#at my previous riding school there were 3 of them and at my new one there’s 2

[saturnvs]

but imagine this: a fjording that is also a unicorn :)

#maybe an oc in the works?? idk i just wanted to get the idea down #horse #horses #horse art #norwegian fjord horse #oc #art #illustration #my art #i have a thing about fjordingar.. #at my previous riding school there were 3 of them and at my new one there’s 2 #splendid creatures

[pipsipey17]

love and literature | chapter 3: bad kind of butterflies.

professor!natasha romanoff x college student!reader

series masterlist | main masterlist

summary: some unexpected news from your sister.

contains: just some tension ig

previous chapter | next chapter

It has already been a month since you have been living with Natasha on the same roof and a lot of adjustments have been made, not only at home but also at school. Some of them were fine but the rest of them annoyed the hell out of you.

You hate her that was certain, but you have been feeling things for her whenever the two of you had interactions with each other. Whether they were good or bad. You knew it was wrong and weird but you fantasized about kissing her

“You coming Y/N?” Wanda asked as you were walking to your next class along with Pietro, Peter and Carol.

Pietro is Wanda’s twin brother and you have the same classes with him in almost every single subject except for Russian Literature that’s why you have been friends with him too.

Well for Peter, you and him have been lab partners since freshman year and he has been a huge help for you when it came to Science. He is definitely a Science geek but he means well.

As for Carol, apparently has had a thing for you since you started playing for the volleyball team of the university. She’s a beautiful blonde, has a bold yet great personality and is even the captain of the cheerleading team.

You decided to give it a shot, even though you already told her that you don’t take relationships that seriously. She agreed saying that she’s willing to risk it and that she might even change that for you. And now, you have just been letting the relationship take its course and see where it will take you.

“You know I can’t Wanda, ever since Natasha moved in I haven’t been able to go out after school because I apparently have to ride home with her.” You replied with a hint of disappointment and annoyance in your voice.

This was one of the adjustments that annoyed you, since Natasha brings her car to school everyday, your sister told you that you can just ride home with her. Except for the days that you have student council work to do or you have volleyball training cause you go home later than usual. You couldn’t even stay in one room together without you feeling a bit angry or annoyed at her, let alone a car ride home with her even though it’s only a 30 minute car ride.

“Oh come on baby, it’s the weekend tomorrow, why don’t you text your sister that you’re going out later and see how that goes.” Carol said as she placed her arm around your waist.

Wanda rubbed her temple and said, “I swear, Professor Romanoff isn’t even your sister and yet she acts like one more than Maria.”

“She’s more like a babysitter in my opinion.” Pietro snickered, making Wanda roll her eyes at her twin brother.

You started typing your text message to Maria and a few seconds later you hit send. Your sister immediately read the text message and replied with, “Alright, just don’t be home too late.”

“So?” Wanda asked as she heard the sound from your phone.

“She said yes.” You replied, making Wanda squeal with joy.

“Hell yeah! We’re getting drunk tonight.” Peter cheered.

~~~

You were now at the parking lot of the school on your way to find Natasha, a few moments later you finally saw Natasha and she was leaning against her car with a cigarette in hand, she was also already looking in your direction.

“Isn’t this a non-smoking area?” You asked with your arms crossed.

Natasha hummed, “Yes, but I am not a student like you.” She quipped.

You wanted to roll your eyes so badly at her response but you stopped yourself, “I’m not riding home with you today, I’ve got plans.” You said as you looked directly at her emerald green eyes.

“And by plans you mean?” She asked with her brow raised and a drag from her cigarette.

“I’m just going out with my friends.” You simply replied.

Natasha looked behind you and saw that Carol was waiting by the light post a few meters away from the both of you. “Right, friends.” she said with obvious sarcasm in her voice. She clicked her tongue and asked, “Does Maria know about this?”

“She does,” You replied and showed her your conversation with Maria earlier.

It wasn’t what she meant, she wanted to know if Maria knew about you dating the cheerleader but she would just ask you about that some other time.

“Fine, I’ll see you later.” She lastly said before she dropped her cigarette onto the ground and stepped on it, she then went into her car and drove off.

“Shall we go?” You suddenly heard Carol ask as she held your hand.

You nodded and said, “Yeah, let’s go and have some fun.”

~~~

A few drinks later, you decided to call it a night, it was getting late and you didn’t want an earful from your sister at an ungodly hour.

But what you didn’t expect was seeing a very familiar car waiting by the entrance. The window rolled down and you saw the very least person you wanted to see, Natasha.

“I didn’t ask for a chauffeur.” You said with annoyance.

“Your sister asked me to pick you up. She has an emergency at work if that's why you're wondering I'm the one picking you up instead of your sister.” Natasha plainly said to you with her piercing eyes almost as if she's going to eat you whole.

You were a bit scared with how she's looking at you but your anger and annoyance were dominating, “I'm not riding with you, I'm clearly not drunk so I don't need someone to bring me home. Plus, I'm going to walk Carol to her dorm.”

If Natasha was keeping her composure earlier, she’s sure as hell isn't now after you mentioned that girl.

What she did next is something you didn't expect at all, she got out of her car and grabbed both of your arms, placed them on your back then pushed you onto the wall and twisted one of your arms making you hiss and curse in pain.

“Ow! S-stop that!” you yelped.

Natasha leaned on your ear and whispered, “I'm going to stop once you step inside the car. So, I'll tell you this one more time, get. in.”

The way her voice husked in your ear definitely made you feel something but you still weren't going to easily fold, “Like hell I will.” you said making Natasha twisting your arm more making you scream in pain this time. After a few moments you finally gave up, “A-Alright, I-I'll get in.” you said, making Natasha chuckle and let go of your wrist, “Good, thought we're going to be here all night.”

Natasha then strutted back to her car as you continued to rub your wrist in pain later seeing a slight bruise forming as you entered the car.

“That's gonna teach you to listen to me, Y/N. I may be living rent free in your household but that doesn't mean you're allowed to disrespect me once we're outside campus.” Natasha said as she started to drive away.

You rolled your eyes and sat silent in your seat, until your phone rang, the caller ID revealing that your girlfriend was calling. "Hey babe. Yeah sorry, apparently, my sister told Natasha to pick me up." you heard Natasha click her tongue.

"I'll make it up to you tomorrow, I promise. Alright. Bye." you said then ended the call.

"Didn't say the 'L' word?" Natasha suddenly asked.

You scoffed, "No, we're not seriously dating. There's no need for that."

"Ah, so it's more on just sex then?" Natasha asked with a smirk on her face.

"What? N-no I mean… kind of, I mean…" you groan in frustration, "You know what, it's none of your business."

"Fine, I already got a clue anyway just from the answer alone." Natasha replied, her smirk not leaving her face.

"Whatever." you said while rolling your eyes.

Natasha suddenly grabbed your thigh and dug her nails into it making you hiss in pain, "Roll your eyes at me one more time, you're going to get it." she said as she continued driving and digging her nails into your thigh.

What she said and did made you remain still and silent in your seat, thankfully, you were already near your home.

