#or like he is legit dropping bowling balls

[autumnbell32]

Not me sitting here smiling while the maintenance men pound the shit outta my bathroom tile, likely keeping my loud as FUCK night owl upstairs neighbor awake all day.

#listen #every night he wakes me up #doing god knows what #often it sounds real gross #or like he is legit dropping bowling balls #he lives alone but runs across his apartment all the time #no exaggeration #i feel a bit guilty #but also vindicated #apartment living #loud neighbors

[quitealotofsodapop]

Just curious, how do the lmk crew when they are sick and when others are sick? (Not pregnancies since that whole different ball park.)

OK heres my hcs for how LMK gang deals with being sick/others being sick:

Xiaotian/MK: Ignores serious symptoms until he physically cannot walk. And although he loves the extra break time, he almost goes nuts when he's too sick and feverish to much else but rest. Draws a lot when ill, especially of his fever dreams. To Others: he goes full worried mother-hen on them. Soup, tea, soft pillows, meds, you name it - he'll zoom across town for it. Often ends up catching whatever the other person had cus of proximity.

Xiaojiao/Mei: Legit doesn't notice her symptoms until she starts flagging mid-drive, then she puts herself on strict bedrest until she's good enough to hit the road again. Prefers to treat herself, so she gets embarassed when she gets really sick and the others have to step in. To Others: Jokingly mourns them and drops off a bag filled with their fave snacks before booking it out the door. She will support them from a distance. XD

Sun Wukong: "Bah! Illness is for dorky mort- ACHOO!!" His relative isolation on FFM and hubris towards earths tiniest organisms has left SWK with almost zero immunity to common diseases. Pretty much passes out the second he gets the tiniest cold. Will try and meditate/sleep his way back to normal, but will need to be dragged kicking and screaming to a doctor. To Others: The opposite. Mortals are so fragile! Are you ok!? Why is your nose running? Are you dying?! This monkey goes into full panic mode over the smallest ailments. Buys out the pharmacy's stock in cough syrup and cold meds. Probably makes himself sick in the process.

Macaque: Accepts his fate and holes himself up in a nest for the foreseeable future. Has a slightly stronger immune system than Wukong (don't tell me that this monkey didn't live like an alley cat at some point), but in the case of really serious illness will crawl himself towards his nearest ally and/or enemy for assistance/a more honorable death. Secretly enjoys being pampered while in his more vunerable state. To Others: Full mom-mode combined with "I told you so" attitude. Strict bedrest and warm blankets. Monkey instincts take over and he'll make the sick person eat weird medicinal plants he finds/alchemises, and cuddle them in hopes of making them feel better. Often times it works.

Pigsy: Claims he's never taken a sick day in his life. Is proven wrong the first time he catches a random virus and has to shut the down kitchen for about a week. Is very frustrated, but puts the customers' safety over his pride. When he gets the slightest bit better he'll start cooking up a storm to make up for lost time. To Others: "Sick. Leave. Now." Will physically carry his sick friends/workers to the doctors to get meds before he lets them in the door. Will stuff the sick person full of healthy traditional soup recipes to encourage "natural healing" in addition to strict medical assistance. Will claim that he'd do this for anyone (he lying).

Tang: "Oh no~ I have the flu! I guess I'll have to stay home and be feed soup by my beloved Piggy~" This man will 100% take advantage of his sickness for attention. Don't lie to me. To Others: On one hand, eww. On the other, he may be able to steal a bowl of Pigsy's healing soup. Will smile fondly and let the ill person recover in their own time with meds.

Sandy: Goes belly up in the water. He's a guy with great constitution, so he doesn't get sick often. But when he does? Doctor, now. Can bounce back fairly quickly if treated, but he'll insist on the others not getting too close to him or his cats less they catch it too. Will appriciate any help (esp with his foster cats) around the boat house tho. Cat cuddle pile until he's better. To Others: Enters the room wearing a face mask and gloves, holding a tray of different teas (hot and iced), and offers to lend his aromatherapy machine. Very big on holistic methods, but won't discourage modern medicine.

Red Son: Goes into "dying victorian child"-mode. Was in the Guanyin's Southern Seas paradise for centuries (so no immunities) and likely hasn't caught most diseases simply because his body runs too hot for the micro-organisms to survive. But if he catches something supernatural, or it triggers a violent immuno-response? He's a sweaty mess unable to move from his bed, surrounded by ice packs. It's very difficult to take care of him in this state cus he's like smouldering lava. His parents get *very* worried. Gets ridiculously honest, slurring things like; "I love you so much noodle boy~" *passes tf out* to his caretakers. Doesn't remember a thing afterwards. To Others: "Bull Clones! Initiate hazmat procedures!" Gets mega worried cus he's never had to help someone in this state before, but understands how laboratory hazmat works, so will assist wearing full PPE. Will disinfect the ill person's entire living space to eliminate future threats. If the sick person is someone *really important to them, Red will panic and seek out supernatural assistance.

Nezha: "Sick? Nah I don't get sick." *falls asleep at the breakfast table the second no one's looking*. Tries to "tough it out" like he believes he should, but is woefully unprepared for how protective the rest of the gang can be. It's been a long time since someone has actually tucked him in and nursed him back to health - he gets really emotional. Will now die for his caretakers' no matter how small his ailments were. To Others: Vows to help however he can, and then goes to stand guard at the bedroom door. Will call for advice on bedside manner stuff cus he's not used to it (youngest of three yo) beyond what his mom would do for him as a toddler.

Bai He: Little kid. Will sneeze and cough and allow herself to be corralled into bed for the week. Very sleepy. Stuffed animal fort will be built to protect her. Mo may sneak in to cuddle her better. To Others: Is told to keep away from the sick person less she catches it, but will sneak in and donate one of her fave toys to keep them company. In the case of non-communicable ailments; will sneak in and try to cuddle the sick person better since that always makes her feel better too. Brings her tablet so that they can watch something together.

+(Au character) Chenxiang: Is pretty healthy, but also has no idea how personal health works. Gets his first ever really bad illness by getting drenched in rain one night and not drying himself off properly. Hallucinates feverishly and mistakes Wukong as still being his Sifu, and that he needs to save his mother. Multiple family members are required to wrangle Chenxiang back to bed in this state. Gets really quiet/wistful once he starts getting better. To Others: Gets really worried and immediately summons the adults for help. The only other time in the past he's cared for a sick person... didn't end happily. So he gets really really insistent on the sick person going to the doctor, taking meds, drinking tea & soup, everything. Pretty much helicopters over the sick until they get better, or if the adults take over for him.

#lmk character hcs #lego monkie kid #lmk #lmk hcs #illness tw #qi xiaotian #lmk mei #long xiaojiao #sun wukong #six eared macaque #liu er mihou #lmk pigsy #lmk tang #lmk sandy #lmk red son #lmk bai he #lmk lbd's host #lmk nezha #the monkey king and the infant #the monkey king and the infant au #lmk liu chenxiang #liu chenxiang #liu chen xiang

[writingintheshadowsforever]

The Sheningans of The New Avengers Part 2: Locker Room Mess

"You know Yelena if this Avenger thing doesn't workout. You could totally be a professional chef" You said. A bit of drool leaving your mouth at the sight of a stack of chocolate chip waffles waiting to be devoured on the table. Along with other breakfast food choices it was practically a feast. There was bacon, sausage patties, scrambled eggs, grits, and giant bowl of fruit. For drinking choices a pot of steaming coffee sat in the coffee machine holder, and there was a jug of orange juice sitting on the island. It had been a week since you and Peter had managed to pin the mess from the food fight on. Yelena and Kate besides being placed on kitchen duty for two weeks. Both of them was always tasked with providing breakfast for the whole team including you and Peter.

While you had no fear in rubbing the win in both of the girl's faces. Peter did the exact opposite and tried to act like everything was normal. Whenever he entered the kitchen in the morning to find a well-cooked breakfast waiting for him, and at night when he would have to place his dishes in the sink for them to clean. Peter begged you to do the same and to stop rubbing salt in the wound. He knew Yelena at least was planning some type of revenge even though. Technically her and Kate had brought the food fight and the punishment upon themselves by trying to trick you and Peter. You were confident that no matter what they planned that you would see it coming and be ready for it.

"You know y/n maybe I will trade in my Avenger status for my assassin one again." Yelena started with an over cheerful look on her face, which grew into a more darker one. As she continued "I'll start by poisoning your breakfast."

You nearly choked on the waffle stuffed in your mouth but managed to recover and swallow it. "Hey I was being legit you're a really good cook because I know this was all you."

"Hey I made the coffee and setup the fruit bowl" Kate protested.

"And the coffee is delicious" Peter chimed in holding up the coffee pot.

"Thank you" Kate beamed.

Yelena shoved at her shoulder with a frown. "Hey stop being nice with him they are the enemies" she said.

"No we're not Yelena we're going to be our first mission as an official team soon you know." Peter said walking over to the table to take a seat. You had already fixed his plate and held out for him to take. In return he set down a mug of coffee for you already prepared the way you liked it.

"Out there we're a team in here we're enemies in a prank war, and you will get your come-ups soon." Yelena promised shaking a fist at both of you.

Peter shot you a worried look, but you just shrugged her threat off and went back to eating your breakfast. Yelena and Kate had one more week left of punishment, and it was highly unlikely that either of them would attempt a prank. During the rest of the duration so you knew for now there was nothing to worry about.

One Week Later

"Gather around you guys I got a new assignment" Natasha called out.

All of paused your training and turned your attention to her. You dropped the heavy-weight balls that was tossed with your telekinesis for Peter to dodge in mid-swing. Peter swung down from the high beam he was perched on landing beside right beside you. Yelena released Kate from the hold she was trying to teach the archer. Kate insisted that the blonde use a dummy, but Yelena insisted that hands on was the best way for her to learn.

"Come on don't be shy bring it in" Nat demanded waving all of you over. Once you guys came over and stood around her in a full circle she finally went on. "Alright today I'm breaking up these dynamic duos."

You and Peter glanced at each other in confusion before turning to look at Yelena and Kate, who were caught off guard as well. "Are you bringing in someone new?" You asked.

"No I'm just making you guys switch with one another. Peter is going to be with Kate today, and Yelena is going to be with you" Natasha revealed. Her hand coming up to put a stop to any protests before they could made. "You guys still need to learn teamwork which means. It doesn't matter who is paired with who the partnership should work, and this is the only way to make that happen. Steve and I tried to wait for y'all to branch out on your own, but every single day. All of you come in here and work with your usual partner, so we took things into our own hands. Plus both of you could benefit from this switcheroo Yelena can help y/n with her hand-to-hand combat, and Kate you and Peter will compliment each other well."

She can tell neither of you really liked the idea, but you and Yelena more so than your respective partners. Kate and Peter had already inched toward each other ready to go off and collaborate. It wasn't that You and Yelena didn't like each other. The two of you actually got along pretty well, but both of you were headstrong and good leaders. Which made it hard for one of you to give in to the other during training whenever. The other was deemed the leader in an training exercise which only fed to the rivalry even more.

"Come on y/n and Yelena lead by example" Nat encouraged. You let out a sigh accepting the hair tie from Kate to put your hair up into a ponytail. "You better not break my arm or something Belova."

"Oh hush you big baby I'll go easy on you" Yelena teased motioning foe you go ahead over to the mat. You made your way over but not without throwing a suspicious look at her. She stayed back to talk to Natasha alone but maybe it was just sister stuff.

About five minutes later Yelena came to the mat with a massive grin on her face. You don't think you ever saw her look so happy before, and it freaked you out a little bit. "Are you sure you're not secretly planning my demise right now?"

She shook her head and answered. "No I've just been waiting for an opportunity to school you in hand-to-hand combat for the longest. You're always relying on those powers of yours. It's pretty pathetic what if you can't use them one day? Are you expecting Peter to run to your rescue in those moments?"

"Hey I do have some fighting skills it might be not be as good as yours, but I know the basics." You argued not realizing the mistake you were making till Yelena threw a fist at your face and it connected with your nose. You let out a cry of pain as your head snapped back before your brain could even register. What just happened the blonde dropped down to kick your legs out from under you. Causing you to fall onto the back on the mat. It cushioned your fall but still there was some light pain that had you groaning.

"If you knew the basics you would've been able to block or dodge at least one of those moves." Yelena said standing right over your body with a hand extended out and a smug smile on her face.

You were attempted to knock her hand away, but knew it would only lead to more conflict. The point of this exercise was for you and her to learn how to let the other lead, and for you to learn some combat skills. Which if you were being honest with yourself after that you needed the lesson. You took her hand letting her pull you to your feet. "Fine I suck at fighting but no more sneak attacks."

"Deal now let me see your best stance" Yelena ordered.

For the next thirty minutes Kate and Peter worked together to come up with some pretty nice combos. They could execute in the field together some of them evolved Kate shooting an off-target arrow only for Peter to come in and redirect it with his webs. The two even started talking about the idea of a web-arrow. The two worked together perfectly without argument. While the same couldn't be said about you and Yelena while you guys weren't arguing as much as usual. Things weren't going as smoothly considering you weren't exactly a good student, and Yelena was sort of a bad teacher. She wanted to be as hands-on as possible because she thought that was the best way for you to learn. And you wouldn't have minded so much if all of the moves she was trying to teach you was so painful. That led to some light bickering until eventually she gave in and decided to use a dummy, but whenever you didn't get the move right. Yelena would pin you down and give you what she called a penalty tickle to motivate you more. In your eyes it was childish and stupid and made you want to get revenge. Which led to you using your powers to make her float in the air. Until she agreed to stop the penalty tickles, and so on.

Although it was a rough training session overall you and her did manage to find some common ground for the first time. You actually did learn the basics of fighting and some pretty nice moves, and Yelena did respect you a bit more. It was a win and the two of you found yourselves laughing when as you entered the locker room once it was all over. Kate and Peter were having fun, so y'all decided to leave them be.

"Hey Yel" You spoke up breaking the silence while the two of you were changing into more comfortable clothes.

"Yeah what's up?" she asked peeking her head out from behind her locker too make eye contact.

"I'll tell Nat the food fight was on me so she'll let you and Kate off the hook". You told her with a sheepish smile.

Yelena burst into laughter at your offer and waved you off. "Okay come on y/n just because we had one little bonding session doesn't mean. You have to feel sorry about the food fight your plan was genius, and trust if I had your ability I probably would've done the same."

"So you're not mad about all the teasing and having to be on kitchen and breakfast duty?" You asked not buying her carefree attitude.

"Of course not the teasing might be annoying, but I'm always teasing all of you. Come on y/n don't go soft on me you have a prankster heart just like mine. I'm going to get even with you, and it won't be any fun at all. If you turn into a big baby and don't plot some evil revenge you know."

"Ok fine then prank war it is" You agreed with a competitive smile.

"Good then" Yelena said with the same smile on her face but there was something different about hers.

"Yelena you're not planning anything right now are you? Because I can still teleport me and Peter away. You know that right" You reminded her.

"What y/n of course not that would be stupid" Yelena said walking over to your locker. It was when you closed it and turned to ask her if she wanted go out for dinner tonight. She reached out to snap some type of metal wristband on your arm. The move was quick and efficient giving you no time whatsoever to prevent it. Your eyes flickered back and forth between your wrist and her face. Eventually you just settled for staring Yelena down who now had a triumphant smirk on her face.

"What did you just do?" You finally asked her yanking your arm out of her grip. You tried to remove the metal wristband but there was no clasp or anything.

"It's remote controlled power dampener I got it from Natasha earlier. I told her I needed it to stop you from bailing out of combat training with your powers, but that was a lie obviously. I just needed a way to stop you from turning all of this around me and Kate." Yelena explained while backing away from out of the row of lockers.

You were too busy trying desperately to detach the power dampener to notice her retreating. Determined to find away to get the metal band off before her plan went into action. But it was too late Yelena whirled hitting the first locker a powerful roundhouse kick. Causing the row of lockers to rattle and snap open. You looked up just in time to see globs of a slimy substance fly out all of the lockers coating all the space before you.

"Yelena you're dead" You yelled running towards her, only for your foot to slip in some of slime. Making you lose your balance and go down hard and every time you tried to get up. Your feet would slip and slide in the stuff making it impossible for you to even stand.

"Oh y/n what were you saying about me being dead?" Yelena teased with a light chuckle.

Training Room

Peter dropped down from the rafters landing on his feet in front of Kate with a tired smile. "Okay I think that's enough for today I'm kinda worn out."

"Yeah it looks y/n and Yelena called it a while ago. We should probably go make sure they haven't killed each yet" Kate said.

Peter was about to make a joke when suddenly his Spider Sense started to go haywire. His entire body went rigid for a few seconds as he started to think the worst. Was the Compound under attack? The training room wasn't soundproof so if there was a commotion going on. They would've heard it but if not an attack then what could be setting his senses off like this. His head swiveled around as he tried to find the danger. Maybe the threat wasn't there and was about to happen did he need to alert Steve, Natasha and Clint.

"Hey Pete are you okay?" Kate asked but he was so far into his head. Her voice sounded like it was a thousand miles away despite she was right next to him.

What could it be?

"Yelena this isn't funny" came your voice from the locker room answering his question. His partner was in danger and just like that Peter snapped out of it to rush towards the locker room. Kate caught him by the arm making him turn to her eyes filled with suspicion.

"Wait you might not want to go in there" she told him

Peter tilted his head to the side the expression on his face screaming are you serious?

"Both of us could leave right now and get off scot free. Its not like either of us wanted to be evolved in this prank war anyway Pete" Kate tried to reason.

Peter knew deep down that Kate had made a good point. He warned you to back off Yelena and cut out the teasing, but at the same time Yelena was going to get her revenge no matter what. Not to mention you didn't exactly twist his arm and make him join in on the prank war. He was down with food fight just as much as you were, and when he picked on. The way Kate's mouth kept twitching upward as if she was fighting off the urge to smile. Peter realized that she was just stalling, and broke free of her grip. He threw his wrist out attaching a string of web to the ceiling, so he could cover the distance between him and the door in one swing.

Peter yanked the door opened to find nothing but chaos behind it. Yelena could be heard cackling just behind the first row of lockers, and you were spewing threats at her while still unable to get up from the floor. "Y/N are you good?" He yelled spotting the multicolored slime sticking to the ceiling.

"Pete don't let her get anymore lockers open" You warned him just in time. Because that was when Yelena walked over and delivered a hard kick to the first row of lockers. The ones he was standing in front of his Spider Sense went off again. Before the lockers could fly open Peter fired off rapid shots of his web at the doors sticking them back closed. Although some of slime did manage to slip out spilling through the small cracks of the lockers.

"Neat trick Peter too bad you're too little to late" Yelena said heading towards the exit. Where Kate was waiting for her with a grin.

"Good job distracting Spider Boy" the blonde complimented her partner.

"It wasn't that hard I really was having fun with the training exercise" Kate replied with a shrug. When she noticed Yelena had started frowning she let out a sigh. "You're still my number one and favorite Yelena."

Yelena perked up again. "Did you send the alert to Clint?"

"Yep did you send one to Natasha?

"About two minutes ago which means we shall be making our leave now." Yelena said turning to where Peter had climbed onto the top of the locker platform, and finally pulled you out of the mess below. You were on your knees trying to wipe the sticky substance away with little success.

"Oh y/n that's going to take a shower or two hun" Kate joked. Yelena let out a laugh holding up her hand for a high five which Kate gave her, and then the two of them disappeared into the training room.

