#maybe one day if I really really really feel like it I'll redo them. probably not. but who knows | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

redflagshipwriter · 2 months

Text

Reassembly 3

ch1 ch2

Masterpost

Peter pushed his bangs back for the billionth time. They immediately fell back in front of his eyes as he hunched over the library computer. He'd spent all day trying to get his bearings in this universe. Eventually, his stomach had gotten attention. Even with the stuff from the hotel buffet, he was so hungry it was distracting.

That had made him realize that what he needed most was money. He needed access to a steady stream of money. When he left here he could try to make the best decision possible about the little bit of cash he had, sure. But it wouldn't last long.

He had the spiteful fantasy of taking the money he needed from the LOA company that had been funding …whatever they'd done to him. An all-expenses paid kidnapping was only fair.

But it was only a thought. Whoever they were, they were dangerous. He shouldn't provoke them or give them any clues about him. Whatever experiments they'd been doing with him must have been expensive. They probably wanted him back. He needed to know more before he risked getting their attention.

Instead, Peter started up a resume. He put his real name at the top and then stared at it in indecision. He swallowed.

Was that a good idea? He… he didn't exist here, so it seemed fine. But maybe he should use a fake name?

Peter strained to think of a reason to use a fake name now that he knew he didn't exist here. How could those people possibly know his name? He definitely hadn't told them. It was probably smarter to be cautious, but it was his name. The idea of losing it made him feel like throwing up.

"If I think of a reason I shouldn't use it, I can change that." Peter muttered to himself quietly enough that no one seemed to notice. He took a few minutes to search around for high schools in the area. It was so weird that Midtown didn't exist here. He felt like a fraud as he entered the information for the school he thought would have been his school district. He double checked the year (and it was so weird that it was 5 years in the past here) and back dated his graduation 3 years. Then he grimaced and made it 5 years.

No way would anyone who saw his face believe that. But he'd need to pretend to have a university degree to get this kind of work, so it couldn't be helped.

'People lie on their resumes all the time,' Peter told himself. He still felt like crap about it. He still… he still hadn't graduated high school, and he probably never would.

It was fine. He knew enough that he was never going to stick out as less educated than a high school graduate.

'I'll get the college degree, though. If I really am here for a long time, I need an education.'

Peter deliberately picked an innocuous university to claim for his fake Bachelors in Computer Science. It took a while to find a place with a sufficiently not-prestigious program but enough graduates for him to have been lost in the crowd. He'd have to redo the resume with the real degree later.

Oh. Wait. Peter went back up and deleted his name. That was his reason to use a fake name for this work.

He was going to get a real degree in his own name. This resume was just to make some money, not to establish an identity. He watched the cursor blink for a while, trying to think of a name. It needed to be something that he could remember. Ned Leeds? It would make him too sad. Same for Tony Stark. But…

Peter slowly typed out James Barnes and huffed a laugh through his nose.

He'd recently escaped unethical scientists and found himself lost in a new world where he had no friends or family. It seemed appropriate.

"Hey," grumbled the mental Bucky Barnes that Peter's subconscious had apparently generated for some reason. "You little shit."

That was fine. Peter ignored the rising evidence of a mental breakdown and finished falsifying a resume. He used it to apply for several contract jobs in web design. He took a deep breath to counteract the urge to make a joke with someone, anyone, about how it was funny for Spiderman to get into web design.

Man. He was lonely.

There was no point in hanging around the library longer. The sun had set and it was close to closing time, 6:00 pm. He couldn't check anything out, not without an ID, and he wasn't going to get any emails back immediately.

Peter shuffled out and walked at random down the street. The sound of cars and pedestrians and crosswalks soothed his hindbrain.

He used the time to think. To plan.

He needed to refresh what he knew. The library would be a great start. He'd come early tomorrow and read some computer science books. That aside, he also needed to start working on a long term identity and getting into university.

'I'm going to want a scholarship. If I can do that, I won't have to work too much.'

The trouble with that was that Peter couldn't go to any random school. He needed to be somewhere with a significant budget for the sciences. If he was going to get home, he needed access to some serious technology.

'That's a big ask. Why would a prestigious school offer full scholarships?'

He felt defeated before he even started. But it was worth asking. That was the kind of question that the librarians wouldn't be suspicious of at all. He was actually in the right age group to look into college admissions.

'Okay. I need an ID. Birth certificate? That's the first ID anyone gets.'

Well. Time to see if the city administration buildings were where he remembered. How hard could it be to break in, print a birth certificate, and backdate and file it? He was Spiderman.

…And Spiderman really shouldn't be using his super powers for crime. What would Aunt May think? Peter grimaced and rubbed at his face with both hands.

Was it really that bad? 'I'm not stealing anything or hurting anyone,' he defended himself. 'I'm doing what I need in order to survive.'

The part that he felt worst about was lying about his education. But he had the skillset and qualifications, he just couldn't explain his internship to a genius that didn't exist here and extracurriculars at a school this universe didn't have.

'That's barely even a crime,' Peter thought. 'Breaking and entering isn't great, but I'm just fixing my own paperwork. I really was born. So it's not a fake ID.'

With that logic ironed out, Peter made his way to the vital records office. The building looked like he remembered, thankfully.

So. He shoved his hands deeper into his pockets and walked around the block to see the building from all sides.

It didn't exactly look super secure. It was an old brick faced building with a lonely camera angled down the stairs of the main entry. There was a metal detector visible from outside, and he knew from experience that there were maybe 3 security officers on the first floor.

'That's easy to get around if I enter from a higher floor. They'll probably have a security team in at night but they won't expect that. If they do a walk through, I'll hear them coming up the stairs or elevator.'

It seemed doable. Sort of.

'I need to know what birth certificates from my birth year looked like, I guess? And if the ones from today look the same. Or maybe I don't need to worry about it, as long as I enter my information digitally. I doubt they keep a paper copy for every birth. The building isn't even big enough. And you can get a copy printed whenever you need one, so… it being new-looking shouldn't be a problem.'

Okay. Alright, he could do this. He could do some paperwork.

It wasn't nearly late enough for that kind of crime, though. Peter shoved his hands in his pockets and decided to spend a little of his money on food.

Long term, getting pre-made food with limited finances was a terrible decision. He knew he should be getting like, beans and rice. But for now he went into a bodega and got the cheapest thing that he thought would make a dent in his hunger– a microwave burrito and a cola. Calories were good, right? He wolfed it down outside the store and ducked back in to throw away the trash immediately.

It still wasn't late enough.

He walked around the city for hours, waiting for an idea to hit him. There had to be a great solution. If he could only think of it, there was going to be something that he could do that would fix all his problems. His throat was hot and tight and his eyes were burning. He didn't cry.

God, he was tired. He eventually gave up. He was so tired and he had no idea where he was going to sleep but he really needed to because he was exhausted -

"Stop. Stop spiraling," he told himself. He sniffled. Aw, no, he wasn't catching a cold, was he? Crap. He hoped not.

He didn't know what time it was, but it felt late enough. He made his way back to the vital statistics office to record his own birth.

Weirdly for a plan devised by Peter, it went smoothly. He entered from a 4th floor window without setting off any alarms. He found and powered on a computer in the right office (thanks for the labels!) and looked up a few birth certificates before he felt confident. He entered his data into the system and printed a copy before powering everything down.

He was out the window within ten minutes of entering the building.

Okay. That was step one. Birth certificate accomplished. "Congratulations, it's a boy," Peter muttered to himself. He patted at the bag to hear the reassuring crinkle of paper inside. Okay, that was great! It was progress. He felt better already.

What was next?

…A driver's license. No one actually went around with a copy of their birth certificate to show when someone asked for ID. He needed a driver's license.

He walked to the DMV and pulled off basically the same heist. The nerve wracking part was turning on the lights to take the photo. His stomach twisted and he was absolutely certain that someone was going to come and see why the lights were on.

No one came. He backdated his license to the appropriate year and printed one typed up information for James Tony Barnes, saying that he was 22. Then he altered the birth year back once more to say he was almost 18.

Nobody in their right mind was going to look at his 15-year-old face and think he was 22. They'd just think he had a fake license. Which he did, so he needed them to think the fake license was real. He let out a deep breath and victoriously hit print.

It returned an error message.

…It wouldn’t print. Why?

He scanned until he found the field he’d messed up. Peter stared at it.

It was the social security number. He’d typed up his real one out of force of habit. It had been flagged as a mistake because it already belonged to someone in the system.

Caught by a morbid curiosity, he looked up who it belonged to. It was a girl, actually, younger than him.

He wanted to cry. It was such a silly thing to cry over! He wasn’t emotionally attached to his social security number– it was just a string of data. But he sniffled. He wiped something away from his eyes that he didn’t think about. Don’t think about it. He wasn’t in a safe place to think about it yet.

It took a few minutes to calm himself. He erased everything he’d done, turned off the computer, and left the way that he’d come.

He couldn’t get the license yet. He needed to get a social security number first. That probably meant that he needed to do some research. Did the office of vital statistics issue them? It didn’t seem right, since each state had to be coordinated. Surely there was some kind of national office that handled all of it.

For lack of anything else to do, his feet took him back to the library. He was so tired that his eyes were aching.

Peter looked at the opening hours. He licked his teeth. He thought about it.

It opened at 10am. It was.. it was…

He decided to risk powering on the evil janitor's phone. It was 11 pm. That was plenty of time for him to sneak a nap on the couch in the quiet space.

"I'm not hurting anyone," Peter said aloud. It was very quiet. He spidered his way up the back wall of the library, pried open a window, and guiltily stretched out on one of the sofas. He set an alarm for 8am. That was definitely earlier than staff would come in, right? Pretty sure.

He slept like the dead. But specifically, like the restless dead- his spider sense woke him up. Peter had no idea what time it was or why he was awake. He blindly grabbed his bag and the phone and leapt back out the window. He was shutting it when the light turned on inside.

He blinked blearily at the sunlight. He checked the phone.

7:21 am. Wow. Okay. Library workers were diligent. Maybe they had to dust all the books or something. He powered the phone off, and wondered how long the battery would last. He didn't have the charger for it.

Well. It seemed like a good time to go to a different hotel from yesterday and check out the buffet.