Once you arrived, you immediately left the car and went inside to your bedroom, laying face planted onto the mattress and finally succumbed to sleep.

~~~

"I'm going on a business trip for a few weeks," Maria said as you ate breakfast.

"What? You're leaving me here?" You said in shock and disbelief.

"I wish you could come with me but you have school and plus, you have Natasha to stay here with you."

That was the issue, you didn't want to be left alone together with the woman you certainly despised with your whole being.

"When are you leaving?" Natasha asked as she got up from her seat and placed her dishes on the sink.

"Tonight, so that's why I won't be here once you guys get back." Maria replied as she also got up and placed her dishes on the sink.

You lastly got up and gathered all your dishes and placed them in the dishwasher. After that, you hugged your sister and said, "Take care big sis."

She hugged you back and replied, "Of course I will. I love you little sis."

You said I love you back and Natasha was just watching the whole scene unfold in front of her, it always made her smile when she would see you let all your guard down around your sister, it just meant that you really felt safe around her.

It reminded her of her sister, Yelena. Who is busy traveling the world and living her best life, making up for the lost time she had before because of their past.

Maria released her embrace. “Go wait for Natasha in her car, I have to talk to her about something first.” she said and you nodded in response then left the room with Natasha's car keys in hand.

Once they heard the door close, Maria took a deep breath and spoke, “You can… take care of her for me right? She tends to be reckless sometimes and I just want to make sure she's not going to be in some trouble while I'm gone.”

“You can count on me Maria, I mean, I already got a taste of that when I picked her up last night.”

What Natasha said made Maria raise a brow at her, “Really? What did she do?”

“She refused to get in the car with me, but it's fine, I managed.” Natasha replied with a slight smirk on her face.

“I see, well… I hope you won't experience more of that in the next few days. Well, anyway, you guys got to go, it's getting a bit late.” Maria lastly said before they hugged and Natasha left the kitchen.

Starting tonight, you'll be left with the woman you hate but at the same time feel certain things for. You're nervous but excited even to see what will happen the next few days of the two of you living together without your sister.

Natasha got in her car and started the engine. But before she starts to drive she looked you in the eyes and said, “Look, I know you don't like me and I can't blame you for that but we'll be living together for a few weeks and I want us to be friends even just for the time being for the sake of your sister.”

A smirk formed on your face, “Alright, if that's what you want then let's be friends.” you simply replied and Natasha did a simple nod in respone and started to drive you both to school.

Let the games begin.

#natasha romanoff #natasha romanoff x reader #natasha romanoff x yn #black widow #natasha romanoff imagine #black widow x yn #marvel #avengers #avengers imagines #marvel imagines #black widow fanfiction #black widow x reader

[eddiexmunsonlover]

One Step Away From You (Chapter 2)

ExBestFriend!Eddie Munson x PlusSize!Fem!Reader

<- Previous Chapter | Next Chapter ->

Chapter Summary: It's your first day back at Hawkins High. Your day goes as expected, until you see the face of your ex-best friend, Eddie Munson, at a lunch table with your younger friends.

WC: 5.7k

Warnings: MDNI. Explicit language used. Descriptions of anxiety, mentions of depression.

Notes: I've been dying to post this chapter. I've been waiting to post chapters until I have the next one finished, and it's been harder than expected to not just post them right away. This chapter features time spent with the younger kids, and Steve and Robin, as well as a little flashback. I hope you guys enjoy!

Monday, September 16th, 1985

Your eyes slowly open, taking in the dawn sky peeking through your curtains as the sun begins to rise. Your eyes shift to the clock by your bed, 5 minutes before your alarm goes off. Yawning, your hand falls to rest on your cat Henny, peacefully sleeping against your chest. You smile as you gently pet his soft black fur, enjoying the few moments of peace before you have to get ready. Moments of peace, soon interrupted by anxious thoughts about your first day back at Hawkins High. The repetitive feeling of your cat’s fur against your hand helps to keep your thoughts from spiraling too much. That is until the sudden, loud blaring of your alarm caused him to sprint off the bed in a flash. You snort out a laugh as you quickly turn off your alarm.

Stretching out all your limbs, you climb out of bed with a sigh and head to the bathroom to start your morning routine. You spend a few minutes browsing your wardrobe, deciding on what to wear for your first day outfit. Finally deciding on a pair of your favorite acid wash jeans that hug your curves, a Metallica Ride the Lightning shirt, and your trusty, worn black converse hi-tops. You turn to your vanity, beginning your usual hair and make-up routine. You kept your hair in its natural form, only adding some hairspray to your roots to add some volume. Followed by a smokey eye, winged eyeliner, mascara, and some chapstick. You grab your bag, keys, and a pack of pop-tarts, giving Henny a kiss on his head before heading out the door. 

You start your truck, turning the dial of the radio until you hear the familiar sounds of Hall & Oates. You light a menthol cigarette, a habit picked up from your parents and the stress of the last few years, before backing out of your driveway. You take note of the same unfamiliar van in Uncle Wayne’s driveway as you pull out of the trailer park. As you drive down the road, singing along to Out of Touch, you feel that familiar anxious knot start to form in your stomach as you get closer to the school.

A knot that only grows when you pull into Hawkins High’s parking lot, noting all the cars and students already there. You pull into an open space in the back and park your truck, sighing as you finish your cigarette, eyes roaming among the students lingering around their cars. Starting at a new school was never easy, but starting at a new school after the year had already started was worse. Today marked the 3rd week of the school year. You hope the year was still fresh enough that no one would pay particular attention to a newer face. Who were you kidding, in a town as small as Hawkins? Of course they would notice. You groan before deciding, Fuck it, let’s get this over with. You grab your bag and begin walking toward the school entrance, not letting your eyes linger away from the main doors to meet the ones of your fellow students.

After 3 years, the halls of Hawkins High are still familiar to you, finding your way to the principal’s office easily. You enter, eyes falling onto a middle-aged woman, clad in all purple clothing and accessories as you approach her desk. 

“Hi, uhm-” you cleared your throat, prompting her eyes to lift to meet yours. “It’s my first day. My mom already took care of the paperwork. I’m here to get my locker and class schedule.” You notice the way her eyes look you over, squinting scrutinizingly in the process.

“Name?” she asks, voice monotone as she reaches for a folder of papers in the desk drawer. You give your name, watching as she shuffles through them. Your eyes briefly look around, landing on the door to the Principal’s office. You can’t help rolling your eyes as you notice the plaque on the door, Principal Higgins. Can’t wait to deal with that prick again. You look back to the receptionist as she wordlessly hands over 2 papers with your locker information and your class schedule. Her eyes never look back up to you as she quickly resumes her previous task. Your body shifts awkwardly. 

“Uh, thank you. Have a good one” you politely offer as you turn to leave. Rolling your eyes and muttering “Rude bitch” as you re-enter the halls and head to your first class.

Your first few classes of the day go as expected. Much to your dismay, your presence had caught the eyes and attention of a few of your peers. If it wasn’t for the fact that your presence in their classes is new, your looks would be grabbing their attention regardless. You did your best to be as unbothered as you could, ignoring their gazes and whispers as you focused on the lectures or doodling in your notebook. As you sit in your last class before lunch, you can’t help but feel frustrated at your predicament.

Moving back to Virginia in 10th grade had fucked everything up for you. To say you were devastated after the move is an understatement. You struggled to adjust; switching schools half-way through the school year, leaving behind Eddie, your Dad, and your parents' crumbled marriage. You fell into a depression and didn’t attempt to make new friends or try to pass your classes. By the end of your 10th grade year you’d failed most of your classes, causing you to be held back and having to redo the year over again. If your family had never fallen apart and you’d never moved, you would’ve graduated this past May. 

There’s no point in lingering on it now, it’s done. The best thing you could do now is stay on top of your schoolwork, graduate next May and hopefully go off to college in the Fall to start the rest of your life.

Your eyes shoot up from your notebook as the bell rings, dragging you out of your thoughts. You collect your things, following your peers into the quickly crowding halls. You originally planned to spend your lunch period in the library, setting up your school planner and figuring out assignments you already needed to catch up on. However, your young friend Mike Wheeler on the other hand, insisted that you come and sit with the boys for lunch when you’d called and let them know you were back in Hawkins. 

~

The cafeteria buzzes with its usual chatter, as does the Hellfire table. Eddie, Gareth, Jeff, and Grant discuss the latest DnD campaign, begging Eddie for details of the upcoming one this Friday. Eddie laughs bashfully, denying their requests. Until he notices the newer, younger members of Hellfire completely oblivious to their conversation, and thoroughly engaged in their own. Eddie attempts to filter out the whines of the older members.

“I’m so happy she’s back, I can’t believe it.” Dustin remarks.

“I know! You told her to come sit with us right?” Lucas directs at Mike, who eagerly nods his head in response.

“Yeah, has anyone seen her yet?”

The other two boys shake their heads.

“I could’ve sworn I saw her on my way to 3rd period but I wasn’t sure” Dustin adds.

“Man. It’s nice we’ll actually get to go to school together, at least for this year.” Lucas says, referencing the few years you have on them.

It’s a rapid fire conversation Eddie can barely hear. Just when he’s about to interrupt and ask who the hell they’re talking about,

“Oh wait, there she is!”

Eddie’s eyes follow to where the younger boys’ eyes and small waves are directed toward, eyes landing on you.

Eddie’s movements freeze, breath hitching in his throat as he watches you. It’s like everything moves in slow motion. Your eyes quickly scan the cafeteria, uncertainty sketched across your face. Until your eyes catch the younger boys, and a breathtaking smile spreads across your face that knocks the air right out of his goddamn lungs. You giggle softly as you begin to walk towards them. And all Eddie can do is fucking stare. 

He has to force himself to blink multiple times to make sure he’s not dreaming. It’s really you. What the fuck, it’s you?? He could only watch in disbelief, brain short circuiting. In the nearly 3 years that had passed, you really didn’t look much different at all. You did seem more confident, comfortable in yourself. Your features had matured a bit more too, but you still had that same baby face; pink, chubby cheeks and soft jawline. Only now your hair is a few shades lighter and you’re sporting a nose ring.  Your body had filled out more too, the same body Eddie had practically gawked over seen from his bedroom window yesterday. Now that he has a view from the front, he can’t stop his eyes from fully looking you over. From your gorgeous face, to the faint outline of your plush stomach through your Metallica shirt, to your thick thighs that rubbed against each other as you walked. Eddie was still frozen in place as you finally approach the table, eyes not having met his yet. 

You greet the younger boys with a smile, 

“Hey buds” you exclaim happily. Your arms wrap around Mike and Lucas, giving them both a half hug before rounding the other side of the table to Dustin, ruffling his hair playfully. 

“How’s freshman year treating y’all?” You ask genuinely. You can’t deny that you had worried a bit for them. Freshman year can be rough, especially for a ‘freak’.

“Good”

“Eh”

“Not so bad” Mike shrugs, “the club has helped.” His head gestures to the other, older boys at the rest of the table. 

Your eyes follow, noting the other boys’ eyes are already on you, watching in subtle curiosity. Your eyes land on the boy sitting at the head of the table. Hair long, dark, and wild. An unreadable expression on his face, dark brown eyes boring into yours. 

Eddie. Fuckkkk. 

Your eyes widen slightly, smile faltering as you try to swallow the lump that just lodged itself in your throat. You try your best to put on a genuine smile, only partially effective as an awkward half smile tugs at your lips. 

“Hey, Eddie” you offer with a small nod.

His mind finally snaps out of its daze, reality and resentment setting in. He coughs lightly, clearing his throat as his features and gaze harden.

“Y/N” he offers, voice cold as he snatches his gaze from yours. He resumes eating his pretzels, as if your very presence didn’t just shatter his world as he knew it. 

“You guys know each other?” Lucas asks curiously.

Dustin turns his head to look up at you behind him, eyes widening.

“Wait… Eddie? As in THE Eddie… that taught you DnD?” Dustin asks.

You give him a tight lipped smile as you nod, 

“The one and only.”

You begin to fidget on your feet uncomfortably, stomach turning. 

“I can’t believe I didn’t connect the dots until now.” Dustin breathes out slowly.

“Whoa… you should totally join and play with us!” Mike quickly adds.

Abort mission. Abort mission. Your thoughts scream at you. 

“Oh, that’s alright.” You dismiss him quickly with a smile and small wave of your hand, “Anyway, I just came by to say ‘Hi’ to you guys real quick. I gotta get going.”

You’re greeted with a chorus of groans from the younger boys. You offer a small nod and tight-lipped smile to the older boys. Your eyes briefly glance at Eddie, whose eyes haven’t left his pretzels since first leaving yours. You tell the younger boys you’ll see them later as you begin to walk off towards the exit. Finally releasing a breath you didn’t realize you were holding. A breath that’s quickly catching in your throat again as you hear fast footsteps approaching from behind you and feel a hand on your shoulder. You relax as you turn and see Dustin’s face.

“Hey, wait. So reaalllly quick. Lucas and Mike wanted me to ask if you wouldn’t mind giving us a ride home after school?” 

“Seriously man?” You let out a genuine laugh, caught off guard.

“Oh, come onnn. You remember how much it sucks to ride the bus! Pretty pretty please??” Dustin asks, putting on the best puppy eyes he can manage. You roll your eyes and groan playfully at him.

“Fine, but whoever gets to my truck first gets to sit in the cab with me, the last 2 are stuck in the truck bed” you add. 

If you’re gonna be stuck giving them a ride, you’d at least get some entertainment out of watching them race for the best seat. Dustin salutes you before scurrying back to the Hellfire table as you turn and walk out of the cafeteria as quickly as your legs can take you.

Gareth, Jeff, and Grant share curious, confused, but knowing glances at each other and Eddie. Picking up on the undeniable tension in the air between him and this girl. Feeling their eyes on him, and before Gareth can even open his mouth, Eddie’s hand shoots up to cut him off.

“Don’t.” 

They’d drop it for now, but Eddie knew it was only a matter of time before it was brought up, whether by them or the newer members whom you seemed to know so well. 

~

Shitshitshit! Your thoughts rapidly fly through your head as you hightail it to the library to spend the remainder of your lunch. Eddie’s was the last face you expected to see at school, in Hawkins. Let alone sitting at a table, in a DnD club with your young friends. What the hell is he still doing here anyway? Remember that comforting, hopeful feeling you had? It was long gone now, dissipating at the sight of your old best friend. Crumbling into ashes as your eyes met his, his face even more beautiful than you remembered… and hardened as he saw you. 

You were so confused. Last you knew of Eddie was that he had hooked up with some girl who worked for a record company in LA, recording a demo tape for a record deal back in Spring 84’. At least that’s what you and Eddie’s friend from the trailer park and Corroded Coffin's drummer, Ronnie had relayed to you over the phone. You’d asked her not to give you any more updates about him after that, the news making your stomach drop. When she went off to NYU later that year, you figured the band had just replaced her with a new drummer.

You enter the library and head towards an old spot of yours, a table in the back tucked between bookshelves rarely perused by your peers. Your head falls into your hands as you plop down into a chair, sighing deeply as you attempt to calm your thoughts and breathing. All those thoughts and feelings about Eddie you’d tried to bury over the last few years were now clawing their way out of the grave and overtaking your mind. 

You feebly try to push them down again. You look at the lunch you had packed for yourself. Knowing you couldn’t stomach it right now, you pull out your planner and syllabi from your earlier classes. It only leads to your thoughts of Eddie and your school work hashing it out in your head for your undivided attention. You sigh again, already knowing which will be the winner. Leaning back in your chair, you think about how exactly you got here. How the best friend you’ve ever had could barely make any eye contact with you, and the sight of him made you have a near panic attack.

~

It had been a cloudy day in early December 1982, when you dragged your feet across the road to the Munson trailer. Sprinkles of rain began to fall, soaking into your hair as you dreaded breaking the news to your best friend. You willed away the tears that were already building in your eyes before you could even step onto Uncle Wayne’s porch. A few moments after your weak knocks on the door, it opened to reveal your best friend. His signature cheeky smile plastered on his face, quickly slipping away when he noted the somber look on yours.

“Hey, hey. What’s wrong?” He asked softly, hand reaching for your arm as he stepped out the trailer to join you on the porch. You couldn’t look him in the eyes, you knew as soon as you did you wouldn’t be able to stop the waterfall. 

“I’m leaving, Eddie…” you mutter, voice soft and cracking. 

“Leaving? W-What do you mean?” Eddie asks, confusion seeping through his voice and features. You gulp, trying to calm yourself before you continue. “Is it your dad? Is he giving you guys problems? I told you, you can come to me and Wayne if he-”

“No-No. He’s in the tank for a DUI right now a-and Mom thinks… it’s perfect timing to just get away, put some distance…” you manage to get out. You take a deep breath before willing yourself to look up and finally meet his eyes. “We’re moving back to Virginia.” 

Your eyes search his as yours begin to well with tears. Finally saying the words to him made it real, definite, final. He sighs deeply, a small frown pulling at his lips.

“C’mere…” He whispers, pulling you into his chest as his arms wrap around and squeeze you tightly. His gesture causes your tears to fall freely. You almost feel bad that you’re no doubt soaking his shirt and leaving behind an embarrassing wet spot, but the feeling of his arms around you and the sad, anxious thoughts flying through your mind distract you from it.

“It’s gonna be okay” he says reassuringly, a hand softly rubbing up and down your back.

After a minute he pulls back, hands holding both of your arms as he looks at you with a small smile.

“They have phones back in Virginia, right?” he asks, joking lightly. Anything to lessen the frown and tears streaking your cheeks. You smirk softly in response, nodding your head as you wipe your tears. “Then it’ll be okay. We’ll call a-and talk about school, new records, DnD campaigns… that dick Higgins” A brief, wet laugh escapes your mouth at his words. 

“all the things we talk about now. I promise.” He finishes, moving one of his hands from your arm to extend his pinky finger out to you. A long playful gesture you’ve done since meeting in 4th grade. You take a moment to let his words and optimism sink in. 

You wrap your pinky finger around his, offering back a small smile. “Promise.”

~

The bell signaling the end of the lunch period pulls you out of your memory. You collect your things, taking your place in the halls among your peers as you head toward your next class. Only 3 more periods to get through, that’s it. Just 3. Then you can go home, and dig into your stash for some relief from this whirlwind of a day. You take a deep breath and put on a brave face as you walk into your English class. You’re one of the first students there, quickly grabbing an open seat in the back. Settling in, you pull out your notebook from your bag, facing toward the front of the class just as a patched denim jacket catches your eye. Eddie saunters in, dropping ungracefully into a seat in the back, 2 rows away from you. This can’t be happening. You lace your fingers together, resting your mouth against them as you stare at the board, not daring to let your eyes wander towards the long haired boy.

A soft gasp coming from your right grabs your attention, 

“Hey, I know you! Scoops Ahoy right?” You look over the girl as she takes a seat next to you. She looks familiar, you’d definitely seen her a few times while you were working at Scoops this summer. Donna? Denise? Debbie? You tried remembering the girl's name, knowing Steve had mentioned it at some point.

You clear your throat before answering, “Yeah, mhm. That’s me.”

“Oh my gosh. I still can’t believe what happened with the fire. I mean, a grease fire? From that god awful Hot Dog on a Stick place? Still so crazy to me.” She states, shaking her head in disbelief. You nod softly in response.

“Yeah, tell me about it. Guess they never learned grease and water don’t mix.” You breathe out a soft laugh, “Not an experience I’ll forget anytime soon, that’s for sure.”

“For sure, I bet! Hey, I thought I remembered Steve saying something about you just visiting for the summer… I’m guessing you’re here to stay?” 

You were a little taken aback at how kind she’s being. She seemed nice enough buying ice cream, but holding a full on conversation with you in a classroom was unexpected. By the looks of her, she wouldn’t be considered a ‘freak’ by any means. Not popular, but not an outcast either.

“Yeah that’s right, at least until graduation.” you respond with a soft smile that she quickly returns.

“Cool. Well anyway, I’m glad you guys made it out okay.”

“Thanks, me too” You finish as she settles into her seat, just as Ms. O’Donnel begins to speak at the front of the class.

As you settle back into your own seat, your cheeks warm. He didn’t hear that, did he? You try to pay attention to Ms. O’Donnel as she discusses The Catcher in the Rye when you can feel eyes on you. Taking in your peripheral vision confirms it. Yep, he definitely heard that. Eddie is practically staring daggers at the side of your face before scoffing, shaking his head and looking toward the front of the class. 

It takes every fiber of his being to not storm out of the classroom right in that moment, but he actually wanted to try and graduate this year, so he stays. Leg rapidly bouncing, biting down his already short nails just to attempt to calm the nerves and emotions raging through his body. Seeing you again, then to overhear that you had been visiting Hawkins in the summer this whole time… it’s too much for him to process. He’s hurting, fucking heartbroken actually, but that’s being overshadowed by anger. He knew it. Part of him never wanted to fully admit it to himself, but now he knows it’s true. You had truly abandoned him. He’s never blamed you for moving back to Virginia. That wasn’t your fault. You had no control over it, and he knew that. What he could never understand though, was why a couple months after you’d moved, you stopped calling and returning his calls. He used to go over and over in his head if he had done something, said something wrong and could never think of anything. He had tried not to let himself linger on it for too long and put on a tough front. He had been wrong about you, he’d decided. You were just like all the other people in his life that just hurt and abandoned him. That’s what he had to tell himself to move on and not drive himself crazy. Even if part of him didn’t, wouldn’t believe it. Well now he knows. You’d been visiting in the summers this whole time, and never bothered to tell him or see him? He still doesn’t understand why, but now he knows that he was right.

As soon as the bell rings, Eddie’s the first out of his seat and out of the door. You take a deep breath, wanting nothing more than to crawl in a hole and hide, the undeniable feeling of guilt overtaking you. You know you can’t, however. You’re going to have to tough it out for 2 more periods. Eddie doesn’t even attempt it, immediately walking out to his spot in the woods behind the school to smoke, to try to calm his body and mind so he can at least try to attend his last class of the day. 

Art happens to be his last class of the day, a class that he notices upon entering, is another he has to share with you. If you had known your first day was going to go like this, you would’ve just stayed in bed with Henny all day. You shake your head to yourself, knowing this is something you won’t be able to avoid and run away from for long. Is that something you even want? You tended to avoid conflict and confrontation at all cost… but you love Eddie. You miss Eddie. You know things are the way they are because of you. You have to take responsibility for it. You had known dropping contact with Eddie might hurt him, but you told yourself it probably wouldn’t bother him that much and he’d move on quickly. The insecure part of your brain told you, you probably didn’t mean as much to him as he did to you. Seeing his reaction today at lunch, and in class overhearing of your summer visits he wasn’t included in, tells you you’re dead wrong. What the hell am I going to do? How am I going to fix this?

When the bell rings this time to signal the end of the school day, you’re the first out of your seat and the classroom. Stopping at your locker to collect the last of your things into your bag before heading to the front doors. Stepping outside you take a deep breath of fresh air, digging for your pack of cigarettes and quickly lighting one. You close your eyes as you blow out the smoke, immediately feeling slightly calmer.

Then, just as if the gods have heard your plea for some lightness to this quickly souring day, you spot a familiar BMW pulling into the front of the school. You can’t deny the smile that quickly appears on your face. You put out your cig before Robin inevitably joins, knowing her distaste for it. You stroll over to the car as Steve parks it, already jumping out of the driver's seat to wrap you in a tight hug. You giggle, hugging him back.

“Hey, haircut. Miss me that much already?”

“Hush it, Y/L/N.” Steve quips. A split second later, you hear a rapidly approaching squeal before a body is pushed against your back, effectively putting you in the middle of a human sandwich hug.

“Oh, Y/N! Thank god you’re here. I didn’t know how much more of Steve I could bear on my own!” Robin exclaims exasperatedly, resting her head on top of yours. You let out a belly laugh, enjoying the comfort of their presence and hugs before begging them to let you go. 

“So, how was your first day back?” Steve asks as you both lean back against his car. 

You roll your eyes, sighing as you shake your head. 

“That’s the last thing I wanna talk about right now” When they meet you with concerned, sympathetic looks, you add “It’ll be alright though. I’m just so happy to see you guys, it‘s just what I needed.” You offer them a genuine smile.

Out of the corner of your eye, you spot the familiar curls of Dustin rushing out of the front doors of the school. Eyes quickly scanning the parking lot before landing on you. You point toward your truck in the back of the parking lot. 

“Black truck!” you shout, trying to hold back your laughter as you watch his eyes follow your finger before scurrying across the parking lot.

“Uh, HELLO, Henderson?!” Steve exclaims, arms thrown in the air in disbelief.

“I don’t have time for you right now, Steven!!” Dustin shrieks in response, dodging other student bodies as he races for the best seat. You can’t hold it in anymore at that, throwing your head back in laughter with Robin.

“Jeez. Guess I’m chopped liver, then.” Steve scoffs, shaking his head as he looks back over to you two.

“Oof. That’s rough, bud. How will your fragile ego ever recover?” Robin remarks, rubbing Steve’s arm in fake sympathy.

“Yeah, yeah. Laugh it up.”

You notice Mike and Lucas run out of the school seconds later, playing out the same actions as Henderson. Cursing when they see Dustin’s already ahead of them. 

“Oh, Y/N! You should totally apply to Family Video and work with us!” Robin exclaims excitedly.

“Yeah, it’ll be the three amigos again!” Steve adds, eliciting a groan and eye roll from Robin who lightly pushes him.

“Dingus”

“While I would love nothing more, I already promised my aunt I’d work for her at the restaurant” You respond with a pout. “But, you can definitely count on me coming in to bother y’all on your shifts.” 

They have a shift this afternoon so you part ways, hugging them goodbye with promises to talk later. Steve insists he wants to hear all the details about your day, when you’re ready to share of course. You smile, waving them off as you walk toward your truck. The 3 boys crowding around the passenger door, bickering with each other. 