"Come on y/n get up I'll swing us out of here" Peter offered holding out a hand. You accepted letting him pull you to your feet wrapping a secured arm around your waist. But when he attempted to launch a string of web. Nothing came out of his web holsters except a clicking noise. They were empty and now you two would have to escape on foot with you covered in evidence.

"What the heck happened in here" Clint exclaimed appearing in the doorway with Nat right behind him. Her arms were crossed and she was shaking her head in disappointment.

"It wasn't us-Peter tried to argue but Natasha held up a hand to stop him. "Let me guess it was Yelena and Kate."

You just threw your head with a groan while he nodded furiously.

"We're not buying it considering y/n is covered in the stuff, and Peter's webs are plastered everywhere" Natasha said turning her gaze to you. "Oh yeah Wanda is back from her mission so besides locker room cleaning duty. Training is going to be amped up for both of you."

"That'll be a month of cleaning duty by the way. You can start right now by showering y/n. Peter will be waiting for you" Clint ordered.

That was checkmate.

Yelena and Kate had evened up the score now.

Tag List: @danveration @xxromanoffxx @romanoffomixam @xxxtwilightaxelxxx @yelenabelovasgf @catswag22 @musicinourlips @natashasilverfox @lizlil @mellowladyangel @jokertgkk @be-missed @meimei-a

#mcu imagine #marvel imagine #avengers x reader #peter parker x reader #kate bishop x reader #yelena belova x reader #natasha romanoff #clint barton #yelena belova imagine #kate bishop imagine #peter parker imagine

[packernet]

New Post has been published on https://www.packernet.com/blog/2023/08/10/what-really-matter-is/

What really matter is...

There’s an awful lot of chatter this time of year about things that, ultimately, don’t matter. The third QB, the 6th or 7th WR, the 4th tight end. Yes, these are real position and roster battles, but do they matter? Your 6th or 7th wide receiver won’t be active most weeks and if they are, they’ll only see playing time on special teams. Plus, let’s be real, if our third QB gets any game action, that means things have gone off the rails.

Invest in rookies

It’s possible the Packers will opt to carry only 3 tight-ends. At this point, rookies Tucker Kraft and Luke Musgrave are roster locks based on their draft status. That means veterans Josiah Deguara and Tyler Davis may be fighting for one job, depending on if they call Deguara a TE or a FB. What really matters: is getting Musgrave and Kraft as much playing time as possible. Tight end is one of the toughest positions to step into in the NFL. We already know the potential upside of Deguara and Davis is fairly limited.

RB Tyler Goodson continues to make plays in camp. Rookie Lew Nichols is a 7th round draft pick, and Brian Gutekunst is known for keeping his draft picks. What really matters is: a healthy Aaron Jones and AJ Dillon so Goodson and Nichols don’t become primary players this year.

We still don’t know a realistic return date for Eric Stokes due to his foot and knee injury. What really matters is 7th round draft pick Carrington Valentine reminds some of us of a rookie free agent who once started a Super Bowl for the Packers. How happy would the Packers be if Valentine is even close to as good as Sam Shields?

Elgetron & Bak

The Packers have enviable depth on the offensive line. Yosh Nijman, Josh Myers and Zach Tom are battling for two starting jobs. Caleb Jones, Rasheed Walker and Luke Tenuta are solid tackle prospects who could make many NFL rosters. Even Sean Rhyan, who, like me, many had written off, should make the final roster. What really matters is: good health from left guard Elgton Jenkins and maximizing the playing time of David Bakhtiari, clearly the teams’ best lineman.

Brian Gutekunst got some lousy reviews for taking QB Sean Clifford in the 5th round. Alex McGough has done little in the NFL but was named MVP of the USFL. Both have looked competent in camp. What really matters is: Jordan Love, Jordan Love and Jordan Love. Like most NFL teams, the Packers odds of success drop through the floor if they lose their starter for more than a game or two.

Let the man kick

Rookie kicker Anders Carlson has had some rough days. He’s also shown a strong leg, with some reporters saying the ball “explodes off his foot.” What really matters is: do the Packers have the patience and the stomach to deal with rough days from Carlson? As with Jordan Love, Carlson needs a long leash. Don’t repeat the Vikings mistake by panicking and cutting a legit talent like they did with his brother Daniel. Worst case scenario, there are free agent kickers out there.

Lukas Van Ness, Kingsley Enagbare, Preston Smith and Rashan Gary fresh off the PUP list can give the Packers a formidable pass rush. What really matters is caution with Rashan Gary. Players rarely perform at their peak ability until 18 months past an ACL surgery. I’ll be just fine if Gary isn’t active for the first few games.

Like 1967-the Summer of Love

Jordan Love has had an up and down camp. Sometimes he’s wowed with great passes. Other times he’s misses a big throw or hits defenders in the numbers with interceptions. What really matters is patience and progress. By the time the Packers visit Detroit on Thanksgiving, we should have a pretty good idea of what’s possible for the first-time starter.

[bazmichaels]

College - Part Five

I stayed in Bowling Green for the summer of ’83. Kandy and I got a room just off campus. It was actually the same apartment that my friend Eddie was renting the previous year. We got a bulldog puppy and named him Dozer. I got a job working at the tennis club over the summer. I did everything there – cleaning toilets, cutting the grass with a great big tractor, installing a new bank of clay tennis courts (level the surface, permanent lines, nets), giving racquetball and tennis lessons, digging ditches, installing sprinklers, working the front desk – all for minimum wage. I got plenty of exercise at work, but I still got a lot of running in. I played some tennis over the summer, but there weren’t as many good players around as I had hoped. I did get to play a tournament on the clay courts I built. Unfortunately, clay was not the best surface for my serve and volley game. The ball pops up higher on clay, which takes speed off hard hit balls, and makes it easier to hit passing shots against an opponent at net. Also, I had to Coach True early in the tournament. I had never played him in a match, but I had hit with him enough to know he was legit. He also taught me how to play the way I played back then. It seemed like he gave me everything he had, and he took care of me in straight sets. I didn’t feel like that helped me in my decision to try to walk on to the team again.

When school started back up, Kandy had moved up to Lexington, and it was just me and Dozer in the room we were renting. He was getting big. I went to the first tennis meeting, and now that coach had a couple years of recruiting under his belt, he was only taking one walk on.

In the end it came down to me and Juan Puentes, a scrappy little baseliner from Bogota, Columbia. He hit loopy topspin shots off both sides. He rarely missed and was very good at hitting passing shots against guys that came to the net (like me). I would need to be on top of my game to beat him. I was up to the challenge and after splitting the first two sets, I won the third set easily. I made the team again.

I stayed on at the tennis club, but my role narrowed to mostly janitorial duties, and for that, I needed to get there at 5am and clean the entire club (including toilets). Then I’d go to class, go to tennis practice, get something to eat, do highly complicated math homework and any homework my other classes required, and if my homework didn’t take too long, chase girls and let them chase me. I was getting tired, but I was young. As we started practicing, I noticed I was playing really good tennis. I was beating everybody sometimes.

We hosted a fall tournament early on and I did well. I won my first match, and then had to play a stud from Murray State. He wasn’t Swedish, he was a Texan. He was about 6’3” and had a big serve and volley power game. My buddy Rob Spencer came over to watch through the fence, and as we were winding down our warmup, I was picking up balls by the fence, and Rob came up and said I was looking like a pro – he’d never seen me hit the ball better. We started our match and I indeed was holding my own. I wound up dropping a close first set, but I felt good, and got on a roll and won the second set 6-2. He wanted a bathroom break after that, so I went over to Coach True and asked if we could get new balls for the third set. He looked at me with a shocked look on his face. I couldn’t help but smile, and he gave a wry smile, but, no, we didn’t get new balls for the third set. I lost the third set, but we had a consolation round and I had some good wins there. I think I got to the semifinals of the consolation round. I was in line to make it into the top 6, maybe even the top 3.

But I soon became exhausted. All the time. The level of my play, which started so strong, was waning quickly. I decided I needed to focus on my studies and work, as I was out of money. I went in and told Coach True I needed to quit. He told me it was too bad, since I had started off playing so well this year, but he understood and agreed with my decision. I thanked him for all he’d done for me. Good news for Juan Puentes, though - he took my spot on the team. Ironically, it wasn’t long after that when my “car”, which at this point was about a 15-year-old Gremlin, completely died. I didn’t have nearly enough money to get it fixed. I told Ralph I was going to have to quit my job at the tennis club. I thought he was going to cry. He had worked me so hard for so little money, I don’t think he thought he could replace me, but he found a sucker soon enough. It helped a lot. I got a much cushier job as a research assistant for my Astronomy professors. Flexible hours and I got paid for reading about astronomy and looking for topics my professors were interested in. Pretty sweet.

I did start seriously running out of money in my 5th year. I had been getting a $99 a month check from the Social Security department all through college, which came from my father’s death prior to college. That benefit was only granted for 4 years, though, so I lost that. Tuition rates went up steadily while I was there – still not outrageous, but more than I had, so I did have to take out a student loan to cover my tuition and fees for the extra year. Dozer and I were still living in the apartment off campus. It was getting difficult to come up with the rent as the semester wore on. Dozer was not contributing his fair share of the rent. I had to get creative with my food purchases. I had some weeks where I just lived on corn meal, eggs, and corn oil. I could make corn cakes with those few things. Milk would have been nice, but water was fine. I also discovered that I could buy a bag of Cheetos Puffs for like $1 and it would last all day. As winter crept up on southwestern Kentucky, I started to notice that the apartment was not going to fare well in the winter. It did not. The wind just whipped through the old windows, there was only a single space heater in the wall in the living room, which was near a corner, and it didn’t have a shower, just a bathtub, all the way at the other end of the apartment, as far away from the space heater as you can get. Bowling Green doesn’t seem like it should get terribly cold in the winter, but it does – and it snows. It was miserable in December. So, before I went home for Christmas break, I signed up for a second semester dorm room, gave my notice to my landlord, and found a new home for Dozer – a young boy whose face lit up when they first met. I stopped by Kandy’s house/shack in Ohio County on my way home to Dayton, where we officially broke up. That was fine, since she already had a boyfriend in Lexington that we all knew about.

When I got back to campus for the spring semester, I was unencumbered – no rent, no dog, no girlfriend, no sports team – just a few more classes to pass and I would have my degree and get a grown-up job and get out of poverty. I had one more math class to fulfill my major, but I needed some other class for my degree, and then a couple more so I’d be a full-time student. So, I took 3 fluff classes that I just took for fun. The one I remembered, because I really enjoyed it, was something like Sports Science. It was an upper level for PE majors that covered things like biomechanics, human anatomy, biological systems, human performance, etc. It was full of, with all due respect, dumb jocks (remember, I said with all due respect), so I picked up on this stuff a lot faster than the rest of the class, even though I hadn’t taken any life sciences in college. I volunteered to take part in a study the professor was running. I got to taking with him, and he was very cool, but he didn’t seem to be a genius like my other science professors. He explained the study he was conducting, and it seemed like something I could have done with half a semester of his class under my belt. My remaining math class was killing me by then, and I thought “I should have gotten a PhD in PE, and I could teach dumb jocks whatever they could absorb into their concussion-riddled brains, write easy research papers, and teach classes like Racquetball to cute coeds my whole life.” If the multiverse theory is true, there is a universe where I did that, and had a different happy life (might need some other alternate universes from there with different wives until I got another good one like I have in this universe).

One more hard class. One more math class. Its title was Partial Differential Equations. Its purpose was to ruin my life. Its method was to make me write out the most relentlessly long series of equations I’d ever seen.

From Scholarpedia:

A partial differential equation (or briefly a PDE) is a mathematical equation that involves two or more independent variables, an unknown function (dependent on those variables), and partial derivatives of the unknown function with respect to the independent variables. The order of a partial differential equation is the order of the highest derivative involved. A solution (or a particular solution) to a partial differential equation is a function that solves the equation or, in other words, turns it into an identity when substituted into the equation. A solution is called general if it contains all particular solutions of the equation concerned. The term exact solution is often used for second- and higher-order nonlinear PDEs to denote a particular solution (see also Preliminary remarks at Second-Order Partial Differential Equations). Partial differential equations are used to mathematically formulate, and thus aid the solution of, physical and other problems involving functions of several variables, such as the propagation of heat or sound, fluid flow, elasticity, electrostatics, electrodynamics, etc.

Do you know what any of that means? I used to, but it’s gibberish to me now.

Being fully single that spring semester, I played the field with the ladies for a while. It was fun for me, but it’s hard to do that without hurting some feelings. I should have maybe stuck with a girl I liked on the women’s tennis team, or a girl I liked on the volleyball team, or a girl I liked on the women’s basketball team. There was also a cool little rocker chick from New York, whose dad worked for this new station called MTV. I liked her, but she was always trying to get me to do drugs with her, and that wasn’t going to happen.

For spring break that year, I went back to the D.C. area with my buddy Rob. I had never been there before, so he gave me a whirlwind tour of the major sites in D.C. – the Whitehouse, the Capital and the Mall, the Lincoln Memorial, and a good sampling of all that stuff. We flew through a couple of the Smithsonian Museum buildings. Then one night we hit the night life scene in Georgetown. I was not a drinker, remember, but we went bar hopping and it was fun. It was getting late, and we decided to hit one more bar and call it a night. In that last bar, I saw a particularly beautiful girl, and she was smiling back at me. I went up and asked her to dance. We talked as best as we could over the music. Her name was Boo and she went to North Carolina State University. It was too loud for any decent conversation, so we kissed instead (I know, it’s not a kissing memoir). But my group was ready to leave, and her group was ready to leave, so our love story was never written. Farewell, sweet Boo. At least we had a fleeting moment together.

There was one good thing about that horrific math class: There were two cute, smart girls in the class that I already knew, I already liked, and they had a thing for me, too. As spring overtook the winter, I was looking for more of a steady girl, and I had two excellent candidates in this class. I just had to balance a system of equations that involved a measure of how much I liked each of them and how much each of them liked me. My friend Marlon Dayoub gave me some inside information on one of the girls, a good friend of his, that ultimately tilted the equation in her favor. Her name was Cheryl Hornung.

Does that last name sound familiar? Are you an old-timey football fan? Then you know Paul “Golden Boy” Hornung, Heisman Trophy winner at Notre Dame and Hall of Fame running back for the Green Bay Packers.

Cheryl was some sort of great niece or something. Anyway, I asked her out and she said yes, and we went out basically every weekend for the rest of the semester. She was from Louisville, and I believe her parents’ house had indoor toilets and everything. She loved the song “Here Comes the Rain Again” by Eurythmics, and the movie Ghostbusters, which we went to go see together. We never went out during the week, but we would get together sometimes to work on this insane homework we had to do for our class.

It took hours and hours a day, and there were hundreds of places to make a mistake for each problem. We both worked like crazy, and we were both just treading water – and we both needed to pass that class to graduate. It would come down to the final.

On the day of the final, there was a torrential rainstorm. A tree fell at the local zoo and broke open the tiger enclosure. Six full-grown tigers made their way to the campus and were ripping students from limb to limb, mostly by the mathematics building. The streets at the bottom of the hill were flooded and, oh yeah, the alligators also escaped from the zoo, and they were swimming in the floodwaters, and somehow, I made it to the classroom, but I have to admit that I was rattled, and it was hard to concentrate on the test – I could hear the tigers right outside the window. With all that going on, I managed to get a D+ on the final, which was just enough to get a C in the class. Cheryl also squeaked out a C. We were graduating! We didn’t want it to be so dramatic, but we made it. Oh, yeah, the rainstorm/tiger/gator stuff didn’t really happen. I just made a mistake early on that propagated throughout the solution. Sorry.

After graduation, Cheryl and I went our separate ways. She had interned at the National Security Agency (NSA) the summer before, and she had a job waiting for her in D.C. I’m guessing she had a guy out there, too. I saw her only once more. Cheryl, Marlon, and I made plans to go to the Kentucky Derby, which was taking place the week after graduation. Unfortunately, their ticket source fell through. But undeterred, we went to Churchill Downs, the sight of the Kentucky Derby, the following weekend.

They just had a normal day of horseracing, which turned out to be super fun. We knew nothing about betting on the ponies, so Marlon, who was not shy at all, went up to a local who looked like a regular at the track (he definitely was). We peppered him with every question we could think of, and he was so excited to share his lifetime of experience with us, he answered every question we had, and then threw in his own tips and tricks. We made ourselves a little cash because of our newly found expertise in horseracing and our collective mathematical training. The fun day finally came to a close, and I bid farewell to my friend Marlon and my more-than-friend Cheryl.

I did not have a job waiting for me, so I went back home to my mom’s house in Huber Heights. I made a résumé and sent it out to every company I could think of that might be looking for someone with a 3.2 GPA from a mediocre state school. And now, we wait. And wait. And wait. And go to a temp agency to get some minimum wage jobs. I wound up working at a cardboard factory for a couple of months.

Living the life of a college graduate! I eventually filled out a federal government employment application, where you would fill out a form, and send it to some place in Washington, D.C., and someone might decide to offer you a job somewhere in the vast chasms of the federal government. Who knew? Oh, my mom did. She worked for the federal government her whole life. I wonder if that worked.

#memoir #college

[incarnateirony]

Hi! I’m still not really over the last episode (and that happy montage in the end i-) and I’m feel confused about what’s part of the episode was fake. I mean the end totally is. But all Chuck scene was superweird too. And sometimes i think that it should be Cas instead of Lucifer and Jack felt him. I mean... confused! How do you feel about that?

Okay so here’s the thing -- this is a multifaceted episode--

BuckLeming, while often herded efficiently by Dabb, can muddy up the textual waters, leave gaps, and things unexplained.

However, that doesn’t account for Showalter’s choices in direction. Dutch shots out the ASS which are typically used to evoke that something is "wrong." Lots of panoramas, tracking shots, zooms and blurs in ways that simply are-not-standard for SPN. Extreme aerial shots.

One might even think “maybe it’s Chuck looking in on them!” but then you realize the same overhead view zoomed out on *Chuck* even and panned out to the horizon again.

One of the early mega-zooms literally zoomed out to The World, even. I’m just gonna gesture people to my tag on that and let them think on that, much less the empty world orbiting on the news or whatever the hell else.

There were *several* Cas-baits, yes. Yes, that was intentional from our actual authors. 

But when it comes down to “fake episode”, here’s where we were at.

15.17-19 run immediately concurrently. At the end of 17, Chuck says this was his ending.

Now, the Winchesters largely derailed that ending, so Chuck was writing new material.

But Chuck is also seeking death. 

He wrote a suicide note in 11. He wrote the story that would end in him and Amara being eradicated. And whatever influence he was exerting forcefully with Michael and Lucifer to bop the story around was all in the interest of seeing his book. One might think “to keep the Winchesters from killing him”, but he was desperate to see what his ending WAS, to know it and experience it and scream after them.

The dour taking of “no one cares” right after “I care(d)” about humanity is its own highlight going on.  But wait, there’s MORE.

When Dabb dropped his pre-episode thing, we started talking before the episode.

So I mean, I think what we were *mostly* witnessing is the pen being ripped away.

But this is that emptiness that lingers even with Chuck generally resolved. They’re still kinda on the pages. The book is presented as shut, and the next steps are not taken. Development stops, if not drops.

This entire thing is so meta my damn head hurts.

Summarily: Is it just like, some weird AU that’s gonna go away? Not so much. Is it an incomplete portion of the story told from a skew? Absolutely. And is there still someone watching over them? T’would seem so. The whole World, even. Beyond Chuck. 