The hotel he went to had a less exciting buffet. There were a couple kinds of sliced bread and packets of margarine and jelly, as well as coffee, water, milk, and two types of juice. Still, it was free food, so he smiled at the clerk like he belonged there. This time he took a lot less food. Like, a lot less. He didn't want to clear out too much of their stuff.

Two pieces of jellied toast, a water, an orange juice and a coffee later (blegh, it was burnt), Peter was back outside and at loose ends.

He didn't want to turn the phone on to check the time. He guessed it was maybe around 8am. He had a couple hours until the library opened up again.

Well. He sniffled his clothes experimentally.

He should work on that. This outfit wasn't smelly yet, but it would get there. He needed a change of clothes.

He took everything he owned to a rooftop and spread out his work kit. That was a rather grand way to say "three pilfered sewing kits."

The scissors that came with them were absolutely tiny. Peter picked one up and marveled at it. It wasn't going to cut fabric, no way. It would cut thread and that was it.

But woven fabric always tore along the seam line, right? Peter took out his dumpster shirts and found the one with the worst damage- the red shirt. He picked a spot and tore with his hands.

It tore a straight line.

"Yessss," he cheered. He muscled through the seam and then went back to make another tear a little bit above the other one, so that he was basically holding a crop top, a bottom part, and a two inch strip from the middle that was unusable because the scissor cut had been jagged. He wound that up and put it in his bag because he didn't know what else to do with it.

Now he felt nostalgic, so he took out the blue shirt and did the same thing. The cut hadn't been in exactly the same spot, so the shirt with the blue top and red bottom strip was going to be a little longer than the other shirt. But that was fine, right?

He pinned the majority red shirt together using the pins from all 3 packages and painstakingly threaded a needle with the dark blue thread. Then he got to work.

It wasn't hard, honestly. It was more meditative than anything else. He was mostly done when he had the feeling he was being watched. Peter lifted his head and looked down. Then around. Finally, he looked up. "You fly," he said, impressed. "That's cool."

The flying teenager cocked his head at Peter and floated down. It was- honestly, it was kinda creepy and uncanny. Flying shouldn't be silent. There should be, like- an engine running or wings flapping.

He tried to keep the unease off his face. This wasn't his universe. He'd look like a weirdo if he acted surprised about it. He tried to look normal.

"What are you doing?" The guy asked.

Cool, he must be pulling it off.

Peter lifted his sewing project and turned it to show off the seam where red met blue in a neat line. "Customizing my wardrobe," he said, like a freaking dork would. If he said it confidently enough it would sound cooler, right? He eyed up the other teenager. He had spikes on the shoulders of his leather jacket. "I guess you do that too. You uh…. You do that yourself?"

The guy touched the studs on his leather jacket self consciously. "No, I bought it this way." He leaned in. "I didn't know you could do that." He seemed impressed.

Peter flushed, discomfited as he tied off the knit and cut his needle free. This guy was way too cool looking to talk to Peter like that. "Yeah, you can do anything to your stuff," he said. Wow, so eloquent. He cleared his throat and tried to look busy turning the shirt inside out to show how it looked. Luckily it had turned out well. "I like your piercings." And the fade was cool too. Wow, no one at Midtown looked like that. Even their jocks were actually nerds. And this guy was a jock for real. He was huge and handsome.

The guy got real close, looking at Peter's bi-colored shirt.

Peter squirmed. The scrutiny was enough to make him feel paranoid about it being in Spiderman's colors. But this guy didn't know about him. Right? No way, there was no way. He stuffed it in his bag and tried not to look sweaty and suspicious. No underage vigilantes here. Just two normal guys on a 35th story rooftop.

"Teach me."

His head flew up at that imperious demand. "Teach you what exactly?" Peter was too surprised to moderate his tone. It came out too high, too nerdy. "Like- sewing in general, or- your jacket? Do you wanna customize your jacket more?" Oh, man, he was nervous enough that he couldn't speak straight. So embarrassing. Peter forced himself to smile and waited for the reaction with a cringe. This felt like the moment before he got put in a locker.

Man, this dude had intense blue eyes. And he was holding so still. Was he even breathing? "I want more metal in my jacket," he decided. "And- could we make part of it mesh?"

Peter was mostly just glad the guy had started breathing again.

'Mixing leather and mesh doesn't seem structurally sound. Plus, isn't leather meant to be kind of protective?'

…"If you pay for supplies, we can try," Peter said, because this might as well happen, and now he knew someone. Now he knew a normal human being from this universe who he could lean on for cues. He latched on- metaphorically. In reality, he just started packing up his supplies and hoped the guy didn't recognize them as hotel kits. Peter was used to the mortification of being poor, but this was a bit much even for him.

"Yeah, I have Luther's credit card." The guy whipped one out of nowhere and flipped it between his fingers at a dizzying pace. He slapped on a lazy grin and watched Peter intently as he did his weird little dexterity trick.

That was what broke his nerves. That? That was the kind of thing that Ned did in his practical magic phase.

'Is he trying to be cool?' Peter wondered, incredulous. 'He's trying way too hard. He's not actually that cool. I mean, he's definitely cooler than me, but it's not as bad as I thought.'

Awesome. Peter could work with that. He relaxed tremendously. He was just gonna think of this guy as a really muscular Ned. He was pretty sure that Ned would still hang out with Peter even if he'd gotten that tall and strong after puberty, so it was probably a fair comparison.

"That's great," he said, pretending he knew who Luther was. The guy's stepdad or something, probably. Why else would he have a credit card from someone he called by their name? "You wanna go now?" He paused. "I'm Peter, by the way."

The other boy's hand was weirdly warm and firm when he reached out for a handshake (what? Teenagers shake hands here?. That was so uncool and he'd never have guessed it). "Kon." He flashed his perfect teeth again. "Yeah, let's go. Wanna walk or fly?"

Peter shrugged. "Whichever is cool," he said. He hoped Kon didn't expect him to be able to fly. If he needed to he could like, parkour, and pretend that was just his preference.

"Flying it is!" Peter yelped and just barely aborted a dodge as Kon cheerfully grabbed him in a bridal carry and swooped out into the open air.

Kon and Peter, both wrong at the arts and crafts store: "I have successfully befriended a normal guy in my age group. I can copy him surreptitiously to learn to blend in better, as long as he doesn't learn that I'm not a cool guy like him."

#marvel dc crossover #peter parker #kon el superboy #red reassembly

28 notes · View notes

seaweedbraens · 4 months

Note

Yo it’s your local late night 6.5/10 PJOTV reviewer here to offer yet another perspective, especially after the new episode.

I think the core of the issue is that this show has two major MAJOR differences from the book, those being tone and pacing. The latter has been discussed a lot, and all i really have to add to that cesspool is that it is in fact very different and faster, leading to tighter story beats and less character development, which is the only thing i truly hate.

The tone thing hasn’t been talked about nearly as much as it should be, but i think it IS affected a ton of people’s perception of the show. The witty, dry humor of the first book that defined Percy and Annabeth as kids is kind of lacking a little? This is probably the fault of Rick attempting to write for TV and kinda struggling with humor. This makes the TV characters slightly different from the books, with Annabeth being more serious and less sarcastic, while Percy is just snarky sometimes instead of being an absolute little bitch. (This is also a lot because of the lack of narration BY Percy, where he can be a lot more humorous)

Without spoiling much, the newest episode fixes some of the issues with story and pacing elements, but still lacks in some development in terms of the subtext of the story, if that makes sense. The best part is that it reworks and redoes certain parts of the story in a way that just WORKS for TV and this specific cast.

Honestly, the only character that has 100% benefited from the change in focus with character development is Grover. The fact that the show just generally cares less about these characters somehow makes grover less of an anxious, shy companion and more of a fun, wholesome dude which i love SO MUCH!

About LMM as Hermes, i’m totally for it. LMM has pretty decent acting jobs, and the tired look he always has totally works with Hermes being canonically overworked as hell.

Another thing i do love that some people don’t is the Gabe changes. IDK how much you know, but the changing of Gabe is an unforeseen and interesting change. However, i like it because it makes Gabe a more dynamic character, and makes it possible to change who is in a negative light, rather than making him go from “abusive bitch” to “physically abusive bitch”. This all comes from someone intimately family with parental abuse and someone who loves reading fics that discuss Gabe AS a horrible abuser. Like, one of my fav PJO fics (that i did suggest to you) is an entire therapy fic about Percy dealing with that abuse and the scars of trauma. I know what i want from Gabe’s character is all i’m saying.

Finally, one last topic i wanna rant about on the internet is fucking LA Luke. They had absolutely no right to make this dude the most lovable bitch at camp. Hell, even the most anti-live action ppl out there can admit Luke got a lot more sympathetic in the show. Anyone can see they really cared about that aspect of the character. (not the weak-ass attempt at a scar tho lmao)

This entire rant and all of my (and everyone’s really) feelings can change drastically as soon as the next episode drops though, so take everything ANYONE says with a tablespoon of salt and a pile of blue food.

duly noted, and thank you for the update on your thoughts with the new episode, anon - it's so interesting to see thoughts change with every new one! i'll probably binge it all in one go at the end.

from what you've said, i think the gabe changes still bother me, but i'm all for a more likeable luke. that'll make the betrayal that much more painful. honestly, i've been toying lately with the idea of a later betrayal on luke's end, rather than at the end of book 1. i feel like we don't fully get to see how much percy trusts him and likes him in the limited time we get with them in the lightning thief. one day, maybe, i'll write a fic that really gives luke and percy the Bonding Time i think they deserve before the rug's pulled out from underneath percy's feet.

i wonder how your 6.5/10 rating will change by the end of the final ep!

9 notes · View notes

just-a-carrot · 5 months

Note

So, this may be a loaded question, and I'm sorry about that. But I really want to know, do you have any plans on what to do after OW ends? Like, any new stories?

It is completely 100% okay if you don't, especially considering you have a lot of things going on in your life, and you aren't actively trying to monetize your games. However, I just want you to know that your games mean so, so much to me, and many other people.

Our Wonderland has become an immense comfort to me over the past few months, and everyday I look forward to any new content you or others may post. That's not an exaggeration. Seeing OW content is genuinely a highlight of my day.

