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#i mentioned this in last weeks lost media post
sleepanonymous · 2 months
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Volume Warning! This is a very low-quality recording and it is fairly loud.
I had reservations and anxiety about sharing this one because it's a duet (if you know you know), but also I don't think this came from YouTube like most of the other lost media. Even so, it's one of my favorite of Ves's old recordings.
@moonchild-in-blue and @tonguetyd this one's for you (because I'd do anything for my mutuals🖤)
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aether-starlight · 2 months
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Silence - Zayne
Pairing: Zayne x Reader
Warnings: Minor injury, grief, brief mention of addiction.
Summary: After avoiding Zayne for some time, a situation arises where you are left with no choice but to see him.
Word Count: 1.5K
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Anyone who knew you for long enough was aware of how much you disliked uncomfortable silences.
You always felt the urge to ease tense atmospheres, to build a bridge between opposing sides.
When Caleb had gone through that rebellious stage most teenagers seemed to experience at some point, you had been the mediator between him and Grandma.
Piercings were allowed after hours of soothing and convincing. Hunter's training had been authorized despite the fear of losing someone precious, accepting their freedom to choose.
Now, as Zayne placed careful stitches on your right cheek, you came to realize that you couldn’t be a person and a bridge at the same time.
He was upset, it was clear in the tense set of his jaw, the closed-off gaze he regarded you with, strictly medical in his evaluation of your injuries.
You know I’ll wait for you, you said the last time you saw him.
And yet, you had rescheduled appointments for later dates and avoided places you knew he’d probably be in.
You had been off social media in case he uploaded one of his rare posts, probably a disappointed restaurant review, or a reminder to his patients.
You had waited for anything he had been willing to give. A text, a call. But none had come, and it made you both furious and heartbroken.
No, you couldn’t be a bridge with Zayne.
You couldn’t stand in the middle. To have his affection but not his trust, a door only opened by halfs.
You would have all of him or nothing at all.
Of course, life, being such a poor comedian, had soon decided otherwise.
That Wanderer had gotten you good.
You had lost focus, too worried about watching over the kid hiding under a desk at your back to dodge long, sharp limbs.
Now your face was colored in shades of purple and blue, with the gash running down your cheek taking the price.
The receptionist knew who your head doctor was, and had almost screamed Zayne’s name into the phone when you accidentally scattered drops of blood at the edge of her desk.
You had been mid-apology when he stormed out of his office, quieting you with a single look.
Now, the atmosphere was certainly uncomfortable as he barely uttered a word beyond instructions of turning your head or how to care for the wound for the following weeks.
Silence had been filled with words that in the end felt hollow.
But now he was done, and his hand was still gently cradling your unharmed cheek, tilting your injured side to the light.
The scent of blood and antiseptic dimmed beneath the freshly washed clothes and lavender, coming from the sleeve of his white coat.
He called your name. You winced lightly at the repetition of your earlier mistake.
Zoning out was a matter of life or death in your daily life, and lately, you had been at odds without it.
“When was the last time you slept through the night?”
“You know I haven’t for a while now,” you replied quietly, gaze downcast.
Nightmares plagued you still. It was hard to disconnect from a job that required you to be in a constant state of alert.
His grip slid to your upper arm, a gentle pressure over your half-singed sleeve. You were lucky. So incredibly lucky to be alive.
“Why didn’t you make an appointment? I could have prescribed you a sleep-inducer.”
Your gaze darted to your lap, hands trembling, with uneven nails and scratched knuckles.
What a mess.
“I have an appointment.”
“A month due,” he chastised. “Do not think I am unaware that you rescheduled it.”
Your hands closed into fists as you finally met his eyes.
“You know why I did that.”
This time he was the one to look away.
“Do you wish for me to refer you?” A muscle twitched in his jaw.
You gritted your teeth, something half grieving-half furious stinging behind your eyes.
“I don’t.”
His hand was still on your arm and you could not figure out for the life of you why that was.
He sighed, weaker the longer he stared into your eyes. He had been told more than once that his evol was perfect for him. Cold as ice.
If he was ice, then you were the sunlight that slowly thawed it, changed it into something warmer, more adaptable.
A light that had come so close to being snuffed out.
Before he knew it, his forehead was pressed to yours, eyes closed as he basked in the darkness your conjoined shapes cast, the scent of you beneath all the grime and blood, of jasmine and warmth.
“I’m sorry,” he choked out.
Your lips pressed together, and your face contracted in that unflattering way it does when one is holding back tears.
“Why would you suggest that?” Your voice was small, betrayed. His sudden closeness surprised you, mostly because of the way your body reacted, pliant as an addict at the hint of temptation.
Zayne leaned back, cupping the back of your neck, running his thumb down the line of your jaw.
The low temperature of his hand soothed your heated skin, carefully pressed to the swollen and bruised areas.
“Perhaps it is because I don’t like seeing you hurt.”
You smiled, but it was humorless, wincing when it pulled at your stitches.
“It’s in the job description, unfortunately.”
Contradicting emotions bloomed within his gaze.
Repentance, relief, open and closed. His heart was a room you liked to peer into before the door slammed shut.
Someone knocked, coming in only to halt at your presence. A male doctor stood by the door. He seemed to be around Zayne’s age.
Surprisingly enough, Zayne didn’t pull away, keeping his hand where it was, now pressing his thumb beneath your ear.
The young doctor—Greyson, guided by his name tag—, gaped at the sutures on your cheek. Or perhaps at the rainbow of bruises marring your face.
You winced, an uncomfortable feeling spreading at the pit of your stomach. It was strange to be seen in such a vulnerable state by a complete stranger.
Noticing your discomfort, Zayne shifted to partially hide you from view.
“Yes?” He asked frigidly.
You often forgot how cold he could be. It was a pleasing contrast to how soft he was only for you; and a painful reminder of everything he had been through.
Getting information about Zayne’s past from his own lips was a challenging task. The few times he shared his experience as a combat medic and missions at Mount Eternal had been in an attempt to comfort you.
Doctor Grayson relayed information concerning a patient’s health improvement, placing a file on Zayne’s desk.
“I’ll see to their discharge,” he said, not turning until Grayson had shut the door behind him.
You felt yourself sag in relief, leaning forward until your forehead was pressed to his shoulder, eyes closed.
Lavender and antiseptic surrounded you, held you in the present, and kept your feet rooted to the Earth.
It was only once you felt the growing dampness on his coat, that you realized you were crying, shoulders shaking beneath his touch.
Zayne let out a low sound from the back of his throat, something sorry and tender.
“Why the tears, sweetheart?”
Pulling back, you roughly ran the back of your hands to your cheeks.
“I don’t know,” you admitted in a croaky voice. “I guess I’m just tired.”
Zayne’s gaze was soft as he grabbed your wrists, pulling them down to wipe your tears himself, with slow swipes of his thumbs.
Unable to meet his eyes, your attention drifted to the movement of his fingers, lithe and steady.
One day you had arrived for a check-up and his hands were littered with scars, a shade lighter than his skin.
You had ran the tips of your fingers over them, traced their rise and fall, felt the echo of his evol against your own, something sorrowful and guarded.
He had let out a derisive comment, something about his hands being no longer useful for anything but surgery.
Now, as they cradled your face so carefully, you couldn’t help but strongly disagree.
“Zayne,” you murmured, finally meeting his gaze.
Beneath your damp lashes, your eyes were red. Your hair could have used a comb, and your clothes were half charred. Not to mention the sorry state of your face.
And yet, to Zayne you had never been so dignified. A hunter in your own right, you were the one he bowed to as you bled. The one he thought of when pondering salvation.
You took the pain meant for others and crafted it into something else, something pure and meaningful.
When he answered, he was half ashamed to admit that his voice came out pliant and quiet.
“Yes, sweetheart?”
Your features were open and docile, something he was still too afraid to inspect. It opened the scars of the past, yearned for you to see them, hold them closed between your fingers.
“Can I crash here?”
His eyes darted to the painfully white couch you were meant to lie on if you did, then studied the grime and blood in your hunter uniform.
Lastly, he thought of the pile of clinical notes that awaited him.
He was a weak, weak man.
“Of course. I’ll wake you when I finish.”
The smile you offered him was nothing short of dazzling, even when toned down by your injury.
“Then your place?”
He flicked your chin, oddly playful.
“My place,” he confirmed.
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vanwritesfan-fiction · 9 months
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Special Guest
Pairings: Husband!Dad!Travis Kelce x Wife!Mom!Reader
Words: 1,816
Warnings: Fluff, mentions of pregnancy
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“You nervous, boo?” Travis gives you a smack on your ass as you both walk into his home office. You sit down behind the podcast setup he uses to record New Heights every week, adjusting in your seat. “You haven’t told me what we’re doing, so I’m not sure what I should be nervous about.” You adjusted to sit criss cross in the armchair, running your hands through your hair to put it up in a ponytail. The setup was pretty sophisticated, two mics set up in front of the chairs, a large monitor across the room so you could see yourself as you recorded, picture-in-picture, so you could see Jason when he called in remotely.
Jason and Travis had been recording this podcast for just under a year, and you had admired from afar, proud that Trav had something productive to do when he wasn’t playing football. Your husband had boundless amounts of energy, and if he wasn’t doing the podcast, he’d probably be trying to start and not complete projects around the house, driving you up the wall. You eyed a half-built bookshelf across the room that Travis swore up and down he was going to complete, but if you put a book on it, it would crumble into a pile of wood. Travis conferenced Jason in, the background of his stone fireplace and leather chair coming into view. “Hello, love!”, you greeted Jason, who gave you a big smile.
“Hey, sweetheart, how ya doing?” Jason stroked his long, dark brown beard. “I’d be better if you told me what I was doing here today.” You gave Jason a coercing look, and he folded immediately. “Travis had the idea to interview you on the podcast, get the NFL wife perspective.” You looked at Travis as he walked back into the room, Travis frozen in place at the sight of your angry face. “Jason spilled the beans, huh?” Travis handed you headphones and you carefully placed them over your ears. You rolled your eyes at Travis, not sure how this was going to go. You’d already been the target of ridicule when Travis lost a game before, fans blaming you for his lackluster performance. Travis moved to stand over you in the chair, towering over you, his hands gripping the chair on either side of you. Jason was 6’5”, his frame intimidating to many people, but everyone knew you were running the show here. Travis tried to lean in for a kiss, but you turned your head away, earning a chuckle from Jason on the screen.
You crossed your arms to let Travis know you weren’t happy with him. “Listen baby, this is just supposed to be fun. We’ll ask a few questions, tell a few cute stories and it will be over.” Travis looked at you with pleading eyes, your resolve weakening. “T, just last week someone posted on Instagram that me not letting you hit before game day was hurting your receiving yards. I don’t need any other rumors spreading about me.” “If I hear or see anything like that again, I will personally kick their ass.” You thought about it for a second before agreeing. Travis gave you two quick kisses, trying to tickle you to get you to smile. “Stop Travis,” you swatted him away, giggling. “Can you get me a bottle of water before we start” you asked. “Of course, boo.” Travis walked out of the room. “You have got that boy whipped,” Jason laughed after seeing his brother begging for your approval. “I know”, you shrugged, a smirk on your face.
Travis: Welcome back to New Heights baby, presented by Wave Sports and Entertainment and brought to you by our friends at Fireball. The pound-for-pound undisputed best shot of the world. I’m your host, Travis Kelsey and this is my big brother Jason Kelsey out of Cleveland Heights Ohio. New Heights comes to you every single Wednesday or whenever we can get an episode to you. And um, yeah, subscribe on YouTube and wherever you get your podcasts and follow the show on all social media platforms at new heights show with one s.
Jason: Today we have a very special episode, and a very special guest. Travis why don’t you introduce her?
T: Yes, to my left, we have the love of my life, the mother of my two beautiful children, and a 5-year NFL wife veteran, Y/N? How is it going, baby boo?
Y/N: Thank you both for having me, glad to be here. Jason, have you subjected Kylie to this torture yet?
J: (chuckles) not yet, but if this goes well, she’ll definitely be next.
T: This is going to go great! Alright now. First up, we had some fans submit in some questions for you babe, so let’s get into that.
Y/N: Okay, let’s do it.
T: Ok, this is from KCFan1993. “What is your favorite and least favorite part of being an NFL wife?”
J: Least favorite has to be being married to Travis right? You can admit it on the podcast, this is a safe space.