Now the point at which we start blocking off issues of “eugenie writes like she’s 3″ is where we ask about things like “god power” or whatever else being thrown in the mix along with eugenie’s ki ball special effects that are literally always unique to her episodes, even if other people have to add the SFX.

So while it was a good bit of masterful work to do it via buckleming for this style of bump, it still inevitably has its flaws because... buckleming. But... Showalter was there. And one thing to note is almost every single scene entrance had some sort of major pan or zoom effect. That’s not typical for him.

The entire thing is designed to evoke, directorially: 

One style: crooked shots, unlevel, unbalanced, uneasy feeling.

Second style: Over-under; some force is watching them on high, while others have a sort of brechtian absurdity, which seats it like a play on an elevated stage.

We are the audience, looking up at figures half the episode; but a second audience is looking in from “on high” and out over the world. As if perhaps even from the heavens. 

Third style: CSI Miami, basically? Parts of this episode were sectioned off to be like a procedural crime drama in its cinematography and flashbacks. Which is ironic, because Dean loathes procedural dramas, but at the same time some of this fandom demands a procedural monster show instead of a family drama show. 

Sam and Dean barely have any lines in the episode *until* we hit Crime Drama Time. Then suddenly, they reveal all of their case work. Despite Dean’s hatred of crime dramas, this is honestly when I feel like the brothers kicked in their own pen. 

Let’s play a game-- the winchesters are aware they can write their own story. So they start telling the story they think people want to hear, or maybe just fill in the gaps from when Chuck gets dropped on his ass. Maybe Dean’s the one writing about how many times god punched them in the face whereas Sam is breaking down the crime scene investigation front. Another, where it feels like we’re loosely circling the war table as others lightly wander too.

But everything before that is the first and second style, and even after that, the overview-angle remains. The uneasiness is gone but there is an emptiness otherwise. But we are no longer spectators from beneath the stage, but staring into them.

I still very much expect everyone to “die” one more time and several specifics to choose to walk back into life at the end of it.

Is it a *complete* false narrative? No. We’re not just gonna turn around and be like “oh that whole ep didn’t happen.” But the writer lost his pen and got jacked at one point, while we also observed the stage from a series of angles as different audiences.

Riddle me this: Why show the World? “Because it’s empty and just them!” okay but there’s a lot of ways to show that which actually gets that point a whole lot better across than “here, here’s a planet that still looks lit up”--yes I know electricity is still running until stuff runs out but essentially speaking, the end of the episode shows us the kind of dramatic shots that could be used for that.

CASey just poofed in the World in the TV, seems legit.

Let’s see these overhead angles again, knowing it isn’t just Chuck.

This sort of overview is known for causing a “dollhouse effect” that derealizes the episode and makes them seem, well, like toys. Which is interesting. Because Chuck isn’t the only one watching them on high.

Cool, this is fine.

Either way, the entire episode is DESIGNED to cause some major uncanny valley. There’s a lot of parts that simply *haven’t been told or filled in.*  It’s almost like evasive maneuvering, half the content just never made it to print, and what did wasn’t in its best draft. There may be battling authors, or a transition of authorship. But the thing is: this is not the complete story.

There is an entire missing section about Sam and Dean even finding out that Jack is a power siphon which they hadn’t witnessed yet much less arranged an entire plan.

Even Chuck’s episodes are generally told from the general POVs of the Winchesters, but this was absolutely not. 

Matthew 28: 18: And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth. Put a pin in that one.

Unless CHUCK IS WRITING HIS OWN FAKE DRAMATIC END, the overhead view, however, IS NOT CHUCK PERSPECTIVE.

-- Regardless, the metaness of “fish in a toilet bowl BRL plot” stacked into this makes it very difficult to accurately decipher the lines, especially with only one watch so far--just skimming back through right now to grab a few things I remember.

Some parts are plot salad buckleming.

Some parts are us as forced spectators of a stage play.

some parts are shifting authorship

Some parts are the heavens looking out over the earth it loves.

------

It almost feels as if, within enclosed spaces, unsteadiness and stageplay, we have Chuck’s POV.

But by the end it ceases to have any relevance, as he is no longer the author, and instead, we have the Presence of Being overseeing them, letting the Winchesters argue for their own proverbial pen in their own storytellings between here and there.

ALTERNATE PROPOSAL:

 it is all one point of view. All of it. Pretend you’re someone’s eyes on a situation, you just happen to be in the sky half the time, and the uncanny valley is pulling forward the concept of being a presence that simply isn’t *there.*  For example we're looking extremely closely at passed out dean but the camera turns and raises to level with Sam before Dean gets up. Our viewership lens is rising to meet Sam.

The camera stays in motion to fill a role or slot of a viewer. At first it’s haunting and ominous, but at other times, it’s simply part of the room, when it isn’t hovering from on high. Rather than speaking of empty space, we are viewing The World through that empty space, as if it were a Being.

Just a few more eye catching shots.

But whoever or whatever frames the end, even without Chuck--like the story is still turning on the pages, roughly. 

The montage at the end feels like the Swan Song one, more or less, but there’s no narrator, no chuck.

The writer, the writer we know at least, is Absent.

Men are writing their own Stories.

But they aren’t alone.

I know how you see yourself. Angry and dark like your father. You think that’s what you are. But you are the most loving man in the whole world. That is who you are.

Someone does care. Even if right now, Sam and Dean don’t feel like anyone does.

...Because of you. I cared. For you, for Sam, for Jack, for the Whole World.

I cared.

“That’s not who I am.”

I am.

I speak therefore I am.

#supernatural #spn #15.19 #meta #my meta #the world #world #absence #being #polol

[adventures-or-death]

Road Trip Notes 8/24 Thur 8/28

Covid put the kibosh on visiting my Dad in Florida so we canceled our flights, hotel and rental car and made a last minute decision to go on a road trip instead. It wasn't hard to figure out where to go because we love the beach and have road tripped from Las Vegas to California many times before. Our last road trip was to Newport Beach, California, which was nice, but it was crowded and touristy. Before the Newport trip we went to San Diego and stayed at the Hampton Inn near Seaworld, but the location was too far from the beach and I didn't feel good about the crackheads running around outside 24/7. We always take our dog with us on road trips. The last time we visited San Diego we found Dog Beach, which is a huge off leash beach dog park located in Ocean Beach. Shooter loved it and we loved watching him and all the dogs play in the sand and swim in the ocean. So going to San Diego again was almost a no brainer for us. I booked an Airbnb a couple blocks from Ocean Beach, which is right next to Dog Beach.

The goal for this trip was to chill out. No running around seeing the sights. We’ve done that before in San Diego. It's a gorgeous place and I love seeing the sights, but this time I needed some time to decompress.

Day 1

We arrived, plopped our bags on the bed and took the dog for a walk to get the lay of the land. Before going, I did a little research about Ocean Beach and learned that the town of Ocean Beach was laid out in the late 1800’s, but it didn’t really take off until the first decade of the 1900’s when electricity and paved roads arrived. It became a big vacation haven until the depression hit in the 1920’s. The town tanked for a while, but the 50’s came along and the population exploded. The 60’s brought in a heavy hippy surfer vibe, which still strongly remains today. I’ve been told that Ocean Beach is one of the only original California surf towns left in California that hasn’t changed all that much since the 60’s. The town motto is “Keep Ocean Beach Weird.” Perfect for us!

We left the cottage, walked the dog two blocks to the beach, made a right, and just past the rocks, Dog Beach begins. Dog Beach is one of the country’s first beaches for dogs to run freely off leash. Not many rules apply at Dog Beach except you must pick up your dog’s poop and make sure your pup behaves well with other dogs and humans. We’ve been to Dog Beach a couple times on past road trips and have never seen a vicious dog fight. Dogs of all breeds, shapes and sizes zip around the beach in harmony. It's fun to watch them smash in to waves while fetching balls and playing with each other in the water. After watching surfers ride in waves and exhausted Shooter with exercise and play, we made our way back to the cottage. Before going inside, I hosed Shooter down with fresh water and did the best I could to get the sand out of his coat. Once cleaned up, I went inside to do some organizing. The first thing I noticed when entering the Airbnb was the heat. I looked for the air conditioner right away and that's when I realized there wasn't one. How did I overlook this detail? I looked down and saw a small box fan and let out a laugh. Seriously? I looked up and there was one ceiling fan over the main bed. Oops! Thankfully San Diego weather is perfect almost all year around, but the heat inside the place was really noticeable. I also noticed no television. Great! I can't stand the TV on while on vacation. The place was quirky to say the least. It was decorated in a cute beachy way and had two queen beds, a kitchenette and a bathroom. The shower was almost too tiny for Mark to fit in to it. We laughed. Ocean Beach is old! The cottage floors sloped and felt spongy in some places. Outside we had a big picnic table, umbrella, barbecue and a thankfully we had a dedicated parking space in the back (This is extremely important in Ocean Beach). After unpacking and turning the fans on full blast, we walked a few blocks to a Mediterranean food truck for dinner. The falafel was great! We brought the food back to our picnic table and sat outside in the cool salty air talking the rest of the night away.

Shooter G.

Beach Cottage

Day 2

Went to breakfast at Day Break Island Grill on Bacon street. I had sourdough waffles and Mark ordered an omelette. We were the only customers so I worried about the quality of the food. Turns out the food was amazing. So much so that we went the next day and I ordered some delicious peanut butter, banana chocolate oat bread breakfast thingy that I wanted to eat every day for the rest of my life. The staff was laid back and super friendly. Businesses in Ocean Beach encourage you to bring your dog. It's probably the most dog friendly town I've ever been to. As soon as we walked in to the restaurant they plopped down a water bowl for Shooter and gave out menus for us and our dog. They have a doggie menu! I love that. After breakfast we changed and went to the beach. The Pacific Ocean is cold. Mark went in up to his waist and waded for a while. I stayed by our chairs and watched the world go by. The beach is my happy place. I practically grew up on a beach, so whenever I get the chance, that’s where I’m going. We walked Shooter in to the waves and all along the coastline. It was a pretty day.

After the beach we returned to the house, showered, rested for a while and went out for seafood. Shooter is the most well behaved boy! We're so lucky. He quietly lays under the table and watches things while we eat. After dinner we spent the majority of the time outside at the picnic benches then went to bed. The sun wore us out! Thankfully the cottage cools when the sun goes down.

Day 3 We went back to Day Break Island Grill and chatted with the waitress again. She was telling us about the town and how most of the people there aren't tourists. She said some of the homes are Airbnb's, but most are either owned or regular yearly rentals. It made sense because the area didn't feel touristy to me. It's extremely laid back and really quite. I expected it to be rowdy at night because I assumed all of the houses were vacation rentals, but I was wrong. You could hear a pin drop outside once the sun goes down. After the beach we grabbed some lemonade and walked through a tent festival where a bunch of legit hippies were selling all sorts of weird shit that only made sense to them. They had a giant bongo circle where twenty or so people slapped bongos while smoking giant blunts. The smell of patchouli oil was strong and the smoke was thick. I felt old. After getting a contact high at the festival we walked to the pier and around town to check out the sights. I didn't see one big box store. It was like the town was frozen in time at that 70's peak surf town time. Perfect.

Got home, took showers and slathered on as much lotion as possible to keep my skin from leathering. We hung out at our picnic table and talked a lot again. Yay for no television! Eventually beachy breezes fanned us to sleep.

Day 4

No matter how much sun block I slathered on to my body, I still managed to get a sunburn. I didn't bring an umbrella from home, but I still wanted to go to the beach. It was our last day! I called a couple surf shops and none of them rented umbrellas. Why would they? I took a shot and called an equipment rental place and they told me that they had one umbrella, but they didn't rent it out. They must have heard the desperation in my voice because they broke down and rented it to me for 15 bucks for 24 hours. Yes! The place was within walking distance so I picked it up. It was one of those big half dome umbrellas that you pitch like a tent. Even better! Mark wanted to check out Coronado Beach. We ran out of time the last time we were in San Diego so we gathered everything up and spent the day there. Coronado Beach sand has a mineral in it that makes the sand sparkle like there are diamonds in it. It's beautiful. The town is ridiculously rich. Nothing like Ocean Beach at all. The homes are in the multi-millions. Ridiculous. We pitched our half dome tent and went for a really long walk along the shoreline. Everything sparkled. The waves were big. Many were out swimming in the chilly Pacific. After our walk, we hung out under our half dome for a long time talking. Mark went in for a swim while I zoned out. Towards the end of our stay, we went for another long walk in the opposite direction. I didn't want to leave. Got back to the cottage in the late afternoon/early evening, took showers and walked to dinner to a Thai fusion place in Ocean Beach. The food was great. The air cooled down our sunburns. We ate outside and watched people pass. Shooter was under our table and was being the goodest boy. Sadness sunk in towards the end of our meal because we knew it was our last night. We had to go back to the Airbnb and pack up for an early departure the next morning.

We'll definitely go back to Ocean Beach. I hope the town stays the just the way it is and doesn't turn in to one of those instagram tourist traps.

Thank you for a great time Ocean Beach!

#oceanbeach #sandiego #socal #southern california #california #hippy #hippyshit #beach #surf #surfing

[racingtoaredlight]

THE DEGENERATE’S GUIDE TO COLLEGE FOOTBALL TV WATCH ‘EM UPS 2021: WEEK TWO, A MUDDLED AND MAUDLIN WEEK OF MAYHEM IN HONOR OF THOSE WE LOST

RTARL would like to extend our warmest holiday wishes to those who celebrate and, even if you don’t, happy 9/11. Now who’s ready for some FOOTBALL!!!!?!?!

So after two weeks of games that combine to count as only one official week even though some teams have already played twice we have only one real question answered: is Alabama still good? Yes, they are. Everything else is still liquefying vapor.

I am assuming everybody is waiting with baited breath for an RTARLsman but I don’t have anything yet. I guess the not-Master Teague RBs on Ohio State are the frontrunners for now. Or that one guy from that one team who was good. You know who I mean.

Saturday, September 11

Matchup    Time (ET)     TV/Mobile

Illinois at Virginia   11:00am   ACCN

Jeff George won Citrus Bowl MVP for the Illini against the Hoos in his last game as a student athlete before becoming the #1 overall pick in the 1990 NFL Draft. Based on this history it is safe to presume that whoever the QB is for Illinois today will be the #1 pick in 2022.

VMI at Kent State   11:30am   ESPN3

I’m not sure on this but maybe this game is cancelled.

WKU at Army    11:30am   CBSSN

Army is favored by 6. I bet this game is boring.

Norfolk State at Wake Forest    12:00pm   ACCNX

I don’t see a line listed but whatever it is bet against Wake covering.

Indiana State at Northwestern     12:00pm    BTN

This game is an act of terrorism.

Alabama State at 25 Auburn     12:00pm    SECN

Real body bag season starts today, huh?

Youngstown State at Michigan State  12:00pm   BTN

The Michigan State running back is the guy I was trying to think of earlier! He’s pretty good. Not good enough to make me watch this but I will check on his stats every so often.

Tulsa at Oklahoma State   12:00pm   FS1

I bet Mike Gundy has some really salient thoughts on the 20th anniversary of 9/11 and I can’t wait to hear them.

South Carolina at East Carolina   12:00pm      ESPN2

South Carolina is a two point favorite against an East Carolina team that is, per my understanding, not exactly good. So I can only extrapolate that South Carolina is likewise not good.

Pitt at Tennessee  12:00pm   ESPN

Look, I’m not going to pretend this is good television but if Pitt rocks their classic yellow helmets and Tennessee wears non-alternates the colors on the screen will at least be pleasing. The thought of the actual football involved hurts my brain but it’s interesting that the points have gone from a consensus pick ‘em to Pitt -3 over the course of the week. Does Tennessee have any players that are good enough that by missing the game they could impact the gambling that much? Or are people just squaring themselves with the fact the the Vols are really and truly a ruined burnt out hole of a football program? Pound the latter.

12 Oregon at 3 Ohio State  12:00pm   FOX

Losing Kayvon Thibideaux certainly isn’t going to help Oregon but he’s not usually on the field as a run stopper anyway and if Ohio State learned anything last week it’s that they can just run until they feel like throwing a pass. Oregon actually has some legit talent on the d-line besides Thibideaux but the Ducks are gonna be hard-pressed to keep things within two scores here.

Miami (Ohio) at Minnesota   12:00pm   ESPN

If Oregon can’t make a game of it in Columbus look out because this time block is an absolute wasteland. There is scant reason to turn the TV on for the early schedule other than gambling purposes.

Kennesaw State at Georgia Tech   12:00pm    RSN/ESPN3

Georgia Tech probably should have closed up shop after Paul Johnson retired. Either that or just absolutely slathered the football program in dollars. The Yellow Jackets being unable to land any big time recruits while playing in Atlanta is a real mindfuck. They aren’t a AA program playing dress up in a “power” conference they’ve got actual history. I don’t mean to give the impression I want them to be good but I don’t understand how they can be such fodder for so long.

13 Florida at USF    1:00pm    ABC

Remember that year when USF was the best program in the state? Wild stuff. Weird, wild stuff. I know the deal with UF is that they don’t go out of state for contract games but it’s actually kind of surprising they even bothered to keep this trip to Tampa on the schedule. Like the area recruits would probably be happier to go see a game at The Swamp than to kick around their hometown for a pile of shit like this.

Wyoming at NIU    1:30pm   ESPN+

I’m not gonna open the ESPN app for this but if it was on ESPN2 I’d probably check in on it during commercials. Aesthetically pleasing trash with an upside for actual entertainment.

Middle Tennessee at 19 Virginia Tech    2:00pm   ACCNX

Virginia Tech’s home crowd scene was the normie story of last week’s games. People that don’t watch college football were either aghast or frantically waving their blue lives matter flags in response. Us in this space just ate the shame and forgot it happened by the time Saturday’s games kicked off. My theory is that VPI is not actually any good but UNC’s 2020 season was a well-timed fluke and the last hurrah of Mack Brown’s storied coaching career. The Hokies are at home, though, and MTSU is almost certainly not on the same athletic level as the Turkey Gobblers so I’d probably take the home team -20 if I were so inclined to wager on this particular game that is being broadcast on the ACC’s new pornography channel.

Rutgers at Syracuse    2:00pm    ACCN

Holy fuck does this game suck. Reuniting former Big East, uh, rivals (??? does Rutgers have any natural enemies?) in a cross-conference classic betwixt the B1G and the ACC.

Duquesne at Ohio   2:00pm   ESPN3

I don’t think I need to explain to you all the national title implications riding on this game.

Toledo at 8 Notre Dame    2:30pm     Peacock

Just remember that if you subscribe to Peacock you are at the very least tacitly supporting Notre Dame. If for some reason you’re watching this please report back on how many of those defensive pick plays Notre Dame runs. They were doing that shit constantly against Florida State last week and it drove me nuts. I think the idea is that you are so flagrantly illegal so often that the refs grow numb to it and just don’t call it at all.

Robert Morris at Central Michigan     3:00pm    ESPN3

Not to be outdone by the early games, the 3 o’clock set is equally terrible.

Purdue at UConn    3:00pm    CBSSN

I bet Edsall still gets bonuses for stupid shit even now that he’s retired or whatever the official designation was for him no longer coaching.

Boston College at UMass    3:30pm    FloFootball/NESN+

I don’t know what FloFootball is but I know it isn’t anything to do with the state of Florida.

Ball State at 11 Penn State    3:30pm    FS1

It surprises me to see Penn State as only -22.5 favorites. That seems very kind to Ball State. Hopefully I’m wrong and the Ball State Lettermans take it to the Sanduskys.

