#They all look so cool jumping over rubberbands

[chronomaza]

PLEASE HELP ME FIND THIS GAME!

There is this game that has been HAUNTING me the past while and I can't seem to find a name for. I remember it VERY vividly, it was one of those infinite runner mobile games, except it had a very unique style to it which I'll explain better in a minute. I remember finding it by searching up "cat games" on the appstore sometime roughly 2015 to 2016 and scrolling down a VERY long way. I can remember basically everything about it but the name and who made it.

First, the intro cutscene, which is what I remember the best;

It went something like this (VERY rough sketch, this was done quickly.) I remember the game was in a rather crude, somewhat ugly and old looking 3D style (ya'know, like most older mobile games) but all the models as far as I know were unique and not unity assets.

The title screen opens with the player character (black cat who MIGHT'VE had some white on him, but I'm not 100% sure) eating the dog's food right in front of it as it tugs on it's leash. The cat would taunt it by doing something mean, I think moving the food close to it before moving it away or something like that, can't remember fully, then taking it and eating it by throwing it into the air and catching it.

As soon as the player presses play, the dog suddenly stops tugging on it's leash as it notices it's broken, then looks back at the cat, who promptly freezes just as it's about to take a bite of the dog's food. It then jumps into the air, it's eyes popping out of it's head like a cartoon character, and the gameplay begins as it gets chased.

The camera zooms out, and the cat quickly outruns the dog. You want the dog to stay off screen and as far away from you as possible, because on higher difficulties it'll randomly speed up from time to time or rubberband up to you a little. The dog getting close is warned to the player by the sound of barking, and when it's about to rubberband up to you, there's an alert for the dog coming- I remember this scaring the shit out of me as a kid for some reason so I only played with the dog off most of the time (AKA, easy mode.)

Now for the cool part of the game and why I remember it so fondly; how exactly it worked

There was only one button in the game once the gameplay started, and that was to jump, everything else was controlled by the player tilting their device. Tilting to the right would speed up the cat, and tilting to the left would slow them down. Typically, you want to go as fast as possible, but going faster puts you at risk of running into stuff, which gives you an instant game over as it trips the cat. Sometimes, there'd be windows to jump through inside the house, some of them leading outside onto rooftops where you had to jump over gaps.

What made this game so unique though was how the house you were running though would twist around, the ground going in all sorts of directions, sometimes even upside down. To accommodate for this, the player would have to tilt their device to make it so the cat is still facing upwards, all while making sure they're going fast enough to not get caught. I remember this could get rather difficult sometimes, as the ground could suddenly go in a full loop or bend downwards, causing the cat to rapidly speed up and run into something. There was also an optional "pro" mode where the player could also tilt their device back and forth, causing the cat to move between the foreground and background and risk bumping into things there as well, making it so you had to be extra careful how you titled the device.

I remember loving this game as a kid, and I only deleted it to make room for some other game I really wanted at the time. I can't look through my ipad's history to see what this game is either, because my ipad won't turn on anymore, and I don't even remember what my apple account was- I haven't used anything apple in years. I've been trying to figure out what this game was for years now on and off, but with no luck. Looking up "cat runner" or anything like it only provides subway surfers ripoffs or other old cat related games games (which, ironically, a lot of I played as a kid. Love you cat simulator 2015 <3) and trying to describe the game to google only provides somehow even more unrelated stuff.

I remember this game being rather obscure, so literally any info helps- even if it's just someone else having played this game as a kid because sometimes I swear to god I dreamt this entire thing somehow.

#unknown game #what is this game #tip of my tongue #unknown cat game #chronorambles #mobile game

[doobnnoob-tf2]

Alright I just need to ask.

Goofy shit spy does, and how embarrassed he is when the other mercs find out how goofy he is

in the beginning of his time working for Mann Co., he Would Never

it’s only after time has passed and he’s comfortable with his job that he lets loose and just stops giving a damn about appearances.  the first thing that set it all off was he laughed at something, snorted, and just immediately cloaked and left the room

there’s also just everything about Spy when he’s enjoying his Nutella

it was absolutely shocking to everyone when Spy wasn’t being The Spy, to see the man everyone knew as cool and collected to suddenly be getting in on pranks or jumping in with deadpan comments when everyone was teasing somebody only to look over and see this mischievous smirk on his face

everyone loves it when Spy is in one of his moods and he’s very relaxed and willing to participate in antics, most of the time he’s just snarky and sarcastic but then there’s days he’ll wrap a rubberband around the sprayer on the kitchen sink and sit in the next room to wait for the sounds of someone getting sprayed in the face

he’s not actually uptight, he’s just used to putting up a front and after living with these guys for so long, he feels safe and like not everyone is out to get him and he can put a few walls down and let go

the biggest thing is he stopped stifling his laugh around everyone and when they were stunned to hear how completely un-suave it was, they all just laughed together about it even harder

Spy doesn’t really just do goofy stuff on his own, he’s more likely to join in on someone else doing something.  someone’s about to go do something completely and utterly stupid?  count him in, he needs to watch this go down.  Sniper wants to shoot an apple off Demo’s head?  HA, what could possibly go wrong, he’ll up set it up.  he’s not the voice of reason, that’s Engineer’s job, he’s here to be the bad influence and absolutely egg someone on because that seems like fun and also if it goes bad he wants to witness it with his own eyes.

past that one time where he laughed and then bailed before anyone could say anything, Spy doesn’t really get embarrassed for not being “himself”.  because these are his friends and they’ve never really judged him for putting his guard down.  yeah, they’ve teased him, but everyone on the base does that to everyone all the time.  it was more just shocking for them to see him showing his real self, even if just in small doses.  but more importantly it was nice to see him opening up to them.

#tf2 #team fortress 2 #tf2 headcanons #tf2 spy #handsome rogue

[lucarioisinthevoid]

Heyooo! Does the gang ever have sleepovers or something! I imagine they play those creepy games, like ‘Light As Feathers Stiff As Board’ or ‘Bloody Mary! Oh! And they could do each other’s nails and makeup!

Hah, reminds me of a thing a friend told me, where they dreamed that they were Mike and having a sleepover with all the guards. Good times. Mike doesn’t get to put on nail polish. He’ll lick it off to attempt suicide. Jeremy doesn’t want any either, because he will gnaw it off. But he wants little bows and other fun hair stuff, he thinks that is fun! Polish Phone Guy’s head. It’ll last longer on there anyways and more space for cool patterns. They’ll have a lot of fun, except it will be incredibly stressful, because it’s like keeping five cats in a bag for a whole night. Mike never really sleeps, not with so many people around. The sleepover happens inside of the pizzeria, because Dave said either at HIS home or in the pizzeria and everyone agreed the pizzeria was safer- I mean, more spacious. They kept only the party lights on, and the animatronics locked up. At least until they managed to break out and a wild-goose chase started, including multiple last stands, declarations of wars and salt circles. At the end, the animatronic won the final battle of tic-tac-toe (incredibly work by Chica the mastermind) and now they were allowed inside of the sleepover too- Which meant no further swearing for everyone except Mike, who had the bitch-pass, like he always did. Ah, the benefit of being a virgin. You get to swear in front of ghosts! And capture unicorns, but we don’t let Mike near unicorns anymore after the last time resulted in the evacuation of the entire city. Back to the topic, you can rest assured that everyone WILL play the dumbest games, solely to keep Dave and Old Sport appeased. They do great things!