“Dustin was here first. You two in the back, no arguments!” You state simply as you unlock the doors. As everyone gets settled, you quickly flip through your cassettes, putting in Motorhead’s Overkill album. As you begin to pull out from your parking spot, your eyes briefly land on Eddie. He stands at the front of the school, leaning against a pillar as he smokes a cigarette. Gareth is talking to him, but his eyes are on you. Catching the events of the last few minutes, cozying up with Steve Harrington of all people. You notice Gareth’s eyes follow Eddie’s to yours before you quickly return your focus to getting the hell away from this school. 

When you pull up to a red light, you open the small back window.

“Whose house am I dropping y’all off at?” 

“Mine is fine!” Mike responds, “We’ve got some homework to work on.”

You nod before a thought pops into your head.

“Hey” you turn your head slightly to look at Dustin and the boys in the back, “How is Max doing? I didn’t see her today.”

The boys are quiet for a moment, pondering what to say, causing your eyebrows to furrow in worry.

“She’s uh- she took everything that happened at the mall… Billy… pretty hard.” Mike finally says.

“She doesn’t really hang out with us much anymore. Her and her mom moved into the trailer park actually.” Dustin adds quietly.

“She broke up with me.” Lucas says after a few moments, unable to hide the sadness in his voice.

Your eyes widen in shock for a moment before you fully turn your head back, eyes meeting Lucas.

“I’m really sorry, bud. She probably just needs some time. I’m sure you guys will be able to work things out.” You offer sympathetically, Lucas giving you a soft nod and half-smile in return. 

You sigh, elbow resting on the bottom of your window frame, driving again as the light turns green. You make a mental note to figure out which trailer she’s moved into, keep an eye out for her at school and check in on her. Hearing she’s pulled away from the group and broke up with Lucas worries you, you don’t want her to have to go through this struggle alone.

Dustin breaks the silence a few moments later.

“Sooooo, what’s up with you and Eddie?” you choke out a laugh and shake your head. Real smooth, Dustin. “I mean, from the way you used to talk about him, you two seemed really close. But I picked up on that tension at lunch. Something happened, I know it.” he prods further, like this was a mystery he’s determined to insert himself in and solve.

“Nosey much, Henderson?” you say, side-eyeing him.

“I’m just saying. We’re close with you… and now Eddie is our dungeon master, we’re getting close with him… things could get sticky if there’s some tension there, which I know for a fact there is.”

“Oh is that so?” you retort, feeling relief as you pull into the boys’ neighborhood, knowing there isn’t as much time as Dustin would like to continue pushing you for information. “Dustin, I love ya. But respectfully, it’s none of your damn business, bud.” You finish, scrunching your nose at him teasingly. He puts his hands up defensively, dropping the conversation as you pull up to Mike’s house. You bid them farewell with a smile and wave as they thank you for the ride. 

You might have sped on the drive back to your trailer, just a little bit. You still have a few more hours till your mom gets home, and you want nothing more than the comfort of home and the familiar green plant in your lungs after your day. You don’t spare a glance at the trailer across the street as you pull in, quickly hopping out of the truck and unlocking the front door. You groan in relief as you quickly rid yourself of your bra and jeans, slipping into your comfy house shorts. You grab a blunt you pre-rolled, a lighter, and your portable radio before walking out the back door and sitting on the back steps. You’re grateful your small backyard is obscured from the views of your neighbors by some trees and bushes as you light your blunt. You lean back against the stair railing, listening to the sounds of Fleetwood Mac as you let the calming effects of your weed start to take over. Even as your body and mind calm, a single question repeatedly pushes into your thoughts.

How am I going to fix this?

#eddie munson fic #eddie munson x plus size reader #eddie munson x fem!reader #eddie munson x female reader #eddie munson x you #eddie munson x y/n #eddie munson x plussize!reader #bestfriend!eddie munson #eddie munson slow burn #eddie munson best friends to lovers

[absolutebl]

10 BLs where the Main Couple has NO Prior History

Or at least, very very little of it. The opposite of the very popular LTP (long term pining). 

This post in response to a question posed by the most excellent @luuhecia​ who asked: Soooo here's my plea: do you have any recommendations of shows where the people involved have no previous history?

In other words we get to watch them meet and fall in love with no prior history on either side. So I eliminated those were there was a made crush even if only recently (e.g. Light on Me, Takara & Amagi). 

1. Seven Days

They know of each other but just in a normal high school way. No pining. The story is basically about the 7 days it takes them to fall in love. 

2. Color Rush

They are destined for each other but they have never met before. 

3. Semantic Error 

In fact, part of the premise is a “hunt for the unknown boy who made him fail to graduate.” 

4. To My Star 

They have a couple of meet cutes, accidentally shack up together. 

There are actually a TON from Korea. 

5. Addicted 

The new kid in high school. They have a family connection (it turns out) but they didn’t know each other. 

6. Restart After Come Back Home

We see them meet for the first time and then go on from there.

7. HIStory 2: Crossing the Line 

They meet by crashing into each other because... Taiwan. 

8. My Tooth Your Love 

Just so cute. 

9. Eclipse

There are a lot of good ones from Thailand but I chose this because it’s part of the plot, how they know nothing about each other. 

10. Love by Chance 

Just the greatest meet cute ever. 

NEW ENTRY

11. The Eighth Sense

Actually uses the fact that the DO NOT have prior history with each other as a plot point and for character development. It’s addressed directly ind dialogue. Very nicely done! 

Others that didn’t make my top 10 but still have no prior pining

China 

Advance Bravely 

Capture Lover

My Esports Genius Brother - love at first sight 

Japan

Candy Color Paradox 

Given - love at first sight 

His the series  - love at first sight 

Senpai This Can’t Be Love (he has a crush on him but they haven’t actually met each other) 

Silhouette of Your Voice

Kieta Hatsukoi

My Beautiful Man 

Mr Unlucky - love at first sight 

Korea 

Kissable Lips - fated mates

Mr Heart

My Sweet Dear 

Love Class 

Behind Cut 

Shoulder to Cry On 

The Lover - cohabitation 

Unintentional Love Story 

Tasty Florida - love at first sight 

 Roommates of 304 

All the Liquors

Blueming

New Employee 

Nobleman Ryus Wedding 

Oh Boarding House 

Ocean Likes Me 

Tinted With You 

Wish You - love at first sight 

You Make Me Dance  

The Philippines 

Like in the Movies

My Day 

Rainbow Prince 

Taiwan 

Because of You 

Be Loved in House I Do

Craving You - love at first sight 

HIStory 2: Right or Wrong 

See You After Quarantine? 

Vietnam

Hay Rival I Love You 

My Lascivious Boss - one night stand

Nation’s Brother - one night stand

Want to See You 

You Are Ma Boy

Thailand

(not all are chronicled, there’s too many, main couples only) 

Ai Long Nhai - love at first sight 

Bite Me

Between Us - one night stand 

Coffee Melody

Love Mechanics - one night stand  

Ghost Host Ghost House

Gen Y - love at first sight 

KinnPorsche (family connection but they don’t know about it) 

La Cuisine 

Tale of 1000 Stars - Well there is the heart connection but it’s not quite the same thing

Love in the Air 

Love Area 

My Engineer 

Meow Ears Up 

Moonlight Chicken - one night stand 

My Ride - GREAT example of well developed meet cute and then romance 

Never Let Me Go

Not Me - erm, it’s complicated 

Oh My Sunshine Night 

Oxygen - love at first sight 

Paint with Love

Puppy Honey 

Siew Sum Noi

Something in My Room 

Top Secret Together 

TharnType 

Tuxedo 

Unforgotten Night - One Night Stand 

Vice Versa 

What Zabb Man 

YYY 

This post as of April 2023, not responsible of BLs that fit this criteria after that date. But feel free to leave a comment or repost with more additions. 

(source)

#BLs with no backstory #BL love at first sight #BL instalove #Love by Chance #thai bl #Eclipse #Taiwanese BL #My Tooth Your Love #HIStory 2: Crossing the Line #Japanese BL #Restart After Come Back Home #Seven Days #Korean BL #Color Rush #Semantic Error #To My Star #Chinese BL #Addicted #we get to watch them meet and fall in love #no pining allowed

[he-goes-down]

0. There Was A Time

fic chapters/warnings/disclaimers/ect

:DISCLAIMER:

Mentions of drugs/ sex ect.

English is not my first language

POV changes

x reader

inconsistent updates

time line is not perfect or accurate

Character may also not be accurate

I'll also be posting this on wattpad and maybe ao3

So if you see it wasn't stolen<3

Also i dont know how tumblr works and how to link chapters together(someone send help)

ALSO THIS NOT EDITED IN ANYWAY SO SORRY IF THERE ARE SPELLING MISTAKES

THANK YOU FOR READING MWUAH MWUAH

LEAVE COMMENTS <3

The studio was warm in the coldest night of this Autumn, warm yellowish light and the red carpeted floor made it feel like a cosy log cabin. A full drum set with a few too many ride cymbals and windchimes sat close to the middle of the fat bare bricked wall, with a small metal bucket that had the remains of broken splinter drumsticks. A rack of guitars and two bass holders stood next to the right wall where an old armchair sits, a few different sized amps scattered round the square room. Right in front of the glass that separates the control room from the studio three mic stand in a line with noise cancelling boxes surrounding each of them.

In the control room there is a strong smell of weed and other smokeable herbs, "No! You can't take Runaway Blues off the album!" A man with short shoulder length brown hair and a moustache protested as he puffed on his cigarette as he lied back on the couch, his dark glasses fell back on his face as he tilted his head back. "I agree with Jake. It shows how good we are even when we're shit faced." The man with long curly hair, a gorgeous ethnic nose, stood up – towering over the other 4 people in the sesh – and began to roll another blunt on one of the control panels. The one that started this debated piped in, "Thanks Dan for taking my side." He said sarcastically, his curly mullet was like a solid cloud on his head, and he has a moustache like Jake. "We'll our wonderful manager and producer here," A man that looked like Jesus pointed to a woman that sat next to Jake on the couch. "Was the one that wasn't shit faced, I think that's why it was actually good, Joshua." He finished. "Hey, hey, I'm not saying it's shit because of you, please believe me y/n!" Josh dramatically pleaded to y/n. She was looking up at the ceiling. Pupils dilated. Blunt in hand. "Just, make it shorter." She said confidently, waving her hand a bit. Still not looking at anyone and head craned back. "You have the answer to everything." Danny said his mouth slightly gaped that such a simple solution didn't register in any of their minds. Or he's just on a psychedelic trip and can't spark up a brain cell.

The following week the band had dates in LA since they were still doing there 'Dreams in Gold' Tour. The band was already at the venue setting up, some still sleeping in the bus. Y/n had some business to attend to in their studio in New York before going down to LA. She decided to walk down the infamous Sunset Strip, as a historic music place like this could not go untrekked when having the chance. Wearing a black turtleneck, dark blue flare jeans with dark brown boots and a satchel bag hanging from her shoulder, a small suitcase's handle in the other hand while the silver case dragged its wheels on the floor. As she caught the sight of the colourful sign of The Rainbow, a voice called to her. "Y/n?" A older man, short blondish hair, leather jacket, sunglasses.

Axl Rose.

And like the trigger of a gun being pulled,

A life was lost.

(or misplaced)

Y/n's POV:

Everything stood still,

I stood still.

Then it all went dark. It was a black lifeless void.

Falling backwards but being physically still.

Time was reversing.

A previous life. My life?

Memories rolling past like an old film.

My head spiralled.

I can't comprehend this. What is happening to me?

My first years of school, late 60's early 70's. That's not right. It was the early 2000's.

Falling in love with music, Queen, Elton John.

Highschool was trip. My parents being stricter than anyone else's, they didn't believe I could have a job as in the music industry.

Studying music in college then going on the Uni and taking a science course to get my folks off my back.

One of my most successful record deals was Mötley Crüe and Bon Jovi.

Before they even started writing lyrics for their songs, I knew it off by heart and helped them gain success with it and recording went like dream.

Now I was searching the East Coast for a new band to sign.

March 1985, The City of Angels.

A flash of light, and my eyes flickered open.

It a cold night, dark but the city light was somewhat comforting.

It was the Sunset Strip, but something was...

Off.

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

OMG SORRY IF IT'S SHIT

THIS WAS LIKE THE INTRODUCTION, FIRST PART IS COMING OUT SOON 

IM SO EXCITED

(Band at the beginning is greta van fleet )

#guns n roses #axl rose #slash #duff mckagan #izzy stradlin #steven adler #gnr fanfiction #x reader #axl rose x reader #slash x reader #duff mckagan x reader #izzy stradlin x reader #steven adler x reader #time travel #gnr #axl gnr #slash gnr #duff gnr #izzy gnr #steven gnr #guns n roses fanfic #Spotify

[mystic-writings]

remember the nights | chapter fourteen — a rom-com happy ending

WORD COUNT — 2,841

WARNINGS — pure fluff, weddings

NOTES — i can't believe it's already over :( well, not really bc this series will always live in my head, way into their college years, but for now this is the end <3

previous chapter | masterlist | next chapter

Ever since your Uncle Mark started staying in the guest room and wedding prep picked up even more, your house was never quiet. Between final food tastings, organizing the tables and stationary, plus the horrendous amount of extra schoolwork you were dealing with due to a new semester starting up, life never slowed down. 

Things at school got better, so long as you ignored Newt in any way, and focused on your college applications and spending time with Brenda. Plus, your uncle Mark made sure to spend all his extra time with you, since you hadn’t seen him in two years. 

He and Maggie’s brothers got along well, and made the house extra vibrant as everyone got to know one another over game nights and dinners. The very first night you’d met them — Maggie’s brothers, George and Dean — they embraced you lovingly, claiming that Maggie had always wanted a daughter. 

Valentine’s Day started with a bright dawn and a calm air, and you could tell even with the cold that it was a beautiful day for a wedding. The day started early, at around 5am, with Maggie shaking you awake, offering you a toasted waffle and travel mug of coffee. The house was void of men and instead filled with the women of the bridal party, all running around and getting ready in different parts of the house in order to have things done on time. 

Everyone had their dresses in different places, and you and a woman named Sarah did each other’s makeup in your bedroom by the desk before taking turns getting dressed and finding your purses, accessories, and proper coats. 

Maggie was already on her way to the church in just her makeup by the time everyone was ready, leaving you to lock up the house and pile into one of the three cars occupying the driveway. You texted with Brenda, Harriet, and Sonya on the car ride, talking about the reception happening later on. 

You and Thomas were allowed to bring your friends to the reception (with Brenda and Jorge being the exception, as they were invited to the ceremony), something that your parents agreed upon not long after they told you about the proposal. Since the bonfire, though, the group was shattered, and you really only talked to the girls for now. Thomas was inviting everyone else who wanted to come, though, so you’d see everyone there, anyway. 

One thing you did notice, through the bustle and stress of the wedding and finals, was that your friends had been acting odd, to say the least. Thomas was the same, but every one of your friends were exchanging an unsettling amount of smiles and glances — not just the girls, but Gally and Minho, too. You’d even asked them about it one day, but they all refused to give you an answer. 

You shook the thoughts from your head and texted the girls to update them on where you were. They were all excited for the wedding, and you were, too. Everything about this day had felt spectacular so far, and you couldn’t wait to actually see Maggie and your dad get married. 

The church was empty for now, but you and the girls all filed into the bridal suite, where Maggie sat, pinning up her hair into the most elegant style you’d seen. Since her hair was neck length and wavy, it was difficult to get her hair into a style that looked nice. However, she managed to take some strands from the front to frame her face, while still having the majority of the upper half of her hair pinned back with pearl beaded pins, her waves still flowing free. 

You almost cried at how wonderful she looked, before realizing it was up to you and two other bridesmaids to help her into her dress. 

If you hadn’t been emotional before, you definitely were now. 

Maggie looked like she’d stepped right out of a fairytale. Her bodice and sleeves were mesh, patterned with intricate lace, her skirt made of silk with a slight volume to it and lots of movement. The lace pattern bled into the skirt, blending well with the silk and forming it into a cohesive piece. 

Everyone’s compliments overlapped as you took her hands in yours, the both of you smiling widely at one another. 

With a gentle squeeze of your hands, and a knock on the door from her brothers, ready to walk her down the aisle, Maggie sighed. “Well, ladies, I think it’s just about time I got married, don’t you think?”

The ceremony was, to say the least, perfect. 

Out of the entire bridal party, you were the last to walk down the aisle, with Chuck and Thomas on either arm, all three of you beaming like sunshine. 

Your dad, along with everyone in the church, welled with tears upon Maggie’s entrance, both  of her brothers on her arm. Everything went without a hitch, and you must have ran through a pack or two of pocket kleenex. You’d never be able to replicate the joy in your heart when your dad finally called Maggie his wife. 

To no one’s surprise, the reception started strong and continued to stay that way. The hall looked absolutely amazing, with round tables and white wicker chairs, beautiful flower centerpieces. In the few-hour long break between the ceremony and the reception, Sonya, Harriet, and Brenda’s attitudes have kicked up in suspicion, but all things considered, you simply brushed it off. You had a lot more to worry about today than their behavior, and one of those things was your speech. 

All of your friends sat at a table near the front, watching your uncle wrap up his speech. Thomas and Chuck were going to do one as the best men, but didn’t quite know what to say, so they passed that duty onto Mark. One of Maggie’s friends offered to do the same for you, but you had already started with an idea, and this was too important to pass off. 

With shaking hands and messily written index cards, you stepped up to the microphone next to your parents table, smiling at the people around you. You kept your eyes on Maggie and your dad, though, for the most part. 

Clearing your throat, you leaned into the mic and began your speech. “I know that there’s a lot of people here who might not exactly know who I am, but I’m very glad to be here to share this day with all of you. I’m the daughter of the groom, and my name is Y/n. I want to start by congratulating my dad and Maggie, who I can say, deep in my heart, I know were meant to be together. Sure, it took them a while, but I guess finding ‘The One’ takes time, right?” You took a deep breath, adjusting the cards in your hands, finding that you didn’t need them any more. “I’ve only known Maggie for about four years, but she’s one of the greatest people I’ve ever met. I’ll forever be grateful for all of the things she’s helped me and my dad through, and for always being there. Maggie, you and your boys have changed everything in our lives, and there won’t be a day that I won’t be thankful for that. You showed my dad how to love again, and you didn’t hesitate for a second to share that love with me, too.” 

You were only looking at Maggie, now, eyes wet with tears and a smile stretching your face. “And it’s because of that love and dedication that I am proud to be here today, with all our friends and family, and be able to call you my mom.” 

You watched the emotions change on your parents faces and laughed lightly. “I can only finish this off by saying that I hope that everything the both of you want out of life comes to you, and to tell you that I love you both to the moon and back.” 

Quietly, you stepped away from the microphone and walked over to an already standing Maggie, pulling you into a tight hug. 

“I love you so much, honey,” she whispered, kissing the side of your head. 

You squeezed her tight, tucking your face into her neck. “I love you, too, mom.”

After you let go and sat down, you glanced over at your dad to find him trying his best to hide his tears. He hadn’t been doing so well, considering you could see the shine of tears building on his waterline. 

Dinner and cake came after the speeches finished, both of which were delicious — you made a mental note to personally tell Jorge how good the cake was — and made you heavily consider taking seconds, despite knowing you would pay for it later with a stomach ache. 

Soon enough, the dance floor filled with people, and you searched out your friends to spend more time with them. 

You found them easily, the seven of them clumped into one corner of the room, just by the hall’s main entrance. They greeted you warmly, talking over one another about the food and the speeches. You told them everything about your day so far, and how proud and elated you were that the wedding finally happened. It was only when you were getting into how hectic things had been at the house that Gally’s phone rang, and suddenly the whole group went quiet. 

He stepped away, answering the phone and nodding like the person on the other line could see him. Everyone was looking at him, cheeky smiles on their faces as Gally came back, tucking his phone back into the pocket of his slacks. 

“What was that all about?” You asked him. 

Gally smiled at you, something he didn’t do all that often, a playful gleam in his eye. “Wanna go for a drive?”

“Why?” Your brows cinched as you dragged out your question, glancing between everyone as a slight chill ran up your spine. 

“He’s got a surprise for you, that’s why.” Brenda nudged you. “Just go, I promise it’ll be worth it.” 

You looked between everyone wearily before following Gally out to his car, not bothering to grab your coat. Your heart was racing with every step, the anticipation and confusion building in your head. Brenda said it was worth the trip, but you just didn’t know what was going on. Not to mention everyone’s odd behavior…

After driving around for a few minutes, Gally pulled into the school parking lot. A light flurry of snow had begun to fall, dusting the grass and pavement, and slightly impairing your vision as you looked around from the passenger’s seat. “Gally, why are we at the school?”

The boy looked up from his phone with a smirk. “You’ll see.”

Not a moment after he finished his sentence, your phone pinged from your dress pocket. Your heart stopped when you pulled it out, reading the new message in your notifications. ‘Come to the willow tree’

It was from Newt.

You looked up at Gally, who’s smile widened as he nodded toward the field. 

“He’s waiting for you,” Gally said, and you had to remember how to breathe. 

With one final, reassuring nod, you exited the car, bracing against the cold as you raced to the willow tree. Through the flurries, you made out Newt’s figure by the tree, and stopped yourself from running any further. 

Once you were able to move your legs again, you took it slower, walking through the thin layer of accumulating snow, picking up your dress to make it less likely for you to trip. With every step, you could make out Newt’s figure a little clearly, and it made the ache in your chest grow larger. 

You came to a stop under the tree’s canopy of dead leaves, providing some protection from the snow. Newt was wearing a black suit, and you couldn’t deny how great he looked in it. He was still staring at his shoes and picking at his fingernail when you stopped walking, almost as though he hadn’t heard you approaching him. 

Gripping the sides of your dress, you found the courage to speak up. “I thought you didn’t want to see me again.” 

Newt looked up from his shoes with a smile. “I lied.” 

“But that’s what you said, isn’t it? On Christmas. When you slammed the door in my face.” 

“I know what I said, and I’m sorry,” Newt sighed, stepping a bit closer. “I was a prick for saying it, too. I never should’ve done what I did, you didn’t deserve it.” He took a breath, running a hand through his hair and tucking a hand into one of his pockets. “Ever since the party, Sonya’s been telling me every day how upset you were. Hell, everyone was, and it’s been driving me mad ever since, because I hurt you, and I’ve never wanted to do that.” 

Teary-eyed, you opened your mouth to speak, but Newt continued. 

“I don’t care what Tommy thinks about us being together anymore. But I want us to be together. Hell, the only thing that kept me quiet about how I felt for so long — that stopped me from asking you out when we hung out together on our own for the first time — was how I thought he would react, or if he would disapprove of it. But I don’t care anymore. I love you, Y/n. More than anything. Staying away from you for so long has been killing me, and I can’t stand it anymore.” He stepped closer again, leaving only a few inches of space between you. “You have no idea how badly I wanted to follow you outside when you came to Mickey’s with Brenda. To apologize for what I said, for leaving you that night. To—” he sighed, rubbing a hand over his face. “—to kiss you bloody senseless.” 

You stared up at the boy before you, the one you never thought would talk to you again, in awe of his words. After the bonfire, you never believed that Newt would say something like that to you, let alone plan something as intimate as this was. You blinked away tears for the fourth time that day and realized there was only one thing you could say at the moment. 

“So do it. Kiss me.” 

Newt closed the distance between your bodies, pulling you into him by the waist and pressing his lips to yours. Elation filled every inch of your body as you wrapped your hands around his neck, pulling him as close as you were able, pouring all your love into the kiss. You felt one of Newt’s hands snake up your neck, palm splayed over your jaw as he tried in vain to pull you closer into his body. 

You wished you didn’t need air to breathe when you were forced to pull back, lipstick smeared on Newt’s swollen lips, and likely on your own, as well. But you still had one question to ask. 

“Why now?” You asked, smoothing the hairs on the nape of his neck. “I mean, after everything, why now? You spent two months pretending to hate me, so what changed?”

“The jacket.” Newt told you. “Sonya practically forced it into my hands after you left, and then she yelled at me for half an hour about how big of an idiot I was being, and how wrong it was for me to keep treating you the way I had been. After that… I sat on my bed for a while, holding the jacket and thinking about how right she was. About how much I missed you. After that, I knew I had to do something, so…” 

“So you planned all this?” You said, a coy smile spreading on your lips. “Just for me?”

Newt smiled wide, laughter bubbling in his throat. “Just for you, darling.” The nickname made your heart skip a beat, and your smile widened. “You shouldn’t be so surprised. You  saw what I did for you in New York. Making elaborate plans to see you happy isn’t anything new.”

Without another word, you pulled his head down to kiss him again. You couldn’t fight the smile on your lips as you kissed Newt, reveling in how amazing it felt to finally be able to kiss him. Just as you were pulling away, a thought crossed your mind. “Wait. What about Thomas? And our friends?”

“Did you not hear a word I just said?” Newt laughed. “I don’t give a damn what Tommy thinks. I only care about you. And our friends have been in on it for the past week, love.” 

You smiled bright at the boy holding you, pulling him back into another searing kiss. 

Under the canopy of the willow tree, on the greatest day of your life so far, you got your movie-screen happy ending; and everything that happened to get it was entirely worth it.

series taglist: @heliads @ghostofscarley @badbatch-simp24 @virginia-peters @third-broparcelicito @lamolaine @yes-fangirl-things (open!)

#remember the nights #newt x reader #newt tmr x reader #newt x you #newt x y/n #newt series #newt tmr series #newt angst #newt fluff #the maze runner fanfiction #the maze runner x reader #au fic #high school au

[chellesdump]

Boo Boos - Twice

"The 96’ and 97’ line went to an indoor playground to enjoy some time together, they were having so much fun until an accident soured the mood"

word count ─ 1.4k

tags ─ little! mina, little! jihyo, little! sana, little! momo, cg! jeongyeong, cg! nayeon, fluff, autumn, tw! hurt, tw! someone getting hurt, little angst, but ends with fluff

notes ─ This is for the Injured prompt, my little nibling is the one who chose who was the one to get hurt and how she would get hurt. So enjoy :3

Nayeon had taken the School Meal Club to a playdate in the (G)I-DLE dorm, so the 96’ and 97’ lines had stayed home a little bit bored, they were all lounging on the sofa trying to kill the time ‘watching’ the TV, in reality their attention wasn’t on the show, that was until an interesting commercial came about a new indoor playground with an array of activities to do, from go-karts to a huge slide, ball pits, a mini-mart, and so much more. With a wicked grin they turned to face each other, and that was how the plan came to be; they went to their rooms to change into warmer and comfier clothes to be able to play to their hearts’ content, now they were ready to go and enjoy, not before Jeongyeon told them to get a extra change of clothes since you never know when it would be needed.