I know it can't last forever, but with the finale being so close I must admit that I will miss the story greatly. I'll probably keep replaying it and thinking about it for months on end.

I apologize if it comes off that way, but I'm not trying to guilt trip you into making more content than you want/can handle. I just want to tell you my honest feelings about the game, and the impact it had on me.

I hope, whatever the case is, that you'll be happy with your decision and that things will go well for you. You have created a genuinely amazing and beautiful story, and you deserve all the praise for it.

That's really all, Carrot. Please have a good day, and don't overwork yourself. You're an amazing dev. :D

THIS IS VERY SWEET?????

you're going to make me cry... this whole thing is so lovely 😭💕

i don't yet have any specific plans or ideas for once OW is finished. that's mostly because i never make future plans for anything LOL (i am scared of the future...). i do have random various ideas for potential things i could do once it's finished, but i would not be able to tell you when they would happen (or even 100% confirmed they would happen); they're more just like, little kernels of potential things sitting latent inside my head. these include:

The OW remaster, where I go back through and make some of the earlier arcs better and more polish/redo some of the art (this has the highest chance of happening)

Maybe another random OW side game at some point??? I know I'm already working on OC now LOL but I have so many random ideas for these characters in my head that I don't doubt I will suddenly get inspired to do yet another side game of some type, tho I don't know what that could be yet. I imagine it would be something of a different vibe than OC since I'm getting all my bittersweet-fluff-needs out now LOL

Game jams... I don't have any specific ideas for game jams but because they're always going on, there's always the chance I'll get a random little idea for one. Particularly when O2A2 rolls around again next year as it's such a good opportunity to work on something small and different. Or maybe next Spooktober (though I'd need a really good idea for that as I would feel a bit pressured to make sure it's good LOL)

A new project? I have an idea for one that's been tumbling around in my head for a while now that's more of a dark fantasy vibe. If I start to get the story for that a bit more developed in my mind I may eventually start working on it or at least start doing some sketches to help me better figure out the chars

those are all my current tumbling thoughts. but again because i hate planning or thinking about the future, they're all just kinda vague and none of them are 100% confirmed (even if the remaster is something i'm pretty sure i wanna do)

sob it really means so much hearing that you feel so strongly about OW though. just knowing that there are people out there who look forward to hearing about my chars brings me so much joy, especially since i think about them basically every second of every day LKDJLFAKDSFA they've really been my life for the last 2 1/2 years, to the point where it's hard to even think about not thinking about them or game dev in general. so really thank you so much for your support and for letting me know this as it's so sweet and kind! 💕

#ow: asks

9 notes · View notes

tangerinesteve · 3 months

Note

EEEEEEE!!!!! (vocal text specific stim)

you’re so right about being too old for putting up with discourse and such. i. get. you. i’m younger than you and i get that so much. it’s too much for me to handle when i could just Not Deal With It, which is a lot better for everyone involved, probably. me 🤝 you

OOOO NAILS!!!!! let me know what you do :] i love painting nails, it’s so fun. mine are currently all black besides my pinky fingers are a reddish pink and kinda sparkly? i hate this color red but it’s what i got :(( sad time really

-🦇

(also lmk if you don’t like conversations in your asks, i can send stuff less regularly if this is spam-like to you!)

WOOOOWOWOWOWOW!!! (Back at ya!!!)

It just seems so exhausting. Like im just here to play with my little fictional characters and reblog silly shit for shits and gigs. Maybe get into a few shenanigans with my pals. Thats all. Thats all i need!!!! Haha!

Awww i wish i could share my collection with you!!! I have..... so much, nail polish!!! Im doing a sparkly deep pink with a pastel purple, every other nail!!! Since valentine's is coming. Tryin to be festive! I'll probably have to redo them again before then because of work BUT THATS OKAY CUZ I LOVE DOING THEM!

I dont mind convos in my asks! But i sometimes dont see the notifications! And i dont always check my inbox cuz i dont get regular asks or anons! (Until now!!!) So if i dont answer pretty quickly, like within the day, feel free to send me another one! Hahaha!

#🦇 anon #sometimes they get buried in my notes and i dont see themmmmm #but i dont mind it!!!!#im just so happy to have an emoji anon!!! 🤣🤣🤣🤣💙💙💙#anon #asks

4 notes · View notes

palialaina · 4 months

Text

I haven't taken this many photos in a long time...

So, I kinda of made the mistake of telling Tish I wanted to redo my entire house and also build a guest house. She rounded up practically everyone who was good at moving stuff, and showed up all too early this morning practically vibrating with ideas.

Fortunately, she let me lead.

I pointed Reth and Dad at my kitchen and dining area, telling them I wanted it smaller than it was and more separated. They did not disappoint! Dad said he'd talk to Hodari about the stuck door on my pantry, but in the meantime, an empty bookshelf worked really good for holding all my dishes! And once they wrestled my cooking stations into place, Reth whipped up a bunch of food, even stuff from the Maji market, so that everyone would have energy!

My main room is now a small living room, and it took Nai'o and Hodari a few hours to set it all up nice and proper. Tall people, I swear. Uncle B loved the performance corner though. I'm getting better at this lute! I think...

Jel mostly just helped me cut out some of the clutter and arrange things nicely. He may had teased me a little about getting a portrait of Hodari soon. I whacked him with a pillow.

And we painted the front of my house together! Tish had fun with that! Kenyatta complained that it was pink, but like... Hodari gave me a swatch of this paint! I like it!

And then we started the guest house.

I really did think about a bigger living room, but... I like this. It feels cozy to me. Maybe a little cramped, but mostly cozy.

And then the two bedrooms.

I really doubt I'll have this many guests, but Tish said it would give people variety. And like, they can also sleep on the couches if they want. Or crash on mine if they wanna be in my house, I suppose.

It feels like it took forever to get all this done. Sheesh! And there's still the bathrooms to do, which means I need to buy another tub, buy another room, and also one final harvest house so I can put together my workshop. Tish was super excited when I told her I was going to do that, so she's probably going to try and help me again. It'll be chaos, that's for sure.

Also, Zeki and I are now sort of conspiring against Subira. She wanted me to spy on him, after discovering that the Underground existed. I'm not a snitch though, and Zeki's been nice to me. Temple of the Gales crap aside, he's a softy, and I'm not selling him out to anyone.

So of course I told him. He's agreed that I can work at the Underground for a bit to 'spy' on him, but first I have to do a thing for Tamala so that she can make a thing for him that enhances the senses. Mostly it means I'm hunting a bug and a fish again, but that's a job for Later Me, because hooo boy.

I am so done. Time to have a long soak in the tub and call it a day.

#palia #palia online #singularity 6 #berry plays palia #palia game #palia journaling #palia journey #palia mmo #palia roleplaying

3 notes · View notes

tea-of-destiny · 10 months

Text

So... why the new blog?

To be honest, I don't actually know. I don't know why I deleted the old blogs.

Like, I know on the night I deleted my Tumblr and AO3 accounts, I was not feeling very much like myself at all, and I was overcome with this strong impulse to abandon everything and completely disappear. I just... never expected I'd actually follow through on it. I spent 7 years on @/baceoonist, and 3 years on the original @/teaofdestiny blog and AO3. Sure, sunk cost fallacy, et cetera, but I never considered myself someone who could just throw that kind of work away.

I do regret doing it. Especially orphaning all my fics. A blog really is just a blog in the end, and that's easy enough to redo over time, particularly since I see now how many of you feel genuine connections with me and missed me while I was gone. (It was ultimately only a few days, and I probably needed the time away, but I'm sorry for making some of you worry ^^")

But orphaning my fics and deleting my AO3 account is like... I put a lot of myself into some of those stories, and I can still prove that I originally wrote most of them, but the way things have turned out, I can never truly say that they're mine again because they belong to the community now. And that does hurt in some sense.

(It also complicates things for The Specter and the Strawman because I was going to continue that story. I'm positive there's a way it can be done, but approaching it so that it doesn't cause confusion or anything of the sort for other people is still something I have to navigate in the future. And then I can't help but think, "Well, if I'd just left everything alone, I wouldn't have to put it all back together like this now.")

If there's any good news here, I guess it's that I have an opportunity to make things different now. One big change I think needs to happen, at least in the beginning, is engaging with politics and activism less on here. Escapism in excess is obviously not great, so I'll still try to keep aware of things that are happening in the real world, maybe more through other means like actual news sites. But hearing how much the world sucks in excess is also not great, and I know it contributes to me feeling really down on myself and getting these reckless impulses.

That's part of why Tea of Destiny is my main blog now: I want to focus on me and my needs and interests more, and worry about Everything a little less.

If I ever decide to do more political posting, I'll probably make another side blog for that. Maybe I'll call it Baceoonist again. Or maybe that would be confusing for me. Idk. One step at a time.

This all turned out more rambly and less explain-y than I intended, but thank you if you read to the end. Making a new blog is not an ideal situation - especially since Tumblr staff seems dead-set recently on disrupting the user experience - but I'm just trying to make the best of it.

We'll be back to your usual post content soon haha.

#teaposts #not fandom #did i need to write this post? no i guess not. maybe no one will read it #but i do value honesty and i think it will at least put me more at ease to have said these things #the next step after this is probably starting to reblog some of my old 'teaposts' over here #so in case that blog goes down for real i'll have all that art and stuff preserved

7 notes · View notes

inkofamethyst · 4 months

Text

January 2, 2024

So what defines "her"?

"her" is assertively feminine, doe eyes with a scheme behind them. "her" inserts blackness into atypical spaces. "her" is intellectual, academic. "her" is curious, ready for adventures. "her" is green, black, cream, brown (and burgundy, and goldenrod). "her" is dainty flats and hefty boots. "her" is pleated trousers and collared blouses. "her" is vintagey purses and hair ribbons.