Murray State at 7 Cincinnati    3:30pm    ESPN+

Practice week continues.

Temple at Akron    3:30pm    ESPN+

Pound the under.

Georgia Southern at Florida Atlantic   3:30pm   Stadium

There is really nothing going on this week.

Air Force at Navy   3:30pm   CBS

Middies vs. Fly Boys in the first leg of the Commander’s Cup on the twentieth anniversary of 9/11. I can’t imagine the amount of emotional manipulation that’s going to make its way onto this broadcast. Normally I watch these games but I don’t think I can do it this year.

UAB at 2 Georgia    3:30pm    ESPN2

Georgia may well be absurdly talented on the defensive side of the ball but I’d be surprised to see them make it through the regular season with fewer than two losses.

5 Texas A&M at Colorado     3:30pm     FOX

This is only interesting if the Aggies spring a leak.

California at TCU    3:30pm    ESPNU

Things most certainly are not looking up.

Buffalo at Nebraska    3:30pm    BTN

Nebraska is in an interesting position because if they buck the odds and end up being good after we’ve all been so ready to see a National Championship-winning coach get fired that would be funny but if they end up being really bad it’s even funnier. Go Bulls!

Mercer at 1 Alabama    4:00pm   SECN

I’ll cry a little if Saban pulls the starters in the first half and the Tide beats Mercer by less than they beat Miami.

South Alabama at Bowling Green   4:00pm    ESPN+

10 Iowa at 9 Iowa State    4:30pmABC

This is not the kind of top 10 matchup I can just sit idly by and let it happen. Your silence is complicity in this monstrous display of modernity.

SC State at 6 Clemson    5:00pm      ACCN

Clemson dropped all the way to #6 and they’ll hang around the top of the polls because they don’t have the toughest conference schedule in the world but my confidence in them is not high right now. I think the new QB is just a guy. He’s talented as hell but I don’t see him being great.

Illinois State at Western Michigan     5:00pm   ESPN3

This is either MACtion or MACtion adjacent and I have only one word for this midwestern trash: abhorrent.

LIU at West Virginia   5:00pm    ESPN+

LIU plays football?

Lamar at UTSA      6:00pm    ESPN3

Downside: You’re watching one of the least important games of the year. Upside: You’re really not missing anything.

Portland State at Washington State    6:00pm    P12N

Washington State was a perfect spot for the stupid pirate fuckhead and his leaving has ruined the program and, eventually, his reputation. Not relevant to this game necessarily but this game isn’t relevant to anything else, either.

Gardner-Webb at Charlotte   6:00pm    ESPN3

Oh, yeah, feel the excitement.

Bethune-Cookman at UCF   6:30pm   ESPN+

Go Cats.

NC Central at Marshall    6:30pm    ESPN+

The hits keep coming.

Houston at Rice   6:30pm    CBSSN

I’ve always had a soft spot for Holgo and for Houston football but somehow I really don’t like seeing him coach the Cougs. This is SWC magic but with no magic. UNLESS! Houston can put up 100. I don’t think they even have the guys to do it but this is Rice we’re talking about here.

Nicholls at Louisiana    7:00pm    ESPN3

Keep the energy up.

North Texas at SMU   7:00pm   ESPN+

I bet is MS621 were still alive he’d be at this game giving Spencer’s boys hell. Sadly he died doing what he loved, curing his COVID by eating ivermectin paste out of a horse’s butt. R.I.P., friend. Neigh to you wherever you are.

Southeastern La. at Louisiana Tech   7:00pm    ESPN3

Even the low tier stuff is geared up for annihilation. This is a bodybag week for all time.

Memphis at Arkansas State    7:00pm    ESPN+

Memphis getting less than a touchdown against Arkansas State seems like easy money but I have no real concept of either of these teams just yet. Maybe the end is nigh for the Tigers glory years? I sure hope not but it’s possible.

NC State at Mississippi State    7:00pm     ESPN2

This game should be as fun as a parents funeral.

Southern Illinois at Kansas State   7:00pm      ESPN+

Over the past week I experienced derision for referring the the guys in purple and silver as “Kansas State” instead of “K State” and that stung because it always surprises me that anybody cares about them enough to have a strong opinion about them.

Stephen F. Austin at Texas Tech    7:00pm    ESPN+

Shrugs

15 Texas at Arkansas    7:00pm   ESPN

Let’s see if Texas is ready to run with the big boys of the SEC! Arkansas is given a decent shot to win this game and that makes the “15″ next to Texas appear extremely suspect in my eyes.

Texas Southern at Baylor    7:00pm   ESPN+

This week Texas Southern is the people’s champion.

Texas State at FIU   7:00pm    ESPN+

Oh, Butch, why have you done this to yourself?

Western Carolina at 4 Oklahoma      7:00pm     PPV

All the Westen Carolina fans are buying this PPV to see their guys score 40.

New Mexico State at New Mexico    7:00pm     Stadium

I looked up the historic rivalry last year to figure out why it was played early in the season instead of at the end but I’ve forgotten and don’t feel the need to look it up again. I figured out how to watch Stadium on my TV but I also forgot that and don’t feel the need to look it up again.

Appalachian State at 22 Miami (FL)  7:00pm   ESPNU

My gut tells me Miami is probably legitimately about the 14th best team in the country but I still would never advise you to bet actual money on the Hurricanes. Are they 9 points better than App State? Easily. They should win by 20+. Are they liable to fuck around and lose or scrape out a win in the final seconds? Absolutely. Let’s fuckin’ go.

Morgan State at Tulane    7:00pm    ESPN+

A lot of people learned to love the Green Wave last week but it’s hard to keep that going with their schedule. Don’t forget them later in the year when the CBSSN glow is really shining.

Liberty at Troy   7:00pm   ESPN+

Liberty -4 is maybe my surest advice of the week. If Malik Willis is as good as his press the fake school should have this game on ice early.

Eastern Michigan at 18 Wisconsin   7:00pm    FS1

I find Wisconsin’s losing effort against Penn State last week to be a personal affront against me and all of nature.

Eastern Kentucky at Louisville    7:00pm   ACCNX

I think this game being broadcast at night on ACCNX means they’re playing naked.

Grambling State at Southern Miss    7:00pm    ESPN3

This is the kind of game that belongs on an app.

Hampton at Old Dominion    7:00pm    ESPN3

This is the kind of game that belongs on a well-worn high school football field.

Austin Peay at 20 Mississippi   7:30pm     ESPN+/SECN+

This is a pretty big OOC game for an SEC team.

Georgia State at 24 North Carolina    7:30pm    RSN/ESPN3

One of several GSUs, I think this is the one I most hope emerges victorious this week.

Idaho at Indiana   7:30pm    BTN

Wait, wasn’t Indiana like #10 last week? What the hell happened to them? No, don’t tell me. Seriously, don’t.

Missouri at Kentucky     7:30pm    SECN

When the SEC hits 24 teams the “S!E!C!” chants are gonna seem really stupid.

Howard at Maryland    7:30pm    BTN

There’s no official line for this game but I hope the Bison can pull off the upset in this classic local rivalry game.

Jacksonville State at Florida State    8:00pm   ACCN

Still shaking my head at FSU icing their own kicker. Jesus, Norvell. Get your shit together.

McNeese at LSU     8:00pm      ESPN+/SECN+

LOLSU was my lock of the week last week if you’re considering taking gambling advice from me.

Washington at Michigan    8:00pm    ABC

UDub lost to a 1-AA team last week and now they have to go on the road and beat Michigan. Which seems inevitable, to be honest.

Cal Poly at Fresno State    10:00pm    CW59

The murder rate will continue to increase as the day progresses. I always kind of like it when a local broadcast shows up on the sheet. So pretty much none of us have legal access to this game. It makes it more special.

San Diego State at Arizona    10:00pm    P12N

Pac-12 Network is similar to CW59 in that almost nobody in the country has legal access to their broadcasts. If you’ve read enough of these posts you are aware that SDSU is my weird very deep backup team. I don’t have a reason to align myself with the school or program, I just tend to enjoy watching their games.

Vanderbilt at Colorado State     10:00pm    CBSSN

This is an abomination.

21 Utah at BYU     10:15pm    ESPN

This is a lowkey fun rivalry. I’m pretty sure I write the same thing every year but it’s still true. Go Utes.

Stanford at 14 USC     10:30pm    FOX

I think USC could win a national championship and I’d still be baffled that Clay Helton is their coach. Of course, they won’t win a national championship as long as Clay Helton is their coach but they apparently won’t ever get embarrassing enough to fire him, either.

Idaho State at Nevada    10:30pm    Stadium

This is the lowpoint of the week’s schedule and you have to stay up late to watch it on a network that only exists as an app or as part of a hidden unlockable download-only level of cable subscription. This is the beauty of the college game.

UNLV at 23 Arizona State    10:30pm   ESPN2

Herm Edwards figured out the trick to looking good in the Pac-12 without having a particularly great team and I can’t make up my mind if I’m rooting for him to keep sliding on that rail or to fall off it. I think I’ve come around to rooting for him but it’s a very dynamic and fluid situation.

Hawaii at Oregon State   11:00pm    FS1

Hawaii gets to play at their normal time for a game against the bottom of the barrel of the Pac-12 but they’re an 11-point underdog. If you’re ever going to take Hawaii, this is the stars lining up for you to do it. It’s still a big “if” but I’m saying there’s a chance.

#college football #football #Tv watch em ups #rtarl watches tv #gambling #9/11 #two decades after 9/11

[voidwhump]

Alrighty, pet boi is back! This is a nice chonk of writing and hopefully moving on with things will keep the juice flowing.

Taglist: @just-another-whumper @whumping-every-day @burtlederp @raigash@in-chains-broken @deluxewhump @haro-whumps @funnyihope @shameless-whumper @comfortforthepain @draganies

It woke up halfway off its bed. It rolled over, curling up on the soft, nest-like cushion its older owner had put down for it in the room with the couches. The sun was shining into the room, warming the cushion underneath it and lighting the room. The lights were still turned off, but it could see lights on in the other rooms. 

“Guess what?”

The lights snapped on and it blinked, turning to see its younger owner standing next to the light switch. He was holding one of its vests, its collar and its leash.

“You’re coming to school today.” 

School? It got up from its bed, hesitantly walking over. It held out its arms so its owner could put its vest on. He did, instructing it to do up the buckles as he put on its collar and leash.

School. It didn’t know what it would do at school. Was its owner talking about a school for it? A school for him? If it was a school for him, where would it stay? Would there be other pets? 

Its owner put on its leash and it followed him as he walked to the front door. He grabbed a bag and slung it over his shoulder. It followed him out the door, the sidewalk warming the soles of its feet. It looked around as much as it could without tugging on its leash. It was a very clean looking street, the houses almost identical and and cars tucked neatly into their driveways.  The front yards were almost identical too, the only visible differences being what kinds of flowers were in the small spots where flowers could go. A few cars drove by on their way down the street, all of them looking like they were brand new.

It followed its owner through a few turns and up a street with less houses and more open, grassy areas. At the end of the street was a large building covered in colored glass. An arch with words it couldn’t read on it was set over the path to the entrance. It decided that this had to be a school for its owner. Pets didn’t get things like this. 

“Here we are. I have to drop you off because you aren’t a service pet but we get a break for lunch and then I’m going to show you to my friends.” 

Its owner didn’t look at it while he was talking so it didn’t respond. It continued to follow him into the building. 

The inside of the school was an open space that was packed with people. Every footstep was magnified, all of the echos of chatter and footsteps making the room deafening. It had never been somewhere so loud and crowded. It sped up, keeping close to its owner, who didn’t seem to notice the noise, as he marched to a desk with a middle aged woman behind it.  

“I brought my pet today.”

It almost flinched as its owners voice sounded so loud so close. It stared at the ground as the woman peered over the desk at it.

“Ah, a green pet. No need for a leash in the kennel and it can stay with the others. It will be provided with a small meal at lunchtime, unless there’s a reason it shouldn’t be fed?”

“Nah, it can eat.”

Its owner pulled it off to the side, down a short hallway and over to a door. The hallway was quieter but it could still clearly hear the noises in the large room. The door had a green stripe on it and a tablet underneath the stripe. Its owner tapped on the tablet for a minute before there was a quiet beep and the door clicked open. He unhooked its leash and it took a hesitant step inside. By the time it looked back its owner had already closed the door behind it.

The room seemed silent in comparison to the entry area. A few other pets in green vests sat on faded cushions in the otherwise empty room. They looked at it as it walked over to an empty cushion and sat down. There were some windows high up on the walls, too high to look out of. It wondered how long it would be until lunch. It hoped it wasn’t too long, it hadn’t gotten a chance to have breakfast and it already felt anxious about being left alone.

It didn’t know if it would be better or worse to have a clock in the room. It had been sitting in silence with the other pets for some time now. It didn’t know if the others wanted to interact and were just too nervous to make the first move or if they wanted to sit and not do anything. They seemed to want the second one, but it wasn’t about to ask.

Eventually it got fidgety. There was nothing to do short of shredding one of the cushions, and it didn’t want to make anyone mad because it broke something. It bounced its leg, listening to the repetitive tap of its bare foot against the floor. It wondered if there wasn’t anything to do because it was a green pet. Maybe yellow pets got things to do. 

One of the other pets started looking annoyed and it stopped tapping. 

A woman arrived with a cart of food right as it thought it really would start shredding a cushion. At least the food was a little exiting, soup with a whole lot of things in it. The woman passed out the bowls and left with a warning not to make a mess. It started eating. It wasn’t amazing, but it was hungry and it hadn’t been expecting better. The soup was gone sooner than it would’ve liked and it set the bowl off to the side. Maybe its owner would be back soon. 

It was bored again just a few minutes into the wait, but it’s owner was back within an hour. 

“See? It’s pretty cool. I can’t remember it’s whole list but we got it to wash dishes last night.” 

Its owner was accompanied by two other people his age. One of the other pets got up and walked over to one of them, a girl with shoulder length hair and a shiney jacket. 

“Yeah, it looks cool. You said it didn’t have a name yet?”

“No name yet. I was going to let you guys help me pick.” 

“He looks like a bird name to me.”

The other boy stepped closer to it as it walked over to its owner. He had a t-shirt with a bunch of bugs on it with little labels underneath them.

“You think?”

Parker put its leash back on and the group walked out the door, discussing names.

All of its owner’s friends seemed to have a different idea of what it should be called.

“Zeezee,” Said the one with the jacket.

“Robin,” Said the one who had thought it should be a bird.

“No, that’s a lame bird. If it’s gonna be a bird it has to be cool, like Falcon or Vulture.” Retorted the one with the jacket. 

“It looks too shy to be a Falcon. That would be like naming a rabbit Destroyer.” 

“I legit know someone with a hamster named Apocalypse. People name things stuff that doesn’t look like it suits ‘em all the time. It’s funny.”

“I don’t think I want to name him something funny. I liked Robin, what other birds make good names?” Its owner cut in between the two bickering friends. It didn’t know if it liked the bird names. It might be able to know better if it knew what any of the birds looked like. They sounded nice, and it was glad that its owner was putting effort into naming it. That would probably mean it would be kept.

“Well there’s Finch,” The bird friend continued. “And I guess you could call it Bluebird if you want a long name, Blue for short. Sparrow’s a good one too. And of course all the ones on the edgier end, like Crow and Falcon.”

“Yeah, like Falcon!” The friend with the jacket said excitedly.  

“I like Sparrow. Let’s play ball and then decide.” 

The three had walked over to some hoops like the one in its owner’s backyard while they had been talking. The one with the jacket got a ball from a bin full of them and threw it to its owner, who bounced it on the ground a few times before throwing it towards the hoop. He missed, rolling his eyes as the ball hit the ground. The bird loving friend caught it and its owner jogged towards him, leaving it and the other pet behind.

#whump #pet whump #more just moving forward than whump honestly #pet boi #bbu #box boy

[parachutingkitten]

Dancing Without You - Ch 4: Ice Cream

Chapter 1 - Chapter 2 - Chapter 3

Whose ready for the title drop? I am! I absolutely had way too much fun writing a party with this select group of ninja for the second half of the chapter. It’s a bit of fun fluff before absolutely everything hits the fan next chapter. 

Happy Reading!

“I’ll take a double scoop of the rocky road.” Cole pointed to the tub through the window as Madelyn began scooping. 

“In a cone, or a cup?” 

“Cup please,” He smiled.

“Anything else?” Madelyn asked, handing him his cup over the counter. 

“I also need a double scoop of cotton candy in a cup as well please.”

I hit Cole on the shoulder as he chuckled. “I can pay for my own ice cream, you know!” I scolded. 

“Chill Lia, I have a bunch of extra cash on my student account that I’ve got to spend by the end of the month,” He explained. “I accidentally added an extra 200 dollars to my account instead of 20 dollars, so... I’m definitely going to be hitting up the student shop later this week.” 

I laughed as Madelyn handed me my cup and moved over to the cash register. 

“That'll be $6.50, just go ahead and swipe your student id.” Madelyn instructed.

Cole did just that as the receipt started printing. “And that’s it! Thanks,” she smiled, handing it to him. 

“Thanks Maddie!” I smiled as we walked out towards the field.

“You know her?” Cole asked. 

“She works there every Wednesday and Friday. Don’t you recognize her?”

“Yeah,” he chuckled. “But I don’t know her name!”

“I don’t know. I think it’s rude not to make an effort,” I shrugged as we sat down on the grass. It was a beautiful sunny day outside for being the middle of fall. It was the perfect temperature outside with the sun peeking out just enough to warm the air. I knew perfect weather like this couldn’t last long though. “So, you ready for midterms?” I asked, eating my first spoonful of ice cream.

“Midterms,” Cole laughed nervously. “Yeah. I have no idea how ready I am, but it’s definitely not ready enough.”

“I’m excited! I mean, in just a few weeks we’ll get our rankings! Aren’t you excited to see where you fall?”

Cole rolled his eyes, looking down at his ice cream, mixing it around with his spoon. “I don’t know. It all seems a little superficial to me. I mean, how can you possibly distill all of someone’s talent down into one number? And then they’re going to take everyone’s number and rank us against each other? Doesn’t that just seem needlessly antagonistic?”

“I mean, most schools have grades. That’s how grading things works,” I shrugged, taking another bite.

“It just doesn’t seem right. Singing and dancing and all this stuff is all just so subjective. It shouldn’t have such a concrete ranking system attached to it.”

“Well… yeah. It’s blunt, but that’s kind of just how performance arts work. They’re competitive, and messy and… harsh.” 

Cole seemed distant. He looked at me for a moment, pensive. “I don’t know. I guess it’s just not really for me.”

“What do you mean not really for you?” I pressed.

“It’s kind of hard to explain,” he sighed. “But it’s like… recently, I’ve been feeling more and more like instead of going to school here, I’m just being trapped here, you know?”

I studied him. He was being honest, but I didn’t exactly know what to make of it. “Well, I know classes can be tough, but everyone knows first year is the hardest. Things will ease up soon. I mean, you might feel like you want to leave, but it’s not like you’re actually considering it, right?”

He paused for a moment, looking out at the skyline. “...maybe. I mean, the more I stay here, the more I feel like I just don’t belong. Like I can’t fit into the mold that everyone wants from me.”

“Cole, you’re a great dancer! If you’re worried about living up to people’s expectations, don’t be-”

“It’s not that.” he shook his head. “I just don’t fit in the system. I can’t do this forever. I can’t live like this.”

