younger sister showed me how to dye the tips, isn’t it cool!”
Lucy takes the flower, “wow that is really beautiful!  The pink even matches your hair.” She lifts it to her nose and picks up on the light rosy fragrance it exuded.  “Smells nice too.”  She tries to hand it back to Natsu.
“Tch, my hair’s not pink, it’s salmon, and I made it for you,” he smiles, “something to brighten your day.”  Natsu then walks over to the small bathroom and fills a cup with water, brings it back and places it on the small windowsill next to her bed.  “For the flower.”
“Thank you,” Lucy blushes a little and hands him back the bloom since she couldn’t reach the cup herself. “It was really kind of you to bring me that Natsu.”
“Nah,” he places the flower in the cup for her, “I’d do anything to make you smile.”
It wasn’t every day, but Natsu would come to see her as often as he could.  His regular job as a construction worker wasn’t a regular 9 to 5 kind of thing.  Some weeks he might work five days straight, while on slower periods like the winter and early spring months it may only be a couple of days a week depending on weather.  He’d told her that working with his hands was something he enjoyed immensely, and the company was training him to be a carpenter.  
Natsu sure wasn’t what she’d expected of a construction guy.  Oh, his hands showed the roughened appearance of someone who worked hard for a living, but she thought they would be these rough and tumble kind of men.  Not Natsu, with his goofy and sweet personality.  She could only imagine how well such a line of work helped to keep the man in shape.  He always wore t-shirts and jeans, but his trim features hidden behind the fabric were easily discernable.        
The light of the sun brought the yellow rose to life along with a slight tremor in her heart, not of pain but of adoration.  Lucy smiles sweetly at his remark, her eyes crinkling, glinting with a tinge of moisture she had no control over.  She didn’t want to admit her growing affection for this man who always said the sweetest things or made the most charming gestures.  Natsu was always so compassionate and supportive, while never making it seem like it was just his job as a volunteer to comfort the patients.  It was easy to wish that maybe… he was doing it just for her?  
Lucy ducks her head, hiding the hint of jealousy coating her cheeks and tone, “I’m sure you make such kind gestures for the other patients too.”
“Oh, no,” Natsu sits beside her and takes her hand, “just you.”  He gently lifts her chin, forcing her to face him.  She averts her eyes, but he stares forward, softening his glare, almost wanting to chuckle that he’s had such an effect on her.  “You’re special to me.”
Of all the patients in this small hospital, Lucy Heartfilia was the one his heart grieved for the most.  It wasn’t fair, at only twenty years old, for this beautiful and intelligent woman to be tied to a hospital bed, watching her life flash by in the form of ridges and valley peaks.  The first time they had met was two years ago, but back then she would only come in for overnight monitoring’s or check-ups, and after her major surgery, she stayed for a few months during the recovery process.  By now, they were friends, but it had taken work on his part to get her to open up to him.      
“No, I’m not…” Lucy sucks the corner of her bottom lip in to stifle the tremor.  
His tone deepens in a comeback, “Yes, you are.”
Her eyes finally snap to his, and when she sees the determination behind them, reality kicks in.  He was telling the truth!  Oh, heaven help her.  It was cute to dream, but not for it to be real.  She feels a sting in her chest and pushes his hands away.  “Please don’t,” her voice is barely a whisper, trembling from the stinging pain in her heart and her soul.  “I-I shouldn’t be….”  ‘This is so wrong…  Because I’m dying and he deserves someone better.  I shouldn’t have said anything.’  Stupid little daggers of jealousy!  She clutches her chest, willing her heart to still, and pain to subside, ‘please go away!’
“Hey, hey!” Natsu immediately switches his concern from being flirty to concerned.  “Lucy please calm down, I’m sorry I didn’t mean to upset you!”
“I-It’s okay, I-I’ll be okay.” She fights the tears back with all the strength she can muster.  Lucy didn’t want to cry in front of Natsu.  “Please, Natsu, I don’t want to get our hopes up l-like that…. If this… If things were different….”
“Shhh,” he cradles her face, “shhh, it’s okay Luce, I feel the same way.”
After a few moments, Lucy lets out a long exhale.  “I appreciate it, I really do.”  She looks up and cracks a pained smile.  “You’re the only thing keeping me going, but I-I just don’t even want to think about not being there for you…”
It was Natsu’s turn to crack.  “Please don’t finish that.”  He looks down, holding back the urge to cry or show how upset it makes him.  “I don’t want to think about that.”
“But it…”
“You don’t know that, no one knows that, and I,” his voice falters, seething with all the will of his soul placed behind it, “I will cling to hope till my dying breath.”
The sudden change in his demeanor, switches Lucy from feeling so self-absorbed in her own thoughts to realize, Natsu has had an effect on her, but she truly had an effect on him too.  It hurt even more now that his behaviors weren’t just a rouse to make her happy, and it killed her to think of what he will suffer when she goes.    
“I’m sorry, Natsu.  I didn’t realize.”  She grabs his hand, squeezing it hard.  “Natsu I’m sorry.  Let’s stop thinking about this then, hmm,” doing her best to keep her tone soft and comforting.  “Look at me, Natsu, please, I don’t want to keep fighting with you.”
He sighs, “you’re right.  That’s the last thing I wanna do with you.”  It was a surprise even to himself that he’d lost his cool, and for the first time the awareness of his growing infatuation became real.
“Good,” she squeezes his hand again.  “Hey, um, you know its lunch time, we could eat outside since it’s a nice day…” her voice grows tentative, “if you’ll join me.”
“Lucy Heartfilia, are you asking me out on a date?” He chuckles, ready to put all the sadness behind them.  “Because if that’s the case,” the sparkle in his eyes return, “I would be honored.”
For the next couple of months, Natsu and Lucy’s friendship flourishes, as her physical body slowly deteriorates.  It was hard, he couldn’t lie, to watch this happen, and if it wasn’t for the strength of his convictions or his plain stubborn attitude about it that kept him upbeat.  He knew that she needed him to be her strength, and that fueled his desire to make sure she smiles every day.  
Lucy didn’t know, but his mother would keep him updated on her condition.  Not that he needed to know all the technical jargon, for he could see it with his own eyes.  Lucy herself would tell him just enough information when she needed to, but he never pushed or pried for it, letting it always be on her terms.  The cardiomyopathy was getting worse, her heart muscles barely functioning on its own at this point.  She had her good days and bad days but walking around wasn’t really an option anymore aside from brief steps for a purpose.  It also meant that the muscles in her legs were weakening too.  Physical therapy once a week worked with Lucy on light stretches to keep them from completely atrophying, but it was all they could do for her at this point.  But no matter how much weight she lost, or that her hair didn’t hold its familiar luster, to Natsu she would always be the same radiant woman he adored.  
She’d resigned herself to this fate a lot better than Natsu would have thought a person could do.  When he tried to picture himself in her shoes, he was sure he wouldn’t have the strength to keep going, but that was what amazed him even more about her.  On her agreeable days, Natsu enjoyed getting her out of her room, even if for brief periods of time.  Lunch or dinner in the cafeteria, the grounds of the hospital on a sunny day, or even stargazing when the evening air was warm.  He’d bring a wheelchair, and off they’d go, talking about anything or nothing, avoiding the subject of her condition, just giving her a smidge of a normal existence for once.              
Lucy opens her eyes at the knock on her door to see a familiar face pop through.  “Hey Natsu,” she cracks a pained smile.  
“Hey Luce, how ya doin’ today?”
She starts to sit up in the hospital bed, but when it’s clear to Natsu the woman was struggling, he quickly rushes over and assists.  “Thanks,” another light smile.  “I’m sorry, I’ve been a little sore today.”
“Never apologize to me,” he smiles back warmly.  No matter what, he always did his best to appear upbeat for the patients despite his heart literally breaking for them.  He places his hand on hers, “so, tell me gorgeous, are ya hungry?  We could dinner date in the cafeteria if you’re up to it.  My treat,” he winks.
“Stop calling me gorgeous,” Lucy chides the sunny young man, despite the small rosy glow of her cheeks.  “I know I’m not, and that’s okay.”  With the help of a psychiatrist and over a year of therapy, Lucy had finally accepted her fate and kept moving forward as best she could.  If she will die someday, she will die with dignity.  Stress wasn’t very good on her heart, so once she made peace with her circumstances, even her physical ailments had benefitted.  
“Pfft,” Natsu pretends to be offended, “are you calling me a liar because I know I’m not blind.”  His grin growing along with the deepening of red along her cheeks.  “Besides, you know I won’t stop no matter how much you complain about it.”  
Lucy laughs and her eyes twinkle, “I know, so we’ll keep agreeing to disagree.”
It was in these moments, and why he did what he did, just to see this woman’s eyes light up, that sent his own heart into palpitations.  Deep down Natsu knew that the chances of Lucy making it out of this hospital were slim to none, but you’d never know it when he spoke to her.  He stifles the urge to sigh. Oh, how he wished the circumstances were different.  In a perfect world, Natsu would love nothing more than to walk this woman down the aisle.
He circles the topic back around, “so… dinner, on me?” he teases lightly with a wink.  “We can take a trip through pediatrics where there are a few recent arrivals.”
Her gaze lowers as she hides the seventh heaven emotions the young man stirs in her.  “I’d like that.”
Natsu squeezes her hand, “I’ll be right back, lemme grab your carriage milady.”
As Lucy waited the few minutes for Natsu to grab a wheelchair, she closes her eyes and does a breathing technique to calm her heart.  She hadn’t wanted to show the slight tinges of pain she was getting as they spoke, because she knew it would have worried him.  They’d been steadily increasing in frequency lately, and she fought to keep him from discovering that.  But she couldn’t help it.  Despite her condition, Lucy was still a young woman with an intact mind, she still had desires like any other, and when a handsome young man close to her age flirted with her, of course she would react to it!  She did her best not to let these thoughts sink in too deeply and told herself he was merely doing it to make her feel better.  It was a lie, but it was the best way to shield herself.
“Ready?”  Natsu extends his hand to help Lucy to her feet.
She nods and takes hold, gripping on while he maneuvers her around and onto the chair.  It weakened Lucy to where her muscles were slowly losing their strength because her heart was struggling to keep her body oxygenated and functioning properly.  With support she could stand for brief periods, but only with support.  At least with Natsu, she could put her faith in his hold that he’d never let her fall.  
After adjusting the foot plates and making sure Lucy was comfortable, Natsu takes off towards the cafeteria two floors down.  He’d already alerted dining when he’d gone out for the chair they were coming down, to prepare a meal within Lucy’s dietary needs.  It wasn’t a terribly restrictive diet, but there were some limits, such as no stimulants like caffeine, or anything with a high fat content.
Natsu loved these little dates as he called them.  On warm sunny days it may include a stroll outside for some fresh air, or if it was cold and rainy, merely sharing a cup of light hot chocolate in the visitor's lounge in front of the massive floor to ceiling windows.  But if Lucy wasn’t feeling well, he was content to sit by her side in her room, talking, telling stories, or doing anything just to cheer her up.  Sometimes he would fantasize during these events as if they were simply at home and relaxing like a normal couple.
“Oh yay, beef barley,” Lucy stirs and lifts a spoonful up before letting it flow back into the bowl.  “My fave.”  She knew why they gave it to her, but that didn’t make it anymore appetizing.  Barley was supposedly good for heart health, and the protein it contained was useful for her body.  She crunches up the soda crackers the meal came with and drops them into the soup, letting the pieces soak in.
“I don’t mind it,” Natsu shovels a spoonful into his mouth.  He always made it a point to eat the same thing they gave Lucy, so she felt more normal about it.  “But if you really don’t want it, I could ask them to make you a sandwich instead.”
“No, no,” she waves her hand, her voice oozing with a sense of longing mixed with frustration, “it’s okay, I’m fine with it.  I just would kill to eat a fatty, tasty, slathered in sauce cheeseburger with a side of waffle fries or something you know.”
Natsu snorts a laugh and almost chokes on his food as a mental picture of Lucy chomping down on a burger, with sauce dripping down her chin both amuses and arouses him.  “I-I can imagine,” he bangs his chest a couple times to dislodge some liquid that made it down the wrong pipe.  “Throw some sriracha sauce on that vision and you just named one of my favorite foods.”  Could this woman become any more of his dream girl?!
She giggles, “So, um…” Lucy hesitates for a second.  She didn’t want to sound desperate or anything, but loneliness was the quickest way to send her back into a depression and she cherished the time the man spent with her.  “How much time are you spending with me today?”    
“As long as you’d like,” he winks.  “I always do my rounds first and come to you last so I can stay as long as I want to.”
Ugh!  The flirty thing again!  Lucy wills her body to behave.  “Wow, that makes me pretty special, huh?”
“Extremely,” he leans in, letting his gaze grow half-lidded, and his tone mellowing into a soothing cadence. “I’m gonna steal your heart one day Luce, that’s a promise.”
“What?!  Pfft,” damn, she can feel the heat rising in her cheeks, “there’s no point in stealing a broken heart sir…”  Despite the desire to feel aroused over his comment, it also brought a sense of sadness to her she fought down the urge to let tears rise to the surface.  ‘He’s just teasing… he’s just being sweet, trying to make me feel normal… It’s not real Lucy, It’s not real!’  But oh, how she wished it was!  Natsu was the perfect man that any woman would kill for.  Sweet, strong, handsome, silly, she could go on and on with the list.  He was the one ray of sunshine in her dreary world now that she truly was all alone in it.  The stress of caring for her had driven her father into his own massive heart attack last year.  She had no one, except Natsu.
“I mean it Luce,” he reaches out and takes her hand, letting his thumb sweep over the skin.  “Broken or not, I want to steal it and have the person it’s attached to a—ll to myself.”
“Please don’t,” Lucy pulls her hand back.  She could feel the tears pooling and if she didn’t stop it now, they’d soon fall.  “You know I appreciate it, really I do Natsu.”  Lucy looks back up at him and cracks a pained smile.  “But you deserve someone who’s not broken.”
The absolute pain measured in Lucy’s eyes, and the sorrow in her voice was like a dagger straight through Natsu’s soul.  He could understand her desire of not wanting to believe in miracles or to shield herself from further pain, but that only killed him more.  She deserved so much more out of life. Ugh, if only he had a direct line to destiny so he could kick its ass and tell it to leave Lucy in peace!  He didn’t want to upset her anymore.  “Okay, I’ll stop pushing too hard.  But I promise you Luce, one day you will walk out of this hospital a healthy woman, and you can steal my heart instead.”
She sighs, “You can’t promise something like that.”
“I have faith,” Natsu gives her his wide, ear-to-ear grin and a wink.  “You’ll see.”
How could she stay upset after seeing that smile of his?  That damn ear-to-ear grin that lit up his eyes.  The eternal optimist, Natsu Dragneel trying so hard to keep her spirits up.  He and that smile may very well be the one thing keeping her going at this point.  “Okay, okay,” Lucy chuckles, “I give up, yes it's possible.”
“Woo Hoo!”  He pumps his fist in the air in an exaggerated victory, “that’s the spirit!  Now eat, so we can go check out the babies!”  
Lucy laughs again and nods with a smile, “okay.”
It was harder than she let on to him because she knew how much he enjoyed checking out all the new arrivals, but seeing those babies coming into this world while she would be leaving it shortly was painful.  All those hopeful, bright little lives….  They were a bittersweet reminder that a hospital holds two balances; the power to bring life into this world or take it away by not being able to heal a person.  She didn’t blame the doctors, for they were doing their best, because sometimes the sands of time runs its course and there is just nothing more they can do.  It was simply a part of life, to be born and die, never knowing when the grim reaper would come calling.  
“Look, look!  I was told three were born yesterday.” Natsu points excitedly as he parks her chair in front of the viewing window of the nursery.  He plasters his face against the clear glass.  “Two girls and one boy.  Awww, one already has some hair!”  Turning back to Lucy, “can you see okay, would you like me to help you stand up?”
“Thank you for the offer, but I can see just fine,” Lucy throws on a smile for effect.  “They are quite adorable, aren’t they?”
“Are you sure?  You know the doctors want you to stand sometimes so that your legs don’t atrophy as quickly.  I will gladly bear the weight.”
“Are you saying I’m heavy?!”  She was just teasing, but it was the perfect setup to do so.
“What?!” he waves his arms, “n-no way!  You’re not heavy, I meant I’m stronger so I can hold you up…”
“So, I’m weak?”
“Wait, what, no!”
Lucy giggles at how much the man was stepping all over his tongue.  “I’m just teasing you, Natsu.  I know I should, but I’m just a little tired today.”  That was partially true.
The man pouts, “so mean Luce,” he whines and throws on the saddest puppy dog expression he can muster, even a sniffle for effect.  “But it was an excuse to hold you in my arms.”
Oh, how quickly the tides can turn as his bold little statement sets her face ablaze.  He re—ally needed to stop with the flirting, or she was about to have an actual heart attack!  “All right,” Lucy groans, “just for a few minutes.”  It wasn’t the first time she’s allowed him to help her stand and maintain her balance, but before his little retort, she’d never thought twice about it.  
Natsu locks the chair and adjusts the foot plates out of the way so that Lucy can put her feet on the ground.  “Just take all the time you need,” his voice grows soft and soothing, “don’t rush.”
She tests her leg strength by pushing with the balls of her feet against the floor, rocking them and applying pressure to warm up the muscles.  Brief movements, like getting from the bed to the wheelchair were one thing, standing for a few minutes or walking a few feet were another.  It was frustrating and embarrassing, so she avoided it as much as possible, like when going to the bathroom.  Lucy didn’t mind when the nurses assisted her with that compromising predicament, but this was embarrassing in a different way.  
Once she feels her legs are ready, she holds out her hand which Natsu quickly takes hold of and braces her other on the arm of the chair to push herself up.  When she gets to a standing position, Natsu moves around her body, placing an arm around her waist as he gently guides her the two feet to the window.  He stays on constant alert, monitoring any change so if her legs decide to buckle, he can catch her.  As soon as she reaches the window, Lucy places her hands on the slight ledge of the sill.  Natsu then switches his position to stand directly behind her, wrapping both arms around her upper chest to hold her close, but above the tubes in her lower abdomen.  
Could he feel how much her body was heating up from the intimate contact?  Lucy fought her own emotions to keep from escalating and stressing her heart out, for she was keenly aware of how they would look to anyone passing by.  Dear heavens, it was hard to do with his chest pressed up against her back…. She wished they could stay like that forever.  ‘Breathe… just breathe, Lucy…. Look at the babies, just focus on the babies…’  That only made it worse.
The babies….  Just a day old. The little angels were like moldable clay.  They’ll grow… they’ll change…  Will they become teachers or astronauts some day?  Oh, look at the one, smiling in his sleep, how precious.  Someday, will they make their dreams come true?  What will they be like?  Good little kids or naughty, friendly, the life of the party or a shy introvert?  Like many young girls who dreamt of becoming a mother someday, Lucy had envisioned having a family of her own with the love of her life and the white picket fence.  A little girls fantasy.  She closes her eyes, praying that Natsu wasn’t paying attention to her.  The tears pool behind her eyelids and she stills the desire to sniffle.  That fantasy was now dashed like a shipwreck against the shoreline, never to sail the seven seas again.  Natsu would have made the perfect husband and father for such a fairytale, and he will one day, just not in her storybook ending.
She’d been so focused on fighting back her emotions, that Lucy hadn’t noticed Natsu’s head was now resting against her shoulder or how his face was curled against the nape.  
“It’s okay to cry sometimes Luce.”
His whispered voice, so close to her ear, breaks the dam.  Lucy squeezes her eyes tighter and fingertips curl, tensing against the windowsill.  Shit, he knew all along.  Her knees tremble as the tears flow freely, but she feels his hold tighten around her to keep her from falling.  It had been some time since she’d allowed herself to release the pain in this way.
Natsu hadn’t been certain of it until now, but in the last several times they’d come to the pediatric ward, he’d sensed a change in Lucy’s energy.  She always wore a smile with a hidden agenda and now he’s confirmed his suspicions.  Well, it was his mother really that pointed it out one day when he’d mentioned it to her.  The woman was great at understanding human emotions and after years of caring for patients, she’s learned to follow her intuition.  
“Lucy was a young woman who may not live to be a mother or have a family of her own, of course it might upset her to see the infants.”  His first inclination was to stop bringing the woman to this ward, but his mother gave him a second option.  “Help her grieve.”  Those three words coming out of his mother’s mouth stunned him briefly. What did she mean to help her grieve?!!  “If Lucy has no one to turn to, how can she process what is happening to her.  Show her it’s okay to be upset, help her let out the pain before it consumes her.”  
“I will hold you for as long as I need to Luce, just let the pain go.”
But it was killing him to do this!  Natsu had told his mother that he didn’t think he was strong enough. The woman simply smiled, patted his cheek and said, “I believe in you son.  If you truly care, then you’ll have the strength to move mountains for her.”  Damn his mother and her intuition, though Natsu realized only a fool couldn’t see how much he was falling for Lucy.  He’d sell his soul to a demon to get her a new heart.
Strangely, Lucy’s body wasn’t reacting like she thought it would.  Stress usually caused her blood pressure to rise and strain her heart muscles, but that wasn’t happening.  She couldn’t stop the tears from flowing like a broken spigot, and maybe that was the best thing, like a release of the pressure that had built up unbeknownst to her.  Her hands move from the windowsill to Natsu’s arms, clutching to and resting her head on them.  Lucy couldn’t look up, not yet, but she needed to let him know she heard his words, and they meant the world to her.  
She would have made an amazing mother, Natsu was sure of it, and it would be a lie to say he’s never thought of or imagined them staring through this viewing window at their own little boy or girl one day.  Would the child have Lucy’s beautiful golden waves or chocolate brown eyes?  Or maybe take Natsu’s salmon pink hair and onyx eyes.  No matter what, the child would be perfect and loved.  A child that as the day ticked down on the transplant list was losing hope of ever being born.  Crap!  Natsu squeezes his eyes closed tight.  He couldn’t let her see him struggling with this, but damn if those images didn’t just cut him deep.
Neither of them knew how long they were standing there or even if any of the other hospital staff had noticed.  They were in their own little world while time passed them by.  It was Lucy who finally let out a small exhale as a last release of all that had struck her today, and with that tension gone, the tears turned into exhaustion.  Ever cry so hard and for so long that your body became lethargic?  Lucy yawns wide and deep, her eyes growing heavy and clouded, a little lightheaded, ready to go to sleep.
Natsu kisses the crown of her head and without a word, maneuvers her so she can sit back down in her wheelchair.  He sets the foot panels in place and helps her feet onto them, then pushes her back to her room.  There is a companionable silence, as if all their wordless exchanges had communicated volumes that needed no explanation.  Once back in her own room, Natsu helps her onto the bed and set the wheelchair aside.
After helping to re-attach her heart monitors, Natsu checks, “is there anything else I can get you before I go?”  She shakes her head.  “In that case…”
Lucy motions for him to lean in closer and once he’s close enough, she hesitates briefly then places a kiss on his cheek.  “Thank you for everything Natsu.”
