#so the alternative that’s designed to wake us up in the event that you’re sleeping

[st-armand]

Pixel Play

( Reposted from @armands-sanctum ) Author’s Note: Request from @blueberry-soda57​ <3 Shout out to all my raccoons in the club, after finishing this I WILL be playing Maplestory, I kinda rushed it but everything i write can get multiple parts so :P

Content Warnings: Pre-established relationship, suggestive, being a basement dweller. Not proofread (yet ill get to it in the morning)

Word Count: 1.3K

Masterlist

Hobie doesn’t like the word ‘Loser’ he feels that insults like that are always based in ableism, and as an autistic person (He’s sensory seeking) very wary of words rooted in ableist histories.

That being said he CHORTLES when you call yourself a ‘Loser Gamer’, he definitely sees why.

Early on in your relationship before he disclosed his identity as Spider-Man, he would text you before and after patrols, like at 4 AM

“Luv you awake?”

“Wanna crash a’ your flat for a bit?”

A beat in time, a few moments, and then a response would be received on his end, sat on the roof of a random building, leaning lazily on the fire escape, mask dripping sweat down his neck.

“K”

“Doors unlocked, busy rn”

Busy..? 

When he’s seen you during the day he has to PHYSICALLY force you to attend events; shows, galleries, demonstrations and protests, and you fight him off like a feral cat being trapped for a spay and neuter.

Your preferred way to spend your day, is sleeping, to the point where you would jump up at 4 PM, haven’t eaten anything or taken your meds. Hobie would watch the hours of the day pass by waiting for you to wake up, like Beth and Mary of Nazareth waiting for the resurrection of Lazarus.

He would take the initiative to get up (Usually 12-1 he’s a late riser too, but he pales in comparison to you) before you, feed your pets and make a quick breakfast or lunch, setting them aside for when you would arise later.

You always wake up in a daze, going in and out of sleep for an hour before fully getting up, and even then you made no plans to go outside and do anything, preferring the isolated 4 walls of your space, a sanctuary in the frenzied world of Earth-138.

In the hours you sleep he admires (snoops around) your space, gingerly looking at the figurines that grace your desks and shelves, animated characters in alternative outfits, and meticulously designed platforms, or looking over your multitudes of gaming consoles.

You don’t let him use them without explicit permission, you definitely don’t want Hobie to mess with your save data, he’s a genius but he never got the chance to be acquainted with gaming in his formative years because he was too busy surviving homelessness.

Hobie’s favorite aspect of your home is your computer setup, Hobie is a genius but he’s always blown away by the determination and time you put into modifying your setup.

Hard drives, Processors, Logic Board strewn about, cables interwoven between each other sloppily, making the small space even smaller and cramped, bed planted right next to your set up so you can wake and be connected onto the Wired as easy it is to breathe. (think the computer setup Lain had towards the end of the anime)

“Ya enjoyin’ yourself in your ‘obbit hole?”

“All connected yeah?”

When he does stagger his way to your place, you’re wide awake, furiously inputting on your keyboard or controller, cursing and hissing into your headset.

Brows furrowed in concentration as you quickly input combos, blocks, grabs.

Maybe you join parties with people on MMOs, your on call with them screaming and sniggering at the actions of the pixels that represent you and your friends, trying to complete obstacles, puzzles, and defeat bosses.

The sounds of your fingers clicking and pressing reverberate the walls from the sheer force, legs lifted up into your lap, in the most uncomfortable posture possible as you ignore the aches in your muscles to get one last game in, one last match, or a few hundred more mobs.

Hobie sits down softly on the bed beside you, watching you intently as you completely disregard his presence (he learns soon that this isn’t on purpose, you're just concentrated on your daily quests and bosses)

When you finally notice there’s something in the space with you, your take a slight glance behind you and scream, eyes not adjusted to the dark room from the searing LEDs of your multiple monitors, your eyes can’t register its Hobie.

“Oy pretty ‘s me, don’t go yellin’ like that someone’s gunna think youre dead”

“Oh fuck Hobie, I thought you were a ghost or something…”

At this point he’s fucking exhausted, and he really wants to snuggle, so he whines like a child trying to get you off the game, or gets an attitude at you when you say, 

“Please Hobie, baby, one more game and I’ll be off” 

cue the sun coming up as your still playing and Hobie knocked out drooling into one of your pillows, wicks splayed out and bent around because he couldn’t be bothered to put on a headscarf or a bonnet. 

(its giving those videos where gfs/wives unplug consoles so their partner pays attention to tasks around the house, except Hobie doesn’t know which chord does what and he doesn’t want to break anything considering it means so much to you.)

Currently in your relationship, Hobie (who can be quite creepy) after patrol likes to take off his heavy docs on your fire-escape, he will watch you game from outside the window, waiting for the perfect opportunity to… SLAM on your window, sending you flying 5 inches into the air, and cowering into your bed, abandoning your game and dying in the process.

After you’ve calmed down, he’ll slink into the room laughing hysterically,

“Shoulda seen your face luv, scared shitless!”

“Hobie the next time you make me die in a game; I’m letting you bleed out on my fire escape.”

You also act as his ‘person in the chair’, keeping track of coordinates, or structural plans to buildings in the city, digging through archives as he brings webbed justice done onto the heads of villains and criminals of all sorts, frantically hacking into CCTV cameras to keep track of his fights and warn him of sneak attacks or other assailants entering the quarrel. Desk littered with snacks, crumbs, and empty soda cans like “Valley Mist”.

Hobie sometimes gets shit from acquaintances at bars or venues who tease him about your appearance.

“Hobie, my bro, they’re just so plain, they just don’t have the look”

Comments like this piss Hobie off so much, some people don’t have the energy to perform beauty, some people just don’t want to and they shouldn’t have to, no matter which category you fall in or between.

Plus regardless he thinks you look adorable, hair strewn about from waking up at 3 PM, a treasure trove of comfortable sweats, adidas track sets, slides and comfy slippers.

But when you do perform beauty, a strike of pleasure ripples down his spine, you can’t blame him, he does forget how good you look sometimes.

“All dolled up, what’s the occasion, yeah?”

“Lookin’ bare leng today”

On days he’s feeling especially needy, he wraps his arms around your torso while playing, pinching and groping at your chest, trying to annoy you enough to the point where you stop playing and give him some kind of attention.

When you don’t he’ll resort to sucking deep purple bruises into your neck and shoulders that has you whimpering and crying softly at the pain, you immediately mute yourself in the game call.

If not that, he’ll stand next to you,

“Lemme ‘ave at it luv, wanna see whats goin’ on in this thing.”

(I play MMOs, Maplestory specifically so this is geared towards that)

You don’t let Hobie play on your characters where your key bindings are specified by class or fighting type, you let him choose his class and make a fresh character, he’ll start playing, frustrated at the boring leveling in the beginning.

He quits cause it’s so time consuming, but you end up grinding his levels a tad after every time he plays so he has new quests and areas to explore.

Regardless he loves his partner no matter what eccentricities they have, he takes every part of the package and values every piece of the puzzle.

#hobie brown x reader #hobie headcanons #hobie brown #hobie brown x black!reader #across the spiderverse #miguel o’hara x reader #atsv #atsv hobie

[careeralley]

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[eggs-love-loki]

Fire alarm got set off, had to go outside in my pjs and fuzzy pink robe with my teddy bear 🙃

#okay I didn’t have to bring teddy but if there’s a chance an alarm isn’t a drill teddy comes with #she’s my 21 year long best friend and she is absolutely the one thing I’m prioritizing #someone said ‘you look cozy.’ I was before I was driven out into the cold #also most bedrooms and living rooms/bathrooms don’t have flashing lights #so the alternative that’s designed to wake us up in the event that you’re sleeping #is a modified alarm. instead of the loud ‘beep beep’ of normal fire alarms #it’s a non stop ear piercing pitch that’s about six times louder than the traditional alarms (I can compare since those are in the hallway) #like when it starts it sounds like a tinnitus kind of ringing but it never stops and never changes #just screams at you #and it hurts and makes me shake cause it’s so bad #and like I need shoes and a mask and my keys it takes a minute to follow protocol and get out and the noise is so bad 😭 #some rooms on the first floor do have the flashing lights for accessibility purposes #I wish they just all had them

[missinghan]

falling for the first time ⤖ bang chan

❖ genre : hogwarts au; fluff

❖ word count : 2,1k.

❖ warning : explicit language

❖ summary : your plan of putting all effort into avoiding bang chan as much as possible has been going smoothly for almost seven years until he asks you for a dance at the Yule Ball. or alternatively, your families hate each other but wait...has he always had those golden flecks in his eyes?

❖ author’s note : here’s the song they’re dancing to 🖤

one.

The once cold ballroom has waited for eons it seems, for a real heart to beat a new rhythm into the matter that made it. 

Meanwhile, you too have been waiting (for two-ish hours) in the corner with your cup of root beer abandoned at a table for your dance partner. You’re currently half-clutching your dress and half-panicking because Chan wouldn’t miss an event as extravagant as the Yule Ball. He’s not the type to be sour over little things either just because he didn’t win the Triwizard Tournament. Or perhaps someone else just happened to ask him? 

A blood-curdling shriek bursts your eardrums. 

Jeongin gives you a nudge with his elbow from behind. “Grilled scream-cheese?” he asks with a mouthful of gluten and carbs, a plate of a sandwich with a (literally) screaming slice of cheese slapped in the middle. 

“No, my appetite is ruined,” you say, pushing it away slightly and heaving an audible sigh. 

The Ravenclaw boy makes an alarming noise—something similar to ‘uh-oh’ and swallows the big bite from before as fast as he can. “Where’s Chan?”

You only shrug, “Don’t know. Don’t care.” If only you could do that with the train of thoughts that have been going in and out of your ears for the past a hundred and twenty minutes. 

“Y/N, you look troubled,” he purses his lips, frowning at you. 

“I’m not,” you voice in denial, trying your best not to come off as snappy. No, you will not give up your facade that easily. You won’t leave Chan’s ego nor Jeongin to rest without a fight by saying that you actually want to dance with the heathen!

“Yeah right, let me-“

“Don’t. What if he’s already asked someone else?” You momentarily shudder at how sad you sound. The root beer shouldn’t have hit you this hard. “I mean look at him, he’s Bang Chan. I’m pretty sure those girls from Beauxbatons have been eyeing him up and down since the Tournament.” 

Jeongin lets out a huff of laughter in disbelief. “Are you even hearing yourself right now?”

“One of you guys could have asked me. Or I should have paid Jisung to be my partner yesterday. I just, I don’t know, what am I saying? I’m confused.”

Your friend is officially done with your bullshit so he decides for himself that he will now set down his food to make your first and last Yule Ball arguably unforgettable. “Honestly? I can lie and say I would dance with you if you weren’t so full of pride. But truth is, none of us asked you to dance because we all know how badly Chan wants this opportunity. Wake the fuck up! He’s been planning this since forever. I’ll go look for him, wait here,” he points a finger at you before running off, leaving your heartbeat pause awkwardly like a broken record. 

The ballroom feels significantly colder now. 

“Miss Y/N?”

Ah, perfect timing. What’s another way to phrase ‘being an absolute idiot at a ball’? Oh right, it’s ‘talking to your professor five minutes before the first dance while your friends are socializing left and right’. 

“Yes, Headmistress McGonagall?”

Your professor peers around when she realizes that you’re all alone. “Are you and Mister Bang ready?”

“R-ready?” Suddenly, you feel out of place. 

“Well, of course. It’s only traditional that the three champions start the first dance!”

“Oh.”

two. 

Only the celestial bodies above can know how melancholy you are. But you’re met with a sky without stars tonight. 

With your head on your elbows, lips pressed into a straight line, your gaze falls from the endless canvas of darkness to the hustle and bustle of students leaving the Great Hall to head back to their designated dormitories. A sigh. You definitely don’t need to know what they’re going to do for the after-party. Ryujin used to show you an article on this peculiar machine called ‘a laptop’ that the more you sigh, the faster you age. If Chan keeps doing shit like this to you, you’re gonna be all old and wrinkly by the time he comes here. 

If he is going to show up at all that is. 

The moment you peel your eyes away from the overcrowded main gate, a broad figure is shuffling himself through his drunk Quidditch teammates, sloppy couples, and burnt out professors. He dashes through the empty hallways to reach the spiral staircase, skipping three steps at a time, risking the chances of falling on his face just to get to you. 

Pulling himself to a halt at the last step, Chan sees you all curled up against the balcony railings and feels a pang of guilt wash over his innards like a wave. You’re pulling your legs toward your chest, defeated eyes gazing into the space ahead while your hair falls to your face messily. Like you’ve gone through the depths of the Fourth Dimension, struggling through dark matters and a rite of divinity at the end of the line. All for him. 

You’re beautiful. 

And the amount of affection that’s piling upon his rib cage? Astronomical. 

Your gaze is averted away; even with a slight scowl, sloppy clothes and messed up hair, you still flare radiance. He thinks that if a meteor shower is happening right now, you can still outshine it. “You came,” you mention. 

For once, Chan finds himself at a loss for words. “Y-Yeah,” he manages to swallow. Yeah? What the fuck, Chan? Is that all you’ve got to say? 

“I-I’m sorry, Y/N. Yeji accidentally mistook one of Minho’s potions for her allergy medicine so I gotta take care of that before coming,” he scratches his forearm awkwardly, head hung low with guilt. “I didn’t know it would take that long…”

“Oh.” Wow, jealous stinks. This isn’t pre-school, you’d better snap out of it. “Let’s head back. I wanna check on her before passing out.” 

“She’s fine now, sleeps like death. Chaeryeong is there too, you know, just in case.” Chan feels perplexed as he tries to coax anything but the ‘head back’ option from you. 

You tilt your head. “And...?”

“I’m afraid you owe me something?” A slow smile begins to outstretch upon his facial muscles, deepening the dimples on either side of his cheeks that you adore the most. “A dance, I believe,” he makes a thinking face while striding toward you. 

Coldly, you stand up to dust your dress. “I don’t want to.” You’re not having it, he can tell. But does Bang Chan ever give up? 

“A bet is a bet, Y/N.”

Chan’s hand fishes inside the pocket of his trench coat to take out his wand. His hand delicately gives it a swift flick; once, and twice followed by a low mumble from his lips. Immediately, light pulses from the tip of the wand before shooting upward, disintegrating into a million bits as though a starry night is embracing the both of you. He does the same action again to cast a different spell. Music laces through every fiber of air without effort, like honey being poured into your ears. 

“It’s just one bet,” he pouts with a hand fully extended toward you. 

You should have realized how good Chan looks tonight. A black dress shirt that’s buttoned below appropriate, matching trench coat, silver accessories lining his fingers and ears with naturally tousled hair from running here. He looks so gorgeous that it almost suffocates you, that it almost makes you want to hiss ‘fucking unfair’ out loud. 

Enchanted by his poise and grace, your body reacts without the consent of your mind. You seize up when you unknowingly place your hand on top of his, the touch sending electricity down your spine. A simple response has become all too complicated for your brain to process. 

You grow breathless the moment he grabs you by the waist and pulls you flush against him. “Yeah, a bet so you’ll leave me alone,” you remark sarcastically to ease your nerves. 