I set my ice cream down on the grass, thinking for a moment. “Look, I know this kind of stuff is a lot of work. And I get that it comes easier to me than it does for a lot of people, but you shouldn’t throw away your chance just because it gets hard. I mean, why did you come here in the first place unless you really wanted something out of it, right?”

Cole’s head hung low as he picked at the grass. 

“I… didn’t choose to come here.

My dad did.”

~*~*~*~

“Oh! We’re halfway there! Oh! Livin’ on a prayer!”

They both sounded absolutely terrible at this point in the song, but the energy in the room was undeniable. Lia had pulled out all her snacks, moved the furniture, dug up her mini disco ball, and had started blasting music. She and Jay and were currently caught in an intense impromptu Karaoke battle, Jay singing into the ice cream scooper while Lia had chosen the tv remote as her microphone of choice. 

“Hold on! Hold on!” Jay screamed out, “Air guitar solo!”

“Shred it guys!” I called out, egging them on as they flailed around in the middle of the room.

“Put your heart into it, Jay!” Pixal mocked him. “She’s wiping the floor with you!” 

Pix and I both laughed as the last set of choruses came around. 

“You really weren’t kidding, she’s extremely high energy.” She looked over at me, smiling.

“Yeah, she was a good warm up for dealing with Jay,” I joked, both of us laughing again.

“Take my hand! We’ll make it, I swear!” They were singing into each other’s faces at this point, more screaming than singing. “Oh! Living on a prayer!”

Both of them pumped their fists in the air as the song faded out, Pix and I both cheering them as they bowed. 

“It’s such a good song!” Jay raved.

“It’s such a good song!” Lia tossed the remote onto the couch in the corner, taking a few heavy breaths. 

“Sorry about that Cole, I had a bit of a point to prove,” Jay boasted, walking over to the snack table. “Which flavor did you want?” He looked down at the various tubs of ice cream.

“You know what, I don’t even think I want ice cream anymore,” I shrugged.

“Well, I want some mint chip!” Lia called to him, running over. “I am overheating big time!” She smiled. 

“I know, right?” Jay agreed, dishing some up for her, my eyes drifting.

“You rocked it up there.”

“I’ve done my fair share of lip sync battles, I know how to work a good song,” Jay smirked, handing her the bowl he had scooped.

My eyes had been drawn to the neat orange stone hung around Lia’s neck, shining in the dancing light of the disco ball. “Is that the necklace?” I asked.

“Oh! Yeah,” She lifted it off her neck. “I usually only wear it for good luck, like when I’m auditioning for stuff or what not, but I thought since you’re here it’d be appropriate.”

“I didn’t even think you’d have it still,” I chuckled. 

“What’s this all about?” Pix asked. 

“Oh nothing,” Lia shrugged. “Cole just got me this necklace at the end of first semester.”

Pixal leaned over, looking at it. “It’s a beautiful piece of sunstone,” she admired.

“It’s kind of a long story,” I waved it off, glancing back at Lia, now enjoying her ice cream.

“Hold on,” Jay interrupted, pointing at the other end of the room. “Is that a guitar? Do you play guitar?!”

“Yeah, I play guitar,” She smiled. “I know most of the basics. Guitar, Piano, Violin, I’m learning how to play the flute. I’ll have to play for you sometime, you know, when my voice isn’t so hacked up from song battling you,” She winked.  

“As in like… play and sing?” Jay asked. “You sing too?! As in like, real, legit singing?”

Lia burst out laughing, leaning on my shoulder. “Cole, this idiot wants to know if a Marty Oppenheimer Alumni can sing! What do you think?!”

“Yes, she can sing,” I rolled my eyes at Jay.

“Does that mean you can sing too?” Jay nudged me.

“Oh, you’ve never heard him sing?” Lia smiled, turning to me, wide eyed.

“I can sing, but that doesn’t mean that I do. Not anymore anyways,” I stopped them.

The music began to switch as Lia took my hand. “That’s okay, Cole’s always been much more of a dancer.” She smirked. “Come on, this song is great for swing dance!”

“You know full well, I dropped out right before the swing dance unit,” I put my hands up in surrender.

“I don’t know, that sounds like quite a slim excuse to me,” Pixal teased.

“Oh, so you think you’re better than me?” I challenged her.

“I’m a droid, you don’t think I can’t follow rhythms and memorize a complex series of steps?”

Lia placed down her ice cream bowl and turned triumphantly towards Pixal. “Would you like to dance?”

“Of course!” Pixal smiled in my face as they moved back out towards the center of the room.

“Aw man! She slammed you!” Jay clung to my shoulder, jumping up and down.

They took the floor, moving in unison as the chorus kicked in.

I knew I was in for a ride as we

Swing to the sound

Our feet tap-tappin' and our heartbeats beatin' 

“Dude, you’re not recovering from this,” Jay shook his head, watching as they spun around each other to the beat of the music. 

“Yeah, Pix sure wasn’t bluffing.” 

They had some great synergy too. So concentrated on the moves they were making, anticipating what the other would do next. It had been a while since I’d seen Lia dance. I had forgotten how happy it made her. It breathed life into her in a way nothing else ever quite did. Like dancing was the one thing keeping her alive, like doing anything else would just be unnatural. The way her stray hairs would fly away in the air as she spun, the way her nose would scrunch up when she smiled. Those moments when she felt so in the rhythm that she'd just close her eyes. It was all wrapping in this warm familiar comfort that I had lost to the back of my mind to years now.

Spin 'round and 'round

We got lost in the rhythm, the lights, and the crowd

“You’re so good!” Lia’s excitement caught me out of my daze. Her arms were wrapped around Pixal, who was a bit unsure of what to do.

“You’re quite talented yourself.”

“See, that’s how you dance!” She broke away from Pix, pointing at me. “You just forget how to move your feet after all these years, or what?”

“I’ve kinda been focused on other things,” I rolled my eyes.

“That’s so cool! How did you do that?” Jay marveled at them both. “It looked so choreographed and everything!”

“It just takes practice,” Lia hit him in the shoulder. “It’s really not that hard. It’s first year stuff.”

“I could teach you the basics if you wanted,” Pixal chimed in.

“Hell yes! Let’s do it!” Jay swung around me, back to the middle of the floor, Pixal following him. I leaned back on the snack table watching them. She took his hands, carefully guiding him through some basic motions, both of their eyes glued to their feet. I could feel a smile spread across my face watching Jay fumble at Pixal’s simple instructions.

“Pix is a great dancer! I was actually really surprised.” Lia sat next to me, a half empty glass of water in her hands.

“You know, if I’m being honest, it was kinda weird seeing you dance with someone else,” I chuckled.

“Yeah,” She sighed, hanging her head a bit. “I guess it would be.” Her fingers fiddled with the rim of the glass. I could tell something was off. 

“What’s wrong with that?” I asked, trying to keep the tone light.

She looked up, her eyes distant. “Cole, I’ve been dancing without you for five years now.” She glanced over at me, gauging my reaction.

“Well…” I hesitated. “Yeah, that’s a good thing, right? I wasn’t supposed to be a dancer, staying would have just been a mistake. We both found our calling in life! That’s great!”

She looked at me with a blank stare. “...You don’t get it, do you?”

I looked at her a moment, trying to read what the answer was that she wanted. “Get… What? I mean, what happened, happened. Sure, it sucked to leave you behind, but no one got hurt. I’m back now, what’s the big problem?”

She looked at me for a moment, taking a deep breath. She placed her glass down on the table behind her, her eyes glazing over again as she looked at the floor.

She was thinking.

After a long moment, she closed her eyes, standing up. 

“I think I’m gonna head to bed.” She started towards the back hall as I stood up, trailing her.

“Lia, is everything okay?”

“Cole, please, I can’t do this right now.” She sighed as she continued moving.

“Amelia, talk to me, please. What’s wrong?” I pleaded with her.

I was cut off as she reached her room, shutting the door on me, leaving me a little disoriented on the other side.

“Everything okay back here?” Jay asked, peaking back into the hall.

I turned to look at him, still wondering what exactly had just happened. 

“I… don’t know.”

#ninjago #ninjago oc #ninjago cole #OC: Amelia #Dancing Without You #writing #birthday week

[haiky-u-lously]

Mimi’s Gift--Chapter 2

Summary:

 It is said, that on your 25th birthday, one of your soulmate’s most embarrassing moments will appear to you in the form of a dream where you view as though being a fly on the wall. It is the night before your 25th birthday, and you are nervous because not everyone remembers the dream they have when they awaken. Will you?   

Themes:

Fluff, Humor, Soulmate AU

Warnings:

Embarassement, Teasing between friends, Self-judging (reader judges themselves on how they think about others).

Word Count:

~7,300 words total

Enjoy!

-Admin Red

______________________________________________________________

While eating your breakfast, your mind focused on trying to figure out just how to bring up what happened in your dream to your friends, well at least what you remember from your notes. Holding the phone in one hand and rereading the simple phrases over and over again as your mouth blindly searched for the spoonful of cereal held in your other hand.

You were trying to think of details about the dog instead of the boy, hoping that a not so important detail might trigger something with deeper meaning, and felt the milk from the hovering silverware splash over your lap before you realized you had tipped the spoon so far.

Chiding yourself as you put the spoon back into the bowl. “Man, why’d I have to be this stupid. Today of all days too!” You grumbled as you went to change yet again.

Buttoning up your fresh jeans, you checked yourself out in the full body mirror hanging off the door to the master bathroom. Chuckling as you checked yourself out for good measure, “Well, at least all my effort into this look wasn’t wasted by having to change pants...That’s a plus!” 

As soon as your uplifting comment was spoken out loud, you could hear your phone start buzzing from where you left it back in the kitchen. Racing to pick it up in time in case it was something important.

“HAPPY BIRTHDAY (Y/N)!!!!” Yama yelled from his end of the line.

You cracked a smile in between huffs for air after your quick sprint. Taking a deep breath to calm down before responding properly, “Thanks Yama! I’m finally 25 hahahaha!”

“YES! Now you’ve joined the old people’s club officially. I am here to welcome you to long working hours and even shorter periods of fun for the foreseeable future.”

Face starting to hurt from the grin you’d been sporting since the call began, you teased right back, “Well then we just gotta make those short periods of fun even better than anyone’d expect.”

Both of you laughed for a few minutes after that.

“Well, now for the serious bit.” He sobered up quickly and got to his point, “Did you remember your dream last night?”

Thankful for your friend being the absolute best, and realizing you should not have worried about how to bring up the topic at all, you explained your situation. “So, I’m not as bad off as Hinata was, or how we thought Tsukki would be without his recording...But at the same time, I am not nearly as lucky as you and Kageyama. I recalled a few things. And...Well...Actually….uhhhh how do I put this?” You were dragging it out, you knew, but you couldn’t just say, ‘Well, hey, I don’t remember my soulmate at all but apparently you know him and were there so if I tell you what few details I do remember can you be an even better friend and put the pieces together for me? Thanks.’ Like, no. You can’t just use your friend for your own personal gain, how rude would that make you.

“(Y/N)!” He yelled to cut off your murmurs and mumblings, “just spit it out. Actually what?”

Taking yet another deep breath to calm down, and managing to take a seat back at the kitchen table, you visibly relaxed a smidge. “I don’t remember much, but I know you were there, and it looked like your old high school gym for the most part.”

“Wait! Your soulmate went to Karasuno?!” He sounded so excited, “(Y/N)! That’s awesome. Whatever you remember, tell me I can help you figure out who it is! I mean I was captain for a year. I should be able to tell you who was on our team no matter which year it was for.”

You really did want to ask him for help, but you also felt you’d just be using your friend. “I don’t think he was on your team. Sorry, Yama, thanks for the offer though.”

He seemed to think about that before responding. “Not on my team? Hmm, well depending on the team I may still know them. Come on. Hit me with the details. Stop dillydallying.”

“HAH!” Releasing a sound somewhere between a scream and a laugh, you quickly moved your free hand to clamp over your wide-open mouth. You had to shake your head a few times before you could answer his pushing, “Fine, fine! I didn’t want to make you help me cause I really don’t remember much and it’s not your job to figure out my soulmate for me. And I feel like I am just using you, but if you are going to throw around words like ‘dillydallying’ I may as well.” It really hadn’t taken much pressure from him to make you crack, you thought a moment about how to strengthen your resolve for next time before finally telling him what other little you knew about the dream. “I remember the most blindingly beautiful smile, a dog, chicken...as in like the food chicken, not the live animal chicken...that was probably obvious though. I mean, obviously, if I had meant a live chicken that would have been weird right? I mean--!”

“(Y/N). (Y/M/N). (Y/L/N)! Just tell me the rest already!”

“Oh right!” You stopped rambling yet again, “the only other thing I can remember past that is a red uniform.”

He went silent there.

You waited.

No comment.

Waited longer, checked to make sure the call was still connected.

No comment.

Checked again and saw he had been silent for 2 whole minutes, “Hello? Yama? You still there?”

“Are you kidding me?!!!!” He legit screamed so loud you dropped your phone out of shock. You could still hear him shouting while you reached to pick the device off the floor. “A red uniform, a dog, chicken, and a smile? That’s all you remember?!”

“Well, that and that most of it happened at your high school gymnasium and that you were there of course.” You corrected.

Despite not being able to see him, you could just hear the fed-up look on his face as he whisper-counted to 5 to calm himself down. A trick you learned he developed when he was captain of the team and had to deal with Hinata and Kageyama. “(Y/N). We didn’t play too many schools that had a red uniform. So I can pretty much guess what school your soulmate is from. But...And I mean this in the nicest way possible...IF YOU DO NOT GIVE ME ANY ACTIONABLE DETAILS ABOUT THE PERSON THEMSELVES HOW AM I SUPPOSED TO HELP YOU AT ALL!????”

“And this is why I really didn’t want to bother you with it. I told you I didn’t remember much.” You tried to skirt your way out of trouble.

“You all are going to be the death of me.” He said as you imagined him rubbing his hand down his face. “Are you sure you don’t remember anything else? Like what was so embarrassing about that moment in their life that your dream was what it was? Nothing?”

Thinking about the dream some more, and remembering that Yamaguchi’s sport was volleyball you remembered an additional detail, your hand shot up with the pointer facing the ceiling, “WAIT! I did just remember something!”

“That’s great!” He exclaimed alongside you, “what’d you recall?”

“He got hit in the face with a volleyball.” You were so proud of yourself for remembering.

“He,” You could hear Yama repeating to himself, “he got hit in the face with a volleyball?”

“Yepp!” You were so proud of yourself, the pure joyous feeling would be shown to anyone who chanced upon you at that moment.

The audible sigh from the other end of the line of course made you backtrack your excitement.

“Is that not helpful?” You questioned, now not so happy with your development.

It wasn’t possible to imagine how he was physically reacting this time, but thankfully his silence was short-lived. “That depends on your answer to this question. Did he get hit from a serve or hit, or was the ball on his side when he got hit in the face?”

This brought your happy mood back right away because you actually could give full detail about it now that you remembered this part of the scene. “OH, his side, definitely. Because, and now that I remembered it happened I remember this whole bit of the scene. He was going to hit it and I guess something had been wrong because the ball flew in front of his arm before he’d even started really swinging and it hit him in the face and he fell onto his buttocks! Hahahahhah!” Your giggling continued as the images played out in your mind.

“OH!?” Yamaguchi yelled, reminding you you weren’t talking to yourself that time around. “I know exactly who it is then! Yes! I remember that whole day actually! Man, that was a bad day for him.” Yama also joined in laughing, though you knew it was because he remembered more than you. “It actually makes sense why you’d remember a dog and chicken now, yea hahaa.”

“Wait!” You interrupted him this time, “So if you remember the event and you know who it is, then you can just tell me, right?!” You were so hyped.

Waiting in anticipation.

Waiting for him to confirm your thoughts.

“Right, Yama?”

Waiting…

“Yama!?”

“Sorry, sorry, I am messaging about his whereabouts and to see if he is free today. I don’t have his number but Hinata does. So just be patient.” Apparently he put you on hold because you didn’t hear anything again.

Taking the time to rinse out your bowl from the now soggy cereal, you wondered what your soulmate was like. Thinking how great it was that he is already connected to your friend group. Washing out the bowl, you tried to generate his image in your mind, but you couldn’t see anything past red sportswear and a blinding grin.

“Okay, sorry about that.” Yama’s voice caught you off guard and you almost dropped the bowl, thankfully you got a better hold on it right in time to set in on the drying rack without incident. “Hello? (Y/N)?”

You respond with a yell since you were drying your hands off, “I’m here, just drying my hands. One second.” And legit one second later you held your phone once more. “So, what’s up?”

“Great, so he’s actually in town today! But doesn’t want me to share any details if you don’t remember anything hahaha.” You sulked at his teasing but listened with determined intent as he continued, “So basically it’ll be like a blind date for you for lunch. We decided 1, is that okay for you? I can also get him back and tell him you need to go later? But we have dinner at Kusa No le at 6, so you don’t want lunch to run too late. Hmm...”

“Yama, 1 is fine. Thank you so much for being such a great friend and helping me despite how difficult I can be.” You smiled as you said your piece, hoping he really understood how grateful you were.

“It’s what best friends are for. Now, I told him you’d wear red because you remembered that, but I also told him you’d wear a crown because it’s your birthday and you should get to be a royal sometimes.” He meant it as a tease, since you made him wear a crown on his 25th birthday as you took him on a scavenger hunt around Tokyo. But, you were so grateful you gave no mind against it.

“Sure, I have that tiara we stole from Kuroo still anyway. I can just wear that.”

It was nice talking with him about random things after that. Just being able to chill and enjoy your friendship was one of the things you’d learned to love the most since meeting Yama and Tsukki at university. You’d been super stressed, moving to a new area and not knowing anyone? Starting a new way of life away from friends and family and the support system you’d created for yourself up to that point? You’d been scared out of your mind. But that first day of classes, you happened to legit run into the nicest guy possible, who helped you up with a smile highlighting all his freckles as his friend asked after your well being. It was the beginning of a beautiful friendship and you couldn’t believe how lucky you had been.

“Yama,” You accidentally interrupted his comments about some television show he’d been hooked on recently, “I just want to thank you for helping me back to my feet all those years ago at Uni. I don’t know what would have happened or where I’d be today without you, and Tsukki and even Hinata and Kageyama too. But none of these past few years would have happened if it wasn’t for how kind you were to me back then. I am very grateful for your friendship.”

He seemed to hum back before speaking, “Well it wouldn’t have happened at all had you been watching where you were going, as Tsukki likes to remind you.”

You laughed at his tease. And he joined in.

This is what a good friendship was. You knew it.

“I wonder if it’ll be anything like this with my soulmate?” You questioned yourself out loud while contemplating the outfit choices laying on your bed.

#haikyū!! #haikyuu!! #haikyuu #haikyuuwritersnet #hqwnsecretsummer #mimi-cee-hq #sō inuoka #inuoka x reader #haikyuu inuoka #soulmate au #secret summer gift exchange #gift chapter 2 #admin red

[grizztomysam]

Grizzam College Song Fic AU Preview : Mumford & Sons - If I Say

Angst galore and homophobic slurs present...so just forwarned....

===================

Grizz and Sam finally establish a friendship after being partnered in English class during the start of Grizz’s senior year. Although it skirts the borders of what is deemed platonic. Shared glances after inside jokes are exchanged linger a little too long, accidental and not so accidental touches result in hitched breaths and Grizz preens a little to much whenever Sam looks at his lips when he’s speaking.

Months pass, the duo get considerably closer and Grizz scraps his initial plan to come out in college. 

He’s fallen in love, it’s no longer a crush. 

He’ll tell Sam his true feelings after their last game for the season and ask Sam to prom.

