#SHES BANANAS!! ABSOLUTELY OFF HER ROCKER!! | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

wonderlustlucas · 4 years

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jack pot ; part 1 - hwang hyunjin

⇢ prompt You know it’s bad when you’re high as a kite and he’s still on your mind. ⇢ pairing hwang hyunjin x female reader, seo changbin x female reader for like 2 minutes ⇢ word count 7.5k ⇢ genre fluff, angst (not heavy, just in a slow burn kind of way), slight smut ⇢ warnings drug use!!! & lots of it (marijuana), grinding, implied smut ⇢ summary College is a matter of working hard and playing hard. It’s an opportunity to start fresh, to grow as an individual and to blossom with those you befriend. People come and people go, leaving their mark on your life and showing you all the parts of becoming an adult. Some, however, do more than leave their mark. Some take just as much as they give. Things become complicated once they take the entirety of your love because you outright offered it to them.—college!au ; stoner!au ; friends to lovers!au ⇢ a/n yo!!! disclaimer: this initially was going to just be a long one shot but i decided to split it up into 3 parts, so just to let u all know part 1 & 2 does not have a ton of hyunjin interaction, they’re more character/plot building. part 3 is when things will get spicy ♥︎ i hope u enjoy! if u rb make sure to let me know what u thought in the tags mwah also i finally switched from ___ to yn are u guys proud of me :)

prelude.

Sometimes you really, truly, honestly think you could go right ahead and kill Han Jisung.

You say it all the time. Sometimes it’s a simple, “I will literally kill you,” or when you are feeling extra spicy, “Sleep with one eye open tonight.” He, of course, laughs it off like you aren’t vibrating with the urge to kick his kneecaps in. You seriously have lost count of all the times he has brought you to the brink of insanity.

And honestly, you have watched enough murder documentaries on Netflix that you probably could do it, but, you know, spending the rest of your life in prison does not sound that appealing. Plus, there’s the ever-troubling detail that Han Jisung is the closest thing you have to a best friend. So, it sort of goes against your basic human morals to backstab—literally—the most important human in your life.

But he really makes you crazy. Why you agreed to share an apartment with him in the first place is a mystery, but the fact that you leased it again for junior year is what really makes you lose sleep at night. Because, while he may be your best friend, Jisung is the epitome of a little shit. If such a compound word was in the dictionary, it simply would say ‘Han Jisung.’ Somehow, though, it makes you love him even more. Maybe it’s true that ‘opposites attract,’ or, perhaps, maybe it’s because no matter how much embarrassment and general self-loathing he may have caused you in the past, it has benefitted you in the end.

For example, his constant teasing about your lack of friends eventually led to you befriending a group of girls you always admired from afar. His snarky comments concerning your nonexistent social life finally got to you and now you can proudly wear the title of one of the best beer pong players in your class. His presence in general has taught you to stand up for yourself and what you believe in, whether it’s against him, your parents, a toxic friend, hell, even a professor. Proving people wrong, especially Jisung, is your favorite pastime.

Sometimes, though, it’s not that easy.

There’s one area in your life where you have accepted defeat. One area in your life where Jisung has his most fun. One area, or, perhaps one person, where you simply cannot step beyond your comfort zone.

Hwang Hyunjin is your Achilles tendon and Jisung is the arrow. There are times, along with all the times you’ve considered strangling Jisung in his sleep, where you have sat and actually prayed to the gods to send someone else. Someone not nearly as perfect as Hyunjin and someone not nearly as unattainable. Alas, these prayers, hook-ups, Tinder dates, anything to get him off your mind has proved futile; because here you are three years later, stuck with this stupid, absolutely infuriating crush on the only boy who has ever owned your heart because you outright gave it to him.

one.

You are beginning to think the two bubbly junior girls who led the campus tour you attended last year lied about the dining hall.

Correction: they one hundred percent lied.

Because even though the newly renovated food court looks nice—unscratched linoleum floors, shiny marble countertops and all sorts of seating to choose from—there must be something fishy going on with the cooks. Literally. Just last week, an upperclassman had a breakdown when she forked into her tuna (why anyone would want college seafood is another story) to find a worm right there in the middle of it. You have found little shards of glass in the yogurt and bugs even at You-Cook, but that’s all a part of the college experience, right?

“Are you sure there’s no spiders or anything? Did you check?” Beside you, Maddie watches with furrowed brows as you spoon a hefty serving of scrambled eggs onto your plate. Chuckling, you move down to grab a few sausages and a chocolate chip muffin before they are gone for the rest of the day; Lord knows, you are only a month in and carbohydrates have quickly become your emotional support, just like everyone else. “Yes, I checked,” you assure her, hiding a laugh with your hand as she leans over to further scrutinize the eggs, “I didn’t see any arachnids.”

“Good,” she hums, satisfied with your answer, “can you grab a banana muffin for me? They’re usually at the bottom.”

Nodding, you turn back to the blessed muffin basket, pushing away blueberry, corn, double chocolate, all because Maddie has to be different and go for the macadamia nut banana.

“Are those the dinosaur socks they were selling on move-in day?” In front of you, someone asks, and your first instinct is to look down at your feet just to confirm. 8:30 calculus simply turns your brain to mush and remembering how you dressed for the day is near impossible. “Yes!” Laughing, you lift your leg to get a closer look at the cute green t-rexes on skates. “I was sold once I heard they were a dollar.”

Tearing your gaze away from said socks, you look up and suddenly feel as if you have bumped into an angel. Maybe there were spiders in the eggs, deadly poisonous spiders that crawled up the spoon while you weren’t paying attention and bit your hand and now you are dead and this is the angel leading you to the heavens. That, or this simply is the most beautiful human you have ever seen up close and your brain does not know how to process it. Well, maybe that’s a little extreme, but you definitely have never been so starstruck in your life.

The boy in front of you says something but you don’t hear it, senses and thoughts momentarily Off™ as you gawk at him. Aside from the deep undereye bags you all have claimed the past few weeks, this stranger is as close to perfect as you can get. Sure, Seungmin and his roommates are pretty cute—but what the fuck?

Something tells you that you have been silently staring at him, wide-eyed and mouth hanging open for far too long when his brows raise in a mix of confusion and expectation. Shit. What did he say? Synapses suddenly shooting like fireworks in your brain, you desperately try to remember his reply but instead, all you had focused on was the plumpness of his lips as he spoke and not the words themselves.

Clearing your throat, you blink once, twice, hoping you were hallucinating the whole time and the boy in front of you is not Hercules incarnate.

Lucky for you or him, you can’t tell, but he is still as attractive as he was two seconds ago. “Sorry, what?” You blurt, loud, too loud, flinching at the sound of your own voice. Instead of recognizing that you are totally off your rocker, he smiles, a soft, toothy smile that has your muscles turning to goo.

“I said I bought them, too,” cutest-boy-in-the-universe repeats, looking down and you follow his gaze, “my roommates were making fun of me, so I’m glad I finally found someone who bought them.” Alas, as he tugs at the fabric of his jeans to slightly lift the cuff you see that he, too, wears the same socks. You think you’re in love.

“Well, your roommates clearly have no taste,” you deadpan, shakily meeting his eyes once he looks back up. He laughs softly, eyes scrunching at the action and you positively swoon until silence settles over you and he takes the opportunity to regard you, gaze sweeping down your frame and up again. You hold your breath because, 1) holy shit, you would get on your knees for him right now and 2) you suddenly wish you were wearing more than the ‘just-woke-up-to-get-pegged-by-calc’ fit.

“I’m Hyunjin,” he finally says and you release all the air trapped in your lungs. “YN,” you return, grasping his outreached hand and thanking the heavens it is as sweaty as yours. “Well, it was nice to meet you, YN,” Hyunjin proceeds, releasing your hand and offering a gentle smile.

“You too, Mr. Sock Man,” you grin, rocking on your heels and realizing with a pang of disappointment that your breakfast has probably gone cold. Well, that’s okay, because right now you are totally content standing here in the middle of the dining hall, silently staring at this Hyunjin with a stupid smile plastered on your face. And the best part? He apparently is just fine doing that, too.

“YN!” Somewhere behind you, Maddie calls your name and it thrusts you head-first back into reality. “Did you find a banana muffin? I can’t find— oh. Who’s this?” Appearing beside you, visibly shocked having found you in a staring contest with a very tall, very cute boy. “Oh, uh,” you huff out a laugh, scrambling to get yourself together, “Hyunjin, this is Maddie, my roommate. Maddie, this is Hyunjin. We have the same socks.”

Brows shooting up at the puzzling introduction, Maddie bites back a laugh and looks back and forth between you and Hyunjin. “Well, you don’t hear that every day,” smiling to hide her confusion, she offers him a small wave with her hand full of muffin packs, “nice to meet you.”

Hyunjin smiles in return, gaze quickly returning to you. “I’ll be off, then. Gotta get the waffles while they’re still warm. I’ll see you around.”

And before you know it, he’s off toward the other end of the breakfast counter.

“Um, what the fuck?” Maddie whispers excitedly as you make your way toward your usual table, elbow repeatedly jabbing into your side. “I have no idea what just happened. I think I’m dreaming,” you sigh blissfully, relieved to find that Jisung and Seungmin were able to claim your favorite booth. “No, definitely not dreaming. He’s totally into you. You have to hang out.”

“What?” You sputter, nearly tripping over your own two feet. Then, lowering your voice as you near the two boys, “I – no, he isn’t. How can you tell? That was like, the cutest guy I’ve ever talked to, and you think he’s into me?”

“Who’s the cutest guy ever?” Jisung pipes up, eyes lighting up and you curse him and his fucking bat hearing.

“No one,” you grumble, smiling softly at Seungmin when he gets up so you don’t have to sit on the end, leaving Maddie to sit next to the other one. “Is it me?” Jisung grins with a flutter of his eyelashes. He’s convinced the only reason you dislike him is because you’ve actually fallen in love with him, but that’s far from the truth. You don’t even dislike him—he’s just one of the first guys you’ve met who meets your sarcasm with as much ferocity, and that is a hard pill to swallow.

“In your dreams, Han,” you sneer, gracing him with a dramatic eye roll before tearing open the bag of your muffin. Comfortable conversation quickly falls into place as you eat, complaints about your classes, Seungmin trying to convince you to join them at the first party they will be attending while Jisung mocks you for wanting to stay home, Maddie asking where Felix is and Seungmin explaining that he got so high last night he ended up staying up past four playing Overwatch and is currently sleeping past all his classes.

Then, in the midst of guzzling your apple juice, Jisung leans out of his seat to call down the aisle. “Hwang! Come pull a chair over!”

Curiosity peaked, you wipe your mouth with the back of your hand and crane your neck to see over Seungmin’s fat head for who this ‘Hwang’ could be until, like the universe is really trying to kill you, the Hyunjin you met not even ten minutes ago has reached your table. “Hey,” he grins brightly, dabbing up the two boys before he glances to you, mouth promptly falling open. Certain you mirror the same expression, you struggle to find your words as Jisung and Seungmin look between you in shared confusion. “First we share socks, now it’s these dumpheads?”

Ignoring the way they scowl, Hyunjin giggles shamelessly and grabs a chair from an adjacent table to sit at the head of your booth. “It would seem that way.”

“Woah, woah, woah. Slow down. You guys know each other?” Jisung scoffs in disbelief, pointedly looking at you as if you’ve gone and disproved everything he pegged of you. “We just met,” Hyunjin replies with a shy smile, sparing you a quick glance before cutting into his waffle. Jisung looks to you and you offer an affirmative nod.

“And how are you guys friends?” Maddie asks, sensing your panic. “He’s Changbin and Minho’s roommate,” Seungmin answers.

You choke on a mouthful of juice.

“Christ, you good?” Seungmin snickers, offering a few slaps to your back. With a muffled yes, you look to Hyunjin with pleading eyes. “Please don’t tell them I said they have no taste.”

He laughs, arching a brow at you. “No way. They’ll get a kick out of that.”

“Oh, Christ,” faking a cry, you bury your face into your palms, “so much for making friends.”

“It’s okay, YN,” Jisung soothes with faux sympathy, “no one wants to be your friend anyway.”

Scoffing, the table quickly falls silent when you look up with rage in your eyes. “I bet when someone asks your parents about you, they change the subject,” you spit, shooting daggers at him before stabbing your fork into an innocent chunk of egg. To your utmost surprise but total delight, the other three burst into a fit of laughter, leaving you smirking smugly and Jisung sulking.

“Anyway,” Maddie promptly changes the subject back to her chemistry professor who has started every class playing Britney Spears. Tucked away in your corner finishing the last of your sausage and stifling the urge to get up for more, it isn’t until Hyunjin begins to speak do you realize that you have been quietly watching him the entire time. You would blame the soft morning sunshine shining through the windows and illuminating the right side of his face for making him look so ethereal, but you know that isn’t the case; from short, messy black hair, silver hoop earrings, thick, defined brows, the soft curves of his nose and the pouty fullness of his lips, you are totally, completely mesmerized.

And then, the sole of a sneaker is slammed right into your shin. “OW!” You yelp, loud, and for a moment you forget the pain in favor of the embarrassment that comes with the number of heads that turn to look at you. “Sorry. Bit my tongue,” you lie, earning an unconvinced look from Maddie. “Go on,” you nod toward Hyunjin to continue whatever he was saying before directing a furious glare to Jisung, who fails to hide his triumphant smirk as he enthusiastically types on his phone.

Just as you have bent down to rub at your throbbing leg, your phone vibrates twice against the table.

han jisung [now] stop staring, ur lucky hwang is as dense as a rock or he would have left a long time ago bc of you

han jisung [now] so THAT’S the ‘cutest guy ever’ huh? so ur straight after all

Squeezing your hands into fists, you prepare to fire back a reply that will have him crying. But he has different plans.

“Oh, Hyunjin, did YN tell you she’s a dancer, too?” He exaggerates your previous mention of dancing and has the audacity to wink at you. Thanks, Mr. Match Maker.

“Really?” Hyunjin gasps excitedly, eyes lighting up and totally missing the flabbergasted what? that sputters from your lips.

“I – well, no,” you hiss, scowling at Jisung, “I used to do ballet when I was younger but that’s it. Why, though? Do you dance?”

“He’s here on a scholarship,” Seungmin explains, “and minors in creative writing.”

“Oh,” you squeak, glancing to Hyunjin who is all but smiling like a cherub, completely oblivious, “that’s amazing. You must have a crazy schedule.” Chewing the last of his waffle, he hums in agreement. “Yeah, it gets really stressful at times. But it’s worth it,” Hyunjin chuckles. Then fucking winks.

Unable to hold his gaze, you whip your head back around in a panic and reach for the mere sip left of your juice. “Speaking of crazy schedules,” he hums, slapping both Jisung and Seungmin on the shoulders, “I must head out. This was fun. I may start crashing the party more now.” Rising from his seat, Hyunjin swings his bag over a shoulder and grins brightly. Realizing it would be rude to not say goodbye, you force yourself to look back to him and offer a feeble wave.

“And YN, don’t bite your tongue when you eat, yeah?”

You’re going to pass out.

two.

Felix likes to think of you as his corrupted child when it comes to smoking weed.

A few weeks before you would all be returning home for winter break, he came knocking on your door with a proposition. “No one wants to smoke with me. Do you want to?”

This, for sure, was not what you were expecting on a cold Tuesday night in December. Despite the general curiosity and always wanting to ‘try it’ simply to feel like a teenager breaking the rules, you told him you never smoked before. “I know,” he said with a smile, “that’s why I’m asking.”

So, you agreed. Reaching for your hand, Felix snuck you out the window and led you halfway across campus to the junior parking lot, giving you ample opportunities to back out when he felt how badly you were shaking. “Whose car is this?” You laughed in disbelief when he unlocked a beaten-up Nissan near the outskirts of the lot.

“Kim Woojin. The junior?” He replied once you settled in the passenger seat next to him. “Oh.” You blinked, confused. “He lets you smoke in his car?”

“He gets me weed, too,” Felix giggled, reaching into the pockets of his sweatshirt and coming out with two tightly wrapped blunts, each about two inches long, “I’ll turn the heat on a little so we don’t freeze but we have to keep the windows open. I’m not going to have you hotbox for your first time.” You had no idea what that meant, but you agreed nonetheless.

With a brief lesson on what to do that truly made no sense until you tried it for yourself, Felix lit the blunt, took a few small hits to get it started, and then passed it to you. Holding it gingerly between your thumb and index finger, you brought the unlit end to your lips and sucked as he instructed ‘like a straw,’ breathing it into your lungs and ignoring the faint taste of smoke. Unsure of when to stop, it wasn’t until your throat felt as if it was on fire did you realize just how much you had inhaled.

“Shit,” you wheezed, coughing and choking and watching with wide eyes at the amount of cloudy white smoke that left your mouth and nostrils. Passing it back to Felix, you scrambled for the cold water bottle he brought along, downing half of it in one go to soothe the burn. “Good?” He asked, blowing out the window and turning back to you with eyes full of concern.

“Yeah,” you huffed, “give me a few, though.”

Humming in agreement, Felix connected his phone to the car’s Bluetooth and began playing what he calls his ‘getting high playlist,’ and before long, you fell in love with the feeling.

When break was over, you were dying to try it again. Felix was more than happy to be of service.

