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forasecondtherewedwon · 3 years

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Runaway Ride

Fandom: Never Have I Ever Pairing: Devi/Paxton Rating: T Word Count: 4889

Summary: Kamala gets herself into a pickle, Devi needs to go to her, and Paxton has a car. Problem-solving has never been so simple, but that's how it is when your new boyfriend is Paxton Hall-Yoshida. Throw in a little hand-holding on the highway and this family crisis might just be the best date Devi will ever have.

When they finally took a break from dancing—disconnecting hands from hips and shoulders, lips from lips—Devi stepped away in a dreamy headspace. She almost collided with Jonah, but he didn’t tell her to look where she was going, only offered a shrewd, indulgent smile.

Actually, everybody was treating her like that; every eye that caught hers on her way to the table where she’d left her stuff was unjudgmental, admiring, straight up fairy-godmotherly. Devi hadn’t received this much notice since her dad’s death and her subsequent paralysis. And those looks had been pitying, freaked out. Positive attention was new and cool and she wondered, as she grabbed her phone out of her turquoise clutch, whether her socials would show more of the same when she opened them. Would people have snapped stealthy pics of her and Paxton dancing now that she’d been vaulted into the pseudo-celebrity strata of the high school hierarchy? Would the Insta posts be captioned with hashtags of their ship name? Paxi? Daxton? Vishwall-Yoshumar?

Devi never got to check.

Unlocking her phone, she found two missed calls from her mother. Maybe two wouldn’t have seemed like a whole lot to someone else, but Devi knew that, in order for her mom to risk rudeness by stepping away from the company she was hosting at home not once but twice, she’d need to be pretty frantic. Two missed calls from Nalini Vishwakumar were the equivalent of six or seven from any other mother.

Skirting the edges of the gym as she headed away from DJ Humanoid—that nit-witted saboteur of slow dances—Devi was about to call her mom back when her screen changed to an incoming call from Kamala. She pressed her other hand to her ear and answered it.

“Hey. Do you know what’s going on with my mom? She called me twice and, honestly, she knows I’m at the d—”

“Devi, shut up. Sorry,” Kamala sighed. “But I may have kidnapped your history teacher and now I’m panicking a little.”

Devi stopped in her tracks.

“You did what? Why is the sound weird?”

As she was trying to identify the background noise coming from Kamala’s end, her eyes swept over the crowd of her classmates and landed on Fabiola’s. Her friend had been smiling, mid-sway as she held Eve from behind and chatted with Sasha, but it fell off her face like Devi off Dr. Jackson’s roof. Fab disentangled herself from her girlfriend and crossed the room to stand with Devi. She was frowning, silently asking for an explanation for Devi’s distress, but Devi didn’t really have one yet.

“We’re in his car on the highway,” her cousin was saying. “He was a little drunk, so I’m driving.”

Devi had imagined that Kamala was exaggerating, but no, this was really starting to sound like a kidnapping.

“You better be on hands-free right now,” she lectured. Then, because she wasn’t exactly a paragon of road safety herself—barely an hour ago, she’d walked right out in front of Paxton’s jeep—didn’t wait for confirmation. “What the hell happened? Context, Kamala!”

“Well, as soon as I snuck out of the house—”

“But why did you sneak out?!”

“Devi, I can’t talk about that right now!” Devi’s eyebrows shot up at the clear and abnormal hysteria in her cousin’s voice. “I ran out of the house,” Kamala continued, “totally directionless, and the first thing that popped into my head was Manish’s invitation for me to come to karaoke…”

“Ew, what the fuck, don’t call Mr. K that.”

What? Fab mouthed at her, but Devi shook her head.

“That is his name and what he asked me to call him. Anyway,” Kamala said, sounding strained, “I went to your school and met up with him and now I’m driving his car and I think I might have shut my sari in the car door, but I’m scared to pull over and check because if I stop the car, I’m going to have to confront things and I think I’d rather not do that yet.”

“Kamala,” Devi said in a heavy, careful voice. “You have to pull over. I totally get what you’re saying because it sounds like something I might do—minus the part where you kidnapped Mr. K—” Fabiola’s eyes went dramatically wide as she was adjusting her tiara. “—but this isn’t you. You don’t run away from your obligations and elope with my teachers!”

“Manish and I didn’t elope. It isn’t in any way romantic.”

“For sure though? It’s not?” Devi heard another voice in the car ask.

“Mr. K, back off! Kamala’s in the middle of a crisis!” she shouted. “And please be drunk enough to forget that I yelled at you.”

“Devi, what should I do?” Kamala asked, sounding desperate in a sad way now.

“Where are you?”

“I’m not sure.”

“Ok, well, which direction are you heading in?”

“Um, either north or south.”

“You’re a disaster,” Devi muttered.

“What was that?”

“Uh… I said, don’t drive any faster. Try to read the next sign you pass so you can tell me where you are.”

“Alright,” Kamala said.

Devi tilted her phone away from her mouth so her cousin wouldn’t hear her frustrated sigh. She locked eyes with Fabiola.

“Kamala panicked at her engagement dinner and ran off with Mr. K. They’re either headed for Mexico or Canada, but I’ll know more in a minute.”

Fab blinked.

“Wow.”

“I know. It’s a lot. And this is me talking,” Devi emphasized.

“I don’t know if you would do anything this big. Mainly because you don’t have a driver’s license.”

“True.”

“Santa Barbara in twenty-six miles,” Kamala said in her ear.

“Damn, you made good time.”

“The traffic was quite manageable.”

“Try to calm down a little and get off the highway when you can. Don’t go past Santa Barbara. I’m coming to talk you down in person,” Devi said. “Oh, and don’t answer any of my mom’s calls; she’ll just stress you out.”

“That doesn’t seem very responsible. How about I send her a text when I stop to let her know I’m ok?”

Devi rolled her eyes.

“Suit yourself.”

“Thank you, Devi. But how will you get here?”

“Let me worry about that. Text me when you stop so I know exactly where I’m going.”

“I will.”

“’K. I’ll see you in a bit.”

Devi hung up and sighed massively, slumping into the wall and feeling a streamer crumple against her back. She and Fabiola stared at each other.

“What are you gonna do?” Fab asked.

“Be the hero my family needs, but not the one they deserve.”

“Are you misquoting Batman to justify doing something reckless?”

“First of all, rescuing Kamala isn’t reckless, and second of all, the movie isn’t called Batman, it’s The Dark Knight. Young-ish Christian Bale, hello.”

Fabiola pointed a finger at her own face.

“Young-ish out-of-touch lesbian, hello. At least I was close.”

Devi sighed again while Fab smiled sadly at her in obvious sympathy.

“It’s after ten at night. How am I gonna get to Santa Barbara?”

“Assuming you’re not going to ask your mom—”

“No.”

“Then you need a ride.”

“You need a ride? I’ll drive you.”

It was Paxton, walking up and tentatively taking Devi’s hand while darting uncertain glances at Fabiola. Devi felt her entire face light up.

“You don’t want to know where or why?” she teased.

His expression said those were insignificant details. Wow. Devi’d never had a fantasy where Paxton joined forces with her, bounty hunter-style, to track down a flighty Kamala, but this felt oddly romantic. Passionate even? They’d see where the night took them.

“You wouldn’t wanna leave the dance unless it was serious,” Paxton reasoned. “So, I’ll drive you. You wanna go now?”

“I guess we better. Lemme just grab my…”

“I’ll get it,” Fab said, raising a hand like the nerd she was as she volunteered.

She darted back through the dancers to grab Devi’s things and Devi watched their classmates part for their Cricket Queen. She was so proud of Fab. Also, she felt kinda bad for ditching such a momentous occasion. But Kamala needed her, and would totally do the same for her if she ever went off the deep end and kidnapped a dude while fleeing a proposal. Not that Devi could see herself fleeing a proposal (she glanced at Paxton as she thought this, then quickly away, thinking, Way too soon!). Carrying out a kidnapping? With a sufficiently convincing pro-and-con list, anything was possible.

“Basically, Kamala freaked and drove to Santa Barbara with a drunken Mr. K,” Devi said, because Paxton might not have asked to be informed, but she wanted him to know what he was getting himself into. Beyond that, she wanted to give him the chance to say, No way, Devi. I came here to look hot and dance up on you, nothing more.

“Oh shit,” was what he said.

“Damn right, oh shit. You still want to drive? This is going to take a while.”

She should probably have felt guilty about trying to subtly persuade him with her eyes, but not only was Paxton the least complicated option, he was also her first choice. If she maintained eye contact long enough, Devi figured it might trigger some kind of boyfriend override that made going for a long drive at night just as appealing as staying here and dancing with her butt pressed thrillingly to his groin when the teacher-chaperones weren’t looking.

“As long as we can hit up the bathrooms first. I was going to, but then I got talking to Trent, and then Marcus was doing a handstand…”

“Definitely,” Devi assured him. “Good call. Empty the tank. Oh, actually, that reminds me… how much gas do you have in your jeep? If we need to stop at a gas station, I’ll have to factor that in to the ETA I give Kamala.”

Paxton shook his head at her, smiling in what she liked to think was affectionate amusement.

“I filled it up on the way here. I needed a minute to, uh…” To her epic astonishment, he ducked his head self-consciously, cheeks pinking. “You know. Get my shit together. Up here.” He tapped his temple with his index finger. “I wanted to show up for you, like, completely. You know?”

Right as Devi was at dangerously high risk of sagging to the floor in blissful bonelessness, Fabiola sprang to her side, shoving the rest of her possessions at her.

“Ok, ok!” Devi said, harried.

She had to dump it all on the bathroom counter a minute later anyway, but after she’d done her pre-road trip pee, she came out and gave Fab a better thank-you.

“Your Highness,” Paxton told Fabiola with a nod.

Fab nodded back, smiling wryly.

“Prosecutor.”

“I think this is the start of a beautiful friendship,” Devi assessed, “but we gotta go! Say congrats to Eve for me again!”

“Sure. Drive safe!”

Devi and Paxton pushed through the doors together, striding quickly with his hand wrapped around hers. In the parking lot, she glanced sideways to see him digging his keychain out of his front pocket.

“Oh,” she said, “so I wasn’t just feeling that you were very happy to dance with me.”

Until they got into the jeep, it was too dark to see whether she’d gotten him to blush again, but she liked to think that she had. He was definitely smiling.

They got in and Devi carefully tucked her skirt around her legs, mind on Kamala’s cautionary tale. At least it was until Paxton leaned forward to shrug out of his jacket and she saw his shoulder muscles jump beneath his fitted button-down, his narrow black tie swinging forward. Dang. Fifty shades of Hall-Yoshida.

“Santa Barbara?” Paxton double-checked once he was settled behind the wheel, steering out of the student lot.

“Santa Barbara.”

Until they were on the highway and heading out of Los Angeles, Devi did her best to keep her worry about Kamala’s situation contained to the way she flapped her phone against her thigh. Usually, she was stressing about the problems right in front of her (when she wasn’t blatantly ignoring them, only to have that approach bite her in the ass later), but with whatever was going on with Kamala, she kinda had to look ahead.

Had she wanted Kamala to get engaged to Prashant that badly? Well, the best thing about Prashant was that you never knew when having additional hot relatives would be to your benefit. (Devi was already hoping that Mr. K would get over the more nerve-wracking elements of this night and just remember having fun with her stunning cousin… and that this could possibly translate into at least a month of generous grades, if she could somehow spin these shenanigans as an intentional blind date arranged by herself.) However, an engaged Kamala was wholly different from a married Kamala. She wouldn’t be around to watch nonsensical episodes of Riverdale, or be duped into hijinks, or listen to Devi when her mom was too tired, or bitch about her shitty lab-mates in exchange for sitting through Devi bitching about her complicated feelings on the subject of Aneesa dating her ex. She wouldn’t live with them anymore, and the family that had begun to miraculously fill out after her dad had died would be back down to three. And the other two members of it would be old (Sorry, Mom, she thought) and not at all prepared to champion her dating life or the cleavage-accentuating formal dress currently buoying it.

So, yeah, Devi was looking ahead—eyes glazed over as the yellow lights of cars slipped around them to prevent her vision from fully adjusting to the blue-black sky—and feeling more than a little nervous and scared of the Kamala-shaped hole she’d have in her life if her dazzling, dorky cousin left her house for one she might eventually fill with the most beautiful children the world had ever seen.

Thankfully, Paxton was there. It startled her when he took one hand off the wheel and felt across her lap to grab hers, loosely interlacing their fingers. Devi quit hitting her phone against her leg. She sent off their updated location to Kamala and then let her phone fall flat.

“Did she say where she was?” Her boyfriend’s voice was quiet in the car and she realized for the first time that her head had been too crammed with thoughts to put on any music.

“Carpinteria State Beach. Do you know the exit?”

“We’ll find it.”

“And if you want me to drive while you rest on the way back…”

Paxton laughed.

“No way. Safety first.”

“Says the guy driving one-handed,” Devi countered, not that she was eager to surrender the hand warming hers.

He turned his head just long enough to shoot her a look.

“Whoa, pal, eyes on the road!” she said. (She had a half-baked plan to call her boyfriend ‘pal’ a few times and thereby de-weaponize the word in a memory that still felt like a fading bruise, an almost-gone sore spot in who she and Paxton were before they were openly a them.)

“Sorry,” he said, staring out the windshield again. He grinned. “You look gorgeous.”

“Really?”

“So gorgeous.” Paxton’s voice was softer this time, the underlying laugh it had carried since she’d offered to drive his jeep drained out of it. It was nearly a sigh.

“Thanks. So do you.”

“You know, I feel fucking awful for hitting you with my car, but I still think I mighta felt worse if I’d walked in and seen you dancing with somebody else.”