The night before this was to happen, Grizz is over at Sam’s studying for midterms. Sam says a particularity witty quip to something Grizz can’t even remember but he’s laughing and crying and Sam has somehow straddled him tickling his sides making him laugh harder. And he can’t hold back any longer, flips them both and kisses Sam likes he’s always wanted to. Since the first time he’d glimpsed the blued eyed boy when he was 12. 

There too caught up in the moment to see the figure watching and recording from the slit in Sam’s slightly opened bedroom door.

Before Grizz leaves he makes sure Sam will be coming to the game. 

“Of course, it’s your last” Sam’s lips are especially red and so inviting. Grizz wants so bad to kiss him again.

“I have something to tell you.”

“So secretive” Sam signs with a soft smirk, eyes shining.

Grizz just smiles back, kisses him gently on the cheek and leaves.

But life’s a bitch. Somehow adverse to letting people be....happy.

Campbell comes into his room a while later, he’s still on cloud nine and can’t seem to fall asleep. But the look on his brother’s face...his eyes have a calculated quiet to them, stark and garish juxtaposition to the smile on his lips, has Sam sitting, nerves electric and hackles up.

“Stay away from Visser, Fag.” He says this without preamble. Says it as if he’s telling his little brother goodnight and not to let the bed bugs bite.

“Why?” He’s learned to speak in controlled tones, volume steady and low. That’s how you speak to a rabid dog, muscle tensed and ready to pounce.

“Because the boy’s got a bright future. Football scholarship and all. Wouldn’t want to be the reason that gets taken away.”

“What are you talking about?”

“Oh Sam, you sure are daft. Let me talk in laymen’s terms. You break this abomination of a relationship you have with Grizz. And I’ll make sure William behaves tomorrow night.”

“Who the fuck is William.” The creeping dread that’s got the hair on his nape standing dissolves his resolve.

“Tsk Tsk, language, Samuel.....You see William is a boy that happens to love the little pills I give him every other week. Can’t get enough of them. He also happens to be on the opposing team playing against Visser tomorrow. A defensive linebacker...big massive boy. One word from me. I don’t know...something about not having anymore of his favorite pills unless he does something to Grizz Visser during game night. Nothing big. A broken arm...leg.”

“I hate you!” He doesn't so much scream it but breath it from every hurting vein in his body. 

Because he hates Campbell. With the very fiber of his being he wants to take something sharp and stab it into the jugular of his brother’s neck. Watch him bleed out until there is nothing left but a sunken shell.

“I know...Do what’s right.” He leaves, an almost pitying look on his face, as if this was something out of his control.

“Why...”

He turns back to look...blinks with empty eyes and smiles. “Because I can, little brother.”

Sam doesn’t sleep that night. Gets sick twice at 4 in the morning. Cries silent  wracking sobs as he grips the rim of the toilet bowl. 

He manages to avoid Grizz during the day. Ignores the texts that pile up. Skips the one class they have together after feigning a stomach ache. Even tho it really wasn't’ pretend.

He arrives home and finally texts back “Sorry ate something weird after you left last...night spent most of the day at the nurses office..I’ll see you at the game tonight”

The answer text is immediate “Awe..I could have kept you company...I can’t wait to see you.”

It leaves a tightness in his throat, so he closes his eyes and tries to disappear into the nothingness for a while. Tries not to feel.

He sends a text asking Grizz to meet him under the bleachers before the game, arrives an hour before to make sure there’s plenty of time for Grizz to sneak away and see him. 

He can almost feel the eagerness from Grizz’s text. Pictures his face, all bright eyed, nose scrunched in that adorable Grizz way, eyes crinkled at the corners with a grin.

Sure no problem. I missed you all day.

He wants to run away, far where no one can hear him and he can scream until his lungs burn out and his eyes no longer know how to cry. 

Grizz is waiting for him, decked out in his football uniform, hair in that topknot that drives him crazy. He’s all anxious energy and beauty. Sam has to look down pretending to pick at lint from his sweatshirt. Blinks hard and steels himself.

“Hey, you ok?” Grizz has ambled forward from his lean against the wall, eyes concerned, arms offered to hold.

Grizz is going to see right through this whole thing.

He walks pass him and leans against the opposite wall. The worry on Grizz’s face cuts at his heart with a blunt knife.

“You sad?...Last game and all.” He’s stalling but his mind is blank.

Grizz doesn’t push and walks towards him. So close that if he looks up from his gaze that’s now level with Grizz’s chest, all he’d have to do for a kiss was rise up slight on his toes because Grizz has leaned down tilting his chin up.

“I was going to wait until after, but I really want to kiss you right now and I need to say this first.” And Sam is crying because life is fucking unfair.

‘I love--”

“Stop....you don’t” he signs and sobs,  pushing the older boy away. 

Grizz stands steady, grabbing his face, confusion laced with an unease that has Grizz frantically searching his eyes.

“Sam--what is this?...Last night--” 

“Exactly...last night. Was a mistake.” He won’t look Grizz in the eye, instead focusing on his lips

“No!! It wasn’t!”

“Yes...this thing can’t happen. You don’t want me like that..feel for me like that. You think you do but you’ll wake up tomorrow..or few days later and realize all this won’t be worth it.”

Grizz roughly shakes his head at the words, forcing Sam to look him in the eye, hands firm but gentle as they wipe his tears away.

“No” It’s a sharp exhaled declaration,” I’m been feeling this for a while now. And I know you feel the same way--”

“Don’t you dare! You’re telling me how I feel now? What? Because your Grizz Visser?? Star football player..who fucking quotes shit like your from the dead poet’s society. Got girls practically salivating to get you to look at them. And me..the fucking gay deaf kid. Poor little Sam Eliot. You must think I’m so desperate. Pathetic enough to jump at the chance to have a piece of you..huh??  I’m probably some pet project...check off your box for humanitarian electives.”

Grizz stays quiet, frozen shock but visibly flinches at the words that are hurled in a slurred deluge from Sam’s mouth.

“News flash, Grizz, this might be a shocker, rejection is probably a foreign concept but I. Don’t. Want. You!!” he spits it out, tries to sign with trembling fingers that wish to rip Campbell from limb to limb.

He wants to wash his mouth out with bleach.

“This isn’t you..I don’t believe a word that’s coming out of your mouth.” It’s a whispered sentiment as Grizz drops his hands from his cheek, into balled fists by his side and the sudden emptiness in Grizz’s wet gaze is starting to scare Sam.

But he loves Grizz. 

Fuck.

He really really does. And he’ll hurt Grizz first before Campbell can touch him.

And Campbell hurting Grizz scares him more.

“Stay the fuck away from me.”

He leaves without looking back. 

----------------------------------

If I say I love you, then I love you

====================================================

This song hurts my insides so good...and le ideas came about. Please listen to this song if you want your heart ripped out and tap danced on. 

Just a taste people..got legit concrete ideas of how i want to finish this...So let me know if ya want more. 

#Grizzam Fanfic #Preview #Separation and Reunion Fic #Grizz Visser #Sam Eliot #Grizzam

[wreaths-of-myrtle-and-rose]

i finished umbrella academy last night and am currently working my way through the stages of devastation so i’m going to yell about my thoughts, but under a cut so as to prevent spoilers and annoyance. keep reading if you like people yelling incoherently about emotionally stunted superheros

i know a lot of people are pissed about allison and luther’s relationship, and tbh i’m not entirely sure how i feel about it, but @findingfandomwithafangirl came up with a pretty dope explanation that would explain a lot. allison rumored luther into loving her. we’ve already been shown that allison uses her power for some pretty yikesy things, and i don’t think that’s too much of a stretch. people are saying that the “i heard a rumor you love me” is about allison’s ex-husband, but that doesn’t make a lot of sense in context, and i think the luther explanation is very plausible and would fix some of the issues with them

i love diego, but whoever did the fight choreo for this show really dropped the ball on him. it’s been a while since i saw the first few eps, but this knife boi’s fighting style changes so dramatically over his storyline that i’m just like ????? his powers are sometimes really obvious when he throws and then sometimes not at all and i’m just like why?

the scenes between five and the handler give. me. life. 

ben is easily one of the top three characters on this show but we legit know nothing about him! how did he die? why is he always with klaus? how did his power work? tell me

most of the show was spoiled for me since i was dumb and went through the tumblr tag but thanks to everyone on here for not spoiling the leonard/harold reveal so i could experience that devastation in real time

god leonard is the fucking worst i hate him so much

the opening sequence of episode 10 confused me so much

i rewatched the first ep recently and i forgot how much i loved the scene at the pool (and we agree that that was vanya’s mom, right?) 

the freakin monocle. i swear to god.

diego’s stutter and the way grace helped him with it and then the way it came back after she died :,(

grace starts wearing her hair down once pogo reboots her

KLAUS. just KLAUS. holy shit i love him

i loved the contrast between the muted, soft colors and peaceful atmosphere of the Vietnam club klaus was at with dave in ep 6 and the flashing lights and danger of the rave he was at in ep 7 

the way they did klaus’s triggers was....interesting. crawling on the floor at a nightclub triggered him, but not being in an active shooter situation at the bowling alley? i am in no way remotely an expert on ptsd but that just seems odd to me

hazel being awkward and nervous around five because he’s a lEgeNd at the commission was so fucking funny to me

so. y’all remember the scene where hazel and cha cha attack the academy, right? do you remember the moment when vanya was hiding against the wall and hazel was about to walk past but then he left? what if he had taken just one step forward and found her? what if they had tortured vanya instead of klaus? that means no vietnam, no dave, none of that anguish for klaus, and it means that vanya’s power would have come into play so much earlier, since she would’ve been in a terrifying situation without her meds. interesting thought, right?

as a whole, the siblings just seem......so much less surprised than they should about their brothers/sisters just,,,fuckin,,,disappearing all the time? why did no one look for klaus when he was kidnapped? why did it take so long for them to find vanya? why is that not a bigger concern here?

hazel and agnes are cute but i’m so unsure about their ages that their relationship seems a little odd

why can random people just? walk into the academy? they need better security

why aren’t more people talking about the scene when klaus fucking slams a snow globe into his face, i rewound and watched that scene like three times because i was so shook

i am so excited to see what’s gonna happen next

#the umbrella academy #tua #luther hargreeves #diego hargreeves #allison hargreeves #klaus hargreeves #five hargreeves #number five #ben hargreeves #vanya hargreeves #reginald hargreeves #hazel #cha cha #the handler #grace hargreeves #leonard peabody #harold jenkins

[elizabethrobertajones]

14x09 watching notes

jingle bells, bobo smells,  It is no fun, for us to wait All christmas in hiatus

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Berens... please...... I beg you........... don't kill the sweet precious moonchild that is Garth. Please. The joke is "how are you still alive!?" and it would be a disrespect to Bobby's memory, and he represents a stable post-hunting endgame that was a beacon in season 9. In this essay I will

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They used Dean's dead-voice "we're the guys that scare them" speech about hunting monsters in 13x05 to open. I wonder if Yockey wrote that thinking it might be the logical open to 13x23 and instead they used "this is boring, got any music?" also from one of his episodes.

[i guess! meme]

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The recap left us hanging about if Jack was alive or not for the Kaia recap which turns out to be rude even though I know that he's fine ("fine") now because I am so emotionally affected by this dumb lump of nougat that not seeing an instant "he's okay haha tricked you!" legit raised my stress levels a notch.

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Maybe because it's 4am and I was demolishing a slab of toast before the December chill in my room got it first, but I don't think there was any particular art or storytelling to the recap worth mentioning or musing on, and this came across almost more like the recap AFTER the break because getting back to plot stuff like seeing Mikey things again... The 13x05 lines make me wary on Dean's emotional behalf but obviously these are for very different reasons so the only real thing that might come up is that Cas is hiding his deal from Dean and Dean sounded so dead in the feels because Cas was dead. Obviously the real stress right now is what's up with Dean re: obvious nerve-wracking things like the djinn bouncing off his head or his swooshy vision, things we've been collecting up to ask more pointed questions about when Michael's in the room.

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Americans: "that's downtown Vancouver!/an actual American city!/the ACTUAL American city in the caption!" me: "hurrrr skyline"

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How much budget for Christmas music

I hate this episode already

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Okay the blood and screaming is improving things.

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Listen, werewolves always have so much fun these days. We had the knock knock one in 13x09, the Kardashian ones in 13x23, and now we have wereSanta here, who just spotted the mistletoe. D'aaaw.

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These halo-shaped lights in this apartment Michael picked sure are gonna come in handy if the director knows what they're doing.

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GARF. Please say you're here undercover.

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OH SHIT. Michael KNOWS. Being in Dean's head does that to you. All his peeps get embedded in your brain. Please tell me some 2 way vessel/angel nonsense happens and you can't bring yourself to harm him.

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GARTH HAS A LITTLE GIRL NOOOOOOOOOOOO

She adores Mr Fizzles. Garth spends hours with them hanging out together.

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I don't believe him though. I mean. He's just telling Michael what he wants to hear, right?

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Having a little girl is such a way to die, though. I mean. Can we just... not do that?

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Let Garth Go Home For Christmas

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Those halos sure aren't landing over Michael's head no matter how many of them there are

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Jack: eating gross cereal made of cookies at midnight in the dark

Me: I love and support you and have done the same

Cas: *SQUINT*

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Dadstiel is the best

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Sam being the "it will rot your teeth" dad is also the best. I love the Dad Heirarchy being established here. Sam is still Dad no.1 and the one who lays down the rules and gets disobeyed about midnight cereal, full on domestic dad-ing. Cas is the dad who hears you munching from across the entire Bunker and sighs and gets out of Dean's bed where they've been watching movies together (I extrapolate from missing data) and comes to investigate but ends up in the Secret Midnight Cookie Cereal Pact instead.

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If Garth dies he may bequeath Mr Fizzles to Sam to help parent Jack, who is now keeping secrets about midnight cereal consumption and needs an expert lie-detector to help him parent.

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Okay, so, in season 9 after Dean took the Mark of Cain he was up all night eating cornflakes and not sleeping. The corn was symbolic to Cain. Jack goes through all he did and has cookie cereal which is just his sweet tooth. But he had foreign grace implanted in him, and also is tapping a lil bit of his soul to be alive, meaning he's in a weird power situation and we don't know what's up with him at all. TFW are very much like "upright and not coughing blood is good enough for us", especially when with magic involved it's not like they might have an actual science explanation ever come their way.

Jack sitting in the dark is obviously symbolic of hiding things, his cookie cereal is disapproved of and a guilty secret from Sam in the first place, he's consuming something - willingly - that's bad for him and will rot him right after the sweet sweet probably not Gabriel grace he ingested 2 episodes ago, and added all up makes a secret - and he and Cas of course share Cas's deal secret so it's not like Cas can go stomping around complaining to the other dads what he found Jack doing without Jack being like yeah well guess what CAS did.

It's sure a fun way to parallel the beginning of Dean's dark dark arc and Jack's sugary sweet dark arc.

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Dean: kid if you are going to sit in the kitchen at weird hours and eat cereal, at least self-flagellate a little *slams the box of cornflakes down in front of him.*

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Jack also is wearing a lot of red lately.

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Though his new jacket is santa-coloured not like... Mark of Cain doom blood death coloured like demon!Dean's infamous red shirt.

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He's currently wearing Cas-coloured shoes and sitting in Dean's spot from 9x13 aka the iconic cornflakes scene in question.

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"If you can't sleep, that's understandable, given recent events." "You mean dying and coming back to life."

Cas has been around the humans too long. He talks in euphemisms and gets called out by his too-literal son.

The tables turn.

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Oh Jack... so full of worries about Heaven and if his mom is safe, and making Cas confront that nothing is perfect, even Heaven, and have to say it out loud because he can't lie to Jack and sugarcoat this.

Reminds me of 13x06 where he had to tell Jack that yeah sorry not all angels are perfect either. Sweet lil foetus!Jack sure picked the correct angel to be his guardian.

-

Naomi is "complicated"

Cas. Hon. *hands him a blanket and a bowl of cereal*

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OH MY GOD Jack calling him out on why can't Sam and Dean know about the deal.

Having Jack around is so much a breath of fresh air that Cas is starting to regret ever kidnapping him in 12x19.

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"They CAN I just don't WANT them to know" CAS. You've been forced to Verbalise A Thing Using The Correct Language. I am giving you an entire gold star. TWO GOLD STARS. I'm drawing a smilie face on them.

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Jack is upset that Cas made the deal for him: "they don't need that burden. you don't need that burden" "of course I do. You did that, for ME" - the ole season 2 Dean thing, where it took until 2x08 to know for sure what John did and it basically killed Dean 3 times over and he was a Mess. Not knowing but not having all the answers and being worried/suspicious about what's up with the neat circumstances of being alive again is hooorrible. And this is calling out the whole Winchester cycle of sacrifice (conveniently now with us knowing that John will be dropping by for an episode to really hammer the point home) by addressing how Jack now has to carry the burden of knowing that Cas did that for him.

Cas is like, "Yeah don't worry I haven't been happy in all of Creation." Jack looks earnestly at him. "I'm sorry."

Cas diverts to eating the gross cereal, which he apparently also secretly indulges in, or else, as Mittens pointed out to me, Dean does too and either way Cas is being gross and adorable and hanging out with his kid and this is horrible I hate it oh god it's more sickly sweet than the cereal they're eating.

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Garth hiding in the kitchen to panic and phone mom to get him from the party.

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"THIS ISN'T YOUR MOM, GARTH, THIS IS AN ARCHANGEL"

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And he's just learned to say "balls" appropriately too.

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Sam immediately gets The Guilts because he's  being leaderly and losing Garth would be his first major blow as a leader oh god oh god no oh Sammy oh GARTH I can't handle this.

Berens sure is invested in the leader!Sam stuff and telling this story long before anyone else was and had his minion Glynn tease us with Maggie earlier in the season D:

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I'm calling mom to get me from the party

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"It's Ketch" Sam raises his eyebrows like "I forgot he was in this season"

Does that mean Ketch skyped Cas first

that's hilarious all by itself

-

He has tea because of course he does

-

Oh my god he's skyping with Jack. Are they buds? HAS HE ADOPTED JACK?

Honestly of all the characters in the entire show he's probably resisted longest so far when it comes to adopting Jack if they ever met even briefly in Apocalypse World.

This is how you can tell he's the worst :P Rowena "I will never love again" MacLeod took all of 20 seconds to adopt Jack.

-

He's been in England for like a week and his accent is 100x more hammy. "ExPRopriATE"

He's rolling his Rs. I mean. Is that even in our accent? Not in mine.

-

Jack watching attentively while he tells his story with no judgement forthcoming, just pure interest in what Ketch says... good thing Ketch is too self-centred on his tale of derring-do or he might find Jack's sweet interest flattering and begin wondering if he has it in himself to be fatherly.

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I'm suddenly legitimately interested in the unstoppable force of Jack's adoptability vs the immovable object of Ketch's ego.

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He posted it. Around Christmas. Look I'm friends with a postie and she's hucking around a bag as big as herself.

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Maybe he put a ribbon on it.

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From BUDAPEST. Paying extra really is gonna speed THAT up

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"Where is our weapon?" "It's been sitting in Guam for a week. I don't understand. Why is it in Guam?"

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TFW all react with snark, side-eyes or despair at Ketch, and 2.0 doesn't even get a reaction because I don't think Jack understands how dumbass Ketch is because he's too smol to have fought the mail :P

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"We appreciate the effort" "DO WE?"