… LIKE REALIZING EVERYONE IS WEARING VERY STUPID SLEEPING WEAR! “Where’s ya sleepin’ stuff, Mikey?! Come on, me ‘n Sportsy brought our matching bear-bunny onesies, and you have NOTHIN’?!” “Usually I sleep fucking naked.” Old Sport grinned. “… well then, we’re waiting-“ “I can fucking break you.” The verdict of both the psychopaths was in. “Sexy!” Jeremy was way too distracted to listen to them though. “THERE ARE FREDBEAR ONESIES!? CAN I HAVE ONE!? PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE-“ Simon laid on the ground, staring at the ceiling, charging. He wouldn’t close his dial all night. “… they uh- were discontinued because the dye they used was tox-“ “WE’LL GET YA ONE, JERRY! DON’T ‘CHA WORRY!” … LIKE PLAYING SILLY PRANKS! “Phoney, help us bake! WE WANT A PIZZA!” “Uh- what do you need ME for?” “HOW NICE OF YA TO OFFER! First, please open that can of melt-cheese!” “… it’s warm.” “DON’T WORRY ABOUT THAT.” “I’m, uh- I’m not touching it. You probably have already molten the cheese inside, d-do you know how HARD it is to get that out of a phone?!” “WELP, TOO BAD, WE CARBONATED THE CHEESE BEFORE RESEALING WITH GLUE!” At that the thing exploded, coating everyone in cheese. “Worst night of my life…” Distraught Jeremy looked at them, while the other two were laughing. “O-oh man- sir, should I get I some water-“ Mike hissed. “No worries, I fucking got it.” “MIKE NO-“ With that he proceeded to touch the stove, putting it on fire and setting off the sprinklers, drenching everyone. … LIKE PLAYING STUPID GAMES! “Okay, everyfuckingone, listen up. I prepared a scavenger hunt. The reward is a fucking nifty thing, so you better work hard. It may or may not be a gun.” Excited Alice, who was gaining power with every miserable hour the guards spend, jumped around. Joining had been a good idea. Jeremy was concerned. “A- a gun…? Mike, you- you know that would be pretty dangerous-“ “DID I SAY “MAY OR MAY NOT” OR NOT?” “Geez, sorry.” “Great. So, everyone, the hints are hidden all around the restaurant and EVERYTHING could be a hint. If you tell me the right code- whatever that will be- I’ll give you a hint where the next one is. The first to find the X wins. First hint: Party hats. FUCKING READY, FUCKING SET, FUCKING GO!” Everyone rushed off, even the animatronics, leaving only Mike and Simon behind. “Did you, uh- did you really set that all up…?” “Nope.” Together they observed everyone rushing about. … AND WINNING STUPID PRICES! Everyone was cowering together in a corner, as the little Minireena pointed the dangerously dull plastic knife at them. In front of them Mike, looking like a feral animal. “YOU FUCKING CHEATED. THERE NEVER WAS AN X. THERE IS NO PRICE!” Alice tapped her chin, then giggled. Tired and confused Simon sighed. “What… what did she say…?” “That her price will be that we all design her a new dress, each of us one- or she will cut us into pieces.” “But that’s- that’s a plastic knife.” Slowly Alice’s head turned, creaking unnaturally loud for such a small machine. “… she says that’s the reason should make you way, WAY more afraid.” … LIKE WINNING THE DARWIN AWARD! Phone Guy had only left for ten minutes at most to get some ice and some non-descript carbon drink that you can’t prove is a brand name, so don’t even try to get me sued- He walked back into the main area, carefully watching his tablet so nothing would accidentally spill over, but when he looked up for a moment he almost dropped it all. Mike, Old Sport and Dave were standing together, roughly 500 rubberbands tied together, leading to two chairs that where weighted down by endo scraps. On the other side where all the animatronics, Freddy in front, Chica, Bonnie and Foxy right behind him in a line, with determined expressions on the faces. “WHAT THE EVERLOVING H-H-H-HECK IS GOING ON HERE!?” “SLINGSHOT BOWLING!” Old Sport screamed back, clearly excited. “MIKEY IS GOING TO CRUSH THESE ANIMATRONICS WITH HIS HEAD ALONE!” “ONE OF US IS GOING TO FUCKING DIE TONIGHT.” “M-MIKE! WHY DID YOU AGREE TO THIS- TO THIS- TO THIS- MADNESS!?!” “Madness…?” Old Sport started, but Mike shook his head and interrupted him. “FUCK YOU. IF I WANT TO GET SLINGSHOTTED AT MACH SPEED THROUGH THE ESTABLISHMENT I’LL DO IT. YOU’RE NOT MY FUCKING DAD!” “Don’t worry chief.” Freddy responded calmly, his eyes firmly on the other guard. “That hollow-headed guard won’t even put one scratch on us.” Frustrated that his meme had been interrupted, the Orange Man groaned. “… this is Sparta. Great. You guys ruined it.” Letting go of the slingshot, they propelled Mike forward with a speed that could kill multiple men. Depending on where they stood. … like learning how cruel and heartless war is and how nobody wins a war truly, the words of glory and bravery were lies that THEY used to capture young, innocent minds, to chew them up and spit them out without any pity for the lost and traumatized- Mike pressed his back against the wall, sweat running down his brow and his body breathing for oxygen- but he wouldn’t allow himself to pant, he couldn’t, they were listening- There were muffled sounds of pillows and flip-flops being thrown and the guard winced as he heard a cry. All he could do was pray, pray that their fort hadn’t been broken- No, he couldn’t hesitate any longer. Rushing back in, he dodged the projectiles instantly hurdled at him, before diving behind the protective walls of his pillow fort. “Status?” Hoarse he asked Phone Guy who was lying beside him, looking out of a little gap. “They’re getting more and more aggressive. Our walls will not long stand like this. Did you get the secret weapon?” Dropping a few bottles of carbonated juice and mentos, he grinned, manically. Yet still, part of Phoney’s heart hesitated. “… does it really have to come to this? Is that what is left of our humanity? We will never be able to forget this night, Mike. Neither you nor me. We will lay awake at night, thinking about this, thinking about the cries… do you want to add this to-“ With that he forcefully was grabbed by the collar and pulled closer, almost touching Mike’s nose. “You better fucking listen to me, Si. Out there-“ He pointed out. “You’ve been my boss. My chef. You told me what to do and what to say. You had some authority. But now? Now you’re a NOBODY. Now everything that matters is if you can DO what is necessary or NOT. BECAUSE THAT’S WHAT DECIDES THIS WAR, DO YOU HEAR ME?! DO YOU KNOW WHAT WILL HAPPEN TO US? HOW MUCH LONGER DO YOU WANT THIS HELL TO GO ON!? UNTIL EVERYTHING OUT THERE IS A WASTELAND?! UNTIL NOTHING IS LEFT ASIDE FROM DISPLACED PILLOWS AND THE STENCH OF DEATH!? IF YOU WON’T GIVE YOUR FUCKING GO-AHEAD, FINE. I WILL DO IT ANWAYS, I WILL SAFE US- AT WHATEVER COST THAT MAY BE!” For a second it was silent, then Phone Guy finally slowly nodded. “… okay Mike. If we-“ Interrupted by a call from another ford both of them snapped up. Orange Guy’s evil tone was already bad enough, but his words were unbearable. “GIVE UP, YOU ALL HAVE LOST! WE WARLORDS HAVE AQUIRED THE ULTIMATE WEAPON- WE HAVE SODA AND WE HAVE MENTOS. THIS IS YOUR LAST CHANCE TO GIVE UP… OR THIS WILL BE YOUR END.” Instantly Mike’s eyes widened and he sat up, hatefully hissing. “NOT SO FUCKING FAST! WE TOO HAVE MENTOS AND SODA AND WE WILL RETALIATE WITH IT ALL! IF YOU USE THIS WEAPON, NOBODY WILL BE LEFT, I SWEAR TO GOD!” Dave cried out in hatred and anguish. “MIKE! HOW COULD YOU DO THIS TO US! YOU WERE THE LAST PERSON I EXPECTED TO BE A FUCKING COMMIE, HOW DARE YOU BETRAY ME-“ “WHAT THE EVERLOVING FUCK DO YOU EVEN MEAN, I’M FUCKING SERIOUS, WHO DROPPED YOU AS A BABY AND WHY DIDN’T YOU STAY DEAD-“ The war was eventually won… but at what cost? Changed my mind, them having a sleepover is a terrible idea and is illegal from now on. Never again.

#the Group #had to put a read more because it went SO long

[ace-angel-judas]

Return of Superman: Ho Jung

Introduction - Ho Jung Ep - Dae Ep - IKON Special.

Pairing: TK

Series: Rebels Fake Kpop Group AU

Rating: Fluff, Family

Synopsis: Ho Jung appears on an episode of Return of Superman with TK and Mi Na. 

“Mi Na,” TK cooed from the front seat of his car, “Are you awake?” 

The girl lazily lifted her head, she was used to sleeping in as much as she wanted in the morning. She sleepily rubbed her eyes with the back of her hands, looking around and blinking softly. 

“Appa, what are we doing?” Mi Na asked through a yawn. 

TK smiled at her in the review mirror, “We are picking up Uncle Ho Jung and then we’re going to somewhere that’s a surprise,” 

Mi Na’s eyes went wide as she looked at her father in the front seat, kicking her legs excitedly and clapping as she looked out the window. TK smiled more as he began to drive, letting Mi Na use his phone that was on the seat next to herself. 