For all of March, it turned into a daily thing.

Now, you try to smoke only once a week for the sake of not dying, or something.

australian felix kjellberg❤️ [now] come hang at 201?

When the text notification pops up in the corner of your laptop screen amid your YouTube binge, your bones jitter with a mix of dread and excitement.

Dread, because that’s Hyunjin’s room. Excitement, because that’s Hyunjin’s room.

Maddie must hear your sigh. “What’s wrong?” She asks from her cozied position in bed, hand deep in a bag of popcorn.

“It’s Felix,” you start, “but he said to go to Hyunjin’s room.”

She blinks, unfazed. “And? I don’t see the problem here.”

“Well, I don’t know,” you count on your fingers, “first, I don’t know how to act around Hyunjin sober. Second, I don’t know how to act around Hyunjin high. Third, I am very touchy when high. Fourth, Hyunjin is always touchy.”

Maddie scoffs. “That’s a pretty lame argument, YN,” she laughs, “isn’t that what you want to happen?”

“Well,” she’s got a point, “yes, but it still makes me nervous. He makes me nervous.” Closing your laptop, you shimmy out of bed and debate changing out of your cotton shorts and tee shirt. Nah. You’ll probably end up going back to Felix’s and sleeping there. You put a sports bra and deodorant on and call it a day.

Maddie finds this hilarious. “You know what should make you nervous? The fact that you’re usually the only girl getting high with, what? Six guys? You know they all want to fuck you.”

“I try not to think about that, actually,” cringing, you try to erase Felix’s voice when he’s high as a kite or Changbin’s arms from your mind, “and you don’t know that. Sometimes Ryujin and Lia are there. Or, you know, you could always come. You don’t have to smoke, just come hang out. I know you want to give Minho a fat smooch.”

Her nose wrinkles in disgust. “I love you, and I appreciate the invite, but I don’t feel like babysitting a bunch of stoners, even if Minho is there.”

Laughing, all you can offer her is a shrug. “I don’t blame you,” grabbing your phone, wallet, and charger, you make your way over to her and bend over to press a goodnight kiss to her forehead, “if you need me, don’t. I’ll probably be dead.”

“Oh Lord,” Maddie cackles, watching you struggle to open the window, ��don’t die. I don’t know what I’ll do.”

“I’ll try,” you grin, military saluting once you’ve managed to flop over the ledge. With one last wave, you close the window behind you and thank admissions for giving you a room on the first floor.

[9:34 PM] YN: omw now, gather your forces to help me in :)

Nights in 201 are always interesting. First, their room is on the second floor, so climbing through the window is an experience. Things would be a hell of a lot easier if you could just walk in and out of residence halls as you please, but with the officer at the front desk documenting who comes in and who goes out, there would be a knock at the door at midnight asking you to leave. Second: as Maddie said, 201 means the whole squad is showing up. And when the whole squad shows up, you’re bound to feel a mix of anxiety and desire deep within your bones no matter how hard set you are on Mr. Hwang. And third: you know you’re in for one fucked up night.

[9:42 PM] YN: hereee

Standing awkwardly behind their building, you try and calm the nerves that always come when you know you will be with Hyunjin. Considering how close the two of you have become over the past few months, one would think you would have gotten a grip on those pesky feelings.

Yet again, it’s kind of hard to do that when he looks and acts like that all the time.

When the window slides open, you are expecting Changbin to hang halfway out for you to grab on to with the rest of them holding onto his legs. Instead, a tall, metal ladder of sorts is pushed out until it lands with a thud! at your feet, granting you a perfect staircase into the room.

Well, you certainly don’t see that every day.

Blinking in confusion, you do not know whether to focus on the crowd of boys waving at you from above or this abomination of a stepstool that was practically thrown out a window for you. Accepting the chain of events as just another fever dream of an experience in 201, you shake your head and begin to ascend on shaky legs, graciously taking Jisung’s hand and clinging to both him and Seungmin as they help you into the room. “Thanks,” you huff, giving them both a hug in return to their chivalry. And they dare say it’s dead!

Behind you, Changbin and Hyunjin lift the ladder-stepstool mutation back into the room and it isn’t until they have folded it into a more compact piece and set it against the wall do you speak up.

“Did you… buy a ladder?”

“Yes!” Minho bellows, thrilled by your successful entrance. “Isn’t it great?” After pulling back from a hug, he keeps his hands on your shoulders just to shake you like a bobble-head.

“Yes,” you grunt once he’s released you, head swimming, “a lot easier than hauling both me and Changbin through the window, right?” Looking to said boy, you can’t help but melt into his side when he pulls you close. “No worries,” Changbin beams, rubbing your arm, “at least we have some funny memories now.” When he moves to flop onto his bed, you realize with a shudder that you are alone with Hyunjin.

Well, technically not alone since they are all right there, but alone in the sense that they are not paying attention to you nor him.

“Hey, YN. I missed you,” he singsongs, engulfing you in one of his monster bear hugs. Disregarding the heart palpitations they may cause, Hyunjin’s hugs are truly the best and you wish you would initiate them more if it didn’t seem like such a big deal in that smooth brain of yours. “I missed you, too,” you mutter into his chest, squeezing your arms around him as if to engrave this feeling into your mind forever. “We saw each other, like, five hours ago,” he reminds you, finally pulling back and taking your will to live with him. God, he has no idea.

“And? You’re the only one here who doesn’t make me suicidal,” you lie because, in reality, he actually does. Just in a different way. “Aw,” he coos, large hand squeezing your side and you think you could orgasm on command, “good thing we have tonight, then, yeah?”

“Yeah,” you squeak, finally remembering to breathe when he steps away to sit beside Seungmin on his bed. Suddenly, you are feeling incredibly grateful no one is next to Changbin because, well, 1) he is closer to Felix and 2), you need a distraction.

“Hello, Felix,” you greet the boy sunk deep in a bean bag chair, busy grinding leaves and packing them into the bowl of a bong. “How are you this fine evening, YN?” He asks once you have settled beside Changbin, brows knitting together when the older boy drapes his arm around your waist.

“Good. Tired, though. How ‘bout you?”

“You didn’t have to come if you’re tired! We all know you work your ass off, no one’s gonna judge if you chose to stay home and sleep,” Felix expresses, giving you a look that screams ‘mom.’

“No! I’m not that tired,” you assure him, reaching for his hand and squeezing for extra effect, “you know I wouldn’t miss this. You’ve made me a pothead.”

With a proud smile, he returns to his designated job and begins working on the second, smaller bong. “So,” stretching to set your things on the desk beside Changbin’s bed, you turn to him with a knowing smile, “how’s the album coming?”

“Great!” He beams, eyes lighting up at the topic. “Jisung is a great addition. Did I tell you we started meeting with someone else, too?”

“No, who?”

“He’s a sophomore, Bang Chan?” Somewhere behind you, Felix passes a bong to Jisung for the first hit. “Bang Chan? Holy shit, Binnie,” repeatedly punching his arm to express your excitement, “that’s amazing! I didn’t know he was into music production. Not that I’ve ever talked to him, but.”

“No, I get you,” he hums, giving your side a firm squeeze, “he’s really awesome making beats. I hope we’re successful.” Then, reaching past you, he takes the second bong and a lighter from Felix. When he resituates himself, he’s considerably closer than before. You don’t mind.

“Ladies first?” Changbin offers with a crooked grin, handing them to you. Then, on second thought, he holds onto the lighter to do the honors. “Sure. Thanks,” you laugh, glancing across the room to find everyone arguing over which color to set the lights to as they wait for their high. Bringing the tube to your lips, you offer a miniscule nod to him and then he is setting flame to the bowl. Sucking strong enough to generate bubbles, you unplug the bowl once he stops and breathe in as much as your lungs can handle in one go. Then, once you have exhaled, you quickly finish what’s left in the tube before passing it to Changbin with a pleased smile.

“That was a lot,” he points out once you have handed the bong back to him. “Hey, you’re the one who kept lighting it for thirty seconds. Mother would be proud,” you joke, reciprocating the same service and lighting the bowl until he glares at you beneath his bangs.

The best part about being high is the fact that you are constantly laughing. Things won’t even be that funny, but once someone starts laughing—you’re done for. You laugh so hard it hurts, and then once it’s all over, you realize it wasn’t funny at all. “Has anyone ever told you that you look like a squirrel?” Minho asks Jisung at some point. You absolutely loose it. It quite possibly is the funniest thing you have ever heard.

Pouting, Squirrel Boy leaves Minho alone on his bed to come crash beside you. “How are you, my tender oozing blossom?”

Squinting at him past the way your eyes burn, you make grabby hands and pull him close to wrap your arms around his teeny waist. Changbin grumbles in protest, but he’s too transfixed on the light’s soft in and out fade of different colors to say anything else. “Please, don’t ever call me that again,” you mumble into Jisung’s mop of brown hair.

“What?” He gasps, tilting to look up at you with puppy eyes. “You didn’t like it?”

“Nope,” smiling lazily, you rest your head atop his, “I love you, but I’m not ready for pet names yet.” His face morphs from a frown to one lit with excitement. “Holy shit, did you just say you love me? Do my eyes deceive me?”

“That would be your ‘ears,’ but yes,” you hum, brain simply not capable of denying it the way your sober self would. “More than Changbin?” Jisung whispers.

“Yes, but don’t tell him,” you return quietly, biting back a laugh.

“More than Hyunjin?” He counters. At this, you look up to find said boy sat with his legs to his chest across the room. Next to Seungmin, he looks like a giant; but a happy, pouty giant that keeps talking about how much he could go for a winter melon tea right now.

“Never.”

One and a half (half because it was just the rest of Minho’s terribly big hit that left tears streaming down his cheeks) and an unfinished game of Cards Against Humanity later, you find yourself in a blissful headspace. The song playing quietly through Felix’s speaker makes it feel like you are bouncing down stairs and then going up again, and the lights are oh so pretty, pink fading to red, yellow to green, blue to purple and so on. Things are fuzzy but crystal clear at the same time, the popcorn you’ve been shoveling into your mouth tastes heavenly, and your body feels like it is engulfed in a warm, comforting hug.

Or, that could just be Changbin.

Somewhere in between trying to get more comfortable and him yanking you to stay next to him when you attempted to get up and hug Seungmin for something sweet he said, you now find yourself on your back with a clinging Changbin on your side. You are so comfortable, but also insanely hot, and as you begin to slowly come down from your high as the hours tick by, you begin to realize it’s for another reason.

What started as an innocent hand on your side turned into his thumb rubbing meaningless patterns against your shirt, which then turned into his hand slipping beneath to splay against the warmth of your skin. Growing increasingly needy as the minutes go by, you turn to look at everyone around you. Jisung, who found himself returning to Minho, appears to be passed out with him on the far end of the room. Seungmin, curled up on the floor with a pillow and a heap of blankets. Felix, who finished off the rest of his weed, scrolls aimlessly on his phone still at the peak of his high.

And Hyunjin, who you assume has been fast asleep on his bed for a while now if the arm flung over his face tells you anything. For a moment, you feel sick with sadness. So close, but so far he lies, always a step out of reach. But you can’t deny how Changbin makes you feel—for right now, at least. And it would be a shame to miss out on an opportunity with someone else because the one you want is unattainable.

Right?

Changbin must sense the way your breathing increases, must feel the way your body reacts to the slightest of touches, yet he takes his time. He is soft in the way his hand travels up your arm, rough fingertips grazing over your collarbones before smoothing down over your chest and abdomen. It isn’t until you are about to burst at the seams does he give your ass a strong squeeze and urge your leg over his hips.

“Changbin,” you sigh, biting your lip to keep from whimpering when he begins pressing hot, open-mouthed kisses down the length of your throat. “Please touch me.”

He only makes a sound of agreement, savoring the way you squirm and grip onto his arm for dear life. When he offers an experimental roll of his hips to grind against you, you practically go feral. The last time you were touched in such a way was at a party in the beginning of the semester Jisung and co. physically forced you to go to, and Changbin has barely even touched you and it’s already better than the rushed sex you had that night.

“Wait,” he huffs, pausing his ministrations no matter how difficult it is to do so, “we can’t.”

“What?” You hiss, trying to keep your voice quiet, “why?”

“Because you’re high, and I’m high, and I’m not going to do anything unless you really want me to,” Changbin explains, pressing a gentle kiss to your lips when you frown in response. “But I do want you to,” you huff, chasing his mouth for another, “I trust you one hundred percent.”

“Are you sure, YN?” What about Hyunjin? is what he really means and you know he’s right. You should have never told Felix.

Trying to ignore the wetness of your underwear, you turn to lie on your back. “Whatever. Never mind,” you mumble, and when you glance back to him, you can’t help the way your heart soars with him still pressed closely to your side, blinking tiredly at you. But like he said, it’s not Hyunjin. “Just get some sleep, Binnie. Forget it happened,” smiling past the tears that threaten to spill, you ruffle his hair and press a softer kiss to his forehead.

“I’m sorry,” Changbin whispers, returning the affection with a kiss to your shoulder. In minutes, he is snoring softly beside you.

You can’t fall asleep to save your life.

Reaching for your phone to check the time, you grit your teeth once you realize it’s almost four and you definitely have been staring at the ceiling for more than an hour. For starters, you are freezing now; unlike these passed out hooligans, you are showing a lot more skin and not being under the blankets is not doing you well. And secondly, it’s hard to fall asleep when your thoughts are flying miles a minute.

Is this how it’s going to be, then? Whenever you see someone, will the little guy on your shoulder whisper in your ear that it’s not Hyunjin? Or will people deem you off limits because they know of your infatuation? People who know, at least—Changbin is the first, apparently.

Just need to get comfy, you decide, trying to ignore such thoughts and turning to lie on your stomach. Bless Felix for leaving the lights on, too—you may be coming down from your high, but the vibe is simply immaculate. Tucking a hand under your cheek and following the ropes of light on the ceiling and up the walls, you find this to be enough to calm your nerves. Enough to make your eyelids heavy. Finally.

Someone lets out a monster train snore. Seungmin, you think, biting your lip to keep from laughing. Or, it could be Hyunjin. The thought is so amusing you can’t help but squint at the boy across from you to better see his outline, hoping he will do it again just to confirm.

No, not Hyunjin.

Because he’s facing you, eyes open, a soft smile plastered on his face. Well, fuck.

No reason to panic, you console yourself, returning a gentle smile in the assumption he can even see you. And you stay like that for a while, simply watching one another for an infinite amount of time. It’s not much, but it means something, you think, lost in the way the contours and highlights of his face change with each color the lights fade to. Just as you remember the whole point of getting on your stomach was to fall asleep, Hyunjin moves. Reaching for his phone, you watch in confusion as he brings it close to his face and starts typing.

hwang hyunjin👁👄👁 [now] Come sleep w me?

You almost throw up in your mouth. You must be dreaming. Surely.

Blinking against the harsh light of your phone, you cannot help your smile as you reread the text.

[4:02 am] YN: wont that b a little sus for bin

[4:02 am] hwang hyunjin👁👄👁: If anyone asks just say he kept kicking u or something

You don’t need to be told twice. Now that he has turned onto his side facing the other direction, Changbin does not stir once you slowly move to sit up and stand, nor when you reach for the quilt crumbled at the foot of the bed to pull over him. It’s not much, but hopefully it will keep him from waking in a few hours freezing to death. Then, as you tiptoe your way over to Hyunjin’s bed, avoiding Felix now that he’s sprawled half way off the bean bag, you cannot tell if you are still shivering from the cold or if the fact you are going to be sleepingwith Hyunjin in one, tiny single bed is finally clicking in your brain. Like Maddie said, this is something you want, right?

As you draw closer, Hyunjin shifts to make room and lifts the covers for you to quietly slip beneath. “Thank you,” you whisper, pulling the blanket up to your chin and trying to ignore the feeling of being so close to him. “Of course. You looked real cold over there,” he smiles tiredly. Then, his arm cautiously curls around you to rest by your head, fingers swiping stray hairs away from your face.

“I was,” you admit. Eyes level to his lips, you strain to look him in the eyes to resist the temptation now that he’s pulled you so close. “Changbin fell asleep and I felt bad waking him.”

Hyunjin doesn’t reply. He seems momentarily lost in thought, brows slightly furrowed as he chews on the inside of his lip.

“Do you like him?” He finally asks, voice shaky with hesitation.

“What?” You sputter, shocked at such a presumption. Yet again…

“No, no I don’t. I mean—as a friend, yes, but, you know,” you trail off, squeezing your eyes shut. You desperately wish you were not having this conversation right now. “He was touching you, though. And it looked like you liked it,” Hyunjin whispers, thumb swiping against your cheekbone.

“I mean, well yeah, I did. But I’m not close enough to like him like that. It’s just a physical attraction,” realizing you are discussing what went down with Changbin to Hyunjin, you suddenly pull back and lean up on an elbow to get a better look at him, heat now spreading up your limbs like fire. “Were you watching us, Hwang?”

“Yes,” he admits, “it’s kind of hard not to.” Your heart stops beating.

“I – what?” You manage once you have remembered how to breathe. “I didn’t know you were awake, we wouldn’t have… what do you mean, ‘it’s kind of hard not to?’”