His eyes widen, shocked by what she’d just done.  “Luce?”
“I just felt like doing it,” she blushes.  “Tonight… I don’t know, I just feel so much better and it’s all because of you.”  Lucy closes her eyes as a yawn cuts through.  They were so tired…    
“You are very welcome,” Natsu smiles.  He moves to leave, but Lucy grabs his hand and squeezes.  When he turns back to look, her eyes are still closed, and there is a slight smile on her face which brings a swelling of his pride.  He leans down and kisses the back of her hand.  “Rest now, and I will see you again tomorrow.”
Mister Sandman beckoned to Lucy of mystical creatures bathed in glittering stars, calling upon father time to bring peace to a weary soul.  She didn’t know why, but though the pull was strong, she fought his dreamy reverie.  Today had been the most emotionally charged day in a long time.  All the tears Lucy had shed brought a new peace to her spirit, something in this entire experience not even a trained therapist could have given her.  The amount of love that Natsu provided, whether platonic or wishful yearnings, calmed her, and pushed away the emptiness she had felt for so long…. So long stuck in this pain.  She wanted to relive this day forever, safe in Natsu’s arms, drowning in the pool of his obsidian hues.  ‘… to steal his heart…’  Lucy knew she already had, just as he had stolen hers in a way.  A sense of warmth floods through her body, shielding her to the cool air-conditioned room.  Lucy’s smile widens as her mind slips into the abyss of dreams, of a pink-haired prince who’d finally set her soul free.
“Natsu wake up,” the voice repeats as the person attached to it shakes his sleeping form.  “Natsu wake up.”
“Huh?” His clouded mind hears the voice of his mother.  “What is it?”  He turns his head, his eyes temporarily pin-pointed from the harsh lamp light next to his bed.  “Mom, what are you doing in my room?”  Natsu pushes himself to a sitting position as his mother takes a seat next to him.  With his vision focusing better, he finally notices the moisture clouding his mother’s eyes.  “Mom, what is it?!”  
She takes his hand, squeezing it tightly with her head slightly lowered in pain.  “I-I’m sorry, son, but the hospital just called me…. Your friend, s-she had a massive heart attack.”
By the time his mother had finished the sentence, Natsu had stopped listening to anything she was saying. He knew, the moment she’d said I’m sorry… to wake him up in the middle of the night, it had to be….  All the blood drains from his face and his shoulders slump.  He felt dizzy, weak, like all of his strength were stripped away, leaving him an empty shell.  He turns his head slowly, the tears already flowing down his cheeks in an endless trickle to meet the woman’s sullen gaze.  This wasn’t happening!  Not yet!  Lucy was fine today!  Fine!!  He wanted to scream!  But his throat was closed up, choking back the sobs that wanted to break free.  
“Oh honey,” the woman wraps her arms around her son and pulls him tightly against her chest.  “I’m so sorry,” her own tears flowing freely and hitting his face.  “Don’t give up hope, they were able to save her, but she’s been placed in a medically induced coma.”
It couldn’t be true!  Why weren’t his cries coming out?!  Natsu’s voice refused to make a sound and all he could do was weep.  It hurt so much!  His fists clench at his stiffened sides.  This wasn’t fair!  
“Let it out son, don’t hold it in,” she coos, doing her best to soothe the pain.  “They believe she didn’t suffer because it happened while she was asleep, that should give you a bit of comfort.”
No, it doesn’t!  She was still in a coma!  He’d almost lost her!  And, “I-I never g-got to s-say good... good…” he couldn’t finish it.  What if she never woke up again?  Natsu’s heart ached at the thought he may never again hear her beautiful laughter or that silly snort she would sometimes make when he teased her.  This world was too cruel to do this to a woman who should be in college, starting the next stage of her life.  A fit of sobs racks his body, ‘I never got to tell her I love her…’
“Would you like me to drive you there, son?”
“Yes, please mom, i-if you don’t mind.”  
“Of course.”
Natsu paused in front of the closed door to Lucy’s new room, unsuccessfully preparing himself for what he knew he would find behind it.  On the way to the hospital, his mother had filled in a few more details that tore the man up and brought a wave of guilt flooding over him.  Had he caused the heart attack?
The heart monitor alarms had gone off only 30 minutes after he had left her for the evening, and the doctors wasted no time in implementing emergency resuscitative efforts.  They deemed it a miracle, but after 10 minutes of herculean efforts they were able to get her heart restarted.  Lucy was then moved to the ICU unit and placed on other machines such as a feeding tube and ventilator to keep her alive.
Maybe he shouldn’t have pushed her to see the infants after all.  Maybe the crying had stressed her out and neither of them had known it.  She seemed perfectly fine when he’d left!  Happy, in fact, happier than he’d seen in a long time.  Natsu’s fingers absentmindedly trail over the area she had kissed.  Lucy was at peace when he’d left.  His mom told him her sudden fatigue may have been a sign.  Or maybe he clenches his jaw, that kiss was her way of saying goodbye, like she knew something might happen once she’d closed her eyes.  The way she’d grabbed his hand when he tried to leave….  “Fuck!” he grits outs as the tears pool in his bloodshot eyes again.  “I shouldn’t have left her…”  
He pushes the door open and his knees buckle instantly at the sight.  Tubes… all the tubes, and monitors, the beeping and lights, bright flashing lights of the stat graphs, subcutaneous fluids hooked to her arms, the drips… slow drips of liquid and medicine flowing into Lucy’s body.  He wasn’t ready for it.  Her beautiful face partially hidden by the feeding tube running into her mouth and the breathing tubes entering her nostrils.  If it wasn’t for his mother standing at his side, Natsu would have collapsed to the floor when his legs lose all their strength and crumple.  The woman guides him to a chair placed beside the bed.  
“Oh god, Lucy!”  The tears pour out and sobs take control of his body.  He throws his upper body over hers, clutching desperately to the blanket covering her, and burying his face into its folds.  Natsu felt a part of his soul die right then and there.  “You don’t deserve this,” his muffled words stolen by the fabric.  Why couldn’t they find her a heart?!
“Son,” Natsu feels his mother’s hand resting on his shoulder, but he doesn’t respond.  “Son, there’s no telling how long Lucy will stay in this state, so it’s best you say your goodbyes now.  They say that people can hear you even if they are in a coma.”
But all he can do is shake his head fervently, denying it to the world and himself that Lucy wouldn’t come out of this.  He had hope, damn it!  Natsu refused to say goodbye because that meant he’d given up hope Lucy would recover somehow.  
The woman seemed to understand her son’s frustration and didn’t push.  “Then, just talk to her son, let her know you’re here.”  
“Mom, could you… I wanna be alone, please?”                
“I’ll come back in an hour to take you home.”  
Natsu just nods in response.  He hears the door open and close, the click of the lock like the final latch being set on a coffin, sealing them to their fate.  He’d known the dangers of giving his heart to Lucy and yet despite what was happening, still had no regrets.  She deserved the peace of knowing someone loved her, and if this really was the last moments, Natsu could have that tiny measure of satisfaction knowing he was the one who had provided it to her.
“But you’re not gonna die yet, Luce.  You can’t, do you hear me, you can’t!  It’s not your time yet, so you need to fight for me please…”  Oh, how his heart was shattering into a million pieces as if he was the one with the problem.  It fucking hurt!  Emotional daggers stabbing him in the chest repeatedly.  “You’re stronger than this, Lucy!  I know it, you’re gonna wake up from this!”
By the time his mother returns an hour later, the sheer exhaustion had consumed Natsu.  She finds him passed out, and it takes a bit of begrudging effort to get him to leave Lucy’s bedside.  He was so afraid to leave again in case she passed away, because he didn’t want her to die alone.  It was his mother that coaxed him into believing that she wasn’t alone as long as he kept her in his heart.    
Day after day, week after week, became a never-ending cycle of zombiesque activity.  Natsu’s body was there, trudging through routine, but his mind was broken, battling between keeping hope alive and giving up.  He went to work, did his job, then headed to the hospital.  It got to where the staff had placed a spare bed in the room, and he practically lived in the ICU with Lucy.  He was lucky that his mother was a long-time nurse and he a volunteer with an impeccable standing that the hospital allowed him to bend the visitor hour rules.  They knew the woman was alone in this world, so maybe they also felt a sense of duty to become that family for her, because nobody deserved to die alone.
He grew obsessed with anything to do with her condition and used the lonely hours to scour the internet for information.  Sure, much of the stories about coma patients being able to hear weren’t really solid or verifiable, but any glimmer of possibilities was worth the effort.  It couldn’t hurt to try.  Whether it was telling her about his day or what was happening in their town, Natsu would keep talking.  He bought a kindle and read stories he thought she would like, fantasies of princes saving princesses filled with mythical creatures.  He remembered her saying she used to write such stories and wished he had been able to read them.
When he was too tired to read, or his throat was too sore to continue, Natsu wrote her letters.  The staff and his family were getting worried about Natsu.  So, the hospital’s mental health service counselor had come in one day and spoke to him on the off chance that they could get through to him.  While he refused to listen to most of the advice, he found the writing to be helpful.  Maybe when Lucy awakens, she could read them. But for now, it was one way he could pour out some of his thoughts in silence.      
He was always tired and exhausted, pushing himself through this day-to-day routine, sometimes forgetting to eat.  Concerned staff would often pop their heads in to check on him to make sure he had or scolded him when the hours grew late and they knew he needed to work the next day.  His bloodshot eyes held dark bags under them, and his mother swore he was losing weight.  But he would always push them off saying he was fine.
“No, you are not son.  As a mother I am supremely proud to know I raised a son who cares this much, but I don’t want to lose you too.”
“And you’re not, I’m perfectly healthy.”
“You know as well as I stress is harmful to the body.”
Natsu sighs and runs a hand over his face, “mom, I’m fine, I even cut back on work hours to make you happy.”
“And I appreciate the gesture, but you’re still working, just here!”
“Mom, I’m fine!  Please, just leave me be, I-I don’t want to fight.  I just want… I’m not leaving her.  End of discussion.”
His mother sighs, knowing that her stubborn boy would not listen.  “Just please, Natsu, eat more, get more sleep, do it for me.”
“Okay, okay, I will.”        
“I love you, son.”
“I love you too, mom.”
She kisses his forehead and turns to leave, taking one last look at her boy, and to Lucy.  Grandeeney Dragneel pauses with a bittersweet smile as Natsu resumed reading quietly from his Kindle.  Somehow, she knew that young girl loved her son back, and it broke her heart to know they were like those star-crossed lovers from a long-lost folktale, never destined to truly be together.  She liked Lucy.  The girl was smart and sweet, very articulate whenever she visited during her rounds, and her strength through this all was remarkable.  Even after being dealt such a cruel hand by fate, she never grew bitter or resentful.  Her son couldn’t have fallen for a better girl.  Grandeeney slips away quietly before the moisture building in her eyes could be seen by Natsu, bracing against the closed door, and praying for a miracle.
Is this that tunnel people talk about?  Lucy wonders as all she could see through her eyelids is the brightest light that seemed just too brilliant to be normal.  Her eyes hurt a little from it, but if this was heaven, why is there still pain?  She forces her lids open and tries to shield them with her hand that… doesn’t seem to move, huh?  But it wasn’t just her arm, her entire body felt heavy.  The images filtering in through her vision were blurry, slowly gaining focus as her pupils adjust to the light to see, wait, ceiling tiles?  Why does heaven look so much like a hospital?
“Oh good, you’re awake.”
Lucy looks over and sees a doctor standing beside her.  “Where am I?”  Or more like why am I here?  
“Do you remember the heart attack?”  She shakes her head.  “You’ve been in a coma for two months after you suffered a massive heart attack.  But luckily, a local donor came through...”  He goes on to explain about the surgery telling her that the transplant surgery went well, her body was accepting the new heart, and while she’ll still be going through three to six months or rehabilitation and monitoring, she was on track to make a full recovery.  
“Oh-okay, thank you so much, doctor.”  It was a miracle to be alive again with a new heart.  But something felt wrong, missing?    
“I’ll be back in a couple hours to check on you again Ms. Heartfilia, but if anything feels off in the meantime, be sure to ring the nurses.”  He moves to leave, but she stops him.
“Doctor, the donor, can you tell me about them, please?”
The man hesitates for a moment.  “Well Ms. Heartfilia, privacy laws don’t allow me to….”
“You don’t have to tell me their name or anything.  Please, just a little information.  I’d like to know who saved my life.”
The man sighs and takes the seat next to the bed, clearly torn with what he was about to say.  “He was a young volunteer at the hospital who tragically fell asleep at the wheel and passed away from a car accident…”
The doctor's voice droned on for another minute as he tried to reassure her that the man didn’t suffer. It was quick and painless from a one-car crash.  As if that was supposed to make her feel any better.  Lucy didn’t need to be told the name as tears poured down her cheeks, because she knew.  She just knew.  That was what was missing, for she knew that if she’d had received the new heart, Natsu would have been the one by her side when she’d woken up… unless he could be there.  With all the wires attached to her arm, she could barely move them without the sting of the I.V. lines, but she didn’t care.  Lucy’s hands cover her lowered face as the tears continue to stream.
“I’m very sorry, Ms. Heartfilia.  Would you like me to have someone from mental health support to come see you?”
Lucy shakes her head. She couldn’t speak, she couldn’t even think.  
“Mrs. Dragneel would also like to speak to you when you’re up to it.”  
More tears and sobs choke out. Oh god that was Natsu’s mom, how could she face Natsu’s mother!  
Seeing the woman’s distress, the man nods and squeezes her shoulder, “Again, I’m truly sorry Ms. Heartfilia.  We all miss him very much.  Please try to get some rest,” and leaves the woman to grieve in her own way.  
Her head was spinning.  It wasn’t supposed to happen like this!  Why was destiny such a malicious bastard to take away the one person she had and leave her in this world all alone?  Lucy clasps a hand over her chest, recalling the last conversation, that last night with Natsu.  She squeezes her eyes to the pain of the memories…  He’d made her so happy… so very happy, and yes, she remembered thinking for the first time since her diagnosis; she didn’t feel alone anymore.  Fuck if she didn’t want to just keel over again, but that would mar the beautiful gift that she’s received.  Natsu believed with every fiber of his being that she would walk out of here one day and she will live on for him, that’s a promise.  “Our heart,” Lucy breathes out…  But how ironic that he was right all along.  She really did steal his heart in the cruelest of ways… 
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Got a Light? || Dakota and Kaden
TIMING: Current LOCATION: Behind the WCPD Station PARTIES: @dakotasgrant and @chasseurdeloup SUMMARY:  Dakota and Kaden run into each other during a much needed nicotine fix.
Paperwork was something straight from hell. Give him a fucking hellhound to go up against any day of the week. That was easy. This? Putain. Kaden was headed out for his third smoke break in the past two hours. No, he checked his watch. One hour. Only one hour? He cursed to himself some more in French before grabbing his coat and telling Gary, “be right back.” Gary seemed both frustrated and relieved to see his co-worker go once again. Kaden started fidgeting with his lighter in his pocket before he even got outside round back of the station. It was cold, but he came out here enough he’d set up a hidden space heater and he knocked it on before leaning against the nearby wall and pulling out his lights and the zippo. Just one cigarette, maybe two and he could clear his head before going back inside. For once he figured it was a good thing he was seeing a little less of Regan, she wouldn’t have to deal with the nicotine on his breath that she definitely hated. As much as he’d cut back, there were moments that dug under his skin and had him outside once more, lighter in hand ready for some brief relief. Paperwork was one of those moments. He flipped open the lighter and flicked the toggle and… nothing. “Putain de merde,” he grumbled to himself, lips moving around the cigarette resting there. He tried again and again, only nothing was working. Just his fucking luck. Truly a sign from the universe to quit. Go inside. Do his damn work. He scuffed his boot on the ground, kicking up a chunk of dirt and rock before letting his head fall back, leaning on the wall behind him as he let out a loud sigh. It was then he heard the heartbeat, realized he wasn’t alone anymore. Shit. He perked up, stood straight and saw the woman across the way, also reaching for a smoke. “Sorry about that,” he said, apologizing for the slight display. Wouldn’t have done it if he didn’t think he was alone. Especially since she sort of looked like she wanted to be left alone. But she might be his only hope. “Uh, hate to ask this,” he said, approaching her, “but you got a light?” 
Fucking hell, why did winter always have to have such a bite to it? She didn’t smoke often—in fact, Dakota usually only picked back up whenever she was stressed… Or bored… Or needed an excuse to step away from her desk, which seemed to be more often than usual since moving to White Crest. Somewhere deep down, which was always far deeper than she cared to go, she knew she’d picked back up because Chris hated this shit, but that was neither here nor there. There was only about an hour or so before she could take lunch and maybe explore a few more places than the last four items on the menu at Al’s Diner, but hell, she’d entombed herself in that lab since 7AM and still couldn’t come up with a logical explanation for why the blood samples collected at the latest crime scene were both normal, biological blood samples and.. Well, something else. Clearly it was tampered evidence, but racking her brain for the last six hours hadn’t done shit and she was starting to get herself pissed off...Clearly time for a cigarette. Dakota had been freezing her ass off for probably the last five minutes, leaning against the cold stone of the building when she’d heard a few footsteps and some muttered French curses. As the kind of person who generally analyzed most scenes—crime or social—she’d already found him familiar before she caught a glimpse of his face. He carried himself differently when he wasn’t trying to start a lighter that was clearly dead, but she found his frustrated mannerisms amusing, even if she’d wandered out back to be alone. “Throwing a bit of a temper tantrum, are we?” she asked with a smirk, retrieving her own lighter from her coat pocket and tossing it in his direction. 
“It wasn’t a temper tantrum, alright,” Kaden grumbled back as he caught the lighter. Sure he’d gotten a little frustrated but it wasn’t a temper tantrum. Putain. He simply sighed, let it lie, and lit his cigarette. He took in a long breath, drawing the nicotine in deep, letting it sit in his lungs a moment before slowly releasing it and breathing it out. “Thanks,” he said before throwing the lighter back to her.  He stood there in silence for a beat, appreciating the nicotine break. He gave her a quick glance and he was sure he’d seen her before but that didn’t mean much. There were a lot of people in and out of this place. Still, he wondered if he was supposed to know who she was. Well, she didn’t have a uniform on so she probably wasn’t a beat cop at least. Then again, he was a cop and wasn’t wearing a uniform. He wanted to assume that if she was a detective, he’d have seen her around more, Styrder would have taught her to poke fun at him. Then again, with the death rate and job turnover in this town, maybe not. Guess there was only one real way to find out. “So, who am I sending my thank you card to? Fair warning it might have some dog and cat hair on it.” 
Ooh, he was touchy. Dakota normally tried to keep her mouth shut whenever someone seemed upset, because nine times out of ten, she liked to push their buttons to see how far she could push them. See, she didn’t like being the center of attention, but she loved riling people up just enough to see if they’d snap—and when they did, it usually left her satisfied as all hell. She let a bout of silence swell between them after he’d thanked her, and let it fester even longer when he mentioned a thank you card. Her expression didn’t change much, rather just her hand lifting to her lips, taking a long drag from her cigarette before blowing the air out. “Are you asking for my address?” she deadpanned. To be fair, Dakota thought it was funny, even though from the second she saw him she’d noticed he was tense as all hell. But… Being a sarcastic little shit was sort of her bread and butter. 
Kaden was about to inhale another round of his cigarette but he stopped to shoot her a look. “Yes. Of course. I want the whole thing, proper zip code and everything,” he shot back in an equal tone. He shook his head and finally took that drag. “I mean you could start with what department you’re in. I know you’re not Animal Control. But that’s about it.” He watched as the smoke left his lips and twisted and floated through the air, mixed with the condensation from his warm breath hitting the cold air. “And possibly a name. I heard it’s a good place to start.” He considered putting his hand out to shake but thought better of it. “Kaden,” he said with a small nod. “Uh, I guess Officer Langley. Depending on-- I mean, you know. Animal Control. In case, uh, you missed that.” It had been almost a year in his job and he still felt like such a fucking fraud saying his title or whatever, at least to other people in the department. Out in the field, he had no problem acting with authority. Those people didn’t know any better. Here? At the station? Some part of him was always going to feel like an imposter.
Kaden was right. She most definitely could start with her department, maybe a name, maybe her affiliation with WCPD. She could be polite and cordial and maybe even start to make a couple friends in this one-horse town. Hell, maybe this kid wasn’t so bad, and maybe if she let her guard down for half a second, she’d think he was decent enough to grab a burger at Al’s at lunch...But where was the fun in that? Being closed off was a part of Dakota’s personality regardless—too many people back home knew all of her business. White Crest was refreshing since nobody knew who the hell she was, so nobody knew her secrets, her business, her likes and dislikes, her habits… Jesus, Kota, go see a damned therapist. Finally taking the last drag of her cigarette and stamping out the ashes against the cool brick of the building, she looked over at him. “Wait, you’re in Animal Control?” She was just having too much fun being a dick. There was a beat of silence, mainly because she wasn’t giving him much to work with—of course, that was always her plan, because then people would leave her the hell alone, but.. He seemed a decent guy, and if they were technically coworkers, he was bound to find out anyway. “Dakota Grant. CSI. I’ve been here for.. What, five months now?” She tucked her hands into her pockets. “This town keeps me far busier than I expected, I’ll give it that.” Another beat. “Animal Control keep you busy? I hear there’s bears.” 
Kaden rolled his eyes and went back to his cigarette. At least she wasn’t calling him Paw Patrol, but he had a feeling it wasn’t far behind. “Yeah. Shocking. I know.” He wasn’t sure right that made her a detective or not if she was already picking on him. It seemed like it was part of the orientation package at this point. Then again,again, maybe he was just an easy target. Hard to say. He inhaled another hit of nicotine and let it slowly release. He half expected the conversation to end, for the quiet to hang in the air between them awkwardly as they stood in the same place, doing the same thing, while very likely working for the same institution. His head jerked to face her as she answered him, nearly coughed out of surprise. “Nice to meet you, Dakota.” Shit, did she go by Grant? Half the department used last names. No, she wasn’t an officer. Was she? Putain. He took a drag of his light and tried not to overthink this more than he really needed to. She wasn’t an authority, she was CSI. Kaden blew out a puff of smoke before adding, “CSI, nice. Guess that explains why we haven’t seen much of one another. You probably worked with my girlfriend, though. Medical examiner?” His heart sunk and his mouth pulled into a thin line as he realized his mistake. Stupid how easy it was to forget, even now. “Well, former medical examiner. For now. She’s on leave. For a few months n-- You know what, never mind.” His cigarette was dangerously low. He was tempted to pull out another but he’d need to bank on her favors again to light it. Better stretch this one out as long as possible, then. “Anyway, yeah. Not surprised you’re busy. Whole WCPD is. And the morgue. But yeah, bears are the easiest things on my list some days.”