Y/N: (laughs) Fortunately that’s not it, although that would be satisfying to admit here. Uh… least favorite is probably the amount of time we spend away from each other. I’m like a single mother half of the year, taking care of the kids while Travis is on the road.
T: The best mother in the world.
Y/N: Thank you baby. Yeah, that’s probably the worst part. Now the best part is that you get to love and be with someone who is fulfilling their lifelong dream, and it’s such an amazing thing to be part of. T is always so supportive of me and what I want to do, and we are a great team.
T: Aww, thank you baby. Can I tell you the best part of being married to you?
Y/N: If you say what I think you’re about to say, we can end this interview now.
T: (wiggles eyebrows, laughs) Yeah, that is what I was thinking, but I will say you have such a good soul and spirit. Not many people could handle the demands of the NFL, and you do it with such grace and poise.
J: Totally agree. Not sure what I would do without Kylie in my life.
Y/N: Ok, next question, you guys are making me tear up.
T: Alright, next is from Cheeselover55.
Y/N: Great username!
T: “What is your favorite NFL game memory?”
Y/N: Ooh, there have been so many, not sure I can pinpoint one.
T: It’s not me winning the Superbowl?
Y/N: That was definitely amazing, but it’s almost other-worldly. My favorite memory was when we took Bubba to his first football game where he could actually understand a little bit of what was going on, he was maybe three at the time. You unfortunately lost the game, and we met you in the tunnel. You picked him up.
T: Fuck, (laughs) I remember this.
Y/N: Yeah, and he could tell you were sad, and he just grabbed your face with both of his little hands, and was like “Daddy, did you lose?” and you were like “yeah Bubba we lost” and he just looks at you and is like “that’s sad, can we go get ice cream now?”
J: (laughs) Are you kidding me?!? Bubba is officially my favorite after that story.
T: Well, he hurt my feelings, but yeah he is the goat. He does not give a shit about anything that doesn’t have to do food, Paw Patrol, or mama. He knows his priorities.
J:It might change when the new baby gets here-
T: Well fuck Jason, we hadn’t told anyone yet!
J: Whoops, so sorry Y/N! I am the worst uncle, announcing your 3rd child on the podcast.
Y/N: You know what, I’m glad I didn’t have to be the one to announce it.
T: Well, since Jason can’t keep his mouth shut.
J: Again, really sorry!
T: We’ve got New News! Yes, we are officially announcing that we are pregnant with our third child, a girl expected in about 5 months.
J: (claps) Congratulations you two. Couldn’t be more excited to welcome another Kelce to the family.
Y/N: Thank you Jason. We’re really excited.
J: So how is this pregnancy the third time around? Kylie was so glad when Bennie was born because she was like “I’m done. Wrap it up, snip it up, whatever you have to do because I will not birth another child.”
Y/N: (laughs) I definitely was like that when I was having Bubba. I literally kicked Travis out of the room and told him don’t come back until you had a vasectomy.
T: I left the room and didn’t come back until the doctor told me to.
Y/N: I still feel bad about that, because as soon as Bubba was 9 months, I wanted more kids. We waited luckily but I was trying to jump his bones way earlier.
T: Alright now, that’s enough of that!
Y/N: Don’t get shy now baby! I’m enjoying myself now.
T: Sorry babe they only give us so many minutes to record.
J: Travis is like cut the cameras, cut the cameras!
T: Thanks for tuning in, and thanks to our special guest. (claps)
J: All right, now once again, new heights is presented by Wave Sports and Entertainment and brought to you by our friends at Fireball. Follow the show on all social media platforms, new Height Show with ONE S for fun clips throughout the week and thanks to our production for making us look good, we’re really gonna need you for this win. Please love you guys and appreciate the 92% for always tuning in.
T: Until the next time, baby, peace!
Once the cameras stopped recording and Jason had said goodbyes, Travis looked at you, waiting for your response. The baby monitor went off before you could respond, your second child letting you know she was ready to get out of her crib. You scooted yourself out of the chair, your back hurting from sitting for an hour. You walked out of the room, Travis walking close behind you. He saw you holding your back and wanted to give you some relief. “Baby, let’s take a nap, I can give you a back rub.” “I’ve got to grab Sav, she’s gonna want to have lunch.” “I’ll grab her.” Travis disappeared into Savannah’s nursery, emerging from the room with Savannah in his arms. They followed you into the bedroom, Travis making sure you were tucked in and comfortable. “Are you mad at me?” You reached for Savannah, plopping her down on the bed beside you. You looked up at Travis with kind eyes. “Of course, not baby. I had a lot of fun actually. “Can’t wait to do it again!”
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fanficimagery · 10 months
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The Lost Girl
You just wanted to travel and forget all about the drama you left behind. You didn't expect to fall in with four boys who would become another family. Maybe more.
[Part One of Three]
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AUTHOR'S NOTE: I'm- I'm alive? Surprise! I'm still in a bit of a pickle with where I want part two to go, but I figured if I post this now then I can't back out and delete it. I need your help, but I'll ask at the bottom so I won't spoil this.
Words: 7.9K
Santa Carla is the total opposite of Mystic Falls and you couldn't have loved it here more if you tried. You grew up with pageants and balls and trying to stay at the top of the popularity totem pole, but you secretly loathed every second of it. Not to mention your sister was a beacon for the supernatural, attracting vampires like no one's business, which eventually led to you getting caught in the crossfire and being turned at the ripe age of twenty.
Stefan Salvatore did his best to teach you how to feed and control your blood lust, but his techniques just weren't cutting it for you. So Damon took over, leading Bonnie, Matt, Elena, Jeremy, and Tyler deeming you untrustworthy. You don't know why they disliked your friendship with Damon so much, but their wariness of you only grew when you eventually befriended the Original Vampires that once sought to kill you, your family, and friends.
The last straw was when everyone started fighting over a cure for vampirism. They all thought there was enough of the cure to go around for all those who wanted it, but nope. There was only a single dose, and both Elena and Rebekah wanted it. So when you saw the lines being drawn, you packed a couple of bags and left to see the world.
The only person who knew of your travel plans were, surprisingly, Elijah and Klaus. Elijah was sad to see you go, especially since you were one of the only ones who he could trust, but Klaus was all for you seeing the world and experiencing life as you should have. You were more than content compelling your way through the trip, but the Mikaelson's were having none of that and gave you a card to use since they amassed a ridiculous amount of money over the years.
After deleting all social media, with the exception of a traveling Instagram account that was newly made, you bought a new phone and only gave your new number to Elijah and Klaus. You traveled abroad first, touring the most beautiful cities, museums, and seeing every landmark you could. You kept the Mikaelson brothers in the loop about everything that they sometimes surprised you by showing up for a week before flying back home.
For a year you saw all you could and then headed back to the States. You wanted nothing to do with Mystic Falls, Virginia, so you settled in California. Santa Carla was the most nitty gritty town you'd ever seen, and it was the last place anyone in your family would expect for you to stay in.
It was perfect.
With a new hotel having been built in Santa Carla, you compelled yourself one of the suites indefinitely. You didn't want to purchase a house in case you needed to up and leave, and having a housekeeper stop by weekly was perfect.
You stood out amongst the locals of Santa Carla, it seeming like everyone walking around either had some crazy hairstyle, hair color, or numerous piercings. And then there was you, skin untouched and the only piercings you had being those in your ears.
So after a week of settling in and compelling those who needed compelling, you finally decided to hit the infamous boardwalk.
The boardwalk, for some reason, feels like you've stepped into the past. Could be because of the music playing or the way everyone dressed, but you know you didn't actually slip into the past given the cell phones in people's hands or air pods in people's ears. The bells, whistles, and flashing lights make you giddy, taking you back to a time when you were excited as a child to be attending the annual fair Mystic Falls put on, but the attendees were the total opposites of those you'd find in Mystic Falls.
The employees in charge of the various game booths attempt to entice you to play, but you rather spend your cash at the crafts section of the boardwalk. There was no use in paying for a rigged game that made sure you lost ninety percent of the time when you could buy handmade crafts and help support someone's living.
After buying some handmade jewelry and a couple of shirts, you decide to eat. There's a Chinese place that smells marvelous as you stroll by, so you turn back around and enter the establishment. And then almost as soon as you're seated, a waitress comes by to take your drink order. You quickly skim the menu as she gets your drink, then order a bowl of Hot and Sour soup, a plate of Chicken LoMein, two egg rolls, and a pan of fried dumplings. The waitress seems impressed, and you merely laugh it off before sipping your Coke.
As you wait for your food, you grab a napkin and start ripping it apart piece by piece as you stare out the window you'd chosen to sit by. People pass by, uncaring for what's going on in the small restaurant, but then there are two boys that you just so happen to clash gazes with. Both fit with the eighties aesthetic- one with wildly tamed blonde hair that only a true rocker could pull off and the other with a dirty blonde, curly mullet. Both hairstyles are wildly out of place, even if they're trying to make a comeback now, but fortunately for the boys they can pull it off.
"Hey, chika, you want some company?" The blonde with the teased hair shouts so you can hear him through the window.
Holding back a wince at his loud volume, you shake your head. "Maybe next time!"
"Aw. Come on, babe. You're breaking my heart!" He pouts, even as his friend smirks behind his fist.
You shrug, grinning, but are saved from having to interact any further when the waitress appears with your food. As the food is set in front of you and you thank her, you glance at the boys one last time while giving them a wink before digging in.
You casually devour your food bit by bit, asking for a refill on your Coke only once. Then when you've had your fill, you ask for your leftovers to be boxed up. And as you walk outside, you hand said leftovers to a couple of teens digging through a trash can.
Walking around, you soak in the night time atmosphere. The sweat from the humans and the oil used to deep fry all sorts of food is rather distracting from the ocean scented air wafting in, but none of it is as distracting as the copper smell you pick up on one particular gust of wind. There doesn't seem to be any panic-induced mayhem on the boardwalk, so you figure someone must have cut themselves and is getting bandaged up.
A diner further down the boardwalk advertises milkshakes on its main window, and suddenly a strawberry milkshake sounds superb. So after making a quick trip inside to secure yourself a milkshake, you're back on the boardwalk once again.
No one has bothered you the entire time, but the moment you perch yourself on the railing to sip and people watch, one confident individual saunters towards you. It hardly takes you two seconds to realize this individual is in his teens obviously thinking you're a teen as well. But given you were twenty when you were turned and have spent a few years undead, you're so not interested in whatever this boy has to offer.
Before the individual can open his mouth, you hold a hand up to stall him and shake your head. "Stop right there. Not interested."
The boy's expression drops into shock before quickly morphing back into his too confident persona. "Aw, come on, girl. You look like you're in need of some fun."
"I am, but you need to be at least this tall-" you say while holding your free hand at least a foot above his head, "-for me to ride that ride."
There's a snort to your right, but you ignore it, even ignoring the presence that jumps onto the railing next to you before sliding their arm around your shoulder. "Sorry, kid. Maybe the next girl you hit on won't have a height requirement."
There's even more laughter and the boy rethinks his approach before scoffing and leaving. You grin, wrapping your lips around the straw of your milkshake and turning your head to your new companions. "Blondies one and two," you muse. "To what do I owe the pleasure?"
"Just thought we'd play knight in shining armor," blondie one says. "I'm Paul. My friend is Marko."
"YN.."
Paul practically vibrates with energy. "So do I meet your height requirements?"
You laugh, uncaring when he steals your milkshake to sip from. "You may meet the height requirement, but I don't go for blondes. Sorry."
"Aw, chika, you wound me!" He feigns his hurt, holding a hand to his heart as you take your milkshake back. Marko can only laugh, shoving at his friend's shoulder when he leans a little too far his way. Once he corrects himself, he doesn't remove himself from your side. "So what's a pretty girl like you doing here all alone? Waiting for friends? Family?"
"Ugh, no." Your nose wrinkles. "Too much family drama for my tastes so I've been traveling the world for a little over a year now. Santa Carla seems like the least likely of places my family would think to look for me, so I'm staying as long as I can."
Marko seems interested as he leans around Paul to ask, "What's been your favorite place so far?"
"Tromsø, Norway," you reply.
"Why?"
"Because ever since I was a little girl, I've been obsessed with the aurora borealis. It's the best place to view it."
"Cool."
"Where are you staying?" Paul asks. "Maybe we can have a party one of these nights."