The ride there was filled with excitement coming from all of them, talking about what they were doing once they arrived, it was clear to anyone that the girls had regressed on the way, but Jeong wouldn’t have any other way, her children's enjoyment was the most important thing. Upon arrival, she paid the entry fee and everyone ran to the activity they wanted to do, Mina took her hand and guided her to a fighting robot mini arena, you had to get into a robot and try to shoot the rest of the players; the next activity was playing in the Mini-Mart with Sana who was a very strict employee, you were supposed to not take more than 10 items and she was willing to make everyone follow the rule; after playing with Sana, MoHyo intercepted her and took her to the Go-Karts for a race.

When they got off the racetrack after Momo’s win, Jeong got a call from Nayeon asking how they were spending the day at the playground, Jeong went on a rant about how in the future they should bring all the girls since they had also a lot of amenities for the babies with soft play so they wouldn’t get hurt, they even have a nursing room in case they would need it. Jeongyeon spent a while on the phone talking with Nayeon until Momo came running, rambling about something in Japanese, “Mommy quick Mina got hurt I’m scared, it looks bad! Please come quickly, she’s crying a lot!” yelled Momo in a rush pulling Jeongyeon’s hand toward the giant slide, from what she could decipher Mina was hurt, so she rushed there and found Mina on the floor sobbing while clutching her leg.

When she tried to pick Mina up to take her to another place to check her better she let out a piercing scream, so she put her back on the floor and called the emergency service of the playground to check her up and see how serious the injury was. Meanwhile, she got Momo to calm down enough to tell her exactly what had happened, turns out a boy had pushed Mina down and her leg got tangled on the way down and she hurt it; she went towards the boy and demanded why he had done that, he responded that she had taken too much time and he was bored, she located his adult, and told them about exchanging numbers because they needed solving for the issue. After checking her, the emergency staff told her that she had to take Mina to the hospital to get xrays taken because her leg was swollen rapidly, she sent Momo out to find SaHyo so they could all get going, while she picked Mina up and went to grab the rest of their things.

On the way to the hospital, she called Nayeon, “Yeoboseyo? Everything okay Jeongie, you ended the previous call so abruptly” asked Nay with concern laced in her voice, “No jagi, Mina hurt her leg, some boy pushed her and she fell on her leg” replied Jeong throwing glances at the back seat where Mina's leg was on top of Jihyo’s lap being held by the latter, “Tell me you got that boy’s name to have a nice talk with him” mention Nayeon with a saccharine tone. With a low chuckle at her girlfriend's antics, “Of course, I got his adult’s contact info to get a resolve for this later” she responded proudly, “Anyway I was calling to tell you what happened, and where we going. I’m taking her to the hospital near Yongsan, just so you know, ok?”, “Arraseo, let me grab the girls and we’ll be on our way. Love all of you, and keep me updated please love” pleaded Nay, and with an ‘okay’ they hung up.

Once at the hospital, Jeong rushed the girls to sit down in the waiting area while she went to sign Mina up, she told the nurse about her being in Little Space, and who is the doctor they normally see when the girls are little; the nurse told her that he had been paged and would come down in a moment to give her an evaluation, and in the meantime they should wait seated until they are called. While waiting came Nayeon carrying Tzuyu who was snoring away, with her sister in tow pushing DubChae in their stroller who were asleep as well, “Jeongie!? Jeongie where are you!? Oh, there you are. What did they say about Mina” exasperated yelled Nayeon trying to find her family, depositing a kiss into each one of their foreheads, and a big smooch on the lips of Jeongyeon, “The doctor has been paged already so we’re waiting for him, the nurse told me to wait here and that the doctor would come to retrieve us once he came to check Mina. So come sit here with us” responded Jeong patting a seat beside her, after saying a greeting to her sister in law.

They had to wait around 15 minutes more until Dr. Ahn came, he took them to a cubicle and gave a quick examination of Mina’s leg, “Okay I can see that the inflammation is considerable and since there’s much tenderness to the touch I would believe it’s broken, so I’ll need to take an x-ray to make sure of my suspicion.”, he told NaJeong before turning to Mina, “It’s that okay with you gongju? If you want to either one of your eommas can come with you” he calmly said finishing with a smile to ease the little girl's tension, after getting a tiny nod from her, he told a nurse to take her to the x-ray room and bring her back to continue with her treatment.

 Jeongyeon was the chosen one to accompany Mina, while Nayeon stayed with Dr. Ahn so he could begin telling her the treatment plan, “Ok Mina eomma, the plan is putting her in a cast in case of the leg being broken, which is the most probable, I’m also giving her painkillers, anti-inflammatory to help her recover quicker. If it’s fractured in half, or if it’s only a hairline fracture, either way, she must be resting for at least 2 weeks that leg, which means not putting any weight on it, after that time I would like to see her again to re-evaluate the leg and if she follows all the indications she would be walking again. I’m also repeating all this again once Mina and her other eomma come back, so they also know, but this is if you have any questions before uli gongju comeback since it will be more difficult once she’s back”, he informed checking Nayeon was getting all the information, and seeing her shake her head no to the questions. 

After they came back he repeated his explanation, always directing all to Mina to make her feel seen, Jeongyeon was also taken into account but she like Nayeon got everything alright, the only question MIna had was, “Can still play videogames and be with family? An’ medicine will help no hurt no more?” those were her main concerns, with a chuckle the doctor told her she was correct so the family was dismissed to go home, with clear instructions of following indications, that they should book an appointment for 2 weeks in the future, and that they could always contact him if anything arose. With everything in order they went home, where they ate some food chosen by Mina to bring her mood up and lots of cuddles from all her family.

#age regression #sfw littlespace #jyp twice #twice #twice agere #twice little space #cg jeongyeon #little momo #little sana #little jihyo #little mina #chellesdump #ageretober #ageretober day 5

[asykriel]

Love is the Death of Duty - 15.

☆ Pairing: Aemond Targaryen x Male! Targaryen OC

☆ Status: Ongoing 

☆ Summary:  

“He is half of my heart.”

War made monsters of them all, but it also brought the two second sons together in a flurry of death, love, deceit and delusion. The story of Aemond Targaryen and the eldest son of Daemon and Rhaenyra, Maegor Targaryen, second of his name. 

☆ Warnings: Sexual content, explicit violence, dark themes, targcest etc.

☆ AO3 ☆ || ☆ Wattpad ☆

☆ CHAPTERS: (Prologue) / ( 1 ) / ( 2 ) / ( 3 ) / ( 4 ) / ( 5 ) / ( 6 ) / ( 7 ) / ( 8 ) / ( 9 ) / ( 10 ) / ( 11 ) / ( 12 ) / ( 13 ) / ( 14 ) / ( 15 ) / (16 - WIP)

☆ Masterlist ☆ ||  ☆ Spotify Playlist ☆

➸ Previous part

➸ Next part - WIP

CHAPTER 15

Under the dimly lit catacombs beneath the Red Keep, the giant skull of Balerion the Black Dread looms. Hundreds of candles encircle the relic, their flames dancing in flickers. The air is thick with the scent of melted wax and incense, and the lights paint eerie, ever-shifting shadows across the walls.

Before the sacred altar of the Conqueror's dragon, two men stand facing each other in solemn silence. A third voice resonates through the chamber, reciting the sacred vows in High Valyrian.

Blood of two

Joined as one

Ghostly flame

And song of shadows

Two hearts as embers

Forged in fourteen fires

A future promised in glass

The stars stand witness

The vow spoken through time

Of darkness and light.

The same old words that had bound countless Targaryens before them, including Maegor's parents. Now they will seal their love in the same manner.

With the officiant's blessing, one of the maesters who schooled them as children and the few remaining in the Red Keep that still have knowledge of old Valyrian customs, Aemond and Maegor each take a piece of dragonglass. They make a small, precise cut on the other's lips, mismatched gaze never looking away from the one violet eye.

Adrenaline and the unquenchable fire roars within both, they were doing this in a rush, in secrecy, wearing their dragon riding armor instead of the traditional wedding robes. There is no time for that now. They are already disregarding the Queen's discovery and disapproval completely. Disregarding everyone, even the start of a new reign.

Who else other than them would have enough audacity and madness?

Above them, Aegon's coronation is unfolding under the Hand's command with or without his younger brother present. Although in less secrecy, the Hightower made sure to be quick to strip Rhaenyra of the rightful claim over the crown and the Iron Throne.

A distant thought gnaws at Maegor's mind. If he was more selfless and less in love he would have definitely tried to stop Otto and prevent the usurping from happening. But he is not.

The warm, wet touch on his forehead quickly reminds him of that, as Aemond marks him with his blood, drawing an old Valyrian symbol.

Fire.

Reminding himself to breathe and not falter from the rush that makes his ears pound, Maegor mimics his uncle, marking the other's forehead as well.

Blood.

The very same words that their house and legacy was built on centuries ago.

Pausing for a moment to suck a silent breath and try to calm himself as best as he can, Maegor nods to his uncle in approval, who in return flashes him a warm smile. Continuing with the ritual, next they make a slice on their palms with the dragonglass, slowly and in synch, allowing the blood that was seeping instantly from the wounds to drip in a silver goblet and mix. With their trembling hands now clasped together, their mingling blood flows from one to the other as they take turns to drink from the goblet. There's no turning back now, no matter the consequences they will face. For all Maegor cares, he'd take on the whole known and unknown world for Aemond.

It's like anything either of them felt before. And when the Princes finally kiss with bloody lips, both are on the edge of delirium. A new kind of force flows through them, far from any natural powers, because this is a sacred oath made with the old blood magic that granted Targaryens their formidable and revered powers. With their blood intertwined Aemond and Maegor are tied together now, not just physically.

One flesh, one heart, one soul, now and forever.

────────────────────────

Emerging from the catacombs bellow and ascending the stairs to the castle's upper levels, the two Princes make their way through the Red Keep in silence, clasping each other's wounded hands as they march through the empty hallways. Their sacred blood oath and union beneath the castle, has bound them together in ways that can never be undone. They have committed to an act and a love that is shunned by many. Now more than ever since the faith of the Seven is starting to gain more influence, thanks to Queen Alicent's endorsement.

But the thing is, it didn't matter. Worthless words coming from the mouths of sheep are nothing to dragons.

Advancing towards the main hall they could hear the distant echoes of Aegon II's coronation ceremony coming to a close. The cheers and applause of the courtiers reverberate through the stone walls, heralding the beginning of a new reign.

Speeding up the pace, Maegor clenches Aemond's hand tighter and grits his teeth. He can already anticipate the chaos.

Reaching the hall of the Iron Throne, they completely pass by the guards, stunned by their sudden appearance , and enter just as the ceremony concludes. Now King, Aegon sits the Iron Throne with the Conqueror's crown on his head. But Aegon doesn't rejoice or drink in the cheers and his newly acquired power like Maegor expected. His older uncle appears exhausted, wearing no smiles, only a blank, distracted expression, as if the crown he bears is a burden too heavy. As if he didn't want this.

Close by Alicent and the Hand, stand beside Aegon, beaming with delight as their plans finally came to fruition. Indirectly, the Hightowers sit on the throne now and Rhaenyra can no longer be Queen. The only one sharing the new King's sentiments is his own wife, Helaena, who looks nervous, fidgeting with her hands and wearing a sad expression.

The commotion of the Princes entrance attracts immediate attention. The cheers stop and a heavy silence falls over the assembly, all eyes turning from the new King to them instead.

Still hand in hand, Maegor and Aemond advance towards the throne, completely aware of the implication of their deed. Nonetheless, both of them hold their heads high and stride onwards with confidence.

Alicent's glare immediately falls down to their clasped hands and she clenches her own into fists, sinking her nails painfully into her palms. She was so lost and distracted with the coronation preparation that she completely discarded the sunrise that left such a sour taste in her mouth. But now she recalls the conversation with her son very vividly in her head. Her face pales immediately. The Queen has to rest one hand against the pillar next to her to keep her from crumbling to the floor as she pieces everything together.

Wed him to me.

Has he completely poisoned your mind?!

Quite the opposite.

Don't be a fool, Aemond, this is a heresy! You will cease this farce at once and Prince Maegor will return to Dragonstone immediately!

Your approval is not necessary, mother, nor did I expect it.

Maegor fixes his sharp gaze on the dowager Queen and her father, holding their eyes with a cold intensity as they slowly grasped the implications of the scene before them. Even those in the hall who are not well-versed in Targaryen customs can discern the significance of the blood-red Valyrian runes adorning both Maegor and Aemond's foreheads, the cuts on their lips and hands, and the unspoken bond that had grown unnoticed until now.

"What is the meaning of this?! What have you done!?" Otto thunders, his fury palpable. His own nephew, the boy he shaped and groomed into the man he is today, to betray him like this. With Daemon's vile mongrel.

"Joined our legacy and strengthened our family at last. We have married in the tradition of our house." Aemond speaks first, calmly. He pays no heed to the gasps and whispers that ripples through the hall but focuses instead on his seething grandfather.

No longer having to hide away with stolen glances and touches, Maegor smiles, drinking his uncle with his eyes as he listens to him speak. He can't tell which he enjoys more, the Hightower cunts seething or hearing Aemond reveal everything so casually to his own family.

"This is madness! You dare bring this abomination into the light during the king's coronation?" Alicent, can hardly contain her outrage. Her chest heaves with indignant breaths as she trembles in anger at the sight of Rhaenyra's offspring, taunting and looking down upon her with a victorious smirk on his lips

"Abomination? Which one of your seven gods told you that, my Queen?"Maegor scoffs, eyeing her lap dog, Ser Criston, as he tenses up quite noticeably.

"This marriage is a farce and a sin! Aemond will fulfill his duty by marrying a woman and siring an heir!" The Queen shouts in desperation at both her son and the younger Prince.

Maegor's teasing smirk falters upon hearing her vehement insistence. He clenches his teeth and exhales deeply, suppressing his impulse to take reckless action.

"My marriage is sacred! You're no Targaryen, you cannot understand. I'll forgive you for this, mother." Aemond raises his voice with authority, leaving Alicent completely dazed.

From the throne, Aegon is silent and despite being very much sober, he is completely stunned by everything unfolding before him as he sucks in a sharp breath. He knows his little brother had balls, just not this big.

"Aemond! How dare you!" The Hand shouts, stomping the stone under him with his foot.

"Enough yapping!" Maegor interjects, cutting through the turmoil with an air of defiance. "Our union stands, and none can contest it, least of all you, Alicent. Your own marriage was a political ploy, devoid of love, and you know it."

"I'll have your tongue for that!" The Queen screams in anger.

Maegor can't help, but let out a laugh hearing her words.

"I'll send a raven to Dragonstone. I'm sure my father will be delighted to teach you."

The mention of Dragonstone irks Ser Criston's temper, and he unsheathes his sword, taking a menacing step toward Maegor. The white-cloaked knights move in with him, daring the young Prince to utter another word.

A soothing touch on his wrist keeps him grounded and in place, preventing Maegor to bring out Nightbringer and escalate the situation first.

"This is an act of treason!" Otto's words do nothing, but amuse him even more than his daughter did.

"Treason? My grandfather's corpse is not yet cold, but you've already usurped the throne and made your nephew king. I should cut your fucking head off and bring it to my mother for this." Maegor bares his teeth and curls his lips as the anger slowly bubbles to the surface.

Ser Criston goes after him before the Hand shouts the command.

"Seize him and hang the traitor!"

The crowd present starts to get loud and scramble away as the white cloaks follow after Criston and go after the Prince. Letting out a sharp breath, filled by the adrenaline, Maegor unsheathes his valyrian sword at last and meets Alicent's faithful mutt heads on, steel clashing against steel. Even if Criston is older and more experienced in duels, he lacks the fire and determination that drive Maegor on. The knight is taken by surprise by the Prince's agility and unpredictable strikes. He barely manages to parry a shot aimed for his throat.

Thankfully the other white cloaks come to his rescue and two of them tackle Maegor away in an attempt to disarm and apprehend him. However, Aemond is not far behind. He rushes to his nephew's side, and doesn't hesitate when he plunges his own sword in the back of one of the Kingsguards restraining the younger Prince. Maegor uses his uncle's distraction so he can cut down the other white cloak with ease. Closing the distance between them, Maegor turns on his heels.

The two Princes stand back to back, their blades drawn, ready to face the remaining white cloaks and Criston Cole that have now surrounded them. Most of the courtiers are rushing closer to the main doorway at the sight of bloodshed, but the rest are too stunned by the actions of the two Targaryens and maybe too curious as well to see everything unfold before their eyes.

"Aemond! How can you turn your back on your family like this!?" Alicent wails in frustration, clutching her head.

"Maegor is my family too, mother. I'm not turning my back on anyone, but I will protect him." Aemond doesn't take his eye off the white cloaks circling around him and his nephew as he speaks.

Pressing his back against Maegor, Aemond makes sure to keep the contact at all times, offering some kind of piece of mind in this situation for both of them, but mainly for his own sanity.

"Side with the traitor and you shall be considered one too! Do you wish the same fate, boy?!" Otto barks.

He's bluffing, Aemond knows it. Together with his dragon he's an asset far too valuable for the Greens. Otto can't afford to lose him, this is just another tactic to make him ponder and reconsider. So Aemond prefers to offer an answer through silence.

Behind him, Maegor doesn't know the Hightower is just using a facade. It takes only an instant for the Hand's words to get to his head and rile him up with fury at the thought of Aemond's alleged execution.

"Fucking do it then, you old cunt. Execute us both for treason and I can promise you King's Landing will turn to ash and rubble." Maegor sneers, gripping the hilt of Nightbringer painfully tight. He's itching to just lunge at the closest knight and spill his insides to the floor.

"I'll have Daemon and the bastards ended before they reach here, you fool." Otto lets out a mocking laugh.

"I thought you were smarter than this, lord Hand." It's Maegor's turn to sneer and click his tongue in disappointment.

In the heat of the moment, his alleged captors have forgotten one crucial detail. Aemond and Vhagar are not the only assets around, the low roar somewhere high in the skies above the Red Keep's spires makes sure to remind them that. It's the strong bond between Maegor and the Cannibal that makes the beast sense his anger and surge of adrenaline rushing through his veins. If harm would come to his rider again, it will be like Sunspear all over again.

"You see, Saagael is quite protective of me. My family is safe in Dragonstone, but yours is here. So plan your next move with more wisdom, Otto." Maegor scans the old man's face as he turns silent, already probably trying to think of all the ways in which he can kill a dragon that size before it levels half a city to the ground.

The tension in the hall grows thicker with every passing moment. The courtiers and nobles who have not yet fled the scene are held rapt by the unfolding drama. Ser Criston and his white cloaks are testing their boundaries, trying to find an opening and split the two Princes apart so that they can get to the target.

In silence, Aegon watches it all from his position on the Iron Throne, his fingers tapping nervously against the armrests as he's leading a battle against himself in his head. He's barely been proclaimed King and he has no idea how to act next. The weight of the crown upon his head is already painful, but he can at least use it to his advantage now.

"Enough! Stand down all of you!" 

All heads turn to Aegon in surprise, even Aemond is very much stunned by his intervention. Maegor throws him a suspicious glare. What is the drunkard playing at?

 The King's command cuts through the turmoil like a knife, and the white cloaks hesitate for a moment. They eventually lower their weapons, stepping back from the Princes. They have no choice but to respect the authority of their new sovereign.

The only one who does not obey is Cole. The knight stands in front of Maegor, weapon still drawn and his pride hurt. It's clear he bears a deep grudge against the young Prince, deep enough to directly disobey the King's order. 

"Hurry up after your soldier boys. Next time I won't miss your throat, Ser Criston." Maegor taunts him on purpose. 

"There won't be a next time, Prince Maegor." 

How did this brawn even end up commander of the Kingsguard?

"Cole! I said stand down." Aegon calls out again. 

This time the knight reluctantly obeys, backing up slowly from the Prince who wears the faintest of smirks on his lips. He can't tell which irks him more about the boy, the fact that he's basically a second Daemon or that his face looks so much like Rhaenyra's. Either way, Ser Criston is convinced he's a demon sent to haunt him for the sins of his past.

"Aegon! Why are you doing this too?!" Alicent pleads. 

"I'm your king now, you shall address me as such." Seeing the pained look on his mother's face doesn't even hurt Aegon anymore. It's his ounce of payback for all the shit he endured from her, especially today. He never asked for this. She forced this cursed crown on his head.

The dowager Queen feels like she's going crazy. Two of her sons decided to rebel against her at the same time. And Aegon, insufferable, worthless Aegon who is sitting on the throne thanks to her turning to bite the hand that fed him all these years.

"My King, you know very well what the punishment for treason is!" Otto's voice almost cracks from the restrained anger at Aegon's audacity.

"What treason? Maegor isn't a traitor for marrying my brother. I don't see a problem with it and neither anyone else should." For a split moment Aegon's normal character comes back as he speaks so casually. 

But he means it genuinely. Ok maybe Maegor hates him, that's alright, he's quite the hot headed loner. However his brother endured more shit than Aegon did from everyone in their childhood, including him . He could at least offer Aemond this. A wordless apology.

Watching the throne before him, Maegor blinks in confusion.  He slightly cocks his head towards Aemond, silently questioning everything with a glance. Next to him, Aemond is just as dumbfounded by his brother's actions. 

"Everyone but the two Princes clear the room!" Aegon barks another sudden command.

Without wasting a breath, the remaining courtiers quickly scramble towards the exit, reluctantly followed by the soldiers and white cloaks, throwing confused glances among each other as they pass in front of the one they've previously tried to apprehend. 

When Helaena leaves, she gives her husband a nod and a warm smile of approval, subtly clapping her hands as she climbs down from the steps leading towards the Iron Throne. The corners of Aegon's lips pull of in a faint smile. He can't even remember the last time he saw his sister actually smile at him.

The last to leave are dowager Queen and the Hand. Both Alicent and Otto Hightower seethe with fury, both their faces flushed with indignation. They crowned him king, gave him all this power and privilege. And what does Aegon do? Takes his side. First Aemond and then the firstborn. It's a clear signal that Aegon will not easily bow to their pressure and do their bidding like he did before he was just Prince. The Hightower's carefully constructed plans have unraveled before their eyes and now they are almost slipping through their fingers.

As he watches his mother exit the throne hall and the heavy, tall door close behind her, Aegon let's out an audible sigh of relief, slumping his tense shoulders. Neither of the three speaks a word, until Aegon decides to get off the throne and join them hesitantly, at the base of the stairs.

"So I'm king and you two are married. What a day, huh?" He takes off the crown that was so uncomfortable on his head so he can study and fidget with it in his hands, before he reluctantly places it back on his head.

"I won't forget what you did. Someday I will return this favor." Maegor awkwardly clears his voice, before Aemond can question his brother.

 It feels so weird saying this to his older uncle, but he means it. An eye of an eye. Aegon gives him a wary look, but quickly replaces it with the sketch of a smirk. Maegor owes him, he can indulge himself in a bit of harmless teasing.

"What's this, an ounce of kindness in your stone cold heart, nephew?" Aegon elbows his side and relishes on how Maegor bites his tongue in annoyance. He takes a step away from him, closer to Aemond instead of lashing out to grab his older uncle by the throat. 

"There was no need for you to do this, but thank you I suppose." Aemond sighs, stepping between them much to his nephew's relief.

"It won't end here." Maegor's expression suddenly hardens as he begins to think of the outcomes. 

All three of them know this. News of the throne being usurped by the Hightowers and Aegon becoming king will soon reach Dragonstone and when they do, it won't be without repercussions. 

Even if Aegon agrees and gives up on the crown in favor of his older sister, Maegor is very doubtful that everyone in the Seven Kingdoms will accept her as Queen. House Hightower is the richest in Westeros, Otto and Alicent will never stand by this, they will plunge the realm in civil war for the grudge they hold against his mother. But maybe, just maybe with Aegon king there can be peace if somehow Maegor manages to convince his parents it's the lesser evil. Who is he kidding? It's a delusional thought, even if miraculously his mother would agree, Daemon will never accept this.

"Return to Dragonstone if you must, Maegor." As if reading his thoughts, Aemond offers a warm touch as he takes his hand into his, temporarily calming the storm in his head.

 Maegor flashes his uncle a grateful, but weak smile for his presence and support. He doesn't know what he would do without him. Aemond is his reason and comfort, the last string of sanity when he feels like he's going mad and cracking under pressure in this world. His everything.

"Only for a while, until tempers calm down." Maegor makes a subtle promise.

"And if they don't?" Aegon dares to ask even if the nauseating hole he feels in his stomach gives him an idea of the consequences.

"We'll just have to drag it out for as long as possible." Maegor tightens the hold on Aemond's hand. A thumb running gently over his faintly scarred knuckles is the silent reply that comes.

"Make sure you won't make it worse, you're quite skilled at that, nephew." Aegon teases. Trying to crack a joke between tensed nerves and grey horizons. 

Truth be told he's terrified of the uncertainty and this new burden he has to bear, but this is nice. And now Aegon deeply regrets the three of them couldn't have bonded in more civilized manners than the foolery in their childhood. He has a feeling he would have liked to know Maegor better, find out why his brother is so smitten with him and maybe even call him a friend. Alas, there's not enough time for that now.

A flash of teeth and the smirk of an accepted challenge is the only crumb the King gets.

"I won't ever give you the pleasure, uncle."

────────────────────────

High in the skies, the weight of the clouds Maegor is so accustomed feels suffocating now. Black wings flap almost silently as Saagael glides with ease, sharing his rider's restlessness through their bond.

After an unbearable farewell, Aemond joined him with Vhagar halfway through the trip back to Dragonstone, before barely bringing himself to turn his dragon away. He returned to King's Landing to help Aegon deal with their own family.

Now it's Maegor's turn to do the same. His father sent him to reinstate his claim over Dorne, instead he returns without it, married to someone his family holds disdain for and with news of the old King dead.

Just as he begins to make out the form of the Dragonstone island in the distance, he swallows the lump in his dry throat. Beneath him, he can feel how the muscles ripple and tense up as the Cannibal let's out a low growl. They have company.

Higher pitched calls, echo in reply to them and Maegor makes out the two flashes of color from the left side as they flank Saagael. White and dark. Astride Arrax and Tyraxes, his younger brothers join his flight from below. The Cannibal lets out a short warning snarl for the unwanted surprise and the two much smaller dragons keep a safe distance, not daring to invade his personal space.