She scrolled aimlessly through his phone until clicking on a video, the car being filled with a beat. 

“Appa do Bobby’s parts!” Mi Na squealed. 

Her father laughed softly, listening as his daughter began to rap the opening part of Rubberband by IKON. TK swore it was all his daughter ever listened to ever since she had discovered the group, heck, Mi Na was even wearing an IKON shirt. 

As he pulled up to Ho Jung and Tae Sin’s shared house, Mi Na pouted when he stopped the car and took his phone back, calling the younger member of his group. 

“Hello?” Ho Jung’s voice came through the speaker. 

“We’re outside,” TK spoke, “Just meet us down when your ready,” 

“Ah, okay,” Ho Jung laughed, “Holland’s coming down to show me off, he wants to see Mi Na,” 

Mi Na grew excited, “Uncle Holland is here?!” 

TK and Ho Jung both laughed before TK hung up the phone, about five minutes later, Mi Na had her face pressed to the window of the car in excitement. TK ducked his head, waving to Ho Jung and his boyfriend. 

“Holland! Holland!” Mi Na giggled as TK wound down the window. 

Holland smiled, “Hello Princess!” 

Mi Na giggled, “I haven’t seen you in so long, When are you visiting with Ho Jung again?” 

Ho Jung cooed softly at his boyfriend who said hello to the young girl. Holland and Ho Jung exchanged a quick hug before he slipped into the car’s passenger seat. TK waved softly to Holland who bowed softly to him. 

“It’s nice to see you again, Taeseob,” TK spoke. 

“Oh, have a nice day, Ki Teak,” Holland smiled and waved good bye as Ho Jung strapped on his seat belt. 

The elder male began to drive again, tapping his fingers on the steering wheel as Ho Jung handed a wrapped box back to Mi Na. 

“Here, this is from me and Holland,” Ho Jung smiled as he turned back to the girl, “We missed your birthday,” 

“Thank you!” Mi Na beamed excitely, quickly unwrapping the gift. 

TK smiled, “You know, He can call me TK,” 

Ho Jung laughed softly, “He’s a little afraid of you,” 

“Afraid of me?” His brows furrowed together in confusion. 

Mi Na looked up from the box she was unwrapping, both herself and her father pulling the same face of confusion. Their bottom lips where both poking out in a pout, brows furrowed together and small little eye smiles. 

“Why would anyone be afraid of Appa?” Mi Na asked, “Is it because of his body drawings? But their cool! Appa isn’t scary,” 

Ho Jung cooed softly at Mi Na’s innocence, TK had a shy smile on his face. 

“Oh my god the zoo!” Mi Na screamed from the backseat. 

TK pulled into the parking lot, both himself and Ho Jung grabbing face masks from the glove box and slipping them on their faces. Mi Na was excitedly undoing her seat belt and TK had to quickly rush out of the car and pick up his excited daughter before she ran off. 

“No running off!” TK spoke sternly, “You can’t get lost here,” 

Mi Na pouted, “I want to see lions!” 

Ho Jung smiled as he joined the two, handing TK his car keys, wallet and phone that he couldn’t grab. Mi Na was sat on her father’s hip, TK fumbling around with trying to put her beanie on that she kept trying to throw off. 

They entered the zoo, camera crew following them. Mi Na was excitedly bouncing on TK’s side until he placed her down and crouched down, Ho Jung handing him the kiddy leash. 

“Doesn’t Dae use those on Tae Sin when we go to America?” Ho Jung asked. 

TK looked up at his younger, “Yes, there quite useful,” 

Mi Na held onto the loops over her shoulders as TK stood up again, holding the end of the leash. Before he knew it, Ho Jung had to grab his arm to prevent TK from falling over as Mi Na ran and tugged on the leash. 

“She’s powerful,” Ho Jung laughed softly. 

The young girl was jumping up and down as TK and Ho Jung began to walk with her, Mi Na was excitedly pulling her father and uncle along. The two males simply chatted softly with each other before they reached the lion exhibit. 

Mi Na pressed her face up against the glass, TK snorting slightly under the face mask he was wearing at his daughter’s silliness. 

Ho Jung stiffed a laugh too, “Hyung, she learned that from Yuki,” 

The tattooed male nodded, his shoulders hunched together to avoid laughing, “Yeah, yeah, Mi Na stop licking the glass!” 

She looked up at her father, her tongue half pressed to the glass making Ho Jung burst into laughter and hide behind TK. Mi Na slowly pulled her tongue back into her mouth, softly patting the glass. 

“Sorry glass,” Mi Na whispered. 

Both the males let out a soft little ‘aww’ at Mi Na’s apology to the object. Her eyes beamed again as she pointed to a little stall near the exhibit, grabbing TK’s hand and tugging it. 

“Appa! Can I get lion ears?!” Mi Na gasped. 

“Hyung, I’ll go get them okay?” Ho Jung smiled, patting his shoulder before walking over. 

TK smiled, crouching down and pulling out his phone, Mi Na grinned, sitting near the glass as he began to take a picture, “Smile! These are going to Uncle Tae Sin and Aunty Dae, okay?” 

“Can Uncle Tae Sin and Aunty Dae come to the zoo with us next time?” Mi Na asked. 

He smiled, “Of course,” 

Mi Na pushed her cheeks together childishly as TK snapped another picture, before he could take another one, Ho Jung walked back over and placed a pair of ears on Mi Na’s head. She beamed brightly as Ho Jung crouched down next to herself, a pair of ears on his head as well. 

TK laughed, “You brought a pair for yourself..,” 

As he began to look at the photos on his phone, Ho Jung passed Mi Na a spare pair of ears and whispered something to the young girl. Mi Na grinned, running up to her father and awkwardly placing the ears on his head. 

“Appa Lion!” Mi Na smiled. 

“Roar!” TK laughed, fixing the ears before Mi Na wrapped her arms around his neck and he took a quick selfie with his daughter. 

#i sobbed writing this its too uwu #rebels fake kpop group au #rebels fake kpop group

[ficdirectory]

Somewhere Inside (Disuphere series #4) Chapter 9

(To listen, click here) - 12:31

Francesca can’t explain it really.  She just feels bigger.  Like she can do stuff.  That she said stuff, and Pearl even listened?  Pearl is a grown up.  Even more grown up than Jesus or Mariana or Dominique.  And she listened.  She didn’t just say Francesca shouldn’t tell adults what to do.  Pearl knew Francesca wasn’t trying to do that anyway because of consent.  Because they don’t ever force each other to do anything.  Because that’s not right.

“What about you, babe?” Dominique asks.  (Dominique is the only one who ever calls Francesca “babe.”  It’s short for “baby” but Dominique doesn’t mean it that way.  She means it like she cares.  Like Francesca matters to her.)

“Um...I never did any Feelings Laundry either…” she admits, only a little embarrassed, since Pearl already said she didn’t do it before either.

“What are you feeling the most right now?” Dominique tries.

“...Like I did a good job?” Francesca asks, like it’s a test and she might get the wrong answer.

“So, proud?” Dominique smiles.  “We’re proud of you, too.  You have really good suggestions and ideas.  I like seeing that you wanna help others.”

“Yeah, that’s a big deal, buddy.  I’m glad you’re proud.  You should be,” Jesus nods and puts his arm around her.  Francesca leans into him.  He smells like man deodorant and outside and spearmint like gum.

“I used to feel...like...kinda surprised?” she admits.  “Because I didn’t know Levi was gonna be here.  But now we’re friends.”  She smiles at him, and he peeks at her a little and smiles tiny.

“That makes sense,” Pearl offers.  “I’m sorry I didn’t tell you guys sooner.  I was afraid you might not wanna come.”

“Why?  Levi’s nice,” Francesca maintains.

“He is, yes.  But change is hard for people,” Pearl allows.  “Like, plans changing last minute.”

“I have a question,” Francesca says, not looking at anybody.

“Sure,” Pearl nods.

“It’s just...I think part of why I was surprised was like...I thought that friendships shrink?”

“I’m not sure I understand,” Pearl says.

Francesca looks at Dominique.  Can tell just by looking at her face that she’s listening.

“Like, one time, kids at my school were making a club with all the girls in my class.  And I came over, and one girl asked me to join in, but then another one said they already have enough people.  I thought if Levi came, one of us had to be left out.  I thought that one of us was me, probably, ‘cause I’m the youngest.” Francesca admits.

“Ah,” Pearl says, like she gets it now.  “Well, it sounds like you’re describing friendship like it has a rubberband around it.  What happens when you put a rubberband around a lot of things?”