“Look, it’s not my fault that the Goblet of Fire chose me to participate in the Tournament,” Chan chuckles lowly, eyes crinkling into crescent moon shapes while he sways you to the soft melody. Dots of light continue to float around weightlessly, reflecting the golden flecks in his eyes. He’s ethereal in the worst way—the way that isn’t healthy for your heart. 

But you soon slap on another scowl when you realize he just reminded you of why you’re even here in the first place. If only you weren’t so salty about Slytherin winning your team over at the final Quidditch match before the holiday occurs. Let’s just say you weren’t exactly in the best mind state after getting your ass kicked in your favorite sport. 

And Chan wasted no time to slip in between the line of comical humor and your ultimate torment. Which results in—if you get to attend the Triwizard Tournament, he will leave you alone for the rest of your life; but if he is the chosen one, he gets a dance with you at the Yule Ball. 

It’s really not all that bad if you think twice about it. Dancing with Bang Chan, the Slytherin’s Quidditch team captain, the student with perfect academics and conduct for six years straight, and now one of the Triwizard Tournament champions this year. 

Music threads through the atmosphere and lifts away gravity. You can’t count how many times you have stepped on his toes due to nervousness because you’re too much of a coward to look him in the eye. But he’s the only thing you can seem to focus on right now. 

“Besides, don’t you think this is a good opportunity to get rid of the tension between us?” Chan asks honestly, and this causes you to perk up. 

“What?”

Lights are twinkling with every step as Chan spins you around gently, your dress billowing out prettily as your heels click against the cold concrete. After that, he swiftly pulls you back into his arms and you exhale in relief like you were meant to be there all this time. 

“Don’t act dumb, you’re terrible at it. I know the only reason why you’ve been avoiding me since first year was because of our families’ stupid grudge. ”

Your eyes are cast downward, sadness glinting in your round pupils. “Either way, my parents wouldn’t like to see me talking to you. And look at what we’re doing. It’s going to be catastrophic if they find out.”

“Well, they can’t just magically appear now, can they?” Chan leans a little closer to lock his eyes with yours. 

And you break it seconds later because you’re an absolute coward for a Gryffindor. “We’re attending a magic school. Anything is possible.”

“Did they even tell you what the actual problem was in the first place?” he huffs out in faint annoyance. 

You shake your head. “I don’t think they’d even remember.”

“Then would you stop giving me that look as if I just shooed your owl way every time I said ‘hi’ on my way to class? Have you ever thought about my feelings? About us being civil for once? Like friends? Or even more so?”

“I-“ 

“We’re not our parents, Y/N.”

Your heart becomes all erratic at his words. It’s nothing like those fully-fledged, tear-jerking nor cheesyass confessions that you’ve gawked at one too many times, but it makes your heart flutter and stirs up those cliché butterflies inside your stomach. This can’t be compared to the Yule Ball—it’s even better than that. Because it feels as though you and Chan are the only presences that graze the surface of this land. There’s no one to judge, no fingers to point, no gossip spreading like wildfire. 

It’s perfect. Almost. 

“Us...it’s not- it can’t happen. It’s not supposed to happen. It’s not possible, Chan.”

Wordlessly, he stops, moves both of your hands to his shoulders, and wraps his arms around your torso. The sound of your heartbeat against his is so in sync they just drown out the music completely. Time is frozen in place, leaving you to hang on the edge with him, hanging onto this single moment as thin as the red string of fate. You’re waiting for him to do something, say something. 

Just then, Chan cracks a wry smile and pulls you closer by the nape of your neck, resting his forehead comfortably on yours. “We’re attending a magic school. Anything is possible.”

#inkidz #skzwritersclub #stray kids #bang chan #stray kids imagines #bang chan imagines #stray kids scenarios #bang chan scenarios #bang chan fanfic #bang chan fluff #stray kids hogwarts au #chan imagines #chan scenarios #skz x reader #chan x reader #lee minho #seo changbin #hwang hyunjin #han jisung #lee felix #kim seungmin #yang jeongin

[hargrove-mayfields]

Memories Are Golden

The prom of ‘85 was just one week away. If you asked Steve how much involvement he would’ve have in the event, not even a month ago he would’ve guessed it to be nothing more than maybe taking a flyer home and immediately throwing it in the trash.

Because he wouldn’t be able to go anyways, him and his date didn’t exactly abide by the administration's rules, or society’s, for that matter, so he didn’t care about the whole thing, until last minute, when Nancy had successfully convinced him to be a part of the prom committee with her.

The conversation had basically been a very lengthy guilt trip, he’s well aware of that, and her whole, ‘best moments of our lives’ speech hadn’t really done much to change his mind either.

In the end, Steve had only decided he was going to do it for three reasons: he’d get extra credit in the teacher in charge of prom, the math teachers, class, he wouldn’t have to go to any of his morning classes, and Robin joined in on Nancy’s bullying him because her and Heather would be apart of the committee too.

So now for the next week leading up to the big day, Steve has to spend his mornings in the gym putting up the decorations for the grand march.

But it isn’t all bad, because their small little task force made up of the other poor souls Nancy had rallied to do this with her is all of his friends, Nancy and Barb and Robin and Heather, with the addition of one very begrudging Billy Hargrove.

The girls were all the type you’d expect to be into this thing, the crafty ones mixed in with popularity, and everyone knew Steve would do anything to show school spirit, especially if Nancy bullied him into it, but nobody actually expected Billy of all people to even show up.

He certainly looked more likely to be the one crashing the prom than hanging up little foil stars on the walls, and anyways, rumor had it he only was on the committee as an alternative to detention for smoking weed under the bleachers.

But Steve knew that had absolutely not happened, for one thing, Billy’s weed stayed tightly locked up in his bedroom, thank you very much, and for another, he was there completely willingly. Steve knew that, because he’d been the one to tell Billy to sign up.

Which, when it really got right down to it, Billy honestly was the only reason Steve was even doing this whole thing. They were used to working in a couple of very limited interactions on the court or in the few classes they shared, but with the prom committee they’d be required to spend at least four hours together every day. It was the golden opportunity, even if that wasn’t the way Nancy intended it.

So maybe Billy does show up a little late every morning on purpose, just to keep up appearances, but he’s got a smile on his face, hidden behind the styrofoam coffee cup he gets from the cafeteria as he seeks out Steve and sits beside him in the bleachers to wait for that days instruction.

“Mornin’ Bill.” Steve mumbles tiredly, used to coming in late every day and getting at least an extra hour of sleep most days.

Billy nods and hums in his throat as his only response, so Steve asks him, “You wake up on the wrong side of the bed this mornin’?”

And of course, in true Billy fashion, he flashes Steve his most shit eating grin, and says all nonchalant, “Always do when I wake up alone.”

It’s so cheesy, and very obviously meant to get to him, but Steve can’t help the blush that creeps up his neck. He’s still trying to think up an equally as flustering comeback, when the teacher in charge finally shows up.

She announces that this year’s theme was ‘under the stars’, which Steve thought sounded incredibly tacky, but there was still no way it would be any worse than the godawful ‘hollywood’ theme from the year before. Hawkins High had a reputation for a lot of things, but creativity was not one of them.

They get split up into groups, Nancy and Barb in charge of the promo, the writing up, designing, and printing of the announcements and tickets, and Robin and Heather got the delicate detail work, blowing up balloons, laying down the artificial grass squares and hanging or putting in place whatever the other groups made them.

Billy and Steve, on the other hand, were stuck with all the dirty work, the manly jobs. They’re the ones who have to paint the banner that’s going to go over the door, and carry anything that’s considered too heavy and hang anything too high (even though Barb really isn’t that much shorter than them), and set up the tents and string the electricity to the lights in the fake lamp posts.

Quite frankly, Steve doesn’t think it’s fair that they have double the workload as the girls, most of the week had been dedicated to their work, but he just can’t bring himself to complain about getting to watch Billy working every morning, still barely awake yet, his hair pulled up so it didn’t get paint or that much glitter in it.

~~~~~~~~

On their last day in the gym, all that’s left is to sort out a few last minute details, the final squares of fake grass are laid out, lights are tested and glitter is spread out on everything. It doesn’t take too awful long, so they end up with just under three hours leftover to kill.

What they’re supposed to do is report back to their morning classes and try to catch up on all the work they’ve been missing out on for the entire week, but Billy isn’t looking to worry about a bunch of school work, so he tries to convince the rest to skip those last few hours with him.

From Barb and Nancy he gets an instant no, which, he was honestly expecting that. They’re responsible girls, and he can’t blame them for giving two shits about their education. The fact of the matter is though, that he doesn’t.

What he isn’t expecting as much is for his best friend to tell him no, but Heather’s too excited about her senior prom to get in trouble the day before it, and he can respect that.

He already knows that if Heather’s not going, Robin’s not either, so he waves her off before she even bothers trying to explain herself.

That just leaves Steve, and lord knows Billy’s been a bad enough influence on him that he doesn’t even have to ask if he’s ditching, so when Mrs Mitchell and the girls leave, they follow behind until they’re out in the hallway, then duck out of the back entrance of the gym.

Most of the time when people skip they just go home considering the lack of literally anything at all to do around Hawkins, but with Steve’s house too far away for it to be worth leaving, and Billy’s stepmom still at home, that sort of wasn’t an option for them.

Usually they don’t skip for those very reasons, but today they have a handwritten excuse to be out of their classes until exactly 12:15, so in a way, it isn’t so much like skipping as it is just using their free time wisely. Or at least, that’s how Steve rationalizes it, earning from Billy, who thought it was sweet that his former bad boy felt it necessary to make excuses for skipping, a chuckle and a warm smile.

They decide to just hang out on the school grounds, nowhere in town to go but the diner and the stores downtown, and they weren’t in the mood for food nor did they have enough money to blow buying stupid shit they didn’t need, so smoking and sneaking kisses by the tree line on the practice field it was.

It’s nice, but Billy doesn’t like the quiet, furrowed brow as he plucks blades of just growing grass trying to think of something to say that would break the silence. Steve just waits patiently with a lit cigarette burning out between his fingers for Billy to speak, listening intently when he finally says, “You know, s’a shame that I can’t take you to the prom after all that work we did for it.”

“Nah, prom’s way overrated.” Steve blows him off, not wanting him to feel bad about it, personally viewing the dance as stupid anyways, in a way sort of glad he doesn’t have to go, “It’s just a way to pay for new football uniforms and make kids who piqued in highschool feel good about themselves.”

But Billy doesn’t even laugh at that, flicking the head off a dandelion to keep his hands busy as he basically mumbles, “Guess you had time to think ‘bout it already.”

“Yeah. I guess I just always thought dances were kind of dumb. Now that I’m not King Steve anymore I just don’t really see a reason to bother with ‘em.” Steve explains, sliding his hand over to Billy’s across the tips of cool blades of grass, linking their pinkies together and leaning his head against his shoulder, soft touches like these the only way Billy could tell the difference between an open conversation and an argument.

“Still, think it’d be nice to be able to show you off. Let ‘em know what they’ve been missing.” Billy admits, a shy crack of a smile, like he was afraid to bring it up, and it makes Steve smile back, looking straight into the vulnerability behind his blue eyes and saying so softly it’s almost a whisper, “S’not necessary, B. I’m all yours.”

Billy pulls his hand away, a flush on his cheeks that wasn’t just from the warmth of the sun, overwhelmed by the affection just a bit, not uncomfortable with it, just not used to it, and bumps his shoulder into Steve’s, telling him, “God, you’re such a sap.”

“Hey, you’re the one that wanted to take me to the prom.” Steve says, barely even defensive, making Billy smile again.

There’s a break in the conversation, both of them flustered and thinking about the other, until Steve interrupts the quiet this time, leaning back on his hands in the grass and suggesting, “We could do our own prom though, you know.”

“Whaddya mean?”

“Well, we can’t do the real thing, obviously, but I don’t have any other plans tomorrow. You should drop by.”

“You’re really askin’ me to be your prom date?” Billy smirks, but the vulnerable hope in his eyes gives him away, and makes Steve’s heart flutter, though he replies nonchalant, “Who else? Be there at 8:30?”

“It’s a date. See you then, pretty boy.” Billy says with a smile, leaning in to kiss Steve, but getting interrupted by his watch beeping, their break time almost up already.

Steve chuckles and kisses his nose, and says, “Guess we better get back then.” waiting for Billy to leave first so his boyfriend had a head start to get into the school before him.

Billy throws a wink over his shoulder as he retreats towards the gym doors, and suddenly the weight of what they’d just agreed to settles with Steve.

Maybe this prom thing wasn’t as overrated as he thought, because did he ever feel over the moon right now, blushing like an idiot and just standing there dazedly until he hears the bell ring inside the building.

Apparently it showed too, that butterflies in his stomach feeling he had for the rest of the day, if the fact that Robin pulled him aside in the cafeteria for an emergency meeting about why he couldn’t wipe the goofy grin off his face was any indication.

He told her some lie, something about one of the teachers he got his makeup work off of cutting him some slack, and Robin doesn’t believe that, but she knows it’s none of her business, so she lets him keep smiling.

Still, as much as Steve was looking forward to this, at the end of the day when he waved at Billy from across the parking lot, he got nervous. Like, speeding back home to Loch Nora in under ten minutes on a normally fifteen minute drive nervous.

Because he still has a lot of shit to get done between now and tomorrow night when Billy is supposed to show up.

For one thing, his house is a disaster. He almost never cleans it until it’s too late, half-assing the dishes and overloading the washing machine and hiding things in closets usually the day before his parents were supposed to get back.

Another thing is how should he dress? He had a few fancy suits of his own from outings with his parents and past dances, but he knew Billy wouldn’t. Still, wouldn’t it be rude to underdress just because he assumed Billy would be too poor to clean up?

And what did people even do at prom? Get drunk and have sex? If Billy wanted to do that he would’ve just said so. How was Steve supposed to figure out what else they were going to do? The rest of prom is just bad dancing and even worse food, was that something he was supposed to include?

What if he’d sent the wrong signal in the first place and it wasn’t just going to be them? What if Billy showed up at his door with a bunch of other losers skipping out on prom night and this wasn’t really special at all?

The thing is, he knows he’s being irrational. Billy’s not the type to care about this stuff, and even if he did he wasn’t gonna like, break things off just because their little fake prom in Steve’s living room wasn’t perfect. That’s just ridiculous.

So he tries to redirect that initial panic into productivity. Get at least something planned out and put together before he freaks all the way out and loses his motivation.

He decides to do it in small parts, tonight he’d start with the cleaning and getting everything he already had together, and tomorrow would be for shopping and decorating.

Because he’s got such a scatterbrain, he makes a list of all the things he needed to get done before 8:30 tomorrow night, and already he feels the stress start to dissipate with each thing he gets to check off, the living room cleaned until Ruthie would approve, picking out a nice sweater he’d never worn before, fancy but not too much, and tracking down all the things he already had, a record player, the fancy wine Billy said he liked, and a couple of strings of fairy lights and tinsel.

~~~~~~~~~

The next morning he goes straight to Melvald’s, with the rest of his checklist to but candles, more decorations, a boutonnière, just to do it, and maybe something other than takeout to eat for once.

He must look as nervous as he feels, dumping his purchases on the counter, because Joyce smiles that understanding smile of hers, and asks him, “Last minute jitters before prom?”