I really like my "vision board of sorts." This was an excellent exercise in seeing what speaks to me now and being intentional about what I select in response to that prompt. Instead of a broad collection of outfits I want to copy, I think I've curated a mood that I want to emulate through symbiosis of clothes, hair, and beauty (I'm a degree-wielding biologist and can use "symbiosis" however I want, thank you). And I think that's more personal. We'll see how well I manage to reflect it. Since I'm on a savings kick I may not be able to invest much into this project until my emergency fund and travel fund are done, but I'll do what I can with the plenty that I own (maybe I'll follow the advice I gave my sister though and do a planned fun purchase <$30 once or twice a month for whimsy earrings or depop shopping). And maybe it's for the best, as it's almost never a good idea to buy new clothes after reevaluating one's style anyway.

Four years later, I believe the Cute Campaign has reincarnated. I seem to be a person of cycles, huh. From fashion manifestos to learning new instruments, certain life events seem to group together with others in familiar ways.

Ages ago I might've mentioned how I felt kind of weird about buying so many sleeveless mock necks because they were probably just a trend, but I consulted the depths of my pinterest boards to construct "her", and I now retract that statement because I've actually loved that look for years but have just never found any in stores or affordably online (not for a lack of trying). So, really, I'm just taking advantage of a trend to nab items that will likely receive years of wear and care (until I get comfortable sewing knits, that is--then it's sleeveless mocknecks all summer baby).

It does sadden me a lot that I have to leave home again, actually. I mean I'm sure living here all the time could become incredibly grating, maybe, but right now it just feels like love. I know I am loved even when I am far away from but it feels so close while I am here, like a warm blanket against my skin (as opposed to knowing that the blanket waits for me on my bed while I'm out and about during the day, just to extend this metaphor). I didn't really experience homesickness while I was away after those first few nights in my apartment, so I thought leaving would be easier this time, but it's not, not really. My new city does not feel like home, my new school does not feel like home. I hope that they do, one day. Because I hate how the last few days of being here are marred by my looming departure.

(I think that maybe part of it is a lack of community and creative outlet there. I don't have my sewing or my friends or my instruments. So I feel insular and antsy.)

The Winter King is an adult romantasy, the first I've ever read. The.. "adult" bit is admittedly new to me, uhm, so we'll see how I feel about it as I get further in. It certainly fits the angst I said I was looking for, no doubt about that.

Today I'm thankful for the absolutely darling necklace my mother gifted me to wear with the formal gown I thrifted. It's the literal perfect shape for the neckline and matches the shoes I intend to wear with the gown. Now I just need to figure out how to go about hemming the dress a few inches (...might pay a tailor to do it bc I'm scared).

Today's goals: complete alterations (2(?)), pack, redo the skirt waistband (UGHHH (the skirt is rly cute but I measured something wrong when cutting out the waistband and made it too small)), wash clothes. Maybe watch PJO. [edit: did not complete all but did complete other things and I spent a few hours shopping with my sister which was fun and I also made a simple but delicious dinner for my fam]

happy new year :)

1 note · View note

seyaryminamoto · 1 year

Note

Happy Birthday ! :) Go Capricorns <3 Hope you had a wonderful holiday season. Thank you for giving us this beautiful story. If I may ask, as a writer, how do you keep yourself going? How do you stay motivated and inspired for so long? It’s amazing! And the story you deliver is absolutely breathtaking. I admire you so much <3 P.S Thoughts on the new comics/ movies that avatar studios is coming up with ??

Sorry for taking so long to answer! Happy birthday to you too, Anon! I'm assuming it already passed, with Capricorn season wrapping up and all x'D

So, how do I stay motivated...? To be honest, it's a bit tricky to answer that X'D

I've told this story a few times in the past, I think, but the truth is, I actually wound up writing ATLA fics because I was stuck, absolutely stuck, with an original story over some worldbuilding elements I couldn't figure out. I was infuriated and frustrated by it, so I decided to clear my head and go watch this TV show people kept telling me was soooo good, so I settled on doing that and no longer stressing out about my story...!

... Poor story's been fridged for ten years :') so very cruel of me to do that, I know. And I think that, on top of the fridging, I'm actually bound to have to rewrite the whole thing from scratch one day, so... yeah :'D

The point of sharing this is explaining that, as much as I write up a storm sometimes, I don't ALWAYS do it, it doesn't work with everything, writer's block is no stranger for me, if anything I got waaaay too acquainted with it as a teenage writer who was writing whatever came to mind with zero pressure because it was for her eyes only.

My time writing original fiction as a teenager taught me many lessons, though, and among them, the discipline to write on a regular, constant basis. This isn't something EVERYONE can do, every writer works differently, and I can't pretend I'm permanently, constantly ready to write. But just waiting for inspiration to strike is a dangerous game to play, because... often inspiration arrives for the wrong things, or at the wrong time. I don't write anything out of order if I can help it (though my god, Part 3 is sooo trying to mess with that, organizing this chaotic chunk of the story has NOT been easy x'D), precisely because if I don't push myself through the transition scenes, through the lead-up, and I just jump right into the big moments I REALLY want to write? I'll never write the build-up to it because I'll never feel like it :'D

So, for starters, discipline. The discipline I developed is mostly about being ready to power through when things aren't super engaging. And then, if things didn't feel right because you forced them, you scrap and redo it, specifically by pinpointing the problems that caused things to feel forced. I've had to scrap soooo many ideas that just weren't flowing correctly, and I've had to go around that and figure out other ways to write something, both to make it more engaging and to make it actually work better than whatever I had in mind at first...

... Therefore, secondly, gotta learn to adapt! Once you identify something's not right, or a GREAT idea comes to mind but it potentially derails your previous plans, you slow down to figure out how to adapt, if adapting is possible at all. I actually had some very strange ideas for the arc I'm currently posting in Gladiator, and upon reaching the point where I finally had to write them... I realized that concept didn't work. It might work better on a TV show, maybe, in something audiovisual, because it would have required a lot of switching, back and forth, between two situations that looked the same, at the same time? Kinda? And it just didn't feel right when I finally was supposed to write it, it was too confusing. So... I adapted to what felt right, and I think the result is infinitely better for it :D

Thirdly... which probably should be the first thing, honestly: building scenes.

It sounds weird to say it this way, but this is a key element of how I write stories. It's become such an important part of it that nowadays I've become disgustingly critical of how scenes are built in any content I consume -- I'll have to try and figure out if someone's put my feelings about this into words, maybe in academic essays or books or so, because I admit I really don't know how to explain something that feels so instinctive to me...

But anyway: scene building is the core of how I write. If I were planning on writing a car race, I'd have to think about how that race will end, probably even before I think about how it begins. If it ends with a triumph for the hero, or a defeat, or a brutal accident that causes the race to be cancelled? I have to think about how that would happen, depending on the story I'm telling. Once I settle on the outcome, that retroactively informs then, of what I need to do in order to build this conclusion: how do I develop the characters in order to take them in that direction? And once the conclusion arrives... it has to be the biggest moment of the story. It has to carry narrative weight. A lot of that can be built by setting the stage, something I've found a lot of people don't really seem to think about... but even a small room in a house can be a grand stage for a big story's conclusion if the scene is set properly to pay off there.

So... I build up scenes. When I start thinking about telling stories, the first thing my brain is wired towards is envisioning scenes. Once I come up with a scene that I REALLY want to write, or in some cases, multiple scenes, I start to thread things together. Let's take for example... my "Azula and Sokka as spies" AU from Sokkla Saturdays 2020.

First thing I came up with was the idea, of course, of Sokka and Azula having to work together to save Kuei somehow. The exact threat they were saving him from only came to mind later, what mattered was that they would be in Ba Sing Se, cooperating to put a stop to something dangerous.

Then, I thought of the idea of the two of them being stuck together in a closet or a very tight space, unable to move or do anything because the enemy was right there and would catch them snooping about in the wrong place at the wrong time :'D This specific scene, then, became the core of how I built up that story.

From that core, I started to come up with the conclusion (do they win or lose), as well as how they landed in that situation, what's the threat, why they're working together but as separate agents, what their dynamics would be like in this setting, how their mutual attraction reaches a boiling point in that very specific scene...

And at that point, I just focused on preparing everything and setting the stage in order to tell the story of... how Sokka and Azula wound up locked inside a tight space together in Ba Sing Se's Palace X'D

For me, generating those core scenes is crucial for building a story that I can flow through with the right amount of motivation. I don't really know how other people do it, some people love writing stories without planning anything beforehand, and all the power to them if they can do that. I really prefer building things up towards the outcome I'm aiming for, though. At times, new elements come up in the middle of writing anyway, and you can be surprised by unexpected twists that actually bring new life to your story. You just have to let yourself ride the waves and figure out whether you'd rather choose your destination or let your story choose it for you, in a sense. But for me, setting at least some of the course is what seriously pushes me towards creating the story I want to write.

Gladiator-wise, the key has been this same principle, but in higher frequency. Basically, pretty much every arc I've written has one or multiple core scenes that I built up at the center of it all. Sometimes those core scenes could be very small and contained things... sometimes they could be something massive and chaotic. But I basically have pushed through Gladiator without breaking (even when things did get me down at times) because I had those highlights, important moments to look forward to that motivated me (and still motivate me, we're not done yet!) to keep going and push past the build-up that's necessary for everything that comes next.

... Alright, I hope that made sense X'D

As for Avatar Studios and its upcoming projects, as well as Hicks's next comic... I don't really have a lot to say on that front. I'm on a strict "live-and-let-die" policy with canon since North and South Part 1, pretty much, the last comic I ever read in full... because unless canon actually catches my attention and does things in a way I can respect/enjoy, I'm better off not engaging with it. As I mentioned in another ask not long ago, what really bothers me about the latest direction of this franchise is the lack of purpose in the stories they've been telling. Aang's story doesn't feel that way... but pretty much everything else does. Until I get the sense that they do have a direction and a purpose, I don't think I'm going to be overly concerned with whatever canon does. If I'm told Azula's comic is great, I'll definitely give it a read, but I don't hold out a ton of hope for my peace of mind, too. Better not to get excited only to be disappointed later on, as The Search taught me :'D I'd love it if Hicks can do a good job with the comic, of course, but I'm not passing judgment for or against it until it's out... and after it's out, I'll only pass judgment if I actually decide it sounds like something I want to read. Canon is free to do what it wishes to... I live very happily in my AUs and I have no need for canon validation to do what I do. So... that's my stance on that :'D

#anon #happy birthday to you too!#and I'm really glad you like my big crazy story #and for your question about my writing process #I probably ought to really get cracking on making a theory of scenes #or something #because I really don't know how to articulate what I mean when I talk about scene building ahahaha #but I just... feel it in my bones dang it #I have to figure it out and I will one day #I will...