“It squeezes them together?”

“Right.  And if one extra thing stretches it too far, what happens?” Pearl asks.

“It breaks.”

“Yeah, but friendships aren’t like that.  We don’t have an invisible rubberband around us forcing us together.  We’re together because we wanna be, right?”

“So, it won’t break if I join?” Francesca asks, shy.

“Nope, there’s always room in friendship.”

“For people, not things,” Francesca remembers.

“You got it,” Jesus nods, like he’s proud of her again.

--

“Mari, do you have some feelings laundry?” Francesca asks, surprising Mariana, who has been quietly listening.

“What?” she asks.  It’s filler.  She heard the question, gets it, but the words to answer are nowhere around.

“You wanna share a feeling?” Dominique asks, quietly.

“Tired.  And sad…” Mariana sighs.  She hates to be a downer, but it’s the truth, and the name of the game right now seems like Truth Time.

“You can keep resting as long as you need,” Jesus encourages.

“Why are you sad?” Dominique asks, giving Mariana a few seconds after Jesus’s comment.

“It’s so different now.  Like...I’m different…  Before when I came, I had...energy.  I could have fun.  Now I’m just exhausted all the time.”  Mariana can feel Levi’s curiosity, and she’s thinking about what to say.  How much to share.  In the end, she doesn’t, because it’s so hard to even hope all the words will be there, and he’ll get it, and not just feel a bunch of pity for her.

But it’s Levi who speaks next, surprising her.  “Yeah.  It’s hard to feel different...in a place that feels so unchanged.  It’s like...jarring.”

“Yeah.”

His eyes are so sympathetic, locked on hers.  Mariana has no idea what he’s talking about personally for him, but she feels understood.   “And then if nobody knows...or realizes...it’s worse.”

“Exactly,” Mari nods.

“That’s a pretty major reason to be sad,” Levi nods.

“But I think maybe you overlooked that your roomie,” Dominique gestures to herself “considers napping one of her greatest skills.  You don’t have to nap and be exhausted alone.”

“Thank you,” Mariana nods.  “Now you,” she nods at Dominique.  

--

“Oh…  I guess...okay.  I feel…”  Dominique hedges.

The truth is, she feels put on the spot.  And is there a word for that?  Like, all eyes are on her.  Like she’s got to perform. It’s a gross feeling.  And she doesn’t know how to navigate this expectation of vulnerability when she just doesn’t know Pearl at all.  She feels like Levi would get her dilemma.  But not being able to fully trust all of the people in a space at once, makes being completely open and honest feel like being shoved off a cliff into an ocean full of sharks.

She’s relished being the foreperson here.  Calling on people to share.  Explaining things.  Kinda running them.  But to share herself?  Well, that feels...whatever the hell this feeling is.

“What’s your biggest feeling right now?” Francesca asks, and Dominique’s touched.  Francesca’s great about reciprocating the help she’s been given.

“It’s not a feeling…” Dominique hedges.

“Neither is sock feeling,” Levi offers, “But you all accepted that.”

“Nobody’s gonna get mad...or leave…” Mariana encourages quietly.

“...Like it’s inevitable that I’m about to be eaten by sharks…” Dominique admits, head down.

“You’re feeling in danger?” Jesus asks, sounding surprised and concerned.

“I guess?” Dominique says.  She glances up at them.  Smiles reflexively.  “I mean, it’s okay, though.  I feel fine.”

“You don’t have to do that,” Pearl insists, which only makes Dominique wanna lean into fineness that much harder.

“Maybe it feels safer to be fine,” Levi challenges quietly.  “I get that.”

“But we’re all safe with each other here,” Pearl insists.

“But we don’t know that!”  Dominique insists, her voice suddenly so intense it makes Francesca jump.  “You haven’t demonstrated that.  You haven’t proven it.”

“Well, neither have you, but we all still shared with you,” Pearl insists.

Francesca makes an obnoxious noise like a buzzer on a TV game show.  She’s got Hermione’s wand and points it at Pearl.  “Saying somebody’s feeling doesn’t matter is disrespect.”

Pearl’s mouth drops open and she looks at Jesus and Mariana to back her up, but both of them look like she crossed a line.  It makes Dominique a little glad.  

“Well, so what?  What does that mean?  I’m just the bad guy now?” Pearl asks, arms crossed.

“Questions are cool.  Dismissing people isn’t,” Jesus maintains.  

“I didn’t know it was called that…” Levi breathes.  “That there was a name for it.  That it counts as disrespect…”

Dominique might be the only one who hears his comments because Pearl’s talking again, and she has a big presence.

“I used to make mistakes a lot,” Francesca offers.  “It hurt my feelings and made me feel like you guys didn’t wanna be my friend anymore.  But that wasn’t really true, right?”

“No,” Jesus agrees.  “We’re not rejecting you, Pearl.  But we are calling you out.  We don’t tolerate disrespect here.”

Dominique bites her lip and watches.  Can’t quite believe Jesus is so calm.  Levi, too, though he’s scooted his chair away from Pearl slightly.

“But I was just saying that we’re all trying.” Pearl exclaims.

“Maybe Dominique’s trying, too.  You don’t know.  You don’t know her.  You didn’t ask one question,” Levi comments quietly.

Pearl shuts her eyes.  Dominique doesn’t.  She watches everything.  If this falls apart?  It’s on her.  She has to know what’s coming.

“Oh, and you know her,” Pearl insists like she doesn’t believe Levi at all.

“I’ve talked to her.  I’ve listened.  Yeah.” Levi counters.

“Like you listen to me?” Pearl counters.

“Okay, Time.  Seriously.  We gotta stop this.  And breathe,” Jesus decides.

It takes all of Dominique’s focus to be able to drag in a single breath and then let it out.  She looks around at everybody doing the same - at Levi - watching everyone else breathe, curiously.  Eventually, she can do it again.  And again.

When they’ve done that for a while, Jesus nods.  “Okay.  Listen.  Dominique, do you know what you were feeling that made the shark feeling so strong?” Jesus asks.

Just like that, the words are there:

“Fear.  Judgement.”

“Okay.  Pearl, can you hear that Dominique’s afraid right now.  Is feeling judged?” Jesus wonders.

“I am, too!”

“Hold on, though.” Jesus keeps trying.

Dominique wants to give up.  To walk away.  To go shut the door of the bedroom and not come out, but if she does, she knows she likely won’t come out for days.

Mariana slides her hand into Dominique’s.  Francesca walks over and hands Hermione her wand back.  It helps some.

“We’re saying…” Mariana starts out slowly, looking at Pearl.  “That Dominique’s not trying to hurt you.  She’s afraid.  Can you hear that?”

“Yes, because I’m awful.  Clearly.  Everybody’s having a terrible time because I wasn’t honest.”  Pearl wipes her eyes.

“You feel blamed,” Levi realizes.

“Well, yeah,” Pearl laughs mirthlessly as more tears escape.

“You could’ve just told me,” Dominique says quietly. “Instead of pushing me.”

“I’m sorry.  I was trying to be reassuring...by telling you it was safe to talk to us? But it seems like my default is severely irritable these days.”

“Sounds like trauma,” Dominique comments lightly.  “Which is something I know I would never judge.  I got plenty of my own.  I’m just asking...please don’t judge me for my hesitance...which is trauma also…”

“Fair,” Pearl breathes.

“I think we need to do our Feelings Laundry every day practically,” Francesca announces.  “Because there’s a lot of it right now.  So we maybe need to make sure we do it more than just one time ever.”

“That sounds like a great plan,” Jesus nods.

Dominique excuses herself to go to the restroom and try to get a hold on herself.  It’s not easy.  She needs Mom right now like she needs air, but they don’t have cell service.  So, instead, she clutches her wand (which Mom made for her) and closes her eyes, willing her Mom to think of her too.

She breathes and tries to calm down.  But instead, there are tears.  And as healthy as Dominique has been told tears are, they always make her feel weak and stupid.  

She needs her Sadness costume but it’s not here.  So she stays locked in the bathroom thinking about money changing hands.  About being forced into situations she was in no way ready for.  About losing control.

But, just like that, Dominique swallows.  The mask is back in place.  Because with Pearl around?  She still doesn’t feel safe without it.

One more deep breath, and then Dominique opens the door.

Levi’s there, waiting by one of the couches.  “You okay?”

“Yeah.  I’m fine,” she nods.

“Cool.  I’m fine, too,” he tells her.