“You could say that.” He responds breathily, trying to return the smile.

“Jonathan and Nancy decided not to go, but it sounds like it’ll be fun.” Joyce says with a nod, and Steve realizes he’s given her the wrong impression, explaining, “Oh, I’m not going to the real thing either, just hanging out with a friend tonight.”

“Well that sounds nice anyways.” She says, as she rings up his stuff remarking, “You must really like this friend to go all out like this.”

“Yeah he’s-“ Steve physically shakes his head, a reminder to stop talking before he gets himself caught, backpedaling with a shaky excuse, “I-I mean, it’s not like it’s a prom date , it’s just, you know, two guys hanging out.“

Joyce puts her hand on his, that same warm smile still on her face, and tells him, looking him right in the eye as if to say, ‘I know, but it’s okay’, “I’m happy for you, Steve. Have fun tonight.”

Steve nods, a flush to his cheeks as he leaves the store with not another word than, “I… Thank you Mrs. Byers.”

~~~~~~~~~~~

Billy knew absolutely jack and shit about school dances.

The first and only he’d ever been bothered to go to was way back in elementary school, and that didn’t exactly hold a candle to the fucking prom.

It helped some that it wasn’t the real thing, but Steve was talking like it might as well be, and quite frankly, he wanted it to be. This was going to be special goddamnit.

But before he can even think too much about it, he realizes none of that will matter if it turns out he can’t show, so he brings it up with his dad at dinner.

At the table is where he’s least likely to get beat if Neil said no, so that was always the time he chose to ask for things. “I know it’s, uh, kind of last minute ‘cause it’s tomorrow night, but could I go to the prom?”

Neil quirks an eyebrow, seeming mostly uninterested, “With who?”

“Nobody as a date.” Billy explains, using the cover story he’d been coming up with since the minute Steve asked him, or rather in anticipation of, “Heather has a spare ticket ‘cause her actual date ditched her last minute and she asked me if I would go with her.”

Neil nods, seemingly believing him, and asks, “When’s it start?”

“Uh, about 8, I think, so I’ll probably leave at like, 6:30 or so.” Billy throws it out nervously, tapping his fingers against the underside of the table, and freezing when Neil speaks.

But he doesn’t get yelled at, it’s just a simple, calm, “Susan, do we have anything planned that time tomorrow?”

“No, dear. Max is going with her friends at six, but other than that...” Comes her timid response without a hitch, and Billy already knows he’s in the clear before Neil gives his response, still not looking up from the table.

He agrees, but with a few conditions that Billy wouldn’t dare disobey, “If you drop your sister off first, you’ve got yourself a deal. Just don’t come home if you’re drunk, and don’t waste all my damned money on pictures.”

Billy nods, his heart racing in anticipation of something he was pretty sure at this point wasn’t going to happen, though some part of him was still waiting for the slap across the face and a never your mind as he says dutifully, “Yessir. Thank you.”

~~~~~~~~~

Billy starts getting ready six hours early for two reasons: for one thing, the sooner he’s ready, the more time he had away from Neil and to psyche himself up to knock on Steve’s door, and for another, his hair on a normal day takes at least an hour if he doesn’t want it frizzing out or losing it’s curl or getting heavy, and this was his prom, he was willing to spend a whole day on his hair for the sake of looking nice, even if there were no pictures of it.

Of course Max, being the little nuisance she is, follows him to his bedroom when he goes to get ready, holding the door open with her foot so he couldn’t slam it in her face, and earning herself a grumbly, “What do you want, Maxine?”

“I thought you told me you weren’t going to the prom.” She says it like she caught him doing something wrong, as if plans couldn’t change, and it pisses Billy off a little bit.

“I’m not-“ He starts to explain, cutting himself off when somewhere in the house Neil pops the tab on a beer can, a tiny sound Max probably hadn’t even picked up on, but if his father was out and about in the house Billy doesn’t want to admit what he’s going to in front of him. He opens his door wider and ushers his step sister in, immediately shutting it behind her and finishing what he was saying,  “I’m not going to the prom.”

She quirks an eyebrow, through Billy’s eyes maybe looking a bit too much like her step-dad when she does it, “Why’d you tell Neil you were?”

“Crashing the after party. Thought it’d look better if I said I went.” He just shrugs, half assing the lie, and, picking up on that, Max fires back smugly, “You’re lying.”

Billy snaps, no longer looking at her while he starts lining his shit up on his makeshift vanity, getting ready to get ready, “Yeah, I am. But it’s really none of your business, shitbird.”

“Are you going on a date or something?” She looks at him knowingly, if not a little surprised, and asks as it dawns on her, “Oh my god, do you have a boyfriend?”

“Maxine Nicole!” He hisses through his teeth, turning to glare at her and seeing that she’s holding his hair spray that he literally just put out, probably planning on stealing it, “Jesus, give me that.”

She lets him snatch it out of her hands and puts it back in its spot on the vanity she told him didn’t count as a vanity multiple times, rolling her eyes, “Yeesh. I’ll take that as a yes then.”

“If you’re going to tell on me Max, I swear to god-“ He starts, defensive, more vulnerability in his voice than intended, but Max insists honestly, the most not bratty she’s been since she stepped into his room, “I’m not, I wouldn’t.”

Though it doesn’t last very long, her not being a brat, because she immediately cracks a big smile and asks Billy, “Who is he though?”

“Mind your own, Max, Christ.” Billy blows her off, catching glimpse of himself in the mirror and taking note of the barely there flush to his cheeks, pointing to the door and telling his meddling step sister, “Out.”

“Awww, Billy-“ She tries to whine, but he cuts her off, “ No. Out. Of. My. Room.”

But Max offers quickly, like it’ll change his mind, “I’ll do your hair if you let me stay.”

And maybe it doesn’t immediately change his mind, but it does successfully stump him, because he’s asking her, equal parts genuine curiosity and sarcasm, “Why would I let you touch my hair?”

“No reason.” Max says, looking down at his carpet, definitely overplaying the bashfulness in bringing up her answer to appeal to Billy’s emotions, “I just thought, and maybe it’s stupid but like, most guys have their moms to fuss over them for prom, but, you know, you don’t, so I wanted to, I don’t know, be a good sister and do that for you or, whatever.“

Billy sighs, that had been exactly what he was thinking about all night last night, how his momma would be proud of him for finding a way to do this with the person, the boy he loved, and how she could’ve been there to do exactly what Max said, so he agrees, “Alright shitbird, guilt trip successful. You’re not kicked out.”

Max claps her hands together and sits on her brother's bed, getting all of Billy’s wrinkled button ups tossed at her from where they had been previously shoved, unfolded into a dresser drawer, and a command to, “Help me pick a shirt.”

She asks him while she’s unfolding all of his shirts he’d thrown at her and spreading them all out over Billy’s bed, “Are you going to button it.”

“What do you think?”

“Billy. It’s your prom.”

“Fine. One more button.”

“Two?” She tries to bargain, but he shuts it down again, making her giggle when he jokes, his tone level like it's a real threat, “One or I‘m going shirtless.”

“Then I pick.. this blue one.” Max says and puts her hand on a navy blue, quarter sleeve shirt after careful consideration of holding each button up up to Billy and thinking hard about it, but one more once over and she changes her mind, handing Billy a white shirt with snap buttons instead, “No, no, no, wait, this one with full sleeves is better. Yeah, that one for sure.”

“Sleeves it is.” Billy says taking the shirt and hanging it on the door so he’d remember to iron it, crudely shoving the rest of the button ups back into the drawer, and asking Max, “Will I need to wear like, a coat or something?”

She shrugs asking him smugly, “That depends on who it is.”

“Sensitive information.” Billy says immediately, when she looks like she’s going to argue shutting her down before she can say anything, “Which means I’m not tellin’ you.”

“Can I guess?” Max asks, making her case by reasoning with him sweetly, “Please? You wouldn’t be telling me that way.”

He genuinely considers it for a minute, and decides it’s whatever, in his head assuming there was no way Max would be able to figure it out, so he waves his hand with an eye roll, giving her the go ahead to start guessing.

Her first question is, “Okay, okay. Is it.. someone I know?”

“Yep.”

Max furrows her brow, and asks, “Do I like him?” To which Billy shrugs and responds, “Probably.”

“Um, is it…” Max snaps her fingers, an idea coming to her, “Is it Tommy?”

But again she’s shut down, because for somebody she’s supposed to probably like, she sure does a lot of complaining about Tommy, and he calls her on it, “Do you like Tommy?”

Max hums thoughtfully, taking a second guess, “I guess not. Is it Keith?”

Billy shakes his head, giving her the most confused look she’d ever seen on his face as he asks, or basically exclaims, “Who the fuck is Keith ?”

“Well excuuse me for not knowing a lot of guys around here!” Max says, defensive, making Billy roll his eyes again and turn back to digging through his drawers for a decent pair of jeans to wear with a button up, most of them stained and worn.

“Not Tommy, not Keith, who’s left?” She thinks hard then gasps, connecting something in her mind, a devious, knowing little smile on her face, “Is it Steve?”

Billy doesn’t answer her, quite frankly doesn’t know what he should say. It’s his fault, letting her guess between the only three boys his age in town she apparently knew, but now that Max knew who his mystery boyfriend was he wasn’t feeling so hot.

Honestly, some part of him is expecting Neil to come busting through the door any second, like this was some sort of run around way of finding him out, but after a few minutes of her squealing like teenage girls do, he realizes all he has to face is an excited little sister.

He flushes, and asks her over his shoulder, his forcing his tone to sound bored, “Are you done?”

“Yes.” Max says, nodding, but she smiles wide and dissolves into a fit of giggles again, covering her mouth with her hands when Billy crosses his arms, and insists, “Okay, okay, I’m done!”

“Good.” Billy says, but he can’t help cracking a smile. He angles his mirror down towards the floor and sits in front of it, telling his sister lightly to, “Help me with my hair then, shitbird.”

Max sits behind him, and runs her fingers through his hair, “You should’ve put curlers in it or something last night.”

Billy rolls his eyes, realizing as he does so for the dozen things time since Max barged in that she maybe learned that from him, deciding that doesn’t even warrant a response, and hands Max the comb and one of the many cans of hairspray off of his vanity.

She sits up on her knees, and brushes back the hairs just behind his ears that always frizz out and lose their curl, holding them at the back of his hair with a bobby pin, one of the blond ones she bought specifically for him so he could use them without immediately getting caught using ‘girly’ things, but had so far been too scared to anyways.

It looks strange on him, looks more like something Max would wear than him, but honestly he doesn’t hate it, so he lets her keep going, only frowning a little when she adds a pearl adorned hair clip, big enough it looks more like a fancy brooch, to the back of his hair.

She sprays it with so much hairspray it’s tacky, scrunching it up so his curls are tighter, and smoothing the sides so they won’t come unclipped.

When every curl is in its place and approved by Billy, who insists he’s not in the least bit emotional about what Max had said early, that thing about having nobody but her to fuss over him, she hops up, telling him to, “Wait one minute.” while she runs to her room.

She returns with her bulky pink Caboodles box, the one that has all of her mostly unused makeup in it, tapping him on the shoulder and telling him, “Alright, turn towards me.”

Her plan didn’t work though, at least he’s almost positive it was her plan to break down his defenses just so she could use him as her dress up doll anyways, but he isn’t having it, telling her quickly to “Put that shit away, Max.”

“Why? You wear makeup everyday.” Max observes simply, making Billy hiss and tell her to lower her voice, “Yeah, but never the extra strength shit that makes your eyelashes curly and your face pretty. Neil will sniff this out the second I step out of this room.”

Max just shrugs, “Then I’ll make sure he doesn’t see your face. It’s not a big deal.”

“He’ll make it into one.”

“I think your senior prom is an even bigger deal, though.”

Billy sighs, once again losing to her arguing skill, and turning to face her like she told him, “You owe me if I get caught like this.”

Max rolls her eyes and does her magic, each second that passes Billy regretting agreeing to turning the control of his appearance over to his little sister, expecting to come out of this looking like her Diva doll, fidgeting more and more the longer it takes her.

Just before he’s about to panic, Max tells him, “All done.” and lets him look in the mirror.

He blinks repeatedly at his own reflection, surprised to see he didn’t have sparkly eyeshadow up to his eyebrows or rouge on his cheeks, just a tasteful amount of lip gloss and a copper tint to his eyelids, framed by darker than usual eyelashes and the smallest bit of eyeliner.

She gets impatient after a few minutes of Billy not saying anything, and pushes his shoulders to turn him around again to look at her, staring at him until she decides what she thinks is missing.

She hurries to the upright jewelry box in her mother’s room, and brings him back a clip on pearl earring for his right ear, opposite the chain of silver stars she already picked for his left.

“Here, it’ll look better if you have earrings in both ears.” She reaches up, pushing his hair out of the way and clipping the earring on, letting him do the screw on the back himself so she didn’t make it too tight.

Billy lowers his hand and scrunches his nose, leaning in slightly towards the mirror, “They don’t match.”

“It looks nice though. You look really pretty.” She tells him honestly, not realizing the impact the simple compliment, though not so simple for somebody like him, has on her brother until he’s trying to subtly blink away tears behind mascara coated lashes, pretending like that wasn’t the case and telling her, “Whatever, it’s too late to change it now if you want to be on time.”

He does one last once over himself in the mirror, though he knows he’s going to be using his car windows for the same purpose at the last minute, and shoos Max out of his bedroom door, trying to hurry out of the house before Neil can stop him and see him all dolled up.

He’s got one hand around the door knob and his keys through his belt loop when his dad does stop him, his heart just about stopping as Neil calls from the other room, “Do you have flowers for the girl?”

“I have a corsage in the car.” Billy lies, hoping his tone is sure enough for Neil to buy it.

“Good. Just remember what I said, boy.” Neil says, still from the living room, so Billy lets his posture relax a bit and breathes out a quiet sight, saying casually, “Get Max to her friends, don’t spend any money, and don’t come home drunk, I got it, dad.”

“Watch the attitude, William.” Neil says low, the air going still for a minute until he adds, “And have fun tonight.”