"Doubtful. I'm staying in a hotel suite and I have a feeling partying with you would lead to my place being trashed. No thanks."
Marko smirks. "Smart girl."
You grin and sip your milkshake as Marko comes around to lean against the railing on your other side. They ask some more about the places you've been, and you don't know what comes over you that you feel comfortable enough with these two to regale them with your tales of travel. In return, Marko and Paul tell you about themselves and their two other brothers. They tell you that they're all not originally from Santa Carla, but ended up finding each other throughout the years and made their own family unit in town.
Then just as you hop down to throw away your empty cup, the crowd seems to part as two individuals approach. Another blondie with a mullet and a brunette whose hair is almost as wild as Paul's. You can't tear your eyes from the brunette who is all too comfortable going shirtless with nothing but a weathered leather jacket hanging off his frame and some snug fitting jeans.
"Oh, I see how it is." Paul muses in your ear. "You like 'em dark haired."
You throw your elbow back, tearing your gaze away from the brunette in front of you to smirk over your shoulder at Paul when he grunts. Marko snickers at his brother's misfortune. "YN, this is David and Dwayne."
Both the new blondie and brunette nod at you, and you flash them back a faint smile. You're quick to toss your trash, then head back to your new friends. "Well, it was nice meeting you boys, but I should get going."
"Aw, come on, girlie. Hang for a bit more," Paul pleads, but you shake your head.
"Maybe next time."
"Will there actually be a next time or are you gently letting us down?" Marko wonders.
Your eyes roll. "We've only just met and you're already clingy?" You tut at him. Marko gapes and you wink at him. "Yes, there will be a next time. At least there will be if we cross paths again."
"We'll take that," Paul says. He slings an arm around Marko and smiles. "See you around, girlie."
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The next afternoon, you decide to have some fun in the sun. You spend the early afternoon in your room, ordering room service and having a nice steak and fry lunch. While eating, you post a few pictures you snapped of the boardwalk nightlife, ferris wheel, and carousel all lit up. Then afterwards, you dress in a bikini before pulling on a pair of jeans shorts and a tank top. Only after slipping your feet into a pair of flip-flops do you pack a backpack with a beach towel, your phone, sunglasses, and some cash before taking your leave.
You're surprised to find that the beach isn't packed, so you pick a spot on the beach to lay out your towel and backpack. You spend a bit of time searching for sand dollars and shells, then go swimming in the ocean. Afterwards, you lay out on your towel with your sunglasses shielding your eyes. You doze on and off, and then just as the sun is setting you start to get up.
Shaking off your beach towel, you get rid of all the sand before folding it and shoving it into your backpack with your clothes. Then heading over to the beach showers, you rinse off all the sand and ocean water, and let yourself dry in the lingering sun rays before slipping your shorts back on.
In the middle of choosing what to eat, you hear catcalls and wolf whistles. You try to ignore it, hoping they're directed to someone else, but nope. They're directed at you. However, when you turn to glare and give the boys a piece of your mind, you find Paul and Marko beaming at you with their other brothers Dwayne and David just watching on.
Your glare vanishes and you roll your eyes as you slowly untense. "Do you guys have nothing better to do than check out girls on the boardwalk?"
"Nope." Paul hops off his bike and practically skips towards you. "What are you doing?"
"Heading to dinner. I spent most of the day on the beach so I'm starving."
"Ohhhh. What are we having?"
"I'm having pizza and wings. If you want to tag along, you buy your own."
"Done." He turns around and shouts, "Come on, boys. We're getting pizza!"
You shake your head and greet Marko when he approaches, smiling at the other two who have yet to speak up. Paul takes the lead and you walk side by side with Marko. The pizza place isn't far and you all head inside. You place your order first- a medium Hawaiian and a side order of boneless honey bbq wings. You accept your number tag after paying and then wait for your new friends to order as well. Then once they've got their own number tag, Paul leads the way to a large booth meant for a large group at the back.
Paul and Marko slide into opposite sides of the booth, and it only takes you a second to scoot in next to Marko before placing your bag at your feet. Paul gasps and you chuckle. "What? Marko seems less likely to continuously elbow me as I try to eat."
"That's cold, girl."
You wink at Paul and are surprised when Dwayne scoots in on your other side. David settles in next to Paul and his ice blue eyes practically pierce you. "So what's a girl like you doing out here all alone?"
"You mean Paul didn't tell you?"
"I'm asking you."
The coolness of his voice makes you arch an eyebrow at him, but Paul's snickering keeps you at ease. So in the end, you shrug. "My siblings and I weren't seeing eye to eye for a while. I had some money put away to take a trip out of the States, but my new found family wasn't having any of that and gave me access to their money. I've traveled for a year before coming back, staying in a place furthest from my hometown."
"Parents?"
"Dead." Paul's smile falters and you kick him under the table. "None of that. It's been a while. It's fine."
"How did it happen?" Marko asks.
You face him briefly before saying, "My sister had a fight with her boyfriend and asked our parents to pick her up from a party. They did, but on the way back home my dad somehow lost control of the car and drove off a bridge. A bystander found them, but by the time he dove under water, my dad made the bystander get my sister out first. My parents ended up drowning."
"Do you have plans on returning?"
"Eventually." Just then a waitress stops by to deliver your drinks. You grin as Paul immediately starts flirting, sipping your Coke as the waitress blushes and stutters before leaving. "These poor Santa Carla girls have no idea how to handle you, do they?"
"Not a clue."
As Marko and Paul laugh, you shake your head rather fondly. You don't know what it is about this group that makes you feel at ease with them, but you're glad to have some people to talk to while you're in town. Another group enters the establishment, a little unruly as they find themselves a table. One of them catches your gaze and you grimace when you notice him leering at you.
Feeling a little exposed, you reach for your bag under the table and pull free your tank top. You quickly pull it on and then free your phone while waiting for your food, not paying much attention to Dwayne who's shifting in his seat next to you. You do, however, notice when something is dropped on your shoulders and realize Dwayne has given up his jacket.
You freeze and quickly glance up at Dwayne, taking a moment to stare at all the bronze skin now on display, but his glare is directed at the table of troublemakers who are snickering among each other. "Uhh.."
"Just wear it."
"Okay."
Those are the first three words Dwayne has spoken to you and you absolutely do not shiver at the sound of his voice. Paul, Marko, and even David sense something else and you flip them off after slipping your arms through the sleeves of Dwayne's jacket. Then just as you go to sip on your drink, your phone starts ringing with a video call.
Big Bad Wolf, complete with a wolf emoji, is stamped across the top of your phone above a picture of a smirking Klaus. "Uhh, do you guys mind if I accept this?"
"Go ahead, girlie."
You accept the call, keeping it so that only you're on screen. "What do you want?"
"Is that any way to talk to me, love?" You roll your eyes, grinning, and Klaus chuckles. "What are you doing?"
"Uhh, I'm out to dinner with some new friends," you say.
"You've already made friends?"
"Mhm. Look." You turn so Marko is in frame. "This is Marko." Marko grins and nods. Then you flip the camera and catch Paul. "This is Paul and David is next to him, but David is glaring at me. I'm pretty sure he'd kill me if I put him on camera."
Klaus chuckles. "Fair enough."
"And then this.." You glance at Dwayne, but he merely arches an eyebrow at you. You grin and turn the camera on him. "This is Dwayne."
A split second later and then, "No."
"W-What?" You splutter. Paul and Marko choke on a laugh, and finally both David and Dwayne smirk. "What do you mean no?"
"Elijah!"
Your eyes widen. "Why are you calling 'lijah? Don't call 'lijah!"
Elijah appears next to Klaus and you groan. "Go on, sweetheart. Put your friend on."
"Marko? Or Paul?"
"Don't play dumb."
You grumble and put Dwayne on camera. "Absolutely not," Elijah says.
"You guys are embarrassing," you grumble. "He's literally only said three words to me."
"Mhm. And whose jacket are you wearing?" Klaus asks.
You pout. "I hate you." Just then you catch sight of two waitresses coming with your pizza. "Oh, look. Food's here! I'll talk to you gentlemen later."
"YN-"
"I'm fine, Klaus. I'm okay and I'm happy. I promise."
"Well okay then. Call me back when you get to your room."
"Will do, big bad wolf. Talk to you later."
You end the call just as a pizza is being placed in front of Paul and Marko, then yours is placed in front of you, and then another is placed in front of David and Dwayne. You're handed your boneless wings, and you happily wiggle in your seat. You're starving!
After you take your first bite of the sweet Hawaiian pizza, David asks, "So was that your boyfriend?"
"Ew. No." Your nose wrinkles and you quickly swallow your bite of food. "Klaus and Elijah are like my older brothers. They're the two who are funding my whole trip."
"They sound fancy with those posh accents of theirs," Paul muses.
"They are fancy," you admit. "They host balls and everything. I seriously hated wearing those dresses with a poofy skirt. They're so uncomfortable to sit in."
"No way!" Paul laughs.
"Mhm. Look."
As you eat some more of your food one-handed, you open the photos app on your phone and seek out the album from all the parties you attended. You hand your phone over to Paul, and Marko actually leans across the table to get a glimpse of the life you left behind.
As the two of them swipe picture after picture, laughing, you eat in peace. You even crack a grin when Dwayne picks off your tray of boneless wings, chuckling when he tells you it's payment for wearing his jacket. You end up having to tell the boys who is who every time they ask and deny any romantic relationship accusations when a picture of you dancing with Damon pops up. You admit he was a good friend up until his feelings for your sister clouded his judgment and you'd had enough of their drama.
Dinner proceeds uninterrupted, but it's when you get up to leave that the table of troublemakers from earlier causes an issue. With Dwayne's jacket returned to him, you follow the group as David leads the way out. You've just passed the table of leering individuals when a loud smack! resonates in the room and a brief stinging pain blossoms on your butt. You freeze, your new friends freeze, and then you're whirling around to glare at the culprit. You slowly look at the smug individual as his friends cackle like morons.
Anger flaring, your hand whips out and grasps the guy by the back of the neck. You slam his head down onto the table, causing him to grunt and his friends to fall quiet. You lean down so your mouth is next to his ear and grit out, "Touch me again and I'll rip your fucking throat out." You put pressure on his neck, causing the table to groan under the weight of the pressure. "With my teeth," you hiss. Pushing off the too quiet guy and facing your new friends once more, you shrug. "What?"
David, Dwayne, Marko, and Paul just stare at you before chuckling.
"You're scary, girl. I like it."
With a roll of your eyes, you step forward and push past Paul. "Come on. Show me what Santa Carla has to offer."
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Over the course of a week, you hang out with who the locals have dubbed the Lost Boys. Paul and Marko treat you like a long lost best friend, Dwayne has taken to hovering over your shoulder, and David is pretty indifferent to your presence although he will stand up for you if need be. Your senses tell you there's something off about the boys, but you don't realize what it is until you scent the coppery fragrance of blood coming off of them one night they're late to meet you.
If they're vampires, they must be vampires who don't know who the Mikaelsons are because none of them recognized the family in your pictures. But you don't call them out, nor do you hint about yourself, at least not until you're walking on the beach one night and your senses are assaulted with the scent of a lot of blood and screams off in the distance.
Glancing around, you notice the boardwalk is empty and shutting down. The beach where you're at is empty as well, and as you speed towards the sound of terror, your suspicions are proven correct about the Lost Boys.
They're unlike any vampires you've seen, more brutal in their feeding than even the Big Bad Hybrid himself. Their vampire visages showcase a true monster, but for some reason it doesn't bother you as it probably should. They're sinking their fangs into necks, shoulders, torsos, and even skulls, laughing all the while their victims scream in horror.
In their feeding frenzy, they don't notice you standing just on the outskirts of the firelight. Limbs are ripped from bodies before being tossed into the fire, blood spraying carelessly across the sand. But the moment the frenzy dies down, you can't help but make an entrance.
Slowly clapping, you smirk as all four vampires freeze and turn towards you as you walk into the light. David snarls, his monstrous face still on display as Paul and Marko quickly change their features. Their expressions are a bit crestfallen as you continue to find amusement in this situation, so you walk towards Dwayne who has gone stoic. "I get the bloodlust, but do you guys have to be such messy eaters? Gross." You wrinkle your nose as you kick an arm into the raging fire.
"W-What?" Paul splutters.