Turning his head to search for the skies, soon enough as expected, Vermax and Jace join them as well. Maegor lets out a groan of frustration that gets drowned by the velocity of the wind.

"The Prince of Dorne returns at last!" Jace calls out as he levels his dragon to fly in parallel with his brother's.

"Why on earth are you flying so far out?! You know Joffrey is not allowed." Ignoring the comment, Maegor shouts back, making sure to glare at his youngest brothers's lack of caution as they close in towards the island.

"I can handle myself too!" Joffrey's cry reaches only as an echo to Maegor's ears as he speeds past them.

Like always, Saagael lands on the grassy clifftop next to the castle, followed by the other smaller dragons. However he does not allow them stay for a moment longer than needed. After their riders dismount and join Maegor, now also on foot, the Cannibal makes sure to bare his teeth and chase away the younger ones. This cliff, where he could watch over Maegor's bedroom window, became his lair ever since the Prince claimed him. An open space, completely opposite from the dark cave he used to call a home.

"You didn't answer my question Jace." As he walks towards the castle with his older brother next to him and his younger ones trailing behind him, Maegor let's out a tired sigh. He wasn't planning on having a welcome party.

"Foolish of me that I hoped you'd be in a better mood after all that praise about conquest."

While he is in no mood for jests and teasing, clearly his brother has other plans.

"Jace." Maegor warns, keeping his eyes locked on the path before him.

"How come Aemond hasn't followed you back like the faithful dog he is?" Jacaerys doesn't get the hint, continuing to poke at the embers threatening to unleash into a blaze of fire.

Before he gets the chance to finish his dumb question, Maegor stops dead in his tracks and turns towards Jace with a cold glare. He doesn't even feel the weight on his side as Joffrey bumps against him, too distracted by the sea on the horizon to notice his older brother come to a halt.

Maegor barely returned home and he's already met with constant pestering and nuisance. Even Aegon had been more agreeable than Jacaerys recently.

"It's just a jest, Maegor, ease off." Jace huffs at him.

Maegor bites his tongue and musters all restraint to not grab his older brother by the collar of his tunic and rough some sense back into him.

"Princess Rhaenys arrived earlier and she's having a private audience with mother and Daemon. We've been told off so we won't disturb them." Luke clears his voice and the tension between his older brothers immediately vanishes.

The color from Maegor's face drains as he suddenly realizes the topic of the audience and Rhaenys's sudden presence on Dragonstone. Without uttering any other words, fueled by adrenaline and anxiety he darts off, running up the stairs leading into the castle and ignoring all the puzzled looks of courtiers and guards. Behind him, his brothers give chase, calling out to him in confusion as they struggle to keep up.

Swinging the doors open, Maegor stumbles inside the hall of the Painted Table where the council is being held. His heart races against his ribcage. Swallowing heavily and calming his frantic breathing, he cautiously steps forward, ignoring his brothers chatter from behind, as they finally caught up with him.

All the eyes inside fall on him. At the head of the table Rhaenyra and Daemon watch his every move, on the other side Rhaenys, cladded in her dragon rider armor gives him a skeptical look.

It was painfully clear that they are already aware of his transgressions. Anticipation gnaws at Maegor as he interprets the expressions on his mother's face—filled with disappointment—and his father's, where anger smolders.

"You better have a good excuse for why you let those cunts take the throne from your mother." Daemon's low voice cuts through him like a blade.

Slumping his shoulder he takes a deep breath, gathering his strength approach the large table, close to his parents. Annoyingly, he can hear his younger half brothers as they start whispering. Now they too found out. Jace lets out an audible groan of frustration as he joins the table, on the opposite side from Maegor. On purpose.

"Answer your father." Rhaenyra demands with a calmness in her voice that irks the young Prince.

"I wasn't there." Maegor confesses in a sharp breath.

The only ounce of luck he has on his side is that Rhaenys was not present for the coronation. She must have left just as it started since she felt too unsafe in the Keep being an ally of Rhaenyra's. And now all she can do is watch his family bicker from the sidelines as she delivered the news of Viserys's death and Aegon's coronation.

"I've sent you to the Red Keep. Where were you if not there, boy?" His son's cryptic answer only manages to thin out Daemon's patience more.

"Where else other than with Aemond? Ever since he's started going crazy for him I don't recognize my own brother anymore!" Jace can't help himself and jumps in, slamming his palms against the table.

"Perhaps you never cared enough to truly know me." Maegor purses his lips and glares back at his older brother.

"Quiet Jacaerys. This isn't about you." Daemon warns and Jace quickly surrenders from throwing back another comment at the younger one. Even if the Rogue Prince is not his father, Jacaerys respects his authority, especially when he's about to snap from anger. What Daemon says, goes.

"Maegor." Rhaenyra demands again, this with a louder tone in her voice and a hint of pain in it.

Lowering his head to look at the intricate carvings on the Painted table, Maegor finally takes a deep breath and summons all of his resolve.

"I married Aemond in the tradition of our house..."

He pauses for a moment to take another long breath as an eerie silence falls inside the hall.

"...during Aegon's coronation."

Hearing these words, Rhaenyra has to grab Daemon's arm for support. She feels a surge a pain worse than a dagger shoot through her pregnant womb.

"You're fucking insane! Do we mean nothing to you!?" Jacaerys yells out to him and Luke has to pull on his arms and tunic to prevent him from going after their brother.

Turning his head, Maegor looks away from his brother and focuses on his parents instead. Waiting for whatever punishment will come.

"You could have stopped them, boy. Burn all of those green rats to a crisp while they were stealing the crown from your mother. But you're a selfish little shit, aren't you?" Daemon's assault is merciless, but Maegor takes every word, lowering his head as he listens to his father talk.

"I will accept the consequences. But I do not regret marrying Aemond."

"Your grandfather barely took his last breath and you were holding a wedding!" Rhaenyra shouts in frustration, clutching one arm over her belly.

"Doesn't it sound familiar? I did exactly what you and father did. While Laena's coffin was sinking to the bottom of the sea and Laenor's remains were still smoldering, you married my father in the tradition of our house. Out of love. And now I did the same with Aemond." Maegor keeps his voice as calm as he can even if frustration was threatening to overcome him.

"This is different! You chose Aemond over duty to your family, Maegor! Where is your honor!?" Rhaenyra pleads.

"Don't talk to me about honor, mother." Maegor barks back, more on instinct than on purpose.

"What did you say?"

In his subconscious, every rebuke he wanted to pour at Rhaenyra's feet was starting to simmer dangerously close to the surface. The hypocrisy was scratching his mind in all the wrong places. Years of restraint and suppression were finally reaching their breaking point.

"I said you're in no place to lecture me about honor. Do you think yourself so righteous, mother?"

"Careful, Maegor." Daemon warns with an eerily calm tone.

"No father, you know I am right! More than half of the realm never took her seriously because my mother couldn't do her duty. Why am I at fault? I didn't bed knights or bring bastards into the world!" The Prince finally snaps. Every drop of pent up frustration was spilling over in this moment.

Maegor's accusations sting like wildfire, and his words leave a heavy silence in their wake. Before either Jace or Daemon can get to him, Rhaenyra does, storming past her husband, despite the agonizing pain and cold sweat she was breaking into. With eyes filled with tears, she doesn't hold back her anger as a flurry of emotions overwhelm her.

A smack across his face leaves Maegor's skin stinging. He closes his eyes shut and lowers his head to be more on his mother's level. He doesn't budge, or retaliates. Just stands still, accepting the punishment.

 It doesn't stop at just one hit, he can feel another one and another one until his cheek goes numb. Then the slaps suddenly stop. Opening his eyes, Maegor sees his mother sobbing and wailing in pain.

Rhaenyra let's out a choked scream and almost collapses to the floor if it weren't for Maegor to catch her. Blood seeps through the lower end of her dress and he inhales a sharp breath, realizing what was about to happen.

"Father!" His voice cracks, but Daemon is already there in an instant.

Anxiety gets a hold of him fast and the previous heated argument is temporarily forgotten as he watches the maesters rush inside the hall. His father carries his mother away with his half brothers trailing behind them full of worry and fear. 

Throwing him a disappointed look, Rhaenys leaves the chamber last. Suddenly, Maegor finds himself standing alone. Lowering his head, he looks down at the small puddle of his mother's blood that gathered under his boots. His cheek throbs with a dull pain while he listens to the screams of agony that echo throughout the whole castle. 

#aemond-targaryen #love is the death of duty #aemond targaryen x oc #aemond targaryen #aemond one eye #hotd #house of the dragon #maegor targaryen #got #game of thrones #a song of ice and fire #asoiaf #aemond targaryen fanfiction #prince aemond targaryen #aegon targaryen #aemond targaryen fanfic #aemond smut #aemond targaryen smut #aemond fanfiction #aemond x male oc #alicent hightower #otto hightower #aemond x maegor #asykriel #hotd fanfic #targaryen smut #targcest #targaryen

[kalena-henden]

These are all the shows I’ve watched in 2023 so far...

finished:

Alchemy of Souls: Light and Shadow - Fantastic finish to the story! Top 3 Kdrama.

Unlock My Boss - Chae Jong Hyeop shines as an aspiring actor who winds up taking the roll of a lifetime as the new CEO of a tech company when the soul of the previous CEO gets stuck inside his phone. Wild concept but fun found family, corporate intrigue, and a sweet little romance that brews between the young new CEO and his assistant.

The Forbidden Marriage - Top 5 Kdrama. If you want romance, comedy, angst, and alot of love, this is your show. I had so much fun and was rewatching while it was airing.

King2Hearts - An unlikely romance sparks between a South Korean prince and a top North Korean (female) soldier leads to potential reconciliation between their two countries that is threatened by a crazy arms dealer whose cover is a magician. This a James Bond inspired, enemies to lovers, family dynasty, international war games drama. The unhinged villain has his own lair and minions but the only one who can match his off kilter mind games is the wily prince, who is equal parts smart, asshole, and lovable. The North Korean soldier is one of the only one’s who can go toe-to-toe with the prince to eventually bring out the best in him as they fall in love that is literally ride or die. There’s also a secondary romance with the princess and a royal guard. I loved parts of this and liked the rest.

Poong the Joseon Psychiatrist (S1 & S2) - I’m a big Kim Min Jae fan. He shines as a medical doctor who experiences trauma that drives him to suicide. He is saved by a passing noble woman and a short while later he saves her from suicide due to her own trauma. Both of them end up working at a rural clinic with another exiled doctor to treat the locals physical needs but also begin a new practice to treat people’s mental health needs as they try to recover from their own traumas. I loved S1 but S2 brought on some annoying new antagonistic love interests. It is a happy ending though.

Lighter & Princess - A poor computer programing genius clashes with an ambitious rich girl in his college classes but sparks fly when they vie for control of the school’s entrepreneurial programming club leading to unlikely but hard won romance. This was excellent. 

Love to Hate You - A brash entertainment lawyer gets entangled with a romance actor who keeps his distance from women due to a trauma. A bit over the top, lots of role reversals but also fun. I liked it but didn’t love it. 

A Very Secret Service (Au Service De La France) - This a dry, witty French comedy about espionage and spies in the 1960s. Quirky and enjoyable with good character development. 

Taxi Driver (S1 & S2) - Lee Je Hoon leads this team of vigilantes who try to root out the evils of society for individuals in crisis that they were never able to do for themselves. The cases are mostly based on real life events. Violent, emotional, satisfying. I love this found family. 

Crash Course in Romance - A beloved, handsome math academy professor falls for the single mother of one of his students leading to an uproar amongst the parents. There’s a cute love triangle with the daughter and her classmates (I’m Team Geonhu) and a unsatisfying serial killer plotline. 

Gaus Electronics - This is an over the top, quirky, office comedy. It’s so crazy, especially at the beginning, that it’s almost too much but it’s smart and fun with an unlikely enemies to lovers romance that is quite sweet.

The Heavenly Idol - A high priest from another realm in the middle of a battle with the devil unexpectedly switches places with a failed idol grasping for his last chance at success. Kim Min Kyu is a great fish out of water but the story is a bit all over the place. I like his sweet healing romance with the band’s new manager though.

The King: Eternal Monarch - Parallel worlds, time travel, doppelgängers. Lee Min Ho, Kim Go Eun, Woo Do Hwan. There were some great concepts and good execution but it lacked the follow through to make it truly satisfying. 

Dr. Romantic (S1, S2, & S3) - Top 10 Kdrama. A small town hospital where a visionary maverick doctor, Master Kim, mentors 30-something year old doctors with his unorthodox methods while they fall in love with each other. It has a huge found Doldam Family with the hospital workers of all ages and their complex relationships with each other. I love this show!

Our Blooming Youth - Park Hyung Shik leads this Joeson-era mystery romance. It’s okay but it’s too slow and doesn’t develop the characters enough. It should have been 16 episodes, not 20. 

Call It Love - Introverted adults in their 30s try to overcome childhood trauma inflicted by their parents as they unwittingly fall in love while working together. This one is slower, complex and compelling. It’s one of my favorite dramas of 2023.

Please Don’t Date Him - I watched this solely for Lee Junyoung as a young firefigher who falls in love with a woman who works with A.I. in home appliances and stumbles upon a government spy program. It’s a light comedy if you’re looking for fluff. 

Find Me in Your Memory - An actress who’s lost her memory and an anchorman who can never forget fall in love. I mainly watched this because of the actors cameo as these character in Sh**ting Stars. It was okay.

Healer - I know this is a fan fave but I liked it, didn’t love it. 

Bora! Deborah (True to Love) - So much potential but a bit of a let down. I like both Yoo In Na and Yoon Hyun Min.

When the Weather is Fine - I was here for the small town romance with the local bookstore owner and the fun found family of their all ages book club. However, the last third of the story wallowed in the revealed family trauma too much and lost sight of everything else. 

Tale of the Nine-Tailed 1938 - When this was on point, it was compelling, funny and so much darn fun! There was bromance, romance, adventure, healing, friendship, and battles both personal and national. It had some slow times but overall Lee Dong Wook was clearing having the time of his life and Kim Bum stole the show as Lee Rang came into his own. 

Thirty But Seventeen - 10/10. Top 5 Kdrama. A teenage violinist gets into an accident and wakes up from her coma 13 year later to find the world vastly different. This was so much darn fun, great found family, cute romance, angst, and healing. Even when it was sad, I was so happy watching it. Shin Hye Sun, Yang Se Jong, and Ahn Hyo Seop are fantastic!

Something in the Rain -  I wanted so much to like noona romance with Son Ye Jin and Jung Hae In but man did it drag. Her mother is especially heinous. I completed it which was difficult.

See You in My 19th Life - I weirdly dislike-watched this in one weekend cause I wanted to see what all the fuss was about. It was okay. There were some interesting things about it with the relationships and past lives stuff but not for me.

King the Land - Lee Junho acted his heart out in this fluffy romcom and Im Yoona was a worthy partner in crime. I came to have a good time and they gave it to me. 

Heartbeat - Ok Taecyeon did a good job of carrying this unsteady vampire show that had some good moments but didn’t deliver on its premise. 

Legend of the Blue Sea - I really do like Lee Min Ho. He has a casual charisma that is undeniable. Jun Ji Hyun was an excellent literal fish out of water. While I liked the intertwining of the past and present lives, the story never quite hit the mark for me. Liked it, didn’t love it.

Never Have I Ever (S4) - This show never let me down. A satisfying finale season!

Meteor Garden (2018) - I needed more Dylan Wang after Love Between Fairy and Devil. This was an unexpected crazy fun ride. It was so outrageous at times. It inspired me to one day watch all the adaptations of Boys Over Flowers, as I’ve already seen 3 now. 

Hidden Love - A slow burn, age gap romance between a college girl and her older brother’s longtime friend. I really liked this but I wasn’t in love with it like everyone seems to be.

Nadiya’s Time to Eat - A fave Great British Bake Off winner’s cooking show. Inspiring.

Nadiya Bakes - And her baking show too.

Shadow and Bone (S2) - I think it improved on some things from the first season but they really crammed the second two books into one and some of Six of Crows too. Still a bit too fast-paced but I enjoyed it.

The Night Agent - An FBI agent gets an emergency call that starts a race to find a government mole and protect the informant. I binged this almost straight through. A good watch.

Queen Charlotte - This Bridgerton spinoff sheds light on royal power dynamics, mental illness, and social and racial divides.

LuLaRich - This is a compelling documentary on the rise and fall of Lularoe’s multi-level-marketing scheme. A must watch.

Sweet Magnolias (S3) - This is a comfort drama. I’m just here checking in to see how the little town is doing.

Star Trek: Picard (S3) - Showrunner Terry Matalas brings some of his 12 Monkeys (the tv series) magic to the final reuniting of the Next Generation cast while setting up a compelling potential Legacy spinoff.

My Lovely Liar - I enjoyed the romance between Hwang Minhyun and Kim So Hyun but the show itself is okay.

Destined With You - Magic, Curses, Past Lives, Symbolism, Spells, Fated Love. I thought it was going to be the next great fantasy romance but it chucked the fantasy halfway through and left a million unanswered questions at the end. At least we got a decent romance, even if the story lost its way. A big disappointment for me but I would recommend to see Rowoon acting his heart out in a cute romance.

The Uncanny Counter 2 - I was back to see the demon hunters fight for their humanity and loved ones again.

Celebrity - A solid takedown of influencer culture with mystery, intrigue, and a tiny bit of romance.

It’s Okay Not To Be Okay - I’ve been hearing about how good this drama is forever and it lived up to expectations. Great characters and development. I was surprised at how funny it was and enjoyed the romance too. Highly recommend.

True Beauty - This has been on my list for a long time and I needed more Cha Eun Woo while waiting for new episodes of A Good Day To Be A Dog. A great high school romcom with angst about a girl bullied for her acne getting a second chance at a new school who turns into a ‘goddess’ when she learns to do her own makeup. Love the romance, bromance and friendships! I love the second male lead as a character but never got second lead syndrome because I loved the main romance. I enjoyed the whole way through. 

Beckham - A docuseries about soccer (football to the rest of the world) star David Beckham that made you feel like you had front row seat to his past triumphs and struggles through the reflective lens of the present.

#true beauty #dr romantic #it’s okay not to be okay #the forbidden marriage #thirty but seventeen #call it love #tale of the nine tailed 1938 #kdrama #kalenapost #kalena watched kdramas #tv #tv list

[decembercamiecherries]

2023 Fic Summary!

I didn't do this last year for some reason??? BUT I wrote a lot of fics this year, and some I forgot to share here, so I wanted to post a summary of it all so that way all my fics ended up on my tumblr in some way! ^-^ Thank you to everyone who continues to read my works, I'm very happy to share my stories with you all <3

Previous fic summaries:

2019 summary

2020 summary

2021 summary

Ao3 Stats (for 2023 only):

Works In Progress (HxH, killugon)

2 chapters, 5.6k words

Not complete

General summary: I'll be posting all my sneak peeks/wips/abandoned hxh fics here so it'll never be marked as complete

Excerpt: Gon doesn’t drop the beer, but it’s a near thing. Because this new customer is gorgeous—his white hair is windswept and silver in the dim light, his skin is pale and smooth, his fingers are long as any pianists’ as they rest along the bar, and his build is lean but sculpted beyond the thin tank top he wears. And his eyes, of course, are the most beautiful shade of blue.

At The Summit (MDZS, wangxian)

1 chapter, 2.7k words

Complete

General summary: high school au, carnival rides, first kiss

Excerpt: It takes Lan Wangji a moment to register what Wei Wuxian has said. He’s too preoccupied with the press of Wei Wuxian’s calloused palm against his, the buzzing wonder that vibrates under his skin, the tingling of his lips. He already knows he will be replaying their kiss in his mind until the early hours of the morning and possibly—definitely—for the remainder of the weekend.

Eight Days a Week (MDZS, wangxian)

1 chapter, 6.7k words

Complete

General summary: modern au, co-workers, Wei Wuxian is upset Lan Wangji has a date

Excerpt: As for the date themself…well, Wei Wuxian isn’t confident enough to assume Lan Wangji’s taste in dates but Lan Wangji did say they were good. Whatever that means. And if Lan Wangji likes them, they must be nice at the very least. Maybe they follow rules as strictly as Lan Wangji. Maybe they share his love of music. Maybe they are quiet and actually let Lan Wangji speak, unlike Wei Wuxian who babbles about everything and anything that crosses his mind.

Intentional (MDZS, wangxian)

1 chapter, 2.5k words

Complete

General summary: college au, Wei Wuxian accidentally says I love you when hanging up on a phone call with Lan Wangji

Excerpt: Lan Wangji knows his own mind. He knows his own thoughts. He knows Wei Wuxian has been a source of frustration, fascination and admiration in equal measures since the moment they met at college orientation nearly three years ago. And although his impression of the bright-eyed and chaotic student has remained largely unchanged since then, the unexpected fondness Lan Wangji found himself harboring for Wei Wuxian has grown exponentially stronger and long ago spiraled out of his control.

Time x Bomb (HxH, killugon)

3 chapters, 14.1k words

Complete

General summary: canon divergence au, chimera ant arc, what if au in which Killua is taken by Pitou instead of Kite

Excerpt: Killua should be here. Killua always knew the right words to say, to distract Gon from his weaknesses, to encourage him to move forward. Killua’s arms should be the ones around him right now. Killua should be murmuring reassurances in his ear. Kite’s frame is similar to Killua’s—they’re both thin and lithe—but Kite is too long, too bone-y. Killua is only slightly taller than Gon and the perfect size to hold and be held by.

like a rainbow (MDZS, wangxian)

4 chapters, 14.7k words

Complete

General summary: canon divergence/soulmate au in which everyone is colorbind when separated from the soulmate with the exception of one color

Excerpt: Lan Wangji immediately regrets the sip of alcohol Wei Wuxian had coaxed him into taking. He wants to remember each and every second he spends worshiping Wei Wuxian. The momentary relaxation from drinking is certainly not worth giving that up. Still, he traces the red marks and scratches littering Wei Wuxian’s arms and shoulders, marveling at how beautiful Wei Wuxian’s soul color looks in the morning light. 

Insomniac (MDZS, wangxian)

1 chapter, 2k words

Complete

General summary: modern au, established relationship, Wei Wuxian convinces his overworked husband Lan Wangji to cuddle in bed

Excerpt: He gasps as Lan Wangji hoists him into his arms. Heart pounding, he grabs hold of Lan Wangji’s shoulders as the other walks out of the kitchen and down the hallway. It’s an impressive show of strength, one that always makes Wei Wuxian’s blood race no matter how many times Lan Wangji has done it before.

Troubled by the Emptiness (MDZS, wangxian)

5 chapters, 27k words

Complete

General summary: canon divergence au in which Wei Wuxian makes everyone forget his existence shortly after escaping to the Burial Mounds with the Wens

Excerpt: The Lan Sect rules are the farthest things on Lan Wangji’s mind right now. The only thing he can think of is kissing Wei Wuxian, of turning off his lies and distractions and prying the truth out of him with his own mouth and tongue. He wants to hear Wei Wuxian spill his secrets in gasps and moans. He wants to find a way to ensure Wei Wuxian won’t sacrifice the new memories they share like he had their previous ones.

lovely, dark, and deep (MDZS, wangxian)

1 chapter, 30.9k words

Complete

General summary: red riding hood au in which Wei Wuxian is red riding hood, Lan Wangji the wolf, and the Wens the grandmother in the woods

Excerpt: Wei Wuxian has yet to see a fae in the woods. Most of the townsfolk of Yiling haven’t, either—if they do, they normally don’t live to tell the tale. Fae don’t like humans trespassing on their land. The path is something they can’t touch, but any human who goes astray is fair game. 

Light and Shadow (MDZS, wangxian)

1 chapter, 4.2k words

Complete

General summary: modern au, super hero au, secret identity au

Excerpt: The world comes back into focus. Gone is Hanguang-jun, Gusu’s second Twin Jade and a source of strength and hope for all its civilians. In his place is only Lan Wangji, a well built but wholly average civilian dressed in his usual business attire with blood seeping through his torn dress pants. And Wei Wuxian had a front row seat for the entire transformation.

painting flowers for you (HxH, killugon)

1 chapter, 13.2k words

Complete

General summary: alice in wonderland au in which Killua is Alice, Gon is the chesire cat, and Alluka is the rabbit

Excerpt: Killua kept his stare steady as Gon searched his face. Those inhuman gold eyes and slitted pupils no longer sent a shiver down his spine. They were a part of Gon now, just like his magic. And underneath it all he was still the freckled, cheerful teen who Killua fell in love with all those years ago. The teen who loved him back just as much.

Otherwise Engaged (MDZS, wangxian)

1 chapter, 5.2k words

Complete

General summary: modern au, professors/teachers au, wangxian wake up accidentally married after getting drunk the night before but drag their feet when it comes to gettnig a divorce

Excerpt: The heavy weight of Lan Wangji’s stare digs into his back and Wei Wuxian delights in the feeling. Having Lan Wangji’s undivided attention is a gift in and of itself! But he will not get distracted. Because this is important. This is real. This would be a conscious decision in a way that their marriage hadn’t been. And Wei Wuxian can only hope that Lan Wangji’s delay in asking for a divorce means that he wants the same thing Wei Wuxian does.

#dc writes #2023 fic summary #2023 #mdzs #hunterxhunter #killugon #wangxian #rip hxh bc mxtx's works kind of took over my life this year

[elizaditton]

Too Small To Be Afraid (Chapter 3)

Links:

Cover / Master Post / Previous Chapter / Next Chapter

- - - - - - - - - - 

The ride to Chancelor was a long one. It was around seven o'clock when we pulled into the station in our new home town. As soon as we got off the train, Dad's face lit up like a little kid during the Year's End Festival looking at all of the springtime decorations. He had something to say about nearly every street we went down, as well as every store and restaurant we passed. He pointed out a little bakery not far from the new apartment and suggested we check it out despite the fact that we still had our carry-ons with us.

After our aimless sightseeing was done—and by that, I mean after we managed to figure out where we were after getting lost, we finally arrived at our new apartment. We were greeted by faded blue walls, creaky floorboards, and artificial windows that wouldn't turn on. As expected, the place was barren of any furniture, so we had a rough night sleeping on the floor.

But, I'd rather be sleeping on any cold, hard floor now than moving these boxes in from the perthean lobby.

I try not to gaze upward at a ceiling that feels miles away as I go fetch more boxes to bring up to the apartment. I try not to look around me at all the furniture throughout the room that towers over me. I try to ignore the distant chatter of some pertheans having a business meeting with some humans on the other side of the room. I should feel safe at this distance, but the knowledge that one of those pertheans could come over and grab me if they wanted to lingers in the back of my mind as I walk through the lobby. A walk that would take minutes for me would be mere seconds to them. It would be nothing.

I heave one box atop some others and wheeze as I struggle to lift the whole stack up at once.

"Not so many at once, honey!" Dad says, approaching from behind. "Here, let me take this big one from the bottom."

I lift the two lighter boxes off of the bigger box so Dad can take it, and follow him up the stairs to the balcony. I keep my distance, though, lest he try to rope me into any more conversations with the perthean receptionist.