Devi twisted their hands, touching the back of his to her thigh so she was sandwiching it between leg and palm for a moment, aiming for reassuring.

“I wanna say I would never be that flaky, but my previous offenses speak for themselves.”

“So does doing this with me.”

“Uh,” she droned, “to recap, you left a fun thing to do a huge favour for me. You’re talking about it like this is my act of redemption. I feel like if you examine it for a sec, you’ll see how I’m actually kind of a dick for accepting your help.”

“I want us to be together,” he said bluntly. “Here we are. Together.”

“It’s that simple?”

“I don’t see why it can’t be.”

“Huh. I think you’re really gonna be good for my tendency to overcomplicate a situation.”

Paxton laughed and unthreaded his fingers from Devi’s. But it wasn’t to release her for pointing out that this date was, in actual fact, the coordinated response to a family crisis; his fingertips moved lightly over her palm, momentarily trapped when her fingers flinched inward in reaction to how it tickled, then traced along the thin skin of her inner wrist. He wasn’t trying to pull away. He was lingering. Though his touch when he sunk his hand into her hair or drew her closer by her waist had always been fairly gentle, it had often had the faint aggression of hastiness to it, clutching her as they made out in her room, always listening for footsteps in the hallway. How Paxton touched her now was pure, exploratory tenderness. It made the hairs on the back of Devi’s neck stand up as a wave of shivers rushed up her spine and crested somewhere around the nape of her neck.

He must’ve felt that wave break, the foamy aftereffects in some tic of her arm or quickening of her pulse while his fingers skimmed gradually up the inside of her arm towards her elbow, because he chanced another quick glance at her.

“That feels good,” she explained.

Paxton looked forward, nodding slowly, and shifted in the driver’s seat.

“Good.”

She thought it must have felt good for him too, knowing he’d made her shiver.

—

The miles were flicking past for Paxton—another, another, another, as fast and steady as the dashed lines painted between the lanes, his arms cutting the water on the front crawl. He wanted Devi, beside him, to believe that he was paying attention to his driving, but he was honestly kinda zoned out. Like that time he’d swum to San Diego, he let his body go through the motions (in this case, twitching the wheel, putting on cruise control when traffic thinned so he didn’t have to focus on the pedals) while his mind floated freely.

Where it floated was to his girlfriend.

At ten years old, he’d been the last kid in his swim class to jump off the 10m board. It was optional—a treat after getting water up their noses turning somersaults below the surface and doing egg-beater legs in between—but all the other boys in the group had done it eagerly, shrieking on their way down to sloppy pencil dives. Paxton had climbed the stairs all the way to the top easily enough, even stepped onto the wide platform, bordered by metal railings and rough under his bare feet. He’d walked out to the end and frozen to find himself so high above the pool.

He hadn’t feared the water, he’d feared the air. Being so exposed on his own at the end of the diving board. Eventually, he’d retreated, then surprised the coach waiting down at the poolside by turning around and taking the jump at a run. Few memories felt as good as the sensation of giving himself back to gravity and letting it reunite him with the water. He’d just had to get past the exposure.

Same thing tonight, going to find Devi at the dance. Holding her hand in his had been him reaching the platform, but when they stood together, just inside the school’s doors, Paxton hadn’t known for sure whether he would take the leap or retreat. And not just for a running start this time, but in a way that turned his sixteen-year-old present self back into one of those nervous ten-year-olds who wimped out and had to take the coward’s way down—descending each step they’d climbed. He might not have run, and yet he hadn’t needed to back up and race into their relationship either. Momentum hadn’t carried them inside for everyone they knew to see them. It had been a calm approach, even if he’d been shaking on the inside when he saw Trent staring at them.

So maybe Paxton had learned something in the last six years, or maybe it was harder to feel exposed with somebody right next to you.

She really did look gorgeous, like he’d said, and because he didn’t want her to worry about his focus if she spotted him gazing at the side of her face while she texted her cousin, the glances he stole were of the knee region. Her dress’s overlay sparkled when the high lights of eighteen-wheelers passed them and the specific teal of the dress itself reminded him of a river he’d swum in once during an out-of-state family vacation. Natural and deep and fresh, and exasperating for his parents because he’d accidentally doggy-paddled himself all the way to a small waterfall and hadn’t heard them calling him back for dinner around the campfire. He felt all that about Devi, except for hoping for a different reaction from his parents when they met her.

Holy shit. He was going to have to introduce his girlfriend to his embarrassing hippy parents. But then, she’d already met Rebecca, so maybe they were set? A sister’s approval should count for a ton.

No, no, no, Devi would have to meet his parents. He was doing this. The two of them were doing this. Paxton exhaled determinedly through his nose and made himself concentrate on the remaining miles he needed to cover. His mind, anyway. His hand continued to stroke and search, covering his girlfriend’s hand with his until he had her fingers tucked away protectively under his own, and then caressing all the way up to the crook of her elbow so suddenly that she made a noise between a laugh and a yelp because he’d unintentionally tickled her. Man, she was cute.

The very end of their journey required the most concentration from Paxton; he finally took back his hand to have both on the wheel as he steered them off the highway and Devi’s got lonely or something, because it chased across to where he was sitting and landed on his thigh. His jaw clenched. He could feel the heat of her palm through his pantleg and congratulated himself on being a driving legend for driving smoothly to where they needed to park for beach access.

Devi had a pink sweater that she put on, but Paxton grabbed his jacket out of the back as well in case she needed it. It was almost midnight and a breeze rolled up off the water, rippling his tie and swishing Devi’s dress. He didn’t have to ask what they should do next—there was just one other car parked nearby and Devi’s cousin was already standing outside of it, raising a hand to wave sheepishly as they got out of his jeep.

“Here,” he said, holding out his jacket for his girlfriend to put her arms through the sleeves. “You guys talk. I’ll be down at the beach.”

Devi turned her back to him as she accepted the jacket, but she glanced over her shoulder with a look of concern.

“Are you sure?”

“Yeah. You’ll want privacy. I need to stretch my legs anyway.”

“Just don’t swim away, ok?” she requested. “I don’t think I can handle more than one rescue mission per night.”

Paxton could tell by her expression that it wasn’t entirely a joke. He grinned and gripped his lapels, now on Devi, reeling her in.

“I promise. You’d probably take the opportunity to try to drive the jeep home, and I don’t want to risk that.”

“Me committing grand theft auto or me getting hurt?”

“I bet they tested you for smartness,” he said, “but you think they have a test for being a smartass? You’d score high, Vishwakumar.”

“I know, I know, you don’t want me to get hurt.”

She was so infuriatingly flippant, rolling her big brown eyes at him.

“That’s right,” Paxton said plainly. There he was, up on the platform again.

Devi straightened his tie and let her hand rest flat on his chest. He remembered how overwhelmed she’d looked the first time he’d placed her palm there, right on his skin. Even now, it almost made him laugh.

“Ok,” she said, and he was surrendering himself to the sweet strength of gravity, propelled down to the beach while Devi stayed to talk to Kamala.

—

Devi had heard that there were tidepools here, and she was nervous about stepping into one and spearing some aquatic animal on her high heel. Well, she couldn’t magically improve her night vision, but she could take her shoes off and remove the possibility of impalement. They dangled from her fingers as she picked her way down to the beach.

Her boyfriend was sitting in the sand, staring out at the ocean. It just looked so romantic—with the stars the sky was too bright to see at home, and the waves, and the back of Paxton’s white shirt in the moonlight—that Devi decided to slip into the scene without saying anything at all.

A mistake. Paxton gasped and jumped. Apparently, he hadn’t heard her over the noise of the water.

“Sorry, sorry!” she said.

He sighed and smiled, getting to his feet.

“How’d it go?”

“I think it went well. She was feeling calm enough to drive, so she’s on her way home now. She’s gonna cover for me until we get back.”

“That’s good… but what about Mr. Kulkarni?”

“He was passed out in the passenger’s seat,” Devi stated. “I guess he’s kind of a lightweight? Kamala said she’s going to drive back to our school and leave him and his car in the parking lot. She’s planning to call my mom for a ride home. If it were me, I think I’d take the bus and try to sneak back into the house as quietly as possible, but Kamala still has a lot to learn about how to thoroughly dodge your problems.”

“And maybe about how to climb to the second floor of your house from the outside?” Paxton suggested with a meaningful smirk.

She did her best to return it, but the odds were that it didn’t look nearly as sexy on her. Then again, she had moonlight and midnight and well-displayed cleavage on her side.

“How’d you learn to do that so quietly anyway?” Devi asked, tossing her shoes to the sand and stepping forward to boldly wrap her arms around Paxton’s waist.

He’d had his hands in his pockets, but as soon as she’d begun to move towards him, he’d pulled them out. His arms encircled her, his hands on the back of his own black jacket. Although Devi wanted to offer him the jacket back—he felt slightly chilly through his shirt—she didn’t want the two of them to separate. Besides, body heat was a thing. This was practically what it was for. So Devi just pressed herself closer, breathing the scent of the ocean and Paxton’s fading cologne.

“Trent,” he said.

“Yeah, actually, that checks out.”

Were there boundaries between warming someone up while having a conversation and just hugging them? It wasn’t clear to Devi, but it felt good when they both went quiet for a while. She stood unevenly on the cold sand and listened to the thud of Paxton’s heart.

“You never said yes,” he said eventually, quietly.

“Yes to what?”

“I told you I came to the dance as your boyfriend and you never actually agreed to be my girlfriend. We kinda just started making out.”

Devi lifted her cheek from his chest so she could look at him. He didn’t appear disappointed, more like he was making an observation. Maybe he’d been reflecting, out here in the dark, while she and Kamala had talked.

“In my books, that’s an obvious yes,” she said, grinning. “What more do you need?”

She could see him trying not to smile.

“A little atmosphere would be nice,” Paxton said. “Maybe a long drive, or the beach. A full moon. Romance me, Vishwakumar.”

Devi vibrated with silent laughter. Or her heart was just beating really, really freaking hard.

“Sounds like you’ve got some pretty big expectations there.”

“And stars,” he added. “There should be a shitload of stars.”

With that, he took one hand off her back to point far above them. Devi tipped her head back, the light of the stars a friendly blur as she tried to pick one to settle on, just one. Paxton’s face coming forward to hover over hers blotted them out. Her boyfriend kissed her, light and ghosting and then firm and slow.

“On the other hand,” he said, pulling back a little, “I think we were onto something with the making out.”

Devi smiled and dug her toes into the sand to make herself taller, lips at the ready and realigned with his.

“We did set a precedent.”

#my writing #Never Have I Ever #Never Have I Ever spoilers #NHIE #NHIE spoilers #Devi Vishwakumar #Paxton Hall-Yoshida #Devi x Paxton #Daxton #Fabiola Torres #Kamala Nandiwadal #couldn't find a gif I wanted and then all of a sudden I was making a moodboard

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hockeytrashgoblin · 4 years

Text

Ice Cold ~Part 6

A/N: The second part of the night! There’s probably going to be a lot of days/nights where I upload two parts at a time so I can get to the final part by halloween!

I was aware of voices but I couldn't open my eyes. They were hushed voices but I still heard them. I couldn't distinguish at all though who it was. I was vaguely aware that my ears were ringing and that it smelled like William a little bit. As I laid there I was becoming more aware and started shifting. All the voices stopped when I turned over and groaned.

"Where am I?" I mumbled.

"Hi (y/n), would you like some water?"

"No, where am I?"

"You're in my house, it's Morgan by the way."

"Why am I here? Where's William? Is he okay?" I asked panicking, trying to sit up. A cool hand pushed me back to lay down.

"William is perfectly fine, not a scratch on him."

"How is that even possible?"

"I can't tell you that right now."

"You guys really are pulling an Edward Cullen on me."

"Do you want me to get Will? You two should talk before the rest of us."

"Where is William?"

"He's in the other room talking to Auston."

"Oh God..I'm gonna ruin everything again." I said tears slipping out.

"You aren't ruining anything. I'll go get him for you."

"Thank you Morgan." I smiled at him through the tears and he smiled back, rubbing my shoulder before leaving the room. William came in almost immediately.

"Hi baby."

"You better start explaining."

"Can you at least tell me how you're feeling first?" He said sighing.

"I'm fine. Confused as fuck and mad that you weren't here when I woke up."

"I had to talk to Auston. I needed to calm him down. He doesn't want me to tell you any of what I now need to."

"Stop beating around the bush Will. Why am I not dead? Why are you not dead?"

"You already have a pretty good idea of how. You weren't that far off when you brought up Edward Cullen."

"William stop fucking around and just tell me! If you love me like you say you do please just tell me without the half truths."

"Fine. I'm a vampire. Is that better?" He growled making me flinch. His face softened immediately.

"I mean yeah. I'd rather have the truth." I tried to sit up and he pushed me back down. "For God sakes can you let me up so I can look at you? I promise I'm fine."

"I'm sorry, I'm incredibly worried."

"I just want to look at you William. Please?" He let me sit up this time but just sat incredibly still and quietly. "I have some questions."

"I figured you would. I'm really nervous for this. I don't know why, Morgan has seen how this plays out."

"Then don't be nervous."

"What if you hate me?"

"What if that's never gonna happen?"

"What are your questions?"

"Well okay how come your eyes are normal?"

"They aren't. We all have contact lenses, I have red eyes when I'm thirsty but blue when I'm fed so to keep it consistent we wear them."

"Can I see what they look like without them?"

"Of course. I despise wearing these things anyways. It'll be nice to not have to wear them with you anymore." He took them out and blinked at me with red tinted eyes. "I don't know what they look like right now, I hope not too frightening."

"They're red around the edges that's all. They're kinda cool."