“You know what I mean, YN,” Hyunjin mutters, arm slipping around your waist and pulling you to lie down with him again, this time, your chest pressed to his. “I like looking at you. You’re very pretty.”

You definitely must still be high, because you are seriously having a hard time wrapping your mind around Hyunjin calling you pretty, as well as being so close, and somewhere deep in your mind wonders if he knows. If he knows how your heart is on the line here. Knows that with him moving closer, you are taking a huge risk.

When Hyunjin kisses you, you forget that this could be the worst mistake you’ve made in a long time. Wrapped around his fingers, you pray this is his way of saying he feels the same.

“YN!” You wake to Seungmin gently shaking your shoulder. “YN, wake up. Your phone has been vibrating for twenty minutes now. It’s Maddie.”

The wave of panic washing over you dispels the grogginess you feel from suddenly being yanked from sleep, as well as the recognition of where you are and who you’re with. Frantic, you sit up and nod in thanks to him before taking the call. “Hello?”

“Oh, thank God you answered,” Maddie cries, voice choked, “I’m sorry, I know you’re still out, but I just threw up and I feel so terrible and when I get up I feel so nauseous. Can you come home?”

“Shit, Maddie, don’t apologize,” you whisper, rushing to grab your things as Seungmin unfolds The Ladder as quietly as possible, “I’m leaving now. Don’t move, you don’t want it to get worse. I’ll be there as fast as I can, okay?”

“Okay,” she whimpers before hanging up.

“Thank you, Minnie,” pressing a kiss to his cheek, you begin to climb down. “Is everything okay?” He asks, watching as you go with a worried frown. “Yes, it’s fine. Just a little emergency, don’t worry,” praying no one is out and about watching as you climb from the back of their building, you rush back to help Maddie as fast as you can.

You stay back in your dorm with Maddie for the rest of the weekend, fetching her water and ginger ale and food she can handle, helping her to the restroom, and binging all sorts of shows and movies with her. Seungmin, Jisung, and Minho visit Sunday evening, joining you for a few hours to watch Pokémon. You think it’s just because Minho knew it would be a good opportunity to snuggle with Maddie.

You can’t help but feel disappointed when Hyunjin isn’t with them. You refrained from telling Maddie what happened in 201, too caught up wanting to make sure she was alright, and by now you are starting to feel as if it wasn’t even real. Maybe you made the whole night up in your marijuana-infused brain. And snuggled up with Jisung, you can’t help but wish it was this annoying shit you were falling in love with.

On Monday morning, Hyunjin doesn’t show up for breakfast. On Tuesday, you find out he has been hanging out with a girl he met at his favorite boba joint and apparently won’t shut up about. First, you run back to your dorm to cry to Maddie, having to explain all of Friday night to her. When she leaves for her lab, you call Felix for an emergency smoke session. When Maddie texts that she is going to be out late working on a project, you call Changbin to tell him that you really do want him to.

Like you said, it’s just a physical attraction, right?

⇢ part 2

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twopoppies · 3 years

Note

Just saw your asks about the cross necklaces being related. I was raised Catholic (lapsed now), so I don’t mean to offend anyone by this next statement…but that’s a weird thing to get for your significant other. Do Harry and Olivia have a deeply religious bond that hasn’t been revealed in the press yet? 😂

It just makes no sense. The irony of it all is Harry now wears his cross with a dick right next to it. Where’s her matching banana penis?

It’s as you said, it’s a consistent accessory he’s worn for years so she got one of her own to further establish a connection with him. Whoever suggested that is a whole dumbass, it’s creepy af due to the religious connotations. Was ring sharing not an option again? Maybe it was done too many times before. O should’ve just removed her kids names from the Éliou necklaces and kept wearing those if they wanted to keep up the jewelry sharing.

But that particular Holivia account is off their rocker and even went after other Holivia stans for disagreeing over the Range Rover thing (even tho we have pics to prove it’s not the same car). Not surprised they would push this nonsense too. Laughable but ultimately cringe, just like the stunt.

At least we got nothing new today (knock on wood). Some semblance of freedom on the 4th, I guess? 😂

I’m hoping they took today to fly out of Italy and to their separate home countries.

And I totally agree about the cross necklace. Everything about it is weird. But the banana penis charm really takes it over the top. 😆 They really thought they were being clever with the necklace; trying to somehow differentiate her from “all the others”. Fail.

And yes, that account is super hostile and aggressive. I’ve seen DMs from them absolutely berating people who try to correct their statements. They don’t give a fuck about accuracy.

In reference to this

#holivia #stunts

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catgrump · 3 years

Note

Hello! I love your work, I was wondering if you wanted to write Leobuki with the prompt “I knew this was a bad idea”

Thank you so much!

How have I never thought of this ship before?

Let’s go let’s go!!! Chaotic Punk Rockers!

Non Despair AU where these two are adults auditioning for a talent search/talent competition! Enjoy 💛

🌻🌻🌻

“I knew this was a bad idea I knew this was a bad idea,” Leon was muttering the phrase over and over again as he clutched the neck of his guitar that sat across his lap and tapped his foot on the tile floor incessantly

And then he heard the clanging of metal on metal beside him. He looked to his right and saw a girl sitting down in a (rather sick) colorfully punk outfit with matching hair holding a keytar. The chains on her belt must’ve made the noise as she sat down.

She was looking at him with a soft, somewhat eerie smile.

“Can I help you?” Leon asked, unsure if he wanted an answer

“Ibuki sensed distress!”

Her voice rang out like the welcome bell over a shop door. He’s been in the presence of this girl for like five seconds and he’s already... oddly intrigued. “Is that you?” Leon asked, “Ibuki?”

“Yessir; you’re a good guesser.” Her smile hasn’t left her face. The contrast of her black lipstick and white teeth was... endearing?

Well, Leon would be lying if he said he didn’t think Ibuki looked cool as hell. Pink and blue and white streaks were scattered in organized chaos throughout her long black hair; she was covered in studded, spiked, and chained accessories; her makeup was intense, yet subtle; and she had a chain of piercings trailing under her lip.

Leon’s tongue pressed against the backing of his own labret piercing, thinking about how he doesn’t think he could handle more than one there. She must be hardcore.

“So what’s up?” Ibuki asked with a pep in her pipes, then gasping, quickly straightening her posture, and answering her own question with another question, “Are you nervous about the audition??”

“Heh, you’re a pretty good guesser, too,” Leon nervously tried to flirt; why did he think THAT was a good idea when he’s already on edge?

“Do you wanna know Ibuki’s advice?”

His foot tapping has transitioned to leg bouncing as he replied, “Sure.”

“It’s not an audition at all!”

“Hah, what?”

“If you tell your brain it isn’t an audition, and you’re just playing at home like you would normally, or you’re playing for a crowd— whichever is easier for you; I know Ibuki prefers a crowd— nerves just POOF! Disappear!”

“Easier said than done,” Leon said, trying to keep his cool. She’s cute and giving him attention; he doesn’t want to pass up an opportunity for a potential phone number.

But his brain is having trouble keeping up this facade. Normally if he’s actively trying to pick someone up, he can focus all his attention on trying to impress the person he’s talking to, but the more he talks with Ibuki while trying to hold his head up high, the more he feels like he’s going to pass out. Especially because, “I’ve never actually performed for a crowd before.”

“Wooooaaahhh that’s cuckoo bananas!” Her eyes almost had actual stars in them, “You must have some serious balls to make your first performance a talent competition!”

“Hah, I guess so—“

“But I totally get why you’re nervous! You’re super duper totally allowed to be. Ibuki was in her first talent competition when she was ten, and she was nervous as all hell.”

“How long ago was that?— if you don’t mind me asking,” Leon looked at Ibuki and thought she had to be at least his age

“A little over a decade!”

She is his age. And she’s been performing since she was in grade school.

Leon only recently discovered he could try to make a career in music, and one of his insecurities is feeling like he has to catch up to everyone else.

Suddenly, a stage manager with a clipboard appeared from behind the big push-bar doors, “Number 37?”

“Oh, that’s me,” Leon practically coughed out

“You’re on deck,” the stage manager added before going back inside

“How are you feeling?” Ibuki asked, leaning in

“If I’m being honest; lightheaded,” Leon tried to play it off as a joke, even though it was the truth.

“Let me get you some water!” Ibuki declared, springing up from the bench and swinging her keytar across her back before darting off

“Ibuki, wait—“

But it was too late. She was already bouncing down the hall, determined to reach her destination.

“Dammit,” Leon muttered, keeling his head forward

Talking with her was a nice distraction. Now, all he can think about is that he’s up next to audition.

By the time the stage manager came back to bring Leon into the audition space, Ibuki hadn’t returned.

Leon tried not to worry too much, thinking it would distract him in a bad way.

But he couldn’t help but think of Ibuki when he approached the microphone and said, “Hi, my name’s Leon Kuwata, and this is an original piece called ‘Under the Bleachers’,” and imagined himself alone in his apartment as he played the chords and sang.

And he got to finish the entire song. He was expecting to get cut off, but he sang the whole thing.

He was brought back to reality when one of the people on the panel who were watching started asking him about the piece, “When did you write that?”

Leon talked about how he drafted it in high school— it was originally a poem he wrote for a class assignment— and reworked it into music after going through a breakup.

The panel all at least seemed interested in his story, too, “Well, thank you for sharing, Leon,” one person said, “We’ll be in touch.”

Leon thanked the panel members and left with a smile on his face.

When he walked back into the hallway, there was Ibuki, sitting on the edge of the bench, holding a bottle of water whose condensation was dripping onto her ripped tights. She stuck to her word.

“You were so good, Leon!” She said with a grin, bouncing as she sat, the water in the bottle jostling inside.

“You could hear?” Leon asked, feeling heat creep to his face as he heard her say his name.

“Yeah! I came back and saw you were gone, so I pressed my ear to to door to snoop,” she laughed, “We have totally different styles, but I’d love to jam sometime! It’s fun to get new flavors in every now and again.”

“You would?”

“Abso-tively!” She beamed, then continued, “It’s like Absolutely and Positively had an affair and made a baby.”

Leon laughed, unsure what to make of her. She’s odd, and unapologetic about it. She’s confident enough to have been performing for over ten years. She’s honest and upbeat.

He definitely has a crush.

But would someone as cool as Ibuki want to take a chance on some shmuck like Leon?

She at least seems like she wants to be friends, and Leon would be happy with that.

“If we’re gonna jam sometime, then,” Leon stepped a bit closer and took his phone out of his pocket, “How about I get your number?”

“Sure!” Ibuki was still smiling, and caught Leon off-guard when she pulled her phone out from the waistband of her tights.

They swapped phones and exchanged numbers. Leon paused typing his in to look at her, bouncing her head rhythmically to the tapping of her thumbs on his phone’s screen.

She’s cute. She’s cute and she’s cool and she’s also a musician and Leon can’t believe he was lucky enough to meet her.

Even if he doesn’t get in the show, one good thing came out of today.

When she handed him his phone back, he read the full name of that person— the one definite good thing to come from today— illuminated on the screen: “Ibuki 🤪🖤🎸 Mioda”

If you enjoy my work, you can buy me a Ko-Fi 💛 Fics will always be free; this is just an additional way to support me!

#danganronpa #danganronpa fic #danganronpa fanfic #danganronpa fanfiction #leobuki #Leon x Ibuki #leon kuwata #danganronpa leon #sdr2 ibuki #ibuki mioda #super danganronpa 2 #sdr2 #danganronpa ibuki #Ibuki x Leon

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rvmmm21 · 3 years

Text

. you’re gonna spaghet it .

summary : a home-cooked meal and a baking show is too much to ask for. but only when the person asking is seungwan.

small note : i'm tentatively back. and here's the worse news. you get this pile of 'what-the-fic-is-this?!' before i start clonking you over the head with my leg of yandere ham.

think of it as your pre-christmas coal in your stocking.

(this sat in my drafts for so long its not even funny. if i had a cent for every second i spent thinking about whether i wanted this out here, i'd have accumulated enough for the plane ticket, the lawyers and the hospital fees to fly over to SM to clonk them myself.)

just for tumblr. if you want to read this but in pretty, it’s here.

tw : tickling, probably many grammar errors because i do not know how to write anymore, and my cretinous knowledge of how tv recordings work.

[irene x white-winged dove!wendy]

. . .

[6:15pm] A mischievous smile tugs at her lips when she sees how Seungwan struggles.

. . .

Bae Joohyun blithely watches her girlfriend titter around the kitchen preparing vegetables for the chopping board. When the sound of water beginning to boil reaches attentive ears, she secretly smiles at the melodious hum of a happy tune.

Everything is going as planned!

However.

Pangs of guilt are beginning to tweak at Joohyun’s conscience. Because what she really wants to do is not to be a good girlfriend and offer a hand at stirring the pot. She doesn’t even want to sit patiently and wait to hear Seungwan sing out for her when dinner’s ready.

No. Joohyun wants to play. And she knows who she wants to play with. Even though it’s going to be a complete setback to the lovely night she’s sure her Wannie has planned out for them.

It was Seungwan’s idea to cook tonight, then eat together while they watch their favourite TV program. Pfft, ‘their favourite’. What Joohyun really means is she’ll happily watch the season finale of the unorthodox cooking show her girlfriend is currently obsessed with.

. . .

“It gives me ideas, unnie,” Seungwan had explained when, about a week ago, Joohyun had walked in on a very experimental game of muffin-making.

The latest episode of “Baking for the Seoul” flashed through Joohyun’s memory.

“Don’t the ingredients have to be… in the bowl, though?” she asked incredulously, eyes searching for any part of their countertop that was actually visible.

“Hm?” Seungwan looked up, wiping the frosting off her nose… with the wrong hand.

Joohyun raised an eyebrow. “And which one are we putting in the oven, your sludge mix or you?” She inquired, now searching for any part of her girlfriend’s face – that was actually visible.

When the girl in question stayed concentrated, apprehension bubbled in her gut at the state of that exceptionally thick bowl of frosting. She surreptitiously strained to peer behind a thoroughly battered Seungwan, trying her hardest to not actually step foot into the kitchen.

Her girlfriend has this… ‘thing’ about work space. Especially the kitchen.

“Wan-ah,” Joohyun’s tone was equal parts warning and concern. “You didn’t get any on your wings, did you… that frosting looks too thick and last time you got yourself all mucky, remember we had to – ”

“It’s fine it’s fine, look! I’m being careful!” Seungwan quipped cheerfully, pirouetting round to give a worried Joohyun a glimpse of her wings which were nicely folded through each designated slit in the back of her sky-blue jumper.

The latter breathed a sigh of relief when she saw them; all white, fluffy and – most importantly – clean. She inwardly shuddered at how much of a nightmare that bath was. Thank god she’s behaving this time, she thought.

Although momentary relief didn’t stop her from contemplating an alternative method of keeping her mind at ease.

But the thought of having Seungwan wear her wing guards in their own home tugged at her unpleasantly. It was bad enough she had to have them on when they were out in potentially stressful situations. So she wouldn’t accidentally hurt herself or anyone around her… which had unfortunately happened once or twice before. It was clearly a burden to go about so obviously restricted, and despite Seungwan’s insistence on having grown used to them, Joohyun could always feel how upset she’d get whenever she was helping to do the clasps up behind her.

Definitely no wing guards then. And if that meant Joohyun would be bruising her knees for hours on end trying to keep dense baking mix and her messy baby bird two separate entities, then she’d happily do it.

Whatever kept Seungwan chirping.

Plus, her little chef looked damned determined, so she thought it appropriate to slip in one last passing remark before plucking a banana from the rack. “Yah, Wannie! Let me know if I’m gonna have to pick out birdie feathers from my cupcakes, okay?”

Seungwan grumbled something along the lines of a ‘hm, yeah whatever unnie’ in response.

Joohyun just laughed, heading back to their room and leaving the mastermind to her latest trial.

> > > > >

[7:00 p.m] Seungwan doesn't know which she finds more horrifying: what Joohyun intends to do to her or the fact that they're going to have to have take-away two nights in a row.

. . .

It should’ve been a simple mission.

Retrieve a fresh packet of spaghetti from the topmost shelf.

Her attempts are… laughable. She’s clearly doing her best.

Though she doesn't realise it yet, she’s still being watched. From the living room, Joohyun is watching. And she isn’t laughing. Hands ball into unconscious fists as a tight wave of numbness washes over her at how adorable Seungwan looks.

Just… like that: both wings tucked against her back, beautiful and neat as their owner. Strained muscles from reaching for something Joohyun already knows she’s going to have to help out with. And the tiny grunts when fingertips barely graze the edges of the packet.

Seungwan looks so soft, so frustrated. So vulnerable.

A small spike of inexplicable adrenaline leads Joohyun to head over to the huffing, moon-hopping girl.

She really needs to teach her little dove that being this cute comes with a price.

. . .

When a lithe body slides up behind her and presses against her back, Seungwan’s wings give a gentle flutter to mimic the stutter in her heart. She sighs affectionately at the pair of hands resting low on her hips.

The task is almost forgotten. Almost.

Unnie’s here to help, Seungwan thinks… ever so mistakenly.

“Hyun – ahh,” she’s interrupted by a slight shiver when the tip of her right wing is stroked between a finger and a thumb, delicately running across pure, downy feathers. A tried and tested (Bae Joohyun-certified) method of getting the girl absolutely weak.