Wow, this dude really seemed to be an open book—not just for his own shit, but apparently his girlfriend’s as well. Medical examiner, huh? Maybe this guy would end up being a nice contact to have after all. Dakota’s perked up a bit at the comment about the bears—she wasn’t terrified of ‘em, and she sure as shit wasn’t afraid to shoot one, but.. The prospect of being put in the situation to do so did stress her out. “You know what they say, your chances of being mauled to death are pretty low, but never zero.” Dakota deadpanned, tucking her hands back into her pockets. The longer she stayed out here, the more she realized maybe she hadn’t crawled out of that cave just for a cigarette and maybe some fresh air—she needed the sunlight. And, so it seemed, a little conversation wasn’t terrible after all. More silence filled the gaps in their conversation before she let out a little sigh, looking Kaden over a bit. His body language bore stress and.. Anxiety, maybe? All she knew was that he seemed downright annoyed about something. And upset about something, maybe. But she’d been wrong before. “You can talk about it. Your girlfriend issue, if you want. I’m just a stranger having a cigarette.” she offered.
Kaden had to bite back a laugh. “Well mine are definitely never zero.” Little did she know. He came close to being mauled, what? At least once a month. Maybe more. The perks of being a hunter and Animal Control. Which, speaking of, he should probably head back inside, get back to the fucking paperwork. Putain, he didn’t want to think about that. Not yet. There was still some of his cigarette worth smoking. He wasn’t sure about conversations worth having but guess he was having them anyway. “Right. I don’t have a girlfriend issue,” he said simply after a long, slow, exhale of smoke. That was underselling it. But what the fuck was he going to say? Oh yeah, my girlfriend? She quit her job to go train in the woods to learn how to suppress her emotions and is just ritualistically torturing herself and occasionally exploding animals with her voice. And now she’s afraid to touch me or be around me because she thinks she might explode me with her voice. Yeah, that’d be fine. Really great topic of conversation. “She’s just in a rough spot right now. That’s all. So you know, just don’t go looking for her in the morgue right now. That was my point.” It was one thing to dump his issues on a stranger but he wasn’t about to unload Regan’s. 
The wind wasn’t fierce, but it was just cold enough to start to make her nose and cheeks feel numb. Fucking winter. Dakota had to admit that Kaden seemed to have a strong opinion on getting mauled, but she figured that was just because he was with Animal Control. “You get a lot of calls, then? Lots of lost puppies, saving kittens from trees?” she tried to joke, despite her sense of humor being quite literally.. Well, awful. Bringing up his girlfriend—Oof. Touchy subject. Note to self, don’t talk to this dude about his relationship issues. “Kavanagh, right? Replaced by Rickers. I’ve gone through some of the old records downstairs and… I mean, her autopsies are seamless. They’re textbook perfect. She’s a damn good examiner, I’ll give her that, but… Sometimes her determinations don’t make any sense given the collected evidence. I mean, some of them don’t even match up with the correlating investigation. You think she’s got some good dirt on a massive scandal in this town?” That’s right, Dakota. The man could have built a physical brick wall around the subject, and you still push. “Just curious, I suppose. Wouldn’t be an investigator if I didn’t ask.”
“Yeah, yeah. Lost puppies and cats in trees. Among other things. It does actually happen, believe it or not. Cats in trees. Ban--” Kaden covered up the last word with a cough. Best not to say banshee to a stranger. “Girlfriends, too, apparently. That wasn’t exactly on duty, though,” he said with a small shrug. “But yeah, there’s lots of calls. Never a dull moment. And a lot of aggressive animals in this place.” Kaden gave a small nod, as he swapped which hand held his cigarette so that he could warm his other hand again. “That’s the one. And Rickers didn’t replace her. For the record. Her position is still open, they used to work together.” He probably came off a little too snappy at that. But he kept close tabs on that position. He needed it to be waiting for her when she was ready to be a person again, whenever that was. Fuck, she needed it more than he did. So far, so good. Lucky for her, most people didn’t like to be drowning in quite as much work as she did. “She’s really fucking smart, yeah. Too fucking smart for me, that’s for sure. And good at her job. Great, even.” 
Kaden took the last drag he could manage of his cigarette before tossing the butt on the ground and snuffing it out with the heel of his boot. “This town is dangerous. And a lot of weird shit happens here. But I pro--” The word caught in his throat. He had a feeling Dakota wasn’t fae, but it was always better to be safe than sorry. Still, he cleared his throat and tried again. “I can assure you whatever Regan put in her reports is exactly as she saw it. And if she had any dirt, it’d be reported faster than your heartbeat.” That said, Regan didn’t see everything in this town for what it was. He wasn’t sure if he should clue Dakota in or leave her to her blissful ignorance. He wished he could have some of his own. But being unaware in this town? It was dangerous. He shifted in his spot, deciding how many cards to lay on the table. “You should be ready for anything here. But I bet you figured that out if you read some of the cases coming out of White Crest.” 
“Look, man, I’m not trying to say anything bad about Kavanagh. I’m just saying some of her rulings are just.. Weird, you know? Some of them don’t make sense. Not when you corroborate it with toxicology reports and the forensic evidence and what the detectives pieced together…” Dakota trailed off, scuffing her boot against the concrete and pieces of gravel, just for something to do. “I don’t doubt she’s smart as hell. I’m just saying they don’t make sense, and if she has any information I’m missing, then I’d really like to talk to her.” 
Kaden definitely seemed jaded about this town. Dakota still didn’t have a good idea as to why, but if her entire career was running around chasing animals and getting in close calls with the aggressive wildlife every other day, maybe she’d be just as jaded as well. But it was a certain tone in his voice that made her think there was something more -- like he was trying to tell her something without explicitly saying it, but she’d been known to overthink things like this, so perhaps she could be wrong. But.. When was she ever really wrong about things like this? 
“You seem to have some type of disdain towards White Crest. I’m not saying it’s Paris, but I don’t necessarily think anything’s wrong with the place. Wanna elaborate on why you’re so…” she gestured vaguely to his all-over stance and slight hint of attitude. “--About it?”
Kaden couldn’t hold back the laugh that blurted its way out. Queen of the Nile Kavanagh was the last person to clue Dakota in on what she was missing. “Sorry, didn’t mean to laugh at you. But this place is just fucking weird. If you can’t handle that you might want to pack in your bags now. Probably best to just accept that and let it lie.” He placed his hand back in his pocket, desperate for another smoke to occupy his hands. “But you can go ahead and talk to her if you want.” He settled for flipping the dud lighter open and closed in his pocket instead. Not as good. “First off, I’m from Lyon not Paris, thanks,” he said with almost a huff. “Disdain,” he repeated, like he was mulling the word over like a fine wine. Was that the right word? “Not sure that’s it. It’s complicated.” His eyes darted away as he tried to place his feelings. “Like I fucking said, this place is weird. It’s a hard town to live in. Not for everyone. And if the death rate’s any indication, not a whole lot of people make it out of here alive. It’ll turn your whole world upside down. For better or worse.” He shrugged before pushing off the wall he was leaning against. Probably time to head back inside soon enough. “That answer your question?”
Kaden’s ominous warnings about White Crest didn’t leave her uneasy, but she did find them quite confusing. It reminded her of something she’d heard in one of her father’s meetings near the end -- 
Here lies a Hampshire Grenadier / Who caught his death / Drinking cold small beer. / A good soldier is ne'er forgot / Whether he dieth by musket / Or by pot. 
A doggerel that served as an unpromising deterrent. She was too young to really understand then, but as Kaden was speaking, Dakota couldn’t help but remember it now. But if he hated the place so much, which he seemed to by the way he was speaking, then why didn’t he just leave? “I guess that answers my question. But I have just one more, unless you have to get back to your all-important paperwork.” she said, clearing her throat before continuing. “Are you saying that if I don’t pack up my bags and skip town, I’m more likely to die here -- or at least die trying to get out?” 
It was tempting to cross his arms, lean back, and look down his nose at her, like he was doing her some kind of favor by taking her final question. Instead, Kaden simply rolled his shoulders back and gave her a small nod. “Not necessarily.” He let out a sigh, wishing it was another puff of smoke after a good hit. It was just his breath visible in the air. “I said what I said. This place will change you before you change it. That much I fucking know.” He couldn’t name one person he knew, not one who he was close to, hell not even anyone he didn’t even care for, who wasn’t left untouched by White Crest. The town wrapped its roots around people and pulled them down deep into this earth. Even if you broke away, pulled yourself out of the dirt, something was left behind, changed. He felt it in his bones. “It’s not all bad.” There were people he relied on more than he wanted to admit to himself let alone a near stranger. He’d almost call them family in a way. Maybe. He wasn’t sure yet. “But it’s tough. No shame in admitting you can’t handle it. But you should probably figure that out sooner than later. That’s all.” 
Dakota simply just listened -- which usually wasn’t something she did, because she always had her opinions and always made them abundantly clear to anyone that listened, because… Well, she liked to think she was always right. Even when she was wrong. But the conversation had went from getting to know some kid in her department to being forewarned about the town she’d just moved to, and that wasn’t necessarily something she’d take lightly. If she didn’t know better, it almost sounded like he was telling her to be careful around this place -- This place will change you before you change it. Something sort of hard to accept for someone who more or less wanted to make the world a better place, one little town like White Crest at a time. The two of them sat in silence for a moment, Dakota’s arms still crossed over her chest before she cleared her throat, just one more time, then nodded towards the back entrance. He’d given her some things to think about, that was for sure, though she wasn’t certain she’d heed his warning. Besides, how terrible could a town be when murders were being solved left and right, regardless of the weird rulings? One thing she did know was that she needed to talk to Kavanagh about her rulings, and go from there. “Right. Probably should get back to work, yeah?” 
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hazbincalifornia · 3 years
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Keep it in
Chapter 10:  A mission requires a lot of waiting, and Blitzo isn't a fan.
Likes, replies, and reblogs are all appreciated, both here and on ao3!
Warnings: Mpreg, emetophobia/vomit. (I used to write sickfics, can you tell?)
Ao3 Link
Blitzo crumpled the paper wrapper in his fist, shoving it into his pocket before groaning. On the other side of the yard, Millie was peering over a bush, and Moxxie was settled lower in the same tree Blitzo was on.
He’d gotten a new gun, but hadn’t had time to repaint it. With his luck, he’d barf on this one too, so he was going to wait and had just taped one of his handmade horses to the side to look at instead, Cherry Nut. She was red and brown. He liked her.
God, he wanted coffee. His stomach was gurgling, annoyed, because he’d been feeding it a steady diet of pure-sugar Fairy Stix and mac and cheese for the last few days in order to try and make up for the loss of caffeine. Moxxie hadn’t directly tried to pull the rug out on that one like his typical killjoy self, but it could be because he didn’t actually know about the stix. Blitzo wasn’t really sure how many he’d gone through, but it was… a lot, considering he’d gotten a huge box and was a decent chunk through it. To be fair, it had been about a week and a half since the visit with Stolas. The mac and cheese thing was the new one, the Stix had been at least a week. He'd been able to shove some of the extra cash at the landlord to buzz off, at least, and somebody was coming in to fix the fire damage in a few days.
Unfortunately, the sugar didn’t actually help much with the weight dragging down his eyelids as it should have and he’d been running mostly on sheer willpower, but at least he felt like he was doing something. If he hadn’t, he probably would have just passed out at his desk and woken up with Millie and Moxxie having already taken care of the client for the day, and where would he be as a boss then, huh?
Speaking of which… Blitzo shook his head to try and focus, tightening his shaking fingers. There was a whole family in the cute little house, but the man had insisted that they only take out the father and only when the others left, since he wanted the living relatives to have to deal with the death and the thought that it was a suicide. The target was some cousin who'd super pissed him off, apparently. Blitzo only had the gun as a precaution, to be honest, since this one was supposed to be either a handgun shooting or an overdose, depending on if they found a gun in the house or not.
They’d already been there for almost an hour. The rest of them were supposed to be leaving sometime soon, but the client hadn’t been sure when. Blitzo was charging extra for this shit, his ass wasn’t meant for crouching in a tree forever.
The sun moved overhead, and he swiped his glove across his forehead, the sweat absorbing in as he let out a whine and fanned himself. He was used to Hell, why was it so fucking hot out here? It was starting to make him feel queasy again.
He could see movement through the window, but nobody was going out the door. If the instructions hadn’t been specifically for the death to happen out of everyone’s sight he would have just aimed and hoped at this point.
“Hey, you two see anything?” he asked into the walkie-talkie.
“Radio silence, sir, but no,” Moxxie said. Millie stuck her hand out of the bush and gave a thumbs down, and Blitzo shifted, trying to get comfortable. At least there was some foliage on the tree to block out the sun, but Argentina was his new least favorite place. Turning his head a little, he could see Moxxie wiping at his own forehead, so at least it wasn’t just him.
Blitzo grimaced as his stomach turned like kneaded cotton candy that had gone sour, and he slumped back on the branch, closing his eyes. He’d be able to hear if anything happened, he had highly-attuned senses.
_________________
“SIR!”
Blitzo was woken up with a start as a branch snapped directly across his face, and he bit back a scream as he realized that he was falling.
Everything was spinning, and he took a few precious seconds to try and reorient himself before throwing his hands out to try and slow his descent, gripping whatever first brushed past them. From somewhere in the distance there was yelling, but here and now his claws dug into hard bark with one hand and something soft with the other.
“That’s… my… palm…” Moxxie hissed, his other hand holding tightly to the thick branch he was sitting on and that Blitzo was not dangling from. Blitzo forced his fingers to let go of Moxxie, and the other imp wrapped his hand around Blitzo’s wrist instead, starting to pull him up.
“Are you two okay?” Millie asked through the walkie-talkie, accent even heavier than usual in concern.
“My hand’s going to be bleeding for a bit, but I think he’s fine. Just fell asleep,” Moxxie said.
“I did not, I just moved a little too far when readjusting position,” Blitzo insisted, trying very hard not to sound like he’d just woken up, boots swinging wildly as he wiggled to get one foot over to the trunk and walk himself back up to the branch.
“Well, the people’re looking out, so be quiet,” Millie said just as Blitzo’s tail managed to snag one of the other sturdy branches. He gritted his teeth and swung upwards, letting go with his tail at the last moment before lifting one leg up and managing to make it to Moxxie’s branch.
It started creaking only a few moments later, and both imps’ eyes widened. Moxxie scrambled up to the branch above and Blitzo scooted backwards towards the base to where the limb was strongest.
Blitzo slapped a hand over his mouth as the other members of the house started looking around outside, but the tree must have been just far enough away that they dismissed the disturbance amongst themselves.
“Phew,” Blitzo breathed out, moments before his stomach started bubbling and churning again. His other hand flew down to hug it, pressing down on the hard bump.
“Oh, thank satan. That could have been so much- sir?” Moxxie called down, but Blitzo wasn’t about to move his head and risk upchucking. Somehow, knowing it was coming made it so much worse.
“They’re comin’ out now, but heading to the car, this is our chance,” Millie muttered into the walkie-talkie, heedless of the lava erupting in Blitzo’s guts. He kept his hand pressed over his mouth, trying to hold it in as long as he could. The car they were entering was visible through the leaves, and he swallowed down the first wave, glad that at least it hadn’t made it up to his tastebuds.
“Just hold it in, come on, we’ll do the job and let you rest out here, just hold it in…” Moxxie muttered above him, and Blitzo nodded slightly as he heard the engine start through a haze. Time stretched itself out like silly putty until the rumble faded, and Blitzo immediately turned his head to puke over the side of the tree, watching as it sizzled through the leaves and splattered the bark on the way down, carving out a blotchy pattern. It was a gross orangish-pink.
He swished saliva in his mouth and spat it out after the rest of the mess.
“Oh goodness, you alright?” Millie asked.
“Fine. And they’re gonna have bigger problems when they get home than a fucked-up tree,” Blitzo said. “I wouldn’t worry about it.”
Moxxie slid down the tree, grabbing the walkie-talkie before carefully navigating his way around the vomit. He nodded to Millie. “I told him we’d handle this, he can just rest.”
“Good idea, sweetie.” She emerged from the bush. “C’mon, I have a copy of the note, let’s get in and out so we can go home and wash up. Did any of it get on you?”
“No, I’m fine.” Moxxie glanced back up at the tree, and Blitzo glared through the leaves for a moment. Moxxie's eyes narrowed as he turned.
“I’m not a goddamn invalid… ” he muttered to himself as the pair entered the house.
Blitzo didn’t hear a gunshot within about ten minutes, so they must have gone for overdose. He had to pinch himself to keep awake, as he wasn’t about to pull out the Stix again and didn't want to faceplant into his own puke after passing out again. The gun had gotten dropped in his sleep, but it didn’t seem like it was actually broken from this vantage point, so he was just going to pick it up when they left.
As soon as they got back to the office, though, he emptied a full cup of Loona’s mouthwash from the bathroom into his mouth and started gargling.
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valor-selfships · 4 years
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little villa in sicily ch 2 - jjba sorlato babyfic
Ao3 Link -- Tag on my Blog (read the rest here!)
Summary: "Gelato..." Sorbet says. His voice hovers just above a whispering tone. "Oh my God. I could've lost both of you."
"And I could've lost you," Gelato says back. He's not a man to cry, never has been, but damn is he on the verge right now. His eyes burn, and he blinks to clear them. "Even -- even if they hadn't killed me, too, I could've lost you. And I swear, I swear to God I had no idea that I was -- that I might be --"
It's still hard for him to say it out loud.
After narrowly escaping their own deaths and finding out something shocking, Gelato and Sorbet do the only rational thing: they up and run off. Too bad Risotto Nero has incredibly strong paternal instincts, and Pesci can't keep a secret.
Notes: because there’s not enough sorlato in the world and i have yet to find a single fic of them with a baby, biological, adopted, or otherwise???? like officially, at least. there’s plenty of “team as family” but i haven’t seen any where they’re officially adopted soooo. have this. and yes, title is a play on “little house on the prairie.”
Wanna know more about this AU? Boom! Click this link.
There will be a mildly detailed birth scene later in the fic, so if that bothers you, feel free to not read.
I'm a trans guy myself! No hate comments.
Chapter Two - And I Would Walk 500 Miles...
A little under two weeks ago, Italy, 2000. La Squadra headquarters.
"You've gotta be shitting us. You're shitting us, Pesci. There's no way it was that easy." Formaggio's shocked voice rings out through the for-once completely silent headquarters. "You're tellin' me that Sorbet just... straight up texted you his location?"
Although his voice is far more shocked than accusatory, Prosciutto shoots the other man a withering glare from across the room should he dare change his tone. Formaggio pretends not to notice him despite the obvious shudder he gives.
Pesci, on the other hand, looks nervous, but what else is new? Even so, they all have to admit that it's a little bit different this time. For months, they've been searching for their missing comrades on and off with no success. And then, suddenly, out of the blue, Pesci gets a text from Sorbet's number with an address in Sicily?
"This feels like a trap," Ghiaccio squints from where he sits on the couch. From next to him, Illuso nods.
"You two do have a point, but if they were trying to bait any of us, why would it be Pesci?" Melone points out. "It's not like he's the leader, or even close to it. It'd make more sense to send it to Prosciutto, or Risotto himself."
"He's still a member of the team," Prosciutto growls. "Regardless of whether or not you personally think he's important or worth being here, him being a part of the team means that they could still use him to get to us."
"Well, uh, I'm pretty sure it was Sorbet, though," Pesci says. He sounds uncertain, and Prosciutto presses his finger to his nose.
"You're pretty sure, or sure? We don't have time for pretty sure, here," Prosciutto says. Though his voice is undoubtedly irritated, it lacks the same type of venom he uses with everyone else. "You need to be absolutely positive before we make any moves."
Pesci gulps, and then nods rapidly. "N-no, no, I'm sure it was him. I got another text right after, it looked like he'd sent it real fast 'cause there was a ton of misspelled words." Ready to show them the proof, he pulls out his little phone and opens up the text he got from Sorbet's number. "He was begging me not to tell anybody about the address, but I couldn't keep it quiet. I-I didn't wanna make anybody mad -"
Finally, Risotto holds up a hand to stop Pesci and announce he needs to speak himself. "That wouldn't have been possible, given the circumstances. Either you would have kept lying to us, or you would have had to reveal what Sorbet sent you. But you chose the best choice." He narrows his eyes a little. "I am not sure what drove them all the way to Sicily. I have... a small theory. But it may not be true. So there is no reason to voice it right now." His tone signals that he's not willing to continue discussing it at the moment, so the rest of the team decides not to pry. "But... as I said, this is the best outcome. Now that we know for sure where they are located... we can finally find them and ensure their safety."
"And, preferably, figure out why they fled in the first place," Prosciutto adds. "If it was something involving gang business, they should've told us. We shouldn't let them off the hook, Risotto."
Risotto presses his lips together and shakes his head. "I never said I would. But what I ultimately decide to do... will depend on whether or not my hunch is correct."
Somewhere in the Sicilian countryside, about a week ago, 2000. In a little villa.
"What're you doing up and on your feet, mio caro? You should be resting."
Gelato looks over his shoulder from where he stands in the kitchen, in front of the open fridge. Drat. He could've sworn Sorbet was still asleep when he'd snuck out of bed, but then again, given how heavy on his feet he is these days, he supposes it wouldn't be all that surprising if he did wake him after all and simply didn't notice.
"Just getting a snack," Gelato sighs. "Honestly, tesoro, you worry far too much. The baby isn't due for another week."
Sorbet steps up next to Gelato, puts his arms around his waist so he can rest his hands on his belly. "I know. But you do need to try to stay off of your feet. There's always the chance she could come a little early."
Gelato snorts. "I'd be lucky if that were the case. Then I might finally be able to get some sleep... decent sleep, at least." As if proving his point, he yawns and stretches, closing the doors to the fridge. He doesn't move his feet, though, just rests his hands on top of his husband's and leans into his touch. It's warm, and secure, for the moment.
Suddenly, he lifts his head a little, like a dog on alert. "Car. Pulling up outside," Gelato says under his breath. Sorbet stiffens, carefully stepping away from him and towards the front door. "Sorbet -"
"Just stay right there," Sorbet tells him. There's no hint of fear or wavering in his voice; instead, he sounds strong and steady, a real change from only a few months back. He's completely determined not to let anything put his family in jeopardy again, no matter what that is. Even though his mind is racing through the worst case scenarios right off the bat, he doesn't let it show on his face as he puts his hand on the doorknob, unlocks the door --
"YYOOOOUUUU ASSHOLES!"
As soon as he unlocks the door, it swings open and nearly smacks him square in the face. Luckily, his upcoming fatherhood hasn't dulled his reflexes, and Sorbet leaps back out of the way of the door...
Only to then get body slammed by a small, very cold, blue-and-white blur. A very familiar small, very cold, blue-and-white blur.
Despite the fact that he's now lying flat on the floor, Sorbet allows himself to relax for the first time in several months, a laugh leaving his lips all on its own. "It's nice to see you again, Ghiaccio."