“Cool.”

Seems like Pearl has headed out already, thankfully.  Dominique hopes Levi doesn’t start to hate her because she doesn’t get along with his sister.  But he seems to have his own issues with Pearl.  

He sticks around a little longer, helping Jesus and Francesca build their fort, and then he walks home.

Dominique goes to bed that night in full costume, clutching her wand.  

She dreams of money.  The smell.  The sound.  The glint in the men’s eyes.  

Wakes up.  Gasping.  Wishing Jesus knew to give her a heads up about that.  But in all the things they’d discussed.  Her trigger around being either asked for cash by a man or unexpectedly bearing witness to cash changing hands had never come up.

And now it feels like all the words are trapped inside.  With her actual feelings.

Maybe things will look better in the morning...but somehow...Dominique doubts it.

#fic: somewhere inside

[twilightculture]

Could I maybe get a describe yourself for a story thing? My name is Emily. People tell me that I'm classically beautiful. I'm very smart, and enjoy time to myself. I love listening to music and my fav band at the moment is Pink Floyd. I'm very smart and want to be a pediatrician one day. I give off the vibe of being shy and possibly a bit weird. I'm not the best at making friends, but I really want to be liked. I'm very mysterious. I enjoy dark, rainy, winter days. I'm an INTJ or INTP. Thanks!!

I didn’t write this one like the others but honestly this was my favorite one to write. And also you sound like really cool so yeah :)

Emily/ Werewolf

Story: You grew up in the valley in Montana, you didn’t have many friends because your house was far away from town and your parents homeschooled you. When you were a child your father refused to tell you about your heritage since you were half native Indian and half white you knew enough about white folk like your mom thanks to your history books but you wanted to know more about your dad’s past. Your dad was bit of a hot head and would explode when you asked, as you got older he was calmer or maybe it was because he made you hand shy about asking. He would always get mad of the smallest things going out for a run daily he would run for hours, you always thought you were driving him away that he didn’t love you. When you told your mom this she cried, that night you woke up to hear them both arguing about something you tried to ignore it but your house wasn’t all that big so that was pretty much impossible. “You have to tell her one day or another!” Your mom yelled “Stop throwing gasoline to the fire Julie! I don’t want to hurt you goddamn it!” Your father yelled after that the voices fell silent a few minutes later you heard the front door slam. That next morning your dad took you to the local pancake house and you ordered your first cup of coffee, since that night your dad worked hard to build a bond with you. When you were a sophomore you were in your room working on your biology homework when you dad swung your door open you at first thought he was losing his head about the dishes that were pilling up in the sink that you were to lazy to get around to do today but you froze with fear when you saw the tears falling down his cheeks, your father was a proud man you had never seen him cry.

“Em pack a bag” You dad gasped like his body was out of breath.

“What why, where is mom?” You asked this just caused your dad to cry harder.

“Get a bag packed now. They are coming Emily” You dad finally calmed himself enough to tell you, with the urgency in his voice you grabbed your backpack out of your closet throwing to outfits in there the picture of you and your parents and a few small things then zipped it up.

“Who is coming dad?” You asked him almost in tears yourself.

“A cold one, please Emily stop asking questions and put your boots on” You did as he said then he dragged you by your arms into your living room.

“Emily listen to me” Your dad bent down  to look into your eyes you lip started to shake and you felt tears fill your eyes you were scared.

“You are the most wonderful thing this life has given me, you are smart and beautiful you are a dreamer someone who can only succeed. I need you to be strong I love you more than life itself. I put address in the GPS drive until you get there make as little stops as you need to”  You dad handed you a handful of bills rolled in a circle being held together with a rubberband.

“You aren’t coming with me?” You asked this time really crying.

“No sweetheart, I will meet up with you later. Your mom was right I shouldn’t have hid my past from you. I used to live in a reservation in Washington on the beach, it is a beautiful beach my brothers still live there. I gave you the address they last had ask for Sue Clearwater or Billy Black. I wish I had more time to explain I wrote a letter it is in the glovebox. Do. Not. Read. It. Until you have found one of those two people show them the letter. I love you” You dad pulled you into a hug then quickly pulled your crying body to the family truck he grabbed you backpack throwing it in the truck along with the money both landing swiftly on the seat. Your father turned to say something but then growled, like literally growled. He picked you up putting you into the truck and buckling you in.

“Go right now Emily, do not look behind you until you reach the main road you got me?” You dad asked you nodded trying to process your dads words and clear your vision, the truck door shut and your dad banged on the glass.

“Emily. Now!” Your dad yelled at you in the most terrifying voice you screamed then started the stuck barely changing park to drive then peeled out of the driveway throwing gravel everywhere. You stopped a few times for gas jumping at every sound constantly looking over your shoulder. When the GPS alerted you that you were twenty minutes away from your destination you were practically asleep at the wheel, you saw a group of kids walking down the side of the road you pulled to a stop and rolled down your window.

“Um hi!” You called to them, it took them 5 seconds to realize you were a young female then they all ran at the truck with friendly smiles, they were all in basketball shorts and t-shirts even though it was cold outside you had your heater on high.

“What can we help you with?” One of the guys asked while another punched his arm.

“Um.. D-do you know where to find uh Sue Clearwater?” You asked trying hard not to cry even though you had no more tears to shed all of the boys heads turned to look at one kid.

“That’s my mom?” He asked his face confused.

“My dad said he had brothers here and that Sue would help me. H-he’s in trouble I need her help” All the boys started mumbling you heard a few words. Sam, vampires, legends and a few fucks.

“Let me in and I’ll take you there, I’m Seth Clearwater by the way” You normally wouldn’t let a stranger in your truck but jesus you were scared to be alone right now.

When you arrived after Seth asked you 50,000 questions you jerked the letter out of the glove box seeing your dad’s familiar hand writing.

Em Bear I am sorry I kept this part of your life in the shadows it was wrong of me I was going to tell you when you were older, but that day probably wouldn’t have ever came since I see you as my little princess. I don’t have much time to write this so here it goes. Vampires are real as are werewolves- shape shifters if you will. I know because I am a werewolf that is why I would always leave when you were little not because I didn’t love you babygirl. A old vampire from the past that I was hiding from found us, he is mad I killed his mate, he killed your mother I am sorry I wish I could tell you this in person, I am going to miss you. You were the brightest thing in my life. I am afraid I won’t be meeting up with you baby. But your family is there and they will love you- stay safe buttercup give this to the nearest adult on the rez as soon as you finish this sentence love youXo daddy

You dropped the letter, Seth picked it up his eyes reading the words your vision started going blurry your body started shaking like you were sobbing but no tears were coming out. Your insides were burning your head felt like it was going to explode.

“Emily wait- oh my god. Mom call Sam!” Seth yelled really loudly then next thing you knew you were eye level with Seth power was racing through your veins you knew what had just happened like your brain knew this was coming. Seth ran back then his clothes exploded and he was a brown wolf you tried to scream but a howl came out instead.

Emily it’s okay I’m here Seth said but you heard his voice inside your head.

Those next few months were the hardest months of your life. You had great friends to help you. The most surprising friends you made were actually vampires especially Edward Cullen you and him bonded over music even if 90% of the time you guys were arguing about music he liked you because you said exactly what you thought. His father Carlisle let you volunteer at the hospital your Senior year of high school it was probably the best thing to happen to you since everything happened. Billy Black your friend Jacob’s father answered all your questions and then some. Even if Jacob was a little bit of a bitch you loved his dad. You ended up living with Emily and Sam, Emily helped home school you while Sam taught you control. Not saying your life was easy, your dreams were still just nightmares, thunderstorms made you uneasy and you wanted your dad. When you felt bad you wanted your mom’s warm hugs but if you closed your eyes tight enough it was like you could see them, missing them never got easier but you learned how to deal with it.

#ask #emily #jeromespuddin #twilight #seth clearwater #sue clearwater #Edward cullen #Carlisle Cullen #la push #imagine

[allisonswrittenwords]

Sack It, Stuff It, Stack It, Express It! Got it?

No, this is not Allison’s Written Words’ way of ridding itself of readership, but rather, a interestingly-named line of school supplies that made 80s kids too cool for school.

That’s right, it’s a new month, hence, a new theme!

School’s In Session!

That Rubberband Man, he’ll find you!

The month of September, being a month of back to school, needed some nostalgic trips into school.  Specifically, needs school supplies.  So, four new articles, four different ways of going back to school in style! Forget laptops, tablets, and smart phones – those are way too modern for our very nostalgic back-to-school supply list.  We’re focusing on how WE went back to school in the 1980s and 1990s.