Judging by the sound of strained breaths filling the space between them, it’s working.

Alas, dinner hasn’t been cooked, the sun’s setting and Seungwan’s time-management brain is screaming at her to get a move on. She points to the shelf, trying her hardest to block out the dangerously wonderful feeling. “Could you – could you please get that for me?”

Instead of complying, Joohyun chuckles, moving her hands from her back to glide them lightly up and down her sides. She isn’t surprised that Seungwan is already shivering, terribly overwhelmed from that alone.

Her smirk twitches when she feels the smaller girl squirm.

Seungwan has always been like this… so responsive, so susceptible to touch. Her touch. She’s jelly in her clutches, and even Joohyun has to admit that sometimes she really doesn’t deserve to be.

Sneaky hands grow bolder, finding their way under the hem of Seungwan’s fleecy jumper to continue tracing teasing lines against soft, sensitive skin.

“But it’s so cute to watch you struggle, baby,” Joohyun coos, beginning to rest more of her weight into Seungwan’s hips, keeping her trapped against the kitchen counter.

“U-unnie,” Seungwan tries, half-heartedly writhing against Joohyun’s hold, torn between wanting to cook dinner and wanting to be dinner. “Not – ah… not right now… it’s already late, we have to – ”

“And you smell so nice. Is this new shampoo?” Joohyun presses her nose into her nape, cutting her short, nuzzling into that pleasant fruity shampoo scent. She then pauses to nudge Seungwan’s legs suggestively ajar with her knee before leaning in to whisper into a ruby-tipped ear. “ Should I give you a reason to shower again later, hm?”

The younger’s eyes widen at the sinful implication.

Gosh, really? Right now? In the kitchen?

The kitchen. The place she cooks and handles food? (Sure, Joohyun will – once in a blue moon – dice the odd carrot or something, but that certainly does not give her the right to be making any unauthorised, hormonal messes for her to clean up). She must be off her rocker if she thinks Seungwan’s going to allow her precious workstation to be tainted by what she can already foresee to be copious amounts of bodily fluid just because someone can’t keep it in their pants.

It snaps something inside her. And – with all the strength neither of them knew she possessed – Seungwan wrenches out from under Joohyun’s weight with a firm “YAH! Stop fooling around!”, sending the older woman stumbling a few steps back.

For a second, they’re just as stunned and disbelieving as each other; Seungwan at her own apprently dormant Herculean strength –

– and Joohyun at the sheer audacity.

Then again, could this be any more timely?

God, Joohyun could kiss herself.

She straightens her blouse, putting on her best ‘I-can’t-believe-you’ve-done-this’ expression, and turning to lock the now slightly (and rightfully so) terrified-looking Seungwan with a stare. This is the best part. The part where she just glares, secretly gleeful as the other girl absolutely crumbles with apprehension.

The part where Seungwan thinks it’s her fault.

“Uh oh,” she tuts, sporting a grin to match that mischievous glint in her eyes, “someone’s in trouble, aren’t they?”

Seungwan is, of course, at a total loss for words, but she fumbles around anyway, desperate to justify whatever the hell she’s just done. It’s almost too much for Joohyun to handle, watching her dig her own grave like this.

Finally, Seungwan tries to back up, only to let out a sharp gasp when she trips over her own feet in her haste. She’s on the floor in seconds with Joohyun immediately following. There’s hardly a chance for her to get her bearings before she’s stuck on her back with a weight straddling her hips.

Seungwan goes wide-eyed. She might as well kiss the prospect of a candlelit dinner bye-bye… for tonight, at least.

“My clumsy, clumsy Wannie,” Joohyun mocks, holding herself above the smaller girl on her hands and purposely tangling their legs together. “Tonight was very thoughtful of you, baby, but I’m postponing our dinner plans to tomorrow night. I think we should order in, don’t you?”

“Ah unnie...” Seungwan groans, failing to ignore the way Joohyun’s predatory expression crayons her cheeks a soft pink, “we had take-away last night! I don’t wanna eat chicken aga – ”

“Then let’s get pizza,” Joohyun offers unhelpfully. She’s clearly got her own agenda that she’s determined to follow through with. “Okay? Hm, let’s see… you have to the count of five to agree with me or…”

She pauses to savour the panic in those deep brown eyes. “I’m going to have a very tired little birdie to take care of.”

That satisfied smirk leaves nothing to the imagination. Seungwan can practically read her fate on her girlfriend's rosy lips before they delve into hers, causing her eyes to roll back as they melt hotly into each other.

Seungwan hardly notices Joohyun lacing their fingers together until her eyes flutter open and she finds herself held down, arms stretched securely above her head. Joohyun adjusts her grip so she has both wrists pinned under one hand and the other free.

Ah, fuck, not again. Seungwan laughs emptily, fidgeting with high-strung premonition. When her one final struggle proves useless, she resorts to asserting herself with her voice. “Yah, unnie, I’m cooking tonight. Stop being annoying or you’re not getting fed.”

Ah, too easy.

Joohyun contemplates elaborating further. But she’s said enough. Besides, Seungwan doesn’t even deserve a response to that. That was a threat, wasn’t it? The prospect of starvation is a serious threat that should be promptly dealt with. And what do you do when you’re faced with a threat? Be that a burglar, a murderer or a very flustered Son Seungwan.

Tickle them. Obviously.

Joohyun leers over her, wiggling her fingers in anticipation. “Five…”

Seungwan’s eyes blow wide, and – with miserable luck – she renews her efforts at breaking free once again. “Hyun! Seriously?! You – I can’t believe you’re d – ”

“Four.”

“HYUN!”

“Three.”

“Okay! Okay! Let’s get pizza tonight! There, happy?! You can even choose the flav – ”

Seungwan hears a scoff above her. “Nope. Sorry Wannie. I made that decision. You’ve changed nothing.”

“YAH, YOU TRICKED ME YOU BIRDBRAIN! LET ME UP. YOU’RE SO DEAD!!”

One click of a tongue and Seungwan has never retracted any statement faster in her life.

“Okayokayokay! Sorry that was super mean! Please I – ”

“Two…”

Too late. She’s dead. She’s one hundred percent about to be on the list of the unfairly deceased.

Seungwan whines hopelessly. “Unnieeeee, you’re not being fair!”

It’s a ditch attempt, but one Seungwan doesn’t intend to miss. “OKAY SERIOUSLY I MEAN IT, GET OFF!”

Joohyun snickers. “One.”

With five fingers and wicked intent, she dives in.

. . .

A pair of pretty wings and an even prettier face make for an impossible choosing.

Even now, as she has Seungwan flat on her back with her eyes screwed shut and tears streaming down her face, she wants to flip her over so she can be blinded by white insulation. So those feathers can brush against her as she drives their owner to the brink of sanity.

She wants to feel her dove respond to what she does to her.

“Hyu – Hyun, p-please!”

Joohyun smirks down at her victim, who’s weakly pawing at the front of her blouse in what she can only assume is an attempt to get her to stop.

Pathetic.

Seungwan never fails to struggle. But then again, she never fails to forget that Joohyun, too, is much, much stronger than she looks.

All that tiresome squirming is easily dealt with. Only a fraction more pressure from Joohyun’s fingertips, and Seungwan’s arms fall to either side, limp and useless just like the rest of her. The only indication she’s even conscious is the violent trembling and – when she’s able to muster up the lung space – the occasional plea for mercy.

Even the laughter is silent.

Joohyun loves it this way. She loves having Seungwan all sweaty and flustered beyond belief; whenever and wherever she pleases, the younger girl is reduced to a quivering mess, trapped beneath her cruel dexterity.

So instead of getting the pasta boiling for a romantic dinner, Seungwan is graciously letting Joohyun have her one-sided fun while she’s forced to cough, splutter and laugh so hard her insides hurt. The reflex to try to buck Joohyun off or twist out of her clutches nips at her incessantly.

Although she really shouldn’t worm around like that, because it’s only making Joohyun’s job easier with how her jumper rides further and further up with every inch she wriggles away.

It almost makes Joohyun think her little songbird wants to be tickled.

“Aw,” she coos, playfully tweaking unintentionally exposed ribs. “So cute, Wannie. You want it here, too?”

Seungwan is breathless from the tickles before she’s even processed what Joohyun’s said. Those tantalising touches never linger on any part of her long enough for her to develop a resistance to them. Not that she could even if she tried. She’s as sensitive as Joohyun is skilled. And Joohyun strikes with dreadful precision, switching between light skittering and then deftly kneading her fingers into every spot that wrings Seungwan’s lungs for all they’re worth.

The smooth tile is cooling against her feathers, even if her wings are twitching beyond her control, trying their hardest to flip her over to give her some shot at escaping. She barely manages to crawl a few inches away before there’s a firm grip on her ankle, all but dragging her back because Joohyun sure as hell isn’t done with her that quickly.

Trying to get away? She cocks an eyebrow, scooting up to sit on Seungwan’s butt, pinning her hips to the floor.

“Oh no, my poor birdie’s flipped herself over,” she feigns concern, gently resting her palms on Seungwan’s wings, stilling their fluttering and holding them steady. The sight of them unfolded, outstretched from the struggle and completely exposed has Joohyun catching her bottom lip between her teeth. “Did you hurt yourself here, Wannie? You need unnie to kiss it better?”

Seungwan shrieks at a pitch that’d have every dog in the neighbourhood cowering when she feels a pair of pillowy lips settle on that excruciating spot right where the arch of her wings meet her back, where she absolutely cannot stand to be touched.

Even under normal circumstances, Seungwan had made her swear to never spring upon her like that. And of course, by virtue of that alone, it quickly became one of Joohyun’s favourite places to touch her.

Luckily she’s too distracted now to protest.

The ‘kisses’ aren’t any less torturous than ten fingers going all at once.

Poor, tired Seungwan hardly has the energy to writhe as Joohyun continues to press her hellish butterfly kisses all along the length of those oversensitive appendages, nosing into her feathers and ruffling them gently with her breath. The younger’s expression contorts into silent agony when she feels the fingers return, this time digging into her armpits.

Fresh tears well up in the corners of her eyes as she lays there, flailing like a fish out of water, face down with zero leverage to combat her girlfriend’s merciless onslaught.

She’s as defenceless as a turtle on its back (or rather, a dove on its tummy). Her squirms are getting weaker, the laughter more strained, but it’s all so rewarding to her loving tormentor.

Seungwan is kept laughing till the hollow ring of the doorbell sounds through their apartment.

. . .

[An hour post stuffed crust pepperoni pizza with extra cheese]

Joohyun enters their room just as her girlfriend is getting dressed for bed, freshly showered… again. She lets out a low chuckle when Seungwan catches sight of her in her peripheral vision and hastily pulls the loose necked pajama t-shirt over her head.

“How was dinner?” she asks, arms folded and leaning against the door.

Seungwan rolls her eyes and releases her hair from its bun. “Too much cheese. We need to drink lots of water tonight or we’ll be pufferfish in the morning.”

“Aw, is someone grumpy?” Joohyun gives an uncharacteristically exaggerated pout and the latter hides a shiver.

Good god, please someone save her.

“Unnie, of course I am. We’re going to eat reheated carbonara sauce tomorrow no thanks to you,” Seungwan bluntly retaliates. “You’ve had your fun, now can you stop talking to me like I’m five, please?”

Naturally, her request falls on selectively deafened ears.

“Yah, seriously,” she punctuates the severity by manually unfolding her trembling left wing and pointing at it. “Look. I’m still shaking because of you. Now you're done, I really – ”

That’s all the grumpy talk she’s allowed before Joohyun jump-tackles her onto their bed, pinning her to it and watching sheer panic etch into deep cinnamon irises.

“When did I say I was done?” she asks, suggestiveness tracing the edges of her tone. She hovers above her, bringing a hand up to cup her face.

Seungwan hisses a laugh. “Unnie, I have a limit too, you know. You can’t just keep finding excuses to tickle the crap out of – ”

She chokes on a gasp when she feels a hand – the one she’d been as good as tortured under not two hours ago – trailing down her stomach… slipping past the elastic of her panties and –

– it just reminds her why she’ll always let Joohyun have her fun.

Because no matter how much she laughs, screams, cries or begs, there’s always a reward. Much sweeter than anything Seungwan thinks she could ever bake. Their sex life is anything but stagnant, however this is, more often than not, Joohyun’s way of making it up to her afterwards (much to her approval).

Or maybe she just wants to drive Seungwan to the brink of losing her voice so she won't have to hear the nagging about the next episode of Baking For the Seoul.

Which, by the way, came out tonight. And Joohyun made them miss it. She had better be praying they’d be able to find a copy online somewhere.

Either way, it’s so much more gratifying after an eternity spent howling your lungs out on the floor. Seungwan’s full attention is lasered down to where Joohyun is now softly caressing her under the thin cotton barrier. The warm ache beginning to settle in between her thighs prompts her to try to squeeze them together, but Joohyun catches on and wedges her knees in between them, spreading her even further.

“Ah,” she raises a smug brow as she leans in to press her lips to the base of her ear. Her own eyes darken with lust in response to her little dove writhing helplessly below her. “Be a good girl for me, okay, baby?”

It’s late. Seungwan can barely keep her eyes open. Oh, but she aches so badly.

“Still grumpy, hm?” Joohyun murmurs questioningly, hot breath fanning over Seungwan’s neck and echoing goosebumps over her skin. She glances down at the bulge of her hand stretching the fabric, fingers already coated in slick. Her index finger rubs against Seungwan’s clit. “Feel good, Wannie?”

Hopelessly turned on, it’s all the other girl can do to whimper in agreement.

The pleasing sound of those soft whines escaping right into her ear turns Joohyun’s grin into something downright wolfish. She gives the swollen bud a few more leisurely strokes before retracting her hand completely, leaving Seungwan squirming in anticipation with whatever energy she has left.

Joohyun tastes the arousal on her fingertips. “Mm, I love how small you look right now, in my hands. So small and needy.”

Seungwan pants out a quiet “please, unnie”, clasping a shuddering hand over Joohyun’s and guiding it back down to the heat in her panties. She rolls her hips up into her palm, silently begging for her reward for being such a ‘willing’ participant in the one-sided games they played today.

After letting her gaze linger for a second, Joohyun shifts so she’s lying next to Seungwan. She slips her hand back in and squeezes firmly, revelling in the hoarseness of the girl’s voice. Velvety lips delicately map out her shoulder, and Seungwan has to fight to keep her eyes open to drink in the image of Joohyun pressed up against her, right hand cradled under her neck, propping her head up so they can both see the other one teasing her down her underwear.

It’s when Seungwan turns away to frustratedly pout at the suspense that Joohyun smiles and gives her a quick peck on the nose.

“I’ll continue if you promise not to pass out this time, okay baby bird?”

She bites back a snort watching Seungwan nod like she’s ever been able to stay awake after.

Then she has to bite back another because since when has she ever not continued even after being fed these empty promises, time and time again.

Anything to keep her precious Seungwan happy.

#red velvet #wenrene #wendy #irene #wing kinks are only valid if you exploit the crap out of them #so irene's got the right idea

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arsenicpanda · 4 years

Note

And top 5 Jughead moments

Another excellent choice! Once again, moments that are mainly bughead are not allowed.

- Cutting Penny (2x09): You know how I love me some dark, the-ends-justify-the-means Jughead, he is one of my favorite Jugheads (tied with smug, insufferable Jughead). Jughead thinks he’s in the right here, that he is Doing What He Must, and just doesn’t consider morality at all here. Technically it works! It does get rid of Penny and somehow also the leverage she has over them (unclear how, did they trash her shit offscreen?), no more of his dad and the Serpents being forced to deal drugs, no more vague threat to Betty. She does come back, but they’re able to oust her then too, so I’ll count it in the win column. But it is still very fucked up that he did it! And I love it, it’s so dark, and it also is just a really good showcase of how far Jughead is willing to go for people he cares about.

- G&G Is Real Conspiracy Theorist Jughead (3x05): THIS CRAZY BITCH, I LOVE HIM. “G&G is real and controlling reality, actually” is such a bonkers bananas theory, I love it. And he is both completely off his rocker and explaining things in such an “obviously, this is true, I’m sure you can see it, Betty, you’re very smart” way, it’s so entertaining. Also, I desperately, desperately wish this was one of the many times that Jughead’s ridoncu-diculous theories was correct because how cool would that have been?!

- “Fire, Deadeye!” (3x05): First of all, the scene opens with Jughead typing up his homebrew G&G campaign on his fucking typewriter like a dweeb, so that’s already amazing. But then he decides that the best way to assert his authority is to prove himself crazier than everyone else in the (metaphorical) room by having Cheryl play William Tell, and it’s just so insane, I love it.

- “And I’m a better man” (4x12): This is kind of a stand in for “any scene between Jughead and Bret because they’re all hilarious” but this one is my favorite because Bret is all “oh, we should change the stakes to be your enrollment at Stonewall and who has the Baxter Brothers contract, what do you say, Forsythe?” and Jughead’s response is effectively “a.) No, b.) Fuck you in particular, c.) You suck at everything, and d.) I’m so much better than you” in the absolute smuggest way possible. Like, I was already proud of him for not being an idiot and taking the bait, but then he just decides to be as annoying and dickish as possible, and it is AMAZING. I love it, I love this asshole dweeb.