“Yessir.” Billy says, ushering Max quickly out the front door, sighing when it closes behind them.

~~~~~~~

Billy drops Max off at the Wheeler’s, just driving around Hawkins until it’s time to show up at Steve’s, making sure to stop past the Holloway’s place just in case Neil went asking around wanting to know if anybody saw his car in the neighborhood.

At 8, he decides he doesn’t want to show up empty handed, buying Steve some flowers like he’d lied and said he had for Heather from Melvald’s, not understanding the knowing look the cashier lady has in her eye when he brings a dinky bouquet of flowers to the checkout counter.

He rings the doorbell at 8:30 on the dot, checking himself out one last time in Steve’s window while he waits, fifty cent roses held behind his back.

On the other side of the door, Steve stands in the dining room, now adorned with cheap party decorations that would’ve made his mother pitch a fit, waiting a whole thirty seconds before he goes to answer it, trying to collect himself first.

Billy smiles wide, and, as cheesy as it was, seeing him standing there all dressed up taking Steve’s breath away and stealing the words right off his tongue, Billy having to invite himself in because Steve was busy catching flies.

He hands him the flowers, nodding towards the silver tinsel wrapped around the banister, the stars hanging in the archway that lead into the living room that were almost identical to the ones they hung from the basketball hoops at school and saying, “Place looks nice.”

“Oh, uh, thanks.” Steve says, quickly adding, “You know, you look nice too.”

Billy smiles softly, looking at him with that ‘you’re an idiot Steve Harrington’ look he was so used to by now, “C’mon, Stevie, we’ve been dating for four months now, you don’t gotta be all awkward with me still.”

“I’m not, I mean it, you look really good, Billy.” Steve says, smiling now that it’s his turn to fluster Billy.

“Oh by the way, I almost forgot. Got you this just because.” He remembers, handing Billy a box with a floral pin inside, pink roses with lace, and telling him expectantly, “It’s a boutonnière.”

But Billy doesn't open it, just raises an eyebrow and says, “I thought you did corsages for prom?”

“Corsages are for the girls.”

“Ah. Got it.” He says it like he already knew that, like he was hoping maybe Steve didn’t, so Steve offers, not really understanding it, but knowing what he means all the same, “It came as a set, I still have the corsage upstairs, if you want it.”

Billy nods and pins the boutonnière to Steve’s shirt instead, explaining simply, “Just so we match.”

Steve runs upstairs and gets the corsage, giving Billy a minute to actually appreciate just how much went into decorating this place, snickering to himself when he imagines Steve having to stand on a step ladder to put the string lights so high up on the wall.

Steve tosses Billy the box from the top of the steps, letting him open it while he comes back down and ties it around his wrist, having to tie it twice because he put it on the wrong way the first time.

Billy asks him, shaking his wrist to make sure the bow is tight enough, “So what’s our official plan for tonight, Stevie?”

“Honestly I don’t really know. I’m sort of just winging it here, I don’t know what you even do at prom.”

“You never went at all?” Billy asks, surprised miss priss hadn’t dragged him along to their junior prom last year.

“Nope. Like I said, overrated.” Steve confirms, and Billy smiles wide, saying, “I’m sure I got a few ideas in mind then.”

~~~~~~~~

Billy’s idea basically consisted mainly of drinking all that fancy wine Steve had gotten out of the cellar specifically for this, shoving his tongue down Steve’s throat, and complaining about the real prom happening up at the school.

Honestly, Steve suspects things wouldn’t have been so different had they actually gone, but he can tell the fact that they weren’t able to go was still bothering Billy, judging by the sheer number of times he brings it up.

After what must be the tenth time that night Billy brought up Heather and Robin getting to go, Steve asks him, “Do you wish we were there?”

“No, that’s the thing. I couldn’t give a damn less about the whole dance, a thousand times over I’d rather just be here with you.”

“But?”

“But I wish we had the choice to go, you know? It’s just, bugging me that if we had genuinely wanted to go, we couldn’t’ve.” Billy rants, very obviously having been holding this in, “And I keep thinking about all the other gay kids who don’t have a big empty house or a safe place to do what we’re doin’.”

“Yeah, but it’s really not a big deal. Prom is pretty much all for the parents anyways, and the way I see it we, and all the other people like us, we’re so used to disappointing them, what’s it matter if we don’t go?”

“Just, I don’t care about the event or whatever, but it feels like we’re missing out on something. Like maybe we should’ve just swallowed our pride and went with Hetty and Robin anyways.”

Steve stands up abruptly, picking up their wine glasses and kicking the coffee table all the way over to the far wall to clear the floor, offering Billy his hand, “I know you feel like you’re robbing me of something by us not going, but we don’t need all of that for this to be good. I meant it when I said that’s superficial to me anyways. We can make it mean something to us.”

Billy looks up at him, still bothered deep down, but out of ways to argue about it, and accepts Steve’s hand, wrapping his arms around the back of his neck when he pulls him close by his waist.

It’s not really a slow dance as much as it is an excuse to just be close to one another, to breathe each other in and sneak kisses and be sappy, but that’s was this whole thing was about. They could’ve just hung out tonight if they wanted, and honestly they probably would’ve anyways, but they called it a prom, put that title to it that made both of their hearts pitapat.

Steve had always heard, even felt it a few times before, that when you were with the person you loved, everyone and everything else would melt away around you until it was just you, but somehow, this was different than that.

Because that would mean there were times when his world didn’t revolve around Billy, and that there was ever a moment when he could focus on anything but the boy he loved, and that just wasn’t true.