6 notes · View notes

end-of-reset · 2 years

Text

I've been rewriting and reviewing my notes for stuff (and have been practicing personal comics lately.)

Some thoughts:

I think if I were to redo this, I'd make Frisk(And Chara, when they fell) 10. My original point had been to emphasize underestimating/deciding how younger children feel, but tbh I'm not feeling that like I used to. Like, you can look at Lilo from Lilo and Stich, and know she has a completely developed personality and sense of awareness of the world around her, and she's supposed to be 5-6. But I think I aimed a bit too low with my intent.

And really, nobody is Stopping me from going and retconning whatever I want from My comic, it would just require me to cringe my way through old pages and answers and stuff and edit any mention of their age lol.

I probably need to do that anyways (go through the blog to jog my memory) but, ow. I kind of want to one day go through those and redraw them anyways, since my style and ability has evolved Incredibly far past that, so maybe I'll just make a note somewhere on the comic collection pages or whatever for now?

IDK I'm not a professional and I guess I can do what I want!! This is what I'm using for practice (and my own desire to create) anyways!

this would be easier to edit in changes for if I transcribed pages, however, I have 8 diseases. I Do want to try to do that more from now on, but they'd clog up pages IDK I'll maybe make a sideblog for the newer pages so I can put off feeling cringe for a little while longer lol

#mod talk #not story

5 notes · View notes

volfoss · 3 months

Text

like... to get an idea of what all id need to do. for anyone curious ig and also to just... totally beat the allegations of yucky little beast:

survey the damage... bc shes obviously in VERY bad shape. so id need to see if i could even get her eyes out or if id maybe. need to dremel into them to get them free so i could start on faceup removal

get the eyes out. this is very scary bc of the hot glue and also the mysterious gray substance. if it IS apoxie sculpt like i think it is then good god. thats going to be the worst 7 bucks ive ever spent or smth

clean the head. im really hoping that its dirt and not.. the alternative on the forehead and other parts of the face. if it IS some mold or fungus, ive got pony experience here (as in. i have dealt with that a few times on MLP) so I'm not... too worried? My guess is its surface level grime that should go away w the faceup being removed.

attempt to remove the faceup. the paint rly looks like it goes ALL the way around her head (poor thang) so ill probably test with acetone at the back of her head. for whatever reason i feel very much like her head has to be fragile so id rather test the more strong/easy to use chemical in a lesser seen spot. i really do not want to be scrubbing with rubbing alcohol for 5 years. bc the faceup looks like at LEAST a few layers of paint with a bad sealant so (as someone whos removed two full body resin paint jobs) i know acetone would be quickest (but alcohol is safest. but we will see)

assess the damage AGAIN. i predict that she is severely yellowed (due to the cracks on the cheek) but the question of if it is either just. in those spots where the faceup cracked or if its all over is really unsure. i mainly want to get her to try retrobrighting (which ive done on older MLP with great success and it seems to be something that works for this kind of vinyl as well) on her and just. fix up a doll that is beyond repair for most people lol. from what ive experienced with resin, i think the yellowing could either be all over (and the head was painted to try and hide this. although this clearly did not go well lol, altho i think its a sealant issue and not a paint issue, as it kind of looks like when ive fucked up with MSC (a common sealant for bjds)) or it could be just... shes been in sunlight and where the paint cracked got unevenly yellowed (i experienced this most recently with my big blue boy, where all the blue paint kind of. protected his resin and the non covered parts got more yellow). so its kind of a toss up. or a mysterious third thing you never know.

once shes all clean (which i assume will take a while due to well... how bad of shape that she is in), ill probably sit with it for a few days and then get milliput and sculpt a new nose. this will not be fun for me i think because I just... am not a sculpting fan (funny thing when this project WILL have a lot of sculpting) and much prefer sanding. I'm not too mad about the chin being sanded down (as the original had an INSANELY pointed chin which I really didn't like. I hate sanding vinyl so this works for me) or the eyes being opened (other than.. having to figure out the size on my own and pray for the best). Most of the mods are not... bad to me and are partially why I'm drawn to miss yucky bc like... the diseases but also the fact that the mods do mostly make the head cuter for me

Redo the faceup. I would love to keep the elements of the original with the big eyelashes as I find them cute, but the BIGGEST order of business is eyebrows good god. I'll have to paint over the mod that I did but I'm not super worried about it (maybe falsely I've never painted a vinyl head in full bc I have exactly one vinyl doll) and then hope i can get the head right on the first try. depending on how bad the yellowing is (and if im able to retrobright her to a lighter skin tone, as the body i have is pretty light (altho it doesnt match any skins from this company so. its a whole thing its ok)) i might just paint the whole head (or even come up with a story or reason why its mismatched. I have a lot of heads and bodies like that so I don't mind fully lol). It's just kind of a scary tossup on how bad of shape everything is.

Done <3 i really dont think itll be TOO bad but i also like... think i wont know fully until i get my hands on her if i do. She would be pretty tiny too (as in 45 cm or so, or for the americans, 1.5 ft) but I do love that scale of doll so. it could work.

#twist rambles #bjd posting #im truly thinking abt it bc minus the eyes i do rly have all the parts id need for her?? and i feel bad for her so.#talking myself into horrific purchases IS my passion but I genuinely feel so charmed by her... like i just... its the same as w old ponies #where i go oh. i can fix you so easy and make u feel loved. and so i do. and this is the same case to me... im not super experienced w viny #dolls but i spent a few years in that side of the hobby so ik a bit. im just mainly worried abt the sculpting or... what will be UNDER the #faceup. and trying to size the eyes. and the eyes in general lol #long post #bc it probably is. i love to ramble about my dolls tho... or future scaries. but i think it would be fun and i am in the middle of a few #projects rn so. i might as well.#which reminds me after i finish the horrible thing im reading i need to finish scrubbing my doll... and get superglue on another. i have ha #two boys dismembered bodies on my floor for a few days so. i have to take care of it <- they had to get restrung #also sorry this is probably like... super incoherent for EVERYONE but. i hope you enjoy seeing my justification for a really bad purchase l #lmao. still holding off to see what buyee says on the shipping but... it would be so sillies <- famous last words.

1 note · View note

zachsgamejournal · 1 year

Text

COMPLETED: Sable

So I decided to end my time with this game. I could have played this for many more hours, but I think it was time to move on. I really appreciate the soul of this game and the journey it provided me!

I really like the theme of the game, which I think is about "finding yourself". The game's culture encourages teens coming of age to go on an unguided adventure, meet many people, do many things, and then decide where they think they fit best. I think this is really what humans should be doing during their twenties. But I always felt like I was supposed to decide what I was going to do by 18 and set myself on a committed path: become a doctor, teacher, lawyer, whatever--and that's the rest of your life.

Being a little directionless in my 20s (I knew what I wanted to do but I took a very indirect path to get there...and I'm still not really there), I found myself meeting lots of interesting people and getting into interesting situations. Rarely did these adventures start of with me doing what I wanted to do--but I'm proud to have had these experiences. And I think that's what this game is about.

This game should have been perfect for me, but it's a bit glitchy. I even found floating trees and platforms. The environment feels very organic, but areas where paths are predetermined the platforming still felt a bit clumsy. And there were times where I couldn't grip surfaces for climbing, making the platforming harder than it should be. So while I appreciate the huge open world with tons to see and do, basic traversal felt a little challenging, which dampened the fun. So a game like Mario 64 feels "freeing" but Sable felt rough.

Some of the sections were quite impressive. Much of the game is just open desert that your drive across, but then there was this ship called The Whale and it was huge with many little secrets to find. I spent a good hour in there climbing and exploring. It made me think of some of the 3D Mario levels I've played, but like 100 times bigger. So I had fun.

The bike, I think I've complained about it before, is not very fun to drive. Something about the physics causes the bike to constantly flip and bounce around. It is never a smooth ride, which makes driving around less fun than it should be. I really hate that, because it could be really relaxing and fun.

There was an interesting mission regarding the Whale that pissed me off. You have to find pieces of a ship wreck and gain access codes. There's a room in the whale and once you get enough, you unlock a special suit and mask. If you get them all, you unlock bike parts. But the game hinted to me that I hadn't found all the access codes. So I spent a couple hours redoing them all. I didn't realize I needed to talk to a computer to make the visuals change to showing I found them all. I'm guessing this mission tells how people inhabited this planet but I did really read them all...I should probably do that.

So in conclusion, I really enjoyed the game. It's very rough around the edges--but for being a small indie project, I'm impressed. I'd rather play this than 98% of the AAA games out there. Maybe one day I'll return and play it with my kids!

#Zach's Game Journal #COMPLETED #Sable #Video Games #Gaming #PC Gaming

0 notes

ranhaitanisgf · 3 years

Text

nahoya kawata (smiley) & souta kawata (angry) meeting female delinquent twins: nahoya kawata [smiley] ending

[𖤐] i really hate how this turned out because i feel like this dialogue is ass, but oh well. gotta post something LMAO and also i'm too lazy to make a header so just take this idk man

part one

❧ masterlist

the words that nahoya had spoken to you before you had entered the shop stuck with you for the rest of the night, and you weren’t exactly sure why that was. you could tell that you were pretty spaced out while you all were eating, but you couldn’t bring yourself to participate in the conversation when your thoughts were running wild.

your sister and yourself had never really had a lot of people close by to lean on who understood you, which is why you learned to rely on each other because you were the only ones who understood each other. this is why it came as a bit of a shock to you to learn that there was other people who could understand you, and vice versa.

he could understand me…

the dynamic that the kawata twins had was similar to the one that you had with your sister, so you weren’t sure why it was such a surprise to you that nahoya had been able to pick up on what you were thinking. perhaps it was because you weren’t used to having somebody else besides your sister be able to pick up on your mannerisms, (it was pretty amazing though how quickly nahoya had been able to tell though).

you were snapped out of your thoughts when your sister shook your shoulder, and although she had a gleeful expression on her face, you could tell from the small furrow between her brows that she was a bit concerned.