-TIE between Jughead bursting into the salon and mocking the Stonies for failing to kill him (4x16): These are both such good moments, how can I choose? He is the maximum amount of smug, insufferable, and mocking here, it’s amazing. Just the dramatic bursting in, the “rumors of my death have been greatly exaggerated” Mark Twain quote, the “you fucked up beaning me in the head with a rock, you absolute fucking dumbasses” of it all, it’s all so great. This entire episode is great, special shout out to Jughead beating up Bret at the end there too.

#go-ldy #Riverdale #my thoughts on Riverdale let me show you them

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bronzeflower · 5 years

Text

Present Mic Merch

Also on ao3

Chapter 1: Five

-----

1: Coffee Mug

Everyone knew that Aizawa had a Present Mic brand coffee mug.

It wasn't all that strange. Most of Class 2-A just assumed that Present Mic himself gave it to Aizawa as a gag gift, but Aizawa chose to use it because it was practical to or because it was the one he kept in the office. There was no reason to keep a coffee cup if you didn't use it.

The strangeness came from when it was dropped and shattered to many pieces on the ground. This in of itself wasn't all that strange, and the shards were soon picked up and thrown away while the leftover coffee was easily wiped up.

What was strange was when Aizawa walked in the next day with a different Present Mic brand coffee cup.

This one was a lot more noticeable. Aizawa's normal mug was white with a simple "Put Your Hands Up!" written on it in black, along with a drawing of a microphone. It was simple, practical, and didn't draw too much attention to itself.

This new mug was bright yellow with a chibi Present Mic on it next to bright and bubbly letters that spelled out "Banana Dreamer."

No one said anything about it. But they noticed. And they also noticed when Aizawa came in two days later with a brand new mug that was identical to his old on.

Nobody said anything. But they talked amongst themselves about it, wondering about it.

Perhaps the mug wasn't a gag gift at all.

2: Sunglasses

Class 2-A was taking a trip to the beach for training. It was supposed to be an event where they practiced using their skills and quirks in difficult terrain, but they also got breaks to just have fun in the sun.

This meant swimsuits and sunglasses and sandcastles and everything else people brought to the beach.

Midoriya was wearing his All Might brand swim trunks and was going over to see if Kouda and Tokoyami wanted any assistance with their sandcastle when he noticed something odd about Aizawa.

Now, Aizawa was basically the same as always, trying to take a nap under an umbrella, even if he was wearing a striped black and gray 1920s swimsuit. But there was something else Aizawa was wearing that caught Midoriya's attention.

Aizawa had Present Mic brand sunglasses. It was one of the subtler designs, but Midoriya was a true hero otaku, and he could recognize them from a mile away.

After Tokoyami confirmed that they would need some seaweed, Midoriya took to the ocean where Uraraka and Todoroki were.

"Guys, Aizawa-sensei is wearing Present Mic sunglasses," Midoriya kept his voice low as he rummaged the sea for broken off bits of seaweed.

"Seriously?" Uraraka gasped in surprise. "I didn't even notice. That's so weird!"

"I know right? It's totally unexpected! I mean, I get the mug and all, but sunglasses?"

"But he did replace the mug," Uraraka pointed out. "It would be hard to believe that Mic-sensei gave the same exact one as a gag gift. What do you think, Todoroki?"

Todoroki thought deeply.

"Maybe...Aizawa-sensei collects Present Mic merchandise."

"Wha? But I can't really imagine it at all," Midoriya said.

The three of them collectively imagined Aizawa having a room filled to the brim with Present Mic merch.

"No way, no way he does that!" Uraraka insisted. "He just seems like too much of a guy whose place is completely empty and devoid of anything except a bed."

Midoriya nodded furiously.

"Mic-sensei and Aizawa-sensei are good friends though, right?" Todoroki asked. "So Aizawa-sensei might be trying to support Present Mic by purchasing his merchandise."

"That's...actually kind of cute," Uraraka gushed.

"I feel like it's way more possible that that's the case. It's still difficult to think that Aizawa-sensei has a lot of merch, but I suppose it would make sense if the miscellaneous practical items he has are Present Mic brand."

"Do you think he has Present Mic brand pencils?" Todoroki questioned, which made Midoriya and Uraraka burst out laughing before Midoriya suddenly had a very serious face.

"Wait...he might...Present Mic brand pencils look the same as regular pencils except for the label by the No. 2 says Present Mic."

"...Do you think that's why he never lets anyone borrow pencils?"

They laughed at the concept, Midoriya got the seaweed for Kouda and Tokoyami's really awesome sandcastle, and they didn't think more of it.

3: Cats and Clothing

It was always terrible to run into your teacher in the grocery store. Kouda knew this more than most because he didn't particularly care for talking, and it was infinitely more awkward to engage in conversation with a teacher.

It was also terrible when they expected him to actually talk.

So when Kouda saw Aizawa in the grocery store looking at different brands of cat food, he was completely ready to turn the other direction and never come to that store ever again.

Except that Aizawa was looking ever so intensely at the cat food, and Kouda was ever the animal lover, so Kouda nervously tapped Aizawa on the shoulder to get his attention.

"Oh, Kouda," Aizawa greeted. "What do you need?"

"Ah, well," Kouda flustered before signing. 'Are you trying to figure out which cat food to buy?'

Kouda was expecting Aizawa to just kind of stare or inform him that he didn't understand sign language, but to his surprise, Aizawa turned towards him more fully to sign back at Kouda, which also revealed that Aizawa was wearing a "Put Your Hands Up Radio" t-shirt, the one where the words were surrounded by a pair of headphones.

'The brand I usually buy was discontinued,' Aizawa explained. 'And my cats are kind of picky.'

'How many cats do you have?' Kouda asked.

'Three.'

'I'd get one of the higher-end brands like this one,' Kouda stopped signing to point to the brand he often used to feed stray cats he found. 'Mind if I ask what the names of your cats are?'

'Jelly, Sofa, and Present Meow,' Aizawa answered.

'What do they look like,' Kouda said, but internally thought about how he didn't imagine Aizawa picking those kinds of names for his cats. It was just unexpectedly cute.

It was also a little strange that one of them was named after Present Mic, but Kouda wasn't going to point that out.

Aizawa brought out his phone and showed a few photos of the cats to Kouda.

Jelly was a white cat with large black spots who was very fluffy and was apparently very cuddly. Sofa was a light brownish color with a missing ear who was ready to play at all times. And Present Meow was a ginger cat who was missing his tail and was also very loud and whiny when he wasn't getting attention.

'They're very cute. It looks like you take good care of them,' Kouda signed, and Aizawa gave a proud smile.

'Thanks for the help. I'll see you at school.'

With that, Aizawa grabbed the cat food and walked away, which revealed the fact that the jeans he was wearing were also Present Mic brand due to the microphone stitched on the back pocket of the jeans.

Kouda told Tokoyami later, and while Tokoyami was skeptical of the outfit Aizawa was wearing, he understood Kouda wasn't one to lie.

4: Music Album

Jirou was overwhelmed.

Present Mic had recently released a new album, and it seemed that every single Present Mic fan in Japan had come to Beatz and Bopz, the music store Jirou's parents owned and where Jirou worked part-time.

It was probably due to the fact that Beatz and Bopz had received five hundred signed copies of Present Mic's latest album, and that meant they were prime hero memorabilia.

Jirou wouldn't admit it, but she purchased one for herself before she opened the store. Present Mic was her favorite hero. She knew she could have gotten one of the normal ones and then gotten her teacher to sign it, but it was just way too weird to ask.

Jirou expected the onslaught of people who were willing to pay extra for a signed copy. She expected the cosplayers, the rockers, the generally music inclined, and the general hero otakus.

She wasn't even all that surprised when Midoriya showed up, even if she was pretty sure he preferred All Might over Present Mic although she guessed he was a huge fan of all heroes.

What Jirou wasn't expecting was when Aizawa walked in to buy the CD.

Jirou had seen the line out there when she went to open the store. It went past the block. Aizawa absolutely had to have stood in line for several hours to get exclusive rights to one of the five hundred signed copies of the album "Living Louder."

Jirou didn't have time to comment. She was too busy trying to do crowd control, so she rung up Aizawa without complaint, who didn’t buy just one, but two, and he left as soon as he came, seemingly content with not saying anything about the reason he purchased the album, much less two of them.

"Aizawa showed up to Beatz and Bopz to buy the new Present Mic album," Jirou said to the Bakusquad after the fact.

"So?" Bakugou asked in his usual angry tone.

“So,” Jirou countered. “He bought the signed version. Two of them.”

“What!?” Kaminari exclaimed. “He did!? I tried to get one but didn’t get there early enough! He must have been standing out there for hours!”

“Yeah, and why would he buy two?” Kirishima questioned.

“Obviously he got one for someone else!” Ashido theorized. “It’d be weird otherwise, right?”

“Why didn’t he just buy two of the unsigned album and then get it signed by Present Mic?” Bakugou asked. “It’s stupid to pay the extra if you could get it for free.”

“Probably the same reason why I didn’t just ask Present Mic-sensei to sign one. It’s too weird,” Jirou explained. Ashido nodded in agreement.

“It’s weird to ask,” Sero repeated, agreeing.

“It’s only weird if you make it weird, dumbasses!” Bakugou shouted.

Shinsou walked into the room and looked over to the Bakusquad, his gaze fixated on Kaminari, who grinned when he noticed him.

“Hitoshi!” Kaminari hollered, practically yeeting himself off the couch and into Shinsou’s arms. Shinsou, of course, caught him and returned the kiss thrusted upon him by Kaminari.

“Hey,” Shinsou greeted, a little smile on his face.

“Stop being gross!” Bakugou yelled.

“You’re just jealous!” Kaminari teased before turning his attention back to Shinsou. “How’s it going, babe?”

“Well enough,” Shinsou lightly lowered Kaminari back to a standing position. “I got something for you.”

Shinsou’s hand was on the back of his neck, and he had a light flush on his cheeks.

“Oh?”

Shinsou reached into his pocket and pulled out a signed copy of the newest Present Mic album, “Living Louder.”

“Here,” Shinsou was basically looking anywhere but Kaminari. “My Dad’s a pretty big fan of Present Mic, so I asked him to get a second album for you if he managed to get there in time.”

Kaminari delicately took the CD from Shinsou, staring at it in awe.

“Really?” Kaminari glanced up from the CD to look at Shinsou. “You’re really okay with me having this?”

“Yeah, of course,” Shinsou dared to look back at Kaminari, who pretty much immediately pulled Shinsou back into a kiss.

“Get a room!” Bakugou yelled, which the rest of the squad adamantly agreed with for once.

“Y’all are so gross,” Sero commented. Kaminari laughed at that, but he and Shinsou did actually go get a room where they went to go be gross outside of the eyeshot of others.

5: Hero Convention

Uraraka’s birthday was coming up, so Asui was searching for a present for her. It was still a little ways away, but Asui wanted to give her a gift before the winter break since she probably wouldn’t be able to see Uraraka during her actual birthday.

This search for a gift landed her at a hero convention because Asui knew that Thirteen was Uraraka’s favorite hero, but she didn’t necessarily always have the money to get merchandise for them, so Asui figured some kind of Thirteen merchandise would be well received.

Asui was also a practical gift giver, so the Thirteen brand jackets seemed like a perfect choice, especially since Uraraka’s current jacket looked a little worse for wear.

She opted to walk around the convention after finding the gift and getting it wrapped.

While she did, she noticed Aizawa.

“Hello, Aizawa-sensei,” Asui greeted, being close enough to him that seeing and greeting him in public wasn’t all that strange.

“Ah, hello, Asui,” Aizawa responded, looking up from the Present Mic figures he was observing. “What brings you here?”

“Ochaco’s birthday is coming up,” Asui explained. “I’m getting her a Thirteen jacket, Kero.”

Aizawa nodded.

“Practical.”

It was a little difficult to not preen at the praise, or, at the very least, something very close to praise for Aizawa.

“What about you, Sensei?” Asui questioned. “What are you here for?”

“I’m only telling you because I don’t think it’ll undermine my authority too much if I tell you,” Aizawa stated, voice suddenly serious. “And I don’t think anyone will believe you if I do tell you.”

“So what are you here for?” Asui was listening very carefully to the next words Aizawa said, especially as he lowered his voice to a whisper.

“A new Present Mic figurine was released, and I heard that you could get it at this convention,” Aizawa confessed.

“Why do you want it?” Asui asked. Aizawa’s cheeks went a little pink as he answered.

“I’m his number one fan. What else, kid?”

“I won’t tell a soul,” Asui said, and Aizawa gave her one of his terrible and slightly terrifying grins.

“I know you won’t.”

And with that, they went their separate ways, and Asui kept her word.

#erasermic #shinkami #aizawa shouta #kaminari denki #shinsou hitoshi #eraserhead #bnha #my hero academia #asui tsuyu #uraraka ochaco #midoriya izuku #todoroki shouto #kouda kouji #bakusquad #jirou kyouka

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asupernaturalgirl · 6 years

Text

I’m Too Sober for This - Part 3

Part 1

Part 2

Summary: The Winchester’s sister goes through her first heartbreak and must call Dean and Sam for help.

A/N: As I wrote the second and first part to this, I realized how much I loved the idea for a series so I decided to give it a go. I think I’m going to do kind of a journey of the reader growing up and how Sam and Dean react to certain situations.

Warnings: break ups, arguing

...

Slowly, you approach the bus stop down the street from where you were staying, tears streaming down your face as you pull the phone out of your back pocket and dial the number seared into your brain from the time your turned five years old. Your older brother Dean’s number.

Before you push call, you take a moment to reflect on what happened and how you were going to tell Dean this information without him exploding. Jacob had taken you on a trip for your birthday. It took a lot of convincing as far as Dean and Sam went. You were turning 16 though, and you didn’t want a big party. They understood all you wanted was to be with the boy you loved on your birthday and enjoy a nice trip at the lake. Because of this, they hesitantly agreed to allow you to go 100 miles away from the bunker for a weekend.

Somehow, as it usually does, suspicious happenings started to occur in the town you were in. While it ended up just being some rowdy teens, you had thought it was a spirit haunting and did research. Jacob thought you were absolutely insane as you went through book after book, trying to get information on what it could be. He had had enough and forced you to tell him what was going on.

“What the hell is happening, Y/N,” He questions, his eyebrows furrowed and angry. “You haven’t slept since we got here yesterday.”

“Honey,” You start, closing the book you’d just finished as you turn around in your seat and gaze at him in the eyes. “It’s so hard to explain - hell, I can barely explain it sometimes. I just need you to trust me.”

“You are off your rocker, woman,” He yells, pointing at you. “Tell me what is going on with you or we’re going home.”

You couldn’t leave the case here without knowing what was actually going on. You had deducted based on the reading you’ve done that it wasn’t a spirit, but you weren’t at rest yet. You bite your lip. You’d been dating Jacob for almost a year. This was the time you should tell him about your second life, right?

“Jacob,” You close your eyes, running your hands through your hair. “I hunt the supernatural with my brothers.”

He looks at you with a blank expression on his face. You had no idea what he was thinking in his head right now. It left you feeling more vulnerable than you ever have before.

“You’re f***ing crazy, Y/N,” He shouts, pointing to the door. “Get out. We’re over. I’m so done with you sneaking around. There’s obviously something mentally wrong there.”

Now you sit on a bench at a random bus stop, trying to get the hell out of dodge. You can barely register how quickly everything ended. You had been trying to hide where you were going every weekend, but he seemed to have had enough of the secrets. You decide to call Dean once you get somewhere you can identify to him. After a few moments, the bus pulls up and you get on.

You put the fare in and ride for a few moments before you pull the string outside a 24-hour diner. Here, you would be able to get something to eat and tell Dean exactly where you were. The bus stops and you thank the driver.

As soon as you enter, the smell of pie enters your nose and you sigh softly. An older woman in an old fashioned dress walks up to you. “Where do you want to sit, sweetheart?”

You look around before deciding on a place in the corner of the room next to a wide window. She leads you to a spot and places a menu in front of you, taking your order of coffee and a slice of banana cream pie, before walking off to the kitchen.

Hesitantly, you pull your phone out of your pocket once again and call Dean. As you put the phone up to your ear, it only rings a couple of times before Dean’s familiar voice answers, sending much needed comfort to your consciousness.

“Y/N,” His voice floods your ears. “Is everything okay?”

You try to keep your voice down so as not to disturb everyone in the diner. “Jacob broke up with me. He told me to leave,” You let out a small sob.

There is nothing but silence on the other side of the phone as the words come out. You can hear his breathing become heavy. “Where are you?”

“I’m at this place called Debbie’s Diner.”

You hear a chair move back and the jingle of keys. “Sam and I are coming to get you. We’ll be there in an hour and a half.”

“Thank you, Dean,” You say sincerely. He lets out a huff and you hang up, just in time for the old woman to bring you a large slice of pie and a cup of coffee.

…

You hear the loud engine before you see the car. You peek out the window to the see the Impala turning the corner into the parking lot. As soon as they park, Dean and Sam jump out of the car, jogging into the restaurant. Rain soaks them in the night as they enter the diner. They spot you across the room and walk quickly to you.

Dean looks angry and Sam has more of a sober expression on his face. “Are you okay? Are you hurt?”