Some of what you’ll see this month will have you wanting to go back to school…or not.  But it will definitely bring back some memories.

Today, we kick off “Too Cool for School” Month in 1987, with a familiar brand and its venture into the hallowed halls of education.  Perhaps you remember today’s school supply lineup?

Sack It, Stuff It, Stack It, Express It!

Got it?

Class Act was a “high tech” line of school supplies (considered “high tech” in concept, but only one aspect of the school supply line was actually technology-based – more on that shortly) created and manufactured by Worlds of Wonder during their ill-fated year of 1987.  Yes, you read that right – Worlds of Wonder – the same company behind Teddy Ruxpin, Grubby, and various other talking dolls of the mid 1980s.  They turned away from their high-tech aspirations (well, not totally) to create a line of “high concept” supplies that made going to school…cool.

Seriously, I had to rhyme that.

Each product had its own special name, with the commonality of the word “It” attached to each title.

The Class Act of School Supplies…

What were these products, pray tell?

There were pocket folders (Stash It)…

Image: eBay

Image: eBay

Image: eBay

Image: eBay

Butts.  So many butts.  Because butts and folders are the same thing?

A locker shelving system that Worlds of Wonder called Stack it…or Rack It?

Image: PicClick

I had something like this during my mid-1990s middle school years.  It wasn’t this, but it was the exact same thing, and it worked pretty well.  Since I was in my “cool phase” at the start of high school (yep, keep feeding yourself that lie, Allison), I kept my version in my closet at home.  It worked well there too.

But wait, there’s more!

There was a heavy-duty binder called Stuff It…

The 1980s version of Five Star Binders, and the precursor to Trapper Keeper fad. Kinda like how Worlds of Wonder’s Action Max was the precursor for Nintendo.  Or not.

Can you imagine someone asking about this binder, and being told “Stuff It!…no, that’s the name of the binder!  Come back!  I didn’t tell you to Stuff It!”

And if you need a place to put your Stash It and Stuff It, we have…Sack It!

Image: Reddit

Sack It was a series of school bags – backpack, tote, and duffel bag, now with the ultra-stylish Acid Wash look that will never go out of style!

Image: eBay

Next up, a mini tape recorder (Got It) to check the authenticity of your note, or for the budding school newspaper journalist who needs one of these for interviews.  Also known as “the one item in an already rare line of items I can’t find any information on!”

And a – prepare thyself! – a locker answering machine (Express It)!

So serious.  A locker answering machine.  And the way to make it work was so bizarre, the commercial didn’t even explain how to do it.

I had three minutes to get to my classes in a three-story high school.  Sometimes, I had to run from one side of the school to the other and be lucky if I could squeeze in a locker trip at times (figuring things like that out in my youth made me great at managing my time and keeping schedules in adulthood).  That tangent said, I never would have time to check my hair and makeup in that time, so having a “locker answering machine” to check in the thirty seconds I probably gave myself to swap out stuff from my backpack and mall walker-style power walk to my next class was completely unrealistic!

And Worlds of Wonder didn’t care to demonstrate it, but decided to show you that you had a social life and needed a tape recorder so people could leave you messages at school.  Because you were of the generation for slipping notes into the locker, but you were above that.

Ah, that Worlds of Wonder, with their tape recorder enhanced products.

But, how does it work?

Allow YouTube user Doug McCoy to explain!

Upload via Doug McCoy

And I’m sure this thing never worked quite as well as the commercial made it seem!

Marketing To The Big Kids

While the little ones were enjoying Worlds of Wonder’s talking toy offerings, and the elementary school-age kids were playing with Action Max and Lazer Tag, Worlds of Wonder marketed “Class Act” to the junior high/high school crowd.  Because they ate up pocket folders decorated with acid wash-clad butts, binders called “Stuff It,” and answering machines for your locker.

The commercials were very 1980s high school, DeGrassi/21 Jump Street/MTV style, which was bold for Worlds of Wonder, who often featured cutesy plots about Teddy Ruxpin being the experiment of a mad scientist, Pamela the Living Doll being given to her creator’s adorable granddaughter, and kids having a birthday party for Teddy Ruxpin so they could present him with his friend, Grubby.

They freakin’ wrapped Grubby in wrapping paper in a commercial!

And as for that neon sign logo…

It has teen sitcom feel all over it.  Even the music and the sting used at the very end of the commercial gives off that feel.

As for its success…

(Insert Obligatory “This Is What Happened To Worlds of Wonder” Story Here)

Like other Worlds of Wonder products that had hit it big during the mid-1980s, this product line hit a snag with the Stock Market Crash on October 19, 1987 (by all means, something to associate with my fifth birthday!), and the line lost sales, leading to the end of its production, and cancellation of any future Class Act products.

I will say though, aside from the locker answering machine, a line of school supplies – excuse me, decent looking school supplies – had potential to stand out among Teddy Ruxpin and animatronic talking dolls in Worlds of Wonder’s success stories.  Where Action Max was a total disappointment, a binder with the unique name “Stuff It” screamed “buy me!”

Oh, and how about those oh-so-1980s, teenage-geared commercials?

Sack It, Stuff It, Stack It, Express It…With Commercials!

Because when you know something exists, you’ll try to hunt down proof.  Behold, the joys of YouTube offerings!  I am so grateful to people who have cool stuff like this, when I didn’t even know it existed until just recently!

Thank you to TV Mad Man and Doug McCoy for your contributions to the world of obscure product advertising!

Upload via The TV Mad Man

Upload via The TV Madman

Upload via Doug McCoy

By the way, Doug McCoy has even gotten his hands on other products in the Class Act line, and made videos about it!

So The Important Question Remains…

Did I have anything from the Class Act school supply line?

Well…no.

Honestly, until I learned about the fate of Worlds of Wonder about six years ago, I’d never heard of Class Act, nor had I ever seen these products.  Even when I’d heard about them initially (while researching Worlds of Wonder on many occasions in the last six years), I’d never thought to look up a line of school supplies from the same company that manufactured talking dolls for young children.   I was of the age where playing with Teddy Ruxpin and Action Max were the norm.  I wasn’t in school yet, so I had no need for butt-clad pocket folders, hard plastic binders that hold pizza, and locker answering machines.  Acid Wash denim bags, perhaps, but definitely not the other supplies.

Which is a shame really, though by the time I was ready for cool school supplies, I was ready for next week’s featured school supplies.

That’s your teaser for next week, folks.  Going from obscure supplies that who knows how many people had, to a supply plenty of people had!

So, until then, tell me about your knowledge of Class Act, and have a great day.

Oh, and if you’re going back to school, have a great year.  If you’re sending someone back, hope they have a great year.

And watch out for this guy!

  Sack It, Stuff It, Stack It, Express It!, and be a "Class Act" with Worlds of Wonder's line of too-cool-for-school supplies! (Got it?) Sack It, Stuff It, Stack It, Express It! Got it?

#1987 #Back to School #Class Act (Worlds of Wonder) #Do You Remember? #Express It #Got It #School Supplies #Stack It #Stuff It

[lunarmadison]

where do we glow from here | mctwins (feb 28)

Who: Mason @solarmason & Madison McCarthy @lunarmadison When: Tuesday, February 28 Where: Boreas Park > Avicenna Hospital > Boreas Park What: Between glowing in the dark and not sleeping, Madison hasn’t been okay for a few days. Mason convinces her to get herself checked out.  Warnings: Hospitals, non-invasive medical checkup

Mason knocks on Madison's door, a nervous energy buzzing through him; Madison had slept the night before, but that was only a surface fix, and there was clearly something deeper at work.

Madison is seated on her bed, with notes and cards scattered around her as she cross-references her study guides with the texts and handouts. Midterms are going to be terrible unless she really gets a handle on this. She jumps a little at the knock, and calls out, "It's open!"

Mason opens the door and tilts his head at the image before him. It's not exactly unusual - marathon study sessions aren't exactly unusual for people who had as hard a time holding onto info as they did. But Mason didn't trust it. "Hey, Mads. You ready for Twin Tuesday?"

Madison looks up and nods, giving her brother a small, hopeful smile. "Just gimme one more second," she says. "I need to make sure that I have all the North American cryptids separated from the European ones..." She shuffles a few more piles of cards, and then once she's satisfied with her selections, wraps rubberbands around both stacks. "Alright! All set. Cryptozoology has been ... not nearly as much a headache as alchemy, but still pretty fun, oddly enough. I'd love to share my notes with you if you're interested." She closed the book and set the cards on top of it, then set the whole pile aside before sliding off the bed to join Mason. "Where're we going today?"