“huh?” suddenly, you realized that all three of them were looking at you; waiting for something.

“sorry, i wasn’t paying attention. what’s going on?” looking between all of their expressions, you knew that they could tell that something was up with you, and you internally sighed.

should’ve saved the thoughts for later…

“we’ve been here for twenty minutes and you haven’t taken a bite; are you feeling alright?” your sister asked in her cheery voice.

“i’m quite fine; excuse me for a moment.” you decided to ignore the somewhat worried expressions on their faces as you got up and made your way to the back entrance of the restaurant, deciding to take a breather in the alley. as soon as the door closed behind you, you sighed and sat down on the ground, not really caring if your clothing got dirty because of it.

because of the way you looked, everybody would assume that you were never in the mood to talk and would try to avoid you, since you always seemed to look depressed. instead, they would approach your sister because of her happy attitude, and of course you were happy that your sister had friends, but you had always wished that you could go out with friends of your own, instead of watching tv while (s/n) was out.

and yet, this person you had just met less than five hours ago seemed to understand you better than almost all of the people who had been your “friends” in the past.

it’s almost as if…

“so, what the hell’s been up with you?” the sudden voice from beside you made you look over, but you immediately looked away once you recognized the pink hair.

“nothing. i always look like this.” nahoya chuckled a bit at your reply, but you could tell it wasn’t a humorous type. he didn’t say anything for a minute or two, so you took a few peeks at him. the smile on his face was almost enchanting, and the way the faint light from the nearby street lights lit up his frame made you look away again in fear of staring too long.

you knew exactly what it feels like to have a crush on somebody, but somehow, this felt different, and it was the main reason your thoughts had started to overwhelm your brain while you were supposed to be eating. but in this moment, you had figured out the answer that you had been looking for.

you were starting to fall in love, and you needed it to stop right now.

“you have some guts trying to get away with that one. you and i both know that something’s up, so hurry it the hell up and spit it out.” his words might have been harsh, but the undertone to them was comforting to you in a way, and besides, the harshness was probably what was going to get you to spill in the end.

you weren’t even sure what to say in response; there was no way you were just going to outright say that you were feeling conflicted because you think you might be falling in love with him, but what other excuse could you give.

you hadn’t even really noticed it, but small streams of tears had started flow down from your eyes, making your blank expression a lot sadder, (which made it seem more you you supposed).

it wasn’t really like you were sad or anything...hell, you didn’t even know what it was you were feeling at the moment. you had never felt like this before, so it was safe to say that your confusion was a lot for you to handle.

without even saying anything, you could feel his hand push your head onto his shoulder. you were pretty surprised; what was he doing? you could feel your heartbeat quickening, and you could only pray that the boy beside you couldn’t hear it.

“y’know, you’re a pretty interesting one. let’s hang out this weekend.” looking up at him through your lashes, you could see the bright grin on his face, but it was actually genuine.

does he actually want to hang out with me?

“(y/n).” the sudden seriousness in his voice made you freeze for a moment, and the smile that was on his face a moment before was completely gone. there hadn’t been one moment in that day where you had seen him let the corners of his lips down, (and you had never heard of it happening either) so you couldn’t help it when the usual blank and sad expression on your face changed.

“you’re easy to read; don’t think i haven’t figured out what it is that you’ve been thinking about. so, let’s hangout this weekend.” you didn’t even know what to say, so you just nodded and moved a bit closer to him with a small blush painted across your cheeks.

maybe you had found someone who could understand who you truly were.

maybe I'll delete this and redo it tomorrow idk man this is why I write headcanons LMAO

#京リベンジャーズ #京リベンジャーズ x reader #tokyo revengers x reader #tokyo revengers #smiley #smiley x reader #nahoya kawata #nahoya kawata x reader #x reader #kawata nahoya #kawata nahoya x reader #oneshot #nahoya kawata oneshot #tokyo revengers oneshot #anime #manga #reader #reader insert #˗ˏˋ𖤐 tokyo revengers ˎˊ˗

247 notes · View notes

fallout-drabbles-n-stuff · 3 years

Note

How do you think companions would react if a one night stand resulted in the miracle (read: horror) of pregnancy

(Idk if this is supposed to be with sole or not but I hope y'all enjoy!! If I didn't do this right, please correct me and I'll happily redo this!!)

Cait:

•Would be absolutely and completely horrified.

•This is her worst nightmare come true. Of course, she knew something like this had a chance of happening..but she didn't really think it would happen to her.

•Honestly? Probably falls into a depression. She can't bring herself to terminate the pregnancy, yet she feels miserable knowing that she doomed another child to go through the same hell she went through. She doesn't think she'll be any better...

•Doesn't even know what to do with sole..but probably will avoid them like the plague.

Curie:

•Doesn't quite grasp the magnanimity of the situation until much later. It's not because she is naive, because she isn't in that respect- it's more or less because she doesn't realize how much her body is going to change..or how much it COULD change.

•Feels rather..neutral towards it. She'd care for the child with every fibre of her being, and yet there is still a sense of disappointment knowing she'll soon be unable to spend as much time with her studies as she could've.

•Would try her best to establish some form of a relationship with sole- regardless of what that meant.

Danse:

•Would probably pass out as soon as the news is broken to him.

•Fully owns up to his part he played in the creation of the child and assumes full responsibility. He is by no means ready to settle down from his position as a Paladin, but he will do most anything in his power to be a decent "father" to the babe and provide for them, and at least help the woman he impregnated as much as he can. Only downfall is that his obligation to duty will come first..this will of course be much easier if sole so happens to be a member of the brotherhood as well.

•Would've preferred to have been in a more committed relationship before conception, but he understands there is nothing he can do about it now. Besides, maybe he can form at least some type of bond with the mother over time...

Deacon:

•Completely mortified.

•Deacon is torn into tiny little shreds whenever he figures out what happened. He knows he could never be a good father to any child, and frankly the thought of even trying makes his eyes go bleary from tears threatening to spill.

•Runs as far away as he can from the "problem", but eventually finds himself unable to stay away forever. He can't help but check in with the child periodically, just outside of view..outside looking in with a peculiar intense yearning that he tries as best as he can to ignore.

Gage:

•His initial reaction would be to be pissed. Not at the woman he impregnated, no, he wouldn't. The rage would be entirely directed at himself. Shit like this happens all the time with raiders, why would he think he'd be some miraculous exception? He was no better than any of them, that's for damn sure. Problem is, he can't make himself feel entirely fine with leaving the kid high and dry- he does, but it doesn't come second nature to him.

•Feels some strange obligation to check in with the kid, but's that's about as much of himself he can give. Just the thought of making it "right" makes him feel dizzy. He can't abandon a whole way of life- his way of life- for this "accident".

•Deep down though, Gage regrets not ever trying to connect with his mysterious accidental daughter/son.

Hancock:

•Wouldn't even think it's possible and might make the hasty decision to tell sole she's out of her damn mind.

•However when the evidence is presented to him and cannot be shaken, he nearly loses his shit. Not necessarily in a bad way either- just give him a moment..or day..to process and he'll come back to sole with a game plan.

•He's gonna respect whatever sole wants to do, but if given the chance- Hancock would handle this whole surprise parenting gig with unexpected grace. Just...the kid is going to have to visit in Goodneighbor.

Macready:

•Really thinks that whatever higher being is in control is playing a horrible joke on him.

•Is in disbelief for a while. He already has one child he can't even properly care for, now another one?? At least the first one came from marriage too- this one though? Oh dang.

• Occasionally wishes sole wouldn't have told him, but knows he must own up to his "accident" and be the father the child deserves....

Maxson:

•Is in utter shock whenever presented with the news. He doesn't even know what to feel- it's just a huge clusterfuck of emotions.

•On one hand, at least he finally reproduced and doesn't have to worry about being the only Maxson left alive so long as sole carries through with the pregnancy. (Don't worry, he'll provide care via brotherhood resources too if you so choose...)

•On the other hand though....Maxson now has to worry about how raising his children will be, his reputation, and finally..the harsh reality of knowing his shot at "family" ain't gonna work.

Piper:

•All bets are off. She'd lose her shit.

Preston:

•Would almost gain the sense of a renewed purpose, if you will.

•Really, really would've preferred for the child to have been conceived in a more.."steadfast" relationship (not just a one night stand) but regardless, Preston takes full accountability for his part he played and is more than willing to get to know sole so he can help her through this process.

X6-88:

•Much like Hancock, he doesn't even think he CAN do something like that. The surprise is welcomed with an alarming display of emotion.

•He goes through pure bewilderment, confusion, anxiousness, and terror all in the span of an hour once told.

#fallout 4 #fallout #paladin danse #fo4 companions #danse #fallout companions #curie #elder maxson #deacon

72 notes · View notes

geniusgub · 3 years

Text

sweatpants//spencer reid

genre: fluff

warnings: nothing really. sad spencer for about two seconds.

word count: 2.7k

i have plenty more one shots on my wattpad so let me know if any of you want to see more of this type of writing :) make sure to reblog and comment :))

i fell in love with spencer reid the moment i met him. i fell in love with absolutely everything about him. his smile lit up the little bookstore as his glasses drifted further and further down his nose, and his hair hung over his forehead in messy, unbrushed curls. from the first time we locked eyes after he got a book down from the top shelf for me, i envisioned our whole future together.

we saw each other casually after our first meeting despite how badly i wanted more. we quickly realized that we frequented the little bookstore at the same time on saturdays and we just began to "accidentally" run into each other over and over at the same exact day and time. of course, i made sure to be there every saturday for the next three months just for the chance of seeing him.

i finally got the balls to ask him out after the fifth month of these meetups. he seems surprised and he blushed, then tugged on his tie to loosen it around his neck. he accepted quickly and we went bowling the next week. we were both horrible and eventually asked to put the bumpers up because the amount of gutter balls we were throwing were astronomical. but that "first" date was the first time i noticed something very important about spencer reid.

he wears a variation of the same outfit every single day, no matter what he's doing.

sweater vests, button ups, slacks, ties, and converse. sometimes a cardigan. these items get mixed and matched everyday and sometimes don't match, but the chaos of his outfit colors just suits him. and it suits his penchant for wearing mismatched socks. but i continued to realize more and more about his wardrobe as we spent more time together.