"Kinda cool? Never had that reaction before." He said with a laugh.

"Alright so are you indestructible? It seems like yes."

"Pretty much. Twilight got that part right. Rip apart and burn the pieces. Nothing else can really harm us at all physically and we can't get sick."

"That's good!" I said nodding. "How old are you?"

"I have a different story than most. I was born this way. I only age until mid twenties then I stop."

"How does that work?"

"My parents are ancient vampires. Old royalty can give birth to vampire children. We age a little slower than human children but then we stop forever."

"So your family is pretty powerful then?"

"Are you afraid?"

"No why?"

"Your heartbeat sped up."

"You can hear that?"

"I can hear everything your body does." I blushed making him speak up again. "I'm sorry was that too much? I just want to be completely transparent."

"No, no, you're fine. I want to know everything!"

"Okay I just wanted to make sure. I don't want to overwhelm you."

"I can handle it."

"I know you can, I just worry."

"Are you guys all..you know?"

"You can say vampires (y/n). We don't mind. But yes the 5 of us all are."

"I thought so. You guys were really cliquey when I first met you."

"What do you mean?"

"You always just stuck together. When everyone broke away into smaller groups it was always you 5 and everyone else."

"Oh. Yeah I suppose we do, do that."

"Anyway you didn't answer me. How old are you guys?"

"I've been alive for 36 years but I'm only the equivalent of 24. Morgan is almost 100 years old."

"So Morgan's the leader?" I asked and he nodded before continuing.

"Kappy's almost 70, he joined Morgan about 20 years ago. He was a wild one, I'll let him tell you the story since I know he's been dying to."

"I'd like to hear about it!"

"Auston is around the same age as Kasperi. He was alone until he joined us when he got here. Mitchy is the baby, he was only turned 3 years ago."

"That must be so hard for him. Living with so many people around?"

"It was at first but he's better now."

"That's good. So did they get that part right? Newborn vampires are out of control?"

"Not as bad as twilight makes it sound." He said with a smirk. "But for the first couple months the thirst is intense."

"How did you find your way to Morgan?"

"I didn't like the way my parents worked, how they behaved. They were drunk on the fear people had for them. I don't want to scare people so I ran away when I was about 16 human years old. I started playing hockey and moved to Canada. I got picked up by the leafs and now here I am. I met up with Morgan when I got here in Toronto, I knew of him so I was looking for him."

"What happens to you guys if one gets traded?"

"We just go. We come back here for the off season. A couple years separated is nothing in the grand scheme of things."

"It sounds so simple." I teased.

"It's really not. I'm glad you know now though, that's going to make it much simpler."

"How come you told me?"

"Well I couldn't exactly leave it after my little display outside last night now could I?" He asked snorting.

"Well no but Mitch said you've been arguing with Auston because of a secret you wanted to tell but he didn't. So obviously you've been planning this."

"This is going to sound crazy."

"Crazier than all the rest of this? Try me."

"So you know how Morgan sees stuff?"

"Yeah. Hey do any others have gifts like that?"

"Mitchy can read minds when he stops his hyper shit and concentrates. Other than that none of us can. There are hundreds of powers out there though."

"That's cool!"

"Yes indeed." He murmured smiling warmly at me.

"Stop making my brain melt." I said giggling pushing his shoulder.

"Anyway back to what I was saying. Morgan saw you coming."

"He saw me?"

"Well he saw you with me."

"What do you mean?"

"Vampires have soulmates. Which sounds nuts because we don't have souls but that's the only way to put it. We're kind of like penguins, stay mated for life. We only have one so if it doesn't work out, that's it and we're alone."

"Oh wow no fucking pressure then!" I said sarcastically.

"Anywaaay." He drawled rolling his eyes with a small smile. "After I joined his coven I guess you'd call it, he started seeing my future. You're in it every step of the way." He finally looked into my eyes at that last part and I melted completely.

"Oh wow."

"Your heart is beating fast again. You're anxious, why?"

"I'm um.. a little overwhelmed I guess?"

"Why?"

"Well I wanted to be around for a long time and I felt like that would happen but to know that you've seen me there.."

"Technically Morgan saw you there. I didn't see anything, I just feel it. I feel very strongly for you."

"I love you." I said moving up the bed to hug him. He was stiff for a minute but then relaxed and held me softly. I pulled back with a smile on my face. "I'm not gonna break if you hold me a little tighter than that."

"I just don't want to push you or anything. This is a lot to take in, I don't want you to be uncomfortable."

"William I'm not. Can't you see that? I don't care what you are. I love you and I know you're not going to eat me so it's okay."

"I was wondering when what I eat would come up."

"I'm not worried about it. As long as I'm not in any danger I couldn't care less. You don't demand to know what I eat usually." I said eyeing him up.

"Well if you weren't so stubborn and would eat as much as I know you need to I wouldn't have to ask! You don't take care of your body the way I want you to."

"Whatever I'm trying."

"I know, love. You're doing good."

"Anyway since it's been brought up I am curious about what you eat."

"I eat mostly animals. We all do. Probably twice a month but we need human blood too once a month or so. We use blood bags instead of people. As I said I don't want people scared."

"Wouldn't it be better warm?" I slapped my hand over my mouth in embarrassment. "I'm so sorry ignore me."

"No, I want to know what you're thinking." He pulled my hands down and looked at me pouting with a big smile spreading across his face. "I love it when you blush. You look do cute with red cheeks."

"Stoooop!" I moaned blushing harder.

"Blood is better warm but that's what we get from animals. We don't want drinking human blood to be pleasant."

"That is fair enough."

We were quiet for a minute as I took in what he was saying. I couldn't say I was surprised at all. The way these boys acted and played the game was a little unbelievable. And the way they all looked. Barely human, more angelic looking than anything. I started thinking back at all the weird things like him hearing my phone vibrate in the bar, how fast he got to my house when I was scared, how he never really ate, how he was never cold. It all started making a lot of sense.

"Have I scared you?"

"Are you dumb? I'm not scared of you." I asked giving him a weird look.

"I just wanted to check. Do you think you'd be okay to go talk with the rest of the boys?"

"I'm fine babe. Are you ready for me to go talk with the boys?" I could tell by the way his eyes momentarily went wide that my question caught him off guard.

"Everything I just told you and you're concerning yourself with me?"

"Always." I said taking his hand in mine.

"I'd like you to know if I could blush I would be right now." He said quietly.

"Cute." I said pecking his lips.

"I am worried about you talking to them."

"Why?"

"I'm worried mostly about Auston. He's still mad that you know."

"Auston can fucking bite me." I said bitterly without thinking. "Shit wait no no i don't want that at all I take it back!"

"You're so funny. As if I'd ever let anyone else bite you." He said in a teasing tone.

"Hey, hey, hey, wait! You're planning on biting me?!"

"Not anytime soon. And I'm not planning it at all. Morgan said that he sees that it's your idea completely. You beg for me to do it."

"Not the only thing I'd beg for." I mumbled.

"What?"

"What?" I asked pretending I didn't say anything.

"I literally hear everything (y/n). I know exactly what you said. And you might not want to think stuff like that. I kinda asked Mitch to listen in to see how you would take everything."

"Are you kidding me?! Oh my God!" I smacked my forehead as if that would get the image of me on my knees begging William out of my head. It didn't. I was just more aware of those thoughts which made me think of them more. "I hate it here!" I yelled dramatically falling back on the bed.

"It's not a big deal, he's used to it."

"Yes it is!"

"He's not going to judge you."

"He will!"

"No I won't." Mitch said walking into the room and flopping down on the bed beside me.

"Uuugh." I groaned covering my face with a pillow.

"Nice to see you again too. Willy Morgan wants to talk to you. Something about Aus' bullshit probably."

"Alright. I'll be back soon, love." He got up and left leaving the room silent.

"So you know now huh?"

"Yup."

"You still want us around?"

"What the fuck do you mean?" I pulled the pillow away from my face. "Of course I still want you guys around."

"Sometimes it takes some time to come around that's all. Morgan's girlfriend took forever. She wouldn't see us for like 6 months because she was upset and felt betrayed. You just never know. Well unless you're Morgan."

"So she knows too?"

"Yup she knows everything."

"Does your girlfriend know?"

"No Steph has no idea. I don't think I'll ever tell her honestly."

"Why?"

"I'll tell you some other time."

"Do you think he was wrong to tell me?"

"Absolutely not. Seeing William happy is the best! He hasn't seen what Morgan has seen but I have. Sorry for snooping, it was just exciting! I couldn't help it."

"What does it look like..?" I asked quietly.

"It looks like complete happiness. Everything you've both ever wanted in life is going to come to you. It's kind of really fast moving from here though."

"Do I end up like you guys..?"

"I don't want to tell you the details of your future." He said carefully after considering for a second.

"I don't want to know everything I just want to know if I'm gonna get old and ugly while he stays gorgeous.. " I blushed and Mitch laughed.

"That's such a silly thing to worry about! Don't worry. You're not going to get old and gross. But that's all you're getting from me!"

"That's good enough for me." I said as William walked back in.

"Are you ready to see the guys? They want to talk to you, especially Morgan."

"Yeah sure." I said getting up walking over to him. I hugged him tight around his waist and leaned up to give him a kiss. "Let's go."

"Uh yeah sure." He took my hand and led me down the hallway of the spacious house. I took in my surroundings with awe. The house was beautiful. A perfect balance of dark and light. There was modern furniture but a lot of antiques surrounding it all. When he brought me around the corner I saw all the guys sitting there. Even Mitch which surprised me but then I realized that these guys were faster than anything. Auston looked salty, but he always did.

"(Y/n) please sit." Morgan said with a smile, gesturing to the love seat across from him. I did as I was told while William and Mitch sat on either side of me. "How are you feeling?"

"Um I'm okay. How are you guys?"

"We're well."

"Speak for yourself." Auston mumbled while Morgan sighed.

"For the most part we're well. You've learned a lot of new information today."

"Yeah I have."

"How do you feel about that?"

"Not bad. I have a lot of questions but I don't think I'm in danger so I'm feeling good I think."

"I'm surprised she didn't go into shock." Kasperi teased.

"Come on give her some credit!" Mitch defended.

"Yeah Kas come on. I'm tougher than that."

"You realize that you knowing this is a big deal don't you?" Morgan asked.

"Of course I do!"

"You realize that means you can't tell anyone right? Not even your dumb photography friend? And especially not your reporter friend?" Auston spit out.

"Obviously I would never ever do that Auston."

"Girls tell secrets."

"Not one like this!"

"How can we know that?"

"Auston you're honestly being ridiculous right now. I would never do that to you guys." I looked at William who was avoiding my eyes. I grabbed his hand desperately trying to keep tears out of my eyes from the confrontation. "Will, baby, you know that don't you? That I would never hurt you and your family like that?"

"I'm a little worried."

"What?!"

"See if he's worried, I should be too."

I just stayed quiet. Ripped my hand from William's, wiped a tear roughly from my cheek, and crossed my arms. William tried to hold my hand again but I pulled back.

"Don't."

"Guys she's not going to say anything." Mitch said, sounding bored with the whole thing.

"(Y/n) why don't we speak in private?" Morgan said carefully.

"Okay." I got up despite William's protest and went with Morgan to his office.

"I'm sorry about them. They're both idiots."

"I feel like I'm in trouble in a principal's office." I said laughing with him.

"Well I promise you aren't in trouble at all. I don't know how much William has told you about me.."

"Um he just said you were the oldest, the leader, and that you can see the future but he never elaborated on anything."

"Everything I see is definite. There are no areas where it changes. What I see is what happens. I've never been wrong in my hundred years. This is why I'm so sure that you won't tell anyone anything."

"Even if you didn't see it I'd never tell. It's not my secret to tell."

"The boys are just worried. It's been a long time since we've told anybody. The last one was my girlfriend 2 years ago. The last before that was 65 years ago. Auston and Kasperi have had some bad experiences. Mitch isn't worried because he can see inside everyone's heads. He can see how your mind works, he knows like I do. In fact I can tell you the next time you willingly on your own tell someone about vampires and it's not for another 20 years."

"What exactly does that mean?"

"There will be a time in approximately 4 months that you will say something."

"I don't think I'd share that but I'm not willing to bet against you that I won't. I'm sorry that I do that."

"It's nothing to be sorry about. When you do it, it's out of necessity, survival."

"I'm still sorry."

"I'm sorry that William is being untrusting. It seems Auston has gotten into his head."

"Not a big deal." I shrugged.

"It is. Trust is the most important thing. To know you're not trusted is a punch in the stomach." I raised an eyebrow at him and he continued. "When I got with Tessa and told her everything she didn't trust me right away. She thought I was going to feed off her or change her without permission. It was incredibly difficult."

"It all worked out though right?"

"Yes of course! I promise things will smooth over between you and William."

"Thank you Morgan. I really appreciate it."

"I'm going to let you go since we all have places to get ready to be soon. Mitch will drop you off at your home."

"Thanks. Good luck at the game tonight."

"Thank you. See you later."

"Bye." I let myself out. I didn't like to be told what to do but something about the authority in his voice made me not question or talk back. Mitch was standing down the hall a bit.

"Hey, you ready to go?"

"Absolutely. No offense but I don't want to be here right now."

"That's totally fair. I'm sick of hearing Auston's thoughts right now."

He started towards the door and I followed as close behind as I could manage. Once we got outside I was in awe. I always loved the forest and this was taking forest living to another level.

"How come you're sick of hearing him?"

"I'm always pretty sick of hearing him these days."

"Is it my fault?"

"What no! That's actually a welcome distraction. He's hiding something from me."

I was looking out the window as we drove but that shocked me enough to look at him. I was very confused and he could probably tell because he snickered at me.