"Eat shit!" Ghiaccio frowns down at his target, then stands up and brushes himself off. As expected, the rest of the team files in after him, apparently satisfied that there's no danger based on what's going on. Even so, Ghiaccio isn't done, and he keeps right on talking even as Risotto parts from the group and goes around Sorbet. "You two scared the hell out of us, what the fuck, man?! If you wanted to leave or whatever, you could've at least told us! They say to "forgive and forget" or whatever, but I for one -"
"I was right, after all."
Despite not being nearly as loud as Ghiaccio, the deep rumble of Risotto's voice resonates through the room. He's standing in front of the couch, looking down at the person sitting on it. Immediately, all of the team's eyes are on their leader first, then they look towards who he's looking at.
Gelato looks rather unimpressed with the whole situation as he uses the fork he's holding to grab a chunk of the chocolate cake he's got on his plate and shove it in his mouth. At first, what he's referencing isn't obvious to the team, until he speaks again.
"You must be due any day now, am I right?"
You could hear a pin drop with how quiet it gets in the room.
And then, as per usual, the silence is shattered by Ghiaccio screeching out: "He's pregnant?!"
Gelato chooses to ignore him, and the resulting echoes of "what" and "oh my God" in favor of answering Risotto. "Yeah. I'm supposed to have a week left, so they say."
"Mmm... wouldn't bet on that," Risotto says. "Don't take my word for it, it's just a feeling. Either way, I hope you don't mind if we stay here for a while. We haven't gotten a hotel."
Gelato gives a little sigh. "Do you want me to be honest?" Risotto nods, and Gelato looks around at all of the sudden new house guests. "Stay as long as you'd like, as long as you can distract Sorbet from me for a little while."
The argument that ensues only goes to prove that, while you may be able to put distance between yourself and your family, some things never change.
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starkerparkerpony · 5 years
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Hogwarts Au #3
Note- The previous parts to this are available on my blog under the tag #hogwarts au and if you would like to be on the tag list for future updates, do ask! Also please consider reblogging because the tags are crap right now...
When Peter started his second year he couldn't help but think about how different this year already was to his last one at Hogwarts. Last year this time Peter was a fish out of water, about to miss the train that would take him to a magical boarding school in Scotland. This year however he arrived at the platform in a car with Tony. May, Ben and Mrs. Stark were there too but as always, he was a little preoccupied by Tony.
They'd spent almost half the summer break together and still... Peter was preoccupied by Tony.
May and Ben couldn't quite believe just how rich the Stark's were, atleast not until they were invited to vacation with them in the Bahamas, an all expenses paid vacation in the Bahamas. It was a whole new world for them, but their nephew was a wizard now so new was to be expected and they went along with it.
Mr. Stark took a liking to Peter instantly, almost pointedly, as if he was rubbing Tony's face in it... but Tony very much didn't care because he had found a whole new father figure in Uncle Ben, the man was an electrician/mechanic after all and within two days of knowing each other, Ben was calling Tony 'son' and Tony claimed that once he mastered the Patronas charm, it would take the shape of Ben.
Aunt May and Mrs. Stark got along like a house on fire, laughing and shaking their heads at the men's antics, completely in control of every situation.
Uncle Ben and Mr. Stark got along like the aftermath of a house on fire, it was devastating and tragic. Mr. Stark valued humiliation and coldness as an important asset in disciplining children, his son specifically. Uncle Ben was a decent human being so he didn't do that.
Steve, Bucky, Stephen and Rhodey spent a huge chunk of the summer with them too even Wade & Bruce came along for a week.
The air was a little tense at times, not that the boys noticed, but Stephen's dad had heard some whispers about this Lord Voldemort character... and the grownups, even the magical ones, didn't fully understand the implications of what was about to happen.
Diagon Alley was even more a rush this time round, Peter was surrounded by friends this time round, it only made him even more desperate to get back to Hogwarts. He bought way too many books this time round too, his aunt and uncle bought him a brown barn owl so that he'd write home more, he promptly named her Karen. The boys spent and obnoxious amount of time pointing out gross pickled creatures to each other at the apothecary. And Peter got a surprising and rather too generous gift from Mr. Stark, a Nimbus Ultra. Peter was inclined to deny it because Tony didn't get one but when he was repeatedly elbowed in the ribs by the boy himself, he accepted all while Ben and May looked on, distinctly uncomfortable. They covered up for it as soon as they made out of the alley, Uncle Ben bought Tony a fully equipped toolbox from a hardware store and Tony's smile was so wide, it made Peter's heart warm.
And so here they were, Peter, Wade and Bruce ready for their second year at Hogwarts, Tony, Rhodey, Stephen, Bucky and Steve ready for their fourth.
Peter found that it was much the same as his last year, the easy and comfortable friendship he had with Tony and the rest of the boys, had only developed more. Peter and Tony were completely and utterly just smitten with one another, completely attached at the hip almost all the time yet still somehow completely unaware of the fact that all their feelings towards one another were completely and utterly mutual, but that was to be expected, they were just kids after all.
Peter was still completely in love with magic and all the endless possibilities & potential that it revealed to him, he was having the time of his life learning and growing with Tony and sometimes even Bruce.
When classes started up, they returned to their schedule of spending almost every moment outside of class, together.
Peter was going to take advantage of Mr. Stark's crude generosity by trying out for the quidditch team this year, he wanted Tony to join too because he was a fantastic flier but Tony passed because of his abject disinterest in sports, so once Peter was selected for the team, he chose to become an ever present spectator for both Peter and Rhodey, instead.
The political climate at Hogwarts was changing, it was starting to reflect the tension of the outside world and Peter and the rest of the American students were mostly detached from it until one day Peter was cornered by a few Slytherin Fifth years between classes, luckily Thor and Loki were passing by at the same time and essentially rescued him. It was a harsh wakeup call... that not everything was perfect.
When Tony got to know about the incident he had a minor freak out and essentially instructed Wade to be Peter's bodyguard. Wade happily agreed but Peter didn't think that the incident warranted such a dramatic reaction in the first place, it was just a couple of bullies... but he realized that this was probably a good chance to pick Wade's brain for Defense Against The Dark Arts, he was the best in that class. Peter and Bruce were the top of the year in every other subject but DADA was Wade's specialty, and Peter could use the improvement. Not to mention the fact that Stephen was getting increasingly worried about the whispers he heard in the shady corners of the Slytherin common room and Peter supposed that their was nothing wrong with taking some extra precautions.
Stephen and Bucky were trying to rally all the students at Hogwarts put politics aside and to stick together and look out for each other and , they had most of Gryffindor on their side but bigotry didn't recognize house alliances even though the boys did the best they could.
Between Classes and Quidditch and everything else, Peter realized that he was getting less one on one time with Tony... but the night's were at their disposal, the boys still spent the evenings together only to ultimately pass out in each other's beds but they had a routine now, they changed into their pajamas and had an alternating schedule to decide whose bed to sleep in, which depended on which project they were working on that night.
Peter was working on a modified tracking charm and Tony was on a defense kick lately so he was working on a modified sheilding charm.
Between Peter's new extra-curricular obligations as Ravenclaw's new seeker and the fact that Tony was just one year away from the O.W.Ls, the boys somehow found time to exchange Christmas gifts before they both headed home for the Christmas holidays.
Tony gave Peter a gold and copper signet ring with his modified sheild charm on it and Peter gave Tony the first snitch he ever caught, he had shrunk it to be locket sized and had the tracking charm on it.
The gifts were a couple of simple promises that two silly boys exchanged with each other as their world was rather rapidly changing around them... Tony would always try to keep Peter safe and Peter would do his best to find his way back to Tony.
"You'll write to me right?" Peter asked as they stepped onto the platform together, after bidding their friends good bye, their respective families waiting for them.
"Of course... I know things were a bit weird this semester but everything will go back to normal soon enough..." Tony was trying to sound reassuring but comfort that wasn't based on logic and facts didn't really suit him... but Peter appreciated the effort nonetheless.
This world was too new for him to long for a "normal" anyway, all he could really hope for... was that all those that he cared about, remained safe and sound.
Especially Tony.
Tag list- @sthefystarkersworld @brokenmasterpiece @mokutonprince @deliciousflapbanditfarm @w1nters-stark @thiccbannanaboi @thejollydwarf @still-mad-starker @starkinabox @aoifelaufeyson @problematicshipsiminto @slytherintimelordelfvampire @delicateavenuenacho
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au-tumn-al · 5 years
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TTGC has been out for 2 weeks now and since it’s been enough time for me to stop crying and actually do the post-game stuff, I want to get all my thoughts out about it. It’ll be under a cut because it’ll be long, and I’m not sure how many of my followers are actually interested in what I have to say. Which is ofc fine, I just like talking about it and I’ve been sitting on some of this for a while.
To start off, I loved Torna ~ The Golden Country. It’s the best expansion DLC we’ll be seeing from Nintendo, and probably from most other games in general, for a while. 
I like its core cast of main characters than base XC2, and I think I like it a little more than XC1’s as well. I didn’t actually like any of the characters more than my favorites from base XC2, but as a whole, they were all really likable and never felt like they were falling behind in the background. I never felt like “yeah, I like them I guess” to any of the cast members like Sharla was for me from XC1, and a pretty decent chunk of the protagonists in XC2. ...Because XC2′s cast was way too huge with too much focus on the antagonists and somehow not enough at the same time, but that’s neither here. Technically Team Hugo isn’t really as important to the story as Lora, Jin, Addam, and Mythra, but the sidequests very easily fixed that for me. All the characters were very present in the side-content so I never forgot about them. I regularly did sidequests when they popped up so it felt like a natural part of the story.
I would say that it delivered in everything that I was hoping for from a story standpoint but it really, really didn’t. One of the things I was looking forward to the most was seeing more of Amalthus and Malos’s dynamic before Malos left to start his rampage. Their relationship is only told through subtext in the core game and what we saw was interesting. Even in some of chapter 8 and 9, it almost felt like they were trying one-up the other on how much destruction they could cause. Malos’s “Amalthus, you never disappoint” line delivery even makes it sound like he was looking forward to what his driver would be throwing at Alrest.
The only thing we got from Torna about how they were initially with each other was
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Malos shows up and Amalthus’s knee-jerk reaction is a deadpan “oh god, it’s this asshole” look. I enjoyed it probably more than I was meant to, but I wish we got to see more. Maybe it was a little unrealistic to expect it, but considering how much of the story depends on their relationship with each other, was it really?
Another thing I was hoping for was more backstory for Minoth. I wanted to know if he knew Malos (which was actually answered though, so that was nice) since they shared a driver, and I really wanted to know how he ended up becoming a flesh eater. Judicium was already destroyed by the time TTGC rolled around and we barely went into what a flesh eater even was, so that was lame. That said though, the game did go into his relationship with Amalthus and it told us all that was really important, on top of giving us some other stuff I wasn’t expecting (a North American wild west motif, Spanish, a weapon deadass called “gunknife”, and Elma’s specials except more stylized) so you certainly won’t hear me complaining. I loved what we got with Minoth even if it wasn’t exactly what I wanted, and I think he’s great. 
Another thing that I was expecting was for Malos to have more screentime. He was heavily advertised so I think I’m justified in expecting this. There wasn’t necessarily anything about Malos I wanted expanded upon, I just wanted to see him more since he makes everything about a billion times more entertaining just by being there. He completely stole the show in every cutscene he was in and I loved every second of it. He was kicking everyone’s asses in his first boss fight and even won, but I was loving his script, animation, and voice acting far too much to care. 
there was a nice little detail to his animation too
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After he punches the ground for the Monado Cyclone(?), you can see him shaking his hand off because like damn, that probably hurt. ,,,I just liked it. Don’t ask me why. 
He’s probably the main reason I only play in English to be honest. His voice actor sells the script and character so perfectly. I seriously don’t know if I’d like Malos as much as I do if he was played by someone else. He might be the only Xenoblade character other than maybe Shulk and Lin that I can say this about. 
OH
and his monologue to the party right after his first boss fight where he says “they see the divine flame of life and piss all over it” while sauntering away was actually the best scene in the game. We didn’t see as much of Malos as I would have wanted, but every scene we did get was the best so like with Minoth, I can’t complain. I love this man. He’s the most entertaining sack of shit I’ve ever had the pleasure of enjoying.
My ruined expectations and Malos aside, what the game actually gave us was so good, I can’t even complain about the things I wanted to see because they gave us plenty of stuff I didn’t know I wanted. The two biggest ones, for me anyway, are Mythra and Addam.
I had no idea that TTGC would flesh her out the way they did, and I am not disappointed. Mythra was amazing in TTGC, and really made me appreciate her and her character arc in the base game a lot more. I loved how generally unbearable and unlikable they made her. She’s completely self-absorbed and full of herself, and just overall extremely similar to Malos. The way the game handles her attitude was really well done too. Because the other characters are constantly calling her out for her bad behavior (esp. Jin and Brighid. Lora chips in too sometimes) and lack of awareness on top of being the verbal punching bag and the butt of a lot of the jokes in the game, she’s not obnoxious to the player. She could have been really annoying, but she wasn’t. On the topic of the jokes though, I laughed at more of TTGC’s comedy. They relied less on anime tropes and were more character focused, which are usually the jokes I like more. The game felt a lot more like XC1 in that aspect, and that was really great.
Moving on, I loved Addam. He was my favorite character in the game. Making him act like Mythra’s dad was something I wasn’t expecting and I loved it. I have a pretty big post in my drafts where I talk about him extensively so that should go up at some point. It’s mostly about how he’s a really good foil to Rex and how he failed as a driver rather than about his pretty fabulous dynamic with Mythra (even if he ended up rejecting her as his blade, he did accept her as person for him to take care of, and he did everything he could in that area) though. Oh, and because there’s no way to shoehorn this in that Addam post, I want to bring something up. I don’t know if there’s any good footage of this (if there is, please send it to me so I can edit it in), but there’s a post battle conversation between Mythra and Lora that goes kind of like this:
Mythra: “Hey, Lora, what do you do when the going gets tough?”
Lora: “Just think about the people I care about.”
Mythra: “Think of loved ones, huh?”
Lora: “Yeah. If I do that, I’m usually grinning like an idiot.”
Now, let’s look at Mythra when she’s at one of her lowest. She’s scared and feels alone. Malos is attacking her with everything he’s got, and she’s is looking for anything to hold on to. ...You see where I’m going with this.
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She flashes to memories of her friends, and thinks of both Addam and Milton specifically. The thing is though, for all she knows, Milton could be dead from Malos’s initial attack, and Addam is doing everything he can to hold her back from fully transforming into Pneuma because of his distrust and fear of her. Mythra trying to think of all her loved ones wasn’t enough, and then all she got was a confusing vision of a person she’d never met before. She’s completely alone, confused, and hurt, and she doesn’t have anything there to ground her. That’s when she breaks down in tears, and then starts sinking Torna in a daze because she can’t control her power. 
...on a more positive note, two of the visions she gets of Rex is of him accepting her in chapter 7. 
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So that was finding comfort in a loved one, but it was just too soon. Like Jin told her, her true driver and real time to come as her own as a person wasn’t in Torna. It certainly didn’t help at the time, though.
At that point in chapter 7, she was in a similarly low state as she was in TTGC, except she had Rex that time, and then was fully able to achieve her full power as an Aegis. It should be noted Mythra’s “I just...want...to save...” line was apparently horribly translated, and the original was more along the lines of her begging for someone to save her. That’s what I hear anyway and I can believe it. It makes more sense that way. 
Good God, was this a great expansion. It was already pretty fantastic with just its setting and premise alone, but it does an even better job in making me appreciate a lot of the scenes in XC2. Even the already-amazing scene in chapter 7. sPEAKING OF ALREADY AMAZING SCENES MADE BETTER BY TTGC
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Rex: “I don’t even know what I’m doing here anymore... Did...did I go wrong somewhere...?”
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This is one of my favorite Mythra scenes in the entire game, TTGC included. It’s so small but it’s so good. I don’t think I even need to explain why this is made better by TTGC. 
XC2 is very loud, and unabashedly anime, but it has quiet scenes like this and dammit, are they the best parts of the game. I think they’re even made better by the fact XC2′s tone is generally so upbeat and anime.
I said this before, but TTGC didn’t tell us anything new. We already knew pretty much all of the events of the game before it came out. Maybe we were missing a few details, but in the end, we knew how things were going to go down. Mythra becoming a much more interesting character because of the expansion pass just by being able to see her growth just shows how important the “show, don’t tell” rule is. 
I love Haze a lot. I hate how she’s a third wheel in Team Lora, I hate how Addam and Jin are the only people who really pay any attention to her, and I hate even more that no one hugs her when she’s crying at the end of the game.
oh yeah, Lora and Jin were the main characters. They weren’t very interesting to me (Lora barely had an arc and all of Jin’s intricacies mostly come from the base game) so I don’t have a lot to say about them other than I really liked them. The ending would have completely broke me if the game forced me to watch Lora die so I don’t even care that it was left out. 
People consider the lyrics of “A Moment of Eternity” a message from Lora to Jin but I like to pretend that it’s Addam to Mythra because it’s less depressing that way. The singer is encouraging their loved one to find someone to help them move on and if it was to Jin, that meant that Lora’s last wish for him never happened. He met Malos and then
R
E
G
R
E
S
S
E
D
but seriously though, it could be both. The song ties in pretty well to “One Last You”, and that was very obviously from Pneuma about Rex. It was probably supposed to be up to interpretation anyway. ...a little off-topic, but there’s a line in the song that goes “time flowed differently for us/not to say it was all bad” and then there’s a scene where Addam talks about how he doesn’t have enough time to adapt to Mythra so...idk, maybe that’s something? I mean, Lora got 17 years with Jin, so she didn’t exactly have the short one year Addam had with Mythra.
i’m done now. 
Half of this was me gushing about Mythra. I don’t even care because I loved her. Please forgive any of the obvious signs that I didn’t spend very long proofreading this thanks--
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verdigrisprowl · 5 years
Text
Dec 17 Dancitron Movie Night - Gotham s2 e1-3
Everyone’s very disappointed in Jim Gordon’s life choices.