You nod. “I’m okay. It was just an argument and he broke up with me. I took the bus here.”

Dean looks at your broken face and red eyes and his jaw clenches. “Where is he? I’m gonna gank that son of a-”

“Dean! It’s okay. It’s fine,” You say, shaking your head. “I told him about the life. I thought there was a case here, god dammit. It was just some stupid kids.”

Sam rubs your back as you slump your shoulders defeated. “He wanted to know why I was acting so crazy and reading through all these books. I had to tell him. We dated for a year. I thought he would understand.”

“Y/N, sometimes it’s hard for people to understand the things they can’t see,” Sam says, patting your back softly. “Let’s get your home so you can get a good night’s sleep.”

He helps you stand from your chair and puts his arm around your shoulders as you begin to walk out. Dean replaces the money you had put down for your food with his own and put yours in his pocket, making sure he remembered to give it back to you. There was no way his sister was going to pay for her own break-up food.

As you walk through the rain, Sam opens the front Impala door for you, throwing a blanket to you from the back before climbing in to the back seat. Dean starts the car and immediately turns to the radio, turning on The Rain Song, which he knew was your ‘having a hard time’ song. You turned to him and smiled sadly before looking back at the road, the Impala lurching forward as Dean begins to drive back to the bunker.

…

Dean walks in your room as you get ready to go to sleep, tears silently falling down your face as you think of all the good times you had with Jacob. You climb into bed as Dean sits on the side of it.

“How you doin’, Y/N/N,” He rubs your messy hair back from your face.

“It definitely hurts,” You said, looking up at him with sad eyes. “I never told anyone about the life before.”

He bites his lip and nods. “It’s just going to take some time, Y/N,” He kisses your forehead. “All of us have gone through this before and we turned out okay. It may seem bad now, but it won’t be like this after a while.”

You nod and wipe the tears from your eyes. “Thank you.”

“Hey, you’re my baby sister. It’s my job to give you protection and life advice,” You chuckle as he stands and walks to the door. He pauses before turning the light off. “Good night, Y/N.”

“Good night, Dean.”

#supernatural #supernatural imagines #supernatural imagine #supernatural one shots #one shots #imagines #fandom #dean #dean winchester #dean x reader #dean Winchester x reader #sam #Sam Winchester #Sam x reader #sam Winchester x reader #sister!winchester

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thisdaynews · 4 years

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Beto’s Long History of Failing Upward

New Post has been published on https://thebiafrastar.com/betos-long-history-of-failing-upward/

Beto’s Long History of Failing Upward

AMES, Iowa—The presidential run of Beto O’Rourke is a profoundly personality-driven exercise, his charisma and Kennedy-esque demeanor the topic of one profile after another, so it’s surprising to listen to his speeches on the stump in which he doesn’t talk a whole lot about himself. In Iowa recently, over several days in a rainy, foggy, uncertain stretch of spring, O’Rourke delivered a series of speeches and held question-and-answer sessions in which he spoke at length about unity, civility and inclusivity, and only rarely touched on his personal story. There was one notable exception: When he did offer up bits of his biography, he leaned most heavily on his run last year against Ted Cruz for a spot in the United States Senate.

He recounted for the crowds tales of the places he went and the people he met during his barnstorming, freewheeling, attention-getting campaign, coming back to two numbers: 254, the number of counties in gargantuan Texas, all of which he visited … and the percentage-point margin by which he was defeated.

Story Continued Below

“We lost by 2.6 percent,” he said in a basement music venue here at Iowa State University.

“We lost that Senate race in Texas by 2.6 percent,” he said in a downtown greasy spoon in Storm Lake.

“We came within 2.6 percentage points of defeating Ted Cruz,” he said in a community college cafeteria in Fort Dodge.

“So close,” the local party leader said in introducing O’Rourke one morning at a brewpub in Carroll. “So close.”

The part of his past that he talked about the most, by far, was a race that he lost.

O’Rourke, 46, campaigns with the wanderlust of the wannabe punk rocker he once was and the vigor of the regular runner, hiker and cyclist he still is. His hair is somehow simultaneously boyish and salt-and-pepper-streaked. He drives himself around in rented Dodge minivans, dressed almost always in plain brown shoes, Banana Republic chinos and blue oxford shirts with no tie and the sleeves rolled up just so. He often dons locally appropriate dad hats, from a maroon Iowa State cap at Iowa State to an orange Clemson cap at Clemson and so on. He holds microphones with his right hand kind of like a singer, and he extends his left arm into the air kind of like a preacher, and he punctuates his points with grins that flash perfectly imperfect teeth.

After Iowa, I dropped in on O’Rourke on the trail in South Carolina and Virginia, listening to him rat-a-tat-tat through his airy, often alliterative talking points about “common cause” and “common ground” and “common good” and “conscientious capitalism” and “our aspirations” and “our ambitions” instead of the “pettiness” and the “partisanship” of politics today, along with planks of a nascent platform like a new voting rights act, citizenship for Dreamers, “world-class public education” and “guaranteed, high-quality, universal health care.” And almost always, when he did talk about himself, it would be back to the time he fell just short. “We lost by 2.6 percent,” he said to a small, low-key gathering in rural Denmark, South Carolina.

Celebrating defeat is unusual for a politician, and doing so makes O’Rourke notably different from the rest of the unwieldy field of Democrats running for president. In contrast to the 20 or so other 2020 candidates—all of them in various ways overachievers who tout the litanies of their successes—O’Rourke instead presents his loss to Cruz as a prominent selling point. More than his ownership of a small business. More than his six years on the city council in his native El Paso. More than his next six years as a back-bench House member in Congress. His near-miss against a prominent Republican in a red state was such a high-quality failure, so epically heroic, he seems to suggest, that it should be considered something of a victory.And he’s not wrong to do it. His failed Senate bid, after all, is singularly what made him famous, what got him an interview with Oprah, what put him on the cover ofVanity Fair—and what’s put him in the top handful of aspirants angling for a shot to topple President Donald Trump.

But while it might be his most spotlit miss, it’s not an aberration.

There’s a reason his biography doesn’t feature much in the campaign. For O’Rourke, the phenomenon on display in that race—failure without negative effects, and with perhaps even some kind of personal boost—is a feature of his life and career. That biography is marked as much by meandering, missteps and moments of melancholic searching as by résumé-boosting victories and honors. A graduate of an eastern prep school and an Ivy League rower and English major, the only son of a gregarious attorney and glad-handing pol and the proprietor of an upscale furniture store, the beneficiary of his family’s expansive social, business and political contacts, O’Rourke has ambled past a pair of arrests, designed websites for El Paso’s who’s who, launched short-lived publishing projects, self-term-limited his largely unremarkable tenure on Capitol Hill, shunned the advice of pollsters and consultants and penned overwrought, solipsistic Medium missives, enjoying the latitude afforded by the cushion of an upper-middle-class upbringing that is only amplified by his marriage to the daughter of one of the region’s richest men.

“With a charmed life like his, you can never really lose,” an ad commissioned by the conservative Club for Growth sneered last month. “That’s why Beto’s running for president—because he can.”

“A life of privilege,” David McIntosh, the president of the Club for Growth, told me.

It’s not just Republicans who think this. “He’s a rich, straight, white dude who, you know, married into what should politely be called ‘fuck you money,’” Sonia Van Meter, an Austin-based Democratic consultant and self-described “raging feminist,” told me. “His biggest success is by definition a failure,” she added. “He’s absolutely failed up.”

Even by the experience-light standards of the most recent occupants of the White House—a first-term senator followed by a real estate scion and reality TV star—the notion of O’Rourke’s uneven résumé blazing a path to the presidency is new and remarkable. For the moment, he is trailing and slipping in the polls, but it’s early, and he is still attracting besotted fans. The support O’Rourke built that even allowed this run in the first place did not depend on traditional concepts of meritocracy and diligent preparation. To look deeper into his past, to talk to his friends from his teens and his 20s, to read distant clips from money-losing media ventures, and to talk to voters, too, is to see a different kind of claim to excellence. In the end, O’Rourke’s best recommendation that he can win might be that he knows how to fail big—and then aim even higher.

O’Rourke’s ascent in some sensestarted more than 20 years back. In the summer of 1998, he made the choice to quit New York. He had graduated in 1995 from Columbia University, then spent most of the next three years playing, listening to and talking about music, reading theEconomistand theNew Yorker, drinking Budweiser, riding in cramped subway cars. He had worked for short periods as a nanny, a copy editor, a hired-hand mover of art and antiques, and in a series of odd jobs around the city that let him split cheap rent in a sparsely furnished Brooklyn loft where he liked to jump on a rooftop trampoline. Now, though, he wanted out, and so he bought a used pickup and drove home, steering toward more open road. He was, he has said, “young” and “happy” and “carefree.”

This decision to leave New York, his longtime friend Lisa Degliantoni told me recently, was and remains O’Rourke’s biggest, most consequential accomplishment—not just a learning experience or a tail-between-his-legs withdrawal, she believes, but an accomplishment. In her mind, it unleashed O’Rourke, allowing him to be “transformational”—first for his city, then for his state, and now potentially for his country.

Trading the bright lights and the bustle for the relative ease and isolation of the desert by the Mexican border, Degliantoni said, was risky, “because as soon as you’re there, you’re off all the radars.” That risk was mitigated significantly, however, by what he was heading home to, according to interviews with nearly two dozen people who have known him or worked with O’Rourke. Riding shotgun in the cab of that pickup was Mike Stevens, another one of his best friends, and when they logged the last of those 2,200 or so miles, Stevens told me, waiting for O’Rourke in El Paso was far from certain success but also “a pretty large safety net.”

He used it. Upon his return, he worked at first in the warehouse of his mother’s store. That fall, he was arrested after driving drunk in his Volvo at 3 a.m. and sideswiping a truck at “a high rate of speed” on Interstate 10. He went to “DWI school,” finishing the next spring.

It was his second arrest. Three years before, he had been apprehended by the police at the University of Texas El Paso after tripping an alarm trying to sneak under a fence at the campus physical plant while “horsing around” with friends. Prosecutors didn’t pursue the charge. (“No consequences,” said McIntosh from the Club for Growth.)

The next year, in 1999, O’Rourke started the Stanton Street Technology Group, an offshoot of which was StantonStreet.com. The website covered the arts and food and local politics and endeavored to be “the most comprehensive, interactive, and entertaining home page in the Southwest.” In the summer of 2000, it was registering 32,000 monthly “impressions,” according to O’Rourke at the time, a figure whose impact is hard to gauge given the early era of the internet and the size of El Paso—but the site also was bleeding money, taking from the coffers of the web design business. Even so, in January 2002, he launched a weekly print version. Bob Moore, the former editor of theEl Paso Times, told me he used to rib O’Rourke that one of his few advertisers was his mother—“his only advertiser,” he said, “for the longest time.” It lasted 15 issues.

The newspaper was, said Degliantoni, who worked on it with him, O’Rourke’s “love letter to his hometown” but also “probably in hindsight not the best move.” Even O’Rourke joked about it recently in his remarks in Storm Lake. “In a brilliant stroke of genius, just as print newspapers were in decline,” he told the standing room only, shoulder to shoulder, coffee shop throng, “I started a print newspaper.”

The result? “We bankrupted the operation,” O’Rourke said to what sounded like good-natured, forgiving titters.

No matter.

He had run the website and started the paper “to be as engaged as I possibly could,” he later explained. “The logical conclusion,” he continued, “was to run for office.”

He ran for City Council in 2005 and won, and won again in 2007, backed by El Paso’s business elite, and then he ran for Congress in 2012, challenging in the primary Silvestre “Silver” Reyes, an eight-term incumbent who would have the endorsements of a pair of presidents (Bill Clinton and Barack Obama) and never before had had even a close call in a reelection. It was, political analysts in the area agreed at the time, a bid that smacked of audacity and risk. “It’s close to impossible to get a sitting member of Congress out of office because of the privilege and power,” O’Rourke said early on in his campaign.

But O’Rourke, of course, had a share of both as well, hailing from “an old El Paso political family,” as a local columnist pointed out, calling O’Rourke “just as ‘household’ around here as the stately congressman himself.” A company owned by his father-in-law, the real estate tycoon Bill Sanders—he’s worth at least an estimated half a billion dollars—gave $18,750 to a PAC that supported O’Rourke’s campaign. Reyes threw around the words “family wealth” and charged that O’Rourke was “a show pony” and “part of the 1 percent.”

In the end, though, painting Reyes as an aging Washington insider, and employing block-by-block door knocking, O’Rourke won with 50.5 percent of the vote.

Friends and admirers say O’Rourke is nothing if not a hard worker, wearing out shoes and racking up miles. “I think he’s the hardest-working man in U.S. politics,” said Steve Kling, a Democrat who lost last year running for the Texas state Senate. They describe him as an exceptional listener.

In his three terms in Washington, O’Rourke compiled a moderate to centrist voting record, which in this left-leaning primary could become problematic. He was known in D.C. as sufficiently affable but also something of a loner, say Capitol Hill staffers, a floating, unthreatening member who had undercut his clout by pledging to stay no more than four terms.

When he began his race against Cruz, it’s easy to forget, O’Rourke was close to unknown—even in Texas. Cruz, on the other hand, was one of the most prominent Republicans in the nation, and no Democrat had won a statewide campaign since 1994. Texas Senator and Majority Whip John Cornyn dubbed it “a suicide mission.”

But what, strategists and operatives say now, did O’Rourke really have to lose? He had engineered his own congressional exit, anyway, 2018 was shaping up to be a favorable year for Democrats, and Cruz was a legendarily unpopular foil against whom he could rally support. And the worst-case scenario? Something O’Rourke had done before. Just go home. Go back to El Paso. Failure, in fact, was an option.

“Beto,” Southern Methodist University political scientist Cal Jillson toldTexas Monthlyin March 2017, “lives life with a cushy net beneath him.”

“It wasn’t that big of a risk,” Texas-based GOP strategist Brendan Steinhauser told me.

The biggest risk he took in the Senate bid, in the estimation of politicos in Texas and beyond, was to listen to people who lived in all 254 of the counties in Texas more than he did to people who could have armed with him with more targeted data. He tended to rely on feelings more than numbers. It was a root of his populist allure—and also perhaps the reason he didn’t win.

In his concession speech, he positioned himself at the center of a stage decked out with floodlights and speakers and drums, a scene evocative of a rock concert more than a convening of the dejected supporters of a failed candidate and campaign.

“I’m so fucking proud of you guys!” he hollered, eliciting squeals from his fans.

They chanted his name.

“Beto! Beto! Beto!”

After O’Rourke’s recent event in Sioux City, Iowa, I talked to two people who had traveled from different states to see him specifically because of that night. Because they had been inspired by how he spoke about losing. Chris Untiet, 35, had come from California. He works for Habitat for Humanity, and he told me he had watched the speech on the screen of his phone while on a trip to build houses in Vietnam. “I was really moved to tears,” he told me. The other was Claire Campbell. She’s 17. She saw the speech sitting in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, and will vote for the first time in next year’s presidential election. And she hopes she can pick O’Rourke. “I literally love him,” she told me. In the question-and-answer session, she raised her hand and asked him to her prom.

“So, he had to lose the Senate,”Kim Olson, a Democrat and staunch O’Rourke ally who last year lost her bid to be Texas Commissioner of Agriculture, was telling me as I hurtled ahead on a ribbon of road slicing through flat fields, from one Iowa campaign stop to the next. “He had to get the nationwide name recognition. He had to do the hard work. And let me tell you: It’s fricking hard work running as a statewide candidate—as it’s going to be countrywide … grind, every day, all day—and here he is, after losing in a hard-fought race, he said, ‘I’m still going to serve, I’m still going to go, and I’m going to run for president.’ So, yeah, you could say his greatest accomplishment was to lose by, you know, 300,000 votes to a guy who almost won a primary for the president. But that wasn’t his greatest accomplishment. It wasn’t the loss—it’showhe did it—that was his greatest accomplishment. It was going to everywhere, all the time, speaking to people, getting out there, not being afraid of anybody or anything and doing that hard grind that it takes. That’s why it makes him an incredible candidate for president, I think.”

Olson, affable and voluble, in essence attempted to redefine the idea of failure. O’Rourke hadn’t failed. Because he had tried and worked so hard. Because the experience had opened other doors.

At many of the dozen or so O’Rourke events I attended of late, most of the people I talked to knew not a whole lot about him—hardly anything, really, about what he had done, or not done, before the race against Cruz. Maybe they had seen what he said about the kneeling National Football League players in a clip that lit up the internet. Maybe they had seen the Oprah interview. Maybe they had seen the Annie Leibovitz shot on the cover ofVanity Fair. The conversations were a reminder that most people not in Washington or even Texas have basically just met him.

“Is he a lawyer?” 70-year-old Ruth Lux from little Lidderdale, Iowa, asked me after O’Rourke’s pit stop in nearby Carroll.

“No,” I said.

“What did he do before he got into politics?” she asked.

I provided a speedy rundown to the Cruz race.

“I think the fact that he came so close to unseating Cruz, that’s pretty important,” Lux said. “A lot of people are relating to what he’s saying, you know.”

I asked her if she was bothered by O’Rourke’s lack of experience compared with other candidates in the Democratic field. She wasn’t. “I don’t know that Obama had much more,” she said. “Did he really have much more experience than this guy? Really probably not.”