"How the fuck could he do that?"

"He's had experience with people like me. He knows how to block thoughts from me. It's so annoying bro."

"I'd like to learn that." I said thinking back to what William said earlier.

"(Y/n) I couldn't care less what you want to do to William or have him do to you. Be as kinky as you want. I'll tell you what I'm into if that'll help?"

"Uh maybe next time." I said laughing with him.

"In all honesty I could probably help! If he's not doing it right I could tell him how to do it better."

"As sweet as that is Mitchy, I think I'd rather see how he fucks first before I call in mental backup."

"You guys haven't fucked yet?"

"No. He didn't want to while there was still secrets."

"That's nice of him I suppose. I could never do that."

"I like that he's patient. I've been through a lot of bad stuff with men.." before I could stop thinking Mitch interrupted me as we pulled into my driveway.

"I'm so fucking sorry that happened to you." He pulled me into a hug and I let a tear slip out.

"It's okay, it's done."

"It might be done but it haunts you. Have you told Willy?"

"Not yet. I will before I sleep with him though. I don't want secrets either. But now I don't know if I even should. If he can't trust me, can I trust him?"

"Auston is in his head. That's literally all it is. Wills deep thoughts know and trust you. His surface thoughts are frazzled."

"Well he's being shitty and can honestly just get fucked." I said making him laugh.

"That's fair."

"I'll see you guys tonight!"

"We'll be listening for you."

"Sorry what?" I asked half out of the car.

"William is going to want to know when you get there. So he's gonna listen for your voice and I'll be listening for your thoughts. Just to calm him down."

"Well in that case I'm gonna talk shit and think get fucked the whole time." I said laughing with him.

"I can't wait to play hockey with an angry William."

"See ya." I got out of the car and went to my house. I cried a little but then got ready to go.

#nhl imagine #nhl story #hockey #hockey story #hockey imagines #hockey imagine #maple leaf imagine #toronto maple leafs #leafs #maple leafs #william nylander #william nylander x reader #mitch marner #kasperi kapanen #morgan rielly #auston matthews #halloween #vampire

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valhahazred · 4 years

Photo

Something I really like doing is imagining how Cryptids would fit into the Cthulhu Mythos. What would a gormless Miskatonic Alumni find when investigating a cryptid hotspot?

So I'm doing a split, top row is actual sightings of Mothman and similar creatures, bottom row are Mythos entities that might "explain" the sightings. Not all of them have to be true at once. Consider them possibilities, CoC investigation prompts or even in-universe theories by people "in the know".

Mothman

Your ordinary every day Mothman, best known for its appearance in Point Pleasant West Virginia preceding the collapse of the Silver Bridge. It was seen again fairly recently, during the Chicago flying humanoid flap of 2017. Some also claim it was present for several tragic events including a German mine collapse, the Chernobyl meltdown and even the 9/11 attacks, although I believe these are apocryphal.

Contrary to its name I don't believe I've ever read an account of a Mothman sighting that gave it any insectoid features whatsoever. It is usually described as a furry or feathered biped of approximately 6-7 feet tall, winged, headless and featureless aside from glowing red eyes. It is usually dark, although some of the early sightings in Point Pleasant reported that it was white or ash-grey.

Mothman sightings often coincide with other anomalous phenomenon; including UFOs, poltergeist activity, hairy hominids and strange inhuman men, specifically the Grinning Man Indred Cold.

Owlman

Often considered the British counterpart to the Mothman, it was sighted a few times in Cornwall in the 1970s through to the 90s before crossing the pond in time for the Chicago flying humanoid flap. The main difference between it and the Mothman is the presence of a well defined head. It also has clawed wings in some reports.

While it was never connected to any major tragedies, the British Owlman sightings supposedly coincided with severe weather and bizarre animal behavior. If the Owlman is the same kind of entity as the Mothman and they are attracted to disaster, perhaps something esoteric was going down in Cornwall at the time?

Bat Beast of Kent

Another British offering, although this one actually precedes the Mothman by three years! Four teenagers witnessed a golden "star" floating behind some trees before a black humanoid figure shambled out of the woods. They said it was a headless humanoid, about 5 feet tall with webbed feet and large batlike wings.

While both Mothman and Owlman were seen during a time of increased UFO activity, only the Bat Beast was (to my knowledge) actually witnessed at the same time as an apparent craft, although nobody actually saw it leave the UFO.

Interestingly a similar UFO was witnessed the week before in the same area but accompanied by a human figure with a red cape. If all these phenomenon are connected, perhaps the red caped person was the Bat Beast's equivalent to Indred Cold?

Spiderbat

Sighted in southern Alberta Canada, the Spiderbat was seen ducking into the witness's barn. He said it was huge and bulky and described it as "kind of like Mothman but with spider teeth and small white eyes". It perched in the barn's window even though it seemed like it should be too large to fit. As soon as he saw it, the witness turned to run for his house. He felt as though it was rushing at him as he fled, even though it never reached him. Although it hasn't been seen again thel witness claims he still hears strange noises from the barn at night and often feels watched in the area.

This is a weird one and I don't normally take this sort of sighting very seriously but I really wanted to draw it! Besides, it's way better than the Batsquatch.

Spectre

This is less an actual sighting and more personal speculation with artwork fueled by the Mothman Prophesies movie. The Mothman sometimes seems less than a physical creature and more like a haunting force, impressing supernatural terror into those that witness it and behaving in impossible ways. It flies without flapping its wings, it seemed to have an effect on nearby electronics and poltergeist activity was also reported in the area.

Perhaps the Mothman is a spiritual entity, either a warped human ghost or some elemental creature of the Astral realms?

Mothman in the Mythos

Fungi From Yuggoth

The story "Documents in the Case of Elizabeth Akeley" implies that the Mothman are a simple misidentification of the winged sporecrab forms of the Migo and that certainly makes some sense. The Migo are connected to alien folk-lore already. Their biodrones look like the archtypical Grey alien, their gateships are certainly disk shaped and they have human allies and waxen masked Migo infiltrators to serve as the Men in Black. But I'd like to go a little further.

Perhaps they are in fact another form of the Fungi's encounter drones? A heavily armored surveillance platform, the encounter drones where deployed to Point Pleasant to investigate strange psionic energy readings in the area. As the locals were gripped in Mothman hysteria, the Migo hunted for the source of their readings. Unfortunately they were unable to find it before the bridge fell and the psionic energy dissipated. Now it's 2017, the same energy has appeared in Chicago and the Migo aren't planning to fail twice...

The Million Favoured Ones

The so-called "Grinning Men" were in West Virginia around the same time as the Mothman, often in the company of UFOs. Some theorists posit that they are the Mothmen, taking a human form in order to interact with us. Indrid Cold is the best known Grinning Man but supposedly two more named Demo Hassan and Karl Ardo where also encountered in the area.

Perhaps the Mothmen are members of the Favoured Ones, shapeshifting alien sorcerers who do Nyarlathotep's inscrutable bidding. What purpose would they serve in prophesying or orchestrating the collapse of the Silver Bridge? It's unlikely that anyone would be able to find out until long after the fact.

Living Pterosaur

You might ask, "hey, isn't this an actual theory on what Mothman could be? Why is it down here in the Mythos section?" Well hypothetical person; in the Triassic era the Yith encountered a species of sapient pterosaurs, described by a captured human mind only as "black-snouted, winged creatures".

The Yith keep hidden stasis vaults of specimens and artifacts, serving as museums or supply caches and safe-rooms for their brain-casting operatives throughout time and space. Occasionally these vaults open unpredictably, their mechanisms failing after millions of years or by sabotage from the Yith's many enemies. It has happened before, a vault released populations of Cretaceous megafauna onto the Thurian continent during the pre-Hyborian age.

Now the pterosaur-folk are just the tip of the iceberg as Mythos forces converge on Point Pleasant, searching for the secrets of the Yith and their valuable artifacts.

Byakhee

It is unlikely that most witnesses would neglect to mention the sensory impressions of searing yellow light and psychic demands for space mead but regardless, some of the smaller species of Byakhee bear a more than superficial resemblance to the Mothman phenomenon.

Tskohmoi Independent Race

The Tskohmoi are an alien species from a distant part of the galaxy. Although they are entirely composed of physical matter, they are capable of sorcery and use it in their exploration of the universe. They can wrap themselves in plasmoid shells, racing through the void of space as blazing orbs. Although they are not shapeshifters the Tskohmoi are masters of mental influence and can impress all manner of images with their magic, including making themselves appear human to an observer. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Mothman is one of my favourite cryptids, constantly jockeying for position against the Flatwoods Monster and high-strangeness Sasquatch sightings. Chupacabra used to be up there too but now that it's just a mangy dog it's not as interesting. I plan to make at least a few more of these but it kinda depends on what I get good ideas for.

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whoacanada · 6 years

Note

for the fanfic trope mash-up, how about Royal AU + Poorly Timed Confession with zimbits? p.s. love your writing xx

ROYAL AU + POORLY TIMED CONFESSIONS + ZIMBITS

This is how it starts.

“Aww, bummer,” Chowder says, face buried in his phone as Bitty puts the finishing touches on a custard tart for his advisor’s birthday. “Canada’s King died.”

“Canada still has royalty?”

“Not anymore,” Dex chirps.

“It’s not like he had any power,” Nursey wanders in and kicks out a chair beside Dex. “Just a figurehead. It’s all for show. Trudeau is still in charge.”

“It says they don’t know who the heir is — that’s kinda cool right? Someone’s walking around like a secret prince or something.”

“Well at the very least we’ll be in for some interesting media coverage,” Bitty adds. “’Hunt for the Secret Royal’ will be all we hear about for weeks.”

“Bitty,” Chowder spins in his chair and waves to get his attention. “You think Jack knows anything about this? He’s a history buff, I bet he’s all over it.”

“You know, I’ll have to ask him when he gets back from Vancouver,” Bitty offers, placing the last violet garnish and snapping a photo after he closes the push notification regarding the passing of ‘Canada’s beloved monarch, Laurent IV’.

Much later, Bitty will look back and think about how he really needs to pay more attention to current events.

The knocks come quickly, loud and forceful enough that Chowder rouses from the sofa.

“—Whasat?”

Dex is already at the door, peering through the peephole warily.

“They look like Feds,” Nursey comments, watching from the kitchen. “They’re finally coming for you, Poindexter.”

“Fuck off, they’re Canadian Feds,” Dex corrects, face pressed against the door. “They’re wearing little maple leaf pins.”

“They invaded New England and they’re just cleaning up the ones they missed —“

“Is someone getting arrested?” Ollie comes running down the stairs behind Wicks.

“Probably if we don’t open the door.”

“Don’t open it! We don’t know what they want!”

“What are y’all hollering about, now?” Bitty calls down the stairs.

“We’re going to prison,” Dex calls back, recoiling from another round of hard knocks.

“You know we can hear you,” comes a muffled voice through the door. “We’re looking for Eric Richard Bittle? Is he here?”

“Definitely Canadian.”

“Thank you.”

“Oh, shit, Bits,” Chowder laments. “Go hide they’re gonna arrest you!”

“No, we aren’t,” says the voice again. “We’re not arresting anyone.”

“Real convincing,” Dex chides.

“Look, this is not how we normally do this, okay? Please open the door, it’s a matter of national security.”

“Which nation? Show me a badge.”

The Haus falls silent while Dex apparently gets his answer.

“Well?”

Dex steps back and looks up at Bitty, who is still hovering by the stairs in his shorts and a Falconers’ championship tee.

“You might want to put on pants, Cap. Some nice Canadians with guns want to talk to you.”

Three minutes later Bitty is fully clothed when they open the door on two tall, suited men with earpieces.

“I’m Agent Harper, this is Agent Camden,” the first man introduces, then gestures to his clearly exhausted partner. “We’re here to speak with Eric Richard Bittle.”

“You’re speaking to him,” Bitty says cautiously. “What can I help you gentleman with?”

The two explain they’re agents of the Canadian government meant to bring Eric into protective custody, though they refuse to elaborate on exactly why.

“This is shady as hell, you can’t just take him to Canada,” Chowder stage whispers, and Camden sighs outright.

“We can’t say anything else because we were asked not to reveal details until you’re safely on Canadian soil. It’s a direct request from the Family.””

“The mob?” Wicks gasps.

“Oh, my god,” Harper drops his head. “Americans. No, the Royal Family.”

Bitty may not be the most intelligent person at Samwell — that title goes to the fourteen-year-old in his senior-level Calculus class — but he’s pretty darn sharp and his mama taught him to read between the lines better than anyone.

He reaches up and grips the ring hiding on a chain beneath his shirt.

“Can I call Jack real quick? I just need to grab my phone,” Bitty asks, already rising to retreat to his room when Camden holds up a hand.

“No need, we can pass along any messages.”

There it is, the confirmation Bitty was looking for.

From out of seemingly nowhere another Agent comes down the stairs with a box of Eric’s possessions, his laptop dangling several cords from the side, and he can only assume his phone is stashed in there among the mess.

“Hey! You can’t just —“

“You’ll get them back once we’ve determined there’s no evidence of tampering. We need you to surrender anything with an internet or bluetooth connection. External hard drives, etc. It’s a matter of national security.”

“Just so we’re clear,” Nursey interrupts, recording everything on his own phone, “We’re talking ‘Canadian’ national security.”

“What do you want with Bitty?” Chowder pressures.

“To keep him safe,” Camden insists again.

“Hold on!”

A woman in a blue pantsuit comes bounding up the porch steps and in through the front door, waving at Harper to stop before running over, holding out her phone.

“Here, he wants to talk to the Consor – oh,” she stops, seeing the rest of the people in the room. “Um, the… Bittle?”