Looking back at Dwayne, you reach over and run a finger through the blood staining his chest. Then popping that same finger into your mouth, you wrap your tongue around your finger and savor the fresh blood now coating your tongue. You feel the veins beneath your eyes slither to the surface and your fangs elongate in your mouth. Then meeting Dwayne's gaze, you flash him a fangy grin. "I prefer to compel, eat, and release, but you do you I guess."
"Holy shit. You- you're a vampire?!"
Meeting Marko's stunned expression, you wink.
"You have a lot of explaining to do," David says.
"Sure." You meet his now ice-blue gaze. "But only after you clean up after yourselves. This," you say while gesturing to their dismembered victims, "is sloppy."
You watch as David oversees the cleanup of their little section of the beach, burning the bodies and kicking sand over the spilled blood. Afterwards, they all take a dip in the ocean to cleanse themselves of their meal.
On the way to their bikes which are parked just a bit down the beach, Paul asks, "So how old are you?"
"Which age are you referring to? The age I was when I was turned or how many years I've been a vampire?"
"Both."
"I was turned at twenty," you say, "and I've been a vampire for less than five years."
"No shit? How were you introduced to this world?"
"That.. is a very long story. Why don't we get someplace where I can actually tell it?"
As their bikes get nearer, you hiss at Paul when he pushes you in Dwayne's direction. Almost as if it was expected of you to ride with Dwayne, he settles on the seat of his bike before offering you a hand so you can situate yourself behind him.
Hanging on loosely, you enjoy the ride and take amusement in the sudden turns and jumps they take to try and startle you. But instead of being shaken, you merely laugh and pinch Dwayne's side when you're jostled too much.
The drive to the cliffs that you know to be Hudson's Bluff, overlooking the disgruntled sea, is rather short. You have a moment to glance down a rickety, wooden staircase before the group is driving down them one by one. You're jostled even more as the bike is driven over various rocks and through a gaping hole in the fence that's meant to keep trespassers out. They drive into a cave where the bikes are then parked, and you climb off to follow Paul down a very humid path.
Swiping cobwebs, vines, and roots out of the way, you're then led into a cavernous room. There are shafts of moonlight lighting up the space, and then Paul and Marko fire up barrels all around the space. The place is trashed, but you quickly realize it's not a normal cave. There's a sofa, chairs, and a broken water fountain. There's what appears to be a long counter- or was it a desk?- and a tattered portrait hanging behind it.
"What is this place?" You ask as you glance around in wonder. They obviously made it their own- seashells and broken CDs hanging from every place available, as well as hundreds of melted candles over every surface. You even spot a mattress, pillows, and blankets hidden behind some type of gauzy material.
"This was the hottest resort back in the day," David drawls. "Too bad they built it on a fault line though. When the big one hit San Francisco in 1906, this place took a header down into the ground when it split open. It's been our home ever since."
"Nice." You plop down on a couch, sighing as you stare at each boy. "So what do you wanna know?"
"Everything." David takes a seat on a wheelchair, staring right at you. "Start from the beginning."
"Fair enough. I was born and raised in Mystic Falls, Virginia to parents who ran their own business. I didn't want for anything and ended up being a letdown when I wasn't into pageants as my mother hoped I would be."
"Did your parents even die by drowning?" Marko asks.
"Yes. That was true," you tell him. "After their death, my aunt Jenna took in me, Elena, and Jeremy. Both my siblings grieved differently, but when the new school year started, my sister did a complete turnaround when Stefan Salvatore entered the picture."
"Why do I get the feeling this Salvatore dude is a major player in your story?" Paul asks.
"Because he is. Unbeknownst to any of us, Stefan Salvatore was vampire number one. He was drawn to Mystic Falls all because of my sister Elena."
"Why your sister?" Dwayne asks, startling you. He rarely spoke up, but when he did, you couldn't help but be drawn to him.
"Do you guys know what a doppelganger is?" At their nods, you explain. "Elena was the latest human doppelganger. The previous doppelganger, Katherine, toyed with two brothers back in 1864. The Salvatore brothers, to be exact."
"Shit." Paul giggles. "Talk about a vampire novella."
"Anyway, Katherine toyed with Damon's feelings and made him fall in love with her. When she tried the same with Stefan, he resisted so she compelled him to love her. And then when it came to light that there were many vampires in town, every vampire was rounded up, vervained, and anyone who associated with them were killed. As it just so happens, the Salvatore brothers' father found out his sons were romantically linked with Katherine, so he shot them. Unfortunately for him, Katherine had been feeding the boys her blood, so when they were killed, they didn't stay dead for long.
"Fast forward to the present time and both Salvatores are now salivating for the newest doppelganger. Only this time, Stefan has fallen in love with Elena without any compulsion, and so has Damon. Katherine's apparently been keeping tabs on the brothers and she's not happy that Elena has the love of the brothers."
David makes a motion with his hand to hurry you along. "How did you turn?"
"Katherine has made it her mission to make Elena's life a living hell, so what better way than to kill one of her best friends and older sister?"
Paul gapes. "You're joking."
"Nope. The crazy bitch fed me her blood before snapping my neck, then smothered Caroline who happened to have Damon's blood in her system. When we woke up in transition and fed on human blood to complete the transition, half of our friends turned on us. We had to rely on Damon and Stefan to teach us to control our bloodlust, but things were never the same. And to top it all off, learning to become a vampire was the least of our worries."
"What's more important than knowing you've died and have to kill people to survive?"
"How about that one of the Original vampires- who is over a thousand years old, by the way- needs the blood of a human doppelganger to break the curse on him, so he decides it's his turn to make your family's life hell as well?"
"Oh shit. What curse?" Paul asks.
You slowly smirk. "Niklaus Mikaelson is not just one of the original vampires, but he's the one and only original hybrid. He's half vampire, half wolf, and one of the most lethal individuals that still walks this earth."
The boys fall silent, but then Marko speaks up.
"Hold on. The dude funding your trip around the world is the same person who made your life a living hell?"
"Yep," you muse. "We were at each other's throats for the longest time, then his sister killed my sister which turned her into a vampire as well, and there was just a shit load more drama with doppelgangers, witches, werewolves, and hybrids." You shrug. "Elijah was never truly terrible, so I spoke more with him first, but then Klaus really took the brother role to heart. The Mikaelsons have kind of adopted me, and my siblings and friends didn't take too kindly to that. So, to avoid all the drama, I left. And now here I am."
For the rest of the late night and early morning, you answer all questions you can. Paul and Marko are interested to see the differences between you and them, but David and Dwayne are more interested in learning about the Original vampires and their unique differences. Their biggest hangup, however, is that the sun has no effect on you like it does them. Sure you both will catch on fire, but it doesn't pull you to sleep the day away like it does them. You're a bit jealous that they can fly, but you're so much faster than any of them.
The moment David mentions the impending sunrise is your cue to go, so you bid farewell to your friends before winking at Paul and disappearing before they can even blink.
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For the next couple of days, you keep yourself busy by running some errands for Klaus. You meet with vampires and piss off a couple of werewolf packs, but all in all the work gets done. You hadn't been able to keep in touch with the Lost Boys, so Paul and Marko whoop in cheer when they spot you.
"Well if it isn't Miss Mystic Falls," Paul muses. "Where the hell have you been, chika?"
"Sorry. Sorry!" You lean against the railing in between the group, grimacing. "I had a few things to do and since you're all allergic to modern technology, I couldn't text or call."
"Anything we need to know about?" David wonders.
Normally you'd say no, but Santa Carla is his territory and you don't want any bad blood with him. "Not really. I had a few things to pick up for Klaus and a few messages to deliver to some werewolf packs up North."
David frowns. "There are packs nearby?"
"The closest one is fifty miles out, but they're all pretty scared of Klaus and what he can do so they stay in line. If there's anything to worry about, it's any lone wolves who decide to take shelter in the woods around Hudson's Bluff and don't give a flying fuck about the Original Hybrid."
"Pft. We can take on a rogue werewolf if need be," Paul says.
"You say that now, but you won't be saying much when you get bitten by one. Remember, werewolf bites are lethal to us vampires." Paul's smugness dims. "Now who's good to eat around here? I didn't have time to grab some blood bags from the hospital."
"Stay away from the Surf Nazis," Dwayne says.
"Surf Nazis? What the hell kind of name is that?" Your nose wrinkles in distaste.
"A name that they've had since the eighties," Marko says. "It just stuck because they're still a bunch of racist and bigoted pricks."
"Fair enough. So, if I can't eat them, who can I eat?"
All four boys readily scan the crowd, excited at the prospect of picking your dinner.
"Do you have a preference? Male or female?" David asks.
"No junkies and I'm good with either male or female."
After mere seconds, David already has his pick. "On your three. Group of guys keep glancing this way. I'm pretty sure they're not checking Marko out."
You subtly glance at them and figure any one of them is good enough. "Alright. Since you guys are intimidating as fuck, you're gonna say goodbye and go do your own thing. Whoever approaches me first is dinner."
"Boo. You're no fun." Paul's the first hop off his bike, giving you a side hug. "We'll be watching from the roof."
"Of course you will." You roll your eyes, laughing.
Marko winks at you as he follows after Paul, David nods at you, but it's Dwayne who makes you arch an eyebrow at him as he glares at the group of guys before leaving. You chuckle at the oddness of it all before shaking it off and then pulling out your phone to kill some time.
It doesn't take long at all for someone to approach you and you easily fall into the role of the lone human girl way too easily. You chat for a bit and find out he's in fact in college, on break for a week and just looking for some fun. You tell him you're taking a gap year, just passing through Santa Carla and was hoping for some fun as well. His lecherous grin lets him know you have him on the hook.
"Wanna take a ride on the ferris wheel?" He asks.
"I'll do you one better. I say we visit an alley away from prying eyes without giving any ride operators an eye full."
"Oh, fuck yes."
Smirking in triumph, you hop off the railing and grab up the guy's hand. You briefly meet his friends' gaze before winking at them, leading their friend off to what they think is going to be a very good time. For you it will be, but for him? Not so much.
Once at an alley that doesn't have much traffic passing by either end, you lure the guy inside. In the middle of the alley, you turn so your back is against the wall and let him grab you by the hips. But as you cradle his face before he kisses you, you meet his gaze and say, "Don't scream. Don't fight. This will be painless."
The guy goes quiet, and you let your face change before his very eyes. He tenses, but he stays stock still without uttering a peep. Then reaching around to grasp the hair at the back of his head, you angle his head so you can sink your fangs into his neck. You drink and drink, satiating your thirst while listening for the first skip of his heart. When you've had enough, you clean his neck wound of any blood and then prick your tongue with a fang to smear your own blood on the bite wound. It heals after a minute, and you pull back to meet his gaze once more.
"When you get back to your friends, you're gonna be smug but also a little bit let down. Admit I'm the greatest kisser you've ever had, but before we could get to any of the good stuff, we were interrupted by a homeless couple."
"We were interrupted by a homeless couple," he parrots back.
"Good boy. Now to make things more believable..." You slowly smirk before pulling him close, capturing his lips with your own.
The guy is shaken out of his compulsion and his arms wrap low around your waist to pull you even closer to him. You kiss him roughly to make sure his lips appear swollen and even muss his hair up. But the moment you reach under his shirt and rake your nails across his back, causing him to groan, you hear someone drop down beside you.
One second, you're enjoying a kiss and the next your victim is shoved away from you. Dwayne practically puts himself between you and your meal as he snarls, "Get. Lost."
The other individuals drop down into the alley, and you meet three amused expressions. Paul and Marko are snickering quietly whereas David is smirking at his dark-haired brother.
"You alright there, Dwayne?"
Dwayne turns, expression unimpressed at David's question. Instead of answering him, he turns his stare on you. "What?" You feign innocence. "I had to sell it. His friends needed to believe I brought him in here for anything other than feeding."
"Whatever. Next time, just kill the guy."
As Dwayne stalks off, you smile at his back. The moment he disappears, you ask, "Was that- was that jealousy?"
"Yep." Paul skips to you, draping an arm around your shoulders. "Dwayne's always been possessive, but it's been a long time since he took real interest in someone."
"This is going to be fun," Marko muses.
You roll your eyes and sigh but can't help but agree.
Over the course of another few days, it's now very obvious that Dwayne's hovering wasn't just because you were a female. He most definitely knows you can take care of yourself, yet he's still there, but now he's openly snarling when someone looks at you a little too long. To placate him, you only ride with him and pull him into the V of your thighs when you're sitting on the railing. He starts tensing up the moment you all people watch for your next meal and other guys stare back, but the tension drops from his shoulders when you hop onto the railing, pull him into the V of your thighs, and hug him from behind.