The man who introduced O’Rourke at Iowa Central Community College in Fort Dodge responded similarly. “I heard the same thing in 2008 when I was supporting Obama,” David Drissel, a professor of social sciences, told me. O’Rourke, he pointed out, has not only more congressional experience than Obama but “more congressional experience than the past four presidents combined.” I did the quick math. Trump. Obama. The second Bush. Clinton. True enough.

Obviously, the bar for the requisite experience for the Oval Office has been recalibrated over the past decade or more of presidential campaigns, and doesn’t necessarily run through Congress at all. But voters haven’t entirely abandoned their desire for a candidate to win—and then actuallydo something. For all the shrugging over his résumé, people at O’Rourke’s town halls clearly, too, were pressing for specifics. I listened to multiple people ask him explicitly to put meat on the bones of his ideas.

Their questions to him often boiled down to one word: How?

Then, when I asked them if they had heard from him what they had wanted to hear, their answers often boiled down to one word as well: No.

Jason Levick, 27, who had driven from Omaha to see O’Rourke, wanted to know how he would cut down on wealth and income inequality.

“A little bit rambling and not really to the point or concrete,” Levick told me.

Brendan Grady, 26, asked O’Rourke in Denison how he would address the “lack of social cohesion.”

“Didn’t really address it,” Grady told me.

Mike Poe, 64, asked O’Rourke in Marshalltown how he would manage to enact meaningful gun control.

“Vague,” Poe told me.

I heard the same thing in South Carolina. In Denmark, at O’Rourke’s town hall in a threadbare auditorium on the campus of tiny Voorhees College, Sailesh S. Radha from Columbia stood up and expressed his frustration that so many presidents can’t seem to make good on their promises after they get elected. How would O’Rourke, Radha wondered, turn his words into actions? Into accomplishments?

After the event, when I asked him what he thought of the answer, Radha shook his head and made a face. “I need to hear more from him,” he said.

And yet, and in spite of a stageof the campaign that’s started to feel more like an ebb than a flow, if I had to divide every crowd into two groups—the squinty, not-quite-satisfied versus those inspired by O’Rourke’s table-hopping battle cries and open to the viability of his candidacy—there was no shortage of dewy-eyed believers.

Many people were struck by his energy and his charisma and his gauzy optimism. They heard echoes of iconic Democrats from the past and saw, they said, a possible path forward—a potential winner—somebody who might be the one to take on Trump. “I’m thinking back to the first encounter with President Obama here at Morningside College,” retiree Mike Goodwin told me after the event in Sioux City.

Lux, meanwhile, the woman in Carroll who thought maybe O’Rourke was a lawyer, waited in line after the event and shook his hand and told Robert Francis O’Rourke he reminded her of … Robert Francis Kennedy. O’Rourke told her thank you. He told her RFK is one of his heroes.

“The charisma,” Lux said when I asked her about the comparison. “The compassion for people at the bottom. Actually, even the physical appearance—the hair, the rolled-up shirt sleeves.”

She told me she had entered 2007 enthused to vote for Hillary Clinton in the caucuses and then for president. But she ended up going for Obama.

“You know, always, it comes down to: How do you present yourself? How charismatic are you?” Lux said. And she said something I heard from many others as well. She was less interested in policy proposals than she was in the possibility of victory. Especially now. “I am more interested,” she said, “in who can unseat Trump.”

It’s one of the few things, it seems, all Democratic voters seem to agree on. “I think that what caucus-goers are looking for is to defeat Donald Trump,” said Norm Sturzenbach, O’Rourke’s state director in Iowa. “That’s ultimately what’s driving it.”

Steinhauser, the GOP strategist from Texas, agreed. “I wouldn’t want to run a campaign against O’Rourke,” he said. He pointed to what he was able to do in … almost beating Cruz. “Look back at what just happened here. It’s pretty incredible. Who else out there on the list really excited people in that way and is the young-looking guy? He reminds a lot of people of Obama or John F. Kennedy or those kinds of candidates.”

Even with his thin résumé? His hazy policies? Steinhauser cut me off.

“Nobody cares,” he said.

“Donald Trump’s policy positions did not matter,” he added, although it should be noted that his visceral pitches in areas like immigration mattered a lot. “I think Democrats want to beat Donald Trump. I think that they’re smart enough to know they need somebody who can win, whatever that means.”

Whether the failed-upward O’Rourke can be that “somebody,” of course, very much remains to be seen. The Iowa caucuses are nearly nine months away, and there’s a long year and a half to go between now and November 2020.

But one recent morning at a seafood restaurant in Ladson, South Carolina, all the booths jammed full, people standing in the back and all the way toward the door, an O’Rourke aide handed the microphone to 69-year-old Stephen Johnson from Mount Pleasant for the last question of the event.

“Congressman O’Rourke,” Johnson said. “I really like you a lot. But there’s one thing I want to know. If you get the Democratic nomination, will you beat Trump?”

O’Rourke answered the question almost before Johnson could finish getting it out of his mouth.

“Yes,” he said.

The people roared.

#Failing #Foreign #Politics #Upward

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fitnesshealthyoga-blog · 5 years

Photo

New Post has been published on https://fitnesshealthyoga.com/beautycounter-lead-conference-recap-the-fitnessista/

Beautycounter LEAD Conference Recap - The Fitnessista

and WE SAW MICHAEL BUBLÉ.

(I’m not even going to hide my creeper status. And don’t worry, my mouth didn’t actually touch the poster.)

Hi friends! How’s the morning going? I’m just getting back from a whirlwind trip to Phoenix for the Beautycounter LEAD conference… and to see Michael Bublé, my favorite ever.

I got into Phoenix on Thursday morning, and met up with Arsy and Tina at the adorable Airbnb where we’d be staying. It was my first Airbnb experience and I was beyond impressed with the whole thing.

Check out the cuteness!

It was in a neighborhood filled with unique older houses, and they completely gutted and redid the interior. The wood floors and tiling in the bathroom were gorgeous, along with exposed brick, modern art, and unique touches (like the book selection in each bedroom).

Arsy surprised us with little goodie bags on each of our beds, with Hu chocolates, travel Cote nail polishes, Bee’s wrap, the best hair ties, a Beautycounter pen, and a sweet card. She also stocked the fridge with some healthy essentials, cold brews, and waters.

I’ve been working with Arsy for almost 3 years and it was my first time meeting her in person. Of course, she was just as kind and lovely as I expected, and I had such a great time hanging out with her and Tina all weekend.

Thursday night, we had our team dinner at True Food, and then Friday morning, it was straight into the official festivities. We had quite a few sessions on Friday, and each one left me feeling more inspired, motivated, and grateful that I’ve had the opportunity to work for such a respected and innovative company. (Beautycounter is the #1 Googled beauty brand of 2018 and the top clean skincare brand in the world.) They generally care for the health of all living beings on this planet, and are constantly working to impart change in the beauty industry, which is severely unregulated. The last federal safety law for cosmetics was passed in 1938!! We’re actively working to get this changed and make clean products accessible to everyone. This means no matter what store you go to and what brand you purchase, you should be able to have have the confidence that they were manufactured without endocrine disrupters, known carcinogens, and harmful preservatives.

My very favorite quote from the weekend:

– The greatest gift you can give anyone who loves you is your own wellbeing

While there was a lot of motivational talk, they also addressed burnout and importance of paying attention to what truly matters: your family, your health, and your relationships. I love how much they emphasized balance and taking the time to share your life with those you love and make yourself a priority.

We also had the opportunity to hear Gregg Renfrew speak. She’s our CEO and the Founder of Beautycounter and she’s so.darn.real. The entire room of 1700 was captivated the entire time she was talking. She was so encouraging, humble, and generously shared her knowledge and inspiration with us all.

They also had some pretty solid snack breaks and lunch in between the presentations. 🙂

Friday afternoon, the Pilot picked us up from the conference and we headed to the house to get ready for the evening. The girls went to another team dinner at a downtown hotel, while the Pilot and I enjoyed a sushi date at Moira Sushi before Michael Buble.

(Shoes are here // dress is here — got it from Rent the Runway and was so pumped it actually fit. I feel like it’s so hard to tell what will work from the sizing but the S was just right)

We arrived at the arena, ordered wine in a can for me + beer for him, walked to our awesome seats (!) and I buckled up for the best concert experience of my life. I’m a HUGE Michael Bublé fan – I sporadically listen to his music all year and just switch to his Christmas album for November and December – so I was expecting a lot, but it was beyond anything I could have imagined. His perfect voice, the set design, the orchestra, his backup singers, everything. Just.SO.freaking.good.

(He started off with “Feelin’ Good” and I screamed like a teenager at a BTO concert.)

#1) He is HILARIOUS. He was cracking a ton of jokes in between songs, many of which were gloriously inappropriate, and the Pilot and I were laughing our faces off. I had to keep myself from breaking into the full-on dinosaur cry during Home and one of his newer songs, Forever Now. If you want to get a glimpse of what I was feeling, listen to the song, and then picture in your mind a child’s bedroom and how it changes from when they’re born (a nursery with sweet printed wallpaper, a crib, and a rocker) until they MOVE out (a large bed and a room strewn with moving boxes, to completely empty room). That’s what they flashed on the arched screen above the stage and I think they pretty much wanted to pull my heart out of my body. Of course, all of his lighthearted jokes and the fact that he doesn’t take himself too seriously kept me from crying too hard.

2) He is so grateful to all of his supporters. Multiple times he thanked us for spending our money and our time to be at his concert. He said that his supporters lifted their family while they went through something absolutely heartbreaking, and was so heartfelt and genuine in thanking the audience. You can just tell he’s a really good guy.

3) I tried to meet him but I failed. So here’s the thing, in college and my early 20s, I got backstage after concerts if I wanted to meet the band or singer. It’s not because I’m cool or had a VIP pass, but I’d just casually go to the side of the stage and ask security if I could just go back and get a photo with whomever. You’d think it would be a fail but it worked every time! I would just be chill about it and I think they saw a young non-threteaning kid and were like, “Go. Live your dream.” I didn’t know if I would work for Michael Bublé because, I don’t know, I’m like 15 years older now, BUT I figured this was my only chance and went for it. Unfortunately, they did all of the meet and greets before the show, not after. So when I went to ask if I could pleeeeeease go back and take a pic, security told me they did all of that stuff earlier. It’s NBD, but I did try. #shameless #dontcurr

The Pilot and I stayed at Westin, which was lovely, and then Saturday morning, we grabbed a quick breakfast at Coronado (a cute vegetarian cafe!) before he hit the road back to Tucson and I headed back to the conference.

I got there just in time to learn about the new products from our Product Development team, and get excited! There’s so much good stuff on the way, including a face cream that supposed to feel luxurious and gorgeous like La Mer, but with clean ingredients. So pumped about this! I’ll definitely share more info when it’s on the way, but our new line was modeled after Asian skincare rituals (yas yas yassss) and is going through clinical and client trials now. I’ll also have the chance to try it out before it’s released and will absolutely share my experience.

Beautycounter is also transitioning to more glass, less plastic, and are going to include refill options.

We attended sessions on social media and coaching, and then had a delicious lunch.

When I left the conference, I felt energized and excited to implement various action plans in my team and with my business. As you guys know, I’m very particular about brand alignments. For everyone I say, “Yes” to, there are at least 20-30 “No, thank you”. When I first joined Beautycounter, I knew I liked the products and I loved their mission to get safer products into the hands of everyone. I didn’t know that it was so much more than that, and that it would have such a huge positive impact on my life and business.

(Jumpsuit is here // shoes are here. Jumpsuit is also from Rent the Runway and I wish I could have kept it!)

Behind this mission, there are thousands of women working hard to change the beauty industry, sharing the products with those they love, and taking their success into their own hands.

I was so thankful to FINALLY meet Teri, who feels like my BFF after all of these years and I still hadn’t met in person! I also got to chat with Lexi, Juli, Cassy, and so many lovely women on our team.

Having this blog has been one of the biggest blessings in my life because it’s enabled me to connect with a motivating, incredible community of women (and dudes!). One of the best parts: I can do it anywhere! As a military wife, this was critical since we were moving every 2 years or so, which this makes it very hard to get and keep a traditional job. Beautycounter gives that same flexibility to those who want to work on their own schedule, wherever they want, and carve their own path. It has been one of the best things I’ve added to my business, and it’s fun, easy, and I get to meet with connect with new people. The money potential is bananas – if you want to talk about it, please email me – and it’s cool to be able to make an income while supporting a company that’s championing for change. If you’d like to make a transition to safer skincare products, or a tiny voice is telling you that consulting may be for you, please email me: [email protected]

Well, I’m off to unpack my suitcase, only to RE-pack it for a short trip to Portland for a brand meeting. I hope you have a happy Monday!

Gina

Tell me, friends: first concert experience? If you could see anyone live, who would it be?! My first concert was Boyz II Men in 5th grade. “Motown Philly back again….” Also, has anyone met Michael Buble?! Please tell me everything.

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#current health news usa #health news usa #latest health news usa #Fitness Training

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sassphicdragoness · 7 years

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@l1nkp1t tagged me :D Thank you, dearie!

Rules: List the first lines of your last 20 stories (or however many you have altogether). See if there are any patterns. Then, tag your favorite authors.

So at least half of these will be stuff that I’ve written, and some will be collabs that I’ve done with my partner in crime, @lady-drake and have not been published as of yet.

1.) Untitled Prompt - F!Corrin x F!Robin

“I’m still not sure if I can do this… what if he says no?”

“Then he’s an idiot, or it’s just not meant to be. There are other fish in the sea, Corrin.”

‘Like me…’

“I know… I’ll try not to get my hopes up to much. But fingers crossed, right?”

2.) In Sickness - Silas x F!Corrin

“Ah-choo!”

“Bless you.”

Corrin blew her nose for the umpteenth time that day, and then sniffled hard as she pulled the handkerchief away. She offered her thanks and collapsed onto the chair across from her husband, her arms folding on the small table. She rested her chin on her hands while Silas reached over to caress her face. “You’re not getting sick, are you?”

3.) Untitled Prompt - Chrom x F!Robin

If anyone had told Robin that she would be propositioned by one of the most popular guys in their school, she would’ve thought they were absolutely off their rocker. As it stood, here she was staring up at the six foot tall pretty boy while he asked for her assistance on schoolwork of all things.

“You’re in all of my classes, and I know you’re the school’s biggest nerd in terms of every subject ever.”

“…How observant of you.”

4.) Villian AU - Link x Pit

To say that the world had been thrown into utter chaos was a gross understatement. The world had been completed trashed and Skyworld wasn’t the only victim.

Hades was long defeated, peace having returned to Skyworld, but in the span of four years, something had gone horribly wrong - and there was no clear answer to the multitude of questions floating around.

All hell had broken loose, yet rumors flew throughout all the realms – Palutena was nowhere to be found, Viridi had been exiled to a distant realm without warning (or she’d at least fled). Hades was still gone as well, but the last person anyone expected had since taken his place.

Pit, former captain of Palutena’s Guard, was now the God of the Underworld (and Skyworld, in extension). Even more terrifying? He had the immense power to back up such a title, taking immediate control of the Underworld, rebuilding that realm’s army. With Viridi and Palutena out of the picture, both the Forces of Light and Forces of Nature had fallen under Pit’s control as well. Like the god before him, Pit spread rumors to the humans below of a certain seed existing that granted all wishes – and sure enough, the humans began to fight fiercely for dominance of a seed that never actually existed in the first place. All the souls lost in battle went to a good cause though: it sustained his troops as well as his own life force.

5.) Rivalry - Link x Pit

Smash Bros. wasn’t just about proving who was the strongest or most powerful fighter. It was mainly a tournament built for uniting warriors from different corners of the world, and naturally, rivalries formed when personalities clashed, egos were bruised, and similar fighting styles were discovered among distinct fighters.

In Link and Pit’s case - how about all of the above.

6.) Master/Pet with Tender Sex - Vaati x Link

‘Master… Master…?’

Carmine eyes slowly opened, meeting with caring blue eyes. A hand combed gently through wisteria locks while the blond stayed kneeled on the floor at the mage’s bedside. It wasn’t like Link to be up this late, and Vaati shifted so he was sitting up, back braced against the elegant headboard.

“Is everything alright, dear?”

7.) Keepsake - Link x Pit

“I don’t want to leave just yet.”

“Me neither. I wish we had more time together, but…”

“…yeah. Time to head back to our respective homelands.”

8.) Guardian Angel - Link x Pit

Being a hero meant facing danger at every possible turn.Sharp wit, quick feet, skilled swordsmanship, and heightened awareness - they all meant the difference between life and death. Link made sure to be careful, but luckily, he had his guardian angel looking out for him.

9.) Caffeine - M!Robin x Dark Pit

Robin may have been a night owl, but he was also a morning person. He was an expert at going to sleep at four in the morning and waking up two hours later to prepare for class. Today was no different – winter break was over, and now he was walking to his first day of classes as a college junior. With his messenger bag strapped across his chest and a small cup of coffee in his hand, the snow-haired male was all smiled as he headed to his first class of the day: English literature.