“Right.” Bitty warily takes the phone and says, “Hello?”

“Bits!“

The relief Bitty feels is so palpable he thinks like his legs might give out.

“Oh, God, Jack? Honey! What’s going on?”

“I’m so sorry, we just landed and service is a nightmare— I’m fine, listen, trust me, I’ll explain everything once you get to Montreal. This is just complicated and we’re still trying to work out the details – You can trust the people we sent.”

“You mean the men in black stealing my stuff? Jack, they took my phone.”

“I’ll make them get you a new one. Just get here and I promise everything will be okay.”

There’s a rustling on Jack’s end and suddenly Bitty can hear Bob.

“Eric? Son, listen, some things have come up and I believe it would be, ah, safer to have you in Montreal for the announcement —”

“Bob,” Bitty interrupts, not missing the flash of panic on the blue-suited woman’s face. “Real quick question, are you the new King of Canada?”

The agents around Bitty slow to a stop and on the other end of the line Bob makes a noncommittal sound that’s the verbal equivalent of a shrug.

“Oh, good lord,” Bitty sighs. “Please put Jack back on.”

Some more shuffling and, “Bits?”

“Am I being kidnapped because your father is the secret heir to the Canadian monarchy?”

Jack is silent for a beat and Bitty fights the urge to panic.

“Bud, you’re not being kidnapped because Papa is the secret heir. You’re being kidnapped because ‘I’ am.”

#celestemiddlleton #royal au #zimbits #omgcp #promptfest lol #to be continued?????#promptapalooza

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ratherembarrassing · 6 years

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A LIST OF STUFF ABOUT SUPERGIRL 306 – by moi

first and most importantly for a flashback episode, A PERFECT RECAST OF YOUNG KARA AND ALEX.

(maybe even un upgrade?)

gosh, both of those actors did their homework.

when alex pulled her phone out of her back pocket in that bathroom i just about died.

izabela vidovic doesn’t actually sound anything like melissa, but she did this thing with her voice that is kara.

good job, casting.

also, music: evil. you can’t cold open with HAIM like that. the sweet escape was a terrible song, but the most 2007 song choice they could have made short of 1234 by feist.

SO THIS IS MIDVALE 2017

i love eliza, and i love that house.

but honestly where is midvale???? on the canadian border???? is the drug ring run through a maple syrup dynasty???? how did they drive there so quickly???? (the answer to that question is obviously: flying car.)

SPEAKING OF FLYING CARS: i love that they tried to tell us kara could drive for the opening ~aesthetic~ and let that just sit in the background for the entire episode, and then CONFIRMATION: KARA CANNOT ACTUALLY DRIVE.

for an episode that only has about 5 minutes of current timeline they packed a lot into that small amount of time.

i continue to regret asking for them to focus on kara’s mental health, because she’s just so sad and it makes me so sad.

‘at least alex doesn’t close herself off ... you have the most wide open heart for other people, but when you feel weak you punish yourself for it.’

‘if i’m going to do the things i have to do, i have to walk away from certain vulnerabilities.’ okay, not focusing on the “vulnerabilities” because that’s a red herring, but the things i have to do. oh, kara. i wrote something in one of these lists a couple of weeks ago that i think i ended up deleting, but, the opening credits monologue has changed again (kara calls herself a refugee now, which is worth a whole post all of its own) but the line that has always stayed is “an accident forced me to reveal myself”. i hope they’re going to a place where kara can recognise the choices she’s making to live this life. not that there isn’t a lot to unpack to get there, because if we learnt anything from triggers it’s that she probably doesn’t believe she has a choice about this because she was sent here to do this. but that’s not what little kara tells not!alura. there’s always a choice, and at one point she wanted to make that choice.

obligatory mention: alex danvers is probably going to end up with a drinking problem.

and god, she’s mean, but she’s also right about kara’s pathological need to set the rules. and i think to kara they are rules, because everything about living on earth has been a series of rules about How To Live. see also: an accident forced me to reveal myself, and now i have to walk away from certain vulnerabilities.

THAT FIGHT: SISTERS OMG.

but that’s just it: sisters. they got each other. and, it would seem, always kinda have*.

~FLASHBACK TIME~

so this was kind of a weird flashback.

*TV TIME MATH SIDEBAR

god, i hate them. why do they do this to me?

“10 years ago.” OKAY, FINE.

previously on supergirl:

kara’s earth equivalent birthday (disregarding the phantom zone) is between 4 January 1991 and 16 February 1991.

alex’s birthday is between 17 and 20 February 1989.

so in 2007, and let’s say november 2007 to make it easier, even though apparently they live near canada but it looks like summer: alex is 18, kara is 16.

and yet they’re in the same classes?

and yet not!alura j’onn thinks she’s 15.

GOD CAN’T THEY MANAGE TO WORK THEIR TIMELINES OUT???

kara’s been with them for 3.5 years, and jeremiah’s been dead for 1.5.

basically, i just really wish they would stop saying things like “[nice round number] years ago”, because now we have alex and kara apparently hated each other for three and a half years and lena luthor is 25.

(and also was apparently 15 when superman took down lex. ;_;)

anyway, that weirdness aside, that flashback was filled with goodness:

alex and kara shared a rooooooom and had dumb 2007 flip phones and alex wore totally on trend tiny vests but also very off trend chokers.

ELIZA WAS READING CAT GRANT’S NINE LIVES AND COUNTING.

kenny lee: he died so that alex would stop being a dick to her adopted alien sister.

awkward statutory rape storyline: awkward.

canadian drug ring: seriously, was maple syrup involved?

SOME THINGS WE LEARNT ABOUT KARA, all of which broke my heart:

she never stopped talking about krypton.

calculus at age 4!

she wanted to be a superhero even then.

THIS WAS AN ALIEN PLANET AND SHE HATED IT.

ALL SHE WANTED TO DO WAS LIVE WITH CLARK AND BE SUPER.

;______;

she followed all of his enemies omg.

she was really good at gym.

she’s always broken things when she’s angry.

she misses people too but she’s not lashing out at the world.

oh, kara.

she had hound blood in her - kara what other trouble were you getting into as a kiddo?

she remembers being alone in the pod.

;______;

eliza calling j’onn to come and pretend to be not!alura agent noell neill was awful. that is honestly a terrible thing to do to that poor girl, and i’m lowkey pissed at the writers for thinking that’s a thing people would ever come up with as a possible solution.

aaaaaand yet maybe the most important line in the entire flashback:

no one asked me if i wanted these powers, but i have them and all i want to do is help people with what i’ve been given, and no one will let me.

kara wanted to be a superhero. she wanted it desperately. and maybe soon she’ll remember that.

she called her mom jeju.

eliza’s cardigan in that last scene was awesome and i want it.

‘i am getting better,’ kara says, two seconds before the promo for next week. yaaaaaay......... 😟

#stuff in a list by me #supergirl spoilers

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fallenloverecords · 6 years

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Interview: Pickle Darling

Hi lovers! Here at Fallen Love headquarters we periodically interview people that we adore in order to shine a spotlight on our wonderful pop planet. We post all those interviews right here for your education and enjoyment.

Pickle Darling is the bedroom pop of Lukas Mayo from Christchurch, New Zealand. Fallen Love head Harley interviewed Lukas through a 16-hour time zone warp on a Sunday/Monday. Fallen Love Records: Who is Lukas Mayo? How did Pickle Darling come to be? Lukas: Lukas Mayo is some insecure loser from Christchurch, New Zealand. Pickle Darling is me taking my innermost insecurities and making dumb redemptive pop songs out of them. It feels more "me" than Lukas Mayo does. I'd been in a few bands and collaborations growing up which were all fruitful but ultimately incredibly hard. I think I was way too self-indulgent at those times and I was terrible at compromise. I would rather have had something suck but be true to me than be "good" and not be a great representation of myself. Since then I've grown as a person and I think I'd be a much better collaborator now. FLR: This past April you released your first EP of original songs, Spring Onion Pancakes. How did the track listing come about? L: I've been writing songs for as long as I can remember and those were kind of just the six most recent! I was also in a five-year relationship which had just suddenly ended and the EP kept me out of wallowing in self-pity. It's upbeat and colourful because I wanted to make sure that all my songs were full of love and humour and kindness and friendship. It's still a sad EP to me but I'm super glad that people don't think of my music as sad music. Most of it was written when I was in class though which is probably why all the lyrics are basically "I suck and I'm a loser" 'cause that's how I generally felt at Polytech. lol FLR: What are spring onion pancakes like? My research says it's a traditional Chinese dish. L: Oh yeah, I've only actually had them once. The bus station in town has a place that makes them. I was with my friends Heather, Isaac, and Nico and we had just watched a movie and then got spring onion pancakes together. My hands were all greasy on the bus ride home, though. (Sorry, Christchurch Metro Bus services.) My EP is so hard to search for on Google 'cause you have to wade through three pages of recipes. FLR: Does anyone make spring onion pancakes with pickles? That would be a search engine nightmare. L: There's some weird stuff when you google Pickle Darling. There's another Facebook page which is just a cat called Pickle Darling. I'm hoping if I get a Pitchfork feature one day, they accidentally get in touch with whoever runs that page and they do an interview on my behalf. It would probably be more interesting than me, to be honest. FLR: I'm actually interviewing the other Pickle Darling tomorrow. It's part of a dueling interview series I'm doing. Like when I interviewed Kevin Shields and the director of the slasher movie My Bloody Valentine. L: lmao I avoided My Bloody Valentine for years thinking they were Bullet For My Valentine. FLR: On the topic of your hometown, what is the music scene like in Christchurch? I can't say I really hear any Dunedin sound in your music. L: I don't feel hugely involved in the Christchurch music scene. I haven't done many gigs and kinda bypassed it and went straight to the internet. That sounds kind of douchey of me. I have mad love for a lot of Christchurch artists. There are heaps of super talented people here who make amazing music and people have reached out to me and shown me so much kindness but I spend most nights by myself just going for walks around Opawa or watching films or reading. I'm not a super regular gig attendee. I go to maybe one a month and I'm always the least cool person there. It's cool, though, I enjoy it when I do go. And I'm slowly feeling more and more involved in the Christchurch music scene as people become a bit more aware of what I do. I feel like locals will see me on the internet and be like "Hey, that's that dweeb I see walking around town all the time. Weird." FLR: You only played live for the first time this year, right? How has that side of things been? L: I feel like such a fraud 'cause I've had such great opportunities handed to me right off the bat. My first gig was in a library for NZ Music Month and we were playing with my friend Luke's band EgoValve. That was fun and super low-key and about five people were there and they were all under the age of nine. Richard from Glass Vaults (great guy and great band) heard my Radio NZ interview and got in touch with me and our second gig was opening for Glass Vaults. My third gig was opening for Kane Strang, who I have so much love for. During sound check I was just like "Oh my god, are you Kane Strang? Is your real name actually Kane Strang? I love you, Kane Strang. Your album is great, Kane Strang. Oh my god, you are really Kane Strang. Hi, I'm Lukas. Oh my god, you are Kane Strang." Those two shows were sold out and I had my friends Isaac, Nico, Marcus, and Cameron in my band and they were just fun, positive nights. My fourth gig is going to be at Nostalgia Festival, which also has Connan Mockasin and The Chills. I'm so incredibly blessed with all this stuff.

youtube

FLR: For the EP you did a run of cassettes through Slovakian label Z Tapes and a limited run of lathe cut seven-inches on your own. Is having a physical product important to you? Some artists are content to just toss their songs online for streaming and downloading and call it a day. L: I want to be the most working class bedroom pop star out. I love the idea of just sitting in my room making stuff myself and packaging stuff myself and getting my fingerprints on everything and having a merch table with things I've made on it. I just want to make things. Z Tapes did all the tapes, though, which was such a relief and such an honour. Filip is really a hero of Bandcamp. He believed in me from the very start and now they're doing a second run of my EP on tape and it's great. The lathe cuts look cool. I'm super proud of them. My friends Heather Reid Van Gerwen and Noah Mead handled the art side of things, which is why they look so beautiful. I'm always going to want to make a physical thing. I mean all physical media is outdated now so if you're going to do physicals, do something fun and creative with it. Also I'm doing a Christmas tape with Heather and she's painting little pictures to go with them. FLR: What's the most exciting location you've received an order from so far? L: I get a lot of orders from Japan, which is so cool, as well as heaps from the States. It's exciting that the majority of the orders are from outside of New Zealand. It's not just my friends buying my stuff out of pity. There are actual people out there that are listening to my stuff and willing to spend money on it. I'm super grateful for them. I really want to be able to play in those places one day. FLR: I feel you. My label almost never gets any orders from within Canada but I've got a handful of regular customers in Germany and Spain. Each of those orders keeps me going and makes me feel like this is all worth it. L: Definitely! It makes it feel so real, right? FLR: Switching topics: what's your favorite film that hasn't had a Criterion DVD release but totally deserves one? L: Ooh I love this question. Hmm... Oddly enough one of my goals (actually my only goal 'cause I hate goals) is to be successful enough to get invited into the Criterion closet. But hmmm... These are probably pleb picks but I'd love: Happy Together (1997) or just more Wong Kar-Wai in general; Synecdoche, New York (2008); Quiet City (2007); Careful (1992); and Funny Ha Ha (2002) in the collection. Also some Barry Jenkins! These are probably pleb picks, though. Also, shout out to my friends Martin (who directed my video) and Julia who give me good film recommendations. Joe Swanberg is a big influence on my work ethic. He made, like, 30 films in seven years or something. If anyone reads this interview, please send me film recommendations on Twitter! FLR: My top rec is Marty (1955) starring Ernest Borgnine. He's a lonely 34 year-old butcher who lives with his mother and is afraid he'll never fall in love. It's basically the film equivalent of a bedroom pop song. L: Dude, I'm totally going to check that one out! I haven't heard of that one! I reckon my film equivalent of a bedroom pop song is Hannah Takes The Stairs. I sampled that on my EP. My friend Julia recommended that one to me actually. I put that movie on all the time just to listen to. I don't even watch it now. I just put it on while I'm doing housework to listen to Greta Gerwig's dialogue. I love how that film sounds. I love their voices. FLR: What's one question you've never been asked in an interview that you would love to be asked someday? L: An interview question I'd love to be asked is "Hi, I'm Evan from Pinegrove. Do you want to open for my band?" and the answer would be "Yes, Evan from Pinegrove." Actually I'd love to be asked what I'm listening to at the moment. FLR: And finally, what does 2018 look like for Pickle Darling? I hear your first album is nearly finished. L: 2018 will be big for me personally but small for my fans. What I mean by that is I'm going to be working on a lot of stuff but probably not releasing a huge amount until it's all done. I'm doing an album. It's ten tracks and it's going to be awesome. There's a song called "Nicolas Cage" and I think it's my best song. My friend Josiah has a feature on it. Matt Gunn is helping out with the production and I think he is a literal angel from heaven. I'm going to do a bunch of music videos too. I want to tour. I want to do bigger physicals like vinyl and CD's and stuff like that. I just want to make more stuff. Pickle Darling on Facebook Pickle Darling on Twitter

#interviews #Pickle Darling #scouting report #bedroom pop #Christchurch #New Zealand

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kyokyo866 · 7 years

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Yo! This is the Tea and I would first like to thank you for your Youtube channel and your stories. I probably wouldn't have gotten interested in writing if it wasn't for you.