if we went out: slacks, button up, tie, converse.

if we had dinner at his apartment: slacks, button up, sweater vest, tie, converse.

if we cuddle on the couch: pajamas.

there's no in-between with him and it took me a while to decide if i loved this or thought it was odd. i landed somewhere in the middle. he would sometimes start to squirm in the middle of dinner and go to change into pajamas to be more comfortable.

i never commented on this because i knew he liked the way he dressed and i didn't want him to think i hated it. he's already an insecure person, despite me loving him with my whole heart and soul, and i'd feel so horrible if i added onto that. so i would sit through the squirming and the tie-tugging and the quick unlacing of shoes after a long day of converse wearing. i grinned and gave him lots of kisses because i love him regardless of his fashion choices. or lack there of.

but spencer continues to grow and thankfully, i grow with him. i start a new job and spencer continues to thrive at the bau. i move into his apartment and he decides that this is the perfect time for a change. a new haircut. super short on the sides and long on the top. i nearly keeled when i saw how utterly handsome he was with his new haircut. i jumped his bones immediately.

but the sweater vests and same brown cardigan didn't quite hit the spot anymore. i would find spencer standing in front of the mirror before work, silently wondering if the black or brown cardigan would look better with his gray sweater vest. still, it was endearing but eventually it becomes too much.

i pass a department store everyday on my way home from work and it started to pique my interest. one day when i got off work early and knew spencer wouldn't be home, i stopped off. the store was huge and had a humongous selection of styles and brands to choose from. i knew i had to bring spencer.

when i told him i wanted to take him shopping, he tilted his head in confusion like an adorable puppy. "what do you need? new sweaters? it is almost winter and i know you got rid of most of your winter clothes when the summer came. did you—"

"no, honey," i laughed, silencing his confused, off-topic rant. "i'm taking you shopping. for you."

another head tilt. "for me? i don't need anything."

"i know you don't need anything," i clarified, running my hands through his freshly cut hair, "but i want to treat you. and besides, i think you've outgrown some of your wardrobe and it's time to get some new items."

so that leaves us now, walking hand in hand into the department store. he's holding me tighter than usual as i lead him to the men's section, but i don't complain. i know he gets nervous in public places and i have no problem with a bit of coddling.

"so, i was thinking," i say as i flip through a rack of undershirts, "you could get some new dress pants. maybe a pair of jeans. maybe some blazers or just suit jackets. that way your style can grow but you can also wear your trusty button ups and ties underneath."

spencer pouts. "i like it better when we shop for you."

i stifle a laugh as i find an appealing gray blazer and search for spencer's size. "and why's that, bub?"

"because then you get to pick out cute clothes and i can watch you try them on."

"well, this time, i'll get to watch you try them on," i wink and hand the blazer over to him. "hold that. please and thank you."

spencer huffs and drops my hand so he can hold the hanger of the blazer. i continue walking through the racks and in my peripherals, i can see spencer glancing around the store and at the racks surrounding us. he follows behind me like a lost puppy, the amount of items in his hands growing as i pass every rack.

"how would you feel about," i pick out a set of matching maroon pants and a maroon blazer, "this color?" i told it up to spencer's chest. he looks down at the garment and scrunches up his nose. "no? that's okay. i think navy's suit you better anyway. no pun intended."

"babe?" he wonders softly as i move over to a rack of ties. "why are you doing this?"

"doing what?" i pick up a tie that is blue with pink flamingoes on it and drape it over his shoulder.

"taking me shopping. wanting to redo my wardrobe or something."

"well," a new tie on his shoulder- a yellow base with blue whales, "you have had the same wardrobe since i met you, and that was many years ago. you've grown up, spencer. maybe some new clothes could reflect that."

i watch a pout come to his face and his shoulders deflate. "you don't like the way i dress?"

i pout right back at him, trying to not seem so mocking in my expression. "i love the way you dress. but i think it might be time to replace that same brown sweater vest you've had since college. that's what i'm talking about. we don't have to do this if you don't want. we can go home."

spencer thinks for a second. he adjusts his hold on the handful of blazers and trousers in his arms and takes another glance at them. "i'll give these a try."

the pride swells in my chest and nearly bursts out. it's no secret that spencer hates change. he would rather his life stays exactly the same all the time. meals, furniture arrangement, train schedule, his wardrobe. clearly, he would rather wear the same clothes for the rest of his life than branch out a bit. so him agreeing to do just that nearly makes me cry right in the middle of the department store.

we push on and spencer continues to trail behind me and hold the clothes i pick. once his knees are practically buckling under the weight of the chosen clothes, i agree to let him start part two. the fitting room.

he disappears into a room and i sit across from the door in a fluffy armchair that probably has more germs on it than a public bathroom. okay, maybe that's just dramatic. but it has enough germs that i'm sure spencer would refuse to sit here, or maybe even get grossed out that i'm sitting on it.

"uh," i hear my boyfriends voice from behind the door, "i think i did it."

i hold in my giggle. "you think?"

"i mean, i put together an outfit. don't know if it's any good. it's definitely not as good as the things you put together."

"just let me see."

the door pops open and my jaw nearly hits the floor. my spencer is standing there in navy slacks, a navy blazer, a vest, button up, and a tie. he looks exactly like i expected him too. my same loving, quiet, genius boyfriend but much older and mature. he looks phenomenal.

but spencer scrunches up his nose and turns on his toes to look in the full length mirror. "i feel like all of this is too busy. there's too much happening."

"no, baby, not at all," i come up behind him and slide my hands across his back and then around his waist. "it's such a good look on you. it's spencer reid but as an adult."

he furrows his eyebrows and looks at me through the mirror. "are you implying i dressed like a child before?"

"no, no, not at all," i nudge his waist and he spins back to me. "it's a perfect outfit. you put it together perfectly. the colors, the different pieces."

spencer's face lights up as he watches me adjust the lapel of his jacket. "really?"

"yes!" i smooth down the shoulders and then tug on the cuff links. "it's perfectly your style. you don't think so?"

"mm," he looks back down at his own body and shakes out his arms a little. "i guess it is. it's just...different."

"it is different but it's a good different. you're still the same old genius who could go on for hours about mushrooms or doctor who or whatever. so you," i pat his shoulder and go up on my toes to kiss his cheek, "get into a new outfit and show me again, okay?"

spencer agrees and closes the fitting room door. we stay at the store for nearly two hours, picking out and trying on potential outfits. spencer even starts picking items on his own, but he comes to me in the cutest way to ask if i like the things he's picked out. i always do. and even if it's not my favorite piece, he obviously likes it so i tell him i love it.

we spend hundreds and split the bill. i insisted i pay because i was the one who brought him here, but he insisted he pay because the clothes are for him. we found a happy medium.

i don't know what i thought was going to happen after we basically replaced his wardrobe. apparently, i didn't think about what the next work day would be like. because i wake up before spencer and go to make breakfast and only listen to him shower and get dressed.

"good morning!" spencer chirps, practically skipping into the kitchen.

"morning!" i say back, putting pancakes on a plate for him. "here's your—" and i absolutely freeze in my spot at the sight of him in a dark tan jacket and slacks, a purple button up, and a matching gray tie. his hair is perfectly swooped across his forehead and he's grinning, practically glowing in his new outfit. "holy shit."

"you like it?" he holds up his arms a bit as if to gesture to his appearance.

i just stand and stare at him for another minute, clutching the plate in my hand so tightly that i fear i might break it. but spencer chuckles, taking it from me and placing it in front of the chair he always has breakfast in.

"i might not let you out of the house looking this good," i finally manage to say. "you'll come home with a new girl on your arm and forget all about me."

spencer pouts. "i'd never do that to you."

i grab onto his cheeks and lay a huge kiss on his lips. "i know you wouldn't. you look amazing, spence. even better than yesterday."

spencer comes home that night and beams about the compliments he got from his coworkers today and thanks me for encouraging him to expand his wardrobe. i don't accept his thanks because i'm just happy to see him feeling more confident in himself than ever.

however, my job is not done yet.

as much as he loves his new clothes, i give him a few weeks to adjust to his new normal. i let him get used to needing a few extra minutes in the morning to arrange an outfit and to the washing process before i spring something new on him. but once i can tell he's completely comfortable with his new wardrobe, i stop at the department store after work again.

"spence?" i call into the apartment as i kick my shoes off, clutching the paper bag in my hand.

"hi!" he calls back, emerging from the study with a book in his hand. "you're late."

i hold up the bag for proof. "i stopped at the store again." spencer follows me into the bedroom and sits on the edge of the bed in anticipation. "well, first, i saw a couple more ties that i liked," i take those out of the bag and throw them over his shoulder. "but i got these!"

i pull out three perfectly folded pairs of sweatpants and four plain colored tee shirts. spencer unravels each item and then looks up with his eyebrows furrowed. "i don't get it."

"okay," i giggle, placing my hands on his shoulders, "when i go to work, i wear my skirts and blouses and heels, right?"

like the puppy he is, he tilts his head to the side in confusion. "right."

"and when i got to sleep, i wear pajamas. but between the blouse and the pajamas, i wear sweats. you, my love," i boop his nose and instantly, an adorable pink hue paints his cheeks, "don't own sweats. you go from suits to pajamas. and again, i'm not saying that i don't love the way you dress. i'm just looking out for your comfort. if you hate them, i'll return them. simple as that."

he runs his hands over the tee shirts and runs it between his fingers. "they are really soft."

"i got the ones that are 100% cotton because i know you like how it feels."

"i'll try it," he concedes, smiling up at me. "thank you. you're too good to me."

"you deserve the world, angel face."

the next day, he gets called away for a case and i don't see him for almost two weeks. we call and text as much as possible, but we both get so busy that it's nearly impossible. so i stick to sending him good morning and goodnight texts and praying that he comes home in one piece.

after nearly two and a half weeks without him, i come home and see his car in the parking garage where it always is. i squeal, running all the way to the apartment and bursting through the door.

spencer is lounging on the couch, thankfully in one piece, and reading a book, dressed in gray sweatpants and a white tee shirt. he looks up and grins when i enter, standing up and pulling me into his arms.