10.) Nonsexual Acts of Intimacy - M!Robin x F!Corrin ; F!Robin x F!Corrin

Most couples celebrated their anniversary with a fancy dinner date at a romantic restaurant. Robin and Corrin preferred things more simple and sentimental – hence the massive banana split with all the fix-ins sitting on the table for them to share. With fond smiles, they clinked their plastic forks together – “Cheers!” – and dug in.

It was surreal how much time had passed. It felt like it as only yesterday that they were at this very ice cream parlor sharing a sweet treat, and then confessing their immense feelings for one another. Hard to believe that was two years ago – their sophomore year. Now, here they were, enjoying their last ice cream date a week before they were to walk across the stage for their bachelor’s degrees… Time sure did fly fast.

(The following have not be published yet! Numbers 12 - 20 are collabs with Drake!)

11.) Untitled Prompt - M!Robin x F!Robin

“We can put a path through this forest…. that will lead us to this village – we can stock up on rations and supplies… and then travel around this ravine until we reach the bridge…” Amber eyes scrolled carefully across the map, eyeing the red X’s she’d penned with her quill before nodding in approval. “That should do it…”

“Sounds like you have our next route planned out.”

12.) Untitled College AU - M!Robin x F!Corrin

"Third time's the charm, they say..."

Corrin stood outside the building where the first of four classes would start. It was 8:30 bright and early in the morning, and naturally, Corrin was still tired and wished to go back to the comforts of her warm bed. Alas, she had to begin the first semester at her new college after leaving two previous ones. She hoped that Valla University could give her more incentive to stay than her last two colleges could give....

13.) Other Side of the Coin - Chrom x M!Robin x F!Robin

It was over. The battle against the Grimleal had ended with their defeat, and the Fell Dragon was sealed for another thousand years. Ylisse could breathe easy knowing they would be ensured an era of peace thanks to their king and his fellow Shepherds.

But for what would be his greatest victory, and thus celebrated, Robin instead felt a dark shadow looming over him.

14.) Vitriolic - M!Grima x F!Gryma

So this is what it felt like to be banished from your own realm that you worked so hard to conquer, only to have some uppity ass, goody goody dragon god decide that you're too much of a threat and she gives you a choice: die by execution or banishment to a completely different timeline. Obviously, Gryma took the route that ensured she still kept her head on her shoulders, and willingly decided to jump timelines. Wherever she'd ended up clearly didn't result in a victory on the human's side.

Everything was in ruins, the stench of blood hung in the air, the banners of the Royal Ylissean Family hung in dirty tatters from the damaged palace. It was positively a most beautiful sight seeing such death and destruction... But whomever was responsible for bringing down Naga's accursed spiritual descendants was nowhere to be found. Good. That meant this was hers to claim now...

15.) Sensual Seduction - M!Robin x Dark Pit

While Robin was out handling a few things, Dark Pit was left to himself for the next couple of hours in their shared dorm. Said errands apparently didn't require the tactician to wear his usual clothing, which the angel took full advantage of. Once Robin was out of the room, Dark Pit had snatched the signature robe he always wore and threw it on himself. Tossing himself onto the bed, the angel wrapped himself in the coat, bringing the oversized sleeves to his nose and inhaling deeply. Such a pleasant scent of bergamot and ozone from the magic he used, it was a turn-on for the angel, and was the sole reason he stole the coat from time to time. He simply loved Robin's scent and loved how warm said coat was around his lithe body.

16.) Untitled Vampire AU - M!Robin x Dark Pit

Robin really tried not to make a habit out of breaking into others houses in the middle of the night, but circumstances rarely left him any other choice.It was a full moon, his sensitive eyes seeing the faint rays illuminating the streets and roads in a pale blue glow, in areas where streetlights were either burnt out or never put up. It made moving around at night that much easier for him, something he had grown comfortable with in the years where he had to do these "emergency runs". Daytime was approaching in a mere few hours, and he really didn't want to spend a whole day waiting in a shady alley for some unlucky passerby that might never come in order to just go home.

17.) ‘I Unknowingly Slept with my New Boss’ Modern AU - Chrom x M!Robin

Robin wasn't the type of man who believed in luck. Anything that happened in life, good or bad, happened for its own reason and wasn't directly linked to something else that had happened to him before. He worked for what he had, putting one hundred percent into everything he could to live a fairly comfortable life.

However, if there was one thing Robin would wish he could have better luck in, it would have to be romance. He was no stranger to dating, and had one or two fairly steady relationships, but nothing that lasted longer than half a year. Robin wasn't opposed to the life of a bachelor by any means, but once he had known what it was like to be emotionally invested in another human being, he found himself longing for it from time to time after the relationship had since been broken off. One night he found himself beginning to sink into the familiar feeling of loneliness. Rather than let himself be consumed by melancholic memories, he decided to do something productive instead; and as if by chance, that was the same night before his first day at a new job.

18.) Of Lace and Stockings - F!Robin x F!Corrin

"Did you need anything from the store while I'm out, love?" Corrin zipped up her hoodie and tugged her purse over her shoulder, her gaze set upon her girlfriend as she walked over to her desk. Standing behind her chair, she wrapped her arms around Robin from behind and rested her chin on the other girl's shoulder with a soft smile.

"Hmm, I don't think so." Robin paused from her focus on homework and leaned back into Corrin's embrace, a fond look on her face as she tilted her head and matched her grin. "Just remember to grab more milk, we're completely out."

"Already wrote it down on the list." Corrin answered with smug confidence. She covered Robin's lips with her own in a sweet kiss and a firm squeeze around her shoulders. "Should only take me an hour to get everything." With that, she left one more kiss on her cheek before separating from her and heading out the door.

19.) Silence is Not Always Golden - Link x Pit

'Going to a new school in a new town... how cliche is this day going to be?' Pit laughs to himself. Though he might have been joking, he wasn't too far off the mark - He, his brother and their mom had just recently moved from their old home to a new place in the countryside a few towns over. It was different than the urban setting he was used to, but he liked it - mainly for the reason that there was a better chance for him to actually spread his wings for a change.

20.) Fated Childhood - Silas x F!Corrin

"I think we should be safe to travel through the Wind Village.... Hopefully we won't run into any Norhian forces along the way." Corrin's hand still gripped her blade tightly, crimson eyes scanning the barren horizon of the desert-like village ahead. She turned her head toward her freshly recruited childhood friend with a concerned expression, and asked, "Do you know if King Garon may have sent anyone in this direction?"

"It's possible. We'll want to keep our guard up until we know we're in the clear." Silas responded after a quick moment of hard thought. One hand tightened its hold on the reigns for his horse and the other on the long pole of the lance he had brought for the mission they were on. He also watched for any signs of Garon's forces, keeping his mount at a steady trot that Corrin could follow. "That being said, I don't like this... doesn't everything seem too still and quiet to you?"

"It does..."

THAT WAS REALLY FUCKING LONG YAY.

As for patterns, I tend to do introductions and opening lines with dialog or as a vague setting before I go into details. I love to give my readers something of a thought-provoking or interesting introduction to really grab their attention and pique their interest, because a title alone shouldn’t be the thing that makes a reader interested - the intro can’t be generic or cookie cutter. So I always try to avoid that. :D

I’M TOO LAZY TO TAG, STEAL AT WILL LOL

#tag #long post #reshi's writings

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jonasmaurer · 5 years

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Beautycounter LEAD Conference Recap

and WE SAW MICHAEL BUBLÉ.

(I’m not even going to hide my creeper status. And don’t worry, my mouth didn’t actually touch the poster.)

Hi friends! How’s the morning going? I’m just getting back from a whirlwind trip to Phoenix for the Beautycounter LEAD conference… and to see Michael Bublé, my favorite ever.

Check out the cuteness!

My very favorite quote from the weekend:

– The greatest gift you can give anyone who loves you is your own wellbeing

They also had some pretty solid snack breaks and lunch in between the presentations.

(Shoes are here // dress is here — got it from Rent the Runway and was so pumped it actually fit. I feel like it’s so hard to tell what will work from the sizing but the S was just right) 8883621234

(He started off with “Feelin’ Good” and I screamed like a teenager at a BTO concert.)

Beautycounter is also transitioning to more glass, less plastic, and are going to include refill options.

We attended sessions on social media and coaching, and then had a delicious lunch.

(Jumpsuit is here // shoes are here. Jumpsuit is also from Rent the Runway and I wish I could have kept it!)

Behind this mission, there are thousands of women working hard to change the beauty industry, sharing the products with those they love, and taking their success into their own hands.

Well, I’m off to unpack my suitcase, only to RE-pack it for a short trip to Portland for a brand meeting. I hope you have a happy Monday!

Gina

The post Beautycounter LEAD Conference Recap appeared first on The Fitnessista.

Beautycounter LEAD Conference Recap published first on https://olimpsportnutritionde.tumblr.com/

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buttonpusherdiy · 6 years

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ArcTanGent 2018 Review

Photo Credit : Helen Messenger

It's no secret that we love ArcTanGent festival, it's a chance to catch up with all our mates in one place and enjoy the music that brought us all together in the first place. We've been every year since it started and have never been disappointed and year number 6 was no exception.

In fact this year was actually one of our favourite editions, partly due to the fact that it stayed dry and sunny for the majority of the weekend for the first time since the first year but mainly because the lineup was fucking AWESOME!!!!!!

We arrived Thursday afternoon to the sounds of the much hyped Boss Keloid crushing it in the background as we made our way to set up camp for the weekend, we could hear their big heavy stoner riffs as we were setting our tent up and wish we'd managed to catch them but unfortunately we were never going to make it in time so we'll have to catch them another time.

BODY HOUND - Photo Credit : Snap, Rock and Pop photography

The first set we actually caught was from the ever excellent scamps in Body Hound who shred their way through a half hour of power including new material from their long awaited debut album to a packed out tent as we crack open our first beers of the weekend, and get off to a great start. It's always a joy watching these guys as they play some seroiously technical music but manage to make it look effortless throughout as their linch pin Ryan Bright holds it all together with some truely jaw dropping drumming.

Up next are ATG house band Alpha Male Tea Party, these guys have pretty much played every year now and you know exactly what you're getting at this stage as they delight the crowd with tracks from "Health" and "Droids" and the crowd just continued to grow for their set. These boys just know how to smash it!

ALPHA MALE TEA PARTY - Photo Credit : Snap, Rock and Pop photography

Something shiny, new and experimental next as new Bristol improv/jam band People Like Milk Products open the massive new covered main stage for the first time on a Thursday, comprised of Chiyoda Ku and Memory of Elephants it's a big band affair as the six guys jam their way through a bunch of ideas which given more time and focus could grow into something really very special in the future, the highlight of their set however was the MOE/Chiyoda Medley of "Tiles, You're Dead" and "Hurry up it's time" to close their set.

PEOPLE LIKE MILK PRODUCTS - Photo Credit : Carl Battams

Foxing were one of our surprise highlights, we've seen them before and love them but this show was special as it was clear the band were overwhelmed by the response from the crowd and we were witnessing them playing at their very best. A great set filled with material from new album "Nearer my God" and favourites "The Medic" and set closer "Rory" from their debut album The Albatross

FOXING - Photo Credit : Helen Messenger

Thursday Headliners And So I watch You from afar are always one of the most eagerly anticpated bands to play at ATG and this was certainly one of the best shows we've ever seen the guys play as they rattle their way through their last album The Endless Shimmering in its entirety before launching into a 7 track encore from their back catalogue and never seeming to lose any of the energy which has made them one of the best live acts in the world. A special shout out to whoever was controlling the lights for this set as the production was simply incredible!

Photo Credit : Helen Messenger

We started the Friday a little late unfortunately missing the start of Seven Colour Drive's set - the Bristol based post-rock newbies opened the main stage to a hefty crowd of people munching down their breakfast in preparation for the day ahead.Fuelled up and ready for Chicago based duo Space Blood, the band take to the main stage for their last ever UK show and it's only a matter of seconds before confetti cannons and blow up dolls are popping off and dancing round the tent as the duo play one of their tightest shows we've seen to date. We've known these guys since they first came to the UK and we're going to miss their daft antics and beautiful noise. The highlight of the set was "Unintentional manscaping" and drummer Will Covert seemingly channelling Damon Che from Don Caballero before being shot in the head with a cannon and ending Space Blood as we know it!

God mother and Orchards were up next with a complete juxtapostion between the heavy roars from the Swedish Metal act and the joyous upbeat math-pop from the Brighton bunch who are currently making big waves in the UK since signing with Big Scary Monsters.

Never shy about bringing a gimmick to the table, this year saw Poly-math go bananas (literally) and chuck 100 inflatable bananas out into the crowd, the prog rockers showcased triple drummers, a new member (Josh Gesner) on Keys and the "super cool" Joe Branton pulling all his best moves while dressed all in black and rocking the indoor shades look while they effortlessly glide through a high octance set featuring tracks Melancolia and "Ink of Scholars" oh and of course there was guitarist Tim's little baby Poly-math upfront with her ear defenders on rocking out.

POLY-MATH - Photo Credit: Snap, Rock and Pop Photography

Yorkshire lads Bearfoot Beware proved themselves more than deserving of a slot at ATG as they made their first appearance here with a velvet caped front man Tom Bradley snarling his way through tracks from latest album "Sea Magnolia" and it's predecessor "World owes you nowt". Bearfoot channel their inner fugazi as they tear the Bixler a new one in front of a busy and receptive crowd who were more than happy to sing along especially to "Should have died as a kid"

Our boys Chiyoda Ku never disappoint and managed to sneak their way back on to the lineup this year thanks to Mugstar pulling out at short notice, the tents rammed and we're treated to some new material from the shrimps. This band just get better and better every time we see them and we can't wait for the new material to be recorded later in the year.

CHIYODA KU - Photo Credit: Snap, Rock and Pop Photography

A tight clash between Strobes and Zeal and Ardor meant trying to do a 50/50 split between sets but we ended up being sucked into the crazy math styles provided by Strobes which meant we missed Zeal and Ardor but thankfully they'll be on tour in November so we'll be doing our best to catch them then!

Amid rumours of cancellations Friday night headliners Glassjaw did show up but they missed the mark a little with only the older material like “Ape Dos Mil” and “Siberian kiss” really making an impact for us.

DEATH AND THE PENGUIN - Photo Credit : Helen Messenger

Friday nights silent disco went big this year which meant we were nursing hangovers on Saturday morning but with a stacked lineup ahead for the final day there was no time to sit around feeling sorry for ourselves so it was off to see our buddies Death and the penguin as they played an absolute blinder to a very attentive early morning crowd, the band recently released their debut album Anomie and played a lot of the more energetic tracks from it and certainly won over many new fans, a nice touch in the crowd were the people who had donned their Death and Penguin costumes in the front row too.

Irish boys Ilenkus are a menacing act and it's only minutes before frontman Chris is out in the crowd getting the crowd pumped as the band pummel their way through an intense 30 minute set which included lots of new material from the Galway Metal/Hardcore band, the only criticism of this set was the time of day as this show would have been a hell of a lot more chaotic if it had been later in the evening but that didn't stop the band giving it their all.

GIRAFFES? GIRAFFES! - Photo Credit : Snap Rock and Pop Photography

Giraffes? Giraffes! marked their first show outside of the US with this UK exclusive, we've been massive fans since we first came across G?G! 12 years ago and damn was it worth the wait. The duo took to the stage full of smiles and the main stage tent just continued to fill up. It took a song to get the sound right but when they brought in an extra guitar cab it was just perfection as the highly anticipated set got into full swing.

"A quick one while she's away" was an emotional rollercoaster which left us trying to compose ourselves. G?G! blasted their way through their 40 minute set barely saying a word instead focusing on playing as many songs as they could into their allocated time. the set which included favourites like "I Am S/H(im)e[r] As You Am S/H(im)e[r]" and set finale "When the Catholic Girls Go Camping, the Nicotine Vampires Rule Supreme" was one of our festival highlights and the only complaint here was that it wasn't long enough. Hopefully G?G! will be back at ATG next year with a Thursday headline slot! We can but hope!!!!

GUG - Photo Credit : Snap, Rock and Pop photography

GUG were up next and it marked the return of the one and only Mr Dan Wild-Beesley, It was bloody lovely to see Dan back in action with his Baritone guitar at ATG and you could feel the love in the tent for him as the trio (which also includes Ben Forrester (peaks) and Alpha Male Tea Party's Tom Peters) powered through a ferocious set showcasing tracks from their debut EP "I gotta GUG feelin"

The Guru Guru were another festival highlight, these crazy Belgians know how to put on a show and made a whole heap of new fans in the process, those who had seen them before had clearly dragged their friends along and sang along to every song taken from their debut album Pchew, this is a band that will be back again for sure!

Shellac don't need an introduction, they're legends, but the most down to earth legends that ever walked this earth, we spotted them walking around site talking to fans and getting involved at the silent disco (Bob Weston even got involved in DJ'ing the final silent disco along with the Artscare guys). Shellac don't need fancy lights or stage propes they just do their thing and it's glorious. They treat us to belters including "A Minute" "Compliant" and of course "Prayer to God" and keep us entertained throughout. You could tell they were happy to be at ArcTanGent and were more than happy to engage with the crowd and as a result we were more than happy to watch them do their thing in a little field just outside off Bristol

Roll on 2019 and edition number 7 - we can't wait to see what James, Goc and Simon have in store for us!

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