This au is called The Mansion of Night. This au originally started as a random fanfiction/game idea where I wanted a similar goal and setting to Hentaoni. I found my inspiration from a lot of places. Like one of the races I put in this world spawned from dreamtalia (Not the same race as Reve, which I never knew at the time). I love thinking about it and developing it, and yet I barely have a muse to write it. This au has been in reworks since April of last year. I’m proud of the culture, relationships, climates, and drama. The only thing I’m having a hard time dealing with is the money and Wing(Kingdom-ish) relationships.

The mansion of Night is a closed off, large mansion with a main building and four other wings. It’s suspended in a weird void dimension which none of the characters will ever know in their lifetimes. Since the mansion is closed off in some other world, people have to get into it somehow. There are only four requirements to get into the mansion: They have to be asleep, they had to of been scared of something at the time of sleeping, the void dimension has to closely pass by their dimension, and there needs to be a blank room available. Who it takes is random because people get scared all the time. Elaborating on the rooms, there are three kinds: Blank, Damaged, and Marked. Blanks are working rooms. Basically, important things other than people can spawn from these rooms. Food is the most common item to spawn, but it normally comes down to one kind. Getting a variety of things from one room is rare. Then there are Damaged rooms which loses their blank room abilities. They’re generally useless since most of them have missing or heavily damaged doors. These rooms are fixed by installing a new door when they come around. Lastly are the marked rooms. These rooms are inhabited by the people that live there. The doors are damaged, but not to the heavy extent of a damaged door. At most it has a deep caving, which is a group’s emblem. Group emblems are a way of distinguishing groups/packs and clans. They’re like family units.

When a person spawns in a room they’re forcibly turned into one of four races. Whether you were originally a dog, god, or human being, it doesn't matter. First, I want to be extremely brief. There are only vampires, werewolves, humans, and demons. They all have a place in this food chain. Vampires are meant to keep populations in check, werewolves are supposed to eat the corpses, humans are supposed to be like livestock, and the demons are supposed to keep people from going mad. But of course, people are still people and eventually they start doing more than intended. The new people who come into the world often come from different eras with different technology. When the resources are around they could show off an invention or make life easier. Over time people start identifying themselves as being apart of a Wing or the Main Building. A Wing has come to be a sort of identity to most people. Wings A and C accept this view while B would rather identify as their own groups/packs. Wing D only has a few stubborn people living there, mostly self exiled due to law and such. The Main Building has a similar view to B in a more controlled manner. I’ll also keep the relationships brief. Wing A and C are neutral, but are competing for Wing D. They’re also in agreement on vampire stuff which keeps them neutral. Wing A and the Main Building are friends in a sense as they trade freely. Wing C is an isolated little shit that want’s people to stay away. Wing B also wants people to go away, but only because it’s going through it’s own power crisis. The Main Building gives no shits as long as they have their Libraries.

The next things I want to go over is whether and how money works. The year is separated by three different seasons: Summer, Winter, and Transition. There’s a Transition between Summer and Winter and vice versa. A year in this world is the equivalent of two years in our own. Each season is about 180 days. The weather mostly manifests as fog, wind storms, and temperature snaps. Most weather is predictable at specific times of the year, like the intense temperature snaps of the Winter and Summer. The least predictable are the wind storms. The Summers tend to be humid at most. The same can’t be said for the Winter. To combat the sub zero temperatures of Winter, I did a weird thing with the currency. The money is a heat and magic source. I’m overly proud of this creation. Magic wise it’s required to use magic. For the Winter, it’s like a lifeline. They’re small crystals of either yellow, blue, green, or purple. The most abundant crystals are blue and in second place green. Rubbing two of the same color will make a colored fire that makes warmth. People who make their own magic are the only ones that can hold lit crystals. Due to their small size people have to collect a ton for the cold snaps. People in the wings use crystals for cooking, magic, and weapons. During Harmn’s stay there is a near shortage of crystals. The largest crystal deposits are deep within Wing D. Since there’s a monster killing people in there the wings can’t mine enough to support everyone. It also leads to one of the struggles of Wing A and C.

Lastly, I have to talk about the main characters of this au. When I started out I wanted to do things a little differently. I wanted the original group characters to come from their own unique universes. I have only recently gotten to their personalities and pasts. They’re developed enough to serve their purposes as intended. I’m going to keep explanations quick. Harmn starts out with the nickname Prussia and is the main protagonist. Japan is the antagonist that starts as a friend that slowly becomes paranoid. Canada is a whiny king that has to get used to things. Ludwig is a very unhappy character due to his recent marriage problems. Romano came out of a world of sickness. Feliciano is a teenager with lying issues. Francis came from a world where he’s just bored and lonely. Russia comes from a very warm world. Britain comes from a fantasy world where he belongs to a race of immortal seers. And then there’s Antonio who’s just trying to keep his anger issues in check. Many of these main characters are supporting main characters that meet at the start of this au story I have. I have more characters, but I don’t want to list them in this. This au does include oc’s that have an effect on the protagonist and antagonist. I have only one main storyline for this au which leads to the Harmn I rp with.

I would love to hear your ideas if this appeals to you. Please, nitpick the shit out of it. I have no one to talk to about this and harsh constructive criticism sounds welcoming. I want to make it better and have someone to bounce ideas with. If you want more information, like my main story line or characters, I’m happy to talk. You don’t have to do that, but I’m glad to get this off my chest. Have a good day Kyo.

*really hard slow blink. tents fingers*

goodness gracious

*taps fingers*

aight lemme ask you a couple questions to think of.

first off, why is there a mansion there in a void, was it put there, was it original human, or was it just kinda.. built. and is it a mansion or a manor. How is there weather if its a manor, or is it inside the mansion unless theres a reason to go outside? theres been no indication theres anything outside of this mansion so are they just there.

second, whats the purpose? Like yes you told us characters and such but there’s not really much reason for us to care? Or seem fitting for the Hetalia universe at that? Like when you mentioned dragging in people from other eras I figured the oh yea okay theyre immortal so they can be dragged in from different moments in time, but then its brought up that a good chunk are from other worlds, period?? that seems kinda off. And Im guessing since you mentioned it was based on hetaoni that the goal is just escape from this void. But especially of there is no one home for any of them itd just be more of harmns story to gtfo id reckon so theyre not used as livestock but eh.

third, is a lot of the details necessary? I read this alongside dig and lubo and constantly we had to go back and reread a lot of it because we were just so confused. Like yea its sectioned off pieces with different creatures and the sectioned off pieces dont like each other and blahblah but.. is the extra details needed?? I mean i get it its an involved world but just a lot of the added details here and there, at least for us, seemed a little much and we got confused by it and it got to the ‘okay i guess there’s this now’

forth and thisll be the last question i leave you with, why should we care? Of like, a lot of the time our reaction was ‘okay thats a thing i guess’ like i meantioned in the last paragraph but we felt no pressing need to know about these characters or their plights, or wanting to know more about how these details worked despite it being spelled out for us. Our overall reaction was “okay then.” and even when there is hetalia characters they seem so far removed from their original characters (even if theyre intended to be 2ps like how harmn is) that we dont really have any relatable feelings or anything to them. It doesn’t feel like a hetalia project, that if you just changed the names of all the characters itd look like its own thing. So what makes it fully connect to the Hetalia universe, and why should we even care about them?

Thats about what i can think of on the top of my head. As before, if anyone has anything to add feel free to

#kyo the au checker #corridorsoftheraven #submission #kyo answers

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rhettsooo · 7 years

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Friday, January 13th to Saturday January 14th, 2017- Gili Air, Mt. Bromo, Yogyakarta