Nothing intimate happens between you and Dwayne, but it becomes an unspoken rule among the small coven that you're off limits.
Everything seems to be going well until you meet the boys on the boardwalk one night and David looks livid.
Your smile instantly vanishes. "What's wrong?"
"The woods smell like fuckin' dog," he seethes.
Immediately your gaze snaps towards the sky and your heart sinks. "It's a full moon."
"We know. We're gonna try and kill this wolf for stepping into our territory and pissin' all over the place."
"What?" Your voice is lethally quiet as you meet David's gaze. "You have to be joking. One bite- hell, even one nip!- is a death sentence."
"We'll be fine. We just thought we'd let you know."
As they turn to mount their bikes, you swear. "Goddammit. Wait for me. You're not doing this alone."
You climb onto the back of Dwayne's bike, wrapping your arms around his waist as you glare at the others for their idiotic choices. They're quite solemn as they drive to the woods, and you keep your eyes peeled for the werewolf in question. As they come to a stop, you climb off and glance around the eerily quiet woods.
"So do you have any tips on tracking a werewolf?" Paul muses.
You gulp. "It's a full moon and this wolf most likely claimed these woods as theirs. It'll be hunting us."
The boys chuckle and start walking, combing the woods for any sight of the wolf. It isn't long until a twig snaps- a twig that neither you nor the boys have stepped on. You all freeze.
"Showtime?" Marko wonders.
You sigh. "Be prepared to run. Werewolves can match a vampire's speed on the nights of a full moon."
"We'll be alright."
Almost as soon as the words leave Marko's mouth, the werewolf rushes in. It takes down Paul by his knees, standing on his back and snarling. Before he can snap his jaws, you rush over and kick the werewolf to send it flying.
"What the fuck was that?!" Paul incredulously asks as he hurriedly climbs back to his feet.
"A werewolf," you deadpan. "Keep your guard up. It'll come back."
For a few minutes, it seems like the werewolf is toying with all of you. It keeps knocking down the boys, snarling before disappearing. You've kicked it off your friends three times by now, but the second you hear a howl in the distance, you and the boys freeze.
"There's a second one?" You ask. David shrugs and you bite your tongue to keep from giving him a verbal lashing. "It was stupid to do this on the night of a full moon. We need to leave right now, and I'll do my best to sniff out the werewolves tomorrow so we can handle them when they're in their human forms."
"How much harder can two werewolves be?"
"Pretty fuckin' hard, David. I know you're a badass and all, but we need to do this another night."
Before David can answer, Dwayne shouts. You whirl around, eyes widening at seeing a werewolf pinning him to the ground with its sharp teeth inches from his face. Without thinking, you fly at the wolf, tackling it off of him. You and the wolf scramble for the upper hand and you hiss when there's a pain in your shoulder.
Eventually, you manage to pin the wolf to the ground by its neck and shove your hand into its chest cavity to yank out its heart. With the wolf dead, you toss the heart aside. "Now will you listen to me? This was such a stupid fucking idea." The boys remain quiet, staring at her.
Actually, they're staring at your shoulder.
"What?"
Dwayne steps forward, carefully reaching for your arm and pulling you a step towards him. You frown, but then hiss when he moves the neckline of your shirt off your shoulder. "You're bit."
Your heart falls into your stomach and you quickly glance at the shoulder that you now realize is burning. Your eyes fill with tears. "O-Oh."
"Oh? Oh?!" Dwayne nearly shouts. "Werewolf bites are lethal, remember? How could you be so goddamn stupid?!"
Your bottom lip trembles. "I'm well aware of that, Dwayne. I was the one who told you to hunt the werewolf another night, remember?" You sigh and pull your hand free from his grasp. You take a moment to collect your thoughts before admitting, "There's a cure. Only a select few know and the cure is hard to get your hands on unless you're on friendly terms with those who have access to it. It's not my secret to divulge, so I was compelled to not say anything unless it was an emergency."
"What is it?" Dwayne asks. "We'll get it."
"You can't. But I can," you admit. "Let's just get to the cave. I have a phone call to make."
So, for part two, do we want the Mystic Falls gang to follow Klaus to Santa Carla or do we want the Santa Carla gang to visit Mystic Falls?
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evans-heaven · 2 years
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Touch; Joseph Quinn (repost)
I posted this last night originally but it wasn’t showing up in the tags, so I figured I’d try again today (tumblr, you’ve got issues). Anyway, pls indulge in this fic about Joseph not keeping his hands to himself ;)
Original concept here 
Read Feelings here
More moments here
Read Scene here
Pairing: Joseph Quinn x Fem!Reader (no physical descriptions)
Warnings: Touching (like a lot I got carried away), pining, mention of sex, I also had no idea how to end this sorry y’all
WC: 1.2k
It was Geeked Week for Netflix, which meant they pulled out all the stops for Stranger Things and had a plethora of events set up for the show. A fairly unknown actress, you were one of the many new additions to the cast in the show’s latest season, so all this media coverage and the number of events you had to attend was still new territory. One of those events was playing a game of Dungeons and Dragons, hosted by B. Dave Walters. Your character, Stacey, was a member of the fictional Hellfire Club in the show, which was Hawkins High’s resident D&D association. You sat around a table with the other members, Finn, Priah, Gaten, and Joseph, tablets and notepads in front of you. 
Dave seemed like an entertaining and interactive host/master, so he held your focus for the duration of the introduction before it was time to play. Your knowledge of the game in real life was pretty substantial, so, all things considered, you felt prepared. 
Your focus, however, was interrupted, by a calloused hand suddenly touching you. Your silk shirt dress had ridden up, just a bit, so the hand landed on your bare mid thigh. Out of the corner of your eye, you could see the perpetrator, Joseph, who sat right next to you. A look of concentration was on his face as he listened to Dave set the current situation for the game. He could’ve had a small smirk on his face, or looked like he was doing a poor attempt at an innocent expression because he knew he was teasing you. But, he was calm; focused, almost like he didn’t even think twice about placing his large, warm hand on your thigh. It was like it was just a reflex. He placed his hand there like he would fold his arms or touch his jaw while he paid attention.
You and Joseph were no strangers to touching one another, even in such familiar ways. You hadn’t slept together-hell, you hadn’t even kissed. But there was always some physical contact behind closed doors. Being two of the newest main cast members was nerve wracking, so you formed a natural closeness with each other. You’d go to his trailer to run lines before shooting a scene and suddenly your legs were thrown over his while the two of you laughed over something completely unrelated to the script. He’d go to your hotel room to watch a movie because you couldn’t sleep, and you’d doze off in his arms with the movie still playing in the background. There were always innocent brushes of the hand when he walked past you or lingering hugs every morning on set or during press, or when you said goodbye at the end of the day. 
After 2 years of working together and having these interactions, there wasn't a doubt in your mind that your love language was physical touch-or rather, Joseph’s touch. You had grown to crave it. (a/n: and who could blame you sis?)
So, having been so used to his touches, your surprise at this one wore off as quickly as it came, and you allowed his action, because it just felt right. However, that didn’t mean that his movements were lost on you. Your legs were crossed at the ankles, leaving a small gap between your thighs. Joseph, his touch remaining intact, began to slide his fingers through the small space, his thumb on the other side, getting a good grip on your thigh. Your heart fluttered a bit at that, and you felt warm inside, even though his hand was relatively cool. He touched you like he was trying to re-familiarize himself with your skin.
Dave asked him to describe his D&D character, ‘Joe Keery’, and you couldn’t help but laugh lightly- because one,  he began describing the actual Joe Keery like he was a novelist, and also, he started to lazily drag his thumb across your skin while he spoke, and you were nothing if not ticklish. His hand remained there, thumb and fingers crawling against your thigh at various intervals, until it was time to roll on his tablet. He gave your thigh a firm squeeze before taking the device in his hands. 
The game went by smoothly, lots of banter and antics being exchanged among everyone at the table. Joseph kept his hands to himself for the most part. Though, his default position of manspreading caused your knees to be pressed against one another, even if your legs were closed. They’d occasionally rub together with the slightest movement of excitement.
It was around the time of the in game meeting with Vecna that you began to grow a bit antsy. When you crossed your legs and leaned back a bit in your seat, your toes hit something soft-and you realized it was Joe’s leg. It wasn’t a kick, more of a small, accidental nudge. If he noticed, his face didn’t show it. However, you knew your mind wasn’t playing tricks on you when, as you went to pull away, he subtly moved his leg into your touch even more, your toes pressing into his calf muscle. 
You couldn’t avoid the small smile that tugged at your lips.
A few moments passed before you unconsciously began to drag your heeled foot up and down against the material that covered his calf.  Somehow, this grounded you and brought your focus back to the task at hand. 
Unbeknownst to you, your actions calmed him as well, and he was able to release some restlessness by focusing on your foot’s light movements against his leg. 
The game went on normally, everyone at the table none the wiser to what happened below the surface-not that there was anything to hide, really. It wasn’t like things were getting explicit. Even when you uncrossed your legs eventually and shifted in your seat, the touches continued, albeit more subtle. If he addressed you, his fingers would tickle your shoulder if he leaned his forearm on his chair’s backrest. Your biceps brushed together constantly, even though it wasn’t on purpose. At one point, he grasped your hand on the table when you were hoping to roll a big number. Also at one point, when a bout of laughter struck you both, your heads leaned into one another, temples touching.
The two of you got so lost in each other and your natural closeness, neither of you even thought to tone it down in front of the cameras.
And with everything being caught on video, it became all the Stranger Things fans needed to be sent into a spiral of shipping.
Well, that wasn’t true. They had been sent into that very spiral a few weeks ago when press videos began to be released. They claimed they sensed a ‘tension’ between you and Joseph that wasn’t there in both your interactions with other cast members. Your ship name, along with gifs and edits of your interactions quickly began to circle the internet.
So when Geeked Week arrived and the D&D video was uploaded, the comments section quickly went frenzied. 
The view from under the table was dimly lit, but if someone’s eyes drifted down below, it was obvious. The top comment became one that pointed the two of you out, and then that was almost all anyone could talk about.
Did y’all peep what was happening under that table bc 👀
Joseph’s grip on Y/N’s thigh sheeeesh
↪ Lucky girl 😭
Y/N just casually dragging her foot against his leg like it's nothing??? 
Not them being all touchy pls get a room 😩
These two have to have something going on there’s no way that body language means nothing
Gaten’s smirk whenever Joseph and Y/N would interact HE KNOWS SOMETHING Y’ALL
↪ Lmao I bet the entire cast knows they have something going on but them 🤣
The way they look at each other oh my God they’re so down bad 😩
When he held her hand 🥺
I don’t know who I’m more jealous of tbh
The fact that they’re the two newest main cast members and seem so close I’m- 😭
Pls Joseph looking for every reason to touch Y/N is so relatable
When are these two going to admit their obvious feelings for one another???
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
😛❤
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kat-sribbles · 9 months
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FOB lost media help
Hey guys, so I need some help with finding a few lost things that is FOB related. Ever since covid, I have been trying to find the FIRST fob show and its been a struggle ever since then. Me and two other mutuals had made a Master document of all fob related stuff, including lost media stuff. And we need some help finding a few videos and MP3 files.
First video were looking for:
The very first FOB show was held at Cortelyou Commons at DePaul University on October 9th, 2001. We know this because of two video on youtube that were uploaded onto a channel called ForgeAgain. I did some digging and found out that the guy who posted those videos is the owner of Forge Again records and is the bass player for Stillwell (they were one of the other bands that played that night as well)
we got into contact with the guy via instagram, he told us that the guy who played drums at the time, Ben Rose, called him and ask to put them on last minute onto the lineup, a week before the show (this is why there are no promotional flyers because of that). They were the first to play the show, sadly the guy who filmed the other bands that night didn’t film them bc they were bad (which I don’t mind, this is lost fob history were talking about here). He then tells us that in the Oral History of TTTYG by AP magazine, and to look in there, and this is what i found:
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Second video:
The second video is actually their second show, and this show is important since this is the show where they got their name from. They opened for The Killing Tree at a small southern illinois college, they didn’t know what to call themselves yet until the end of the show. This was also mentioned in the oral history too:
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Third video(s):
These videos i’m gonna mention are kinda lost (?) since there is footage slightly in The Story video on youtube. Fob play three shows at Fireside Bowl.