This wasn’t performative, wasn’t a relationship formed on the status of being able to show off that they were better for being in love either, this was simply Billy and Steve, dancing in their tennis shoes on Ruthie's carpet, snickering when a particularly sappy song came on the radio, barely able to be separated long enough to turn to side B, falling in love all over again under the stars.

~~~~~~~

When the wine bottles are all empty and the stack of records has been spun through, Steve’s schnockered, and insisting they get a picture, searching the house for an old Polaroid camera and making Billy stand with him in front of the fairy lights strung

They only had three chances to get a good picture, no new packs of film and only a few left in the camera, so Steve took all three.

The first one was upside down and so off center he was hardly in it, Steve being maybe a little more drunk than he thought, and the second Billy closed his eyes because the flash was too bright, but it didn’t matter too much anyways because the film didn’t develop properly and the picture was nothing but reddish-yellow tinted blackness anyways.

The third one by some chance turns out fine, maybe a little blurred because he moved and still not quite centered right, but it’s a picture, something to hold onto the memory of this night forever when the hangover wore off and things got a little blurry, and that was important to the both of them, for different reasons.

As soon as it develops, a little 8 by 10 of Billy kissing his cheek, Steve runs upstairs to hang it on the cork board above his desk before it gets misplaced, dating it and doodling a little heart with a S+B inside it, hiding the picture behind a ribbon for a middle school art contest and a picture of him and his parents.

Billy hooks his chin over his shoulder, his hands traveling a bit lower than Steve’s waist this time as he watches what he’s doing. He hums and asks, when Steve stands up straighter and turns in his arms to face him, “So? What have you got planned for the after prom, Stevie?”

#stranger things fanfiction #harringrove #billy x steve #billy & max #steve harrington #billy hargrove #max mayfield #ej writer #story by ej! #slipped in the teensiest bit of billy w/ ocd because i can #also gnc billy #there’s a lot more characters but they don’t have major enough roles to tag #posted to ao3 yesterday

[jmalkki]

From head canon to on-screen reality 

Episode 6 of Season 3. You, guys.

My. Goodness.

What oddly specific joy.

One has secretly hoped a scene of this nature to eventually make it onto the show, and the promo images promised it was coming now. So, one went in expecting to finally see on screen the sweet sweet scene of the couple all domestic, chilling on their bed, sharing thoughts; the one one has imagined so many times in various forms, be it in text or in illustrations. Seemingly topped with a kiss, as well -  gorgeous for the unremarkable mundanity of itself, without any story points or grand gestures tied to it.

Though the promo image promised kiss was not to be seen, what the domestically set scene itself delivered in substance was such a validating treat one could not feel one bit amiss; something one couldn’t have expected, hoped for, or imagined to come worth.

The end scenes of the episode made some major personal head canons true on screen! Namely the fact of Paul immediately recognizing the nature of one talking by oneself as if to a lost loved one, and admitting carrying Hugh similarly with him after Dear Doctor’s death. And, the fact, that both of the men hate the augmentations on Paul’s arms.

Seemingly tiny things perhaps, but these have both been some of the most persistent themes in my past writing of these two. And much as I abhor to go back to my past scribbles, I felt compelled to quickly go through whole of the Honey Mushroom series, and collect below all of the narratives focused on Paul talking to Hugh in his mind, and the instances mentioning the shared bother of the spore drive augmentations.

Which now suddenly as if offer possible context for the on-screen dialogue:

“God, I hated those things.” “I hated them more.”  

I realize this is quite individual a glee, specific to curious personal head canon nuggets (and perhaps to those who might’ve enjoyed the nuggets / nursed any similar own ideas), but I am beyond ecstatic for those nuggets to have now made it on screen and/or fit into the canon, complementary to the narrative!

How ever coincidental, I think one must thank at least Anne Cofell Saunders, the writer of the episode, for including these specific allusions / plot directions, and in doing so making reality of one’s particular head canons. And, that gratitude must also be extended to anyone else, who might’ve been involved in what ever capacity in the process of bringing these into the show’s in-universe reality.

Feels like such an immense affirmation of one’s year(s) spent passionately imagining these unmentioned-in-canon dimensions (regardless how ever fumblingly). Such joy to see these once dearly envisioned behind-the-scenes aspects brought on screen, and into the canon.

More small, but notable glees: Paul’s PADD on the nightstand. And the men sleeping on the ‘correct’ sides of the bed, which has also been a theme in exploring the character of Paul.  (And, in fact, Paul scratching the augmentations/residuals, too *heehee*).

Okay. Let’s go.

Passages of the augmentations being a bother:

From my second ever narrative, and the first to mention the augmentations, if not yet for the precise shared discomfort factor. Also the first to feature Paul talking to Hugh after the death:

[He shifted on the chair and reached for his forearm. Feeling out the hard plastic augmentation with his fingers. Rubbing it in a circular motion on top of his muscles, letting the gentle pressure push against his bones.

They were another reason - the augmentations - why he had felt so bare at the gym dressing rooms. He had only ever really bared them in the engineering for their designed purpose, and with Hugh around in the sickbay or in the confinements of their quarters. He had showed them to few others of course on occasion, but on his own discretion. He wasn’t comfortable letting them ‘hang out’ like he had just done. It too left him feeling exposed.

“They keep insisting I go in for a medical examination”, Paul muttered out quietly, while skimming through his calendar, like he was expecting Hugh - his resident consultant on all things medical - to actually answer.]

- We Are Undone, But Soldier On

From my only ‘alternative future’ story, with the first ever allusion to the shared discomfort with the apparatus. Also the narrative, which solidified the idea of Paul harboring Hugh ‘alive’ in his mind well after the death:

[ Paul smiled. He put his hand in his hair again, mussed it around a bit, adjusting it from side to side, observing it closely from the mirror. “And you won’t mind this either?” He asked with a faint look of apprehension on his face, “it’s still getting thinner and thinner each year.” “You know I always loved that”, Hugh spoke to him with most affectionate tone, as Paul could feel fingers play with the little swirl of thinning hair on the back of his head, “it makes you look irresistibly manly.”

“Like these”, Hugh continued, as Paul raised his arms in front of himself, displaying the thick, fluffy white hair covering his forearms, “I love falling asleep into this softness.” “Well, you’re in luck then. They sure aren’t thinning any”, Paul snickered, “I think the hair on my head might be migrating there in fact”. He could hear Hugh chuckle and felt a light encouraging pat on his hips.

Paul turned away from the mirror and walked slowly to the small kitchen cabin in the corner of the room. “Always hated shaving any of that off for those spore drive ports, just so you know.” he could hear Hugh’s voice commenting back at him. Paul was replicating his morning drink. “You won’t mind me saying then, how glad I was to get those off eventually”, Paul conversed in his head as he watched the replicator form a cup of tea.

“Of course not, Mushroom”, Hugh sounded to respond from the bed, “we’ve been through this many times. You don’t need to feel sorry for getting rid of those.”

“Yeah…” Paul muttered as he walked back to the room with a fresh cup of tea in his hands, “it just felt then like I was throwing something of you away”, he thought sitting down on the bed, “I know it’s silly.”

“It is. You know I wasn’t too keen on those things ‘hogging’ your arms either”, Hugh let out a little laugh, “and you really haven’t thrown any of me away.”

Paul looked sheepishly down to his tea. He knew what was coming.

“Don’t you think you should?” Hugh asked with a slight hint of worry in his voice.]

- Becalmed

A short, based solely on the premise of the discomfort of the augmentations:

[ Hugh wakes up to it again. To Paul’s arm wrapping around him. Dang, it used to be one of the best feelings in the mornings to wake in the safety of his Honey Mushroom’s manly arms. Now, there’s often this unforeseen complication. And Hugh has in part himself to blame for it too.

“Mushroom”, Hugh tries to carefully arouse the sleeping man’s attention by shaking him a little. He gets no response.

“Honey, can you move your arm a bit”, Hugh tries a little louder and attempts to wiggle himself from the man’s grip, but Paul just mumbles something in his sleep and won’t move. The arm wants to hold on to Hugh. Dammit. He loves it, but just not like this.

“Paul!” Hugh makes no attempt to discretion anymore, “will you let go of me!”

“What!?” Paul wakes up shouting irately at the abrupt wake-up call.

“Your damn augmentation is boring into my hip again”, Hugh lets the understandably agitated response get to him and snaps back in equal tone, which is far more harsh than necessary.

“Well, who the fuck’s fault is it, it’s there!?” Paul huffs back, fiercely as only provoked Paul would - even when half asleep, like he is right now.

“I know, I know. And you’re very welcome, by the way”, Hugh sneers, “just move it”.

“Fine!” Paul scoffs and yanks his arm to his own side of the bed, turning his back to Hugh as he does so. Hugh turns back to face his side as well.

The doctor then immediately feels regret for having gotten so agitated. He’s upset for the situation - lamenting over losing those comfy arms for the good of this ship -, not mad at the man.

How difficult for the man himself it must be to adjust? And Paul hasn’t once complained. Oddly so.

Hugh had just let his own less than satisfactory wake-up ruin Mushroom’s morning as well, hadn’t he?

“I’m sorry, Paul”, Hugh turns to look at the man over his shoulder,  "I didn’t mean to yell. I’m not upset with you".

“I know”, Paul’s sleepy voice sounds faintly somewhere behind the man’s back. He’s not turning back around.

Hugh worries his outburst might scare Paul to thinking twice before embracing him again. And he loves his cuddly Paul.

“Of course you’re still welcome to snuggle”, Hugh assures Paul, letting the regret sound in his voice.

But the man doesn’t hear him, he’s fast asleep again. And Hugh’s bed feels that much emptier without the safety of his man’s arms around him.]

- Losing Your Arms

From one, which references events referenced on screen, namely the introduction of the (preliminary) augmentations by revealing them installed on Paul’s arms:

[ Maybe it had indeed been but a dream after all. Like all of this. Perhaps like all the other times he remembers too. Those instances when they had been somewhere quite surprising - and admittedly quite exciting -, getting distracted by each other from their intended tasks.

Like, when at the Medbay, setting up these brand new spore drive ports on his arms, for a brief stolen moment before the evening shift had arrived to relief Hugh.

Indeed, occasionally he had been back as they were in the middle of hurriedly moving that task to their quarters to follow up on those distractions. Like they must have done just now, judging from the state in which their clothes lay scattered around the room and by the selection of tools haphazardly laid on the coffee table next to them. Like they ever really had any intention to use those once here on this couch.

Paul regards the augmentations on his forearms.

He’s getting a lot of extra orientation practice to the devices through these repeats however, Paul muses. Would Hugh notice anything? Will Mushroom have hard time explaining to the doctor after all of this, how he’s so well adjusted to these things so soon after installation?

He realizes this right now as he catches himself cursing them, positioning his arms so that the ports wouldn’t chafe against their bare skins. Is it too late to rethink these apparatus?]

- Come Again

From one, where Paul regards the augmentations at Hugh’s wake:

[ Paul remembers wrapping his arms around that waist each and every night.

He shifts his arms. The spore drive ports on his forearms, beneath the layers of sleeves, suddenly feel so alien again right then.

It’s not his first time in civilian clothing with them (thanks to his insistence on own comfort wear out of the uniform), but it is the first time with them off duty, since he’s off the ship. And they feel grossly out of place in these Earthly settings.

Hugh too had come to dislike them - his own invention - as soon as it had become apparent how they were an obstruction between their embraces.

Paul should get them removed, if they’ll no longer serve a purpose.

He takes his hands out of the pockets, folds his arms over his chest and goes back to staring across the room with what must appear quite a stern look.]

- Honoring One’s Heart

There was also one about the conceiving of the idea of the augmentations, where, however, the bother factor was not yet in sight:

Doctor, Not an Engineer

And this one, which doesn’t technically count for similar 'shared bother’ reasons either, perhaps, but is a whole narrative very much build around the inconvenience of the augmentations:

Performance Issues

Plus, couple saucy ones, which I won’t list here, lest I actually ever want to share this post *ha* More below:

While at it, (and, perhaps more importantly) here are the narratives build around the idea fact (!!) of Paul living with Hugh ‘alive’ in his mind after the death - in narrative order (some already featured above, too). Hardly captured by a single quote, but for a taste:

[ He had finally heard it. The voice. Hugh’s voice trying to calm him down, “Paul. You need to let yourself be upset. You need to let the tears come.” ]

- We Are Undone, But Soldier On

[ ‘Honey? Are you drunk?’

A delightful, relieved curiosity filled Paul’s mind momentarily as he peered into the darkness of the room wide-eyed, to see where the gentle, familiar voice calling him out was coming from.

Then he remembered, and with a loud, derisive scoff sank back into his darkened state of mind, slumping back down on the couch.

“So fucking what!? If I am.” ]

- A Better Man

[ None of this should matter. Not the suit, not the event, not the crowd. Paul is not here, and Hugh is not gone. Not yet anyway. They are still very much together, and just about to leave somewhere off by themselves, once done with this circus. To enjoy each others’ company somewhere away from all of this dreary pretend. Such a presentation, and for whose sake? “You don’t mind, if I’m not honoring you in accordance to the Fleet standards, do you?” He still gets no response. Hugh hasn’t talked to him since Paul disembarked that cursed ship. He’s still here though, isn’t he? Paul would surely feel it, if the man left.]

- Honoring One’s Heart

[ “Yes. We are too damn young to be thinking about retiring yet.” Paul said and turned to look by his side instinctively, only to see there was really no-one there, of course. He let out a little huff and smiled to himself. Then turned back to face the beach in front of him, and paused to think again. “It will surely be painful to be near it all on the Discovery”, his mind went on, “but I’m not quite ready yet to let go of what we had there either”. “Our only home together?” Hugh came back beside him. “Our first home together”, Paul specified, “so far…"]

- First Home

[  “Dear, I’m home”. He can just imagine himself standing there at the door of their cabin, staring into the empty, cold room that used to be. All the pleasant memories now tainted. How exactly will this be helping him to get over? “But please, do remind me again”, Paul whispers to himself, and hears a heavy, sympathetic sigh in reply, as if preparing itself for telling him of all the ways he’s doing the right thing to move on, and how it’s proud of him for not giving up, and how it supports him, and all that fucking sentimental nonsense, it’s had to tell him already, over and over. And which yet Paul needs to hear. To keep faith. To not forget. ]

- Watching Over You

[  “Hmh”, Paul shrugs, taking in the thought, suddenly a slight twinkle in his eyes, “…but I have too much ‘unbridled passion’ you say?” he then yields, disregarding his persistent gravity, as he apprehensively turns his playful smirk at Hugh, readying himself for this blessed dream to end short. But the man stays here. Startlingly, staring right back at Paul’s surprised gaze with almost haunting clarity. Paul’s grip on the newly corporeal man tightens in a moment of incredulity. For the first time in weeks - but which feels like a year - Paul is able to see the man, to look into those loving eyes again, bathe in that radiant smile, and respond to all of the emotions he now thirstily reads from the man’s beautiful face. And fuck, if there aren’t tears on Paul’s own. The man really is right here.]

- Passion of a Vulcan Like Mind

[ He could feel Hugh’s gaze on himself. “You realize, you actually wanted me gone today?”, he heard Hugh speak out gently, “I got in your way”.

Paul’s smile turned to an anguished frown. The tone of understanding in Hugh’s voice hurt him. “Never”, he attested firmly. He lay there as still as possible, staring at the ceiling, afraid to move too much, or turn to glance at his side, lest it chased away this sensation of Hugh beside him.

“You are being stubborn again, Mushroom”, Hugh whispered with a hint of worry in his voice, “why do you still cling on so desperately?”. He was so close Paul could almost feel the breath on him - or was that the sea breeze perhaps - “You said you’d be okay, if I left - why won’t you let me then?”]

- Becalmed (alt)

#star trek discovery #culmets #paul stamets #hugh culber #space boos #spaceboos #star trek #head canon

[vg-sanctuary]

The World Ends with You

Jupiter - DS - 2008

[screenshots from Nintendo Life, jack-reviews.com, and LPArchive; please excuse the low res, I couldn’t find better ones]

TWEWY is an RPG with modern (circa 2008) style and character designs by Tetsuya Nomura, the director of Kingdom Hearts. I meant to write about it the day its sequel NEO: TWEWY came out but missed that by a few days. anyway, I think it's reasonable to call this game the epitome of the Nintendo DS. it has every feature to be expected of any game on the wildly unique handheld: a touch-based minigame with wireless multiplayer and little bearing on the main game, a sleep mode puzzle, touch controls, forced use of both screens, and gameplay and plot designed to be enjoyed in short bursts. it's loaded with cool ideas, some of which are more than questionable, even barring the crazy DS features, hence the remakes. (savvy readers will notice I left out the iOS and Switch platforms and, while there are remakes of the game for both platforms that have extra content and a more elegant combat system, they don't hit quite like the DS original.)

I don't fancy myself an RPG fan for the most part. the usual high fantasy themes and turn based combat are boring to me. usually, if an RPG has either one I'm not interested, and this has neither of those. I decided to try TWEWY while collecting DS games, and the plot and combat had grabbed me within two hours. I haven't mentioned the awesome music and visuals, both wonderfully stylish and unique in the same way Persona's UI is stylish and unique, only this game uses the style on its game world and characters instead of menus.

the premise is the antisocial protagonist, Neku, wakes up in a killing game wherein each day has a mission that he and his partner either complete or face erasure. after a week of these missions he'll be free. I can’t tell you the massive general plot spoiler that makes the whole thing so compelling as it goes on, so this section of the post is sadly pretty short. there is an anime that goes over the main events, but it's only four hours long compared to the game's 20, character development is sometimes lacking in detail or totally inaccurate, and it generally doesn't include the hardships you would go through as a player e.g. having to try a boss five times.