Today MedicalMurdersaurus 7:22 pm *SLIDES into the room Tom Cruise style, holding a sack full of his now several month old Halloween goodie haul above his head* NoodlesAtNight 7:23 pm *Soundwave's rushing to put everything together, having been so very busy today with... things. He JUST manages to twirl out of the way of Swoop's slide, and ejects Laserbeak, who practically mobs Swoop for the bag.* MedicalMurdersaurus 7:23 pm *SQUEAKS* BIRD! NoodlesAtNight 7:24 pm {{Gimme gimme gimme gimme, let Bird see, aaaaaaaaaaaaaAAAAAAAA}} SpecsTheSpectralDragon 7:24 pm *the dragon comes in /much/ more sedately and sensibly than Swoop. she's got her typical haul of treats! she's also got special "grayface gummis" made with mercury syrup that are shaped like the anonymous ask face. anon may have been a coward, but Bird will still get grayface snacks.* Hello, Soundwave! verdigrisprowl 7:24 pm *appears. he'd been hoping to get here before the other guests.* *oh well.* NoodlesAtNight 7:25 pm *Prowl can nudge Soundwave upstairs briefly if needs be?* MedicalMurdersaurus 7:25 pm *drops the bag in front of himself, then plops next to it and dumps it out for inspection* verdigrisprowl 7:26 pm *no, it's fine, he just wanted a quiet moment with him.* ((i'm assuming this is fuzzytimed to before unicron?)) NoodlesAtNight 7:27 pm ((if it's agreed that's best?? i wasn't 100% sure)) verdigrisprowl 7:27 pm ((i can say it's safe to say prowl wouldn't be going to movie streams if he's supposed to be organizing evacuations.)) NoodlesAtNight 7:27 pm ((then it technically took place yesterday)) [[Greetings, dragon. Those look new. Inspired?]] *Pings Prowl and heads past to oh so lightly brush his fingers against Prowl's before continuing to arrange the furniture.* NoodlesAtNight 7:28 pm *Bird gasps.* {{It so many! Where you Swoop get all this good?}} verdigrisprowl 7:28 pm *oh so lightly brushes back* MedicalMurdersaurus 7:28 pm *beams* All over! Me Swoop do LOTS and LOTS of trick or treat : > SpecsTheSpectralDragon 7:30 pm There was maybe a little inspiration involved. I hope they're good! NoodlesAtNight 7:30 pm {{How many trick you play? Them Autobots get fooled?}} [[He is sure they will be as delicious as everything else you make - and if for some reason they are not, our critiques will be gentle and helpful.]] MedicalMurdersaurus 7:30 pm Kehehh! Nahhh! No trick! All treats. ALMOST one trick. But Him do treat too : > NoodlesAtNight 7:31 pm *Tiny bob for the dragon. Respect!* Swervester 7:32 pm //oof dinner finished just in time NoodlesAtNight 7:33 pm ((welcome!)) Swervester 7:33 pm //also ya i figured fuzzy timed bc swerve wouldn't be here either if unicron happening lmao NoodlesAtNight 7:34 pm ((i just didn't wanna assume without input! all good 😀 )) verdigrisprowl 7:35 pm ((i'm gonna go grab food after take me to church)) NoodlesAtNight 7:35 pm ((np not starting til 8)) MedicalMurdersaurus 7:35 pm ((I've heard this song ten thousand times but literally this is the first time I have ever payed attention to the lyrics OMFG)) verdigrisprowl 7:35 pm ((until then i'll be dancing in my seat)) verdigrisprowl 7:36 pm ((IT'S INTENSE SHIT)) NoodlesAtNight 7:36 pm {{Who them almost? You want Bird trick them?}} SpecsTheSpectralDragon 7:36 pm *the dragon churrs happily. Soundwave is so kind.* MedicalMurdersaurus 7:36 pm Uhhhhh.... Me Swoop not remember name. Me Swoop not ask. No care. Me Swoop ONLY want trick or treat. For Bird! Kehehheh. And beat other Dinobots. NoodlesAtNight 7:39 pm *Bird rolls in the air, whistling happily.* {{You Swoop beat them? Them wimps. Swoop beat, Bird knows.}} opatoes 7:39 pm Oooh! I got here just in time, huh? MedicalMurdersaurus 7:40 pm *snickers and watches her go* Them not FLY opatoes 7:40 pm ((asdzxcbm i JUST got back from spidey im getting no rest tonight NoodlesAtNight 7:40 pm [[You really must tell him more about how you learned to do all of this some time, dragon. He is most curious.]] [[That you did, Smokescreen.]] ((aaaaa lucky!! i hope you enjoyed it)) opatoes 7:41 pm /Smokescreen's running in and is throwing himself at the couch- he may look a little funny tonight. Mostly that he looks like Starscream./ MedicalMurdersaurus 7:41 pm ((Oh! Is there going to be a Christmas Eve stream?)) opatoes 7:41 pm ((I did! It was really good! Swervester 7:41 pm //unless i get a laptop for christmas and am allowed to open it i'll miss eve stream, I spend the christmas night/day at my mom's and mobile rabbit doesn't like my phone so MedicalMurdersaurus 7:42 pm ((I'll be with fam too. It's cool. We might just need a recap before the following one.)) SpecsTheSpectralDragon 7:43 pm It... *the dragon considers for a moment* I mean, I guess it was difficult. But at first I was just- *hm, Prowl's here* I was just giving out plain energon. Then someone mentioned adding things. Then that one human, the feline human I think? Started making stuff. And I just... I just decided to try doing that myself. I did nearly blow myself up twice, but I already knew how to cook dragon-style, so once I figured out the rules with energon, it wasn't as hard as it could have been. Getting everything the right size for you all to eat was really the hard part! I had to rig up something so that I could get proper serving sizes. NoodlesAtNight 7:43 pm ((depending on how many people show up i will either just offer plot summaries for those who missed, or switch to something seasonal for one week and then resume 4-6 on the next week)) MedicalMurdersaurus 7:44 pm ((sounds good!)) NoodlesAtNight 7:44 pm ((but if i switch then any future misses will have to be summaries or we'll fail to hit venomtine's day)) MedicalMurdersaurus 7:44 pm ((venomtine's day is going to be a laugh riot)) SpecsTheSpectralDragon 7:44 pm ((hell yeah)) NoodlesAtNight 7:45 pm [[...Smokescreen, that is the most horrible thing they have ever done to you.]] *Eyeing the Starscream appearance before playing back the dragon's speech in his head to catch up* opatoes 7:46 pm ... I wish I could say it was, Soundwave. But man, I can't wait 'til a couple weeks after this! So I can look good again. NoodlesAtNight 7:46 pm *Swing and a miss on that humorous shot. Oops.*
[[Where did you find implements large enough for our servings? Special order?]] MedicalMurdersaurus 7:48 pm *makes no move to help Bird with candy mountain, cause a decent chunk of Swoop wants to see her try to fly off with it all* NoodlesAtNight 7:48 pm *She is definitely circling it and trying to figure out how to get it all back into her grip* SpecsTheSpectralDragon 7:48 pm ...You know those human car-building machines? I had to use two of those, a draconic control rig, and a pair- *uh, even though they're sterilized and very, very clean, she probably shouldn't cop to using corpse hands for anything* -and some other stuff to get proper manual dexterity. MedicalMurdersaurus 7:49 pm *is both delighted and intentionally useless* : > opatoes 7:49 pm /You tried, Soundwave. Smokey's not about to say anything that could possibly tempt worse things, though!/ NoodlesAtNight 7:49 pm *Maybe if she just... drops to the floor and scoots herself under it back first with the help of her feelers?*
*...................Nope. No good.* MedicalMurdersaurus 7:50 pm *claps both hands over his mouth in an absolutely pitiful attempt to control his full body shaking laughter* NoodlesAtNight 7:51 pm [[You are quite the inventive little organic. He suspects our Wheeljack would be fascinated with your ability to rig things if we could get him out of his damned laboratory.]] MedicalMurdersaurus 7:51 pm ((Laserbeak's eyes have been bigger than her gut for a while now. is tonight the night she is bested? XD)) NoodlesAtNight 7:52 pm *And not tempting greyfaces is very wise, Smokescreen. He's proud of you for having learned that, actually* SpecsTheSpectralDragon 7:52 pm I think he'd scream and duck for cover. *the dragon still puffs up, pleased by the compliment, though* The mechanical parts are more "creative" than "dangerous," but I suspect the code I had to use to get everything to interface together is a crime against programming. *oops, she said the C-word. sorry, prowl!* opatoes 7:52 pm /To be fair, he got into this mess by tempting them in the first place! He's gotta learn eventually./ opatoes 7:53 pm Say- Say, Soundwave, what kind of drinks do you have tonight anyway? NoodlesAtNight 7:54 pm *Okay. Okay. What if she - what if she bridges it? And she catches it in -- no, that's not going to work. How about trying to make a basket like Soundwave does?*
*She'll get about halfway into weaving one before realizing she won't have anything left to grab the candy with afterward.*
*She might just be, Swoop. Give her another few minutes.* SpecsTheSpectralDragon 7:54 pm ((there's cat hair in my apple cider)) NoodlesAtNight 7:54 pm ((mood)) SpecsTheSpectralDragon 7:54 pm ((how did this happen, I say as I pull my cat's face out of my mug)) NoodlesAtNight 7:55 pm ((at least YOUR cat was NEAR your mug. i somehow got one in there even though she was on the floor.)) MedicalMurdersaurus 7:55 pm *flops forward onto his belly, chin in hands, to watch her with the most devious grin* SpecsTheSpectralDragon 7:56 pm ((the second the apples come out, my cat is there. it's actually really weird. I have to lock my apples in the microwave because she will eat them otherwise. and if I leave an apple core in the trash can without bagging the trash up and removing it she'll knock the can over and eat the core.)) Swervester 7:56 pm //HA i made koolaid earlier, my cat wasn't even in the same room and there was haior in it Swervester 7:57 pm //i had to pull out three strands like cat pls SpecsTheSpectralDragon 7:57 pm ((cat hair is a magical substance)) NoodlesAtNight 7:57 pm [[Well, you are only a beginner. You can't be faulted for having so little time to practice compared to his species.]]
[[Oh, Smokescreen - tonight we have some of what Ravage has called a Thermometwist. Heated energon with minerals that leave your mouth feeling cooled despite the temperature. It is on the sweet and tart side.]] MedicalMurdersaurus 7:58 pm ((it's like ravage designed a drink specifically to make swoop feel attacked)) verdigrisprowl 7:58 pm ((IM BACK)) SpecsTheSpectralDragon 7:58 pm *the dragon chuffs* That does make me feel better. *she puffs up with pride* And in any case, my cooking is what I pride myself on. opatoes 7:58 pm Oooh- that sounds pretty good! I had to check before I got up, you know? /Now, slowly, slowly, Smokescreen is making his way over to the bar, grabbing onto anything he can to make sure he doesn't fall over. His new claws *might* accidentally go through a couch./ NoodlesAtNight 7:59 pm *OKAY. Okay. Laserbeak's got it. She's got this now. She knows exactly how to carry all of this upstairs to her room.*
{{Hey, Swoop. You putting goodies back in bag, taking upstairs. Okay?}} ((welcome back!)) MedicalMurdersaurus 7:59 pm *griiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiins* Kay NoodlesAtNight 7:59 pm *She whirs happily. Hah! No food yet has been created that will best her genius.* verdigrisprowl 7:59 pm ((i skim-backread but did anybody talk to prowl while i was gone)) SpecsTheSpectralDragon 8:00 pm ((the dragon said "Crimes" but that wasn't to prowl, that was just a dig at her own programming skills)) NoodlesAtNight 8:00 pm ((we start when song is done)) SpecsTheSpectralDragon 8:00 pm ((which start at "if about to blow up(); don't;" and go downhill from there)) MedicalMurdersaurus 8:01 pm *sweeps the candy back into the bag, missing a few here and there but not noticing* Me SWOOP can candy kehehheh *carries the bag away with just one hand because he can* NoodlesAtNight 8:01 pm *Soundwave sighs softly at the claws through the couch. He's never going to have a week where he doesn't have to replace SOME piece of furniture again, is he?* ((lmao what a description - and nay soundwave didn't say anythin else to him yet cause i didn't want it to get lost haha)) NoodlesAtNight 8:02 pm {{You Swoop stroooooong. Mighty Dinobot!}} *Picking the last few off the ground before following him.* verdigrisprowl 8:02 pm *is soundwave sitting yet? if so, prowl's leaning on him. if not, prowl's watching him expectantly.* Swervester 8:02 pm [he has found a seat, don't mind him] MedicalMurdersaurus 8:02 pm *understands sarcasm exists and doesn't even consider it a possibility because Bird compliments are <3* NoodlesAtNight 8:02 pm *He is just now about to sit, which he does with more grace than one would expect from someone who just saw his expenses grow and grew tired at the thought.* NoodlesAtNight 8:03 pm [[Ah, Swerve. Good evening.]] opatoes 8:03 pm /Smokescreen's finally grabbing himself a drink and, on the way back, finally notices the claw damage, wings drooping and staring at Soundwave./ Uh. Soundwave? Can I give you a gift later? Swervester 8:03 pm Hey NoodlesAtNight 8:03 pm [[Perhaps.]] MedicalMurdersaurus 8:03 pm *follows Bird's lead on depositing the candy in its new home and final resting place* opatoes 8:03 pm !! /He's waving at Swerve in excitement! This has got to be the most excited any Starscream look-a-like has EVER looked./ Good, good! You've always wanted another couch, right? NoodlesAtNight 8:04 pm *She'll have him park it riiiiight on top of her latest pile of snacks. Hopefully it won't topple.* verdigrisprowl 8:04 pm It's a brick wall. They can just take a jackhammer to the bricks. NoodlesAtNight 8:04 pm [[Perhaps they will? That was a month ago.]] SpecsTheSpectralDragon 8:04 pm ((what the fuuuuuuck, penguin)) MedicalMurdersaurus 8:05 pm *it does a little but whatever* NoodlesAtNight 8:05 pm ((he's pulling a mooney)) *Good enough for her! Hurry, hurry, back down!* SpecsTheSpectralDragon 8:05 pm I think it would hurt Bruce's pride not to be able to guess his father's combination. verdigrisprowl 8:05 pm ((i totally wasn't looking, who got shot)) MedicalMurdersaurus 8:05 pm *scampers down again, laughing all the way* SpecsTheSpectralDragon 8:05 pm ((no one I recognized)) NoodlesAtNight 8:05 pm ((penguin offed some rando who probably pissed him off/belonged to falcone)) NoodlesAtNight 8:06 pm ((OH RIGHT WARNINGS shit hold on)) SpecsTheSpectralDragon 8:06 pm *the dragon snickers* The Goddess was drunk when she let his soul through. verdigrisprowl 8:06 pm He can jackhammer his way into the room, take the door upstairs, and open it at his leisure. NoodlesAtNight 8:06 pm ((GOTHAM S2 1-3 // Violence, blood, death; includes eye trauma. Poor depictions of mental illnesses, continuing representation of a terrible institution. Flashing lights, foul/ableist/phobic(?) language, offensive accent imitation(?), passing mentions of sexual assault and cannibalism, character using incest implication for shock value against another character.)) MedicalMurdersaurus 8:06 pm Oh! Us watching FIGHTING movie! opatoes 8:07 pm ... Man, I gotta bug Megatron about swordfighting later SpecsTheSpectralDragon 8:07 pm He drank WHAT. verdigrisprowl 8:07 pm You don't pull a gun on looters. MedicalMurdersaurus 8:07 pm Dragon blood :V NoodlesAtNight 8:08 pm ((Do note that this season is eventually where we get what I promised the first time we saw Arkham; if Arkham looks terrible, there is a very good reason.)) SpecsTheSpectralDragon 8:08 pm He drank /WHAT/. *she'd be laughing, but her blood is vaguely blue* MedicalMurdersaurus 8:08 pm BLOOD NoodlesAtNight 8:08 pm [[Hopefully no dragon you know.]] Swervester 8:08 pm Is he ok opatoes 8:09 pm begone SpecsTheSpectralDragon 8:09 pm I don't think that the Gotham humans have any access to any dragons I know. opatoes 8:09 pm thought verdigrisprowl 8:09 pm ((seriously? a split personality? riddler can't just be riddler on his own merits for his own reason?)) SpecsTheSpectralDragon 8:09 pm ((I know, right)) NoodlesAtNight 8:09 pm ((not a development i much liked either tbh)) verdigrisprowl 8:10 pm ((*mentally replaces it with kronk arguing with his shoulder angel/devil*)) SpecsTheSpectralDragon 8:10 pm ((mood)) NoodlesAtNight 8:10 pm ((that works!! i shall join you on it)) [[Oh, punch him. He deserves it.]] *Settles up against Prowl. Ahh.* opatoes 8:10 pm Uh. SpecsTheSpectralDragon 8:10 pm Punch him hard. MedicalMurdersaurus 8:11 pm Where fighting go :< verdigrisprowl 8:11 pm I prefer the threat. SpecsTheSpectralDragon 8:11 pm ...Um. verdigrisprowl 8:11 pm The threat's legal and scarier. MedicalMurdersaurus 8:11 pm KEHEHEHH burp opatoes 8:11 pm Uh. Is that a thing humans can do SpecsTheSpectralDragon 8:11 pm No. No it is not. NoodlesAtNight 8:11 pm [[He didn't say not to keep the threat. A punch simply feels good.]] opatoes 8:11 pm ... man, human headlights look away NoodlesAtNight 8:11 pm [[But you are right. Legal is probably safer with Loeb.]] opatoes 8:11 pm weird Weird I mean verdigrisprowl 8:11 pm ... Hmm. SpecsTheSpectralDragon 8:12 pm *the dragon kind of wants to point out that biting Loeb's throat out would also solve the problem, but after The Javert Thing she's trying to be good* opatoes 8:12 pm Be Batman, Gordon. NoodlesAtNight 8:12 pm *It would get him put in jail. Can't do much detective work from in there.* opatoes 8:12 pm ... Who's Jerome NoodlesAtNight 8:13 pm [[The circus youngling who slaughtered his mother.]] opatoes 8:13 pm ... Is he the Joker human later NoodlesAtNight 8:13 pm [[Perhaps. He does not know.]] SpecsTheSpectralDragon 8:14 pm Ooooh, is she going to hurt him? MedicalMurdersaurus 8:14 pm Them stripey : > opatoes 8:14 pm ((asdxccvb for a second this felt familiar but i think i got this part mixed up with like... assassin's creed movie SpecsTheSpectralDragon 8:14 pm She did not. Hm. verdigrisprowl 8:14 pm ((the heck is with that skirt. it looks like an unusually modest Sexy Halloween Costume)) verdigrisprowl 8:15 pm ((prison striped skirt)) SpecsTheSpectralDragon 8:15 pm ((I know, right)) opatoes 8:15 pm Anarchy! NoodlesAtNight 8:15 pm ((they riff on the arkham wear late in the season, even the script knows lmao)) MedicalMurdersaurus 8:15 pm ANARCHY! verdigrisprowl 8:15 pm ((lol good)) MedicalMurdersaurus 8:15 pm ((god penguin is so gay for him)) NoodlesAtNight 8:16 pm [[Penguin does not owe you for that. You did that to repay him from previous ones.]] verdigrisprowl 8:16 pm There's a question of scale. SpecsTheSpectralDragon 8:17 pm ((Penguin is gay (happy) because he's gay (homosexual) for Jim)) verdigrisprowl 8:17 pm ((gay^2)) Swervester 8:17 pm [squints] Isn't this sliding into all those moral objections he had before. verdigrisprowl 8:17 pm It most certainly is. NoodlesAtNight 8:17 pm [[It seems to be.]] SpecsTheSpectralDragon 8:17 pm I would assume so, but it's hard to tell with humans. NoodlesAtNight 8:18 pm [[He stopped Penguin from getting arrested in exchange for helping to put away another criminal. He himself considers the scale even.]] SpecsTheSpectralDragon 8:18 pm Sir, are you- oh, it's Harvey. Nevermind, that's probably safe. NoodlesAtNight 8:18 pm [[The officer who stabbed a witness. Flask.]] NoodlesAtNight 8:19 pm ((be happy, harvey ;; good on you)) verdigrisprowl 8:19 pm ((good work harvey)) MedicalMurdersaurus 8:20 pm Soundwave. You fast forward to fighting part. NoodlesAtNight 8:20 pm ((i love that he walked. he's still so law-abiding he walked all the way to wayne manor instead of driving after having been drinking)) verdigrisprowl 8:20 pm ((i just assumed he didn't have a car without a patrol car)) NoodlesAtNight 8:21 pm ((also possible, but i like it the other way XD ))
*Soundwave leans forward, curious.* SpecsTheSpectralDragon 8:21 pm ((honestly same)) Oooh, the child's sharp. verdigrisprowl 8:21 pm "Personal honor." Not wanting to thrash somebody isn't a manner of "personal honor," it's a matter of morality. SpecsTheSpectralDragon 8:22 pm I'm not sure whether his docent should be chiding him or not for being so clever. *hah* MedicalMurdersaurus 8:22 pm ((I love this Bruce but I have no idea how, when Batman shows up, Gordon didn't immediately drive over to Wayne Manor to give him a talking to because he is SO CLEARLY tiny Batman)) Swervester 8:22 pm I guess personal honor and morality alignment could fall on the same scale but yeah that's definitely an issue of morality and probably legality SpecsTheSpectralDragon 8:22 pm *she /knew/ he'd be too proud to break down the door* MedicalMurdersaurus 8:22 pm Me Swoop like THRASHING kehhehehh verdigrisprowl 8:22 pm There's no pride in deciding whether or not you want to commit a lesser evil for a greater good. SpecsTheSpectralDragon 8:22 pm *...or not* NoodlesAtNight 8:23 pm [[Besides, if he does something against the law, Loeb will have no problem holding it against him. He holds it against them when they're still police.]] Swervester 8:24 pm Did he have a plan Oh. He did MedicalMurdersaurus 8:24 pm KEHHEH him punch with gun! verdigrisprowl 8:25 pm *sighs* NoodlesAtNight 8:25 pm {{It tiny thrash.}} *Chirp* MedicalMurdersaurus 8:25 pm *AAHHHH HER CHIRP IS SO CUTE* NoodlesAtNight 8:25 pm ((a note of interest: this chase sorta mirrors the one from S1 's opener with positions reversed, i think)) opatoes 8:26 pm Gordon... NoodlesAtNight 8:26 pm ((the weird cam angles, cop + criminal, through a kitchen, etc))
[[........../Well./ That won't be good. Primus damn it, human.]] Swervester 8:26 pm This child's catty. //rtdgfg does he read as autistic scale to anyone else verdigrisprowl 8:26 pm ((ur rite)) NoodlesAtNight 8:26 pm ((which who he)) SpecsTheSpectralDragon 8:26 pm ((hell yes he does0) Swervester 8:26 pm //bruce verdigrisprowl 8:26 pm ((bruce)) NoodlesAtNight 8:27 pm ((sometimes ye)) Swervester 8:27 pm //he keeps vacilliating between "no he's just traumatized" and pinging all my "ah someone autistic like me" brain signals and it's wild NoodlesAtNight 8:27 pm ((both. both is good)) verdigrisprowl 8:27 pm ((he can be both)) MedicalMurdersaurus 8:27 pm Bird : > Swervester 8:27 pm //i like both verdigrisprowl 8:28 pm Hang up. NoodlesAtNight 8:29 pm *Tilts his head.* [[A phone that big, going unnoticed? Someone was bribed.]] Swervester 8:29 pm Did she have any reason not to believe him until she called back NoodlesAtNight 8:29 pm [[Even humans are not that unobservant.]] NoodlesAtNight 8:30 pm [[He does not think your average mech would go away and be secretive about a sales call, personally.]] verdigrisprowl 8:30 pm ... Maybe Swindle. Swervester 8:30 pm Swindle absolutely would. NoodlesAtNight 8:30 pm [[...Swindle is granted an exception.]] verdigrisprowl 8:30 pm I suppose you DID specify "average" mech. Swervester 8:31 pm //crunch is better NoodlesAtNight 8:31 pm *Soundwave huffs softly.* verdigrisprowl 8:31 pm ((smooth forever)) MedicalMurdersaurus 8:31 pm You Bird funny and *somewhat uncomfortable at the words coming out of his face* cute MedicalMurdersaurus 8:32 pm ((throw another vote on the smooth pile)) NoodlesAtNight 8:32 pm {{You Swoop nice but noisy.}} *She pats him.* {{Shhhhh.}} Swervester 8:32 pm I want to ask who's head but I'm not sure I wanna know. MedicalMurdersaurus 8:32 pm *leans into the pats* NoodlesAtNight 8:32 pm [[A guard's, obviously.]] Swervester 8:33 pm This thunderstorm thing is real convinenant NoodlesAtNight 8:33 pm [[He does have a sense for the dramatic.]] NoodlesAtNight 8:34 pm *LOUD huff* MedicalMurdersaurus 8:34 pm ((so goddamn proud of himself)) *in his best whisper attempt* Me Swoop Dinobot. Dinobots not for quiet! NoodlesAtNight 8:34 pm *She whispers back.* {{You Swoop do good job though.}} verdigrisprowl 8:35 pm He's quite the expert manipulator. NoodlesAtNight 8:35 pm *Soundwave twitches slightly, but settles down again.*