"She's almost done with high school," Dad says when he reaches the balcony.

Great. He's talking about me again. I speed up and head for the door to the human lobby as quickly as I can.

"This year will be stage 4d, her last year," he says.

"Senior year!" the receptionist exclaims gleefully. "Do you have any plans for university?"

I stop dead in my tracks. She must be talking to me.

"N-no, not yet. I'm still deciding on a career," I say. "Excuse me, I'm gonna set these boxes down."

I tighten my grip on the box in my hands and turn to enter the human lobby, a quivering breath escaping me. I don't understand why the movers couldn't have just delivered our storage container back to the undercity so we could unload through the human lobby.

"Sorry," Dad says from behind me. "She's a little shy."

I board the reserved elevator and hit '8' on the wall with my elbow. The button gives off a dull glow as a chime plays overhead and the doors begin to close.

"Wait! Hold the door!" Dad exclaims, running up to the elevator.

I'm surprised he actually wrapped up his chat with the receptionist that quickly. When Dad starts a conversation, it can be hard for him to stop. I'm just glad we're making progress with these boxes at all.

I hold the door open with my foot, and Dad joins me inside the elevator with the box he was carrying. I remove my foot from the door, and it glides shut, leaving us alone inside.

"Kaylin," Dad says. "There's something I want to talk to you about."

Oh, boy. Here it comes.

Dad lets out a cough before continuing, "I know you've been having a hard time managing your fear lately with how much we've been above ground. I know it isn't easy for you being around pertheans, but I want to make sure you know that having a fear of pertheans is not an excuse to be rude to them," he says.

I immediately regret holding the door.

"I'm not trying to be rude," I say, adjusting my grip on the boxes in my hands. "I'm just trying to get away."

"That's exactly what I mean," Dad says. "I think you owe it to them to at least try to have a decent conversation every once in a while."

"Owe it to them? Because I have a fear?" I ask. "So having a fear is wrong?"

"That's not what I mean. It's just that..." Dad sighs, shifting in place. "They deserve to be treated just like you'd treat anyone else, no matter how tall they are to us."

"But what if a perthean finds out I have a fear? What if they hold that against me? What if--"

"I think most would respect you for pushing past it," Dad interrupts.

"I want to push past it," I say, searching for the words to use. "I just don't know how I'm supposed to do that. It's so hard when all I think about is--"

"Then don't think about that," Dad interrupts again. "Like you said before, it's best not to go back there."

The elevator plays another one of its soft chimes, and the doors open for us. We step out, carrying our boxes down the hall to the apartment.

"Think on something positive. Don't you have any good memories with at least one perthean?" Dad asks.

I think for a moment. "Well, I guess Ms. Sena was nice."

"Your stage two teacher? That's a good start."

"But stage two was when..." I trail off, stopping in the middle of the hall. I look down at the boxes in my hands as my mind threatens to take me to a place I don't want to return to.

"Kaylin," Dad says, turning around.

I look up at him. "Yes?"

"This world is full of things dangerous to humans. As long as we choose to live on Perthea, we accept that risk. What matters is how we choose to respond to that risk, and frankly," he says, "I believe we're too small to be afraid."

I don't want to argue, but I can't help but wonder what that's supposed to mean as I follow Dad into the apartment.

#tstba #too small to be afraid #perthea #g/t #giant/tiny

[vidjausers-fable]

Pen Pals (Veneer X OC)Chapter 8

Previous chapter

Thank you @tinalbion for beta reading for me <3 Loves youuu

Keeping in contact with Veneer was one of the best decisions Avery had made. She was glad that she had given the male a second chance. It only made her feel more connected with him, and now when she sent him a letter, she signed his real name and he signed his back. At first, she had been so hesitant—for a while Veneer and his sister were one of the most hated people in Mount Rageous. Though in reality, Avery viewed Rivers as being the most hated person in Mount Rageous, at least to her. She had a feeling that Veneer never would cast her out in the streets, and that was the difference between the two of them. 

Veneer felt the same way. He found that most of his thoughts revolved around Avery, as to when he would next call her or see her. They had kept a consistent schedule. Every Friday she would call, and every other week she would visit in person instead. Sometimes he was lucky and got a call on Sunday before she had to work. Talking to her made him feel normal again—the normal he had felt before he had become a pop star. The normal he felt when in the morning, he would have his parents’ homemade and “healthier” breakfast and then ride the bus to school. At times he wished that he hadn’t followed his sister in her dreams to become famous and go to cosmetology school like he originally planned to. Then, when he remembered Avery and how she smiled, he was glad that he hadn’t. 

In fact, Veneer thought of her so often that he was distracted and off in his own world. Today wasn’t any different.

Sitting in Dr. In Graham's office, he had drifted off mid sentence as he was in the middle of a conversation about his plans for after this program, leaving off on a little: “Uh…” Tonight, he had another phone call with Avery. 

Dr. Graham didn’t mind however and smiled at the male. At first, she had been worried that there would be some sort of rejection and that the weight of that rejection would crush him, and make them restart this whole program. Veneer had worked so hard to get where he was that she didn’t want that for him. When the news had gotten back to her that Avery wanted to give the real friendship a go, she had been thrilled to hear it. Just as she suspected, she saw the after effects immediately. Veneer’s mood and confidence skyrocketed, and then she knew that there would be no more trouble. 

“So, Veneer…” Not knowing if he would finish his thought or not, Dr. Graham interrupted him kindly. Veneer snapped out of it immediately, so she continued, “I wanted to share some great news with you…” She took out one of her neatly organized folders and opened it, “After your most recent evaluation and talk with my supervisor, we both have been brought to the conclusion that you have…” She leaned forward, “COMPLETED THE PROGRAM!” She threw her hands up. 

The news came as quite a shock to Veneer, his jaw was slacked and he stared at her with wide eyes. “I…Completed the program.”

Smiling, she nodded, “Yes, and with flying colors I might say.”

“I didn’t realize that there had been a test.” 

“Every evaluation is. You get points, which gives you a grade. We monitor your behavior and moods. When all three stay in the same good range for a while, we give you that final observation and evaluation. We don’t think there’s anything else that we can do to help you…” She tapped Veneer’s folder down on her desk before tucking it away, “There’s just one problem. Your parents still haven’t contacted us back, even after several phone calls.” As much as she didn’t want to bring it up, it was something that she had to bring up, “So I wanted to talk about some alternatives that might help you get back on your feet.” Even if she had to do it herself, Dr. Graham wanted to make sure Veneer would be secure with a job and a proper home before she officially said goodbye. It would be cruel of her to throw him out into the streets with something. 

Veneer crossed his arms. He had long wanted to give up on the thought of his parents reaching back out to their only kids. “That’s not surprising, really.”

“Does that bother you?”

“I mean, it does. A little. I’m just not surprised by it at all. I was hoping, but I guess what’s done is done. They had to sell their whole practice because of us, so I’m not really surprised. Just hurt by it all. But if I put all my energy into them, then I won’t be able to live like I want to, yeah?”

A proud smile crossed his counselor’s face. “That’s exactly right, Veneer. Well, I just wanted to let you know that we will house you here for just a bit until we figure out what to do. What we’ll try and do first is hook you up with a job, and then find someone who is willing to room with you. After we can do that, we’ll be able to release you officially. You will still have to follow our rules and such, but since you technically pass, you’ll be able to go for a few hours every week, as long as you’re back before curfew. I will have to tell you about the rules and how we will technically be supposed to track you at all times to make sure you don’t run away from Mount Rageous at all. For the first few outings, you’ll have a chaperone, but after you prove yourself further, you’ll be allowed to go out by yourself. And Veneer…” Her expression became serious, which told Veneer that he needed to listen closely, “Be good okay? Others have abused this system and had to restart it because they thought that they were home free and could do anything they wanted. It’s a test to see if you’ll slip up, but you didn’t hear that from me, okay?” She winked. 

Veneer sat back with many thoughts running through his head. His first thought was of Avery. He spoke without thinking, “I need to tell Avery!! I can’t wait to tell her the good news!”

Dr. Graham smiled widely. It was always encouraging to see someone complete the program. She loved her job and was proud she could help young individuals like Veneer through tough times and tough emotions. “I will expect around four then. I would say don’t be late, but you never are. Now, have a wonderful lunch. I can’t wait to dig into my wife’s burger!” She waved goodbye to Veneer as he left the room, feeling like a new man. 

Veneer did his best to make the time fly faster, taking his time with lunch and then watching some of his sister’s shows with her. Velvet was a bit moody that day, so he kept the news to himself for now. 

When it became time for his call with Avery, Veneer raced back to Dr. Graham’s office as fast as he could. The way that the phone calls usually worked is that Veneer went to Dr. Graham’s office and was given a phone he was allowed to take into the next room over. He was only allowed one phone call, so if he was caught dialing another then he would be in trouble. Veneer wasn’t sure how he could be caught, but he didn’t want to take the risk and get his privileges taken away. They probably had good tracking on it or something. 

Veneer stepped into his counselor’s office for a second time that day. Dr. Graham already had the phone set up for him. “Here you go, all you have to do is press the call button once you’re in the other room. Have a good time, Veneer.” She waved as he stepped out. 

Waiting until he was in the other room, Veneer closed the door behind him and pressed the green call button. The phone rang only twice before Avery’s voice was on the other side, greeting him, “Hey Veneer!”

All the excitement Veneer had in him came bubbling through his response, “Avery! I’m so excited to hear from you today!” 

Avery laughed softly. “Oh, you are? What’s got you all excited to talk to me today, huh?”

“Well, two reasons really! One, I miss you—like a LOT. Then two, I have some really good news.”

“I could use the good news, so tell me!”

“Wellll…I guess it’s more than one good thing. I technically passed my program!”

Veneer smiled when he heard Avery gasp on the other side of the phone, “You DID? Oh my god, Veneer, that’s so amazing!”

“I’m so happy and just so…proud of myself. I feel much better, especially with everything I’ve learned. While I passed, I still have to stay here a bit…My parents haven’t reached out, so my counselor is going to try and find me somewhere to live before they technically release me from here. But since I passed, I have more privileges…Like…supervised outings. If I prove that I won’t be any trouble, then I won’t need supervision at all…”

Avery’s eyes widened. “So that means…”

“...That you and I could go out together. We can do more than visit! I could maybe even go out to your job and see where you work and stuff.” Veneer smiled to himself. 

Avery giggled and teased him, “And why would you want to go to such a gross place like that?”

“Honestly, I’ll take greasy pizza and extra fried potatoes over the bland stuff they make here for us any day. Plus! I still want to learn how to roller skate, remember?” He bounced, “So, do you think that we can go out sometime?”

“Of course, we can, Veneer. I’m actually both surprised and honored that you would want to do something like that with me…”

“Why wouldn’t I? Girl, you’re like my BEST friend. I would pick you any day, you hear?”

“Well, what’s the process of how this would happen? Do I have to call in and schedule time with you like with the visitation?”

“I honestly don’t know, but maybe I can ask Dr. Graham before we hang up today. We could do it on the day you’re off if you’d like. Then I'll have her contact you and work out a day since we’re working around your schedule.”

Avery teased him, “Sure, because I like to go to the place I work on a day I have off~”

Veneer rolled his eyes playfully, snickering, “I can’t help it. I’ll be getting out for a while, so I’ll just be excited to be getting out and doing something for a change. I taught myself to play CHESS with myself here because I’m so bored. Can you imagine that pain?!”

“That’s fair…But how are you going to feel, being back out in public like that for everyone to see…? How do you think people are going to react to seeing you again…? And how’s that going to make you feel?”

Veneer honestly hadn’t thought about that at first. He had been so focused on going out with Avery that he didn’t think that others would want to pay attention to him. After spending so much time in the program, sometimes he forgot that he had once been famous. Stepping out in the world would be uncomfortable, especially with those wanting to get close to him and snap a photo. Some might even harass him. No wonder why it would be so difficult for Dr. Graham to find a job and a place for him to live. He was glad that he and Avery were on the phone rather than in person, otherwise, she would be able to see his disappointed gaze at the moment, and he didn’t want his best friend to worry. 

“I’ll be honest,” Veneer finally spoke up after a moment of silence, “I’m not sure what will happen. I’m just glad I won’t be alone now. Are you going to be okay with that? Being seen out there with me? The last thing I would want would be for you to feel uncomfortable around me.”

“I’ll probably be uncomfortable with any photos that might be taken.” Avery’s first thought was Rivers but she brushed off her own insecurities, “But I would never be uncomfortable being seen around you, Veneer. Just wait until everyone sees how you’ve improved and how you grew from this experience.”

Veneer sighed. Yes, he learned. He was disgusted with the teen he had been before he grew. Honestly, if he could right now, he would try and find Floyd and apologize to him. Floyd had been almost killed. If he had let him go that one time he tried to escape then maybe he wouldn’t be in as big of a hole that he was in now. 

“I know. I’ll prove it to them. Even if it’s just a little at a time. I promise you, Avery.” 

Avery smiled proudly. She wanted to pat Veneer on the back. “I know you will, Veneer. I believe in you.”

Veneer loved how she said that to time. He basked in the positive attention. It made him feel warm inside and made him feel like maybe he could do more in the end. He was excited to be out in the real world and to be able to move on from the past and wrongs he had done. He felt as though Avery helped him achieve that sort of life. He couldn’t thank her enough for the opportunity. 

“Hey, Avery?”

“Yes, Veneer?”

“Thank you for being my friend, even when I didn’t deserve it.”

“And why wouldn’t you deserve a friend?” 

“Because I’ve…hurt people. Scammed them and basically robbed them. I’m not sure if I can forgive myself for that.”

“You have to one day, Veneer. You can’t move on and heal if you can’t forgive yourself. If you don’t, how are you truly going to make it up to others? I know it’s going to be hard, but I know you can do it. I’ll make sure of it, I promise.”

Veneer couldn’t stop smiling. “I can’t wait to go out with you for the first time…”

Avery giggled softly. “You almost make it sound like we’re going on a date.”

There was a long pause and it made Avery wonder if she offended Veneer somehow. “Do you…Want it to be a date of some sort? I mean—!” He stumbled over his words, and Avery thought it was the cutest thing ever. “It can be a friend date or a date-date…Whichever you’d prefer.”

“A date-date is just fine. Though sometime we’ll have to have a date-date somewhere that isn’t my work, you hear.”

“I hear you loud and clear, miss!” He laughed. Their phone call was slowly coming to an end, and he didn’t want it to. But he also knew that by next week, he would see his friend—his friend—in person, and be able to take her out on a proper date like a gentleman. “Goodbye Avery, have a good day okay?”

“You too.”

The two hung up the phone and Veneer released a sad sigh. If he could take the phone with him into the cell to text her, he totally would, but that would jeopardize any opportunity he had to get out of that place. So, he came back and gave his counselor and thanked her for the time he got to spend with his friend. 

“Did you have a nice chat?” Dr. Graham asked him sweetly. 

Veneer smiled. “Yeah, she’s as excited as I am. She says she’s also proud of me…We’re going to want to go out sometime, but we have a question about how we would set that up. Does she have to call and schedule? How much time do we get?”

“Yes, but that’s mostly because it’ll be convenient for her. Do you want me to call? You guys are allowed to be out as long as you want, but you do have to be back by your scheduled time, or curfew. Do you want your normal hours?” 

Veneer nodded. “Yep, next Friday. I hope this week goes by fast…”

“It will, just remember to stay on top of things.” Dr. Graham gave him a proud thumbs up, and Veneer left. 

Veneer was just in time for snacks to be handed out in the rec. He needed to hurry since it was also his and Velvet’s show time and if they missed the season finale, then Velvet would make him watch the whole season over again as punishment. He thought long and hard about it and realized that she would question where he would be next Friday, especially if the two of them would be out the whole time like Veneer wanted. He would have to tell his sister the truth, no matter how explosive her reaction might be. He dreaded it. 

Velvet was looking for Veneer when he came to the rec room. Velvet spotted him the moment he entered and waved a hand at him dramatically, “VENEER, hurry or you’re going to miss the finale!”

“I’ll hurry, I’m here, sis!” Veneer rushed and joined Velvet by her side. The two settled down. Veneer allowed his sister to enjoy her trashy show while he enjoyed his peace for now. However, his sister could read him like a book the entire time and noticed how unusually quiet he was. Without trying to, her brother had given himself away, making her frustrated at his lack of responses toward her show. 

Halfway through the show, she finally spoke up, “If there’s something you’ve got to say, then just say it already. What’s going on, Veneer?” she asked with a small huff.

Veneer sat straight up, “Oh, uh…! Sorry. My brain blanked. I wanted to tell you something but then got distracted with the show and didn’t want to disrupt it.”

“Well, what’s so wrong that you feel the need to be quiet during the show?” 

Veneer closed his eyes and took a deep breath, preparing himself for the worst kind of outcome from his sister, “I’m being let out of the facility for a while. With Avey.”

Velvet was dangerously quiet. Veneer was prepared to jump up and run if he had to. He looked at his sister’s face and saw how her nose scrunched up in a way that he knew things were about to go South. He felt his legs flex, ready to stand up given a moment’s time.

Taking a deep breath through her nostrils, Velvet did her best to calm down. “That…That’s great…I guess…” She grumbled, feeling her stomach tie in a way that must be jealousy. She gripped the couch so tight that if she still wore press on nails like she used to, then they probably would have popped her real nails off with them. Take deep breaths…she told herself. “I want…I want to do that too sometime. I miss going to sushi.”

“Maybe…If you do really well,” Veneer tested the waters, “Then you and I and Avery can all go out to sushi.”

“That would be great,” Velvet mumbled under her breath then went dead quiet. 

Veneer scooted closer to his sister and patted her shoulder. He knew that she would be upset for a while, but he was proud that she was trying to change her anger patterns and to not let herself succumb to outbursts. He was proud of her as well. 

***

The days passed quickly and Veneer was glad that it was Friday. He was practically bouncing off the walls waiting out in Dr. Graham’s office. For once he could wear STREET clothes!! Of course, his stripped orange Facility garments would catch too much public attention. He was glad to at least let those clothes go. He also chose to let his hair down this day, so it wasn’t slicked up in that familiar mullet. Plus, it’s not like he had access to a lot of gel within this facility. They were waiting for Avery to arrive. He knew that if she showed up within an hour, she was still technically early. She didn’t have a car, so she always made sure she was early rather than late. 

The guard stepped into the room and looked directly at him. She’s here…! He screamed to himself and stood without even waiting for the command. He was waved over and taken into the room. He was then promptly patted down then given the heads up.

When Avery saw Veneer, she saw that he was wearing a plain gray hoodie and jeans. He looked very different than what she was usually used to seeing, but she could also tell he looked more comfortable. 

“Veneer!” She rushed over and hugged her friend. Their arms wrapped around each other immediately since both had already been checked over. “Are you excited for today?” She didn’t pull back but still looked up at him. 

Veneer was already looking down at her. He patted her back. “More than ever! I can’t wait to get out, but I also can’t wait to spend the day with YOU. Can you believe that we made friends over the piece of paper?”

“Yeah, it’s like an old school version of social media. Better too.” Avery nodded with a smile and pulled back. Naturally, her hand dipped down and their fingers linked together. Veneer wrapped his own fingers around hers with a big blush on his face. “I made plans to go to a good coffee shop before we hit the roller rink. We’ll be able to sneak the coffee in since the cook knows our coffee there sucks. Does that sound like a plan?”

Veneer nodded and wiggled his body excitingly on the spot. “Oh PLEASE, I haven’t had a good macchiato in a while and I’m DYING for one.” He laughed. 

With the guard right behind them, the two left the facility. Veneer didn’t know, but Dr. Graham was watching him from her window with a proud expression on her face. She was so excited for Veneer to make new steps into the world. She just hoped that the world would forgive him and treat him kindly. Yes, he did awful things, but she truly saw the vulnerable side of him that was trying to repent for what he had done. 

Avery called for a taxi rather than take the bus. Since they were on limited time, she didn’t want to experience the agony of waiting for the bus to take her where they needed to go. She had specifically bought only necessities for the past few weeks so she could treat herself and Veneer today. When the taxi sped over and screeched right in front of them, Veneer reached for the door first and opened it. She stood there for a moment, thinking he was going to climb in himself, and then blushed when she realized he had opened it for her rather. She climbed in and he got into the car next to her, sitting in the middle. The guard pulled into the front seat, earning the two some questionable stares from the taxi driver. For a second, he caught a glance of Veneer in the center of his vehicle through the rearview mirror, making the male want to sink down. Had he already been caught by the media?

No words were said whether he recognized him or not. Veneer put his hoodie up and checked in on Avery, who smiled as she looked out the window. Their fingers never left one another, and he discovered that holding her hand felt like a necessity in his world. He didn’t want to let her go, not even for a second. 

“The Blue Bell Coffee shop, please,” Avery told the taxi driver as politely as she could and slipped him his money. 

Not much had changed about Mount Rageous. The roads were still as wild as ever with cars racing in every direction. He did notice however that there were more tracks built, probably to accommodate the growing population of tourists and the Mount Rageous themselves. He hadn’t driven since that night he had been arrested, but he remembered the thrill of being on the road and missed it. 

Avery allowed for some quiet in the taxi, noticing how Veneer couldn’t stop looking out the window. She wanted him to savor the moment of being out. It’s not like they didn’t have hours to spend already. 

With the fast-paced driving of the Mount Rageons, they were to the coffee shop in no time. Everyone got out quickly to let the taxi driver continue on to his next client. Avery snuck him his tip before getting out last. She smoothed out her skirt and looked to the side, seeing Veneer’s hand held out expectantly. Avery smiled and put her hands in his again. She couldn’t imagine how he was feeling right now. Scared? Nervous? There was so much going on for him, she knew so she took his hand without a complaint. 

They entered the coffee shop together. Veneer squeezed her hand so she squeezed his back, trying to tell him that she was right there and was promising to take care of him. 

There were only two girls at the counter, which Avery was thankful for. However as they stepped behind the two strangers, they turned around. The girls gasped and right away Avery knew that they recognized Veneer. At this point, his grip on Avery’s hand was painful, but she refused to let go. 

“Oh my god!” The girl sounded excited and squealed. She got her phone out and snapped a photo of the two holding hands. Avery was stunned at the flash that went off in her eyes and used her free hand to rub her eyes. “Veneer, are you out?! That’s amazing. Can I get a selfie with you?” she asked. 

Veneer couldn’t find the right words. He was stunned. Why weren’t these two getting mad at him for the scam he and his sister ran? He was completely uncomfortable with all of this. 

Veneer raised a hand and shook his head. “Uh, no thank you…No pictures please. Thank you.”

The girl frowned and lowered her phone but didn’t put it away. “What? Why? Is this your girlfriend? Does she not like photos? That’s very controlling of her, Veneer…”

Veneer saw how Avery blushed and looked away. He turned back to the girls, frowning, and then spoke confidently, “No, I don’t like photos. Please leave us alone. If you’re not going to step up in line, then let us through.”

The girls didn’t move so the two stepped forward with Veneer leading the way. He looked to Avery as she made the order for them and she paid. The entire time, he felt all eyes on him. The Barista was staring at him and whispering to her coworker when they thought he wasn’t looking at her, and the girls behind him made the hair on the back of his neck stand up. Even his bodyguard couldn’t tear his eyes off him from where he stood near the front and only door. Now, he swore that everyone’s eyes were on him and he wanted out of the shop as soon as possible. 

Avery whispered to Veneer, “If you want to step outside to breathe, then I can get our drinks and meet you there.” 

Veneer shook his head in disagreement, “I’d rather not let go of your hand at the moment, if that’s okay.”

Avery nodded and together they waited until their frappe mochas were done. They grabbed them and headed out the door as fast as possible, avoiding eye contact with the girls as much as they could. Veneer suspected that they had taken more photos of them without his knowledge. This was an awful feeling in his chest right now. 

The guard followed them outside and stood right behind the young too. Veneer released the nervous breath he had been holding inside the shop. Even with his hood up, others still could see his face, and for some reason, those girls liked him even after the confession he gave at his last concert. They were superfans, whether he wanted to admit that or not. He didn’t like the thought of all that. 

“Are you okay, Veneer?” 

Veneer nodded but Avery wasn’t sure if she was convinced. “Okay, then let's get back to the diner. Usually, there’s not a lot of people there at this time of day, so it’ll be a perfect time for us to sit down and eat.” Avery gave his hand a reassuring squeeze before she waved down another cab. 

This time, Veneer was quiet and didn’t say anything. His smile had perished. Avery didn’t like that and wished she knew a way to help him smile. She tapped him on the shoulder and caught his attention. 

“Do you like your drink?” she asked and leaned her head against his shoulder, “I don’t know what it is about it, but mocha frappes are an addiction.”

“Oh man do I know it.” Veneer’s smile finally returned, allowing for Avery to feel relieved. “I used to drink them a lot. It’s probably why I was so hyper and anxious all the time.” He laughed before taking a sip of the frappe. The flavor was so extreme that it caught him off guard, reminding him that he had not had one in over the year he’d been in the facility and shouldn’t go overboard. If this flavor was out of this world, then he wasn’t sure how he was going to feel about a large greasy pizza. Either way, he was excited for it. 

They arrived at the diner. Veneer got out of the taxi first and helped Avery out. If Veneer was still his old self, then he would have looked up to the diner in disgust but now he looked up to it in wonder and familiarity. Avery had talked about it so much that he felt as though he knew the place without really being there. And now he was! 

The diner was not modern like the style of what he was used to in the growing world of Mount Rageous. It was older, some of the buildings when the city had first been established. It also belonged to the poorer side of Mount Rageous. There was a strange and different emotion growing inside him—it was empathy for Avery. Not judgment. He wondered how an amazing girl like her could end up in such a place, and how he wished he had been smart with his fame and riches. So he could treat her and make her feel special. Oh, Avery…