almost everything about TWEWY's gameplay is intriguing, so I'll try to be concise. combat is a strange beast that comes from developer Jupiter's need to use both screens to the fullest. by the way, don't let this wall of text scare you away from the game; it introduces these mechanics much slower and it's easier to understand and use. the bottom screen is gesture-based ARPG combat where, for example, short swipes over an enemy makes Neku use a sword attack or touching somewhere on the screen makes him fire a bullet. the exact gestures and attacks are determined by what pins he's wearing. the top screen asks you to use the d-pad to attack with Neku’s partner and navigate along a tree of cards where getting the right card grants a star; enough of those allows you to use a powerful and health-restoring fusion attack. there's this green light puck that passes between characters when the one holding it does a finisher and multiplies the finisher's damage with each successful pass up to five times, but disappears if held by one character for too long. fortunately the game has an auto mode for the top screen that's roughly equivalent to mashing left or right on the d-pad so you don't have to try to split your brain between both, but you get a little more experience if that's turned off. I love the bottom screen and the idea of the top screen but could never really get my head around doing both at once. maybe the intent was to focus on the character that has the puck and leave the other standing still or spamming defense? (in NEO: TWEWY, the light puck mechanic was changed to beat drop combos, where using a different character to attack shortly after a finisher gives you some charge for a super. no attention splitting, just fun ARPG combat with an interesting combo system that can inform what pins you use.)

turning up the game's difficulty makes enemies stronger and mostly drops different pins. there aren't random encounters: you have to scan for enemies and mostly get to choose which encounters to take. you can choose to fight multiple in a row without getting health back between them and multiply your drop rate multiplier, with enemies getting stronger the more encounters you take. you get your health back when you return to the overworld, which cuts out a lot of the obligatory spending for healing items and the trouble of running out for the player. there are still some pins that can heal you during a battle, though.

leveling up, instead of arbitrarily increasing every stat, only increases your HP, but you can turn your level down to lower your HP and multiply the drop rate of pins by one for each level. other stats can be increased with clothes or food, with different foods permanently increasing different stats and have different calories. each character can only eat so much in a single real time day, which is wack but still interesting. the food system in NEO is similar except without the per-day limit, and I think it's a great idea that gives the player agency in terms of what stats they want to increase and whether they want larger or smaller boosts.

pins can evolve when leveled up enough, but may only evolve if you give them the right kind of pin points, which is like experience for pins. there's PP from battles, from the game's proto-StreetPass mingle mode (that you could only get randomly roughly every hour, from other folks in TWEWY's mingle mode, or from other DSes running any wireless software; thankfully this is removed from the remakes but it's a neat idea), and from turning off the game for up to seven real time days. if a pin reaches max level with the wrong kind of PP, you have to go get another one to evolve it, but I don't think there are any super rare pins that evolve. the game doesn't show what kind of PP you need to evolve a pin, so while it's a cool idea, there's a fair chance that you'll miss lots of evolutions and not even notice.

there are lots of rare pins that can be worn as a set to do something ridiculously powerful, but you have to go out of your way to get them, like the Darklit Planets. it's a set of seven pins that are useful alone, but if worn all together they become three times more powerful. they all drop rarely from bosses on the highest difficulty. I love wacky, mystical, obscenely powerful postgame stuff like this but can't be bothered to actually go and get it. some games give you their best weapons last, which is always a shame because there's nothing to use it on, but in TWEWY, there's a boss rush that saves your best time and lots of bosses to re-fight for their rare pins, so you'll have a reason to fight bosses until you've got every one of those rare pins.

speaking of postgame, TWEWY's is rather extensive, with a bonus day focused on the Tin Pin Slammer minigame and goofy non-canon alternate personalities plus four sort of tedious missions for every ingame day that unlock secret reports for much more lore about the Reapers' Game. (one of the missions for every day is "find and destroy the pig Noise," which mostly have puzzle-ish fights; one is killed by closing the DS and opening it again, which is the sleep mode puzzle I mentioned.) if you get them all, it unlocks a special scene in the ending, but again, I can't be bothered to do that kind of postgame. not all of it, anyway, the bonus day's missions are too tedious for me.

in Tin Pin Slammer, the minigame with almost no bearing on the main game, you use your pins to play kinda-sorta Beyblade. every pin has different stats, many of which are hidden, and different amounts of the different weapons to stun your opponents' pins with. it's a rather extensive side mode and a totally unnecessary inclusion, but really fun anyway, and can be played wirelessly with others. there are some other mechanics that are also interesting but not quite worth adding any more words to this ridiculously long post, including a brand trends system and an interesting way to limit running from fights.

even with all of these words and some pictures, I seriously can't offer a glimpse of the vibes, the combat, the music, the story, the characters, the entire energy of The World Ends with You in a blog post, and in my opinion, it's not the same without the crispy DS sprites or peculiar dual screen combat. if you like the DS, 2000s energy, or action RPGs, this is an essential addition to your library if you don't want to track down a DS copy or you prefer more elegant combat, try one of the remakes instead. you're this far into the blog post, so I'm sure you won't be disappointed. (NEO: TWEWY is very good too and has a free demo on PS4 and Switch; while not the same, it's still worth trying. it carries a modernized audiovisual energy of its predecessor, more elegant combat improvements to other TWEWY systems.)

#twewy #the world ends with you #ds #nintendo ds #nds #retro gaming #my writing

[miaouerie]

whumptober 2020 ------ day 29. alternate prompt: nightmares

@whumptober2020​  Rebelcaptain Hunger Games AU: Cassian is Jyn’s mentor in the 70th Hunger Games. After being crowned victor at fifteen years old, Cassian is all-too-familiar with what it takes to bring a tribute home, and what becoming a victor really means.

content warnings: references to forced prostitution, creepy whump

previous: day 1 / 2  / 3 / 4 / 5 / 6 / 7 / 8 / 9 / 10 / 11 / 12 / 13 / 14 / 15  / 16  / 17 / 18 / 19 / 20 / 21 / 22 / 23 / 24 / 25 / 26 / 27 / 28

After a fitful sleep Cassian wakes.

Draven arrives in the morning to escort him to the finalists’ interview with Caesar Flickerman. Of course, all of the tributes who made it to the finals except for Jyn are dead, so the mentors are the ones being interviewed. It’s not so much a panel-style interview as it is about Flickerman edging in jokes about Cassian and Jyn that make him uncomfortable but he laughs along anyway, lets the audience see a relieved, devoted, grateful lover boy anticipating his reunion with his beloved.

The rest of the day is filled with various publicity events he has to attend.

-

After a fitful sleep Cassian wakes.

He’s wanted at the Remake Center to consult on Jyn. The Gamemakers have a long list of improvements they wish to make. Cassian refuses them all; he knows that he has no power in the final decision but he plays up her natural beauty, insists on his sincere, proven attraction to it. The lead designer coos over what she calls a ‘charming, backwards sort of animal magnetism’ but the only improvement ordered for Jyn is the full body polish. Cassian internally heaves a sigh of relief.

The rest of the day is more publicity, this time geared towards thanking the sponsors of the lesser tiers below the President’s Circle. A powder blue envelope comes at dinner to dictate the rest of his evening.

-

After a fitful sleep Cassian wakes.

It takes him a moment to realize that he is not in his quarters at the Tributes’ Tower and instead he’s still in Trimalchio Plena’s massive bed. His patron from last night. Did Draven forget to pick him up?

No, the thought strikes him as stupid as soon as he thinks of it. Draven always comes to get him at the end of an appointment. Always on time; never late or earlier. So he lays there in the dark, his surroundings foreign and cold as the sleeping arms he woke up embraced in, until an Avox comes to wake Trimalchio and to escort him back to his escort.

Trimalchio’s decidedly softcore tastes did not leave him in a state that necessitated a trip to the Remake Center, so he’s driven back to the Tributes’ Tower where his peevish head stylist is waiting for him.

Kay sniffs; his unimpressed demeanor hardly ever disguises his eagerness for verbal jousting. “You’re late.”

“No, he is not,” Draven curtly replies. Cassian cuts through the beginnings of their portentous exchange and heads to his bathroom, where Kay has already started the shower on his preferred preset. After a few minutes to himself Kay comes in to sit and talk to him about his plans for Jyn’s final interview dress—strapless dress, or perhaps a backless jumpsuit? There is a 87% chance that doing so will become the next season’s fashion trend.—while Cassian lets the hot water cascade down his face, neck, shoulders, chest. They continue the conversation over breakfast where Draven has already poured him a cup of caf.

More interviews. Another appearance at some soft opening ceremony. More nonsense.

A powder blue envelope.

-

After a fitful sleep Cassian wakes.

He’s not really ready to be awake; he wakes up to throw up because he got far too intoxicated at the behest of last night’s eager, if not implacable, client. The lights are still on from the party, but he’s the only one stumbling around at this hour. He passes a few rooms that have people dozing in them. He had been sleeping on the floor.

Where is Draven?

After throwing up he hunches down by the toilet and puts his head in his arms. The ornate clock ticking away on the wall reads 07:02.

Draven comes for him an hour later, brings him back to District 5’s floor. Kay has the mockup of Jyn’s dress and another of the jumpsuit on two similarly proportioned Avoxes, and the three of them pass commentary until Cassian excuses himself to throw up again; he sees Kay get up to follow with a roll of their eyes and a sigh.

Kneeling down next to him the head stylist presses two wake-up pills into Cassian’s palm and calls for an Avox to bring a glass of warmed water. “You shouldn’t be so dour; I’m already working on your outfits for the Victory Tour. So you won’t have to trouble yourself, opining on my designs, until next year.”

Cassian doesn’t say anything, just presses his head against the cool marble of the toilet seat. Kay is trying to be supportive in their own misinformed Capitolite way, but he could do without the reminder that things aren’t really over and that the Games don’t ever end.

Kay and the prep team get him ready for a solo photo shoot as part of an exclusive interview with Capitol Weekly. Draven informs him that there is an afterparty he is obligated to attend, thrown in honor of his first successful mentoring stint and the love he’s found in the Games. Cassian regrets not asking Kay for more wake-up pills but he figures he should be able to get his hands on some anyway.

-

After almost twenty-four hours of being awake, Cassian falls asleep. But not really. It’s more like he closes his eyes and when he opens them again, he’s in Sophmora’s dungeon. There’s no mistaking it—the purple and black tiles beneath his feet, the smell of candlewax from the burning sconces on the walls. Anticipation rakes his shoulders, as well as unfettered lust.

Even in a dream, it’s an unsettling feeling to be here and to walk around unrestrained. Cassian isn’t even sure why he’s dreamt up this place, of all places, until he sees her.

She’s naked save for some leather straps, the dominatrix turned submissive: a spreader bar is tucked into the crook of her knees and a gold chain links her leather boots together by the ankles. Gold cuffs bind her wrists overhead to the back of a gold collar around her neck. Her back is facing him but he knows that she senses his approach.

Without him thinking it, a devilish smirk works its way onto his face. An Avox pushes Sophmora’s trolley of torture tools his way, and Cassian marvels over each one—his hand hovers over each, until he picks up the cat o’ nines.

Sophmora’s speaking to him; it’s hard to describe, but he knows she’s speaking to him without hearing a word from her lips. His mouth opens in reply; their exchange is obscene, pornographic, a near-perfect reversal of their formal roles as the buyer and the bought. He says without speaking that he’s been looking forward to this, hurting her in the same ways she’s hurt him. Inflicting pain for the pleasure of her punishment.

He steps behind her, trails the knotted ends of the whip over her bare back. She shudders; he laughs, and that’s how Cassian knows he’s dreaming because the whip feels too solid, too comfortable in his hand.

Before they get started he leans in close behind and reaches around to cup her face. The creepy familiarity is from the same move that Sophmora has always used on him; she turns her face away, just like he’s done the same. But when he cruelly grips her chin to jerk her face back to his instead of Sophmora’s red irises he’s startled by a pair of green, stardust-flecked eyes.

No—

He tries to stumble back but every movement of his has been choreographed to a script; he’s forced to watch as Jyn’s fearful eyes fill with tears and she tries to curl herself away from him. He hears her cries and accusations without hearing a word from her lips; why did you save me if this is what I’m condemned to do? You should have let me die, let me die, let me die—

Cassian pulls back, stands up. He can still hear her sobs without noise. Then he rears his arm back to strike, and then he—

-

After a fitful sleep Cassian wakes.

When he sits down in the dining room Draven informs him that Jyn is to be discharged from the Remake Center today, eight hours before the Closing Ceremony, after which they will convene at the president’s mansion for the Victory Banquet which will take up the remainder of his schedule through the end of the night. Tomorrow will be Jyn’s final interview with Caesar Flickerman at 2 o’clock and then they’ll board the train back to District 5. Cassian should feel relieved; he really should. The end of this horrible nightmare is in sight.

But he has to see Jyn first. In spite of what Draven just told him there’s a fear he has, that the past few days have all been a dream, that he’ll wake up and Jyn will still be in the Arena fighting for her life. He knows that isn’t true. But until he can see Jyn, touch her, hold her in his arms—

—without a whip in hand, though that was a nightmare too—

—he can’t be too sure he isn’t dreaming.

#whumptober2020 #no.29 #nightmares #rogue one #the hunger games #fic #sacchi writes #cassian andor #cassian andor centric #word count: 1.5k

[kethsi]

I've been playing RS for around 15 years. I have no skills at 99. What can I do?

(There’s a TL;DR at the end if you’re in a hurry) One thing before I address the question itself - wow. From the bottom of my heart, WOW. You’re here for longer than most of us, anon. Remember you can put us all to shame by incorporating any old holiday outfits into your fashionscape. If you weren’t into events back then, slap on the 15 years cape you buy from Hans - it’s far more impressive to see than another max or 120 cape. Overall, remember that RuneScape’s a game. It’s here for your entertainment. You don’t need 99s to enjoy your favourite aspects of it or make some money. Now - here’s a few things to keep in mind when deciding on a course of action: Levels of Interest - you have to ask yourself which 99s you want, and which skills you’re willing to put up with. Some people hate dungeoneering, some hate agility, there’s even a weirdo here and there who hates combat (me. I’m that weirdo). Consider which one you’d want as your first 99. This is a moment I wish I could come back to and change myself. Which untrimmed cape is most appealing to you? Attack? Prayer? Slayer? Fishing? Herblore? Agility? Maybe one I haven’t mentioned here that belongs to your favourite skill? Do you intend to keepsake the cape once you get it to keep that memory? Or would a couple of screenies be enough? If that doesn’t matter to you, test some exp rates in different skills and simply work towards the fastest one you find. Try two or three different methods for each skill you know you dislike and ask yourself if you can see yourself wanting to dedicate any time to those methods at all. The biggest/best known ones are on the RuneScape Wiki. It’s always worth a look. Remember you can alternate between them so even if you like something, there’s no shame in training other skills instead of, for example, jumping around on an agility course for too many hours a day in a row. Ask yourself why you want to max a skill - Is it about some specific skill you know you’d be proud of until the other capes are within your grasp? Is one of the skills speaking to you emotionally/represents some dream job you would’ve liked? Is it about the Fashionscape? If it’s any of those, that’s completely fine. Creating your own neat memory of the first skill you chose to master is a lot of fun and is an excellent reason to go for it. But if it’s RuneScape being too well known for the “CAPE” part of its name, that’s an old meme. Some people feel the need to level simply because Jagex is keeping some of its new content behind higher-level doors, which is annoying as it’s Jagex’s own doing but if it does play a role, please remember to take a step back and remember this is an unfair element of the game design that isn’t very friendly to those of us who don’t chase exp at all costs. You don’t have to feel pressured if unbalanced game design is a big part of what pushes you to “fix” something about your character that isn’t broken at all. Prioritize your health - If you have work/classes that you’re tired after, a physical condition (especially with your hands/arms/back) that prolonged sitting and clicking around may worsen, ADHD or any other mental condition that makes long repetitive/boring tasks you hate seriously affect your mental state, or even if it’s “just” annoying/exhausting, these things can build up, so avoid the methods. What people forget about runescape is that there’s always more than one way to gain exp in stuff. “wasting” exp by taking breaks or doing fun stuff is the most fun thing to do in this game. Take it from me, procrastinating hard enough to drop my gainz rate to negligible is one of the only reasons I didn’t feel a burnout with this game. Distractions&Diversions (”activities”) - Several skills offer quicker bursts of exp/bonuses that make gaining exp easier for a short while. Familiarize yourself with them. For Divination, there’s Guthixian Caches. For Dungeoneering, there’s sinkholes. For Hunter, there’s Big Chinchompa. For Agility, there’s the Serenity Posts in the Hefin district in Prif. For Mining and Woodcutting there’s shooting stars and evil trees respectively. For Farming and Prayer (with slight exp in Dungeoneering and Mining too) there’s Nemi Forest. There’s also the Wild Jade vine for slight Farming&Slayer exp. All of the above are dailies, some can even be done twice a day. There’s also the weekly Skeletal Horror for some Slayer&Prayer exp, and God Statues for Construction (and a choice between Prayer and Slayer), if you need it. There’s also the weekly Tears of Guthix that raises your lowest skill, Circus for Magic, Ranging and some Agility (thieving&firemaking depending on what quests you did). Remember you don’t need to do all of these in a day or a week. My goal wasn’t to overwhelm you or make you feel like you need to do everything, I just want you to be aware of your options. YOU choose the skill to get EXP in - Continuing with d&ds/ activities, there are some that let you choose which skill you want your exp to go to. There’s Penguin Hide&Seek, every week, Agoroth which does the same after you fight it, Troll invasion which gives you more exp in a skill of your choice once a month. There’s also the Jack of Trades Aura - the best Aura in the game - that gives you daily exp (more exp the higher your level and the better the aura tier). These (along with Nemi Forest) are the ones I’d recommend if you have limited time and can choose only a few activities. There’s also Stealing Creation, which allows you to use your points to choose from a not unlimited, but wide enough range of skills to give yourself bonus EXP in (unfortunately it DOES take a long time to accumulate points in this minigame, so only do it if you actually find it enjoyable and have time to spare). This brings us to- Bonus EXP - Notoriously given by Jagex daily from Treasure Hunter and usually used to diminish people’s suffering leveling the slowest skills in the game or bankruptcy leveling the most expensive ones, pick the skill or two you know you hate the most and dump all of the prismatic stuff you get into it. Alternatively, you can put it all in the one skill you want to get 99 in first. Proteans and training dummy crates are in the same category. You usually get a choice what you want to use them for. I recommend making it after you’ve seen which skills are easier or more difficult for you. If you’re taking a stance against the whole thing or are playing on an ironman account now, more power to you and feel free to disregard this. Still, Stealing Creation is also a source of bonus EXP as mentioned above. So you can always use that, too. Quests - if you don’t have all of the quests in the game complete yet, check the RS wiki for the Experience Rewards you get from quests. I added a link for your viewing pleasure. Usually Master or Grandmaster quests you haven’t finished yet would either give neat chunks of EXP that can level you up in a skill or two, or a “choose your own gainz” lamp. Some might have an added exp bonus post-quest after you’ve reached a certain level. Sliske’s Endgame (I know, I know, big yikes), The World Wakes and While Guthix Sleeps, Children of Mah and the last of the Myreque quests provide some of the best “choose your own EXP” in the game for their completion. Always worth taking a look, maybe you haven’t done one or two of them yet. Get another opinion - Talk to friends or clanmates. Ask them what methods they’d recommend for any particular skill. Training cooking? maybe they just found the one fish in the game that can be bought raw for relatively cheap today. Training Summoning? maybe your clan follows patch notes and hidden updates and they’ve noticed some monsters drop crimson charms more often. Training Farming? Many wonderful people would lend or give you breeding pairs of animals you can breed and raise at Manor Farm. Hell, I can give you some animals myself if you want them. Chinchompas are the cutest thing since baby geckos and I have breeding pairs to spare!