[[He is. It is little wonder he pulled off what he did with his enemies last time.]] *Twitch again. Hm.* verdigrisprowl 8:36 pm *points at the man behind the podium* He made the... dragon blood drug. NoodlesAtNight 8:36 pm [[Yes. He thinks so. The voices match.]] Swervester 8:36 pm ...I should probably learn more about police roles because two seasons and I'm still not entirely sure why he's in charge of the police. verdigrisprowl 8:36 pm Oh. I didn't notice the voices. Well, further evidence. NoodlesAtNight 8:37 pm [[It is his job to observe voice prints. Do not worry.]] *Pats knee.* [[He is in charge of the police because he blackmailed his way up th-- what is /that/.]] opatoes 8:37 pm ... He's like my boxyverse alternate MedicalMurdersaurus 8:37 pm KEHHEHHEHHEH Swervester 8:37 pm Whoa verdigrisprowl 8:37 pm Dragon blood. NoodlesAtNight 8:37 pm ((TABITHAAAAAAAAAA <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 )) NoodlesAtNight 8:38 pm [[You do not breathe your blood out, do you, dragon? That seems... unhealthy.]] verdigrisprowl 8:38 pm I'm sure that's just the street name. opatoes 8:38 pm wait who's tabitha NoodlesAtNight 8:39 pm {{His sister. Neheheh.}} opatoes 8:39 pm b. but who Swervester 8:39 pm Jerome really bothers me man. NoodlesAtNight 8:40 pm {{What bother bar bot?}} MedicalMurdersaurus 8:40 pm Bar bot?? Swervester 8:40 pm I can't put my finger on it but he really rubs me the wrong way whenever he talks. opatoes 8:41 pm ... He seems like an evilverse version of you, Swerve Swervester 8:41 pm ... What opatoes 8:41 pm ... What I mean- like, weirdverse you? MedicalMurdersaurus 8:41 pm *imagines someone petting Swerve backwards like a fussed cat and snickers* opatoes 8:41 pm Jerome seems like a weirdverse name. Swervester 8:41 pm [sputters] MedicalMurdersaurus 8:41 pm KEHHEHH MedicalMurdersaurus 8:42 pm Her stab : > NoodlesAtNight 8:42 pm [[He's seen worse recruitment tactics.]] opatoes 8:42 pm Like, you're pleasant and likable and Jerome isn't- am I just sticking my pede in my mouth or something Swervester 8:42 pm You are [waves hands] opatoes 8:42 pm Frag- well, uh. Can we pretend I didn't say that then? Swervester 8:42 pm Yes opatoes 8:42 pm Thank you, Swerve- you're pretty awesome, you know! NoodlesAtNight 8:42 pm [[Not a jackhammer, but...]] verdigrisprowl 8:42 pm They could have just. Gotten a couple of pickaxes. MedicalMurdersaurus 8:43 pm That a BABY explode! That NOTHING. Him Wheelack do bigger boom in sleep! verdigrisprowl 8:43 pm That was entirely unnecessary. NoodlesAtNight 8:43 pm {{That just call snoring, peh.}} Swervester 8:43 pm Wouldn't some big ass hammers suffice NoodlesAtNight 8:43 pm [[Unnecessary, but precisely the thing a youngling would dream up, he imagines.]] Swervester 8:43 pm How long have they been dead? This is a really dusty cave NoodlesAtNight 8:43 pm [[Exciting, different, and noisy.]] NoodlesAtNight 8:44 pm [[They have been dead a year. And they did just disturb the cave.]] Swervester 8:44 pm Hmm Seems pretty cobweby for a year but maybe that's just how organic caves are verdigrisprowl 8:45 pm That seems a false dichotomy. NoodlesAtNight 8:45 pm [[His father was a rich human who likely had little knowledge of the real world. He wouldn't doubt it.]] MedicalMurdersaurus 8:46 pm What rich means? *knows the word but doesn't understand the context* verdigrisprowl 8:46 pm Oh, is that where the mayor's been. NoodlesAtNight 8:46 pm {{It mean own looooooots of money, loooooots of stuff. Them not need know what everybody else knowing.}} [[...Ha. Tarantula. Imagine him in there.]] verdigrisprowl 8:46 pm ... Why would you do that to the poor tarantula. MedicalMurdersaurus 8:47 pm WHy not know? opatoes 8:47 pm ... Is he gonna do both NoodlesAtNight 8:47 pm *Wiggling his little spider legs threateningly at the box head.* opatoes 8:47 pm Man, I would've picked choice A. NoodlesAtNight 8:47 pm {{Them pay not to find out.}} MedicalMurdersaurus 8:47 pm *looks at Bird with no comprehension at all in his optics* Swervester 8:47 pm Wow they really need Batman. opatoes 8:47 pm I wouldn't mind a Messy on my face. NoodlesAtNight 8:48 pm *Gently elbows Prowl.* @P: [[He trusts you would pick choice A as well.]] *Humor ping.* [[Wh--]] *Huffing.* MedicalMurdersaurus 8:48 pm KEHEHHEHHEHH Fall! SPLAT! opatoes 8:48 pm get him pictures pictures of spiders man NoodlesAtNight 8:48 pm [[Rather unobservant for a journalist.]] MedicalMurdersaurus 8:48 pm KEHEHHHH!!! verdigrisprowl 8:48 pm Getting in a tiny box with a tarantula? Sounds fun. Swervester 8:49 pm //that;s the worst time for the video to freeze on me ghbg NoodlesAtNight 8:49 pm ((do you need a pause?)) MedicalMurdersaurus 8:49 pm *wants to throw people with letters off a building* !! : > Swervester 8:49 pm //it's back now i just missed like 15 seconds lmao MedicalMurdersaurus 8:50 pm Nice verdigrisprowl 8:50 pm ... I feel like there are easier ways to get in the paper. NoodlesAtNight 8:50 pm [[That depends on what the point of the activity is.]] opatoes 8:51 pm ... Do people actually read newspapers MedicalMurdersaurus 8:51 pm What newspaper? *was but a wee dinotot when newspapers were a thing* verdigrisprowl 8:51 pm *... leans over to Soundwave* verdigrisprowl 8:52 pm @S «Where's the Starscream that sounds like a Smokescreen from?» Swervester 8:52 pm He's really interested in making a show of this isn't he opatoes 8:53 pm You'd think he'd just get a job in theater MedicalMurdersaurus 8:53 pm kehehheehhehhh! Him fall down : > NoodlesAtNight 8:53 pm @P: [[Smokescreen's world. The grey beings are having fun at other people's expenses again.]] NoodlesAtNight 8:54 pm [[Perhaps he was denied a beloved role.]] [[This could be his revenge.]] [[WHAT IS HE DOING.]] MedicalMurdersaurus 8:54 pm !!! Swervester 8:54 pm Alfred why verdigrisprowl 8:54 pm *prowl assumes soundwave means THAT smokescreen.* @S «So they switched out his voicebox?» opatoes 8:54 pm I guess that's true. That's the kind of thing a really passionate theater person might d- Alfred WHY MedicalMurdersaurus 8:54 pm keheh him SMASH verdigrisprowl 8:54 pm What the hell! NoodlesAtNight 8:55 pm @P: [[He isn't sure what they did, but they did tamper with him.]] Swervester 8:55 pm PRobably a good reason to let him see the thing so he could know what not to go looking for! NoodlesAtNight 8:55 pm [[Protect him? By not letting him know who to hide from?]] MedicalMurdersaurus 8:56 pm ((It seems like he shouldn't be able to fire his guardian. Creates some problems...)) opatoes 8:56 pm This... isn't going to go well, is it MedicalMurdersaurus 8:56 pm KAHHAHAHAH GET HIM!! verdigrisprowl 8:56 pm Wreckers. NoodlesAtNight 8:56 pm [[Taking lessons from Rumble and Frenzy, he sees.]] MedicalMurdersaurus 8:56 pm aww.... Swervester 8:57 pm Evil Wreckers. verdigrisprowl 8:57 pm Redundant. opatoes 8:57 pm Phfff. NoodlesAtNight 8:57 pm [[Hah.]] opatoes 8:58 pm Oh yeah! The game called "Bullet munch" right NoodlesAtNight 8:58 pm [[...Yes. Yes, he is.]] MedicalMurdersaurus 8:58 pm ((Every other moment with Jerome, I can tell exactly which Joker incarnation he's trying to be. This Russian Roulette thing is the only time he feels like he's genuinely got his own take going. I like it.)) NoodlesAtNight 8:59 pm [][][]The case is a bear?[][][] *Looks to Prowl* Swervester 9:00 pm Wow she's rude. NoodlesAtNight 9:00 pm [[What police slang is this?]] opatoes 9:00 pm She wants him to stay happy verdigrisprowl 9:00 pm I think it's Earth slang. NoodlesAtNight 9:00 pm [[Hmm. You drove with humans a while; do you know what it means?]] NoodlesAtNight 9:01 pm *He hasn't seen a single bear on this case. He doesn't get it.* verdigrisprowl 9:01 pm Not completely sure. But bears are considered big and dangerous. I like her a lot. She's probably going to die. Swervester 9:02 pm Probably opatoes 9:02 pm Are there any other good cops in this whole place NoodlesAtNight 9:02 pm [[Hmm.]] *He's mostly used to the pandas, not the oth-- PFFFF* SpecsTheSpectralDragon 9:02 pm *blinks* The docent is quitting? Really? NoodlesAtNight 9:02 pm [[He was fired.]] opatoes 9:02 pm ((... i thought he just held that pose it just froze on me NoodlesAtNight 9:02 pm [[He has little choice.]] ((do i need to pause?)) SpecsTheSpectralDragon 9:02 pm *blinks* Oh. Oh, yes, he. He was. opatoes 9:03 pm ((all good! SpecsTheSpectralDragon 9:03 pm ((whoops, I was half-watching and missed that)) opatoes 9:03 pm ((it just made it look like he was staring into space for much longer MedicalMurdersaurus 9:03 pm ((I guess I knew Alfred probably was loaded in his own right but I only just now realized how little he'd have in the way of expenses. He lives in someone else's home and drives someone else's car and I can't imagine Bruce makes him buy his own groceries. Where can I find a boy billionaire to work for?)) Swervester 9:03 pm Well that's awful timing for a chant,. NoodlesAtNight 9:04 pm ((Idk but you better reference me when you get hired cause I want in too)) [[Oh, leave the records human alone.]] [[You already protected her. You did what you could.]] verdigrisprowl 9:04 pm She's not interested. Leave her alone. verdigrisprowl 9:05 pm (("I'm gonna take you down the path that rocks.")) MedicalMurdersaurus 9:05 pm ((He'd pretty much only have to pay for clothes, entertainment, and medical bills, though I bet Bruce got him super fucking amazing health insurance. )) NoodlesAtNight 9:06 pm ((LMAO puff)) opatoes 9:06 pm Onions MedicalMurdersaurus 9:06 pm ono *realizes what's going on* opatoes 9:06 pm ... Well, I thought he was gonna go on SpecsTheSpectralDragon 9:06 pm ((puff just improves the riddler 200%)) opatoes 9:06 pm Uh. MedicalMurdersaurus 9:06 pm *perks up, wings flaring and optics bright* MedicalMurdersaurus 9:07 pm Him going to burn them! : > Awesome opatoes 9:07 pm Swoop, no, that's bad MedicalMurdersaurus 9:07 pm What bad? Fire fun : > verdigrisprowl 9:07 pm They can shoot at their knees. opatoes 9:07 pm Humans on fire is pretty bad. NoodlesAtNight 9:07 pm [[And risk missing?]] MedicalMurdersaurus 9:08 pm Bad for THEM kehheheh opatoes 9:08 pm ... Luckily, this human's bad at starting fires verdigrisprowl 9:08 pm You miss and you hit the ground or a tire. MedicalMurdersaurus 9:08 pm fun for fire person opatoes 9:08 pm GORDON NoodlesAtNight 9:08 pm [[Both of which are soaked in -- oh dear.]] MedicalMurdersaurus 9:08 pm KEHHEHEH aw :< verdigrisprowl 9:08 pm ... You could have driven a LITTLE further away. MedicalMurdersaurus 9:08 pm KAHAHA SNIPED NoodlesAtNight 9:09 pm [[At least this Galavan knows how to mind his loose ends.]] [[Though that will make it more difficult for the Gordon human.]] NoodlesAtNight 9:10 pm ((i like how that was a big moment of quick thought, school. i wouldn't wanna go back either buddy)) opatoes 9:10 pm ... Oh yeah, how much school has bruce been missing? NoodlesAtNight 9:11 pm [[Months.]] opatoes 9:11 pm ... Is that a lot of time for humans? NoodlesAtNight 9:11 pm [[Some.]] MedicalMurdersaurus 9:11 pm Month is a looooooooooooong time NoodlesAtNight 9:12 pm [[Hm. Cute.]] *Checking in during a hard day of work. He appreciates that.* MedicalMurdersaurus 9:14 pm *is instantly taken in by Alfred's storytelling and is glued to the screen* NoodlesAtNight 9:14 pm [[...What is a kipper.]] *It must be a blanket. Humans tuck blankets. And clothes.* opatoes 9:14 pm ... What IS a kipper? Oh! ... Fish smoke? NoodlesAtNight 9:14 pm [[When they're on fire.]] opatoes 9:15 pm Ohhh. MedicalMurdersaurus 9:16 pm Sausage NoodlesAtNight 9:16 pm [[Redball. A bloody bullet?]] NoodlesAtNight 9:17 pm [[He really must stop talking to her.]] opatoes 9:17 pm ... He should really trace this call Oh verdigrisprowl 9:17 pm That's obviously a trap. Swervester 9:18 pm Ah she's going to die. verdigrisprowl 9:18 pm Yell for half a dozen other officers to come with you. NoodlesAtNight 9:18 pm [[...He's not sure there ARE half a dozen other officers left.]] verdigrisprowl 9:18 pm If he'd yelled BEFORE he left there would have been. NoodlesAtNight 9:19 pm [[Oh, you mean Gordon. He thought you meant her. Yes, he should have got more. But he does like to go alone... and she does know that.]] [][][]No heroes.[][][] *Sigh. He still doesn't listen to Harvey, does he.* verdigrisprowl 9:19 pm That's why you always bring backup. verdigrisprowl 9:20 pm ... There's a movie I just saw where that's a plot point. NoodlesAtNight 9:20 pm [[Where what is?]] verdigrisprowl 9:20 pm Bringing backup. NoodlesAtNight 9:20 pm [[Oh? What is it?]] Swervester 9:22 pm Why do humans spit like that verdigrisprowl 9:22 pm It's— Don't go watch it, I—think I'm going to show it in a few days. It's an insult. They think spit is gross. opatoes 9:22 pm Poor Gordon NoodlesAtNight 9:22 pm [[He will not watch it, on his honor. He simply wishes to know what to be excited about.]] [[Return faster, Gordon.]] Swervester 9:22 pm But spitting just makes them madder, wouldn't it be better not to opatoes 9:23 pm ... You really gotta clarify verdigrisprowl 9:24 pm It's Buzz Lightyear of Star Command. It's about the star cop in an interstellar police force. It's... a hard watch. opatoes 9:24 pm Come on- don't kill her off too verdigrisprowl 9:24 pm *gestures at the screen. what did he say.* Swervester 9:24 pm Did no oe call am ambulance? opatoes 9:24 pm ... /Dangit, why does Prowl have to watch movies he wants to see/ NoodlesAtNight 9:24 pm [[Oh, he knows that name - the little space suited human who is friends with the cowboy, yes? It is about him?]] verdigrisprowl 9:24 pm They might not have got there in time. verdigrisprowl 9:25 pm I didn't see any cowboys. But there's a whole series and I only saw the pilot, maybe the cowboy comes later. NoodlesAtNight 9:25 pm *Nodding. He rather liked the Toy stories; he would hear about the Star Command stories too.* [[And her loss is regrettable. A commissioner who would finally do something...]] opatoes 9:27 pm Man, it must be a multiversal thing that Joker ALWAYS likes being on tv opatoes 9:28 pm thanks mr edge MedicalMurdersaurus 9:29 pm KEHEHHH lots of people SPLAT verdigrisprowl 9:29 pm *disgusted scoff. "tiny cogs in an absurd machine." juvenile.* NoodlesAtNight 9:29 pm *Shakes his head.* [[He continues to fall...]] *Glances at Prowl. Why the scoff?* MedicalMurdersaurus 9:29 pm YESSSS MedicalMurdersaurus 9:30 pm Again! Again! verdigrisprowl 9:30 pm *glances back.* He's pathetic. opatoes 9:30 pm The word of the night in gotham is defenestration NoodlesAtNight 9:30 pm {{That fun word. Bird likes.}} MedicalMurdersaurus 9:30 pm What word? opatoes 9:30 pm Defenestration! NoodlesAtNight 9:30 pm [[The Jerome human? Yes. Too flashy by half.]] opatoes 9:30 pm It means "The act of throwing someone out the window" MedicalMurdersaurus 9:30 pm Defense-stration Swervester 9:31 pm She definitely was making a ppoint opatoes 9:31 pm ... Yeah, pretty much NoodlesAtNight 9:31 pm [[She could not have made a more obvious one even with a whetstone.]] verdigrisprowl 9:31 pm And his "philosophy," if you can call it that, is... mm. NoodlesAtNight 9:32 pm [[Go on?]] opatoes 9:32 pm Go see your bff, Jim. Swervester 9:33 pm Don' seem fine MedicalMurdersaurus 9:33 pm ((give penguin a sincere hug and he'll do anything you want, Jim)) opatoes 9:34 pm Jim come on NoodlesAtNight 9:34 pm ((pfff)) opatoes 9:34 pm ... Man, go see the magician verdigrisprowl 9:35 pm *hesitates.* ... I... have very little respect for most people who complain about being cogs in machines. verdigrisprowl 9:37 pm ((you're right, you CAN tell which joker he's channeling. right now we've got heath ledger.)) opatoes 9:37 pm ... Man, he's really easy to manipulate Swervester 9:38 pm //i don't even remember ledger's joker that well rip opatoes 9:38 pm Like the first guy to come up to him and be like "I believe in you, do this" and he eats it up opatoes 9:39 pm Just barge in MedicalMurdersaurus 9:39 pm ((he did the growly monologuing about a past story thing a lot. But it worked for Heath because his stories were contradictory. With Jerome, they are true stories so it misses the mark.)) verdigrisprowl 9:39 pm ((mainly the "monologuing about tragic past stories to imminent victims" thing)) verdigrisprowl 9:40 pm ((YEAH THAT)) NoodlesAtNight 9:40 pm [[Ahh. Petrex history in play, yes?]] *Tilts his head.* [[Not everyone is content with such arrangements, of course, but... he supposes it depends on what the machine in question is. This one does have some right to want out of the one he was in, or so it sounds.]] opatoes 9:40 pm oh no NoodlesAtNight 9:41 pm {{Him easy to manipulate because him desperate. Need approval. It easy believe first good promise if all life bad. It gift from Primus.}} {{That what it looking like.}} verdigrisprowl 9:41 pm A fraction Petrex. A fraction abundant experience with the kind of people who make complaints like that. A fraction common sense and my own life experience ever sense. MedicalMurdersaurus 9:42 pm *glances over at bird and blinks slowly, that was a lot of analysis of something that was flowing right past him as he waited for gore* NoodlesAtNight 9:42 pm *Soundwave nods.* NoodlesAtNight 9:43 pm *And Laserbeak occasionally has her moments.* MedicalMurdersaurus 9:43 pm *doesn't have his moments and doesn't follow any of what she said to a next step* You Bird see a magician before? : > opatoes 9:44 pm ... Man, is that the only entertainment they got? They could've gotten... A bouncy house? Or something? NoodlesAtNight 9:44 pm {{Yes. Many time.}} MedicalMurdersaurus 9:44 pm What BEST trick??? : V opatoes 9:44 pm Uh oh verdigrisprowl 9:44 pm People like that don't seem to understand that "being a cog" means "being a part of a society." verdigrisprowl 9:45 pm If you're not a cog in a machine, then you're a useless cog lying on the ground. NoodlesAtNight 9:45 pm {{Best trick..... best trick saw him bot in half. That one, brother do. Heh heh.}} NoodlesAtNight 9:46 pm [[Ahh. Now he sees what you're getting at.]] MedicalMurdersaurus 9:46 pm PFF! Him Buzzsaw not a MAGICIAN! kEHHEHEH! Swervester 9:46 pm Is he hitting on her MedicalMurdersaurus 9:46 pm ((Alfred knows what's uuuuupppp)) verdigrisprowl 9:47 pm The opposite of being a cog in a machine isn't being free, being powerful, being liberated to do whatever nasty thing you want. It's being a hermit. NoodlesAtNight 9:47 pm [[What, then, would you call him? If he is neither cog nor hermit.]] *Quite curious now* NoodlesAtNight 9:48 pm ((alfred does indeed know)) verdigrisprowl 9:48 pm He IS a cog. He's just a poorly-shaped one that senselessly breaks the cogs around it. opatoes 9:49 pm This... is going to go really badly NoodlesAtNight 9:49 pm [[Hm. Then we'll have to hope there is a repair human present.]] NoodlesAtNight 9:50 pm {{Uh-oh. Him gonna get Buzzsaw treatment, neheheh.}} Swervester 9:50 pm This concerns me NoodlesAtNight 9:50 pm *Laserbeak begins whistling a funeral dirge* verdigrisprowl 9:50 pm ... Trap door. NoodlesAtNight 9:50 pm [[Hah]] MedicalMurdersaurus 9:50 pm *snickers and watches Bird out of the corner of his optic (probably more than he watches the show)* NoodlesAtNight 9:52 pm {{Booooo. That boring.}} MedicalMurdersaurus 9:52 pm Them do with no box next time kehheheh NoodlesAtNight 9:52 pm [[We wouldn't have much of a show if he perished, would we, Laserbeak.]] verdigrisprowl 9:52 pm Oh, HE'S going to die. verdigrisprowl 9:53 pm They're going after major political figures—the mayor, the police. NoodlesAtNight 9:53 pm [[Of course. Deputy mayors are next in line should the original go missing. Which has happened.]] verdigrisprowl 9:53 pm Billionaires too, apparently. MedicalMurdersaurus 9:54 pm Them bad at shooting keheh NoodlesAtNight 9:54 pm [[Naturally. If he is mad that his family built the city and was wiped off the map after doing so, then he will want to go for those who currently lay claim to it.]] Swervester 9:54 pm Given how corrupt Gotham is, the billioniares probably ARe major political players. NoodlesAtNight 9:54 pm [[And what Swerve has said. Quite the observation, mech.]] NoodlesAtNight 9:56 pm [[...Ah.]] Swervester 9:56 pm I see. verdigrisprowl 9:56 pm Aha. opatoes 9:56 pm ... Man, no wonder he got rejected from acting school NoodlesAtNight 9:57 pm [[Primus. /Ratbat/ was less obvious than this.]] Swervester 9:57 pm He's awfully aware of the camera, it's coming across really cheesy act. opatoes 9:57 pm ... How obvious was Ratbat? Like- any specific stories? SpecsTheSpectralDragon 9:57 pm *snrk* verdigrisprowl 9:57 pm ... *mumbles* thought he was pretty good. Swervester 9:58 pm It just sounded really scripted, is all. NoodlesAtNight 9:58 pm [[He was, up until he turned straight to the camera.]] MedicalMurdersaurus 9:59 pm *claps* NoodlesAtNight 9:59 pm [[A move clearly designed to ensure that the city knew his face. Someone who didn't care about that would not have turned.]] MedicalMurdersaurus 9:59 pm ((Did the writers forget she left him or are we supposed to think her brains are that scrambled?)) NoodlesAtNight 10:00 pm ((the latter. she thinks she can go back to him)) [[They would be too busy confronting the villain to bother with anything else.]] opatoes 10:01 pm ... Man, Alfred could've dealed with him just fine I bet NoodlesAtNight 10:01 pm ((bah the audio got mildly desynced. sorry)) opatoes 10:02 pm Bruce. Alfred knew how to make a bomb from memory- he's probably gonna be fine Swervester 10:02 pm Magician's knife or real knifw? Oh. Real? NoodlesAtNight 10:02 pm [[Very real.]] MedicalMurdersaurus 10:02 pm DEAD verdigrisprowl 10:03 pm ((WELL, I SUPPOSE HE'S NOT THE JOKER)) NoodlesAtNight 10:03 pm *Nudges Prowl.* [[Trap door.]] verdigrisprowl 10:03 pm *sharp laugh* NoodlesAtNight 10:03 pm (( 😃 )) opatoes 10:03 pm ... Wait, if he's not the Joker, who is? NoodlesAtNight 10:04 pm [[Not quite the laugh Penguin had in mind, he imagines.]] [[And he has no idea.]] MedicalMurdersaurus 10:05 pm ((becasue penguin <3s him)) opatoes 10:06 pm Dracula Cobblepot MedicalMurdersaurus 10:06 pm ((seriously how do none of the characters see the way penguin LIGHTS UP when jim walks in the room siiiiiiigh)) NoodlesAtNight 10:06 pm {{Temper, temper}} SpecsTheSpectralDragon 10:06 pm Don't throw things in front of your subordinates. At least walk into the bathroom, first. NoodlesAtNight 10:06 pm ((they're all blind... as a bat. dohoho)) SpecsTheSpectralDragon 10:07 pm ((hue hue hue)) NoodlesAtNight 10:07 pm *...Has a thought. Will keep that thought silent for now.* Swervester 10:08 pm She's standing with her boyfriend! MedicalMurdersaurus 10:08 pm ((gordon's face)) NoodlesAtNight 10:08 pm {{Neheh. Awkwaaaard.}} opatoes 10:08 pm Alfred is unstoppable! MedicalMurdersaurus 10:08 pm What awkward? NoodlesAtNight 10:08 pm {{Him Alfred like her Lee. Him Alfred not know her got sweetspark already.}} MedicalMurdersaurus 10:09 pm Oh. *doesn't get it* NoodlesAtNight 10:09 pm *Well, she's not explaining more than that.* MedicalMurdersaurus 10:09 pm *would moon over Bird even if Bird had a bf so...* Swervester 10:10 pm Oh NoodlesAtNight 10:10 pm [][][]Poisons the well.[][][] Swervester 10:11 pm Um. MedicalMurdersaurus 10:11 pm ((I know we talk about queer coding villains but, man, are there any queer good guys in this show?)) opatoes 10:11 pm Uh. SpecsTheSpectralDragon 10:12 pm *the dragon stretches* Goodnight, Soundwave, everyone. Thanks for having me! NoodlesAtNight 10:12 pm ((not as i can really recall offhand; this IS a fox network show unfortunately. but they do give us way more than we have on any other show, some who do good things at times, and many of the actors are, so i take it)) Swervester 10:12 pm //unfortunate MedicalMurdersaurus 10:12 pm ((I'm glad for canon gays and bis regardless)) NoodlesAtNight 10:12 pm ((most of the cast is pretty woke tbh)) [[Goodnight dragon.]] Swervester 10:13 pm I better head out too. Night all. NoodlesAtNight 10:13 pm [[Goodnight, Swerve.]] verdigrisprowl 10:13 pm ((you promised me a Specific Ship and I am Awaiting that ship. idc if they're villains i am Ready)) MedicalMurdersaurus 10:13 pm Movie done. You Bird want to candy? 😆 NoodlesAtNight 10:13 pm ((all in due time 😄 ))