Cas is staring into the void, meanwhile. Internally, "Well at least I can be sure I'm not going to worry about allowing myself to be happy any time THIS month"

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Oh, sweet! The laptop is set up right next to Britain on the map table :')

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Hey if they have to brave the post office to get the egg, they can find out Harper is still stalking Jack :D

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Cas can't even work out which direction to start rolling his eyes, gives up and walks off. Dean gestures the screen, look what you made him do! You asshole!

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"Only thing that can take him down now is the full Ichabod" "?" *gestures decapitation* "oh."

Poor Garth. Werewolves really are the worst. I can see why you were so upset about being turned.

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Remember when Sam described him as an "ichabod crane alike" or something, I think in 9x12 when asking at the hospital about him? Maybe? I swear to god that might be a less subtle hint Garth is going to die than Charlie's "merry christmas"

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Garth honey nooo

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I'm pretty sure we saw Michael mind-controlling the werewolf in the cold open which means we're in for SOME sort of drama next

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Oh good Cas is back, I guess he went to scream outside.

"Oh it would have made it if it wasn't closed for the holidays" Sam is being so withering I hope Ketch can feel it from Budapest.

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Garth you are going to get in so much trouble and I'm so scared for you and your family at Christmas

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At least in this scene Dean n Cas are playing footsie under the table if nothing else.

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With Michael holed up in a towerblock for Christmas I am so worried that I should have watched Die Hard before getting here.

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D'aw Dean teams himself up with Cas without even hesitating.

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Holy shit they used a season 1 clip of the Impala driving past a field of cows.

"Hi we shot this for 1x06 it's practically an easter egg now"

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God, it's the promo scene and we're 16 minutes in.

Not over Cas being like "you're happy" because he can't be happy but he's seeing Dean being, you know, cheerful. It's worrying because it's so close to endgame... if they kill Michael, Dean can be happy. And if Dean can be happy...

bye bye Cas

-

It's so easy with Dean looking away for Cas's silence to be "lol never" instead of "I ought to tell you the string that is attached"

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*quietly climbs into the garbage pile as I think about how neither can be happy while the other is as a literal plot mechanism*

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Them leaving the door open seems so significant I thought we were going to see Bad!Kaia comically hiding behind it

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Awwwwww Jack wants to break into his first building with lock picks!!

I can't believe they're doing this in broad daylight.

I can't believe there was a Gish item to go to a post office after hours dressed as Santa's elves and that's what Jack is doing with that coat

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"Who taught you to pick a lock?" "I did. And the internet"

Sam's "that's my boy" face.

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"I wanted to stay useful"

that was your cue to tell Jack he's useful regardless

On the other hand he got the door opened and smiled up at Sam so I guess he gets the validation that way instead.

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"HAPPY Holidays" Jack is SO PLEASED the box is saying something nice.

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BOOM you have witnessed, once again, Sam being knocked out.

Wow, no. His skull is getting thicker, he manages to cling on long enough to watch his boy being abducted.

HAPPY HOLIDAYS, SAM.

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Awww Michael came to oversee it. HAPPY HOLIDAYS, Michael!

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Sam is way too concussed to deal with this. Or drive.

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Michael has a really similar coat to what he had in the AU but for a fancy rich lady instead of a badass hot cowboy which really begs the question of why he dressed SO SO OTT for Dean, even given his fashionista tastes for the other 2 vessels we've seen.

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I am sad we don't have the other Michael vessel just because he's off making out with Constantine on Legends of Tomorrow (meta textuality of THAT to be unpacked by fandom at length :P), but she's an absolutely uncanny female double for him with the coat and the ominous camera angles and her general scary vibe.

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"You're going to kill me anyway" *MOOSE CHARGE*

I stan one concussed boy

-

Blorp

No fancy weapons for you guys, use your heads.

Not Sam's head, he's just taken his 3rd hit in a minute.

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Garth gets caught snitching though I suspect Michael knew he was listening in and sent Dean to get attacked by Bad!Kaia anyways.

There's chess being played here.

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Er, and you're the pawns.

I think Dean is the other player and everyone ELSE is a pawn in Michael's reckoning.

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"WHY ARE YOU HERE? WHAT DO YOU WANT?" Kaia, they just shouted like 20 minutes of the plot so far at each other, you know as much as we do at this point.

-

I love Kaia's fighting stance but oh my GOD Dean walking up to the spear and having it put against his heart. He knows it's a power move but it's also a gentle one, and he's waved enough guns in her face and our Kaia's face... This is one of those moves you use both on frightened animals and also to show you are a good unarmed nice guy and it's an attempt to re-negotiate after all he's done to Kaias over time >.>

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"if you're not going to give it to me, kill me" Dean says, at the end of his big emotional appeal to Family And Saving People as his divine guiding forces in the universe by which he sets his moral compass and acts as the best version of himself in the defence of.

Cas behind him like "I hope this works because I love this dumbass and if you ACTUALLY kill him I'm contractually obligated to murder you so like, pls don't escalate this"

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"How do I know if you're telling the truth" well he's not so jot that down.

Cas like "can you please stop talking, Dean, I am not agreeing with any of your policies here" because not only did he drag Jack into it, he made a promise that Jack's completely unable to uphold since he, you know, doesn't have the power to get Kaia home any more.

Poor Bad!Kaia though. Spent her life running from monsters too. She and our Kaia have the same trama, but she's so hardened by it :(

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"If you don't bring this back to me I will find you and kill you"

Yikes, magic weapons are having a bad run in these parts, I think Dean's pretty much a gonner :P

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I love that the Wayward Sisters music plays around Kaia but it makes me so so so so sad

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"So, what, is he playing us?" he's playing YOU Dean. Your move!

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"Don't you go in there alone." "I know, drive fast"

Aka concussed bab is gonna go in there alone if you don't hurry.

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I have literally no comprehension about the driving times involved in this episode because I don't know US geography like that, but it's Berens not Dabb but he's mentioned specific locations so he better have looked these all up on google maps because this is one heck of a fact checkable episode with 4 distinct known and named locations and you all driving to and fro.

-

I love Michael's new apartment. It has a dark Heaven aesthetic vibe which is perf.

Jack's here and he's immediately deposited under the halo lights.

I can not WAIT for a Jack vs Michael scene.

*chin hands*

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"Why didn't you kill me?" *eyebrow raise*

Poor nougat is being made to feel useless again :( This is Michael grinding his heel into Jack while he has him on the floor, kneeling in supplication under those halo lights.

-

Michael is into villain monologuing. A terrible, terrible habit.

"Death from above," Michael says, the first time he's had halos over his head.

His concept of soul ownership intrigues me because he would get all the humans who died in an attack on this city in his original world. In this he's turning them into monsters but with his grace, so they belong to him. That means that somehow or other he's probably overriding not just their nature to be controllable by him, which overrides in turn Eve's control over all monsters. She totes isn't dead BTW she's just in Purgatory. I'm like 100% sure of it :P Anyway I do wonder if Michael's control over the monsters extends so far as accidentally granting them passage to Heaven by claiming them and overriding Eve's control. Who knows. The thought wandered by and really tickled me.

Because it's a long game with the real value in people for beings of this level just being in their value as collectibles after death, and season 5 was all about our Michael getting all the souls by killing all the humans and storing them away in Heaven and that was his Paradise he was fighting for. And if he's converting entire cities to monsterhood in order to gain control over the territory in a quiet no mess way, then his control and command of them is passed on through the bite thanks to whatever he did to them. At the very least he's managed to make himself into their new Alpha.

I mean unless this is a phase one and he's sacrificing getting the souls of these lot in exchange for a lot more souls down the line.

-

LOL Michael pulls "I'm your only kin" and Jack's like, uh, REAL Michael is in the cage, POSER.

-

I love how Jack's got the such simplistic child language of "I hate you" which comes out so honestly and fiercely. Jack's 1 layer personality is reaaally deep even if it is mostly 1 layer. A very very thick slab of nougat. Full of goodness. It's EXCELLENT character writing to balance a character like this. He has a good understanding of the world by now, evidenced by very clearly being able to distinguish AU!Michael from his living kin of our Michael in the cage, and yet at the same time his emotional range is still 100% whatever he feels about a thing and so for Michael it's hate. Because when kids get upset they can yell "I hate you I hate you!" in a tantrum, and Jack's personality is that but moderated and adult and reasonable, and that... What a good approach to writing a character. Om nom nom.

-

This vessel is definitely way more expressive than the previous two Michaels, which is something I've noticed in a looot of the vessel gender swaps, which really makes me go sociological on why gesturing and fiddling and so on is so much a part of presence for a female character on screen, while male characters are allowed to stand still and just kind of radiate presence. I mean, she HAS presence, but she's been moving her hands a lot and it's the main detail which makes her not match up as neatly. Jensen threw his whole personality into not moving Michael's arms, to follow on from Christian's portrayal.

I think Raphael's second vessel was menacingly still. That actress did a great job. That slow head turn after they hurl an angel blade at her in 6x22... Nice.

Lisa Berry strikes a nice balance at huge presence and only necessary gestures, and Julian Richings was always fiddling with junk food as Death despite his cosmic presence.

Meg was all in the voice and eyebrows, both actresses.

-

Why am I musing on this? Because it's 7am and I'm having a wave of immense sleepiness and I think I need tea to keep on watching but it's cold so I'd rather stay bundled in blankets >.>

... I have now turned on the heating and got tea and done some stretches to try and ward off the cold-blooded lizard stupor I was sliding into. Brrr. We get Christmas break on episodes because it's so hard to watch in the cold.

-

"Our relation is more a matter of scale, power." Ooohohohooo but you just said you weren't killing Jack because he was powerless.

I mean I'm crowing at Michael for maybe revealing a flaw in his monologue to me but at the same time that's terrifying for what he plans for Jack because that presumably involves powering back up but under HIS control. Nephew theft.

-

I say smugly having posted Jack being kidnapped by Michael in Andrea's Diner for his power/money last week so that I can just ride this one out with a "in before this plotline" raised eyebrow.

I mean I was using a hybrid season 8/14 set up with Naomi still being Michael's flunky but the important thing is that he was trapped in an office in a towerblock which may or may not now be exactly this one since I have eyes on it and Michael was gonna do whatever it took to get Jack's share of the company until Cas marched in and saved the boy.

-

Yeah my diner AU has corporate drama, deal with it.

-

NOW we're getting to the epic speeches. The time that makes mountains. Epic. And Michael is like hey you and me are the only ones left... And as your power returns and grows, we'll only become more alike. Cut to Jack being HORRIFIED by the concept of becoming anything like his AUncle and losing his human compassion and turning into this evil being that cheerfully talks about how not only to level cities but to improve on the concept.

Finally, we hit the epic tragedy level of Jack's story he's been hiding from in other genres from disney to rom coms to cute twee Christmas movies and even a detour into 1800s consumptive child drama to avoid it. But Hamlet's procrastination has to be challenged occasionally, and so they're face to face and Michael is taunting Jack with how he might be cute as a nougaty 2 year old but oh dear the terrible 2s are nothing to the terrible 2 billionties.  

-

I think this room even has Heaven's furniture, as a riff on it. What's one world to another? One Heaven from another, as Michael says. Find a head office, treat it like a place of power and intimidation and it becomes one.

-

All Jack says is "Sam, Dean and Castiel. They'll come for me." Because he doesn't know much but in his 2 years he HAS learned who fights for him and considers him family, and who he will really set his morality by.

-

Of course if Cas ever allows himself to be happy, then ALL of Jack's family has an expiration date and no one can follow him through those eons to stop him straying.

-

Also: now eternity has a sense of horror to it. The reminder that immortality is awful and this is what it does to ancient eldritch beings. And as a result, that finite humanity may be better when it doesn't come at the cost of erosion of self.

To thine own self be true, to quote a terribly mis-used part of Hamlet and yeah yeah I studied it I know Polonius said that and it's meant to be a ridiculed line. But it's still emotionally relevant >.>

Jack's fierce sense of self and family is his only weapon here. Michael can't cast doubt on that. Maybe fear for the future, but in the immediate presence, Jack has a ROCK.

-

That red coat also makes him very distinctively the only real colour in the room.

Michael is wearing dark blue for the red vs blue coding, but it's dark enough to not stand out in the decor.

TFW are all wearing brown and tan.

-

I'm actually quite fond of this stupid jock werewolf.

Awkward silences with jingle bells in the background... why are they making werewolves inherently comical in Dabb era, I don't know. But I LOVE it.

-

RIP the sexy werewolf.

Dumb jock werewolf has already run off, which MAY be a reminder to panic about all the monsters in position, or he might get stopped on the way by TFW in a strategic position...

-

RIP other sexy werewolf.

Both, sadly, as hot as they were, die with amusing riffs of jingle bells to accompany their decapitations. No dignity in death for these fuckers.

-

Sam may or may not be doing a Red Meat by taking them on alone but he sure is in a better position with only a mild concussion leftover from the earlier attack rather than, you know, a barely-treated gut shot.

-

Man I hope Cas healed up the residual damage of that before the end of season 11.

-

Sam is indeed alone as he promised not to be while 100% intending to rush right in, which means that dumb jock werewolf did indeed run off into the city, which means that with 10 minutes left a whoops we let Kansas City turn into monsters cliffhanger might be a lark.

-

Merry Christmas everyone but Kansas City.

-

I mean Sam doesn't need to rush on the Jack rescue, Michael literally has eons of AUncle-nephew bonding planned.

-

The fact Alex has visible chicken pox scars on his forehead amuses me so much. While Jack fast-track grew in 12x23 he randomly inflicted the pox on himself as part of the childhood experience. Like, oh, I better get all my immunity from mom so when my 3 dads collectively fail to get me vaccinated at least I've got that. *boop* chicken pox scars appear.

-

S'gonna be Garth on the other side of that door

-

OH NO IT IS

-

Oh no Sam, it's a trap, he's gonna eat you. Oh no oh no you can't cut Garth's head off. He's a Beloved Sweetie Pie.

-

If this ends with watching Mr Fizzles get a hunter funeral I am sending Bobo a mountain of coal for Christmas.

-

Love that universal trope of the werewolf ducking away for an embarrassing uncontrolled transformation that looks somewhere between puking and period cramps. Moonsickness.

-

Michael is the moon controlling it in this case.

Cosmic bodies.

-

Don't touch him, Jack!!

-

Transformations with glowy eyes suck :<

-

This is just CRUEL to make Garth be like "I'm sorryyyyy" as he charges at Sam.

-

LOL THIS IS A CRYPT SCENE. He's in Garth's head!

"You don't have to do this!" "You can fight this, Garth!"

-

Me, staring at my mess of red string connecting crypt scenes: How did I get to Garth wolfing out while shouting apologies at Sam and Sam begging him to stop when this all started with Dean n Cas fighting over a lump of rock 6 seasons ago

-

Oh thank god they ended it with Sam vulcan neck pinching Garth to sleep after Jack took a rolling tackle at him and Garth ends up still controlled and shoved in the back of the car for later problems.

We'll file this under the failures section between bros and move on though I won't deny Berens had me in a cold sweat that I was going to have to throw years of work out because Sam would grab Mr Fizzles out of Garth's pocket and soothe him back to himself :P

-

Mr Fizzles x Garth as the Destiel parallel of the year

-

"Thanks for waiting for us," Dean says, angrily gesturing the alive and rescued Jack while uselessly holding the spear.

-

It's okay baby there's 7 minutes left and Cas still doesn't have fake blood all over him.

I think Mikey might come back around to gloat. He strikes me as the supervillain type to do that.

-

They figure out the last few chess moves that Michael made while sitting on the trunk that Garth is locked in. Rough.

In the background, Cas strides over to the brooding Jack.

Boop.

-

"I wouldn't bet against us."

In Which Dean Nearly Decapitates His Brother

-

Rousing family speech about no odds or element of surprise or fear from Michael, and they go dramatically walking off towards the elevator with blaring Christmas music.

I hate this

-

Everyone has a weapon except Jack, who just has a series of incomprehensible troubled looks every time anything happens.

The Boy Is Concerned. But is it about what's going on around him, or inner turmoil disrupting his nougaty centre?

He looks placid again during the dramatic walk, while everyone else has their hero faces, he's surrounded by his dads so he can just be like :3 and enjoy the adventure.

-

Michael is bored and pacing because they took too long having broments downstairs and walking slowly towards the elevator and he wants to do this great dramatic turn when they arrive but the elevator is craaaaaaawling up the building.

Fine, what if I'm not by the window but sitting down with my back to them.

Is Michael NERVOUS?

Big talk about being a zillion years old and then getting impatient.

-

What did Michael just see? Because he lit up his eyes and got a lot more confident...

"There... he... is" he smirks.

Me when Cas

-

Cas doesn't usually nearly get a killing blow on me, though. Nice move, bud.

-

HEY, RUDE. DOn'T HURT HIM

-

I know he just tried to stab you but I'm allowed to yell that. Also stabbing archangels doesn't tend to work on them but whatever :P

-

Come on Dean, GET HIM. He hurt the bae! And Sam and Jack now! But nowhere near as dramatically!

-

Ironically if Michael had just had any patience he wouldn't have fallen for being baited into coming to see Cas snooping around his front desk.

-

OH NOICE THIS IS THE SAME FIGHT WITH MICHAEL AND DARK KAIA BUT DEAN AND MICHAEL

-

Ow, Dean not doing so well after all.

-

Is that Sam or Jack inching a hand towards the spear. If Sam stabs Michael then it's a thanks in return for stabbing Lucifer. If Jack does... Badass, kid needs a big kill.

On the other hand, we're so near cliffhanger time territory that.. well.

-

Nope, Sam just did the slide a weapon back to Dean thing and Dean got in a hit on Michael in their duel.

-

Same arm he got stabbed on.

-

"trust me, that's gonna leave a scar"

Jack I hope you are paying attention to Dad no.3's use of one-liners because he is a master.

When he isn't, like, "you're the shortbus, shortbus."

-

UHOH Michael is standing with aaaaaall the haloes reflected behind him in the window and Dean is having Suspicious Killing Hesitation

aaaand there's the whooshy vision wow what a surprise

-

I KNEW IT WAS COMING AS SOON AS MICHAEL'S SHOULDERS WENT ALL CONFIDENT AND HE STARTED STARING AND I'M STILL UPSET.

I mean I knew it was coming as soon as Dean stumbled in like ??? I'm not Michael???

But in the short term, argh.

-

WHAT IS THIS BAR

-

It has a moose head, Jo's shooting game from the Roadhouse, and the old jukebox from 4x01's diner where Sam and Ruby hung out.

-

Aside from anything else this is a horrible ploy by Michael to get the spear.

-

WHEN DID MICHAEL BARTEND.

I am so intrigued.

-

But yeah, checkmate, Dean Winchester. Snapped your magic spear and melted to magic egg. What next?

-

Oh good and now he has the halos behind his head :< :< :< :<

Wanek I am so angry. You get coal too.

-

LOL Michael giving them a lesson on maaaaaaaybe asking important questions about things instead of just leaving them as soon as a character appears to be functioning on the surface, I type with this paused with Jack in the corner of my screen as a fortuitous example

-

Michael gloating about breaking Dean is the worst Christmas cliffhanger.  I hate you Bobo.

-

You aren't seriously going to end the season on a snap and make us make Michael is Thanos jokes all hiatus? I mean he already fucked up one planet, decimating it in the name of a better world. Please. Don't do this, Bobo.

-

He did it.

-

Reminds me of the end of 3x10 as well, with demon!Dean lurking under Dean, waiting until before the credits to snap his fingers from within Dean's subconscious to remind us he was lurking and waiting.