TL;DR

1. Choose the skills you have the patience, mental and physical health for or the one you want to get 99 in the most 2. Compare training methods for those skills, using the RS wiki and your friends’ advice. Feel free to try some and find out what works best for you. 3. Get to training. Remember to take lots of breaks or alternate between skills or methods when necessary. 4. Distractions and Diversions are your friends. Especially the weekly/monthly ones that give you the direct choice of skill to dump exp in (Penguin Hide&Seek, Agoroth, Troll invasion). Also, Jack of Trades aura. It adds up like you would not believe. 5. Dump your bonus EXP in either the first skill you want to max, or the one/s you know you don’t have the patience for training. 6. If all else fails, check your quest list for any grandmaster quests you haven’t done yet. Maybe training the skills you’re “missing” for these quests will give you some feeling of set goal in the meantime. The rewards will push you a bit closer when you’re done. 7. This is a game. At the end of the day, if anyone tries to shame you or bring you down for not having a 99 in some skill, Buy the most expensive seniority cape Hans will Sell you and let the cape-obsessed noobs know you have unlocked the most important aspect of the game: Having actual fun in it for more time than they have.

[somecunttookmyurl]

The skincare post, or “I’m 29 and 18 year olds keep flirting with me because they think I’m 20″

DISCLAIMER: I am not a dermatologist. This is not a recommendation for specific products so much as an explanation of the routine I use. My skin is... well it’s normal. Not oily, not dry (not after I got into a routine and it balanced itself out, anyway). I don’t have acne, or dermatitis. My skin isn’t even sensitive. People with particular skin needs should use products suited to them.

The other reason this isn’t a product recommendation is that, for the most part, I just get whatever is on sale whenever something is coming to an end. Since I don’t have any particular skin conditions to cater for, it doesn’t really matter what particular stuff I buy. But I do get most of my stuff from maskhouse.co.uk who almost perpetually run offers and have a good loyalty point system. I’ve never paid full price for anything. Ever.

It’s long. The children are eternally disappointed when they ask me how this works and actually find out. Also: stay hydrated and go the fuck to sleep. Seriously.

PART 1(a): The morning

Step 1: Cleansing. Use a gentle foam cleanser (or even just plain water!) to wake up and refresh your skin. Pat (for the love of god do not rub) your face dry with a clean towel. Pictured: Hyggee Care Cleansing Foam, RRP £24.

Step 2: Toner. Toning sets your face up to properly absorb the rest of your skincare routine, and different toners can provide additional benefits. I have The World’s Largest Pores on my nose so I have an astringent toner aimed at minimising them. Gently wipe over face and neck never forget your neck with a cotton ball or pad. Leave to air dry. Brush your teeth or make the bed or something in the meantime. Pictured: SecretKey Black Out Pore Clean Toner RRP £16

Step 3: Essence. Essence is a very lightweight moisturiser designed to be used over your whole face. This light hydrating layer is designed to prime your skin for the more intense hydration, and you can buy them catered to all manner of skin types. Pat gently into the skin of your face and neck. You’re probably noticing a pattern here. Pat, never rub, and be as gentle as you can through the whole routine. Leave to absorb whilst doing some other part of your normal morning routine. Pictured: SecretKey Starting Treatment Essence RRP £35 Step 4 (a+b): Serums and eye cream. Serums are thicker hydrating layers that target specific problems and areas and are only applied where they are needed. As mentioned, I have Crater Pore Syndrome so my serum is meant for that. If you have red skin on your cheeks, you might use one for that. At the same time, apply an eye cream. The skin around the eyes is particularly delicate and needs extra care. Again, leave to absorb fully. Pictured: Its Skin Power 10 Effector Serum (PO) RRP £12 / SecretKey Snail Repairing Eye Cream RRP £30 Step 5: A light all-over moisturiser. Finish off the hydration with a lighweight all-over cream applied to the face and neck. Pictured: Simple Kind To Skin Hydrating Light Moisturiser RRP £4.29

Step 6: Refreshing under-eye roll. Especially useful for those of us with perpetual tired eyes. A cooling under-eye roll on with refresh and rejuvinate the under-eye area. Like wearing a cucumber mask for half an hour, except instant. Pictured: Polaar Icymagic Instant Eye Contour Multi Energiser RRP £24

Step 7: SPF. I don’t care if it’s deepest darkest December. UVA and UVB rays cause damage to the skin even when the sun is at its weakest. If you’re going to be leaving the house, apply a high SPF cream at least 15 minutes before leaving. Suncreams specifically designed for the face are more lightweight. Pictured: Berrisom Essence Sun SPF 50+ RRP £14

Part 1(b): The morning (alt.) or: GOOD GOD I LOVE SHEET MASKS

On alternate days (Monday, Wednesday, and Friday) I replace the entirety of steps 3, 4, and 5 with a sheet mask whilst I go about my business. Sheet masks are soaked in essence and are left on for 15-20 minutes whilst your skin absorbs it all. After removal, pat in the remaining essence (and dig out what was left in the package for your hands)

I get all of mine from MaskHouse.co.uk who frequently run kickass mask sales. I use 4 a week, in total, so I have a stash of like... 80 various masks under my bath right now.

Pictured: Berrisom Water Bomb Jelly Mask RRP £2.25 / Holika Holika Juicy Mask Sheet RRP £2 / Holika Holika Pure Essence Mask Sheet RRP £1.50

Part 2: The Evening

Step 1: Oil cleanser. Washing your face with oil might sound dumb as heck, but like clings to like and oil-based cleansing is an excellent way to remove makeup and daily greasemonkey buildup. Massage 1-2 pumps gently into the skin and rinse off. Pictured: SecretKey Lemon Sparkling Cleansing Oil RRP £24 Step 2: Foam cleanser. Remove additional debris and fully cleanse the face with a gentle foam cleanser. There’s no reason to use a different one to the morning I just got this one free and my Hyggee is running low. Pictured: G9Skin Milk In White Foam RRP £3.99

Step 3: Exfoliating. A gentle chemical exfoliator can be used every day to renew the skin. Gently wipe over face and neck with a cotton ball or pad in place of toner. Pictured: The Ordinary Glycolic Acid 7% Toning Solution RRP £6.75

Step 4 & 5 (a+b): Essence, serum, and eye cream. As with the morning, apply essence to face and neck, and once absorbed proceed with seums and eye cream.

Step 6: Night cream. Heavier than the moisturiser applied in the morning, designed to absorb overnight. Pictured: Berrisom The Prestige Balancing Cream RRP £55

Step 7: Sleeping Pack. Even more intense than the night cream. Sleeping packs are mightily thick solutions that are almost mask-like, to keep your face fully hydrated overnight. Pictured: Missha Nearskin Egg White Pack RRP £11.99

Step 8: Balancing gel. This is the only time I’m going to make a specific product recommendation, if only because I know of nothing else like it. This balancing gel product forms a barrier over your skin, effectively “locking in” all the moisture you’ve already provided and allowing for better absorption. To apply, squeeze on to fingertips, press fingertips together, and press on to skin. Rubbing this product at all will not work. Especially recommended for winter, or dry climates. Pictured: Pyunkang Yul Balancing Gel RRP £27

Part 3: The full facial (Sundays)

Every Sunday I throw the normal morning routine out the window and perform a full thorough facial. This takes a long-ass time, but most of it is sitting around waiting so it’s a good excuse to lounge around watching cartoons in your PJs. If you have a problem with sebaceous filaments (that’s the shit on your nose that looks for all the world like blackheads but actually isn’t) this is good for reducing that. Also: do not do this for the first time right before a major event. Trust me on this one.

I forgot to include it in the picture, but cleanse before starting.

Step 1: Exfoliating Peel. A stronger chemical exfoliator than the one used daily. Always do a patch test when using a new product like this. Apply as directed and leave for 10 minutes before rinsing off and patting face dry. Pictured: The Ordinary AHA 30% + BHA 2% Peeling Solution RRP £6.25 Step 2: Clay mask. After your skin has been peeeeeeeeeeeeeeled, it’s fully primed for a clay mask to bring out all the impurities in your skin. You know how I said “don’t do this right before a major event?” yeah. You’re probably going to have pimples tomorrow if this is your first time. Better out than in, eh? Apply an even layer to face and neck, avoiding the eye area, and leave for 15-20 mins. Rinse thoroughly and pat face dry. Pictured: Sun Privé Sun + Shine Skin Pink Clay Mask RRP £24.99

Step 3: Pore strip. With your pores thoroughly exfoliated and deep-cleaned, this is the best time to do a nose pore strip to remove blackheads. Pictured: Holika Holika Pig Nose Clear Blackhead 3-step Kit RRP £3.50

Step 4 (a+b): Sheet mask + hydrogel eye patch. Sheet masks you know about, but hydrogel eye patches are specifically shaped and designed to be applied to the under-eye area and provide some deep moisture to your delicate skin. Apply eye patches, and pop the sheet mask on top. Pictured: Petitfee Gold & Snail Hydrogel Eye Patch RRP £10.78 / Missha Pure Source Cell Sheet Mask RRP £1.50

#skincare

[nadinelovescoffee]

Espresso So You: A Training Manual On Espresso Enjoying

Do you take pleasure in that day glass of joe? A lot of people do! What kind of coffee do you love to beverage? Take time out to look at the many alternatives. Take into account the suggestions that adhere to the next time you will make or acquire gourmet coffee.

Caffeine can be quite a wonderful accessory for a good lifestyle. Gourmet coffee is not really the trouble, but introducing extreme amounts of glucose and skin cream may be. Use stevia or soy products whole milk to keep your coffee healthier.

Whenever you acquire coffee legumes, keep these in other places in comparison to the package they came in. You will need a container that helps to keep the beans from the atmosphere and light-weight. This assists maintain their quality and know more to visit us.

Only buy natural and organic espresso. Espresso is an extremely absorbent crop, and derives a lot of taste from the earth in which it started. So, organic and natural gourmet coffee will preference much better than anything else in most cases.

It comes with an almost neverending variety of gourmet coffee from that you can pick. There are actually those who like darkish roasted legumes, while some choose milder flavours. There are also flavoured coffees, including raspberry and hazelnut. The majority of folks will stick with a flavored creamer to do the trick.

Generally perform a trial run manage with any new coffee machine. Manage the coffeemaker only using drinking water. That gets rid of dust or smells that will build up in machines ahead of purchase.

To obtain a excellent cool gourmet coffee beverage, produce an incredibly strong volume before you go to sleep and permit it to sit down within your refrigerator immediately. In this manner, you can have cool gourmet coffee that is not watered down right after being poured over ice cubes. For best effects, include additional items including sweetener and milk products well before chilling the gourmet coffee. This offers you wonderful iced gourmet coffee if you wake up.

For older or inexpensive coffee makers, you can have much better gourmet coffee by heating drinking water before making the espresso. Once you have a cooking pot of water at a sufficiently popular temp, place it into the coffee maker. This can ensure you a make which is the coolest and choices the ideal.

Excellent normal water is essential once and for all gourmet coffee. You really should use bottled water while you might think bottled water is a complete waste of cash, it will create your gourmet coffee style better. In the event you fail to use water in bottles, think about using a faucet purifier. You will not receive the identical style as bottled but it will be better than faucet water.

Left over caffeine should not be stored for later and reheated. Work with a thermal mug to help keep the coffee very hot for too long intervals. Otherwise, just make another cooking pot of gourmet coffee to be able to expertise the very best preference.

By no means just toss espresso grounds into a coffee maker without determining first. Match up the number of servings you'd like to the correct way of measuring of reasons. A cup of coffee is not really a mug as it is only around six oz .. The ideal percentage is six ounces of water that is clean to 2 tablespoons ground espresso. Avoid a measuring mug until you want watered down coffee.

Chocolates is a great option to merge with your coffee. Including flavours to coffee provides greater flavour and quite often an energy increase. If you wish an earlier day enhance of electricity, have darker dark chocolate coffee.

Hold back until the complete container of caffeine is finished preparing prior to preparing the first mug even if your machine features a pause work. When it's feasible to accomplish this with some equipment, it's not beneficial to the espresso. If you wish coffee prepared when you get up, have a look at designs by using a clock. Then, your coffee will likely be completely ready whenever you alert.

Many individuals use sugar substitutes with their coffees, and you will be one of those. This can alter how your espresso tastes which is probably not a good thing. Try enjoying black colored coffee and incorporating just a crunch of raw sweets to enhance the taste. If you fail to forego sweetener, try to use a smaller amount of it.

If you cannot locate what you would like within an personal produce, consider utilising combines. In case you are unclear which flavors to mix, chat with a cafe employee and request for a professional recommendation. Many merchants will offer you examples of the flavored coffees before you purchase a complete handbag.

If food store coffee isn't living around your anticipations, you might like to start to look in other places. Chances are, food store coffee isn't the freshest. By store shopping at a retail store specializing in gourmet coffee, you are sure to acquire very clean legumes.

If you're employing a type of drip gourmet coffee brewer, be sure the h2o you place involved with it is cold. Very hot water will not be employed in these sorts of brewers. In these kinds of machines, the caffeine is made as being the water receives warmed up. Very hot water for your gourmet coffee will likely scald espresso grounds. This will cause your caffeine to be bitter and could also be a security danger.

Create your espresso with charcoal filtered h2o. You can buy various filters that will help make the faucet water taste far better. You can even get a coffee brewer by using a built-in charcoal filter. An additional option would be to attend your food store to purchase charcoaled filtered drinking water.

If you appreciate iced coffee place the French click inside the freezer the evening prior to. This helps the equipment chill for a number of time ahead of the morning hours. In the morning, then add frosty h2o and then make the cleanest, sweetest gourmet coffee you might have ever tasted.

Make sure your caffeine is closed properly. Oxygen coverage can destroy the flavour of espresso. It could use a lifeless and smooth preference. Get it in the enclosed container so fresh air cannot get to it.

Coffee brewing time may have a huge effect on flavor. If you want the total flavor, you ought to brew it between four and a few minutes. If espresso usually spends less time making, it will preference fragile, and espresso brewed longer may be bitter.

With all the recommendations right here, you are prepared to have on the market are start experimenting. What kind of gourmet coffee are you going to attempt next. Do your pals like caffeine at the same time? In that case, take them out to the local retail store and get some exciting searching for gourmet coffee!

#Espresso Enjoying #Manual On Espresso #Espresso

[lovely-sanie]

𝕯𝖊𝖘𝖙𝖎𝖓𝖞 𝕬𝖜𝖆𝖎𝖙𝖘: Path 1 〈Tell Him You Want To Go Home〉

├ Genre: ATEEZ Pirate AU

├ Warnings: piracy, kidnapping

├ Word Count: 1129

├ A/N: Another part!

☞ The Intro | Path 1 | Fight Him | Tell Him Yourself | Hide Behind...

or

☞ The Intro | Path 1 | Fight Him | Tell Him Yourself | Demand to...

Previously: 

The heavy tension in the air increases as the captain turns his gaze to you. His eyebrow quirks up as your body betrays you, trembling as you face down the captain of ATEEZ.

“What say you?”

Alternatively:

“I’m Hongjoong, the captain of this ship. It has come to my attention that one of my crew has brought you here against your will. I am prepared to let you off at the next port if that is what you wish.”

“I want to go home,” you state. 

The captain nods. “Alright. We’ll drop you off at the next port. For now, you should get some rest.” He motions to the door. “One of the crew will show you to your sleeping quarters for the night.”

You nod, walking over to the door. “Thank you.”

When you step out, Seonghwa guides you down a set of stairs not too far from the captain’s door. 

Once at the bottom, you take a look around the room, not expecting such a large space. It was obviously designed for many more people than it housed, the eight beds in the room looking miles apart from one another.

“That will be your bed for the night,” Seonghwa says, motioning the bed on the end of the left side, the one farthest from the stairs. 

You nod. “Okay.”