Veneer allowed Avery to guide the way. 

“So yeah, this is where I work. It’s actually a lot nicer on the inside,” Avery spoke as though she could read Veneer’s thoughts. Both of them stepped inside and found a booth in the center. 

Avery was just as nervous as Veneer. She wasn’t sure how her coworkers would act when they saw her with the former pop star. 

“Avery, what the hell are you doing here?” The cook asked, but in a playful manner. It still made Veneer flinch. The cook looked to Veneer and then to Avery but didn’t seem to suspect a thing, “Are you really having a date here, at work? And, you bring coffee without bringing me any? You wound me, girl. You want your usual? What does your date want?” Being a waitress like Avery had benefits—she could skip the line. 

“Yes, that’ll be great. And hey, you didn’t bring me anything that one time you brought in coffee. This is payback.” She swished her drink with a smirk before sitting across from Veneer. 

“I don’t think he recognized me…” Veneer said and sat stiff across from her. He still didn’t want to take his hoodie down in case another person would come in. The diner was bare, which was normal after lunch hour. Avery had timed the meeting perfectly. 

“He’s so old that he gets my coworker and me mixed up all the time.” Avery waved a hand dismissively, “He’s never talked about enjoying music, so you should be okay.”

“Is it just him?”

“Maybe…But my coworker Gracie is on the shift but probably on lunch. She’s a friend of mine, and she’s only a few years older…I’m a bit nervous about her reaction, but no matter what we’ll prove to her.” She reached across the table and held his hand smiling. 

What the two didn’t know was that the women from earlier had uploaded the picture of Avery and Veneer onto social media. Soon the hashtag #VeneerOUT was trending across all the social medias. The two sat unaware across from each other, happily eating as the food was brought out to them. 

“Oh my god…This looks SO good.” Veneer looked down at the pizza and fries he had ordered and nearly drooled. He didn’t care if the pizza was pooling with grease, he just wanted something that didn’t taste processed or plastic-like back in the facility. He wondered if he would be allowed to take leftovers back to the facility and share them with his sister, or if he could give the leftovers to Avery. He knew that he wasn’t going to eat all of this by himself. Luckily Avery would share the pizza and fries with him, it would make him feel less guilty about wasting food. 

Avery whispered to him while the cook’s back was turned, “It’s not the best pizza in town, but it’s better than nothing, huh?”

“Or the crap that I eat back in the facility,” Veneer scoffed and started with a large slice, watching in amazement as the cheese barely wanted to let go of the whole pizza. 

Veneer looked over to his guard, who was in the booth behind him and closest to the door. He smiles and leans over. “Do you want a slice?”

“No thanks,” the guard responded gruffly but Veneer swore he saw a smile on his face. He turned back and continued to eat with Avery, sharing both a soda and a milkshake with her. With the included coffee, Veneer felt close to bursting. 

After two and a half slices later, Veneer leaned back with a hand on his stomach. “Oh, I’m stuffed! This is heaven.”

Avery giggled, wiping her greasy fingers off on a napkin. “If you think this is heaven, then maybe you should taste my cooking at home. We can make that our next date if you’d like,” she teased him, making the male blush and nod. 

“I’d really like that. Thank you.”

Avery stood. “I’ll go grab some to go boxes for the rest of the pizza. Wait right here.” Avery smiled and took the napkins to throw away along the way.

There was the ring of the bell as someone came through the front door. Instinctively Veneer looked over and his eyes widened as he saw who walked through the door. It was Rebel Rivers. The infamous pop star who rose to fame shortly before he and his sister were arrested. In fact, the reason she rose to number one was because he had exposed himself and his sister as frauds. He remembered how Velvet wouldn’t shut up about her for the first month. Oh god, she just walked through that door!

Veneer made sure his hoodie was up and kept his back facing the door, hoping she chose a spot behind him so they couldn’t face eye-to-eye. He knew that she would know who he was. 

Two men were behind Rivers, who waved friendly like at the cook. “Hope you don’t mind, but my guards are going to watch the doors and make sure that no one comes in~ I’ll pay extra. I just don’t want any fans smothering me while I’m just trying to eat my lunch. You understand, yeah?”

Indeed, there was a crowd of people outside of the door, wanting in but luckily being kept out thanks to the two bodyguards at the door. 

The cook looked at her with a confused expression as he cleaned a glass and shrugged it off. “Alrighty then, just means I won’t have to cook as much. What do you want to eat?”

“Oh, I need a minute. In fact, hey waitress!” 

Avery stood right across the room, holding two styrofoam to go boxes, frozen to the spot. She would have dropped the boxes if they weighed anything then she would have dropped them, but instead she crushed them slightly in her hands. “Y-Yes?” she squeaked, both her flight and fight, and even her work instincts were kicking into overdrive, making her anxiously listen to Rivers.

“Can I have a menu to decide what I want to eat?”

“Yes, of course…” Avery took a menu from the counter. She felt herself shaking as she walked across the room, feeling as though she was stuck in a death march where Rivers would be the enemy on the other side, ready to execute her. Avery came up to Rivers, seeing how much more beautiful and expensive her former friend had become. She placed the menu down and was about to turn away from her to return to her seat, but Rivers grabbed her wrist and held her in place. 

Veneer watched the scene by slightly tilting his head to look at the two. His eyebrows were furrowed. 

Rivers put on her best fake smile as she leaned closer to Avery to whisper, “You and I need to talk. I saw a photo of you on social media.” She leaned away, releasing her wrist, and then spoke in her fakest voice, “Can you show me to your restrooms?” 

“Oh…Uh, absolutely…Follow me.” Avery took a deep breath and led Rivers to the restrooms. As she passed Veneer, she cast a quick and anxious expression toward him before disappearing behind the door with Rivers. 

Veneer frowned. What was she doing?

Avery knew that the moment she closed the doors Rivers would scream at her. Sure enough, Rivers grabbed her by the shoulders and shook her. “What the HELL do you think you’re doing?” she growled, getting up in Avery’s face, “I saw the pictures of you and Veneer up on the socials. You think I’m going to tolerate this harassment?”

“What do you mean?! I’m not harassing you! If some girls posted some pictures of me and Veneer online, then it’s because Veneer got out a little today and they think I’m his girlfriend!”

“Are you?” she snarls. 

Avery wasn’t sure if they were official and crossed her arms, “It’s none of your business, Rivers. Stop being so narcissistic and thinking that everything revolves around you!” She threw her hands into the air, “I wasn’t trying to do anything to piss you off, so can you leave me alone and stop harassing me.” She tried to push River’s hand off her forearm but Rivers refused to let go. 

In fact, Rivers pulled her closer and growled inches away from her face, “I’ve got my eye on you, Avery. Don’t do anything stupid, you hear me?! I’ll make your life a living hell in a heartbeat.”

Rivers shoved Avery into the wall and took her way out. She pulled money from her bra and tossed hundred dollar bills at the cook, making him flinch and try to catch the bills mid air. “Consider this my tip for the inconvenience, I’ve decided not to eat here.” As she walked past Veneer’s table, she slowed down and whispered to the male in the hoodie, “You’re not fooling anyone with that stupid get-up sweetie. What a fraud you are.” She laughs and snaps her fingers for her guards, who pushed through the crowd of people and helped her leave the diner. 

Confused as to what happened, Veneer rushed over to the bathroom door. “Avery!”

At the same time, Gracie walked in through the staff door, holding her purse, seeing the hooded figure run into the bathroom, gasping her best friend’s name. “Avery??” She followed behind the figure with her purse, ready to smack him upside the head with it. Instead, as she entered the bathroom, she saw the figure holding onto a crying Avery.

“What’s going on?” a male voice asked, hugging her friend close. “Are you alright, Avery? What did she say to you?” It didn’t matter to Veneer if he understood what was going on, he just wanted to make sure his best friend was alright. 

Gracie approached them from behind, not wanting to ruin the moment, but also wanting to check in on the person who was also her friend. “Avery…? Who’s this?”

Avery opened her teary eyes and looked at Gracie from over Veneer’s shoulder and pulled away. “Oh uh—This is…My friend…A friend.”

When Veneer turned around, showing his face, Gracie dropped her purse and gasped, a hand over her mouth. “You’re…Veneer…The former pop star…”

Veneer nodded but waved a hand dismissively, “Please, let’s worry about that later.” He turned to Avery and held her by the shoulders, “Please, Rivers said something to you didn’t she?” he asked, squeezing her gently, “What did she say? Do you know her?”

Avery didn’t want to say anything, but it was hard not to. These two were her only friends in this world, but also her very best friends. Deep down she knew that they wouldn’t get mad at her, but there would always be a part of her that would always be afraid, “Yes…Rebel Rivers. She’s a fraud. She’s a fake. I know that because we worked together.” She clenched her fist at her side, “Rivers is an awful person inside and out. We made music together. She played the instruments and I sang the music.”

Gracie frowned, “You sang the music? But it’s always been Rivers on stage or in front of the camera.”

Avery acknowledged Gracie with a nod, “Yeah because I asked her to lip sync for me cause I had bad stage fright. But I asked her to stop the moment I finally had the confidence to sing! When I told her that, she took everything from me and kicked me out of our condo. She gave me only a hundred dollars to live on. That’s why I’m here, working in this crappy job and living in apartments that I fear will fall in on me in my sleep.” She sucked in a deep and shaky breath, “I would sing for you, but I haven’t sung since the day she kicked me out. But I swear everything I’m telling you is true.” She tried to not cry more as she looked back and forth between her two friends.

Many conflicting feelings swirled in Veneer. Avery was friends with him—he is the shell of someone like Rivers. He didn’t like that thought. He touched Avery’s shoulder before bringing her into a big hug, “You’re clearly upset about this…I believe you…I promise.” He allowed his chin to rest against the top of her head as he held her, letting her sob her feelings out into his chest. Normally, he would have been grossed out by tears, but over time he had learned that being sad and emotional wasn’t bad at all. He rubbed Avery’s back comfortably. 

“I believe you too.” Gracie hugged Avery from behind, the two wrapping her in a warm embrace. 

Avery choked back tears and wiped her eyes with her palm. “Thank you both…You guys are amazing people…” she hiccuped and smiled up at Veneer, then at Gracie. 

Outside of the bathroom stood Veneer’s guard. The door was cracked open, just enough for him to peek inside. He had heard everything Avery had said. 

#veneer #veneer trolls #trolls veneer #veneer and velvet #velvet and veneer #velvet trolls #trolls velvet #veneer x oc #veneer fanfic #trolls #trolls3 #trolls 3 #trolls movie #dreamworks trolls #trolls band together #fanfic #veneer pen pal #vidjauser art

[astheswarmitcalls]

PART 3: RETURN TOUR WARDROBE - FEMCR

This is the third part of my 4-part analysis of MCR5, the Masterpost for which can be found here. Link to next part found at the bottom of the post. If there's something I missed, or you'd like to add your own spin/elaborate on something I brushed over, by all means I'd love to hear it!!

I’ve been waiting a good 6000 words to talk about these next outfits. Since at least the Revenge Age of MCR, Gerard Way’s toyed with gender expression. He’d frequently wear women’s jeans and had long hair for a ‘guy’ back in the 2000’s. And even before MCR, he recounted being experimental in his youth and going to Arts School in drag. Here though, they really take off with that femme expression.

Guy is in quotations because Gerard’s spoke sparingly about their own gender identity, and from what they’ve inferred it’s not as simple as Man. Gender identity can be an incredibly personal, nuanced thing, and Gerard’s stance on labels is generally negative, that they can be used to control/limit you and I understand that fully. They’re a father and a brother and a guy in colloquial terms, and I don’t believe it’s necessary to get pedantic about language in this discussion.

My Chem has always had a history of this extensive performance artistry and theatrical influence in their shows; they play characters from their albums or make up new ones for the stage. This is that again, but very explicitly feminine.

I’ll be getting into this later, but there’s another layer of meaning with these particular outfits that are tied to Gerard’s own gender expression. They’ve talked about finding themselves more comfortable with femininity, and we can see that reflected in the wardrobe of this tour.

I’ve dubbed this category of clothing FEMCR, and it can be broken down into a further two subcategories: Traditional Female Archetypes and Tragic Historical Women. It’s equal parts self-indulgent and performance artistry. I am so fucking here for it.

(And just like the previous post, costumes that were designed by Marina Toybina are marked with an '*')

*THE CHEERLEADER (CHEERARD): “Alright Naaaaashville!”

I’m so fucking excited to talk about this. Cheerleaders aren’t foreign to the My Chemical Romance mythos. There was the bloody cheerleader photoshoot during their ‘Three Cheers for Sweet Revenge’ Era, the cheerleaders in the ‘I’m Not Okay (I Promise)’ music video, as well as cheerleaders in the music video for ‘Teenagers’ and ‘Blood.’ In all these instances, cheerleaders buy into this Attractive, Young, All-American Icon that gets juxtaposed by gory or macabre imagery (i.e. covered in blood, wearing gas masks). In the ‘I’m Not Okay (I Promise)’ music video, their presence contrasts the outcast croquet-playing, DnD-loving nerds that are played by the band members.

Whenever we’ve seen cheerleaders with MCR, they’re there to juxtapose them. Case in point, the cheerleaders with the gas masks in the ‘Teenagers’ music video. Gerard wrote the song ‘Teenagers’ based on their experience riding the subway with high schoolers; they experienced genuine fear because of how violent and rowdy the teens were. Halfway through the music video, the cheerleaders don gas masks, reminiscent of the ones donned during wartime drills and nuclear scares in the past. This creates that unease, that snappy, bizarre satire.

The cheerleader is this symbol of femininity, of innocence, of that Hallmark High School Patriotism. They’re desirable, they’re upbeat, they’re entertaining. They’re almost decoration with the way they’re positioned in sporting circles, there to support the men and be eye candy. The blood and gas masks subvert that innocent femininity, twisting it into something unnatural to see. It causes cognitive dissonance, those things should just not go together. Gerard could’ve portrayed this cheerleader; the pretty, patriotic schoolgirl covered in blood. Giving that seemingly wholesome figure a fucked up twist would seem at home with MCR’s ethos.

He didn’t do that, however. Cheerard is every bit that feminine, All-American figure. The white and green are almost the antithesis of that Revenge Era red and black. This isn’t a modern cheerleader either, it’s a recreation of a real, vintage uniform. Whereas the modern cheerleader may be seen as more of a sexual symbol (trope of the sexy schoolgirl, it’s pretty messed up). The cheerleader uniform is from the 1940’s. I think when Gerard was talking about costuming with Marina Toybina, they had just said ‘vintage cheerleader’ and hadn’t specified what decade. You could look into it from a propaganda perspective, it was rife all throughout this decade apropos of World War 2. She’s patriotic. She’s wealthy, personable, attractive, acceptable. She’s a white picket American Dream.

Cheerard is so far removed from what has already been established of cheerleaders in MCR’s history. She’s stereotypical and tame in her femininity, which is why Gerard choosing to represent this character seemed so left of centre. First and foremost because of how inextricably feminine it was, but also of what cheerleaders represent in the public eye.

At the Cheerleader’s second appearance, she comes out with a flamethrower. I feel as if this could be sprinkling in those little bits of darkness, the small hints of violence. Mostly I just think it’s cool as shit. Both times we’ve had Cheerard they’re also super bouncy, and I thought that should be pointed out too. Those white sneakers and that short dress just brings out Something Else and it’s fantastic to see. Gerard always looks like he’s having the most fun.

As it turns out, Cheerard would only be the first in a trend of Gerard portraying conventional, desirable feminine figures onstage. How do they come up with this stuff? Mr. Chemical Romance let me pick apart your brain, please.

*THE NURSE: “Take your meds.”

Visually, this character harkens back to two MCR pieces: ‘Welcome to the Black Parade’ and ‘The Ghost of You.’

She’s reminiscent of the nurses present in the music video for WTTBP. The album itself has that overarching medical backdrop, and the nurses appearing in the beginning of the music video wear attire incredibly reminiscent of this nurse. Themes of death, grief, morality, and reflection on one’s life all littered throughout the album. Another thing I found interesting about this nurse resembling the nurses in WTTBP is it’s the second time Gerard revisits imagery from their discography; the Cheerleader and the Nurse are both supporting characters/used to establish setting in their respective appearances in the concept albums. He’s not revisiting their established material in the way we’d expect, with outfits that feel at home with or pay homage to the albums. No, he’s specifically portraying these feminine figures that are used to frame and embellish the main characters. Like how the Swarm tour is rampant with the rat motif, but they dressed up as a (sexy) cat instead; still inextricably tied to established symbology but not being lame about it and doing exactly what you’d expect.

No nurses appear in the music video for ‘The Ghost of You’ (unless you count Medic Ray Toro, he’s sort of nurse-adjacent), but the costume itself reads as incredibly vintage. The dress itself is hard to place, it’s certainly reminiscent of white nurse dresses worn from the 40’s-50’s, but it’s not exact. The allusions to a wartime nurse would be at home with the established war imagery present in The Foundations of Decay and the set of the tour. The scrubs of the modern nurse are more or less gender-neutral, but there’s still a large disparity in equal representations of male and female nurses. The Nurse herself appears evocative of a time where nursing was an exclusively feminine career. Nurturing, healing, and tending to another person isn’t thought of as a career for men.

The Foundations of Decay speaks of rebirth and healing. ‘You must fix your heart and you must build an altar where it swells.’ Nurses are healers. They tend to physical illness, but also must maintain a degree of care and empathy with the way they interact with patients. Again, careers that are rooted in nurturing and subservience are deemed to be more suitable for women as ‘natural caretakers.’ Another thought: rats are rampant throughout the tour. What do rats carry? Diseases! Who can treat diseases? Nurses!

The ongoing repetition of decay and rebirth as a theme also marry into the appearance of The Nurse beautifully. The show she appeared too had the word ‘Sick’ written on the drumhead. DESTROYA starts of with ‘I’m sick! I’m so fucking sick!’ Illness and decay alongside healing and rebirth. She just fits so well and looks so good doing what she does, I love her.

There’s instances of Gerard adding in little tidbits in the lyrics and between songs that allude to the character. For the Nurse, the break in DESTROYA was changed to ‘take your meds take your- take your meds.’ It’s mostly for The Bit, because it’s performance and it’s entertaining, When Gerard’s portraying these feminine characters, they have this extra layer of performance to them. As I’ll get into later with some of the other characters, I think they’re purposefully trying to push us to believe these are characters. Again, this wouldn’t be far-fetched. My Chem’s always been a little theatrical, their stories are always multi-medium.

The Nurse? Oh man she’s so cool. She’s got that bright, cheeriness to her. At the end of a lot of the songs she’ll go ‘Wonderful!’ She’s just so happy to be here and I get it. She’s not one of the stoic, scary nurses like that of The Black Parade, she’s friendly and sweet. I love her so.

*JACKIE KENNEDY:

I’ve seen this been referred to the MILF outfit or the Grandma outfit, both of which are fair enough. Others have pointed out that this may be a nod to Jackie Kennedy, wife of President John F. Kennedy who was famously assassinated. The latter I’m more inclined to believe, as although Mrs. Chemical Romance looks fantastic in all of their outfits, I don’t believe this is just another fun femme moment.

While this doesn’t seem to reference any one specific outfit worn by Jackie Kennedy, the shades and scarf are fairly telling.

Also the fact that Gerard and their wife Lyn-Z did a photoshoot reenacting the assassination. He obviously has some level of interest or fascination with the Kennedy’s to be able to revisit them repeatedly.

This is going to sound like some Illuminati Confirmed bullshit, but the show prior was the one were Gerard was dressed in his ComicCon attire with the bullet wound in his skull. Though I said it was a reference to the Watchman Smiley Face, I think it may also be a nod to JFK himself. There’s a few other instances of MCR inadvertently or outright referencing JFK, such as the release of Danger Days falling on the anniversary of JFK’s assassination, and the members of the Fabulous Four spelling out his initials. (Party Poison = President, I assume, the rest are Jet Star, Fun Ghoul and Kobra Kid so just do the math.) So national symbols/presidents/references to American government aren’t foreign to MCR, they may be sort of left-field to a casual fan. Something I am becoming less of by the minute.

This is our first instance of the second subcategory of FEMCR: Tragic Historical Women.

I’m not so knowledgeable on the Kennedy’s, but from my brief research, Jackie Kennedy was subject to a lot of attention from the media following the assassination of her husband. At some point she remarried and moved to Greece, at which point she was bombarded by paparazzi and vilified by the press. She is a woman surrounded by tragedy, that becomes a spectacle to be picked apart by the public. Genuinely, there is a lot to unpack with sensationalised figures like these. There are so many perceptions, so many iterations, it’s difficult to handle. You have to be a certain type of person to find yourself engrossed in stories like these. That’s not particularly a bad thing, I think many people are fascinated by the controversial and macabre, but People are not my thing. Ask me about theme park accidents, and it’s a whole other can of worms.

Another interesting tidbit I picked up on: shows that Gerard Way performed ‘Bury Me in Black’ in their fun little outfits had lyric changes. Instead of the second person ‘I wanna see what your insides look like. I bet you’re not fucking pretty on the inside,’ we had first person ‘You wanna see what my insides look like? I bet I’m not fucking pretty on the inside.’ This shows the shift in perspective from being the enactor of these violent revenge fantasies to the brutalised women on the receiving end.

*THE CAREER COUNSELLOR/TARGET MANAGER (MISS ALPHARETTA): “Alpharetta! Alpha dog! You’re the dog now! Who’s the dog now?!”

IT’S TIME!! IT’S TIME!!!!! I GET TO TALK ABOUT MY FAVOURITE GAL!! I CANNOT STRESS HOW MUCH I LOVE THIS LOOK. THE CROPPED TOP. THE SCARF. THE SUNGLASSES. THE SETLIST FOR THIS SHOW IS UP THERE AS ONE OF MY FAVOURITES.

This look hasn’t been tied to any preexisting historical women. On the drumhead for the Alpharetta show ‘You got the job’ was written, and later referenced at the end of Give ‘Em Hell, Kid by our leading lady. This implies she’s some sort of career counsellor, professional woman, or maybe a hiring agent. I looked at women’s business casual fashion from the 70’s and 80’s, but couldn’t find anything concrete. The scarf and pants read as vintage, but the crop top isn’t reminiscent of any vintage fashion in my research. This costume was designed by Marina Toybina, but the Instagram post doesn’t hint at who this character might be. That just makes it more fun for me, actually.

‘The Career Counsellor’ is a bit of a mouthful, so I’ve dubbed our lovely professional woman Miss Alpharetta. I've also heard people call her the Target Manager, and I cannot unsee it. I’m actively fighting the urge the ramble about how much I adore her. All I’ll say is that she loves Grease, she’s from LA, and that she’s a total menace in the workplace. Miss Alpharetta I love you.

(Also, flagrant self-promo but I made another post headcanoning names for all of the FEMCR characters. Not really MCR5 relevant but it's so fun to me. It's here if you're interested!)

Once again, Gerard Way is subverting that emo, brooding, all-in-black perception people have of MCR with this character that is so bright and feminine. I can imagine there’s some level of empowerment for them to be able to express themselves onstage with these characters. Both The Nurse and Cheerard had some connection to MCR’s established lore, but Miss Alpharetta appears to be far removed from those concepts. Instead, our professional lady seems to indicate a shift in concepts; businesswomen aren’t established symbols in the MCR lore, but they’re about to be. Miss Alpharetta’s existence is reaffirming that rebirth for MCR, not so much as a theme for a future album, but for the actual band.

And just like our sweet little lady Nurse Gerard, Miss Alpharetta is incredibly peppy and enthusiastic, but with a bit more of that unhinged energy. She’s the loveliest person you will meet but maybe a bit of a menace.

FLIGHT ATTENDANT? TEACHER?:

Mr. Way that skirt is so short Jesus Christ.

This character’s ambiguous in what her profession might be, but I’ve seen two titles pop up consistently. From the black stockings and red scarf, she reads as a flight attendant or travel agent. Gerard also made that comment onstage when the leg (mannequin leg covered in graffiti) ‘you can get this at the end of class’, which was likely a joke but could also infer that this character is a teacher of sorts. Personally, I’m inclined to believe the former because this doesn’t read as a teacher to me, but the latter is probably more exciting.

^^ Here’s the aforementioned leg.

Both options are, again, seen as typical/suitable careers for women. I don’t feel it to be necessary to keep rehashing my points at this stage, because there’s not much I can add to this. This outfit Fucks, love you Gee Way.

MANSON GIRL:

This would be a cute outfit if not for the subtext. It’s also likely a Colleen Atwood costume since it doesn’t appear on Marina Toybina’s Instagram. Unless this is a purchasable item. That would be so messed up.

Charles Manson was a cult leader and serial killer from the 60’s. I really don’t want to read up on this stuff because it tends to make me feel sort of demoralised and gloomy, but he had this charismatic draw to him which attracted so many people to his cult. The ‘Manson Girls’ were these women, teens and young women, who were obsessed with him, would obey his every command, and end up abetting in the murders committed.

Dianne Lake, one of the ‘Manson Girls’, who had testified in court later revealed she was 14 when she met Charles Manson. It’s all just fucked up, which is no doubt why Gerard has chosen this specific homage for the tour.

These were mostly young women who were manipulated and charmed into following a murderer. Some of those girls were victims in their own right. They are yet another example of women who are surrounded by tragedy that the media so desperately wants to pick apart. That dichotomy of youth and beauty versus darkness is so appealing to a wide audience. Femininity is almost synonymous with innocence. It is something clean and pure and beautiful, it cannot coexist with cultists and murder.

This also functions as a critique on masculinity, mirroring Gerard’s own stance on Rock culture. During the early 00’s (and likely still today), there was a large culture around ‘groupies’ and rampant sexism within the Rock scene. It was all too common for women to be asked to do provocative things for a backstage pass, and Gerard talked extensively on how much he despises that aspect of the scene. These idolised, charismatic male figures taking advantage of young women who are desperate for their approval and attention is a tired old tune we are sick of hearing.

Double whammy with this one. Maybe the most jarring one on the list, but the next entry is a close second.

*PRINCESS DIANA:

The universally loved Princess Di. In all honesty, I should have my mum write this part because she loves Princess Diana, and she is very much before my time. Since that’s not an actual option, Wikipedia.

Much like Jackie Kennedy, she was a woman of high status and regarded for her taste in fashion. The conspiracies that surround her death are what give her story that element of darkness. She’s called The People’s Princess because she really was loved universally. People who talk about her today were fans from her time, or people who are into the conspiracy of it. Genuinely, I don’t have a lot to add to this one. Yeah, she was a beloved woman who may have been murdered by the royal family. Gerard’s got an aesthetic, can’t you tell?

*JOAN OF ARC:

Gerard Way loves Joan of Arc. During the writing of The Black Parade they would have these ‘waking dreams’ of seeing her burn at the stake. I’d love to insert that incredibly long ramble they have about how much they love her. Actually, I will do just that. From the 2007 Rolling Stone Interview:

“Joan of Arc is my favourite historical-legendary-whatever figure. Number one, it’s a boyish, waifish girl in a suit of armor on a white horse, and that’s badass. I’ve always been attracted to that character because it was somebody who was willing to die for what they believed in, and they were probably fucking crazy and like, touched by the hand of God, and I believe in that shit. I totally believe in that stuff. I believe that it can happen to anybody.

Like when we started this band, there was a brief amount of time where it felt like you drank gasoline and shit glass, and you were always covered in your own sweat, somebody else’s spit or blood or something. And I felt that, you know what I mean? I would make crazy speeches that made no sense onstage. I would talk about purifying flames being shot out of our cabinets at max volume to destroy evil and shit like that. I was, you know, touched in the head. And really, when you get touched in the head like that, I think your job at that point for the rest of your career is to remember what it was like to be touched in the head, and kind of keep that going. ‘Cause that can’t last forever, you’ll be dead, I think. Like Joan of Arc. So, yeah, I love Joan of Arc.”

He just thinks she’s the coolest thing to ever grace the earth and he went on about ‘she was probably touched by the hand of God and was batshit and sometimes I feel like that too.’ The MCR Return Tour was supposed to start on the 100th anniversary of her canonization, but it was delayed due to COVID. ‘Just give is war-worn lipstick blood and purifying flame’ is a lyric in Bury Me In Black, which may be a reference to Joan’s demise. She makes an appearance on the art for the Black Parade vinyl.

So there’s the very meta ‘Gerard Loves Joan of Arc’ interpretation of her appearance on tour, but the religious imagery and talk of ‘purifying flames’ do allude to themes of MCR5. She herself was a saint, which is referenced in the lyrics of The Foundations of Decay. Joan of Arc led troops through war and was an accomplished leader before she was sentenced to death, mirroring those allusions to war that are scattered throughout the tour. Crossdressing was considered blasphemous, and while it was an effective tactic to rally troops, it wasn’t so well-received among the French public.

This may be an exception to FEMCR because her story doesn’t fit so cleanly into the Tragic Historical Women category. Getting burned alive is horrifying but considering the times it’s not out of the ordinary. Joan of Arc was only 19 when she was burnt at the stake, and although that’s messed up her story is never one of tragedy, but one of freedom and feminism. This costume dips its toes into that historical heroine horror, but reads more as passionate homage as opposed to commentary.

If it appears that I’ve omitted a particular FEMCR outfit, I can assure you it is intentional. I’m saving the best for last.

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#mcr #my chemical romance #mcr5 #mcr5 theory #mcr5 is real

[blogthebooklover]

30 Things I Learned As An Adult

In honor of me turning 30 in January, I’ve decided to write out a list of 30 things I learned as an adult.  Now, some of these worked for me through trial and error, while others did not.

1. Self Care Is Important

I cannot stress this enough.  We all need to practice self care, to take time for ourselves.  It takes baby steps to find a good self-care routine, and there’s plenty of online resources to find one to your tastes.  Remember it is all about trial and error, and don’t worry about perfecting it right away.  Research some different self care routines online as a starting point.

2. Read Books, Not Fanfiction

Okay, don’t get me wrong, I do love reading some good ole fanfiction, and current events.  However, definitely pick up a book once in a while.  Whether it’s a graphic novel, comics, manga, please develop a reading habit.  It definitely helped me out a lot as a former college dropout, there are reading lists on sites like Goodreads, here on Tumblr, even colleges have lists what books students are required to read.  And it does help with expanding your knowledge and vocabulary.  As I’ve previously said, I’m a former college dropout who’s currently back in school, however, developing a healthy reading habit is what kept me grounded.  If you need a starting point, I recommend reading a fiction book, preferably in the SciFi/Fantasy genre; or reread a book from your childhood.  Also, PLEASE GET A LIBRARY CARD!  You’ll definitely be saving a lot of money, and we need to support our public libraries now more than ever.

3. Say “No” More Often

If you don’t feel comfortable going out, or if your manager calls and asks to cover a shift, just say “no.”  Remember, you have the power to set boundaries, especially with family, friends, and work.  This correlates to number 1 on my list, self care is super important, and you cannot put your health at risk for anyone.  I’m going to repeat that last part: SELF CARE IS SUPER IMPORTANT, AND YOU CANNOT PUT YOUR HEALTH AT RISK FOR ANYONE!

4. Register To Vote, And Vote In Every Election

With politics being so polarized and divisive in the past decade, and the upcoming 2024 US Presidential Election, please register to vote.  And voter suppression has been very rampant in the past two, arguably three, decades.  To anyone about to turn 18 here in the US, please register to vote ASAP!  And vote in every goddamn election, both national and local.  I seriously cannot stress this enough.

5. Eat Healthy, No Seriously

I love some fast food once in a while now, however, please take some time to learn about healthy eating.  It will catch up with you in the future, and our US healthcare system is already fucked as all hell.  I know the rising costs of everything, including food, is insane right now; but please keep informed about how to prepare good healthy food.

6. Take Breaks From Current Events, Social Media, and the Internet

This also correlates with number one.  While it is very important to stay informed with what is happening in the world/country of origin; especially with the US Presidential Election year.  Remember, it’s okay to take breaks from reading too much news, and scrolling through social media feeds.  It really does have an effect on your mental health, and unfortunately too many people tend to fall down the conspiracy theory rabbit hole on all sides of the political spectrum.  To the teenagers and young adults, take breaks and focus on your mental health and well-being.  To the adults, read the previous sentence.  With everything so polarizing, take care of yourself first.  

7. High School Friends DO NOT LAST!

My friends from high school and early college years were definitely the “ride and die” type of  friends, metaphorically speaking.  If you have that one friend who was/is the “give the shirt off their back” type, check in on them once in a while.  However, with the former, just move on.  The friends I had in high school definitely had a lot of childhood trauma, and in one aspect, I’m glad that they were honest about it; it was/is a way to heal.  However, any “friend” who just doesn’t want to better themselves and use you for any convenience, DUMP THEM AND CUT OFF ALL CONTACT!  Remember just as you set boundaries with your toxic family members, and even for your job, you should do the same with friends.

8. Change Jobs, ASAP!

This is a very important one.  I didn’t really have a job as a teenager, I wanted to enjoy being a kid for a little longer, however, I did have an occasional babysitting job.  At 23 years old, I got a job at a fast food place.  While I do appreciate part of the experience, like how to use the “customer service” voice, however, any red flags that pop up in your head, change jobs, ASAP!  It was toxic, too political (for some weird reason) and a lot of drama (and not from the teenagers).  The grocery store I work at now does have its busy times, however, it’s much more calmer, and I don’t see too many “Karen” types. 

9. Declutter More Often

This is also a definite must as you get older.  Whatever you don’t need anymore, donate them.  Whatever is completely broken, throw it away!  Whatever it is that is in good condition, sell it or maybe give it to someone as a birthday/holiday present.  Any old makeup, throw it away!  It’ll help reduce the amount of clutter and mess.  If you need a starting point, I suggest the KonMari method.  It really did help me out a lot.

10.  Use A Planner

This is a life-and-time saver.  Write down any appointments, cleaning days, paydays, bill charges, etc.; into a physical planner.  If you’re in college, please use one!  And write down any assignments to work on/turn in BEFORE the deadline.  Also, anything important, put into your calendar app on your phone and laptop as a reminder.

11.  Have A Skin Care Routine

Okay, I know having a skin care routine isn’t for everyone, and we all have different reactions to skin care products; however, don’t be afraid to experiment with a good skin care routine.  In my early teen years, I used Proactiv skin care for my acne, and it helped out a lot.  Remember: cleanse, tone, any serum of your choice, and moisturize.  This also helps out if you don’t feel like jumping into the shower.  Also, use sunscreen, seriously.

12.  Don’t Get Married, Until You’re Ready

This is coming from someone who is single, lol.  If you plan on getting married to your romantic partner, I’m proud of you! Marriage is about communication, being honest, and doing equal amount of work (finances, household chores, etc.)  Save money if you’re planning for a wedding, or go to your local courthouse to get a marriage license if you don’t want the big, fancy reception.  

13.  Don’t Have Kids, Until You’re Ready

Again, this is coming from someone who is single and childless, lol.  Having kids is a lot of work: physically, mentally, emotionally, and financially.  Not everyone is capable of being a parent, and I have read PLENTY of posts on here and other websites about toxic parents/parenting styles.  Take time and think about if you’re ready to become a parent.

14.  Learn How To Budget Your Money

This is for anyone of any age out there.  Please learn how to budget your spending.  Look for stuff on sale or clearance, or cut back on certain types of spending. I know most people have no idea where to start, but there is! There’s some great websites and YouTube channels on how to budget your money. Another great tool to use are spreadsheets like Microsoft Excel or Google Sheets. I use a Google Sheet template to help track my spending and budget my finances. Also, if you have gift cards from your birthday/holidays/etc; definitely use them, you won't be breaking your bank account :). Also, definitely have some paper cash in your wallet for emergency use.     

15.  Open A Savings/Emergency Funds Account, ASAP!

This is a huge one to have as an adult, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic.  Anything left over from paying the bills, from a side hustle, or from your tax returns, put that into savings.  Certain banks will also have the option of creating “financial goals” in savings accounts; so I highly recommend using that as well.  This also correlates with number 14.  If you’re interested, open two or three savings accounts, the last one should only be for emergency funds.

16.  Get A Physical Hobby, AKA Exercise!

It doesn’t matter what type of exercise you do, please do it!  And for anyone who is physically disabled, there are modified options provided on YouTube.  We do lose certain motor functions as we age, so definitely pick an exercise that’s right for you, as they say. Even if it's just going outside for a walk for 30 minutes, please do some type of exercise.   

17.  Learn How To Meal Prep

It doesn’t have to be for every meal of every day, pick a meal you want to make and prepare ahead of time.  And prepare that meal the day before, so it will be on hand when you leave your house. There are some great videos on YouTube, and some ideas from Pinterest if you need a starting point.

18.  If You’re Able To, Go To The Dentist!

Seriously though, try and go for a checkup/teeth cleaning.  You’re only given one set of teeth after all your baby teeth fall out, and you need to take good care of them.  If you’re able to, or live near to one, local colleges have free cleanings through their dental training programs.   

19.  If Your Job Offers a 401K, GET ON IT NOW!

My old job at a fast food restaurant didn’t have retirement benefits, but my current grocery store job does.  I jumped on it right away, even if it’s not the job I want right now.  And it’s a good starting point to have some money saved up for retirement. If you leave the job that has a 401k, you can do what's called a rollover. This will put the money that was set into the first retirement fund into another one; you can do this with your bank or if your new job has a 401k.

20.  If You Don’t Have Health Insurance, Sign Up With The State, or Through Your Job.

In my experience, I have insurance through the state at the moment.  If your job offers health insurance as well, jump on it right away, even if it’s not the job you want, it’ll be a starting point that correlates with number 19.

21.  It’s Okay To Not Go To College

This is coming from someone who was a college dropout at 19, and currently back in school.  If you don’t feel ready to go to college, that’s okay too.  College is very expensive, especially here in the US, and not everyone can get a scholarship, even if they did apply for a lot of them.  Maybe get a part-time job or two (for some income), explore some hobbies you enjoy, and take some time to think about some goals.     

22. If You’re In College, It’s Okay To Stay At Home

Again, coming from a former college dropout, I stayed at home while attending a nearby community college in another state.  However, out-of-state tuition and housing is also very expensive.  If you have a good relationship with your parents, and if you’re going to school in-state, talk to them about staying home while going to school.  If you don’t, then talk to a trusted friend or family member about getting an apartment together that isn’t on-site housing while you’re attending school.

23. Watch Non-English Language Movies

If you’re a movie lover like me, take some time to watch some foreign language films once in a while; and I know we anime fans do, lol.  To be honest, it does get very boring watching English language films all the time, whether from the States, England, or Canada.  Watching foreign language movies will definitely help you to understand the world a lot better, if you don’t have the means for traveling yet; and they will help you to understand that no matter where we live, we all have similar issues, hopes, dreams, etc.  If you need a starting point, I recommend any of the Studio Ghibli movies, I would start with Kiki’s Delivery Service; or Guillermo del Toro’s Pan’s Labyrinth.  

24. SET BOUNDARIES

Remember: toxic family members and friends are not worth it.  You are worthy and valid for love and respect.  This correlates to number 7.  This is also very useful in the workplace.  

25. Express Yourself Through Fashion

Like everyone else, I feel most comfortable in jeans and a t-shirt myself; however sometimes I like to dress up just for fun, or to build up my self esteem and image.  This also helps when learning to pair an accessory with an outfit.  Play around with different color palettes and clothing styles, and find the one you feel the most “you.”  For example, I’ve always looked my best in jewel tones and a cooler color palette.  Read some fashion articles or watch some YouTube videos about how to pick out an outfit.

26. It Is Not Selfish To Prioritize Yourself

This correlates with number 3.  I have noticed it’s mostly a Western/American/Christian culture norm, we’re always told to take care of others before taking care of ourselves; or we’re selfish for prioritizing ourselves over others. It is not selfish, it is part of self care. Again, this is tied in with number 24.

27.   Failing and Making Mistakes Is Part of Growing

There is so much societal pressure on trying to be successful in life and work, especially in the Western/American hemisphere. However, making mistakes and failing at something is part of growing, and learning as an individual.

28. It's Okay to Not Have a Label to Define Yourself

Hear me out. I understand the use of labels in society and culture in general; everyone wants to belong somewhere and feel accepted. However, it is okay to not have a label to define who you are, and who you want/choose to be. Take all the time you need to figure out what's best for you. And sometimes people don't realize a label will fit them until they are much older in life. Or they couldn't at the time.

29. Don't Compare, You'll Get There

We are human, and we all have the tendency to compare ourselves to others. Unfortunately, this doesn't end after high school and college. And that needs to seriously change, especially in the Western/American hemisphere. Simply writing down "don't compare, you'll get there" is a great reminder to have for yourself. Everyone learns and grows at their own pace.

30. It Really Is The Little Things That Keep Us Going

When life seems to get too hard, it really is the little things that keep us going. Whether it is something as simple as someone holding a door open for you, or someone complimenting* you on your outfit or your work ethic; those moments are the ones that matter the most. Remember those moments, hold on to them.

#january #january 27th #birthday #aquarius #self care #self worth #self improvement #mental health #reading #books #food #vote #physical health #personal finance #adulting #college #community college #university #movies #college life #study motivation #30th birthday #you are valid #you are worthy #lgbtqia

[sealovinq]

XELLE OMG HI its been way too long 😭😭 idk if u rmbr me .. previously @/recordplayershipping (scout) !!! i saw u as i was clearin out my discord friends list recently n i wanted to come see how u were doing 🥺 i hope schools going well!!! also take this as a free pass to introduce me to the f/o ur fixated most on rn!!!!!!! <3

HELLO HELLOO!!!! AAAAAAA SCOUT I MISSED YOU SM!!! of course i remember you omg you're literally one of my fav moots /gen i'm sorry if this took too long WAAA i didn't know which f/o to talk about.... and yes i've been SUPER busy with school and it's starting again in a few days so 😭 BUT TYSM FOR STOPPING BY, I HOPE YOU'RE DOING WELL TOO<3333!!!

it's actually been a while since i got a new f/o... but i started rewatching m.lp (my lit.tle pon.y) and am currently around season 5 and erm... ya girl got a crush on one of the main 6 GGRGRBRHRJFJ she reminds me of my partner irl so WIWIWIEIJEJ HAHA NOT SURPRISING....

in reference to that previous post of mine i was actually referring to appl.ejack 🙈🙈 LOOK who doesn't like a masculine woman (mare in this case) who can carry me without breaking a sweat amiright WEEEHEHHEJD.... and the human version (NOT E.QG) fanarts of her DID NOT HELP because they all drew her with a muscular body and i am literally!!! so weak for that!!! HELLO!!! SAVE A HORSE RIDE A COWGIRL 💥💥💥💥💥💥💥

i've made a ponysona too UABAYUSBDHDJ i haven't drawn her with aj as of yet because i suck at drawing ponies 😭 and i haven't made much lore about them either but i just like thinking about them hehehehehe

here she is!! my precious lil gem!! i based her off of the color palette of the beach hehe classic ocean-loving me. she's besties with ra.rity and would often come to her for advice about what to do with aj (pre-dating). again i haven't developed her but she's very Pretty and i love her so so so much. i would love to see her getting introduced to farm life by aj even though she's a bit icky about dirt but she'd do anything for the Girlfriend!!!

speaking of ra.rity i actually kin her! so it doesn't bother me when i see ra.rijack or any other ships involving aj tbh. BUT HELL when i do see ra.rijack I GET SO HYPED BECAUSE WE ARE SO CANON<333!! yes she is holding my waist and kissing me on the mouth yes that is me with the curly purple hair ehe

idk i just love aj a lot 🥺🥺🤧 i love especially how she's so blunt sometimes UABSHDIJD and she's so hardworking and does everything for her friends and such a sweetheart eeuuuuuuehhhh.... i wanna smooch her so badly and make her flustered AWAWWAEAEEEEEE

also i've re-explored my gender and decided i am more of genderfae (basically a gender that fluctuates to any gender except masculine ones, for example i can be feminine or neutral any time but never masculine ones) and have developed an attraction to mascs which aj perfectly fits into... aha <33

i don't think i'd be shipping with her e.qg version. they're canonically high schoolers and usually range around 16-18 but it's not confirmed so it's still kinda weird so i'm sticking to her pony version! og is always the best anyway 😍😍🙏

look at Her and her Handsome Face

SHE!!! 🥺🥺🥺🥺🧡🧡🧡🧡

#xelle.art #xelle.gush #WAWAWAWA I FINALLY REVEALED HER HI HELLO #OUUUHHHH I'M SO. I'M SO NORMAL I SAW FANART OF HER EARLIER AND I'M SOOOO (BITES MY ARM) #ANYWAY..... THANK U FOR LETTING ME GUSH EEEE #mailbox #friend: scout #r!fo: applejack #SBSUAUGAVAGAHABAJSJSJDBFJFJFJ 🙈🙈🙈🙈🙈

[maladaptive-day-dreams]

Chapter 3: The Summer of Starcourt, 1985

1.7k words Content warning: flufffffffity fluff fluff (literally all fluff and fun friendship and shit), cursing, smoking weed, friendly shotgunning of said weed, filler chapter #3, brief recollection of S3 at the end

Tags: @and-claudia

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Mom and Dad harass me to get a job as soon as I turn 17. And, thanks to Eddie and his van, he and I both land jobs at the record store in the strip mall down the way. Mom and Dad are noooooot happy about it but I just shoot them “you told me to get a job” and they quiet down.

They’re still annoyed that Eddie and I haven’t grown apart, no matter how much they remind me that they don’t like him. He grew his hair out starting Freshman year and started dealing drugs after school in Sophomore year so Mom and Dad like to pull the “bad influence” card whenever the opportunity arises.

Currently that opportunity is as soon as I need to head to Eddies so he doesn’t leave without me for the first day back to Senior year after Spring break.

“He’s not a good guy, Y/N!” Mom yells down the hallway after me. “You’ll get into trouble if you keep hanging out with him!”

“Yeah yeah yeah, I’ve heard it a thousand times Mom! I get it! You don’t like him, I have to get to school now; won’t be home until late! I have a night shift at the record store, so don’t wait up!” I yell back to her.

I slam the door behind me and jog over to the Munson trailer as Eddie is getting in the van.

“I almost left you behind there, sweetheart,” he chuckles as I hop in the passenger side.

“Yeah, mom was hitting me with the ‘he’s not a good guy’ speech, like usual.”

I catch Eddie’s face fall slightly in my peripheral vision, but a smile shows up within seconds of the change.

“You’re working the night shift too right?” I ask as Eddie backs out of the driveway. “Or do I need to find a ride home?”

“Nah I got dragged into it too. Boss called me about it this morning, we’re moving some extra stock to the store in Starcourt all night but he said he’ll get us dinner in the foodcourt as extra pay.”

“Do you think he’ll consider ice cream as dinner?”

Eddie laughs, “I doubt it but we can ask him.”

“Ooh side note! I hit up the thrift store over break,” I say pulling out a new collection of cassette tapes. “What should we listen to today?”

“No way,” Eddie exclaims snatching a tape from my hands. “How is Twisted Sister’s Stay Hungry album already at the thrift store?”

Eddie quickly takes out the tape and shoves it into the vans tape player and we get to school by the end of I Wanna Rock.

* * *

“Christ, Mrs. Baker gets on my nerves so bad sometimes,” I huff. Eddie and I are walking out of Hawkins High and headed towards the back of the lot to the van.

“What did poor Mrs. Baker ever do you to you, sunshine?” Eddie laughs, throwing an arm around my shoulder.

“Who the fuck assigns a 5 page paper the day after we get back from break?”

“Oof, yeah that’s rough. I’m glad I’m in Mr. Robert’s English class this year, we just listened to him ramble on about some dumb book we were supposed to read over break.”

“Did you read it?”

Eddie shoots me a look, and we break into laughter.

“Of course you didn’t, stupid question.”

“Hop in, lets get this moving party started.”

We show up to work a few minutes early, but sit in the parking lot to finish the joint Eddie saved for work tonight.

“Wanna finish it off, Eds?”

“Nah, all yours sweets,” Eddie breathes, head leant back on the headrest.

“Hmm how ‘bout we split it?”

Eddie shifts his head to look at me as I take one last long drag. I nod my head and Eddie leans over to me. Once he’s close enough I blow some smoke into his parted mouth like we’ve done hundreds of times.

“Thanks, sunshine,” he smiles.

“Y’welcome Eds, you know me, I love to share,” I look at him and we laugh together again before getting out of the van.

“Alright how bad am I?” He asks coming over to the sliding door behind the passenger side. “Sniff me.”

I chuckle and lean close to him to smell his shirt and jacket.

“You’re gonna need at least three sprays today. How am I?”

Eddie leans in and smells my sweater, “how do you always need less than me? You can definitely get by with just one.”

I reach into the gym bag under the couch in the back of the van and pull out Eddie’s cologne and my spare perfume that we keep there for days like this. Handing Eddie mine, I hold up his before saying, “alright on three. 1, 2, 3.”

We spray each other down and toss the bottles back in the bag before Eddie closes the van door and locks up.

As we walk in to the strip mall location of the record store, Boss calls out from the back room, “y’all do know I don’t care if you come in a lil toasty, right?”

Eddie and I look at each other and laugh, “sorry Boss, I’ll bring you one next time alright?”

“That’s my boy,” he says coming out of the back room with a box of records. “Now, we’ve got 4 boxes of records, 2 boxes of tapes, a box of CDs and 2 boxes of merch to haul over there today. After that we’ll be all set for when the Mall opens to the public next month. Y’all are still good to shift over there once it’s open right?”

“I’m good as long as Eddie is since he’s my ride,” I say as I head to the back to grab a box.

“Yup, I’m all good.”

“Great, it’ll be a huge help if y’all run that while I work on getting more hands over here. The mall should be a busier store so hopefully we won’t be so close to the red anymore.”

Ever since Eddie and I started, Boss has gotten us in on everything, including the store’s finances. It’s been great to learn about it but also sucks knowing that if the mall store doesn’t do well that we’ll probably be out our jobs in a few months and Hawkins will lose the best music store we’ve got.

* * *

Once we haul all the boxes over to the mall, Boss leaves us to organizing while he takes a walk to talk to other store owners nearby. Eddie pulls out the cassette radio he brought over from the strip mall and puts in an Iron Maiden tape to listen to while we organize the shelves.

We’re singing along and dancing a little while Eddie sets up the records and I set up the CDs and merchandise. Out of the corner of my eye I catch Robin in a sailor outfit pass the front and I drop what I’m doing to run out and say hey.

“Yo, Robin!”

Robin and I got close when she was in Freshman year and I was in Sophomore. We actually kinda dated a little but realized we’d do better as friends.

“Y/N? Hey, what are you doing here?” She asks pulling me in for a hug.

“The record store I work at is renting out one of the last open spaces,” I answer, hugging her back. We separate and I look at her get-up again. “Uh, nice outfit.”

“Don’t even,” she laughs. “It’s horrible, I know, but my parents wanted me to get a job and the ice cream place in here—Scoops Ahoy—was hiring.”

“Oh no it’s,” I pause and hold in my laugh. “It’s fantastic.”

“I hate you,” she laughs. “But hey at least I get to see you around more over the summer.”

“That’s true,” I smile. “What are you doing here today?”

“I have to train the new guy before we open next month. Get this, it’s Steve Harrington.”

“I’m sorry, did I hear you right? Harrington? Working at the ice cream shop in the mall? Having to wear that?” I say gesturing to her sailor uniform.

“Yup, the one and only King Steve,” she mocks.

“That’ll be…interesting. Have fun with that,” I laugh.

She smiles and waves as she walks towards the food court.

“Who was that?” Eddie asks when I go back to setting up the merchandise wall.

“Robin.”

“Robin?”

“The band girl that I dated sophomore year? The one that we decided we’d be better as friends?”

“Ohhh right right.”

“She’s working at the ice cream place in the food court and get this, Steve Harrington is gonna work there too.”

“Wait, King Steve has been demoted to Ice Cream Sailor?”

I nod my head and we laugh a little before getting back to the tasks at hand.

“Thanks for dinner Boss!” Eddie and I yell as we get into the van after getting back to the strip mall location of the record store. He waves to us as we back out of the lot and head home for the night.

* * *

Unfortunately, we only get the Summer at Starcourt. It’s a great summer, don’t get me wrong. Eddie and I have a blast running the store there and making fun of Harrington from the other side of the food court. Robin has this running tally of how many girls Steve has been able (or not able) to woo which is always a fun thing to watch unfold.

Dustin Henderson and Steve are apparently big pals and they had a big reunion in the food court when Dustin got back from summer camp—lots of yelling and noises and handshakes. The only reason we know who 8th grader Dustin is is because Eddie has been keeping an eye on him and his buddies as recruits for Hellfire once they start Freshman year in the fall, but it’s still weird to think Dustin and Steve are friends. Then again, most of the people we see around Steve over the summer are kids.

Anyway, closer to the end of summer, I think it was end of June? Yeah, it was because everything happened before 4th of July. End of June a bunch of shit went down and the mall kinda blew up. No one really explained what happened but all I know is that Robin, Harrington and his gaggle of kids know what went down. And we only know this because all of them looked rough the week after the mall went up in flames.

But now, Robin and Steve are best friends and hang out a lot which kinda sucks for me because I don’t see her as much anymore. It’s okay though, I have Eddie.

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