{{Yes! Bird go candy. Swoop have... some. Three piece.}} verdigrisprowl 10:13 pm (("idc" i say like their villainness isn't also a draw)) NoodlesAtNight 10:14 pm ((same)) MedicalMurdersaurus 10:14 pm It Bird candy. Me Swoop give. : > NoodlesAtNight 10:14 pm ((half-assed spoiler: they also do something that pissed off the fanboys A LOT and are unapologetic about it being a first so ye)) opatoes 10:14 pm I should get some rest, too. Thank you for the show, Soundwave! Uh. And- sorry about the couch. I can give you a new couch- or if you just want credits, I can actually do that now! verdigrisprowl 10:14 pm ((you had me at "pissed off the fanboys")) NoodlesAtNight 10:14 pm ((that's s3 tho)) MedicalMurdersaurus 10:14 pm ((penguin better smooch jim fully on screen )) opatoes 10:15 pm ... wait, baking pie without a recipe? ... I. I'm gonna have to see that later NoodlesAtNight 10:15 pm [[You're welcome. Credits will be fine.]] opatoes 10:15 pm Can do, then! Also, you up for flying later? NoodlesAtNight 10:15 pm {{Swoop still can have three piece. Him Primus say so.}} *Maybe he'll believe that.* NoodlesAtNight 10:16 pm [[We will see. He has been... tired, lately. Perhaps one of the birds will see fit to join you.]] MedicalMurdersaurus 10:16 pm Primus? Keh! *assumes she's joking, he's Ratchet's kid after all, he's got NEGATIVE religious education* opatoes 10:17 pm Tired? You're doing okay- right? NoodlesAtNight 10:18 pm [[Yes. Just a great deal to think about. It will pass.]] {{Yep. You see, Bird show. Come on!}} *Float float. Toward the stairs she goes!* MedicalMurdersaurus 10:18 pm Kay! *scampers along after his borby crush* opatoes 10:18 pm 'Cause you know, if you need help with anything, you can send me a comm- even if you just wanna read or something. NoodlesAtNight 10:19 pm [[Thank you. That - is actually an important offer to him.]] *That hurt to say, but he got it out.* opatoes 10:19 pm ... Anyway, I've gotta go. I've gotta try to figure out flying and stuff. Have a good night, though. NoodlesAtNight 10:19 pm [[Do not fly high off the ground. Stay low. Very low.]] opatoes 10:19 pm ... It is? Like I said, feel free to take it whenever you wanna talk or need a distraction or something. opatoes 10:20 pm You got it! Man- years ago, you probably would've told me the exact opposite. Weird, right? NoodlesAtNight 10:20 pm [[/Very./]] opatoes 10:20 pm Anyways, night, Soundwave. NoodlesAtNight 10:20 pm [[Goodnight.]] verdigrisprowl 10:21 pm ... You let me believe that's a Starscream with a Smokescreen's vocalizer. He's not. NoodlesAtNight 10:22 pm [[...He thought you understood what he was saying.]] verdigrisprowl 10:22 pm What? No. I asked if Starscream's vocalizer had been altered, you confirmed it was likely. *he is :[* NoodlesAtNight 10:23 pm *Thhhhis explains why Prowl took that explanation so well. It was a failed one.* verdigrisprowl 10:24 pm *:[* NoodlesAtNight 10:24 pm [[He said he didn't know what all they'd done, but that they /had/ done things, and that it was Smokescreen's world. He thought-- never mind what he thought. He did an insufficient job of clarifying.]] verdigrisprowl 10:25 pm You could have clarified that it was a Smokescreen with a Starscream body. I spent all night thinking he was Starscream. What if I'd /talked/ to him? He'd start thinking he could get away with talking to /me/ if he puts on a disguise first. NoodlesAtNight 10:26 pm [[He should have. He did not, and he should have. He is sorry. You are correct. That had the potential to ruin your disconnection from Smokescreen. He did not and would never intend to interfere with such a choice.]] verdigrisprowl 10:28 pm *nods* ... Accepted. NoodlesAtNight 10:28 pm *The tiniest of nods.* NoodlesAtNight 10:29 pm [[That mech suffers more abuse at their hands than any other he knows about. He would interfere, but he does not know how; he no longer has any devices capable of blocking their work. The few he had were from sympathetic members of their species to start with, and he could not understand how they worked.]] verdigrisprowl 10:29 pm Mm. NoodlesAtNight 10:30 pm [[If you ever wonder if they have done something to him, chances are that it is so. Guard yourself accordingly.]] *That wasn't to gain sympathy for Smokescreen, mind. That was to note that it's common and Soundwave has no way to protect Prowl from it from the side, other than to note that.* verdigrisprowl 10:31 pm Mm. *that's quite enough of banana-adjacent topics. leans harder on soundwave in an effort to distract him.* NoodlesAtNight 10:32 pm *Doesn't know what to make of the Mms. Fidget.* [[Perhaps he should--]] *Oh. And now he's confused.* [[...All right.]] *Leans on Prowl. Is this what he's supposed to do now? He honestly isn't sure anymore.* verdigrisprowl 10:32 pm *he'll take it.* NoodlesAtNight 10:35 pm [[...He hopes the Gordon human does not give in.]] verdigrisprowl 10:35 pm He already has. NoodlesAtNight 10:37 pm [[More. Give in more. It's not--]] *Shakes his head a little.* [[He could do better than this. It's not impossible.]] NoodlesAtNight 10:38 pm [[Our society and species are infinitely more difficult to work with and you threw Fuse out. It is /not/ impossible.]] verdigrisprowl 10:39 pm ... I also hope he moves back up. I—understand his position. NoodlesAtNight 10:39 pm *Nodding.* [[He hopes so as well.]] NoodlesAtNight 10:40 pm [[He does not get the time to hear about as much in your department as he once did. It's - it goes well? What of Minus?]] verdigrisprowl 10:42 pm *optics flicker a bit brighter* Minus is doing well. Thus far she's been learning how things work inside of the department—paperwork and such—but I've been able to send her out with more experienced officers on a couple of calls with next to no risk of violence. Cleaning graffiti and such. NoodlesAtNight 10:45 pm *Oh. Oh, that's better. He found a good subject. Thank Primus.*
[[Good. Better that she learn there are other ways to handle things. Of course, he himself would leave the graffiti reading "Prowl is Right"...]] NoodlesAtNight 10:47 pm [[But he is far more morally malleable than she will need to be, and it is best that she learn from you and your officers. It does no good to have anyone else clean a wall just to put a bug in it.]] *Pause.* [[For one thing, suddenly clean spots are far too noticeable for that sort of activity.]] verdigrisprowl 10:47 pm Graffiti is graffiti. *still, pleased.* NoodlesAtNight 10:49 pm [[Perhaps. Buzzsaw would have his head if he did not ask this--]] *Twist.* [[Would you consider designating free spaces where it is allowed? Where anyone may go to express themselves, so that their voices are not fully restricted and you have less to clean elsewhere?]] NoodlesAtNight 10:50 pm [[Volunteered locations, agreed upon by many.]] verdigrisprowl 10:51 pm That's not up to me, but I'd be for it. NoodlesAtNight 10:51 pm *Brightens. It doesn't have to be up to Prowl, exactly; it just has to be something he wouldn't fight against if it were proposed to those who DID control it.* verdigrisprowl 10:52 pm I'd recommend putting them far inside and far outside the city walls, though. Or else the only thing anyone will be expressing is how much they loathe the opposite faction, until ten bots show up with purple and red paint cans and start a turf war. verdigrisprowl 10:53 pm That's what most of the graffiti we've been dealing with is—factional rhetoric, mainly along Metroplex's wall, the divider between Autobot and Decepticon neighborhoods. NoodlesAtNight 10:57 pm *Nodding.* [[He has noticed. He still disagrees with the divisions, but until that can be made to change...]] *Frustrated, sharp motion with one hand.* [[Until then, it would be helpful. And to him as well. Public opinion tracking.]] NoodlesAtNight 10:58 pm [[He is pleased to know you are not against it. That will make carefully whispering into the right audials so much easier.]] verdigrisprowl 10:58 pm Is all that intrigue necessary to get a few walls to spray paint on? NoodlesAtNight 10:59 pm [[After what he did? It may be. Besides, our leader is... well. He does not need to describe Starscream to /you./ ]] NoodlesAtNight 11:00 pm *Holds up a hand. Correction, please hold.* [[What 'he' did. He knows. Still. Perception is what it is.]] verdigrisprowl 11:01 pm Hm. Just don't try to sell it as a solution to graffiti. Or else when graffiti continues to exist in places other than the art walls, someone will try to use that as an excuse to take the walls down. NoodlesAtNight 11:03 pm [[Noted and highlighted. He will avoid that topic.]] *Settling down a bit now.* [[Have you had any ideas of your own? Any unusual improvements that might make your - or Minus' - life easier?]] verdigrisprowl 11:04 pm ... More new hires to replace the masses I'm about to fire. But that's for me to find, not you. ((brb)) NoodlesAtNight 11:05 pm ((np)) NoodlesAtNight 11:09 pm *Brightens more. Oh, this IS a good conversation now.* [][][]Masses?[][][] *Masses is a word meant for big numbers. Prowl does not use numbers carelessly. Soundwave is almost in Prowl's lap, he's leaned in so close. Curiosity!* verdigrisprowl 11:13 pm Mhm. You gave me quite a long list to work through. NoodlesAtNight 11:15 pm [[And you are--]] *He almost doesn't dare talk about it, like mentioning it will somehow make the multiverse force Prowl to go back on all of this. But he can't NOT speak about it. It's too different. Too good.* [[You are finding what you need? They really will be fired and tried?]] verdigrisprowl 11:17 pm *the ghost of a smile* I've got a couple of mad geniuses in Internal Affairs. We're digging up mountains of dirt. Of course, you're only privy to this information as the head of Four I. verdigrisprowl 11:18 pm But expect some comms from them in the near future. They'll be looking for some footage to confirm their findings. NoodlesAtNight 11:20 pm [[Nothing you have said or will say passes his lips. Obviously. Or his mind.]]
*He's going to be dizzy with shock in a moment. Digging up mountains of dirt. Masses of foul cops getting tossed out on their afts. Actually getting to /help/ with the footage he collects--*
[[And he's - that--]] *One moment. Gathering together again.* [[They will actually agree to trust him as a source?]] verdigrisprowl 11:23 pm You're the optics and audials of Iacon. Collecting footage and passing it where it needs to go is your job. NoodlesAtNight 11:24 pm *He pulls away, but only so he can sit back on the couch and stare up at the ceiling. This is nothing short of amazing, to him.* verdigrisprowl 11:26 pm ... Did— Did you not know that's part of your job. NoodlesAtNight 11:28 pm [[Collecting and forwarding footage has been his job for longer than he will bother calculating. It is only that he did not think anyone else would see past his name.]]
*And now he's sitting up again. Look at all this movement. You have got him all stirred up, Prowl. Nicely done.* [[Thank you. And them.]] *Close once more.* [[This is what should have been before. He does not know if you can understand, having always been on the other side, but...]] NoodlesAtNight 11:29 pm *That's just gonna hang there. He'll nod. Hopefully Prowl gets it.* verdigrisprowl 11:30 pm What—kicking out the cops that abuse their position? I was demoted for saying we should be doing that. NoodlesAtNight 11:32 pm [[You were?]] verdigrisprowl 11:34 pm Well—not JUST that. For saying that the enforcer system was corrupt and that for the sake of Cybertron we needed to clean up. verdigrisprowl 11:36 pm I could get away with speaking my mind under Sentinel. He didn't agree with me, but he—respected me. I could be outspoken. As soon as he died, I was shoved in a backroom to crunch numbers. NoodlesAtNight 11:36 pm *And Sentinel has just been semi-begrudgingly given one (1) single point of respect.* NoodlesAtNight 11:37 pm *Which feels very wrong somehow, but Prowl isn't allowed to lie to him about things that important, and so he's just going to have to suck it up and acknowledge it. Which he has. With one whole point. For a PRIME.* verdigrisprowl 11:38 pm Orion agreed too, but by the time he was in charge, it was a moot point. NoodlesAtNight 11:39 pm *Oh god, that's an even more grit-fanged point. He really doesn't like having to give that one away.* [[...If ever he finds a way to time travel, he will consider finding your younger self and getting you into a higher, safer position.]] NoodlesAtNight 11:42 pm [[For now, if you have no objections, he would show the depths of his appreciation for all you are by offering you... nearly anything you could ask for, he thinks. Within mostly reasonable - and legal - limits.]] verdigrisprowl 11:43 pm Oh, don't waste your time. If you ever find a way to time travel, kill Nominus, Proteus, and Ratbat, get Shockwave appointed to Prime—BEFORE he loses his face, mind—watch him carefully to ensure he isn't messing with any ores, and shut Megatron up after After The Ark but before Towards Peace. NoodlesAtNight 11:45 pm *He doesn't much care what it is. The world's largest collection of police dramas? A night of having every tiny wish catered to? Someone who needs a punch in the teeth to get the daylights scared out of them? What, Prowl? What? Anything. Tell him.*
[[Oh, those were all already planned. He does listen to you, you know.]] [[Except the part about Megatron. He is not yet familiar enough with that mech's writings to have thought of that himself.]] verdigrisprowl 11:46 pm His early writing was fine, before he slid off the rails into xenophobic apocalyptic extremism. verdigrisprowl 11:47 pm ... And I'm not wholly sure about Shockwave. Take that one with a grain of salt. He TALKED like an anti-Functionist progressive, but evidence suggests he was working on his ore project since long before his empurata, so that could all have been a façade. verdigrisprowl 11:48 pm Put him in charge, jump a few million years forward, see how that goes, jump back and take him back out if need be. NoodlesAtNight 11:52 pm [[As you recommend.]] *Soundwave dips pretty low there. He is being absolutely serious. Nothing about his mental voice says otherwise.* verdigrisprowl 11:52 pm *Prowl has too much power.* NoodlesAtNight 11:53 pm *Not so much. As he said, he was already thinking about quite a lot of that on his own.* *They've got to test tampering with timelines sooner or later, after all.* verdigrisprowl 11:54 pm ... I shouldn't be advocating assassinating senators. *a sentence like that is usually followed up with a retraction of the original advocation. it isn't.* NoodlesAtNight 11:55 pm *After a moment more:* [[...If that should mean it changes this in the process,]] *Gesturing to the space between them.* [[Then he will try to find you again. Or at least to see to it that you are happy.]]
*But that's too personal, isn't it? He quickly keeps going.* [[The senators in question are not alive now. You do nothing but partake in a thought exercise.]] *And that is his official word on it.* NoodlesAtNight 11:56 pm [[Besides, he has his own mind and is capable of acting on it by himself.]] verdigrisprowl 11:57 pm Pff. Just track me down, hand me a magnet, and tell me I'm neat. My standards were extremely low back then. NoodlesAtNight 11:58 pm *Disgruntled huff.* [[He will not be so lazy and cheap. You will be treated the way you deserve to be treated, and no less.]] Today verdigrisprowl 12:00 am Don't be TOO nice to me, I don't think I could handle that much positive attention back then. NoodlesAtNight 12:01 am [[Then he would be slow and patient. After all, the planet wouldn't be going anywhere anymore ... ideally.]] verdigrisprowl 12:02 am Trust me. Magnets and a single bland compliment are the best way to start. NoodlesAtNight 12:03 am [[Very well. But he can do better than that /now,/ if you will let him?]] verdigrisprowl 12:03 am ... All right. *a tad nervously. How effusive is this going to get.* NoodlesAtNight 12:05 am *That depends. How does Prowl take to being picked up and carried over Soundwave's shoulder like a sack?* verdigrisprowl 12:06 am *Oh. Very well. Carry on.* NoodlesAtNight 12:11 am *So it shall be.* [[Your department is in good hands, he has an intriguing forensic series bookmarked upstairs on his workstation, and there is an octopus-shaped magnet waiting for you on the small stand by the door. Let us be off.]]
*Already walking.* [[Oh, and he intends to perform a magic trick for you.]] *Huff* [[Before the night is done, he will raise the temperature back at your apartment without ever touching the thermostat.]] verdigrisprowl 12:12 am *actually laughs* I look forward to seeing this trick. NoodlesAtNight 12:12 am *Joins in and closes the stairwell door behind them.*
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atlafan · 3 years
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Tell Me I’m The Only One - Part One - Sneak Peek!
Hello! The first part of this is being posted here in a few days! You can read the other three parts on my patreon. Ask me any questions you have about this little series. I’m so excited to share this part with you!!
Harry thought he’d have his life together by now. His whole life he was told if he went to college, he’d be guaranteed a good job and a lasting career. He soon learned, however, that things wouldn’t be that simple. All he wanted to do was watch movies, and review them. He tried making a YouTube channel where he’d review the films he watched, but the videos didn’t get many views, and the few comments he’d get were pretty lewd.
He was sick of working at a grocery store during the day, and a bar at night. He barely had the time to do the things he liked, and he just wasn’t happy. So, he did what any other depressed twenty-five-year-old would do: he applied to graduate school. It made his parents happy since it would give him a break from having to pay off his student loans, and help him find some direction. Harry was able to secure a decent enough GA position that would pay him enough that he wouldn’t need to worry about a job, and he was able to find an apartment with some other graduate students.
So, there he was, enrolled into a Film Studies program, and he’d be a GA for the Writing, Literature, and Publishing undergraduate program. He wouldn’t be teaching or anything, but he would be helping out with a lot of grading and course design. He’d need to have office hours available, and be willing to work with students that have questions.
His roommates were nice enough. Two of them were in biology programs, and another was in art and animation program. Everyone had their own room, and they all had to share a bathroom, but it was okay. They were all adults, and all agreed on chores and how to keep things clean. The four all went out for drinks the first weekend they all moved in to get to know each other better. Harry could really see himself being friends with these people.
He was a little nervous about being a GA. He had to do a good job this semester in order to keep his grant money. It had been a while since he had been in a classroom, so he wasn’t sure how he’d do juggling his own classes and schoolwork along with helping a professor grade for their various courses. Luckily, a good chunk of Harry’s classes would be online, and he only needed to go to one in-person lecture. He got an email from the admin of the Writing and Literature department about meeting with a Dr. Robertson a week before classes start. This was the professor he’d be working with.
He wasn’t given a ton of information on what he needed, so he put his laptop in his backpack, threw on a pair of jeans and a nice button up, and headed out the door. He rolled up his sleeves and the ends of his jeans since it was a little hot out. His glasses were on, and his hair was still a little wet from his shower, but other than that he was feeling pretty confident in his look. He wanted to make a good first impression since he’d be working with this professor all year and not just the fall semester. Harry wondered what type of office he’d be given. He was hoping it would at least have a window, but he’d be grateful for whatever private area he’d be given. He was essentially being given a place to write and he wasn’t going to take it for granted.
As he enters the building, he realizes he has no idea where he’s going. He finds the directory, and sees that Dr. Robertson’s office is up on the second floor. He makes his way up, and takes a deep breath before heading down the hall to their office. As he approaches, he sees a woman with wild, wavy hair up in a high ponytail wearing black, high waist leggings, a slightly cropped tank top and sports bra combo, and was mumbling to herself as she rummaged through her bookshelves.
“Um, excuse me…” Harry speaks up.
“Oh!” The woman jumps. She sets her book down and pushes her glasses back up her nose. “You must be Harry, please, come in.” She waves him in.
“Are you Dr. Robertson?”
“I am.” She nods and extends her hand out for him to shake. “Have a seat.” Harry sits down in one of the chairs across from her desk. “You look a little confused.”
“It just doesn’t look like you were, um, expecting anyone…”
“I know, my office is a total disaster. I’m normally okay with organized chaos, but right now it’s just straight up chaos.” She chuckles. She notices Harry’s eyes drift to her cleavage for a moment. “I didn’t dress up for this since I knew I’d be cleaning things up around here, I apologize.”
“No! Uh, no need. I…I’m sorry, I thought you were a man…”
“Casey is a woman’s name.” She blinks.
“It’s also a man’s.” Harry runs a hand through his hair.
“Is it going to be a problem that I’m a woman?” She raises an eyebrow at him.
“No, of course not. I guess I was just picturing some older guy with a dark office and a bottle of whiskey in the corner that he sips on out of crystal.” He chuckles nervously.
“Ah, well, you know what they say about people who assume.” She smirks.
“I’m not making a very good first impression, am I.” It wasn’t a question.
“That depends.” She leans back in her chair.
“On?”
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Best Ideas For Girls To Nightout
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Äger was the bomb, bandage dresses utilized to heal all, and vodka soda--wait patiently, to be honest, that mix is really crisp and refreshing, and still a decent fixture of any girls' night out.