-March 5th, 2002
-April 24th, 2002
-July 3rd, 2002
We know these shows happened since theres some clips of it in The Story and its documented on an archived website for shows at Fireside Bowl. Were looking for any fireside bowl footage from any of these dates.
Fourth thing:
This last one is kinda insane and might be near impossible to find. while i was reading the AP article, patrick mentions how he gave demos to joe by giving him a link to his MP3.com page. Joe says that it was just patrick singing and just playing acoustic, thats it.
We have tried looking on a site that someone archived for all MP3.com files before the site went completely defunct. The problem is that we have no clue what username patrick used on the site. We’ve looked and used every possible name we could to find these mp3 files, but nothing.
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There is also a missing mp3 page that fob had, we know this bc on the back of the Project Rocket split CD, they put a link to their mp3 page and it was called mp3.com/fall_out_boy
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This all the types of fob lost media that were in the search for!
if you know ANYTHING at all or have information about any of these, Please DM me!
Thanks so much!!
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toooliix · 2 months
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hey! alright so i may have done a thing
so for the past,,, idk 3 weeks? ive been going on a deep dive into spelling bee mostly to sedate my own curiosity of needing to know everything about what i'm interested in. as it turns out, there is a LOT of content with this musical, so i'm here to talk about my findings! note: i will be keeping this EXCLUSIVE to the original 2005 off broadway cast. as much as i'm a brown university girlie through and through, the original cast is where the content is. OKAY FIRST: youtube findings
a lot of small videos were made usually with logainne and leaf. you'll be quick to learn that they made the most off stage content. i have a public playlist with these videos, along with interviews, the original boot, and a few other things. the cast album isn't in it because that's audio only and i want visuals damnit. (plus its on spotify and easy to look up so.) the exception is 25apcsbmt12doc because its pretty underground and the purpose is to get word out about niche things.
second: myspace pages a lot of the spellers have myspace pages! this is like. a common thing!! only two were archived (leaf and logainne) and are able to be accessed! i'll talk about the others in a bit. they contain new information and i personally find them very interesting!
leaf logainne
HOWEVER: three are currently able to be accessed through modern myspace without needing an account. the format is off, but it's accessable.
barfee 25apcsb account panch third: other
there's two different things here so i'll separate them :]
3.1: r/v club
r/v club is a short film by rebecca feldman (one of the people that worked on spelling bee) that includes logainne! it can be found on her site with other short films. i believe this is the only one with her in it HOWEVER i have not checked therefore i could be wrong. it's set post-spelling bee, i believe. also jesse is in it but not as leaf.
r/v club
3.2: official site
spelling bee had a site!! and official merch!! its just a cool thing i think. it'll be mentioned again in the last section
spelling bee site
fourth and final: lost media (to my knowledge)
okay, spelling bee has.... QUITE a bit of lost media. again, this will be separated into parts.
4.1: C-R-E-P-U-S-C-U-L-E
before spelling bee was a thing, crepuscule (albiet mispronounced) was an improv play made by the farm. (same group who made r/v club) a lot of the characters were similar or the same, and it has a similar premise. however, it wasn't a musical. from what i've heard, there USED to be a boot of it, however i haven't found one of my own. i would love to be corrected.
4.2 myspace pages
remember how i was going to say this was going to come up again? hi thats now. outside of leaf and logainne, other myspace accounts were made! mitch (comfortcounselor), olive (mydictionary) + (oliveostrovsky), chip (chiptolentino), marigold (marigoldconeybear) an olive and barfee joint account (ilovemydictionary), and a leaf and logainne joint account (schwartzylogan). there's also another leaf account with the very confusing name of panchspell the issue with these is that theyre not archived, so you'll need a myspace account with a verified email to view these. in the year of our lord 2024 that's not exactly an easy find, especially since verification emails no longer send. plus, one of olive's accounts is dictionary.com now so,,,, who knows what it looks like there. most also need a connection, which makes things even MORE difficult. i hate how close but out of reach these accounts are.
4.3. spelling bee game
yeah they had a game. it's on the site, and it's eternally stuck at loading characters from my experience. here's the link anyway! game
4.4 the dirty bee
oh jesus its the dirty bee. so for context, in 2006 when the show was running, a few nights were booked for spelling bee that were meant for mature audiences and were 18 plus. it's catered towards people who have already seen the bee and want something new. it was inspired by jay (panch) and putting in words or sentences researsals that were clearly for funnies because he was bored. alas it became a derivative of the musical. all we know is what an article provides (theres more than one but the one linked gives the most info) and that chip quote unquote "finished off" at my unfortunate erection according to jose. there's rumor that chip is canonically bi in it but theres no sources so,,,, can't confirm that one.
article
(the quote is said in the reunion "stars in the house" and is found in the playlist)
conclusion:
there's genuinely so much shit in this musical i find it fascinating. this post WILL be updated with any other finds or information. PLEASE dm me or let me know if i got something wrong or if you have something to add (though do add a source, please and thank you)
ALSO: reblogs are greatly appreciated!! shoutout to the wiki, @/honkmaster69 and the people i spam in dms for helping and tolerating me <33
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gallavichthings · 1 year
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Gallavich Week 2023
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Here we go once more with the 11th (!!!) edition of Gallavich Week!
Last year I decided to change things up a bit and give you two choices for each day, instead of just one as was usual before. Well, this year I'm taking things even further because you'll actually end up with several choices per day.
Dates and themes below, details about each theme (please read those and also follow the links when provided) and more information about Gallavich Week in general after the read more. Quick reminder that all kinds of work are welcome, as long as they are original. Please read the guidelines before posting.
18/06 - Gallavich Week 2023 playlist
19/06 - Top 20 touristic attractions in Chicago
20/06 - Disney
21/06 - Meet-cutes NYC Instagram
22/06 - Tags from popular Gallavich fics
23/06 - Shakespeare
24/06 - Free Day
Details about themes:
18/06 - Gallavich Week 2023 playlist
This was a playlist created with suggestions from some followers of songs that reminded them of Gallavich. I won't be adding any more songs to it, but there should be more than enough to inspire you!
19/06 - Top 20 touristic attractions in Chicago
Just follow the link to know what they are. As usual, prompts are meant to inspire and can be taken any way you want, not just as Ian and Mickey visiting the places.
20/06 - Disney
Anything Disney-themed. Disney movies, Disney shows, Disneyland... Mickey Mouse? :P And yes, Marvel and Star Wars can be considered Disney as well.
21/06 - Meet-cutes NYC Instagram
Follow the Instagram to find dozens of interviews with random couples about how they met! Watch them and get inspired. :)
22/06 - Tags from popular Gallavich fics
I took one "unusual" tag from each of the 10 Gallavich fics with more kudos on AO3, so here they are, to be used as inspiration:
Unresolved Sexual Tension (from Sexual Harassment in the Workplace)
Organized Crime (from The Increasingly Poor Decisions of Ian Gallagher)
Soulmate AU (from you are inked on my skin long before we begin)
Ian and Mickey talk dicks (from Nobody's Fuckin' Business)
Accidental Baby Acquisition (from Melánia)
Internalized Homophobia (from Noisy Neighbours)
Domestic!Gallavich (from a thousand and one ways to show you care)
Long-Distance Relationship (from Lost in Translation)
Ian Bottoms WHOOPS (from eighty-four)
Social Media (from Cooperative Gameplay)
23/06 - Shakespeare
Self-explanatory, I suppose? But again, to be interpreted as you want.
24/06 - Free Day
CREATING AND POSTING GUIDELINES
How do I participate?
You don’t have to subscribe to anything or announce what you’re doing, you just have to post your work on the appropriate day and tag me on the body of the post using @gallavichthings. It’s important that you tag me properly so that I can be sure to see your post and reblog it.
What types of works are accepted?
Any kind of original fan work is accepted, including but not limited to: fanart, fanfiction (no minimum words required), graphics, gifs and gifsets, videos, and fanmixes. Yes, meta and polls are also accepted (though I do request that you either try to keep them within the theme for each day or post them on the Free Day).
When can I start posting?
I’ll always make one initial post for each day, at 12am GMT (check here to see when that is in your time zone). After that, post away!
Can I still participate even if I don’t have a Tumblr account?
Absolutely! Just submit something here (http://gallavichthings.tumblr.com/submit).
Can I post on Twitter or Instagram?
You can post anywhere you want! On Twitter and IG, we encourage you to use the hashtag #GW2023and I’ll RT you. You can also mention @gallavichthings if you want. I do not have an IG account though, sorry, but you can post there and send me a link for visibility. That being said, we do encourage you to post here as well, so it can be seen by more people.
Is there an AO3 Collection?
Yes, right here. Participation is not mandatory though, and you can rest assured this Collection will not be deleted.
Can I post something that I’ve already posted before?
No, sorry. The works should have been created specifically for GW. You can, however, create a sequel or a different version of a previous work.
Can I post something that is not in English?
Of course. Just make sure that it is original, or that you have the original author’s permission (and, in that case, link to the original too).
Can I make R-rated works?
Yes, just please give any necessary warnings and tell us the rating at the very beginning of the post. If the post is visual (like a fanart or a gifset), it would be nice for you to also tag it accordingly - Tumblr now allowes you to select if a post is deemed for mature audiences or not. It’s not mandatory, but if possible put it under a Read More here on Tumblr and under a spoilers mark (so it’s not instantly visible) on Twitter.
Can I post something that’s AU?
Sure thing! Tag it accordingly though, both for those who want to avoid it and for those who’d like to find it.
Can I post supernatural works, mpreg, or genderbends?
Yes! But if it’s a fic, please include it in the warnings.
Can I post more than one work?
Definitely! The more, the merrier. You can post as many works as you want, on as many days as you want, be it one post per day or ten on the same day. Anything goes!
Can I post on more than one day? Do I have to make something for each day?
Again, the more, the merrier! You can post on only one or all days if you wish!
Can I make one work that fits two or more themes?
Sure thing. I only ask that you post it on the day of the last theme included. For example, if you are posting a work that includes the theme from Day 1 and the theme from Day 4, post it on day 4 (just make sure to tell me that it includes both).
Can I write a multi-chaptered fanfiction?
Yes, and you don’t have to post everything either. When you do, just be sure to include either a masterpost, or the links to the previous chapters in the beginning.
Can I include other characters/pairings in my work?
Yes, as long as Gallavich is still the focus.
What if I can’t finish on time?
The Gallavich fandom is ALWAYS happy to see new fan material, so just post it when you’re done and tag me, ok? The same goes for people who can’t finish a work on the assigned theme day; you can still post it on a different day during GW, just make it clear which day it was made for.
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incorrect-pipravi · 8 months
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Can you please please please do more headcanons? I’m obsessed
Hi! Sorry if you don’t like angst because this is going to be a dump of my angsty PipRavi headcanons!!!
Hope you enjoy it and sorry again for the pain I’m about to cause.
Angsty PipRavi headcanons
TW: depression, implied suicidal thoughts, use of drugs
Ravi cried himself to sleep each night after Pip and him broke up while Pip overworked herself so that she fell asleep the moment she hit the pillow from exhaustion.
On most days, Pip’s strategy doesn’t work and she stays up all night reliving everything that happened.
When Pip hugged Ravi after Stanley’s death, it was the first time Ravi’s presence failed to comfort her -definitely not the last too- and it scared Pip so much.
Ravi almost caved into the urge to fuck up their plan and call Pip many times, but he managed to control himself.
Though Pip had promised Ravi that she would stop taking any drugs/sleeping pills, she still takes some on her hardest times.
Pip often imagines the worst case scenario happening and thinks that if it happens then there’s no point in living anymore. Her life would technically end so why not actually end it.
The first few weeks of their breakup, Ravi could barely leave his room, eat or do anything. He lost so much weight and he looked physically older from how burdened and exhausted he had been.
Cara definitely had to hold and comfort a weeping Ravi countless of times. (And so did Connor and the rest of the squad, but it was mostly Cara.)
Pip and Ravi definitely looked at old pictures and videos of each other when they needed comfort the most.
Ravi never left Pip because she would talk to him every single day in her head. And yeah it wasn’t healthy or normal, but Pip knows she hasn’t been normal for a long long time.
Pip has many different nightmares, but the worst ones are the ones where DT kills her.