It's on this day I say good bye to the enchanting Gili Air and begin to squeeze in more of Indonesia - or at least as much as possible in my remaining 6 days of travel. Next stop is East Java where Mt Bromo is, the next mountain I want to conquer... but first I have to figure out how I'm doing that... with a twist: while I'm literally traveling there. What I mean by this is; I have no concrete plans on how I'm going to get to Bromo, but the goal is to do it on this night, to technically see sunrise. All I have sorted so far is the ferry off Gili Air and a bus on the other side to take me to Lombok International Airport, where I've seen online many flights departing that work in my favour, so I'm taking my odds and going in just a little blind. The ferry was the easy part: a short 20 minutes on a 20 person fishing-like boat. Nothing like the 'fast boat' we took to the island-- in fact the exact opposite. In the harbour on the other side, it was a slight panic as locals greeted the boat asking arriving passengers if they needed transport, which was me, but I had transport pre-arranged as part of shuttle bus, so I struggled for a couple minutes cutting through the noise to hear what was relevant for me and found MY guy pretty easily. An older couple, maybe 50 years old and German, were also on a similar trajectory. They ended up with MY guy too, but their struggle was laughable and entertaining to watch. He (of the couple) had a face that was permanently grumpy (imagine grumpy cat, but on a man) and the woman would always look to him for guidance or direction, but he hadn't a clue. His grumpy face would sometimes gain an injection of confusion or difficulty as he tried to manage their huge piece of luggage off this little fishing boat and on to the beach and then finding THE guy he needed. I think I got such entertainment from this couple because they seemed like the 'all-inclusive resorts' type; you know the type that wants everything done for them and wants to just relax without stress. Thus, they weren't ready for the spice to life island life brings ;) We (myself and this German? couple) wound up with the same GUY, who directed his friends(?) to grab their luggage - since they were struggling - and we all went to a horse-drawn carriage that we maxed out with us four bodies (our GUY, this couple, and myself) and our luggage. It was pretty funny. Especially when the couple didn't want to tip the dude carrying their luggage for him. Shame on him. So we're all in this carriage for about 20 minutes as we trust that this GUY is legit and actually taking us to our bus...which he did :) We waited for the bus for an hour, which was great because I could get some breaky and find some WiFi to figure out how I'm getting to Bromo. I found some tours that included airport pick up, hotel, trek up Bromo, and drop off where ever I wanted, so sent maybe 6 email inquiries hoping that one of them would reply by the next time I reach WiFi, and not to mention could pick me up in like 10 hours at this point. The bus to the airport was long. Very long. I tried to relax, but the windy roads quintupled with the crazy driving wouldn't allow. Did I mention that drivers pass other drivers at any moment. Regardless of lines, corners, oncoming traffic, etc, they'll give warming with a tap on the horn and somehow pull it off. At the airport I found the ticket office for LionAir, the cheaper of the airlines I uncovered earlier, and bought a ticket with a sigh of relief. Now to figure out what's happening on the other side of this flight. I found WiFi and welcomed two replies in my inbox, so now it was a race between them to see who I can confirm first....and with two hours to spare before my flight departed, I confirmed a driver to pick me up and the whole nine yards. WOO WOO Yes the price was a little more than what I would've liked, but I got exactly what I wanted and nothing more or less-- my itinerary was perfect. Since I had some stress free time before my flight, I started thinking about the other side of Bromo, so what the fuck I was going to do tomorrow after the sunrise trek and essentially where I was going to be dropped off. I knew I wanted to go to Yogyakarta in Central Java next, but hadn't a clue how I was going to get there, so I did some digging and found a train! At a fraction of the cost of a plane, but about 5 times as long, the train schedule lined up perfectly; I couldn't have planned it better. So in full, the day would look like this; 1) Ferry from Gili Air to Lombok 2) Shuttle bus from the harbour to the airport 3) Plane to Surabaya airport in East Java 4) Driver from Surabaya to Mt. Bromo 5) Driver from Mt. Bromo back to Surabaya 6) Train from Surabaya to Yogyakarta ^^fun note: this all happens within about 36 hours of each other. Crazy right! After the dull plane ride and the crazy drive from the airport in the rain and traffic to Bromo, I checked into my hotel at about midnight, so I'm now into the next day and have ~4 hours until we leave for sunrise over Mt Bromo. With nothing more than a nap, my driver and I left for a 20min drive to base camp for going up. It was dark. Wet. And cold. Like Canada cold, but luckily I knew what I was doing and bundled up with my touque and gloves and lots of layers. My driver dropped me at the trail and gave me some loose directions. Although it was just me - technically, there dozens of others trying to catch the sunrise from the top too, so I followed the path while keeping an awareness of what the other groups were doing to not go anywhere I wasn't suppose to. The first 30 min of walking up a gradual hill of gravel road was easy and spat out at the first of two view points. This particular one wasn't anything special - besides it being pitch black; you would just see the town below and the crater around the volcano. Oh yeah, Mt. Bromo is an active valcano. So I kept on keeping on up the next bit of the climb. It turned to steps, kind of, for another 45min or so to the top. But it wasn't really the top, it was a peak called Seruni Point. Yes, you could keep going up, but it would have been some serious bushwacking and very vertical. It was here that I chilled and watched sunrise. I found a good spot and struck conversation with this group of kids that had rode their motorbikes over night for 6 hours in the rain to catch the sunrise...crazy kids! I told them I/we are the same: going to crazy distances/lengths to catch the sunrise. The sun itself created a nice glow on the town below and the crater beside us. Although it was stuck behind the rain clouds for a bit, it showed its face and provided some good photo opps. I revealed in its glory, once again being reminded on a) how fucking fortunate I am to be enjoying this moment and b) how the fuck did I pull this off -- hahaha Now the sunrise wasn't the most exciting I had seen on the trip, it was the most illuminating, meaning now that it was light out, I truly got perspective: Although I thought I was going up Mt. Bromo, I had climbed Mount Penanjakan and gotten to Seruni Point, which is the mountain next to Bromo. The sun rose over Bromo and it's crater and the village of Cemoro Lawang below. The crater I was looking out to actually housed my hotel, among other buildings of the village. (An appreciation I didn't have until now and then to be reaffirmed by Dad via text later). If I wanted to check out Bromo, it would require a few more hours to not only descend Mt. Penanjakan and drive back to the village, but a walk across the Sea of Sand and only then be able to elevate myself on Mt. Bromo, physically. Now as much as I wanted to do all of this, it was beginning to rain like a mutha fucker (and if I've learned anything on the trip, it's that when it rains, it pours) and as ready as I was for rain - umbrella, jacket, boots, etc - I wasn't feeling it. And in actual fact, I was feeling like I had done what I came for: to see the sunrise and Mt. Bromo. *Looking back as I write this and read more about Bromo after the fact, I kinda wish I wasn't a big baby and just did it. But, now I have a reason to bring go back, but with company this time* Anywho, the sunrise ended and I have to check out of this hotel, but first it's time for breakfast and figuring out this train situation... Nowhere online would let me book a train ticket and no blog or equivalent was helpful, so I asked real people: first my driver, who had no clue, then the hotel desk, which also had no clue, but he asked his friend who said you can get them at the Indomaret (Seven Eleven of Indonesia). "OK, so the Indomaret eh, I can roll with that", I was thinking, so got my driver to make the stop en route to the train station. At the first Indomaret, there system was down, so couldn't help. The second Indomaret taught us that you can't buy train tickets on the day of departure unless you're at the station. Oooooooo kaaaaay, I guess I'm taking a leap and getting dropped off at the station hoping there's a ticket for me-- which there was! WOO WOO! Once I grabbed my ticket, I found a snack at Dunkin Donuts - which is super popular in Indonesia, alongside KFC - in case you were wondering - and hijacked their WiFi to find accomodation after this train in Yogyakarta. I found this quaint homestay 25min walk from the train station, in a relatively central neighbourhood at a great rate. Boom! I now had somewhere to sleep for the next few days, phew. The train was fun and really long. Like 7 hours long. But it was fun. There were lots of kids who took a fancy to me and I sat across from a young couple and their newborn, whom spoke English well enough for continued conversation. It gave me time to read and have a breath. Arriving in Yogyakarta at about 9pm in a slight drizzle of rain, I took to the streets on foot to get a sense of the city, the neighbourhood, and the people before calling it a night. My homestay turned out to be in an even-better-than-expected neighbourhood close to little street venders, big clothing stores, food, ATMs, etc, all the while being out of sight and very quiet. Although this place cost a few bucks more a night than a hostel, I had my own room, which was heavenly for a change. (I hadn't had my own room since Vietnam). And with that, I could sleep with ease! Especially since I'd never been more tired on this trip than now and felt like sleeping for an entire day! So I did! After leaving Gili Air 40 hours ago at this point which included 1 ferry, 1 plane, 1 train, two longs drives, a mountain, and shit ton of walking, I called it a night. BOOM! Another great series of adventure, wonder, and suspense :)

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I’m 17yo Male and need cheap car insurance!!!!?

"I'm 17yo Male and need cheap car insurance!!!!?

Well im 17 soon and want to get are car so i can work more. i have been looking at some very cheap cars that i would think are cheap to insure but are not- Fiat Punto (more than 10 years old) worth 400; 6000 to insure!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! same with Peugeot 106- around the same price to insure. What other cars would you recommend that are cheap to insure???

BEST ANSWER: Try this site where you can compare quotes: : http://insureinfo.xyz/index.html?src=tumblr

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So far this home buying process has been hell, and I am ready to close this month rather than next month... But our broker said, to close by the end of July, it depends on when they recieve the title insurance... Everything is done on our end, basically we are just waiting on the sellers to do their part... Could it really take longer than a month to get the title insurance? And, what is title insurance? Thanks in advance""

California Temporary Driver's License?

I'm 20 years old and have a valid UK driver's lisence. As I am now living in California, I was given a 'California Temporary Driver's License'. This expired yesterday but I have my behind the wheel test on Monday (12/7/09). Is this expiration going to be an issue? I did mention it at the DMV office, but the woman just ignored my question as if it was stupid and continued to book my test. Surely it means I am not licensed to drive a vehicle on my test date? Also, the car I will be driving is fully insured by someone I live with, and it is her name that is on the insurance documents. The policy insures anybody with a valid license- can I use this for the test providing it passes all their other requirements referred to on their website? Thank you in advance for any help. I have searched through all DMV related sites but this issue is never addressed.""

Do you have to report a DUI to the car insurance company?

My friend got a DUI not too long ago. This is the state of Florida, and she has Allstate. I understand that her getting a DUI is now public records because she spent the night in jail. Because the fact that it's public records now, is she required to inform her Allstate insurance company about her DUI? Also, what will happen either way whether she reports it to insurance company or not? Will they remove her from her insurance or jack up the rates? It is her FIRST DUI and other than that she has a good driving record. Thanks.""

If i use third party Car insurance do i build up an insurance record?

Hey, i'm looking at buying a first car, however quotes for Comprehensive insurance are up over $2,000, but i want to build up an insurance record. Does using third party cover build me up an insurance record, or do i need comprehensive insurance? cheers""

Im going to be in Wisconsin my friend has a car for me..can i get insurance to cover me there?

Im going to wisconsin for their summer and my friend im staying with has a car i can use for the period im there. im 21 is there a way for me to get covered by insurance for the 4 months im there? Im from New Zealand. Thanks

""IMPORTANT: Young, pregnant, no money! Any advice on how I wil get by?

I am 24 and pretty sure that I am pregnant (will be going to the doctor on monday to verify). I don't make a lot of money and I was wondering how other women have done it. In my head it seems impossible to afford a child. Advice please.

""If I do not have health insurance in Fremont, California, and I want to deliver a baby?""

how do I deliver it with low income, also, if you are going to suggest Tri City, is that good, what are your experiences with that place? I think it is Tri Shitty. Also, what else do you suggest besides Tri City? Please help me I am one month pregnant and need to figure out where to deliver a baby Also, I just wanted to mention if you are pregnant and applying for health insurance do not tell them that you are, they refuse you flat, just tell your doctor the truth about your missed period date at your first appointment, fight with this backwards health insurance country""

Will My Car Insurance Go Up?

My wife scrapped the side of our SUV against the wall coming out of the garage. I would like to get it fixed through our insurance since the damage is more that $500 deductible. Do you think my insurance will go up if I make this insurance claim?

What cars are there that are decent but cheap on insurance for first time drivers? (male)?

i don't care on what the car is as long as its reliable. even if it looks like a shed. i have a motorbike for looks and pleasure with 2 years no claims if that makes a difference i don't know. cheers.

I'm 17yo Male and need cheap car insurance!!!!?

How much was your insurance for your first 125cc motorbike?

So im 19 years old and got my CBT test passed and i am getting a Honda CBF125 brand new for 2400 and it will be locked away in a garage at night i live in a low crime area aswell and im looking for comprehensive insurance and im using price comparison websites and im getting quotes at nearly 800-900. Was anyone else getting quotes this high when they got there first insurance? And where is the best place to get quotes?

Car Insurance for a 16 year old in California?

I am gonna get either a Used 03-04 Nissan 350z and would like to get a rough estimate of how much insurance is gonna cost. Thanks in advance. Also what would happen to my insurance if the car is on a salvage title?

Buying Car Insurance?

Looking to buy a car next week, but i have not owned a car before and have no insurance. Is there something i can do before i go to the dealership that will allow me to drive the car off the lot? Ie. can i somehow buy insurance before buying the car (even if i do not know make or model? (I should also mention that i will want to register the car in CT and purchase in NJ, if that's possible.)""

Are custom orthotics covered by health insurance?

I heard getting a pair is expensive but i need them for running uninjured

How much is car insurance for 16 year old male?

Does Geico Car insurance cover Rental Cars?

Does Geico car insurance cover rental cars? Or does it JUST cover your car that you have insured w. them?

Car accident without insurance?

So today I rear ended a 2011 Honda Civ, a small strach [sp], some paint missing and a possible dent. My car on the other hand suffered some significant damage. Now as we were preparing to exchange info, I find out my car doesn't have insurance (its my parents and I wasn't informed) and I told her I will pay for damages and apologized, etc. Now I asked how much would it cost, etc. Her insurance company told her I would have to pay $20+ per day for her rental car how ever many days its in the shop. That I can handle. But say worse case scenarios: How much would it cost to replace a back bumper for a 2011 honda civ? Or to fix a dent, color, paint, etc? Has this happened to anyone else without insurance, etc?""

What is the average car insurance for an 18 year old male who is just starting to drive?

I just want to know how much car insurance will cost me i know a lot has to do with the cost such as what type of car and such. I want an estimate because no insurance website has a quote for new drivers.

Can i get insurance just to do a title transfer??

i just sold my truck which i took the insurance like 4 months ago since i didnt drive it, and to get the title signed and notarized so i can sell it i have to have insurance. can i get like temporary insurance just to do that? how much is it?? thanks!""

Do you need insurance for permit in ca?

I am going to get my provisional driver license in california. Do i need to get it before i take the drive test? aM i covered under parents policy? How long do i have to have my insurance before im eligible to get my driver license?

How much would i pay for insurance?

I want to buy an 2010 Nissan Cube, around 14,000 new and im 17, living in Ct. I was wondering how much i would pay for insurance, if its too much what other car should i get, i want to get a new car so can any one help me, my grades aren't too good, i would pay for it my self and i can afford about 150 a month since ill be paying 184 a month for the car with 60 months and 3000 down.""

I need cheapest auto insurance?

I am 17 years old, and i need an auto insurance that costs around $100-150 per month. i cannot afford higher than that.""

Auto Insurance question...?

If my teen neighbor (with a licence)borrowed my car and he/she wrecked it, would my insurance cover it? If so, why do teens that are driving, have a licence, have to be covered on parents insurance if they are driving their parents car? Isn't the car already covered by insurance? Why do I have to pay insurance on my teen and not my neighbor?""

I'm looking for affordable health care insurance plan in Texas?

I'm looking for no more than $5000 deductible around $300 to $400 a month for 1 primary and 2 dependents. And the insurance has to cover some of outpatient and inpatient as my son has asthma. Please any help I can't find anything online.

What is the cost of Home Owner's Insurance?

I'm going to be buying a home and would like to know if anyone knows what the approximate cost would be for HO Insurance? I already have Renter's Insurance, and would like to know if the price difference is dramatic or not. The home is 1902squ. feet, 4 bedroom, built in 2006,I am purchasing the home for just under $100,000, it is worth a lot more than that, as its a foreclosure.""

Is Progressive really cheaper then the other insurances? i have allstate right now.?

Which is the Best Health Insurance Policy available for Individuals in India?

So far I have learnt that LIC health plus is a pretty good policy. and http://sunilrams.blogspot.com has really given in detail the comparisons . Are there any better policies in the Indian Market for individuals.

The cheapest car insurance for first time drivers?

looking to get my own car soon and trying to my license I am 24 yrs old and just starting to figure stuff out for myself and wanted to know whats the cheapest car insurance

Motorbike insurance help!!!!!!?

hello im wanting to get a Suzuki bandit 600cc and get it restricted to 47bhp and practice on it with a bike instructor then do my test on it but every online insurance compare site i put my details in it don't come up with a single quote any one no whats goin on please lol

Cheapest car insurance company?

im switching car insurance companies. where will i get the cheapest price?

What happens after i complete traffic school for a speeding ticket?

I'm 17. I got a speeding ticket in February, payed it in March, and finished traffic school this month. I went to take my traffic school certificate this week. Does this mean it is cleared? I live in California? I'm wondering because I'm trying to get an insurance rate and it asked if i ever got a ticket.?""

Where do i get health insurance if i am a student in school?

i am a student 22 years old. i need affordable health insurance. i have no job. i think i am going deaf and blind. where can i get insurance in washington state?

Really really cheap drift car with cheap insurance?