But throwing back a few vodka sodas in the same few bars you always regular can get a little, well, rancid. And if no doubt your amazing crew can make almost everywhere feel like an Insta-worthy celebration, it is likely time to change up things once your go-to bartender has your entire group's drink order memorized.
So what is a gal to do when she needs to reinvent GNO? The answer: a hell of a whole lot! Have a buddy who is way in to tarot? Get your act together and go to a psychic reading. In the disposition to use your own hands? Subscribe to one of those BYOB painting courses. Or if you guys are on a gym, how about throwing on your fave leggings and breaking up a sweat in a pole-dancing class?
In the event that you and your buddies are in a rut and need to spice up your lives, look no farther than the subsequent option girls' night out thoughts. But don't forget to charge your phone before you head in the entire world --in case your GNO does not hit Instagram, did it really happen?
Treat yo' self into a fancy restaurant. What better way to clinic self-love than using a bougier-than-usual jar of wine and fries for the table? Obviously I don't recommend making pricey dinner reservations so frequently your budget requires a hit, but planning a seasonal fancy meal is a super fun way to get together and celebrate everything that's going on in your group's day-to-day lives.
Watch Some Triller, Suspence and Romantic Web Series On Netflix.
Now days netflix is too famous and you can watch a some web series to your girls gangs which they like. and web serie stakes full nights to complaye so it best way to timepass also.
Grab some affordable tickets to a sporting event.
Even if court-side chairs aren't in the cards, you and your friends can kick it in the nosebleed section with nachos and beer.
Have your night at the museum.
spand your time in museum if your friends is good to stay in museum and you have interest in that.
Hit up a bespoke cocktail bar.
Your fave dive bar can wait. Opt instead for the kind of plush setting in which it feels just like Colonel Mustard could kill you with a candlestick at any moment.
See whether you're able to escape the space.
Yeah, your workplace might have done this already as a team-building exercise, but with topics like"the zombie" and"the submarine," today your Saturday night may include bonding over dismantling a bogus bomb and escaping the clutches of a creature.
Justice! For! Bowling!
You know what is still enjoyable? Bowling. Especially glow in the dark bowling.
Hit up a winery in the area.
Yes, this notion will require you to reschedule your girls'"night" out into the daytime, but what exactly are Saturday afternoons for if not sipping vino? Organize a group tasting to make your regularly scheduled action (drinking wine, natch) into a more complicated --and dare I state educational? --affair.
Play tourist in your hometown.
Plan a night to do the kinds of things you would simply do if your uncle Lauren were in the city. Go eat that famous dish! Proceed walk across that famous bridge! Get your steps in seeing all the sights!
Sing it out in karaoke.
Because what is more entertaining than belting out your favorite Whitney tune? Belting Whitney together with all of your closest girlfriends, duh!
Take some laughs in a comedy show.
Before there were humor podcasts, there was the comedy club. These shows are generally pretty cheap, and the giggles are guaranteed. Talent could be hit-or-miss, but that's just part of the fun.
Take a pole-dancing course.
And have a pole dancing class with your besties. It may be rather freeing to enable yourself via the extremely timeless artwork of shaking your booty.
Hit up one of those fancy movie theaters with the cozy seats.
There's something so darn divine about reclining in those cushy seats and watching a film on the big screen. Tons of these theaters now offer gourmet menus for a full dine-in experience. Sign up me.
Spend a night at the opera.
If you reside in any significant metropolitan area, this one's for you. PSA: Opera eyeglasses are only $20 on Amazon if you really want to look legit.
Let out your inner roller woman.
so why not lean all the way in--devote to a dress code (hot pants encouraged), choose a few laps underneath the disco ball, then return to someone's flat and flow Saturday Night Fever.
See a meteor shower.
Check out this calendar of 2020 heavenly events, and also make note of the ones you want to watch. You and your friends can gather on a person's roof (or a yard works too, depending on where you live), blend up a couple of to-go bevvies, and catch the show.
Head into your gallery opening.
Here is the thing about gallery openings--not only is it an opportunity to check at beautiful objects (and frequently beautiful folks, too), but there's also free wine, therefore...
Take a look at a symphony orchestra.
Nothing makes me feel like a classy adult girl than viewing a group of talented humans in tailcoats and black getups playing Chopin. If this is not an option where you guys live, scope from the regional spots which have live jazz as an alternative.
Throw back it with an'80s/'90s/'00s dance party.
Nostalgic dance parties have hit music venues in a big way. Check your regional clubs and event spaces to see the next time they are hosting a themed night.
Chill out in a late-night java shop.
In case you've been out of school for so long now that you've forgotten, here is a friendly reminder that certain coffee shops stay open until the wee hours of this morning. Stake out the Friends-iest overstuffed couch and sip (decaf) drinks until you get tired.
Put it all on black in a casino.
Casinos can actually be very fun places to drink and pull levers and perhaps win some cash. Tons of people-watching opps, too. Just set a monetary limit for yourselves, lest anyone get out of control.
Most parks stay open well after dark, which means the view from the top of the roller coaster would be momentarily gorgeous before you dip downwards and start shrieking.
23. Channel your inner Van Gogh at a paint and sip.
Alright, I hear you, these classes sound"soooooo basic," but get over it as they are popular for a reason. Additionally, if you're anything like me, it takes a few glasses of vino to allow your creative freak flag fly.
24. Test your gracefulness in a ballet class.
The epitome of grace and discipline, ballerinas are always a magic sight to behold. Even if you guys don't possess a coordinated bone in any of your own bodies, you'll have a chunk (kindly!) At everybody's attempts.
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It's a seventies thing.  The preparation travels by different names.  Back then it was “Francaise.”  Later it morphed into “Piccatta,” which apparently means annoyed in Italian.  A dish prepared Piccatta could lose the egg batter sometimes but not others and might add capers to the lemony sauce as well. Depends on the chef, depends on the place. No use arguing about whether one is right or wrong.  And if you put some sauteed spinach under it, it was “Florentine.” I guess spinach was a thing in Florence.  
The usual vehicle was veal.  We don’t eat that.  If you want a similar taste,  an uncooked turkey breast boned, skinned, and sliced with the grain (the opposite of how you usually slice meat) and gently pounded into thin filets makes a very nice substitute.  The prep is a bit of a chore though you end up with a dozen or so portions of the next best thing to veal...I haven’t butchered a turkey breast in years because of the chore part.  Chicken would fall apart unless it was too thick, defeating the point of the whole thing.  The idea is that the meat or fish plays a somewhat secondary role to the rest of the preparation.  Something strong or thick would defeat the purpose, so yes to sole, thin turkey filets, but not so much to chicken breast or bluefish!  Here it is about 12 oz. of nice fresh sole filets from the Don Quijote Japanese grocery store around the corner.  Their seafood is generally pretty good.  You can go a little lighter on the weight than usual since we will be making it go farther with the egg batter.
In the seventies in Rochester, NY, where I first learned how to navigate a commercial kitchen, fine dining was just getting past the Steaks, Prime Rib, Lobster, and a Cigar phase and lots of restaurants were trying hard to outdo each other with who could be more “French.”  The “Francaise” was the pièce de résistance or whatever when I first started out as a dishwasher (1975-76 or so), Versions of this dish were a valued commodity.  In-the-know chefs would demonstrate the recipe to interested owners for fifty bucks and a deal not to tell where they got it. I learned it from one such demo.  
The putative original was true American seventies “French cooking.”  The egg batter was loaded with parsley, dry herbs, and parmesan cheese, it was then sauteed -- actually more like pan fried as it needed quite a bit of clarified butter to keep the egg batter from drooping off the sides into the pan like a sad omelet with a chunk of meat in the middle. The butter was drained after lightly frying, some chopped shallots went in the pan, a shot of lemon, a little chicken stock, and a bit more parmesan and parsley.  The whole thing simmered a minute or two, not more than long enough to cook the minced shallots through and soften up the eggs so they did not taste fried.  Throw in a little more parmesan and parsley to make it look nice, finish it off the heat with a slab of whole butter like a makeshift buerre blanc, serve with rice and a side vegetable, voila, fifty bucks for the knowledge, please.
Our version is a bit more healthy, but not totally so. I’ll walk you through it.  We got some nice, very fresh local eggs from Oahu Fresh. Their stuff is always good.  Take one of those out and let it warm to room temperature.  This makes the batter cook better and come out a less oily and lighter.  
Slice the sole fillets into medallion size, a couple of inches by a couple of inches.  A regular size thin filet of sole (avoid if too thick -- see chicken above for why) should yield three pieces give or take.  Grind some nice French gray sea salt over them, fine setting on the mill.  Same for some white pepper (get two mills). Black pepper will taste as good, but won’t look as nice.  You probably already have a mill for that. Be generous but not overbearing.  Putting the seasoning on the fish rather than in the batter is important, lending a little savoriness to the inside that does not happen with seasoning the flour or batter.  Kind of a little secret in the middle taste-wise.
Set up two-thirds of a breading station.  This is a good thing to know how to do.  Here we skip the breadcrumbs though.  Put about a half a cup of flour in a mixing bowl.  It has a job to do, so don’t add anything to it. Our flavor comes from the inside and the outside.  Crack the now-room-temperature egg into a second bowl. add a couple teaspoons of water. This helps cut the viscosity and make the eggs cook a little lighter.  Don’t overdo it though or they won't stick to anything, including the fish or the herbs we will put in.  Chiffonade about a quarter of a bunch of flat-leaf Italian parsley Put half in the batter and set the other half by the stove in a little bowl.  Avoid the American type of parsley, which looks nicer as a garnish and has a fresh taste raw.  It turns to nothing when cooked.  Add a little dry or fresh oregano, thyme, tarragon, as you see fit. If using dry tarragon, be a little generous or you won’t taste it.  leave a little tarragon aside if using that. you can drop it on top of the reserved parsley. The eggs should be about half egg and half herbs.  Beat them thoroughly making sure all the viscosity is gone, otherwise you will get scrambled eggs and fish instead of Francaise! Skip the parmesan.
This part is crucial, your mise en place, the setup. You’ll see why.  Put the following things in place next to the stove: A half a lemon and a strainer, a half a shallot, sliced into rings as thin as possible, about 3/4 of a cup of nice light colored chicken stock. Vegetable stock would taste better perhaps with the sole, but it is often dark, which would mess up the look here.  A shaker of cayenne pepper and a whole nutmeg and a grater. The reserved herbs.  A teaspoon or so of whole butter, not melted. Cold is fine.  Not too much. Set a plate off to the side with a paper towel over it.  Get a pair of tongs and a spatula out. You will need both for fish. 
Put enough decent olive oil in the bottom of a 10′’ saute pan to provide a complete layer of oil in the bottom of the pan.  Heat up the pan gently, no hotter than medium-high, being careful not to let the oil smoke.  I place a sliver of parsley in the pan as it heats.  Once it is sizzling a bit you are ready to go.  Apparently getting a good olive oil too hot makes it bitter. I never really noticed, and like to use good olive oil for cooking unless it is high heat despite the warning of the olive oil trolls. I think it tastes better.  Costco currently has a decent first cold pressed extra virgin olive oil that is not too decadent to cook with. The brands change from year to year. Loyalty is penalized. As one brand gets popular, quality goes down to meet demand.  Trolls use this instead, which is also not bad actually.  
Now the mise en place in action. You need to work quickly but gently here.  Put the egg batter next to your frying pan, and the flour next to the egg batter a little further away.  Next to the flour, furthest from the fire, place your sole fillets.  This is the two-thirds-of-a-breading-station part. Give the eggs a quick last-minute whisk.  Working with one hand, with a pair of tongs in the other, lightly slap a piece of seasoned fish in the flour on both sides, shake gently and dredge it through the egg batter, making sure to cover all and pick up some herbs. Still using the same hand (your “wet” hand) place the fillet best side down in the pan. Fish almost always has a best side, which you always want to cook first. Just for looks. Repeat.  Don’t overcrowd the pan. It will take two shifts.  Once the pan is full, turn the first piece using a combination of spatula in your wet hand and the tongs in your dry.  The batter should be a light golden color. Be brief, don’t worry about whether the fish is cooked inside, just get the eggs right.  If it cooks too hot it will taste like wet grease when finished, and if the oil is not hot enough it will soak into the batter and taste even worse so be careful. As the first piece finishes cooking on its second side, remove it to the paper-towel plate.  Gentle.  Replace it with a new piece, repeat the process until finished. Avoid any temptation to dredge the fish in the flour ahead of time, even by a minute.  Doing so will create wet flour that fails as a binding and your batter will fall off, leaving bare flesh gaping through (!!) and messing up your oil so as to make cooking anything else in it impossible.  Same goes for leaving it in the egg batter after the flour. This makes the egg soak up the flour, thickening the batter into a gluten egg ball and generally fouling up the works.  
Once all the fish has been sauteed and removed, drain off nearly all the oil and all the crusty bits (If you have followed the cautions so far, there should not be much detritus).  Toss in the shallots and saute gently until you can smell them and they become a little translucent.  Add the stock. grate in a little nutmeg (skip it unless you are grating it fresh). Sprinkle a tiny bit of cayenne.  You don’t want heat, just a little catch in the back of the throat that goes really nicely with the richness of the nutmeg. Bring to a simmer and add all the fish back in, not worrying about crowding this time. Again keep the heat gentle or the batter will come apart.  This is why you don’t worry about whether the fish is cooked through, as the simmering will finish it off.  Squeeze the fresh lemon over it, toss the herbs on top, once most but not all the liquid has soaked in (you can add a little more if need be), pull the pan from the heat, plate the fish.  If the pan is dry, add a quarter cup of stock at the most to moisten it.  remove from the heat once it simmers.  Toss in your pat of butter, swirling it around until melted and distributed. If you have done the nutmeg and cayenne right, the little bit of butter will taste richer than the amount would seem to warrant.  Make sure it does not boil or simmer anymore once you put the butter in or it will break.   pour over the fish.
The second to last, liquidy step was the big secret, which was to finish eggs that you had so carefully fried in a simmering stock, defeating the usually crispy-making purpose of the frying and putting in its stead a pillowy soft, nicely herbed coating over a delicate inside with a lovely sauce.
Divide the fish on to two plates. Pour the sauce over the top. Serve with rice cooked in chicken stock with half a sauteed onion, a sprig of thyme, and a bay leaf. We do ours, from sauteing to rice cooking in our instant pot but you can wing this if you can cook rice.  We had fresh steamed broccoli (just salted a little) and a salad with apple, local greens, pumpkin seeds, a little pomegranate drinking vinegar (ours is from a neighborhood Korean market), a little pomegranate molasses, (from the Indian/Middle Eastern shop) some olive oil, salt, and pepper.  
Yum. We ate like that today, and the whole thing took less time than writing the blog to prepare.
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tenspontaneite · 3 years
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Just wanted to announce that I finally broke back into piaj yesterday and wrote 2.4k woot 🎉🎉🎉
Mind you it's not ch23, it's like. Section 9 or something. But still!!
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flauntpage · 5 years
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A Whole Lot of Markelle Fultz – Observations from Sixers 127, Bulls 108
I think I traversed the entire length of the Markelle Fultz reactionary spectrum last night.
It started with the Wells Fargo Center crowd calling for him to “shoooooooot!” whenever he had the ball in his hands, which felt a little boorish to me. What kind of of rudimentary behavior is this?
But when the first shot went up, a mid-range jumper that didn’t even go in, I heard the roar from the stands and thought, “ah wow, they’re really pulling for this kid, this is special.”
It was confounding for me, because I’ve never really experienced anything like it. The entire thing had an overwhelmingly positive connotation to it, because the fans truly want Markelle to be successful and they want to help him through his struggles. It’s ridiculously antithetical to everything we’ve ever been taught about the Philadelphia fan base.
Still, the longer I sat there, I couldn’t shake the feeling of how elementary this whole exercise was. Here’s the #1 draft pick from a year ago, playing against a depleted Bulls team at home and getting cheers just for attempting a jump shot in a game.
How low has the bar been set?
Sure, Markelle finished 5-15 with 12 points, and he looked much more comfortable in the second half, but the game was put to bed at that point. More important to me is the fact that he started 2-9 and passed up a number of open looks, one a three-pointer where he decided to drive into a wall of three guys and dish the ball off instead:
You can’t pass up that shot.
It’s game two of the season, you’re playing at home against a bad team missing a bunch of players, and you don’t have anybody within ten feet of you:
You have to shoot that.
He did later, in the fourth quarter, and the crowd went rightfully nuts, but again, how low has the bar been set? It’s barely an inch off the floor.
It’s clear to me that Markelle’s most comfortable shot right now is that pull-up jumper at the foul line. He knocked down one of ’em against Boston and took a few more last night, actually five total in that area of the floor when I look at his shot chart.
I showed a clip yesterday of a really nice pick and roll action that they used against the Celtics to spring Fultz for an open jumper, and they tried it again last night to get him another open look that just didn’t go down:
See how they just shove Saric and Covington into the corner there?
Ben Simmons drops it to Fultz on the wing, and they disguise it as a UCLA cut that ends up being a pick and roll where Markelle can use two screens to curl to the foul line and fire away. Cam Payne goes underneath the Embiid screen and Fultz lets fly.
It’s a really nice design, and they ARE calling plays to get him open looks. He looks so much more comfortable in pick and rolls (especially with Simmons screening) and when he’s running two-man actions with Joel Embiid. The first shot he knocked down last night was just a little elbow screen from Joel, which allowed Markelle to dribble to the foul line for that pull-up.
Brett Brown alluded to that in his post game comments:
“He ended up taking the most shots out of anybody on our team. Which, in itself, is to me, a statement. I wasn’t even really aware he was taking that many shots to lead our team in field goals attempted. But I say that as a complete positive. I felt when he was shooting the ball, they kept going under middle pick and rolls. He shot it to mean it, he didn’t look afraid of anything. He missed the shots, but they looked good, and I think in general, we played him quite a bit of minutes, he took the most shots out of anybody on the team, I thought his defense was very good. It’s a big night for that young man.”
Fair, and very accurate in that observation that Chicago was playing under the screens, which opened up the foul line for Markelle.
Overall, this is what his chart looked like last night:
It’s not 5-15, it’s really 5-14, because he had a half-court heave at the end of a quarter that really shouldn’t count towards his shooting percentage. I’d really look at it as though he had a 35.7% shooting night, which isn’t amazing, but the context is more accurate.
Another thing worth noting is that Markelle did play a good amount of minutes as the primary ball handler, at least 6-7 from the end of the first quarter into the second quarter, and also a decent chunk of the third quarter and garbage time minutes. He does seem to be more assertive with the ball in his hands because, well, he has to be. Put me in the group of people that likes Markelle as a ball handler in this lineup:
Fultz
Redick
Covington
Simmons
Embiid
That’s the lineup that started the season last year. You don’t have Dario Saric’s three-point shooting and gritty rebounding, but the spacing was much better when they used this group last night.
One play that really stood out to me was this one, where they got Ben at the rim for an easy dunk:
They sort of flex Covington across the top of that horns set, and instead of Simmons screening for Redick to get him a jump shot, Redick actually backscreens for Simmons, Chicago blows the switch, and you get the easy flush.
Those are great ways to get Simmons and Fultz to complement each other when they share the floor, because Markelle can be the primary ball handler and Ben can use his size to earn those mismatches in the paint and punish opponents.
As far as quotes from Markelle, he didn’t have anything groundbreaking to say after the game. But he certainly didn’t shy away from media questions and I get the sense that he’s much more comfortable in scrum settings.
Sarah Todd from the Inquirer asked Markelle what’s going through his mind when he sees defenders sag off of him and give him space:
“It doesn’t bother me. I know what I’m capable of. Sometimes it’s actually hard to guard somebody coming full speed at you when you’re that far back. So sometimes I look at it like that, sometimes I look for a three, it all depends. If we’re running a play I’m looking for my teammates. It all depends. I’m a basketball player, I just play basketball.”
He’s not wrong; you see Ben Simmons drive right at sagging defenders and get to the rim anyway, and of course Markelle is going to run a called play instead of heaving the ball up from anywhere, but when you get the open look, take it. Shooters shoot in the NBA, and Fultz is not a 6’10” freak athlete point guard like Simmons.
Markelle:
“I’m never afraid to take shots. I worked hard this summer. Tonight. I didn’t make a lot of shots, but I am going to keep shooting. If I see an open shot, then I’m going to shoot it; that’s what I worked for. Tonight didn’t fall, but eventually, it will. I’m going to keep working, and I have great teammates so if I see my teammates, I’m going to find them.”
Overall, the fact that he took 14 shots is a huge positive takeaway. Moving forward, you need to see assertiveness early and you need to see that happen in road games and against tougher opponents.
Rotation, minutes, and Landry Shamet
JJ Redick, Amir Johnson, and T.J. McConnell all came off the bench at 7:00 in the first. Fultz came back in with 3:03 in the quarter and finished with 32 overall. T.J. only played about five minutes as the Sixers were able to take over in the second half and get Markelle a lot of meaningful time while holding a 15 and 20 point lead.
Landry Shamet played 29 minutes in his second NBA game and looked great out there, putting up 12 points on 4-7 shooting, all seven attempts coming from three. He knocked down his first pro shot on a cross-court catch and shoot, and I really just love the way he moves without the ball. I really do think he can learn a lot from JJ Redick in becoming a solid shooting guard in this league, and I feel like Shamet’s skill set is a perfect fit for this offense and the way the Sixers like to use motion and get into a rhythm on offense.
Said Brett Brown of Shamet:
“He can play. You look at him and he’s 4-7 from the three point line. When we scouted him, he had the ball a lot, but we knew, or we felt, like he could just play. I can play him off the ball easily because he moves. He can play. He’s a basketball player. And I think what we’ve seen is confirming some of our opinions on him, and as we all know, there’s nothing like opportunity. Because of some different situations, he’s received that. He sure has grabbed it by the throat and been very, very impressive for a rookie.”
Yep.
Watch this:
If you can come off the bench, play that type of defense on the wing, then hit a transition three going the other way, you’re going to earn a lot of minutes on a Brett Brown-coached team.
It’s nice to see someone come in and fire away, especially considering the fact that the Sixers really struggled to get anything from the bench through the early part of last season.
Other notes:
Meek Mill rang the bell. Whatever. I’ve been over Meek for months now.
I didn’t even mention Embiid’s 30 points, 12 rebounds, 4 assists, and 3 blocks. He only turned the ball over twice.
Ben Simmons had a really nice night defensively and can be a top-five defender in the league. He moves his feet with such efficiency in 1v1 matchups.
the foul on the big Embiid block in the second quarter was not a foul
Ron Brooks always does a fantastic job with the national anthem
the new sound system at the Center is good, felt like there was more “clarity” to the stuff coming out of the speakers
Ryan Arcidiacono got a nice shout from the fans
Amir Johnson might not have a lot left in the tank. I wonder if backup big is going to be an issue for the Sixers this year.
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