Sometimes she wished he had.
Ravi would definitely avoid Pip’s family (to make the plan more sensible) and each time he notices Josh looking at him when they encounter each other in town he turns around and it breaks him every single time.
Pip and Ravi had accidentally called someone else (could be a classmate or a coworker or anyone really) by each other’s name at least once.
Ravi’s parents, at first, always asked about Pip and Ravi would answer vaguely or shrug it off until one time he snapped at them and they stopped asking. (He apologized later of course, but Nisha and Mohan wanted to respect their son’s privacy.)
I have mentioned this before in a different post, but Pip would definitely buy the same perfume Ravi uses and wear it or use it to feel like he’s there with her.
Even after they get back together, Pip still struggles with morality and understanding the gray area which makes her feel unworthy of love and happiness, leading to many self-sabotage caused fights.
That night will always haunts Ravi, especially the fact that he had come so close to losing Pip forever.
Pip would silently watch Ravi’s and her friends’ social media updates and mourn all the time she lost and all the happiness she missed.
Even when she gets a therapist, Pip still at times feels like she’ll never be put back together.
“I will always be a shell of who I used to be, Ravi. Never the Pip you love. Just an illusion of who she is.”
“Then let me love this new Pip. The one you call a shell. Let me love her. You should’ve realized it by now, but I won’t let you go ever again.”
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mariacallous · 1 month
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Group chats, including at least one of mine, can’t get enough. #KateGate—loosely, a collection of theories around the whereabouts and well-being of Kate Middleton, the Princess of Wales—presently seems to be occupying more brain cells than oxygen.
Gossip has been flying ever since January, when Middleton took a step back from public life for abdominal surgery. For a while it was just mindless chatter, but then Middleton posted a photo on social media, purportedly taken by her husband, Prince William, that news agencies determined had been manipulated. Then, speculation—that she’d Gone Girl’d, that the royal family was hiding something—turned fully conspiratorial, and turned the conspiracies into a cultural moment. (See also: crossover memes showing Middleton at the weird Willy Wonka experience in Glasgow.)
It is as though, two decades later, the British royal family is just now learning about the Streisand effect. Back in 2003, Barbara Streisand sued a photographer for releasing a picture of her home that few people had seen. But the suit itself, which Streisand ultimately lost, led far more people to the photo than probably would have otherwise seen it, and now there’s a whole effect named after this incident. The royals released an altered photo and now it’s part of a “-gate”: #KateGate. By trying to relay that everything is fine, the photo lured even more people into questioning what was happening with Middleton.
Bottom line: If you’re, say, a member of the monarchy, and you don’t want them thinking your “abdominal surgery” is code for getting a Brazilian butt lift, your best bet, in 2024, is transparency. Anyone with an internet connection now has the kind of bullshit detectorsthat Area 51 believers could’ve only dreamed of—or they act like they do—and they’re going to figure you out.
Granted, they may not find the “right” answer or the “truth,” but they will know when someone is trying to pull a fast one. Thirty years ago, Buckingham Palace may have been able to throw snoopers off, but the internet of 2024 will investigate like no other. We got Taylor Swift conspiracies and QAnon. People wonder if most images are AI-generated for at least a second. Going onto X (formerly Twitter) now feels like stumbling into the writers room of a CSI spinoff—everyone thinks they’re a forensics expert. If anybody, including Middleton, thought no one would notice a doctored photo on Instagram, they were sorely mistaken.
On Monday, TMZ and The Sun released a video showing the Princess of Wales out shopping with Prince William. She was seemingly alive and well. The Sun said it was releasing images of their stroll “in a bid to bring an end to what the Palace has called the ‘madness of social media.’” It did nothing of the sort. Interest in Middleton peaked the next day on Google Trends. #katemiddleton and #whereiskate now have millions of mentions across social media platforms. The madness has not calmed.
People pay attention to the British royal family for the same reason they pay attention to Game of Thrones or House of the Dragon: They love mess. Monday’s grainy footage just made the mess worse. TikTok is full of breakdown videos attempting to debunk the images. Others just wondered aloud if they’d been fully sucked in.
“This was fun for a while, and now I am genuinely at a loss,” one TikTok user posted. “I don’t know if this is how you feel when you actually lose the plot in a conspiracy theory and like five years from now everyone’s like, ‘That’s the moment when we lost them,’ or if we’re like actually watching an insane cover-up take place.”
Following the release of the shopping video and images, “friends of the royals” told The Daily Beast that Middleton would resume her public duties with a “big bang” on March 31, Easter Sunday. On Wednesday, The Cut, which previously wrote that the Middleton affair was a “crisis,” reported that Buckingham Palace was looking for a communications assistant. (Mind you, this is Buckingham, not Kensington, but same operation.) Queen Elizabeth II used to say the royal family must be seen to be believed. That may not be true much longer.
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fauxfickle · 2 months
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We now return with your regularly scheduled and all too familiar feeling of malaise and the search for "The Great All American Pizza Show!"
So it's been a little under a month since my last post and I've been skimming through commercial compilations from the LA area. I've found some cool YT channels that archive old ads from that area but I obviously don't have anything to show for it. The ads are either too early or too late to be part of this campaign which is a bit frustrating. Something I neglected to mention last time was that I was also looking through Colossal Pictures demo reels to see if they had a snippet of the animated commercial but of course, there's nothing. There seems to be a cutoff point in the early 80s as most demos only show things from that far back. I was able to find some obscure, silent, avant garde, sci-fi film possibly connected to Colossal but I don't think that'll help me much.
Colossal had some sort of "meet the crew" type video where all the employees said they're names but only their first name so I can't really track them down or anything. I'll keep looking, I didn't look all too hard as I was kinda at my wits end at that time looking through ad comps for hours.
I took a bit of a break for a while before reading through the old Pizza Times newsletters from Dec 79 - May 80. The May 1980 newsletter had some cool info about commercials and news features filmed at the various stores. Some of these aren't technically part of TGAAPS campaign but ehhhhhh I don't really care. They're part of early PTT history and I wanna see them damnit!
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Let's go through these starting with Citrus Heights. The Citrus Heights section is loaded with info regarding lost media, 3 in fact! Sacramento's Channel 40 (KTXL), which has since been bought out by FOX in the mid 80s, did a Newsplus at 10 feature on the cyberamic systems at the new store during it's opening week. If we consult the ever so useful Chuck-E-Pedia, we can find that this feature would have been shot and most likely aired on Christmas week of 1979. A perfect pin point set of dates to look through! Next, Chuck was seen in the lead up to the United Cerebral Palsy Telethon which also gives us some idea of where to look. Finally, a TV commercial was filmed, possibly with TGAAPS slogan. Bob Wilkins' ad agency produced it but I couldn't find ANYTHING regarding this company. It's mentioned on his wikipedia but not named, and a even his own website doesn't mention anything about it. It's surprising that someone who seems like a local celeb in there area could have an ad agency that goes almost entirely undocumented.
Next, we move to Sparks, Nevada. Channel 2 (KTVN) filmed a feature on the store for the PM Magazine. The store was visited by reporter Keith Hirshland. Now I'm actually pretty sure I've found this dude! I found a local online article talking about him and the timeline works perfectly. Assuming this was filmed in early 1980, Keith would of been still fresh out of college with a degree in journalism and around 23. He also says he grew up running down the halls of the KTVN office. As a little aside, I'd just like to say don't bother this man or anyone/company mentioned in any of my posts. The last thing we need is to scare off these people.
This last little piece of lost media probably has the best chances of being found out of all the rest. Ben Wattenberg's 1980, from what I can find, is a dry, uninteresting TV news segment hosted by an equally dry and uninteresting host, the neo-conservative Ben Wattenberg. Ben Wattenberg's 1980 itself seems to be almost entirely lost media as only a few stills, episode descriptions, and TV listings exist online. However, this show was on PBS which no doubt has it somewhere in it's archive. What's better is that that there not only an exact date of when the episode will air, but also the name of the episode itself! One user on taptalk was able to find a TV listing which unfortunately doesn't lead anywhere and isn't archive on the WayBack machine. Luckily people actually said the name of the supposed episode which would of been "Silicon Valley: The New Entrepreneurs". We can also find evidence of it in a newspaper from that June 15th.
I sent e-mails to KTXL-40 and PBS on 2/24, so far no responses. I'll wait a little longer and in the mean time look for more leads and contacts. As I said before, don't bother these people/companies. I don't want them to be swamped with calls and e-mails and clam up on us. Bye for now!
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lurkingteapot · 4 months
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2023 post round-up/summary
Lovely @twig-tea tagged me here, so I'll try my hand.
I'd abandoned tumblr for about 4? 5? years 2016ish through 2020, had a short stint with it again in 2020, took peeks and vehemently disagreed with much of what I saw in 2021-2022, and grudgingly settled back in in 2023. I wasn't going to interact. I wasn't.
Jan-April: *crickets* I was being strong!
Then, I saw people moaning about how they'd learn Thai if only it was on Duolingo, and you know how spite can be funnelled into positivity? I did that! Result:
May
Popular: Free Thai Language Learning Resources, most popular by a landslide. This pleases me greatly, as I put a lot of work into it and always hope more people start picking up this language.
Favourite: maybe my thoughts on Ming, piggybacking off @kenmakaashi's post?
June
Popular: my musings on translation and how it relates to fannish reception of media, which was my most popular post of the year and 'broke containment', if only in a very small way. Some of the additions in the tags and reblogs are fantastic, do go have a look if you like!
Favourite: toss-up between my attempt at showing a parallel between a silly moment in Our Skyy 2 x BBS and a scrapped shot from BBS proper and this rant about Romanisations of Thai and why G**gle translate is the devil (that bit is in the conversation downthread), which let me meet @plantsarepeopletoo.
July
Popular: Summary of James Welker's 2006 essay "Beautiful, Borrowed, and Bent: “Boys’ Love” as Girls’ Love in Shōjo Manga"
Favourite: the offerings are slim here … let's go with the one in which I once more was salty about the way folks talk about BL
August
Popular: Only Friends' Ray isn't just The Drunkard, but also The One Who's basically Given Up On Himself, as per his title card (this one was so popular it got stolen and reposted – without credit or permission – to twitter 🙃)
Favourite: Thinking about Drama, the Romance genre, and tropes, and how those relate to our perception of BL (good additions from various folks in the notes; conversation with @visualtaehyun in reblogs and @twig-tea in the replies).
September
Popular: IFYLITA Ep 6 poem context notes
Favourite: toss-up between complaining about badly machine translated content in Love in Translation and musing on the name of Khun Yai's favourite bar
October
Popular: my long-winded answer to @zimmbzon's ask "Hi, how would a non-binary person (me) get around the binary gender rules and vocab in Thai?"
Favourite: uhhh … maybe my musings on honorific translations in kimi ni wa todokanai? (yes, technically a reblog from sideblog, shh)
November
Popular: most popular was this throwaway therapy vent containing food for thought and while I guess this meme is mostly fannish I'm linking it anyway because it's my blog and I'll cry if I want to (or something)
Favourite: when I called out the resemblance between the Last Twilight trailer and Intouchables (2011). Literally no one cared, but then @my-rose-tinted-glasses independently came in strong with receipts as soon as the actual first episode aired and made me feel validated af.
December
Popular: Why I'm pretty sure Last Twilight's "fried rice/false rice" joke was funnier in Thai
Favourite: the saga of the songs in Ep 4 of Last Twilight
I didn't do any round-up posts, but I'll include the other category @twig-tea added:
Five other posts that I want to highlight because I can:
BL Favourites Tag Game (July 2023)
Link to fujoshi.info with information on WHY you should check out that site if you're interested in having an informed opinion on BL and the genre's history.
contemporary issues in Thailand as mentioned in Only Friends ep 1
Thoughts on code-switching in Step by Step
Reply to @mynameisnotthepoint's comment-via-ask on my anti viki rant
I'm not going to tag anyone because I'm completely lost – I was mostly off tumblr for nearly three weeks; if you made a post like this you'd like me to see, please link me/tag me! <3
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sleepanonymous · 7 months
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At least one person was interested in this, so… I’m just gonna jump into it with the comparison/callback I mentioned in this post.