“I and the other might come in to rest at some point during the night, but we won’t bother you.”

“Alright.”

“You should be back on land tomorrow night.”

You don’t say anything, just nod once more.

“Alright. Have a good rest, (Y/N).”

You hold back your urge to scoff, instead nodding for one last time. There was no way you’d sleep easily on a pirate ship. 

Seonghwa leaves the room, leaving you to your own devices. 

Walking over, you sit down on the bed that was to be yours for the night and bounce a little. It didn’t feel like the worst mattress, which was good. Laying down, you settle in to at least try to sleep.

Moments later, you’re sound asleep, the events of the night catching up to you.

When you awaken, the dingy room is lit up by sunlight streaming through a small circular window near the middle of the wall opposite the door. All of the beds are empty, possibly having remained so for the entire night.

Stretching carefully, you stand, wobbling for a moment as the rocking of the ship catches up to you. 

Once your balance returns, you walk over the stairs, peering up the before climbing to the top and peering around the corner. There were no pirates in sight, but that just meant that they were somewhere else on the ship.

“Are you going to go out?”

The soft voice from behind you causes you to jump. Spinning around, you almost smile when you see a kind-looking man with black hair before remembering that you’re on a pirate ship and he’s a pirate.

“Um, yeah. I just-”

“Was looking to see if any of us were nearby.”

You nod. “Yeah.”

The man smiles. “I was the same way when I first got here. I’m Yeosang.”

Your eyes widen. “The-”

“The 8th prince of New Goryeo, yes.” He winces. “I would appreciate if you didn’t tell anyone on the mainland about me.”

“Don’t you want to go home?”

Yeosang shakes his head. “I’m much freer out here with the crew.”

“The king is considering you deceased.”

“Even more reason for me to stay away.”

You sigh. “You-”

“I’ve had all the thoughts you are having. I’ve made peace with the fact that none of my family can know that I am alive.”

“Alright.”

“Now,” his bright demeanor returns, “would you like food?”

Your stomach rumbles, answering for you.

He chuckles. “I’ll take that as a yes. Follow me.”

He steps around you then, leading the way after he’s sure you’re following. He leads you a short way down the hall to a swing door. He pushes it open and holds it there for you to enter.

You look around the room, which you can now identify as the kitchen and dining area. Seonghwa is in the kitchen doing something while a brunet, San, and Wooyoung sit at one of the two tables in the dining portion of the room.

Looking over to where you and Yeosang stand, Seonghwa smiles. “Have a seat. The food will be ready soon.”

Watching San, you frown. “I think-”

“It’s midday already,” Yeosang tells you. “You need to eat.”

You gasp. “That late already.”

He nods. “We were going to wake you this morning, but Seonghwa insisted that we let you sleep.”

You glance over at Seonghwa. “That was nice of him.”

“We’re not a terrible bunch. San has a temper but he’s not as much of an asshole as you seem to think.”

Glancing at San, you turn your attention back to Yeosang. “Honestly, it doesn’t matter much. I’ll be off this ship tonight and I’ll never see any of you again.”

Yeosang shrugs. “Alright.”

Night comes quickly, even though you don’t really do much on the ship except watch the crew work. Being a pirate is a lot more work than you’d imagined.

The ship begins to drift towards the port as you cling to the railing on the deck of the ship. Yeosang stands beside, hands clasped behind his back, watching the port town as it appears.

You hear shouts for the anchor to be dropped and soon, the ship is rocking in a stationary position a good distance away from the port. You watch as the skiff is lowered into the water and held near the boat with ropes.

“Seonghwa and Yunho will be going with you,” Yeosang tells you. “They’ll get you to shore, but it’s up to you to find your way back home.”

You nod. It was fair. The pirates shouldn’t risk their lives for you anymore than they already have because of San.

Seonghwa steps up next to you. “Ready?”

You smile genuinely. “Yeah.”

Turning to Yeosang, you bow, prompting him to chuckle and bow back. You then make your way over to the side of the boat where a rope hangs for you to climb down into the skiff. 

Peering over, you see another black-haired man waiting in the skiff. Turning, you clamber over the side and carefully climb down the rope, breathing out a sigh of relief once you’re safely in the skiff.

Seonghwa climbs down a lot more gracefully than you had and then the ropes on either end of the skiff are untied. Soon enough, you’re off to land.

It doesn’t take long to reach the beach, where Seonghwa steps out of the skiff and helps you out as well.

“This is where we part,” he tells you.

“Okay.” You glance back to the ship then smile up at him. “Thank you.”

“No thanks needed.”

He walks away, taking back streets to get to his goal. You take a more obvious approach and head down the main street. 

The adventure was over but you were sure you would remember it for a long time, if not because of the events themselves, then because of the people you met.

Congratulations! You have reached one ending of Destiny Awaits! You can stop here or explore the different paths. Thank you for reading!

#lovely-sanie #s: destiny awaits #ateez #ateez au #ateez pirate au #ateez imagines #ateez scenarios #kpop #kpop au #kpop imagines #kpop scenarios

[scretladyspider]

Some tips for college students:

Try to get some sleep every night

Don't believe in the myth that an all-nighter is some glorious rite of passage, you need to take care of yourself and to do that you should be sleeping regularly

Try to drink water every day

You can, if needed, use a coffee pot to make ramen, among other things

The dollar store is a good friend

Sing in the shower without shame

CHECK YOUR EMAIL EVERY DAY

Seriously, check your email

Talk to your professors!!! Not just if you're having trouble but because they're super cool people and you should say hello!

Turn off the TV while you're studying. Get off social media. No twitter. No - put that phone down - no - you can answer that text later -

Most colleges have designated quiet areas for studying in the library!

Take notes in class! Writing stuff down helps you remember it! If you have a lot of trouble with this, most colleges actually hire note takers!

Don't be too timid to ask that question! Raise your hand!

Remember that you are paying for an education, and if your professor isn't doing their job you have every right to complain. They do not get to treat you like dirt or be lazy just because they feel entitled or have tenure. You are paying for a service and they better fucking give you that service.

If you're gonna have sex, remember to use protection. Condoms are everyone's friend!

If you are in an uncomfortable situation regarding a sexual encounter, you have every right to leave! If something happens, report it without shame! Consent is always necessary! Always! On both ends! 

If you aren’t clear on whether the person is consenting, straight up ask! If you get anything less than an enthusiastic yes, verbally, STOP EVERYTHING IMMEDIATELY! 

IT IS NOT YOUR FAULT IF SOMETHING HAPPENS AGAINST YOUR WILL. EVER. NEVER EVER. ANYONE WHO SAYS OTHERWISE IS FUCKKNG GARBAGE.

Depressed and anxious? Overwhelmed? Everything is too much all at once? Go to your colleges counseling center. Pretty much every college has one now and it's good to talk to someone; some can even prescribe medication.

Stretch every morning

It's okay to not wear makeup to class if you wake up late! It's totally fine!!!

Grades are harder to obtain in college. A high school A is like a college C.

So don't be quite so hard on yourself.

Tea is a great alternative to coffee. But go easy on energy drinks, they’re really bad for your kidneys. 

Water! Water! Water! 

The “Freshman 15″ is kind of a myth because honestly around your early 20′s your metabolism changes a bit, and starving yourself to try to make sure you don’t gain weight isn’t going to help anyone least of all you, so seriously, don’t worry about it.

Put your keys in the same place every night. No really. You will lose them frequently if you don’t do this, there’s already so much to keep track of

Study hard, but also give yourself a break.

You get out of it what you put in, but if it’s killing you you aren’t going to get anything out of it, so seriously, please take breaks now and then.

You're going to have to say no now and then to hanging out with people. That's totally okay to do for any reason that you need to.

Be your own advocate. No one else is going to do it. That assignment not in the grade book? That professor not doing his job? Have a disability and need accommodations? You have to be the person who says something.

If you figure out that you can't do as much as other students (like take as many classes) that's fine!!! Take as long as you need to graduate. It's better than running yourself into the ground.

Remember that being a workaholic is glorified in college but don't fall for the myth! YOU matter more than your grades!!!! You don't have to be in every extra curricular!! You don't have to try to do all the things!!! Take breaks!!!!

It's okay if you figure out that college isn't the best path for you. There are options!

Take photos of everything!

Talk to your roommate about something if it bugs you. You are going to be living with that person for a few months; talk to them directly about the problem. No passive aggressive bullshit. For example, "it bothers me when you drink my soda without asking. Can you please stop doing that?" You state what the problem is, not dodge around it, and asked for a solution. There you go. Simple. 

If you really hate living with someone, and they ask you if you wanna live with them again, say no. You don’t have to make yourself miserable to make someone else happy.

Forgive your roommate if they're messier than you might like - and talk to them about it! Maybe there's a reason why they haven't been cleaning!

There is no shame in being an utter nerd, especially in college

You don't have to be who your parents want you to be. You are in college for YOU. Not for them. 

That weird social event? Check it out! That person you think you have a crush on? Talk to them! Don’t be afraid to stick your neck out! 

You don’t have to find your soulmate in college. Marrying the wrong person is much worse than not marrying at all.

In the end, remember that this stuff is important, but you should only be sacrificing so much of yourself for your education. You are always, always, always more important than your grades or a degree. Always.

#college #student #study #positive #college student #tips #tips and tricks #advice #college advice

[broqueroi]

Unsolicited Stucky FicRec

These are the fics that had absolutely wrecked my soul. Possibly will never dig my out of this hole that sucked me in years ago and no regret or whatsoever. This list will be updated as time goes by. 

Building From the Ground Up Series by EmilianaDarling 

E | Completed | 68,687 words

“What about you, Barnes?” asks Dugan. The sound of his voice brings Bucky back to the present, dredges him out of memories of a beat-up little apartment with sunlight streaming in through the windows. “Got yourself a girl waiting for you back home?”

There’s an answer on the tip of his tongue, one that he’ll deliver with a cocky grin and a half-laugh and a little shake of his head. But Bucky is exhausted and hungry and so sore it hurts to move, and one of the guys in their platoon fucking died yesterday. His mouth tastes like iodine water and his feet hurt and none of it’s going to get better any time soon, and all at once Bucky misses Steve so badly he can barely see straight.

“Yeah,” Bucky declares abruptly, the word escaping from his mouth before he fully realizes what he’s saying. “Yeah, I do.”

The One Where (Somehow) the Team is Oblivious by Darksknight

E | Completed | 16,495 words

Wanda had kissed her brother on his cheek after being separated from him for a short time- she understands a need for closeness after being lonely. But Wanda never slept on top of her brother, so seeing Bucky on top of Steve... is a little odd. (Steve and Bucky act a lot closer than friends usually do. There's a reason for that.)

Vicissitude by Messiah

E | Wip | 48,085 words

If Steve were a balloon, seeing Bucky wear the familiar star-spangled uniform was the needle that sent him deflating across the room. He couldn’t explain the ache in his chest or the ice in his stomach or why the smile he pushed onto his lips felt like a too tight sweater.

A story about sand monsters, masked terrorists and alien bullets that would make any supermodel jealous. Not that Steve was aiming to fit into a Victoria Secret bikini anytime soon, but the fact still remained. Just like the fact that Steve found himself back where he started seventy years ago: small, sick and with Bucky finishing his fights.

Yes, Captain Series by marlowe_tops

E | Completed | 42,934 words

Starts pre-Serum, in which Bucky takes seriously terrible care of himself because he’s trying to stifle the feelings he keeps having for Steve. Steve gets so pissed that he flat out orders Bucky into eating and sleeping and they both quickly realize Bucky loves being ordered around, but their new-forged domestic bliss is quickly damaged by the encroaching war.

~

“Yes, Captain,” Bucky sasses, when he’s capable of speech again.

Steve stills. His head tilts very slightly. Not shocked, not angry. Considering.

Bucky feels adrenaline flood through his body. This little punk is ninety pounds wet, and Bucky is absolutely frozen in his chair intimidated by him.

In the Deed of the Glory Series by queenmab_scherzo

E | Completed | 184,945 words

Steve and Bucky end up playing for rival college football teams.

Rivers and Roads by AustinB

E | Completed | 28,569 words

Steve is working undercover for Hydra when he gets an unexpected promotion.

To the Winter Soldier Project.

Devour by SeptemberWolves 🔒

E | Completed | 77,002 words | + other pairs

Steve was on top of an office building when he caught the scent of an unmarked omega going into heat.

(The Winter Soldier goes into heat unexpectedly during a mission. Steve loses control and mates him. None of them are prepared for the consequences. Luckily the Avengers are there to help.)

Painted in Indigo by nekare

M | Completed | 11,031 words

“You should be careful of that one,” Mr. Hendrickson says, with a nod to Bucky outside the window. “It ain’t right. Looking at you all the time as he does. The way he should be looking at girls.”

Steve laughs, because damn, but what a ridiculous idea.

Or, five times Steve caught Bucky looking at him, and the one time he looked first.

Restless 'verse Series by Claudia_flies

E | Completed | 39,635 words

Bucky jolts awake. His legs are tangled in a maroon colored duvet. He is lying in the middle of a large king bed, surrounded by pillows in matching maroon pillowcases. He is warm, but there is a part of him, deep in his gut that is still cold.

There are no dreams in cryo.

sokrovische moyo by greenbergsays

E | Completed | 30,000 words

The one where Bucky is a dragon, Steve is a water nymph, and somehow, they fall in love.

Captain Aggressively-Whipped: Kick-Ass Warbuddies by FlyByNightGirl

E | Wip | 61,994 words

“Oh god man. Shut up. We’ll save your goddamn butt buddy but I swear to god I better not hear a single damn thing about your ass and that metal arm after, you hear? Or I'm fucking out. Like that. Light switch man. I will find the goddamn door.”

Steve clapped him on the shoulder, shaking once for emphasis. “I knew you'd understand.”

He didn’t miss the miserable eye roll up to the sky, but he couldn’t be sure what Sam muttered under his breath, although it did sound suspiciously like you flirt with a guy once and suddenly you’re helping him back to his betrothed and. Well.

Steve sure knew how to pick good friends.

The Man on the Bridge Series by boopboop 🔒

M | Completed | 132,027 words 

Steve Rogers turning up at Tony's door in the middle of the night might be a bit out of character, but it's not completely out of the realm of possibility. Stranger things have happened.

Steve Rogers turning up at Tony's door with an amnesiac assassin - who may or may not have some of Tony's personally designed hardware attached where his arm should be - well that's just far too interesting to turn away, even if Tony is trying to avoid all things S.H.I.E.L.D these days.

Monster and the man by cookie_book_took

E | Completed | 88,720 words

Steve finds something he wants and he's going to get it. It doesn't matter that the man of his desires has a boyfriend, doesn't matter than he doesn't feel the same, doesn't matter that they've barely shared a conversation.

Bucky Barnes is his, his mind, his body and eventually his heart will all belong to Steve....

or : Bucky just wants to go about his comfortable life but Psychopath Steve had over ideas. His body and mind are turned upside down by Steve, but he won't let him have his heart so easily.

alternatively: MONSTER AND THE MAN: A SUMMARY

Bucky's internal monologue: Dis bitch. ... .

Steve's internal monologue: MY BITCH <3

Steve, Bucky and the Apex Alpha by cookie_book_took

E | Wip | 23,140 words

After waking from the ice, Steve suffers from headaches, blackouts...and abstract thoughts.

When he's introduced to an intriguing omega, his symptoms intensify.

He likes Bucky, of course he does, but the omega already has an alpha. The more he sees Bucky, the more he thinks about him, the stronger the impulse is to have him, the more his possessive thoughts grow.

but they aren't his thoughts...another personality battles for control inside Steve's mind, he calls himself the Apex Alpha and he's got his heart set on claiming the omega for his own...

On indefinite hiatus

the sweetest kind of poison by yellow_crayon

E | Completed | 60,852 words

Between running an orphanage with his over-protective brothers and Colonel Steve Rogers's increasingly inappropriate advances, Bucky's life is...complicated.

(Bucky participates in the Annual Hunt to get the cash rewards and meets Steve who wants him bad. AU)

Sharp Teeth and Bird Bones by Shaish, Stringlish

E | Completed | 32,629 words

I'll always find you.

Breathless by thelittlestpurplecat

E | Completed | 24,847 words

Steve's Serum is failing. He's suffering again from asthma, colorblindness, dizziness and heart trouble, problems he thought he'd left behind in the 40's. Tony and Bruce can see the problem, but not how to fix it, and Bucky is determined through all of this to do what's best for Steve, even if he's not always sure what that is.

The Curves of Your Lips Rewrite History by agetwellcard

E | Completed | 17,498 words

After Steve's wedding, Bucky kisses Steve and everything changes.

(AU in which Steve and Bucky survive the war. Steve marries Peggy, and Bucky has to deal with his feelings for Steve.)

We Were Here All Along by giselleslash

E | Completed | 15,046 words

After the events in DC Bucky shows up at Steve’s door. All Steve wants to do is hide him away from the world so when Natasha offers the use of one of her safehouses Steve takes her up on it. Now the two of them are together, and on their own, nothing but two ghosts haunting a cabin in the woods desperately trying to get back to each other.

The Sun & The Star by greenbergsays

T | Completed | 2,146 words 

There is a way these things are done; this is not it.

--

Or the one where Steve belongs to the Winter Soldier.

An Accident of Time by Pickitup

M | Completed | 42,282 words 

Boys weren’t omegas. Not outside of blue movies, or bluer songs, at least, the kind of anecdotes too ribald even for soldiers to tell. Girls were omegas, sometimes, but rarely, even in those days. Dying breeds, he guessed. When he was the asset it had stopped entirely, he had thought it all over: feels sick thinking of what they would have done to exploit him if he had suffered back then. But now, 2014, eating three meals a day, sleeping regularly in a safe bed, the old ghost has come back.

Heat Wave Series by cleo4u2, xantissa

E | Wip | 413,056 words

Captain America and the Winter Soldier meet for the first time in 2015. Now Bucky, after years of torture at Hydra's and more as a prisoner of S.H.I.E.L.D., is being given the chance to gain his freedom. All he has to do, is complete a mission with a team he can't stand while following the orders of yet another pompous, controlling Alpha. Steve thinks he can get his team through their most difficult mission to date, so long as he can get the smell of the Winter Soldier's heat out of his nose.

#Unsolicited Ficrecs #Stucky #Steve Rogers #Bucky Barnes #fic #ficrec #fanfiction #stucky fic #stucky ficrec #stucky fanfiction