Mason smiled brightly, pulling her into a one armed hug. "Welllllll," Mason began. He'd considered lying or tricking her, but not only could he not pull that off, she deserved better. "I'm thinking that, just to make me personally feel better and be able to actually, y'know, relax," Mason said, "we could....Maybe....gotothehospital?" Mason grinned winningly down at her. "Please? I'm worried. I'll bring your notes and I'll quiz you while they do their tests. Please, Mads?"

Madison sighs deeply and looks up at Mason with a kind of irritated boredom. "Mase, I don't need to go to the hospital," she insists, and tugs a long sleeve down over one arm to hide the fact that her arm is, in fact, still purple. "I'll leave the studying and do something fun, I promise. I even have it blocked out in my schedule."

Mason caught her hands, keeping her close. "You have the time blocked off already. If they say it's nothing, we can do whatever you want! Please? I love you, and you know I'd much rather just goof around, but..." Mason hesitated, chewing on the edge of his lip. "Everything else is going wrong. I can't let it go wrong with you too, Madi, I can't let you be hurt. Especially when you took such care of me with the whole...fiddle thing. Please. Just for my own peace of mind. And then seriously whatever you want."

Madison sighed again, rolling her eyes. "Fine. I'll go, but ... it's not going to be anything. I feel fine. I even slept!" She pressed her lips together and looked back to the bed. "I'm going to bring my notes though, okay? Just in case. Otherwise I'm going to want to crawl out of my skin sitting there, if ..." If it's not nothing, she meant to finish, but it was nothing, so it didn't matter. "Well, just in case."

Mason nodded and kissed the top of her head. "Thank you, Madi, I love you." Mason grabbed her things, including her Book and the notes from the alchemy experiment. "You're fine," he agreed, offering her coat to her. "So think about your bribe for once they clear you. Okay?" Mason smiled winningly. "Whatever you want."

Madison laughed despite her irritation. "Oh, you are gonna owe me big time," she teased, and slipped into her coat. She wound a scarf around her neck and shouldered her bag. "I know this all looks ... weird. But I really do feel better since -- since I got some sleep."

Mason nodded and wrapped his arm back around her shoulder. "It's almost like sleep is necessary for feeling good. And for feeling alive." Mason teased before he kissed her temple. They left Madison's room and began to walk toward the hospital, Mason already feeling better. "Cryptozoology, huh?"

Madison leaned into Mason's arm, glad for the comfort that his touch gave. "It's interesting," she said. "I thought it'd be a good supplement to the Slaying courses; if we learn more about what we're up against, then all the better, right? There's a little bit of history and sociology, but it's mostly biology, and that's harder to keep straight. I don't know what possessed me to do two sciences again this semester when only one of them is required, and nothing ..." She hesitated, searching for the word; she knew what she wanted to say but she felt like she would betray herself if she did. "I mean, last semester I took that art class, and I don't have anything like that this time."

Mason nodded, considering as she spoke. In his head, Cryptozoology was unerringly linked to Ryder, which gave him all sorts of complicated feelings that he didn't have time to deal with. "Anything just for fun," Mason filled in knowingly. "I'd like the notes. I've thought about looking into that before," Mason admitted. "You should take another art class. Are you still in Art Club, Mads?"

Madison nodded eagerly. "I am! I like having that time set aside to draw or paint and show off my work and get critiques. It's not the same as the class, and it's a lot more laid back, but it's ..." There was that word again. "... fun." She felt a little ashamed even admitting that she allowed herself to have something that frivolous when she should be working harder, spending that time doing something with more purpose and meaning. "Maybe over the summer, if there's time? I was going to get more requirements out of the way, but I don't want to graduate /too/ far ahead of you." She smirked, teasing, and nudged him in the side.

Mason scoffed, shaking his head. "Dream on. You're only getting your diploma first because of the alphabet." Mason pouted playfully. "I'm glad you're doing something like that, Mads. You need to relax sometimes." Mason hesitated as they approached the hospital. "You don't have to be doing something all the time, you know?" Mason half-smiled; he'd learned that from Sebastian. "Now. C'mon. Let's get you checked out."

Madison followed just a half-step behind Mason. She didn't agree with what he said; especially after they'd gotten their memories back, she couldn't really let her mind rest for a moment without her thoughts inevitably drifting back to that night. "That's what you think," she teased with a wry laugh. "Resting is for suckers."

Mason shook his head. "Resting is for healthy people. You're gonna burn yourself out." Mason didn't put any heat into the words - it didn't matter if she agreed with him or not; he was checking her in as he spoke. He guided them back over to the waiting room and pulled open her notes. "Where do you have what you were supposed to be doing for..." Mason gestured to her arms. "I mean. When this happened. About that."

Madison hummed as she thought back to the day it had happened. She'd barely been aware of herself, which had obviously not led to great results. "Alchemy's the blue notebook," she said. "It would have been ... one of the more recent pages, and written in purple ink." She chuckled, and shook her head at herself. "Ironically enough. It's supposed to be a protection solution that you can put in a spray bottle. It's -- there's a tincture, the herbal component, that we were supposed to do at home, and add the part that we made in class to it to finish it off."

Mason nodded as he flipped through the blue notebook; he wondered if the color was a purposeful connection to Sebastian - his favorite color, his specialty. He hadn't dared to talk about what was going on between them - he'd thought that either Madison was over it, or that she'd talk to him when she needed to. Maybe he'd been wrong. Maybe if he hadn't thought that, she wouldn't be in the hospital. "If you could find a way to mitigate the negative side-effects this could be an equally cool potion," Mason mused as he studied the pages and the ingredients. He'd learned from his AMATs that failure depended entirely on perspective and expectations - he didn't entirely believe the logic, but it was a comforting thought nonetheless. "It could be a handy nightlight, or a marking system for underground areas."

Madison raised an eyebrow. "Well, yeah," she said. "That's why I entered something that was supposed to do this in the Masterwitch tournament. Sam and I thought it would be really cool. But that was supposed to be drunk, not topical, and it was only supposed to last a couple hours, tops." She turned her hand over in front of her eyes, examining the way that the luminescent lines seemed to spread over her whole skin like shining spiderwebs. "Come to think of it, the methodology is kinda the same -- we made it by adding this bioluminescent moss, uh, puree, I guess, to an herbal tincture."

Mason nodded quickly as she spoke, mentally retreating; nevermind that they were ​in the hospital​ to get her screwup fixed, he shouldn't point her flaws. He was saved from answering her because a nurse came over to them; he stood quickly and explained the situation, falling back as the nurse's eyes landed on Madison. "I guess there's not just a potion or a spell you can do to fix it?" Mason tried hopefully, but the nurse shook his head. 'Not without running some tests,' he replied, then glanced at his clipboard. 'Follow me, Miss McCarthy.' And then he led them to a private room, Mason bringing up the rear.

Madison took a seat on the table in the examination room. "I swear, I feel fine," she insisted, but the nurse shook his head and flipped a page on the clipboard all the same. 'That's a good start,' he said, 'but we still need to see about those arms.' As far as maladies went, Madison reasoned it was probably pretty tame, but she allowed herself to be subjected to the usual examination of her vitals, which revealed that she was more or less within normal parameters, but her heart rate was slightly elevated, and her temperature was a little high. It warranted further investigation, which meant that the twins got to sit together while the nurse ducked out to get the necessary equipment. Madison sighed as she looked back to Mason, kicking her feet nervously. "I still feel fine," she told him. "But ... thanks. Y'know, for looking out for me."

Mason frowned as the nurse spoke but stayed quiet until he left, then let out a soft sigh and looked back her. "'Course, Madi. I'm not about to let my favorite sister be a walking grape popsicle," he teased, but there was genuine concern there. "Especially with..." Mason gestured vaguely. "Everything going on. You don't need to thank me for doin' my job, Mads, especially when you did way more work when it was me and the hex." Mason shrugged one shoulder and dropped his gaze, kicking at nothing with his toe. He wasn't overly worried--the nurse hadn't rushed her off or called a quarantine or anything, but... "Thanks for not putting up too big a fight. I was prepared to literally drag you here if I had to."