High Water from This Place Will Become Your Tomb When the mouth of infinity Buries its teeth in me I'll smile through the agony for you And I know you still bear the weight of your own existence And you'll never bear the weight of two
Take Me Back to Eden from Take Me Back to Eden I guess it goes to show, does it not? That we've no idea what we've got until we lose it And no amount of love will keep it around If we don't choose it And I don't know what's got its teeth in me But I'm about to bite back in anger No amount of self-sought fury Will bring back the glory of innocence
For me, this callback is quite heartbreaking. In the first song, High Water, Vessel talks about sticking by someone he loves no matter what.
“When the mouth of infinity buries its teeth in me” is a metaphor, meaning he’s caught or trapped in a situation/relationship he believes will last forever (and he possibly hopes that is the case).
“And I know you still bear the weight of your own existence, and you’ll never bear the weight of two” is less of a metaphor and more of a direct statement. Vessel knows his significant other has issues, and they do not have the mental stamina nor capacity to deal with Vessel’s problems on top of their own. This person has too much on their plate as it is, so Vessel will “smile through the agony” for them. He’s saying he is willing to be their crutch, their rock, despite his pain, because he loves and is loyal to them.
There’s more to this in other lyrics, such as “My hell is your high water” and the lines about holding his breath, choking on vapour, and drowning. He’s doing his best not to bring up his own issues and pain while trying to be this solid, sane, strong shoulder for this person to lean on.
Moving on to Take Me Back to Eden, we see this relationship’s progression (or rather regression). The apparent callback line is, “And I don’t know what’s got its teeth in me, but I’m about to bite back in anger.” No longer is Vessel smiling through the pain for this other person. He has given them so much of himself that he is drained, jaded, and angry. This significant other didn’t “choose” Vessel’s love, and it caused the downfall of their relationship without them ever realizing it until it was too late. Vessel is older now and realizes that he’s been willingly caught in this emotionally draining relationship. Even though he’s angry, those feelings are turned inward towards himself because he couldn’t hold himself, let alone this other person, together (“No amount of self-sought fury will bring back the glory of innocence”).
Oops, this turned into more of a song comparison than a lyric comparison, lol. There’s a bit more, but I don’t want to pull more lyrics. I’m lazy. But I do have a few other comparison idea. The original plan was to try to get one of these out a week, as I do with my lost media posts, but I wrote 85% of this on August 31st and then promptly forgot about it. So we’ll see how that goes.
If any of you have a lyric callback/comparison you want me to rant about, feel free to send a dm or ask 🖤 Also, this is all just me rambling, so it’s 100% valid if you disagree with this comparison. I’d love to hear your take on it if that’s the case (just be nice; I’m fragile).
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mcalhenwrites · 2 months
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I'm sincerely trying to find answers to these questions. I'm seeking advice.
I'm going to start this off by stating that I'm still writing. I haven't quit. I'm not going to quit. This is about sharing. I've had so many people assume I quit writing or only will write for the sake of being a published author. I'll always be writing as long as I'm alive.
And as someone who firmly believes that people can choose whether or not to share their art with the world and no one else gets to decide that, I also believe that it's not wrong to want to have readers. Libraries and bookstores and art galleries and art sites and everything else - we connect to each other through art. It wouldn't exist if everyone just went, "Welp, I made the thing, good for me. Done!" And if someone is going to tell me that I should feel that way, I hope you keep all your writing and art to yourself. If not, I'd consider it a kindness to us both if you don't respond to this post through comments, DMs, or asks. Thank you. ;)
So onto the questions I'm seeking advice on.
How can I overcome the shame of posting writing for about 14 years and still barely getting readers? (But often getting a lot of critique?)
I've been in writing circles, reading and cheering on others, and they read one anothers' writing, but I'm frequently passed over/ignored - and that's the kinder response. I've been told that I'm there for my support only, that I'm not a good enough writer myself, that my characters are all the same.
How does one keep posting links to their published work or AO3 chapters/works, when they never get any likes or reblogs across several websites?
When friends have done nothing but scold them for not being good at PR, when I'm just... I'm a writer, not a businessman. And I am trying, but even popular authors on social media have mentioned that word-of-mouth and boosting of their work on social media has impacted their success? That M*sk taking over one of those sites has negatively impacted their interactions and therefore their sales? (Wouldn't this mean they also suck ass at PR? xD)
Am I supposed to believe I have a chance, when even established authors are struggling?
I don't like myself very much, and I'm ashamed of level of skill, even though I enjoy writing so much I can't help but always want to do it. I can't help but create stories and get excited about writing them down. There are even times I feel like I've made progress. Gotten better as a writer.
But it's so hard not to end up letting other people make me feel ashamed.
It's true I shouldn't listen to those people, but why have they been so many, and why is the positivity always so few and far in-between? Maybe if it was one voice in one-hundred, but what if it's twenty voices out of thirty? What am I to believe then? When even friends clearly have no faith in my works and don't want to be seen associating with it?
I wanted to be a published writer. I wanted to make a little bit of an income on writing, so I'd have reason to do what I love even more.
But I've spent most of my life feeling like a fool who keeps humiliating himself. Who wonders if the truth is that I'm worse at writing than even I'm willing to admit.
I had one story that "took off" on AO3, but even that lost readers by the end, and no one is interesting in anything I have created before or since then.
And that story... I've been editing it heavily and even added chapters, and I'm like, "I should post the new version sometime" but I'm convinced no one even wants it. (And I'd have to do it for free, and I can't afford to do things for free. I just got on medicaid finally and went to a food pantry last week and keep applying for help, and I have to wait until April to see a doctor to get critical help for my multiple health issues that might make my ability to work even harder. I broke down and crocheted stock for a table this month, and the pain in my wrist is excruciating, and the pain my heart that I can't spend half that time making personal passion projects with something I only want to do as a hobby is even more excruciating. So no, not every story of mine can just be churned out for free.)
Anyway, thank you for reading and your time, and if you have legitimate advice/answers/support... I could use it. I could use it more than ever. 
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skylarbee · 6 months
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Is it just me but watching the interaction with Miles and Al. Alex seems to not only not initiate a hug he also pushes Miles away while Miles is so eager to talk to him etc. Body language is not good. Also maybe it’s Miles that wants to keep the friendship going. Like we know of Alex wants someone around he’ll have them around and be affectionate. What if Miles is just like all his other exs? Once he loses interest it’s very obvious, the lack of sightings together, lack of physical affection. I really do believe there’s a distance in them. In so many ways. Musically, aesthetically, artistically, insteresta. What if they are just two old friends, who do love each other, but, at least for Alex, they are just not that into each other? I love Milex but im also realistic. What if their friendship isn’t some big breakup but like a distancing? My hopes for TLSP3 is nonexistent. Anyone else care to chime in? Sorry for the incoherence🖤
i understand your concerns lovely, and things are definitely different than before. but even in older concerts when miles joined them, there were plenty times when it was miles who went up to alex, and it's alex who let go first. it would seem like miles wants it to work more, but the fact that he has social media and posts about alex, while alex doesn't also affects our thinking, even if we don't realise it. alex has absolutely no way of telling us anything about miles, and he disappears for long periods of times, no wonder we think he's more disinterested, but this could be far from the truth.
there is one thing that you did get wrong, anon, and that is that miles is "just another ex". the connection they have is something beyond our understanding, and i'm sure most of us have never experienced something even close to what they have. the way they complete and understand each other is something that is hard to believe it even exists. as to alex's body language, he seemed a bit emotional, disconnected and nervous (and still put on a 10/10 show!) for the entirety of the last gig, and it's no wonder why. he was staring off into space and didn't even realise that he was waiting for miles to bring him back to reality. but even after their little handshake before 505, when alex looks equally as lost, he seems to liven up and prepare himself after miles goes over to him. i don't believe he loves miles any less, i think he's still his safe space. their kisses at london night 3 were something else.
while they might not see each other as often as they used to, miles has mentioned a good couple of times that they hang around his place, and anyways, he doesn't have to tell us anything. they might see and talk to each other a lot more than we think. speaking of interests, i want to believe that they're still pretty tight. i remember when miles posted a song on his story and then a few days later it appeared on am's pre-show playlist. this is just one thing, but they've always liked the same things, or if i want to be more precise, alex has always adapted whatever miles was into, let it be music, films, clothes, and whatever else. but let us also remember that time and distance changes people, of course their interests are gonna change too, but this doesn't have to be a negative thing. at least they have new things to share with each other and more to talk about! hahah
i'd love to hear other people's thoughts, but don't be too worried, anon. this last leg of am's tour showed us that they're still very fond of each other. why else would miles describe it as 'paradise' and 'the week of his life'? and why would alex so unashamedly serenade miles for an entire night?
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soccerpunching · 9 months
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Bestieeeeee 😻,
What is your worst IE headcannons?
I'll tell mine back 💅💅💅
I may be too out-of-touch from the fandom to know what people would consider bad and worst but I do have some that others may have an issue with! AND I WAS JUST ABOUT TO ASK YOU ABOUT HEADCANONS TOO, BUT YOU GOT ME FIRST! AND I WOULD LOVE TO KNOW YOURS VERY MUCH!! (although I haven't watched most of ares and orion so i may not understand some for now, I would love to hear them still!!)
This ended up a long post, I'm making this cut...
I'll start with a tame one (may also be really boring), but this one needs my other hcs for anyone to understand the actual one I want to share. Here's a "brief" list of the others (happened between og series and inago):
Gouenji has unparallel knowledge of ALL Disney, Pixar, Dreamworks, and Ghibli movies and will defend the female characters with his life. (This is why I thought he probably knows MLP as I said on the last ask)
He's not a fan of social media and does not use anything outside of inalink and private messaging. Not bcs he's cool, he just doesn't understand them. Much like in honosuto with the laptop, initially with inatube, and him always forgetting his useless phone.
Yuuka convinced him to make an inatter (twitter) and inagram account bcs she does not want anyone to steal the @ and that she also wants to be able to tag him on her posts (and of his teammates/friends) so they can keep the memories. He saves all the pictures he gets tagged in and sometimes prints them out to keep in an album he designed (he's very good w crafts). I still can't believe honosuto came up with those social media names (except for inagram)
He only cared about the bare minimum use of social media so he only ever retweets in inatter (never made his own tweet ever; but he does reply on some that addresses him) and only posts his creations on inagram with no caption or a few words about what he made (made takoyaki, felted a bunny, crocheted a penguin, made cupcakes, etc.).
He only has three kinds of inatter rts: about soccer, about making art, and tweets of his friends and family. Yuuka made his bio in both of them. He also became good at taking pictures of his creations thanks to Yuuka.
However, he is mildly updated with internet language bcs that's all he hears from his sister and her friends and from his own friends in the group chat that he only talks in when he's mentioned. He assimilated most of the phrases they use in chats.
Having said all this, he almost has no social media presence. You're lucky to see his page updated after two weeks. He doesn't reply with strangers either unless it's a kid who loves or interested in soccer.
He also doesn't share much in interviews. Very bare minimum of answering questions and always answers in short sentences and just poses for the camera shortly before he bounces. His favorite answer to questions is "oh that's private" not bcs it's private but bcs he doesn't want to talk that long unless youre asking him about his opinion on human rights-- something that his agent and/or soccer club prevented the press from ever asking him again (an hc drop another time). But anyway, he always had strong opinions and doesnt hold back in expressing them (og series and inago) and that's trouble for the club sponsors so they make a lot of effort on stopping anybody from having the opportunity of asking him anything outside of his personal and athlete life.
And the last context here is that Gouenji is autistic, but we already know that.
Okay so now time for the actual bad HC I want to share... which is how Gouenji came out as bisexual to the public
This started with an inatter thread of a person criticizing Anna (Frozen) for her actions in the first movie that reached Gouenji's timeline. Gouenji answers with 7 tweets worth of respectful paragraph of why Anna shouldn't be criticized bcs of how she was brought up, bcs of her isolation, and bcs of her grief, etc. So, everybody lost their mind, etc etc. AND NOW, at the midst of all this, a soccer fan asked him the question below that he answered without thinking much about:
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This blew up and his notifications gets flooded with questions about his sexuality and questionable taste that he really didn't mind answering if it wasn't blowing up his phone.
He was out with everyone in his circle that he forgot the world didn't know he's bi. So, he fixed that by tweeting "yes, im bisexual" on his timeline. He logs out and then decided to wait a few months before logging in again.
This didn't sound as fun as I amped it up to be but I think it's a terribly bland HC that I find kind of funny
BUT THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THAT ASK!! I VERY MUCH WANT TO HEAR YOURS!!!
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