"i can't believe you're sitting here," i mumble into his neck, "and looking so good when i'm not around."

spencer laughs into my shoulder, kissing my small bit of exposed skin. "well, you're here now so you can enjoy it."

"you look so fucking hot," i blurt out, grabbing a handful of his cotton shirt and tugging him towards the bedroom. "let me show you just how hot i think you are."

"god, i love this new wardrobe."

#spencer reid #spencer reid one shot #spencer reid fic #spencer reid fanfic #spencer reid fanfiction #dr reid #dr spencer reid #criminal minds #matthew gray gubler #mgg

41 notes · View notes

layce2015 · 4 years

Text

The Last of Us Part 2 (Joel x Reader)

Bonus Chapter: How (y/n) and Joel met

The Last of Us Part 2 Masterlist

"Okay, one frappuccino." One of my co-workers, Miranda, shouted as she hands the cup to the customer while I worked on another order. "Man, just seems like it won't stop." My friend, Kelsey, said and I nod. "Yeah..." I said as I grabbed another cup and start to make a new drink.

"Ooohhh....check out the guy that just walked in." Kelsey said and I look up and see a man with black hair and a beard, wearing a t-shirt and jeans, walking in with a little blonde haired girl holding his hand. Aww, that's cute. I thought as I look at them. "Damn..." Kelsey said, her eyes roaming the guy as he comes up to the register and talks to Miranda.

"Mmm...damn, Mr Cowboy there....I'd like to take him to the rodeo." Kelsey said and I slap her shoulder. "Whoa down, girl." I said and she chuckles. "Oh come on, don't tell me you wouldn't love a round with Cowboy there." Kelsey said and I look over at the man as he pays for his drinks then he and his little girl go to a table.

"I mean...he is very handsome...but...knowing my luck, he's probably already married. He has a kid." I pointed out. "So, that don't mean nothin'. Could be a single dad?" Kelsey said and I roll my eyes.

"Hey, (y/n). Can you take this iced tea to table 2? I'm going to lunch." Miranda said as she walks past us. Kelsey and I exchanged looks then rolled our eyes and I take the cup and start to walk towards the table.

Suddenly, I stumble and I lose my balance, the tea slips out of my hand and lands on to Mr Cowboy, as Kelsey called him. "Oh shiii....shoot." I said, stopping myself from cursing in front of his kid, as I get up to my feet. "Sir, I am so sorry." I said, panicked, while his daughter was giggling behind her hand.

"It's alright." He said to me as I go and grab napkins for him. "Just lucky it wasn't coffee or hot tea." He said and I smirk a bit before I hand him the napkins. "Oh then you'd definitely be steaming hot." I said, jokingly, and I glanced over him and noticed that his cheeks turn a bit red while the girl laughs at this. Then he begins to dry himself off while I grab more napkins and clean off his table.

"Now you have a new cologne, dad. Sweet Tea Eau de Parfum." The girl jokes and I chuckle a bit while her father rolls his eyes. "Hey, if every guy wore a sweet tea cologne instead of that Axe body spray crap, every woman would throw themselves at them." I said and the girl smirks a bit.

"Well you're the first to notice then." The man said and I glanced over at him and I felt my face burn up as we share a smile at this. Then I turn my head, quickly, then cleared my throat and said. "Anyway...I'm very sorry about all of this, if you want me to..." then the man raised his hand.

"Ma'am it's alright. Accidents happen. Though I would be more worried about the person who bought that drink." He said, chuckling a bit then I jumped slightly at this. "Oh yeah, right." I said and I go throw away the napkins then ran back to redo the drink.

After everything is said and done, I go back to the counter when Kelsey pulls me to the side. "I saw you getting a little cozy there with the cowboy, there." She said, with a smile. My face heats up again at this then said. "No, no i-it was an accident." I said and she chuckles. "Uh-huh, is that what you call it?" She asked and I rub the back of my neck.

"Well, I don't want to alarm you but...he kept stealing glances at you. I think he was staring at your ass as well." She said and I gasp then slap her on the shoulder. "Shut up!" I said, embarrassed.

"Hey, you need a new man in your life. I mean, I know that whole shit with Markus has hurt you but....you've gotta move on. It's been a couple of years. Plus, when I delivered cowboy's drink, I didn't see a wedding band." Kelsey said and I look down then let out

"But...I barely know this guy." I said, nervously. "Well you won’t know unless you try. Also who knows, maybe after you two hit it off, you might just find a ring on your finger." Kelsey said and I roll my eyes again. "Yeah, right, Kel. Me, married?" I scoffed. "Hey, it could happen...if not then I'm sure he'd be a great one night stand." she said and I scoff again while Kelsey looks over my shoulder.

"And from what I can see, it looks like his kid is doing some matchmaking also." Kelsey said and we turn to where the man and his daughter are sitting.

They looked like they were in some sort've deep conversation and his daughter must've said something as his face begins to turn red. Then he looks up at me and both of us stared at each other. I give him a smile before I turn my head away, quickly, and pushed a loose strand of hair behind my ear. I do a quick look back at him and see that he was trying not to look at me but I saw his eyes dart towards me.

"Come on, (nickname), he looks like he's interested in you." Kelsey said and I bite my lips at this, thinking over what she said and what happened.

Few Months Later

I let out a sigh as the morning rush finally finished. "Man, I need a drink." Kelsey said, exhausted, as we stand in the back of the shop. "I know, right?" I said while I wipe away the sweat from my forehead. "Thought it would never end. So fuckin' stressed."

"Maybe you could call up your cowboy and ask him to come by. And then you two could have a quickie in the back. You know, relieve some stress." Kelsey said, wiggling her eyebrows. "Kel, stop! Joel is too much of a gentleman for that." I said as I shove her shoulder.

After the whole tea spill incident, the man and his daughter, which they introduced to me as Joel and Sarah Miller, started coming by the shop almost every day. We would talk and get to know each other a bit, plus I guess you could say there was a bit of flirting between me and Joel but I still wasn't for sure if this was just one of those friendly flirting or he was actually interested in me.

"Oh, I'm sure he wouldn't oppose it." She said and I shake my head at this. "I'm not sure if he even likes me in that way." I said. "Bitch, come on! He is totally in to you!" Kelsey exclaims. "I can see it on his face whenever you guys talk."

I give a small smile at this as I feel my face heat up. "See? You're into him as well! Your face goes red everytime we talk about him. You smile and laugh more and you seem elated everytime he comes here." she said to me. "Okay, so...maybe I do have a crush on him but...I just...I don't know...how do I know if he feels the same way?" I asked just as the bell rang from the front door, alerting us a new customer has come in.

Kelsey looks over my should and smiles. "Why don't you ask him yourself." She said and she nods forward and I turn around to see Joel walking in and I smile, my heart leaping for joy when I saw him. "Good luck." Kelsey said as she lightly nudges me and I walk up to the register.

"Hey." I greet him.

"Howdy." He said and my heart thumped in my chest, rapidly. Then I looked at the clock up on the wall and noticed he was here early, usually he was here in the afternoon with Sarah but now it was the middle of the day and she wasn't with him.

"You're here early." I pointed out and he gives an embarrassed smile at this. "Sorry, when you work at a coffee shop, you tend to know the routine of regulars. Didn't mean to sound like a stalker." I said, trying to joke around. "Nah, it's fine. Actually, I'm here early cause I wanted to talk to you." He said and ny eyes widen a bit.

"Um...do you have a moment?" He asked and I turn to Kelsey, who nod enthusiastically. "Sure. The rush is done for now. We can talk over there." I said and I nod to one of the tables nearby. He smiles at me and I leave go around and meet up with him, both of us head towards a table.

Once we get there, he pulls out a chair and gestures for me to sit down. "Such a gentleman." I said and he smiles at this as I go and sit down in the chair. "So what do you wanna talk about?" I asked him as he sits across from me.

Then I gasp and place a hand over my chest, pretending to be upset. "You're not seeing another coffee shop behind my back, are you?" I asked and he chuckles at this. "No, no. It's not that..." he said and I let out a sigh of relief. "Oh good!" I sighed and both of us chuckle, which made my heart jump once I heard him chuckle.

"I came by early because....well...I wanted to ask you something." He said and I raise an eyebrow at this. "Oh?" I said and he nods. "You don't have to say yes, if you don't want to..." he said and I start to smile. "Well depends...is it legal?" I asked and he chuckles a bit. "Yes, it is. Um...I wanted to ask you...if you were doing anything tomorrow night?" He asked and I felt the breath leave my body.

Is he asking me out? I thought and I stammer a bit. "N-n-no. I have nothing going on tomorrow. Just hanging around my apartment." I said and he smirks again. "Oh good. Cause I was wondering if you..maybe...would like to go to the movies with me tomorrow night? Just the two of us." He said and my heart leapt for joy at this. "You don't have to if you don't want to. I would understand...it's just..." he started to stammer as I sat there, shocked.

I couldn't believe that he was asking me out on a date! This has to be a dream! I subtly pinch my arm to make sure I wasn't dreaming but I was still there; so this wasn't a dream, this was real!

"I would love to." I said as my lips curled up into a smile as I said this. He looks over at me in shock, I guess he was surprised about my response. "Really?" He asked me and I nodded. "Really really." I said, chuckling at the look of relief on his face.

"Okay then. Um, I'll pick you up at seven?" Joel asked me. "Yeah sure. If you want I can give you my number and I can text you my address." I said and he nods. We exchange numbers then we stare at each other for a moment, a comfortable silence between us before he runs his hand behind the back of his head.

"I better go. I'll see you tomorrow?" He said and I nod at him. "Yeah, I'll see you." I said and he smiles again then he leaves. I place my hands over my mouth then looked over at Kelsey, who had this I told you so look on her face.

"I am a fuckin' psychic!" She exclaims and I roll my eyes and laugh. At that moment some customers come in and I bite my lips, trying to contain my excitement, then I head back over to the counter to help Kelsey with the orders.

I don't know where this whole thing between me and Joel will lead to but I have a weird suspicion that somehow, some way, it'll be worth it.

@sleepylunarwolf

@fangirl-inthe-us

@critical-musings

94 notes · View notes