I'm soon going to be buying a car to do up with a good mate and his grandad who owns a garage, my friend already owns a car and we've decided that one day we're going to take them out and learn to drift (dw this wont be on the roads). We're going to be doing it often and so it has to be atleast half decent and its going to be my everyday car. So i'm looking for a good drift car to do up for under 500 (obviously going to be breaking and second hand) to do up and drift better than my mates car. Oh and insurance under 2000 would be best considering i'll Only be 17! Thanks alot Bilbo baggins""

How do insurance companies classify sports cars?

I plan on buying a scion tc, but I want to know if state farm considers this a sports car. and if so, how much will more will insurance cost? I am a teenager, so i know it will be high to begin with, but will having a sports car make it much higher?""

How would would car insurance be for a new driver in Rhode Island?

The car i'm getting is a pontiac grand prix, its older like 94 I think. I got my licence a few months ago, but i'm 20 years old. I haven't taken any driving classes or anything like that though. I'm just wondering if anyone knows about how much it would be so I know beforehand.""

I'm 17yo Male and need cheap car insurance!!!!?

https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/business-insurance-quotes-maryland-francis-charlson/"

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foursprout-blog · 6 years

Text

How To Be Happy In Today’s Crazy World: 3 Secrets From Research

New Post has been published on http://foursprout.com/happiness/how-to-be-happy-in-todays-crazy-world-3-secrets-from-research/

How To Be Happy In Today’s Crazy World: 3 Secrets From Research

***

Before we commence with the festivities, I wanted to thank everyone for helping my first book become a Wall Street Journal bestseller. To check it out, click here.

***

Sometimes it feels like the world is actively conspiring against your happiness. Now before you start folding your tin foil hat, let me say that you might not be paranoid…

Right now there are a record number of people on antidepressants. So many that even if you’re not taking antidepressants, well… you still kinda are.

Enough people in Western nations consume — and then excrete — the medications that they’re at detectable levels in the water supply.

From Lost Connections: Uncovering the Real Causes of Depression – and the Unexpected Solutions:

Some one in five U.S. adults is taking at least one drug for a psychiatric problem; nearly one in four middle-aged women in the United States is taking antidepressants at any given time… You can’t escape it: when scientists test the water supply of Western countries, they always find it is laced with antidepressants, because so many of us are taking them and excreting them that they simply can’t be filtered out of the water we drink every day.

For the past few decades we’ve lived under the idea that depression is caused by a chemical imbalance in your noggin. And while that is true for some people, more and more research is showing that our dissatisfaction may be due less to a broken brain and more to a broken life.

You don’t see so rapid a surge in cases of depression because our genetics or grey matter changed overnight. The world has shifted in ways that are detrimental to the psychological needs of the human animal. That persistent feeling of vague dissatisfaction may be a normal response to abnormal circumstances. The canary in the coal mine.

So journalist Johann Hari spent three years on a journey of over forty thousand miles conducting more than 200 interviews with social scientists and psychologists to discover what was wrong with the way we live today that was causing such an explosion of unhappiness.

His excellent book is Lost Connections: Uncovering the Real Causes of Depression – and the Unexpected Solutions.

What he found was that while our world has become very technologically connected, all the sources of unhappiness stem from a growing disconnection in other areas of our lives.

Let’s find out how to reconnect. And how to live happier lives…

Disconnection From Other People

Loneliness is the equivalent of being punched in the face. I mean, literally.

Your stress response to both — the increase in your body’s cortisol level — is the same.

From Lost Connections: Uncovering the Real Causes of Depression – and the Unexpected Solutions:

Feeling lonely, it turned out, caused your cortisol levels to absolutely soar—as much as some of the most disturbing things that can ever happen to you. Becoming acutely lonely, the experiment found, was as stressful as experiencing a physical attack. It’s worth repeating. Being deeply lonely seemed to cause as much stress as being punched by a stranger.

And have no illusions, loneliness is an epidemic in the modern world. A few decades ago, the average US citizen reported having three close friends. Since 2004 the most common answer is…

Zero.

From Lost Connections: Uncovering the Real Causes of Depression – and the Unexpected Solutions:

…social scientists have been asking a cross-section of U.S. citizens a simple question for years: “How many confidants do you have?” They wanted to know how many people you could turn to in a crisis, or when something really good happens to you. When they started doing the study several decades ago, the average number of close friends an American had was three. By 2004, the most common answer was none.

I can already hear some people crowing: “I might be dissatisfied but how could it be due to loneliness? I’m always around people.”

Turns out there’s a difference between being lonely and feeling lonely. This is why someone who works a job surrounded by people and then goes home to a spouse and children, can spend very little time alone — and yet still feel profoundly lonely.

From Lost Connections: Uncovering the Real Causes of Depression – and the Unexpected Solutions:

In his studies, it turned out that feeling lonely was different from simply being alone. Surprisingly, the sensation of loneliness didn’t have much to do with how many people you spoke to every day, or every week. Some of the people in his study who felt most lonely actually talked to lots of people every day. “There’s a relatively low correlation between the objective connections and perceived connections,” he says.

So what do we need to do? To prevent feeling lonely, we must share something with those around us — something meaningful to both you and them. A belief. A cause. An activity. A goal. We need to be “in it together” — not merely together in the middle of a faceless crowd.

From Lost Connections: Uncovering the Real Causes of Depression – and the Unexpected Solutions:

As he researched this, John discovered that there was a missing ingredient to loneliness, and to recovering from it. To end loneliness, you need other people—plus something else. You also need, he explained to me, to feel you are sharing something with the other person, or the group, that is meaningful to both of you. You have to be in it together—and “it” can be anything that you both think has meaning and value.

So join a group. Harvard researcher Robert Putnam has studied group activities for decades — everything from bowling leagues to volunteer groups.

Between 1985 and 1994 involvement in community organizations declined by 45%.

From Lost Connections: Uncovering the Real Causes of Depression – and the Unexpected Solutions:

Today, people still bowl, but they do it alone. They’re in their own lane, doing their own thing. The collective structure has collapsed. Think about everything else we do to come together—like supporting your kid’s school, say. “In the ten short years between 1985 and 1994” alone, he wrote, “active involvement in community organizations … fell by 45 percent.”

Famed biologist E.O. Wilson once said, “People must belong to a tribe.” Increasingly, we don’t. But you can fix that.

(To learn more about the science of a successful life, check out my bestselling book here.)

We all know relationships are critical. But there’s something else the modern world is lacking that’s a lot less obvious but no less important…

Disconnection From Values

Your pursue “intrinsic values” when you do something solely because you love it. You pursue “extrinsic values” when you chase money or status. Being a patriotic soldier is intrinsic; being a mercenary is extrinsic.

The lesson from the research is clear: the more extrinsically motivated you are, the more you feel motivated by money or status, the more depressed and anxious you are.

From Lost Connections: Uncovering the Real Causes of Depression – and the Unexpected Solutions:

Twenty-two different studies have, in the years since, found that the more materialistic and extrinsically motivated you become, the more depressed you will be. Twelve different studies found that the more materialistic and extrinsically motivated you become, the more anxious you will be. Similar studies, inspired by Tim’s work and using similar techniques, have now been carried out in Britain, Denmark, Germany, India, South Korea, Russia, Romania, Australia, and Canada—and the results, all over the world, keep coming back the same.

I know some people are jumping to say, “Well, I’m not like that!” But, to a degree, we have all become more extrinsically motivated. We all care, to some degree, what others think of us and technology often amplifies this to toxic levels. Facebook and Instagram have become gladiatorial status tournaments to show off how cool our lives are.

But when we’re counting “likes” on social media, we let others control our self-esteem. And that places your own happiness outside your control. Not good.

And even if you win, you lose. Studies show that the achievement of extrinsic goals — the fancy car and the impressive promotion — bring no lasting happiness. None. Meanwhile, when we pursue intrinsic goals like being a better parent or trying to improve our writing skills so our blog posts don’t suck, we feel much happier and less anxious.

From Lost Connections: Uncovering the Real Causes of Depression – and the Unexpected Solutions:

People who achieved their extrinsic goals didn’t experience any increase in day-to-day happiness—none. They spent a huge amount of energy chasing these goals, but when they fulfilled them, they felt the same as they had at the start…. But people who achieved their intrinsic goals did become significantly happier, and less depressed and anxious. You could track the movement. As they worked at it and felt they became (for example) a better friend—not because they wanted anything out of it but because they felt it was a good thing to do—they became more satisfied with life.

You experience “flow” when you’re so involved in something that you lose track of time. You know the old saying: “time flies when you’re having fun.” Flow is a huge contributor to happiness.

And the more focused we are on extrinsic goals like status, the fewer flow states we experience.

From Lost Connections: Uncovering the Real Causes of Depression – and the Unexpected Solutions:

But when Tim studied highly materialistic people, he discovered they experience significantly fewer flow states than the rest of us. Why would that be? He seems to have found an explanation. Imagine if, when Tim was playing the piano every day, he kept thinking: Am I the best piano player in Illinois? Are people going to applaud this performance? Am I going to get paid for this? How much?

So what should we do? Yeah, we all have to pay the bills and achieving a decent level of status is a good thing, but we need to start choosing more activities that serve those intrinsic values.

Spending more time with those we love rather than those who can help us get ahead. More time playing the guitar because it’s fun rather than sharpening our Excel skills to get that promotion.

From Lost Connections: Uncovering the Real Causes of Depression – and the Unexpected Solutions:

“The first thing is for people to ask themselves—Am I setting up my life so I can have a chance of succeeding at my intrinsic values? Am I hanging out with the right people, who are going to make me feel loved, as opposed to making me feel like I made it?”

Spend a little more time with people that make you smile and doing the things that make you smile — simply because they make you smile.

(To learn the seven-step morning ritual that will make you happy all day, click here.)

So you’re connecting with people and connecting with your intrinsic values. Great. What’s another connection we’re getting less and less of that the human animal needs?

Just like real estate, it’s all about location, location, location…

Disconnection From Nature

All other things being equal, move closer to nature and you’ll be happier. Move away from nature and you’ll be more depressed.

From Lost Connections: Uncovering the Real Causes of Depression – and the Unexpected Solutions:

…the people who moved to green areas saw a big reduction in depression, and the people who moved away from green areas saw a big increase in depression.

Some might say that’s because rural areas have less crime or less pollution or… Wrong.

If you live in the part of a big city with lots of trees, you get happier. Cart yourself over to the section of the city that’s nothing but concrete and you get sadder.

From Lost Connections: Uncovering the Real Causes of Depression – and the Unexpected Solutions:

They compared deprived inner-city areas that had some green space to very similar deprived inner-city areas without green space. Everything else—like levels of social connections—was the same. But it turned out there was less stress and despair in the greener neighborhood.

We use our big human brains so much that we think we’re machines and forget we’re animals. But we are animals.

Leave the Panda in the forest with his bamboo and he’s happy. Move him to a zoo and he mopes around, feels stressed out and loses all interest in making little Pandas. Humans aren’t all that different.

From Lost Connections: Uncovering the Real Causes of Depression – and the Unexpected Solutions:

“We have been animals that move for a lot longer than we have been animals that talk and convey concepts,” she said to me. “But we still think that depression can be cured by this conceptual layer. I think [the first answer is more] simple. Let’s fix the physiology first. Get out. Move.”

So what do we do? We simply weren’t meant to spend all our time going from cubicle to couch. Feeling happier can be as simple as spending more time in nature.

The research all says that exercise makes us happier. Guess what? When you exercise outdoors the effect is even stronger.

From Lost Connections: Uncovering the Real Causes of Depression – and the Unexpected Solutions:

When scientists have compared people who run on treadmills in the gym with people who run in nature, they found that both see a reduction in depression—but it’s higher for the people who run in nature.

(To learn the best way to motivate yourself to exercise, click here.)

Alright, we’ve learned a lot. We’re going “psychologically Paleo” and getting more of what our ancient physiology needs from the very modern world.

Time to round it all up — and find out why so many of our efforts to be happier often fail…

Sum Up

Here’s how to be happy in today’s crazy world:

Connect With People: Just being around others isn’t enough. Join groups that you share something with. You need to be “in it together” to hit back when loneliness punches you in the face.

Connect With Your Intrinsic Values: More “flow” and fewer selfies. More doing what you love because you love it. Chasing status doesn’t lead to lasting happiness; it puts happiness outside your control.

Connect with Nature: Go outside for a reason other than to pick up that box from Amazon.

So what happens when you make a consistent, concerted effort to be happier?

You fail miserably. No joke. Deliberate efforts to be happier do not work… in the US and UK, that is.

From Lost Connections: Uncovering the Real Causes of Depression – and the Unexpected Solutions:

They tracked thousands of people, some of whom had decided to deliberately pursue happiness and some of whom hadn’t. When they compared the results, they found something they had not expected. If you deliberately try to become happy, you will not become happier—if you live in the United States. But if you live in Russia, Japan, or Taiwan, you will become happier.

What’s going on? It’s not that happiness is unachievable or that hard work isn’t rewarded. The issue here is that the US and UK have the most individualistic cultures. And so the efforts people in those countries make are usually individualistic…

But happiness comes from our connections to other people.

And so when we work toward just making ourselves happy as individuals we often fail. But when we work towards the happiness of a group, we usually succeed.

From Lost Connections: Uncovering the Real Causes of Depression – and the Unexpected Solutions:

“The more you think happiness is a social thing, the better off you are,” Brett explained to me, summarizing her findings and reams of other social science.

The modern world promotes a culture of “be yourself.” But if you want to be happy, that isn’t always the best idea.

To find more joy, spend a little less time being you and little more time being us.

Join over 320,000 readers. Get a free weekly update via email here.

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The post How To Be Happy In Today’s Crazy World: 3 Secrets From Research appeared first on Barking Up The Wrong Tree.

#Happiness

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foursprouthappiness-blog · 6 years