-

Aw man this sucks.

Now Jack has to murder Dean after all.

#14x09 #season 14 spoilers #berens fanclub #my stuff

[satire-please]

Take a Sad Song and Make it Better - Part 2

Batfam Big Bang Day 2 - Sick = Batfam member being taken care of or attacked by an army of motherhens.

Jason makes soup for some ungrateful shits

Part 1

“I hate you.”

“I hate you more.”

“But I hate you little shits most,” Jay says, shouldering the guest bedroom door open roughly,  He slams the tray of soup and crackers on the bedside table between the two coughing, sniffing invalids. “Honestly, what kind of dumb fuck takes a swim in the dead of winter?”

“Screw you, Jason. I wouldn’t call being chained and thrown into the harbor a leisurely swim.” Tim says venomously. But unfortunately, he doesn’t look much of a threat when his lap is blanketed in white tissues. In fact, there might not even be a single space of the bedspread left not covered in the clumped wet balls.

It had been cold. So cold when the thugs shoved them off the boat. The water slammed against their chests like ice. Tim managed to get one breath in before the harbor creeps over his domino mask, his hair and to sucks them under. Tim has five minutes. He can hold his breath for five minutes. Has Damian been trained? How long—

Jay raises both his eyebrows, “Excuse me? This is the thanks I get? I slave all day in the kitchen for yer bony asses and instead of a single thank you, it’s screw you? Ouch, Babybird.” His hands motion grandly to the food tray.

“Must you poison us too, Hood?” Damian stares at the bowls with suspicion. “Have we not suffered enough as it is?”

The infidels had been clumsy, roughly chaining them back to back. A shoddy job. It should have provided loopholes, space from hurried mistakes, but alas they focused enough on limiting the use of their hands. The gang yelled when a new pair of black boots landed on the insufficient sailboat’s deck. The foolish men must have thrown them over as a hopeful distraction for the Bat. But as the metal links dig into Damian’s arms, quickly turning the same temperature as the bay, he knows they were wrong.

“Now why would I do that.” Jay crosses his arms over his chest, looming over first Dami and then Tim. “That’s a waste of food. If I want ya to die, I’d just shoot ya in the head. Save Alfred a grocery trip.”

“Thanks, Jay,” Tim says sarcastically.

“Aw shucks, yer welcome.”

Tim doesn’t bother kicking towards the surface yet. They tossed them in the shallows, this group doesn’t usually care about the efficiency of a kill but the fun of it. From reports, he knows the game is to cruelly toss victims in water only a few feet deeper than their prey. Giving an illusion of hope when they kick, hop, jump from the river bed. Only for them gasp and be helplessly pushed back down by oars or hands. The sadistic game can last for hours...until their playtoy finally loses strength or gives up.

He opens his eyes in the filth of the bay and peers around looking, looking...there!

Steam flows up from the bowls, the aroma quickly fills the room. Tim takes a deep breath, the smell tempting him, while a stomach gives a quiet rumble in the next bed. When neither boy makes a move towards Jason’s generous sacrifice, Jason shifts his weight to his hip and taps his foot with a scowl.

Damn it, he knows his cooking is legit, man.

“What? Wouldja like it to be Dick’s cooking instead?” Both bedridden boys look over to each other for a second, then to Jason, to the tray and back again. Then Tim and Damian frantically struggle as one to escape the sheets to get to the bowls first. “Yeah. That’s what I thought.”

The tension in Jason’s limbs, like they’d notice pffftt, finally eases as the bowls barely stay full for a minute. The moment they’re empty, he gives them a second helping and glares at Tim when he wrinkles his nose at the dish. “This is no time to eat like a bird, princess.”

“But I don’t need–”

“Don’t need nothing, ya need to give yer body the good stuff to fight. And ain’t ya lucky Dick’s off planet? He’d give ya the worst puppy eyes and be all over ya, both of ya for that shitty attitude.”

Damian and Tim shudder. Dick has always won the worst Motherhen award. Always. (Alfred is the sneakiest though.)

Damian puts his spoon down. He is...content, how odd. “I suppose that is a fair point. What I do not understand is how the two of us could be put in the same room, in a mansion such as this, forced to accept each other’s presence against our will during recovery.”

Damian conserves his energy the best he can. Watching the bubbles that escape him, minding his surroundings as his ears go numb. Their bodies jerk against the current as Drake suddenly drags them in the direction of his choosing. His slight height and longer legs give a mild advantage, but Damian does not hinder or fight Drake at a time such as this. Surely Drake has a purpose, a plan if he is as clever as Grayson has repeatedly claimed. He walks carefully backward, mindful not to trip on the debris and garbage littered on the harbor bottom. If they lose their balance, escaping to the surface will be more...difficult. His heel hits something hard and he twists to the best of his ability around Drake, a car!

“Alfred’s orders. He said it’s the perfect way to condense care and meet yer needs more efficiently. The man plays the best vindictive shtick if ya know what I mean.”

“It’s the spite. He needs it to stay alive and old.” Tim adds. He sets his bowl on the tray with a sharp clink.

Two minutes. The old beetle is brown with rust, one broken door floating on its hinges. It’s just what they need, Tim hauls them on the roof of the vehicle and stands on his tiptoes. His head breaks the surface of the water and he takes a greedy gulp of air. Smog has never tasted so sweet.

Then he feels the body lashed to his struggle and squirm violently.

“Robin? What are you–” And he notices it. Out of the corner of his eye, he sees the top of Damian’s head, his wet dark spikes. But that’s it. His face is still submerged.

Fuck.

No. Tim bites his lip, tearing it and moves his arms under the chains for any wiggle room. He sucks in his ribs, not on his watch. Not another Robin dying on his watch. He pulls the boy up an itch up his body, two...and leans over. He hears a wonderful, desperate gasp before his head goes back in the water. Good. That’s fine. He can stay under.

Besides Tim’s got another five minutes.

On the bed somewhere, something buzzes and vibrates. Tim pats the covers awkwardly until he unburies a phone.

It’s 7:30.

He promptly reaches across the bedside table. His fingertips nudging a small orange bottle until it slides and topples over. It rolls closer to the preteen. Success is his. “Meds, Damian. Every four hours remember?”

The younger boy huffs but drops the bottle into his lap, “You as well, Drake. I believe Alfred has synced our medication schedules for this purpose.”

“What purpose?”

“To ensure the other does not conveniently forget.”

“I’ve never done that!”

“I disagree. In fact, shall we pull up the records to call that bluff? I am certain Oracle or Alfred have some sort of accounts on the matter.”

“...No.” Jay guffaws at the cowed expression on Tim’s face. Little do these two know that’s one of his tiny jobs to keep the suckers alive today. Stuff their pills down their throats if necessary. How lucky for them that he just gets to be an extra eye, to watch them like a hawk, to take note of how Damian pops open the bottle and swallow his meds dry. But–

“Drake,” states Damian exasperatedly.

“What?

Jay adds his two cents with a point, “So what about them meds, replacement?”

“Oh.” Tim looks to the side. There’s a long sigh, but finally, the asshat puts down his phone to finally get the good drugs in him. Okay, so it’s a bit of a setup. Replacement ain’t got some pills but the fancy stuff since he’s you know, missing an organ. The IV stand almost leans against the wall, it’s needle already burrowed in the back of Tim’s hand. Tim opens the high-end antibodies and carefully feeds it into a tubing of the hanging IV bag. The dying light reflects off the clear fluid. Jay almost considers helping, since Tim lightly curses, his arm stretched awkwardly above him.

Nah. Replacement...no Babybird got’s this. He’ll get all stiff and offended if Jay steps in.

They watch as Tim’s posture goes lax. His eyes narrow in annoyance but soon he’s going to pass out and there’s nothing he can do about it. Gods, he hopes they don’t watch him sleep again.

They do it with this vindictive glee that he could do without.

Damian sniffs, but nods with approval, “Good. It would be ridiculous if you wasted away after what we had to endure in that last venture.”

There are no stars in Gotham’s sky. Not from what he can see being propped up over Drake’s back in this manner. His chest strains as his lungs finally fill. He could do without the idiotic trembles as his body submits to the cold, yet he’s avoided one death and that shall suffice him for now.

“What took you so long, Red Robin? Did you not notice our difference in heights until the last instance. I swear, that you could become any sort of vigilante is beyond me. But be assured, soon Father will finish and rescue us from this silly predicament.”

There is no answer.

“D-Drake?”

Their bodies bob slightly, Damian thinks of how the dead float.

“DRAKE!”

He rocks, flails until under the water his wrist is squeezed tightly. Oh. Drake is not dead...at least not yet. Father, no Grayson would not be pleased over his incompetent predecessor’s possible demise.

So he focuses on the sailboat and screams one word. “BATMAN!”

Jay looks back and forth between the two and smirks. Feelings, these boys are shit at them, but he bets if he put a gun to them, it would be a fight of who leaps in front of the other first. He puts his money on the demon brat, the jumpy monkey. He remembers how Bruce stormed into the cave, one bird in the crook of his arm, the other over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes. How he yelled for Jason to prepare the medi-beds and Alfred taking in the pale skin of the two boys went straight for the emergency heaters.

It had been a rush.

A chance of sepsis is not fun. Neither is dealing with hypothermia with the pint-sized preteen. You would think being closer to hell, or his genetics would keep him warm, but no, Jay had to massage the circulation back into those toes so the kid could keep them.

It had been a close shave.

But they’re Bats. Surviving is what they do.

“Well girls, it’s time for a nap,” he pulls out a book. A real one. Like get these shits some real literature, “And I gotcha the best bedtime story, so shut up and listen.”

“I do not require such frivolous–”

“I said shut yer yap before I suffocate ya with a pillow.” He thumbs open the first page, “There we are, ‘It was a pleasure to burn…’”

Tim graciously gives a wet tissue to Damian to lob at Jason. Damian takes the ammo grateful, continues to take it as Jason proceeds to dodge. And be successful at it. His voice melodious and soothing in its own rough way. Over time, it causes Damian’s throws to be more erratic, wide...slow. It causes Tim’s shoulders to sink deeper into the bedding, a different kind of drowning.

“‘We need not to be let alone. We need to be really bothered once in a while. How long is it since you were really bothered? About something important, about something real?'”

Yeah, Jay thinks he could do that. Be the best botherer in the world.

‘Bout time he got started on it.

#day 2 sick #BatfamBigBang #Batfam Big Bang #my writing #batfamily #bros being bros #sick #hurt/comfort #quotes from Fahrenheit 451

[wokainight]

NCT Reactions: Office Antics (part two)

notes: basically a collection of various nct members x you displaced in an awkward office setting.

part one | part two | part three

DOYOUNG:

trend setter, hot gossiper (!!)

knows everything about everyone and is currently playing cupid and matchmaking the sht out of everyone in the company

very curious

despises not knowing things

legit

wants

to 

know

everyTHING’;;

tends to butt into other people’s business and has good intention— but it may come off as being snobbish or overly rude

does his work well and is very good at persuading and customer interactions 

talks well

talks in general

vroom vroom show

apparently he practices funny chats inside his car and emcees the sht out of every event

the both of you were supposed to plan an event together with doyoung as emcee and you as the main coordinator

but he’s also trying to set this guy up with the hottest girl in the company and so far, his efforts are null

so he’s decided to make use of the event and perhaps hold a public proposal— to which you decline because,,

“doyoung-ssi, it’s not valentine’s day. there’s no need to implement such event.” you were quite stern because he was being overly imaginative with his mind and was planning a cruise boat???

like 

where is the funds????????

but he insists on holding the confession event

and he’s kind of above you in the company so you grumble and have to tag along with him

then comes the actual event

everything was going well and it has come to the highlight of the show where the guy who has to confess was to go up the stage

you had to take emceeing for a while because doyoung is giving the guy one to one support session

but then the guy’s in huge denial that he probably will get rejected 

(yes, 

at last minute)

and doyoung’s trying to shove him onto the shade but then they played wrestling and the guy who was confessing does judo and kickboxing while doyoung’s just lean and tall and the poor boy had his ass kicked onto the stage where he stumbled and rammed himself onto you

he falls on top

and coincidentally

his lips on yours

and the crowd cheers because it’s rather spontaneous but romantic and everyone’s off guard

and then the stage fireworks for the confession flares up along with the congratulatory song and confetti rains from the sky and you just stare at doyoung in shock

because…

whAT happened to the event???

TEN:

very hOT

a legit social butterly as in he’s literally connected to everyone??

whereas johnny’s followed by a crowd of fangulls, doyoung for people seeking love advice,,,,

ten is followed cos:

he’s teN

like no reason

he’s just really extroverted, 

humorous,,,

and knows how to charm the sht out of people!!!

and again——

a social buttERFLYYYYYYY~~

easily amused and smiles/ laughs like no tomorrow

easily holds a conversation and has a certain degree of closeness with everyone

an aegyo machine

and tends to get favours done through his positive impression and cutesy appearance

loves to drink

legit

VODKA SHOTS

a rather wild child--- 

earrings for days

ripped skinny jeans for days

hAIR FOR DAYSYYYYSSSIISSSSS

gets wilder when he’s drunk

and you’re kind dragged into one of the office parties where ten just makes everyone take ten shots each bcos why not and nobody could really pronounce his real name after that--

(not that they could in the first place)

and then ten’s 3/4 drunk when he approaches you bcos you’re just on your phone @ a little lonely corner and he thinks that he could be the spice to your day and tries to smoothly pass you really dirty jokes and you’re like

uhhhh no?????

but he wiggles his brows and eyes the back door and you;re like

wtf dude nO

but ten’s charming and like the charmer he was, he drags you by the elbow and the both of you exit the scene like its nothing

it was just a walk at a nearby park under the moonlight with ten humming to a rather familiar tune and you towing behind just as sorely as u did whilst sitting your ass down during the party

he turns to you and its weird how he knows your name and that you’re doing that particular project and that its been only six months since you entered the company

“...how did you know?” you make a rather bashful eye contact with him

“was it supposed to be a secret?” he laughs, 

and the way his eyes crinkled makes you felt rather clenched cardiovascular-wise

aka

he makes your heart beat

fast

“there’s just no reason for you to know” 

“you’re under my wing right? well, i have every reason to know.” and this time, he stops walking and gives your shoulders a friendly pat “aw don’t be so hard on yourself” then he smashes his rather muscly frame against yours and you’re kinda stuck in his hug for a good five minutes before he pulled back

“wow” was all he said before he turned to leave

the next day, you find your desk decorated in roses and you’re not sure why ten’s whistling at you as you walk by or why he’s given you a piece of paper with ‘xxxx me, [insert a bad lipstick smudge] - ten’

JAEHYUN:

that literal pot of flower boy with milky flawless skin and dimples that powers a radiating smile (probably radioactive)

nice to everyone

says hi to all

but a really private person

most people don’t know much other than the fac t that he’s a valentines boy and his name is jung jaehyun

an observant type of person

people watching

lOTS of staring

and then cue the bashful smile

damn those dimples

dAMN DOSE PIMPles

{{{{[[[[(((ifyouhaven’tguessed who mybiasis))}}}}{]]]]

you’ve been transferred to his branch and he’s kind of your seat mate and most of the time you’re working with his schedule cos he’s been here longer than you have and will hopefully guide you??

and he does

cos he’s nice

and a ball of sunshine (not literally) (i mean his smile blinds me but his personality is not extravagantly cheerful like ten’s or doyoung’s)

but you’re pretty good at getting to know person and you realise he likes to drink banana milk instead of coffee and that he secretly eats a pack of honey butter chip which lies inside his third drawer on the right

or the fact that he’s a huge ass foodie who likes to try out different dishes

because jaehyun’s so attentive to everything, he doesn’t really have time to pay attention to the fact that you’re paying attention to him

does it make sense????

and the irony doesn’t stop there

you’r e kinda neutral about him

just because you notice these little things doesn’t automatically make you fall for him in the romantic department... it was all pure observation

but turns out

the gREAT jung jaehyun is in love with you

you had your doubts when he started to treat you differently from other girls

i guess

opposites attract???

and he’s kinda been wanting to confess but has never had the time

and you’re talking with your best friend over the phone and you think everyone’s went home for the day but doesn’t realise that jaehyun’s just hiding in the corridor (the door was open) and was waiting for you to finish conversing with your friend

he had a bouquet of your favourite flowers and a little hand written card

dude was going to go for it

but you’re kinda in a flustered conversation when your best friend mentioned about the guy whom you mentioned who could’ve possibly liked you = jungjaes (or so they call him) (poor luck’s on you cos this was all in loud speaker)

and you;re like,,, “of course i don’t like like him-- i mean he’s a nice person but-”

and you hear something drop from outside the room and you have your bff on hold and walks out to check who is there (you were slightly creeped out because it’s dark and nighttime and it might have been a ghost) 

you find a bouquet of flowers and a pink envelope-- you turn your head quickly to catch a shadow turning for the stairs

and you pick up the card, open it and it kinda kills you in the inside slightly

‘Will you be mine? 

Love,

Jaehyun’

WINWIN:

china boi

pretty much more important and more influential than the actual ceo of the company??? 

cos he’s a bOSSS (SQUAKKKK)

the golden boy of the company-- everyone loves him and legit is like that beloved youngest child!! has a semi-playful personality with an awkward touch and a hint of innocence

probably knows much more than you think he does

the discreet but obvious type

when you think that you’re ordering him around.. he’s actually just turned the table and now yOU’Re the one with the task

p r e t t y

S

L 

Y

e.g.

one time TY track asked him to photocopy and then he just looked at the elder male straight in the face, placed the papers back in his hands and said:

“i’m busy”

or when he was absent for three hours and everyone was searching around for him only for him to come out of an unused cupboard with a sleeping bag and going “what’s the fuss?”

(everyone thought he either died,,, 

or was kidnapped)

and let’s not forget the time where he ‘accidentally’ poured soju into the bowl of fruit punch and walked away because another person called out for him and then realising later on that he actually did that

(it was it planned?)

in the end, he was the ojnly one who didn’t drink the fruit punch because he claimed of not liking the fruits ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

so you’re his supervisor

and your job is to literally find winwin in between people and various individuals who love him to bits

like literally

dong sicheng is always covered in love and chocolate and probably kisses???

and today is like any other day

but you find winwin in between two younger staff,,, both of which was arguing who would get to touch his ears today

it’s like a thing where only 10 people can touch his ears per day

you wondered why everyone had so much time-- but guessed it was because TY track was the supervisor and he practically does everyone’s work and cleaned after their mess

and winwin was just boredly staring ahead when he finds your eyes, hypes u p and excused himself

“are you searching for me noona?” he said, accent thick

but you roll your eyes and sighed,

“for the last time,,

we’re the same damn age sicheng.”

he just smiles his average angelic smile and leaned down, somehow making your heart beat faster (or was it because you were so unfit earlier on when hiking up the stairs-- holding onto the railings for your dear life)

“do you want to touch my ears?”

you groan, pushed his head away and turned on your heels, “follow me, we have work to do”

and just like a little chick, he followed after you with bouncy footsteps, saying goodbye to group of girls whining for him to come back

#ainct #doyoung #kim dongyoung #doyoung reactions #ten #ten chittaphon #chittaphon Leechaiyapornkul #ten reactions #winwin #dong sicheng #winwin reactions #jaehyun #jung jaehyun #jung yoonoh #jaehyun reactions #nct reactions #nct reaction #nct drabbles #nct drabble #nct imagines #nct imagine #nct scenarios #nct scenario #nct #nct u #nctu #nct127 #nct 127 #nct dream #nct2018