Madison laughed softly, shaking her head. "Nah, you wouldn't have to drag me," she said fondly. "I guess ..." She looked down at her purple arms, hesitating as she tried to fit all the right words together. "I think ... I knew that I needed to come here to fix it, even if it meant admitting my mistakes. And I wouldn't want you to fight me on something like this if the situation were reversed."

Mason nodded, picking absently at his bracelet. "We're not so good at that," Mason mused, pulling one leg to his chest. "Admitting when we screw up." Mason smiled a little wryly. "Or we are, but we're not good at dealing with it." Mason chuckled a little wryly, free hand brushing his hair back. It was getting longer again. He stayed quiet for a long minute, then let out a soft sigh. "I really am sorry for the things I said. When I was hexed."

Madison shook her head at Mason. "That wasn't you," she insisted -- and then caught herself being on the defensive. "I mean -- thank you. That hex ... it got pretty much everyone I care about, this time around. At least when Quinn and I were affected by that pollen, you had help organizing everyone. And people listened to you." She chewed her lip thoughtfully; there was more to that, and Madison didn't know if now was the time to delve into it. "Besides, we got you fixed up!" she continued jovially, just a touch too bright, her smile a little too wide. "I've got my brother back, and that's what's important." 

Mason pursed his lips slightly--there was something off, that same slightly frenetic energy that had been bothering Mason. He'd would feel so much better when the doctor or whoever came back and fixed his sister. "And soon I'll have my sister back," Mason returned, scratching the back of his neck. Maybe one day they'd have a period of time where neither of them needed fixing. Someday. He didn't want to tell her that it had still been him - everything they'd done under the hex had still been them. It was still Mason, just...meaner. And that was something he'd have to come to terms with, sooner or later. "You think we'll ever have a dull moment around here?"

Madison laughed wryly. "I wonder," she said. "I think with a group of friends and acquaintances as big as ours, something's always bound to be going on, one way or another. But I think we'll get better at adapting to it. We're all learning after all, right?" The door swung open, then, and the nurse wheeled a cart in stacked with materials: potions, salves, crystals, and scientific medical equipment. Madison steeled herself for whatever procedure awaited her, and offered a big, bold smile to the nurse. "That ... looks like a lot of stuff," she said, but the nurse assured her that it would be fine. 'Don't worry,' he said, and picked up one of the crystals, his magic circle activating as he passed it over Madison's arms, studying the smooth surface for a diagnosis. 'Looks like you had a couple potions interact,' he deduced. 'And maybe not enough rest?' Madison pressed her lips together and looked down at her hands, answering by not answering.

Mason sat up a little straighter as the nurse came in, eying the table doubtfully. Definitely did not look good, but Mason kept calm. They knew what they were doing. "Definitely not enough rest," Mason huffed. "She didn't sleep for three days." Mason filled in, crossing his arms. "And even before this happened, she doesn't know how to relax." Mason didn't even care if he'd get in trouble for ratting her out. One of the things they needed to learn was when to take a breather, right?

Madison 's eyes widened as her attention snapped to her brother. "Mason!" she chided. Any fluctuations in her temperature now could easily be attributed to embarrassment rather than any particular medical condition. But even she had to admit that he was right. That was even the first thing that Éabha had tried to teach her. "Alright, so I was awake for three or four days," she admitted, eliciting a 'hmm' from the nurse that didn't sound too good. "I slept last night," Madison continued, "and I'm going to keep sleeping. I promise." The nurse didn't seem too satisfied with that response, though, and set the crystal down, to pick up one bottle from among many on the cart. 'This should help with the color,' he said. 'Apply it topically twice a day. Morning and night'll work. And I also want you to go to the healing pools within the next twenty-four hours. Come back tomorrow for a follow-up, alright?' Madison accepted the salve and nodded, then the nurse pointed to Mason. 'You. Brother, right? Make sure she does this, okay?'

Mason nodded as he was pointed out. "For sure," Mason promised, standing up to join her, resting his arm behind her. "She only slept with the help of a sleeping potion," Mason added, leaning over to peck a quick kiss to Madison's temple, an apology. "We'll make sure to hit the pools," Mason promised. "Are there any side-effects I should be watching out for?"

Madison sort of wanted to melt into the floor with all of the dirt that Mason was spilling on her, even if deep down she knew that honesty was the best thing to tell a medical professional. 'There's a few: sensitivity to light, dizziness, drowsiness,' the nurse explained, 'but if she needs sleep, let her. Oh ... and hiccups, but those will go away on their own. And apply the salve after showering, not before, alright?' he added, turning to Madison. 'They'll have a full instruction sheet and your prescription for the pools at the front desk. Don't forget to schedule that follow-up. Now, if there aren't any more questions, I need to check on a student who's sprouted some mysterious feathers.' Madison shook her head, and watched the nurse go, the bottle of salve tight in her grip. That sounded like a lot of side effects for something that wasn't bothering her that much. She hopped off the table and looked up to Mason. "Thanks," she said again, much more quietly this time.

Mason thanked the nurse again and then looked at his sister, a gentle smile on his face. "You're welcome, Madi," Mason said, pulling her close for a hug. He kissed the side of her head and sighed, closing his eyes for just a moment. At least he could still do this. At least he still knew how to do this. He could still keep Madison safe. "Now c'mon." He said, pulling back with a smile. He wrapped his arm around her shoulders and led them to the door. "Front desk and thennnnn...movie night? Craft night? Whatever you wanna do, sickie."

Madison leaned into Mason's comfortable touch, breathing a soft sigh of relief. She would be okay, purple glowing arms and all, and it was thanks to Mason keeping an eye on her, insisting that she take care of herself. That seemed to be a common theme, these days... "I think I'm under doctor's orders to relax," she replied, smiling softly.

Mason chuckled and nodded. "I'd be surprised if you didn't have a literal prescription for relaxation and chilling," Mason agreed, leading them to the front desk. "We'll cuddle up with a blanket and watch cartoons," Mason decided as the person in front of them stepped aside. "And drink relaxing tea."

Madison gave her name to the woman behind the desk, then made her appointment and accepted her prescription. "Aether, it really does say that," she groaned, and showed Mason as they stepped away. "It says I have to go to the pools and it's recommended that I cease stressful activity for the next day. That oughta be great in the middle of midterms..." She rolled her eyes, but smiled hopefully up at Mason. "Looks like we've got tea and cartoons and a blanket fort on order. Your dorm or mine?"

Mason laughed, shaking his head fondly. "Called it." Mason kept his arm around her as they left the hospital. "My room. I have better blankets, and a roommate who won't get weird about a twinning sleepover," Mason added with a wry smile. "It has been way, way too long since we had a good old fashioned blanketfort day. We deserve it."

Madison smiled warmly, already feeling a little better despite the route it took to get here. "Hey, my blankets are great," she insisted, teasing. "But ... you've got a point about the roommate." Quinn wouldn't be upset, but she might get weird; Madison was pretty sure that Spencer, on the other hand, would just ignore them. "I wanna stop by my room and get PJs and Éabha," she added. "And ... probably drop off the notebook, so I'm not tempted to sneak study, or something."

Mason snorted, rolling his eyes goodnaturedly. "You should know by now that my room is a no-studying zone." When she mentioned Éabha, Mason glanced at her. "She's gonna be maaaaaad. Would you absolutely kill me if I got Sabia just so she could translate for me? I've always wanted to see my sister scolded by a corvid." Mason grinned impishly.

Madison smacked Mason in the arm playfully. "You may not," she mock-commanded. Aether only knew what her familiar would have to say about the way she'd handled herself over the past couple of days. A lecture was probably not outside the realm of possibility; she did belong to Madison, after all. "But you should get Sabia, anyway. She's ... snuggly."

Mason snickered and nodded. "Yeah, she is," he agreed. He had the best familiar--who, to her credit, had been trying to get him to slow down too, but hadn't been overly successful either. They really did need to work on that. Soon they were at Madison's room, and Mason held back, settling against the wall. "I'll let you and Éabha have a minute. Bring that chamomile tea you have, too, 'kay?"

Madison gave Mason a tight, brief hug. "Sure thing," she agreed, and ducked into her room to get the things she'd mentioned. A long moment later, she emerged dressed in her pajamas, with a confident-looking Éabha on her shoulder and a pillow and box of tea under one arm. "Time to relax," she declared, a little sheepish, but determined to get this mission accomplished just like any other.

Mason grinned broadly, giving the two of them a playful salute before turning to head upstairs to his room. "Fort Relaxation, here we come!"

#ftf: all #ftf: mason