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#oof coloring looks horrendous on here
scorpiussage · 1 year
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The Ghost of Margate Manor
(Alfie Solomons x Reader) - Oneshot 
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Pairing: Alfie Solomons x Y/N
Summary: Everyone in Margate knows the mansion on top of the hill is haunted. Y/N finds this out first hand. 
Warnings: none, swearing 
Everyone who lives in Margate knows that the mansion on top of the hill is haunted. They say some gruesomely ugly ghost haunts the corridors and eats those who trespass. Really, it’s all rubbish, but when you’re five drinks deep like Y/N is, the idea doesn’t seem so far fetched. Her friends are no help, either, as they are also horrendously drunk and daring her to break into the manor if she’s so sure there’s no ghost. 
That was thirty minutes ago and now that Y/N is standing at the top of the hill next to the mansion, she’s suddenly worried that those tall tales might be true. Her friends are all waiting at the bottom of the hill, though, and she absolutely cannot go back without following through; she’d never live it down. So here she is, rock in hand, breaking into a side patio door into what used to have been a ballroom of some kind. The few pieces of furniture (and the chandelier) are all covered in eerie white sheets that billow in the breeze from the open doorway. 
Tamping down on her fear, Y/N continues forward, exiting the ballroom into the main corridor. That’s all the further she gets before she encounters him. 
Alfie is just trying to enjoy his first night on his own. Since getting shot in the face by that Peaky cunt, he’s been laid up in bed being tended to by nurses and maids. But now, now, he’s finally healed enough to be alone for extended periods of time and he’s been looking forward to it for months. 
He’s got a nice pot of tea, hot and ready, his newspaper in his hand and a big fire in the hearth. With an excited giggle he moves to sit down in his favorite chair when he hears the sound of glass breaking. He looks at the pot of tea and newspaper forlornly, already knowing that the relaxation of this night is gone. Throwing down his newspaper, he surges out into the hallway while readying his pistol, ready to kill the fucker who thought it was a good idea to break into Alfie Solomon’s house. 
Something rams into his chest and lets out an ‘oof’. Raising his brow in surprise, he looks down at who broke into his house. 
It’s a woman, a tiny one at that, and she reeks of bourbon like there’s no tomorrow. She looks up at him, the color draining from that pretty face of hers. 
Before Alfie can say something, she shrieks, “Ah! A ghost!” 
And then she punches him in the face. 
Alfie lets out a loud curse and clutches his sore cheek. Little bit got him right on his wounded side too, “What the bloody fuck was that for?!”
They stare at each other for a long moment before the woman drunkenly asks, “Wait, you’re not a ghost?”
“I’m fuckin’ what?” he demands, reaching out and grabbing her by her arm. 
She gapes up at him stupidly, and says, “Everyone in Margate knows that this mansion is haunted.” 
What sort of looney bin did he move to? 
“Well as you can clearly see, I am not a ghost, love. Now, why the fuck are you in me house?”
The woman doesn’t get a chance to answer because in the next moment she’s bending over and vomiting all over Alfie’s slippers. Yeah, the peace that he’d been promised tonight is long gone. 
Y/N wakes up with a pounding headache and a terrible taste in her mouth. She looks around herself in confusion. She’s in some plushly decorated bedroom with extravagant curtains and warm hand carved furniture. This doesn’t look like her room or the room of anyone she knows. 
Looking to her left, she sees a man slouched down in an armchair, his loud snores telling her he’s asleep. 
That’s when she remembers what happened and feels a wash of horror and embarrassment overcome her. God, she was such an idiot and to top it all off she assaulted this poor man. Reaching over, she gently shakes the man’s shoulder to wake him. He does so with a snort and he squints over at her with a contemplative gaze. 
“I just want to say that I am so terribly sorry,” Y/N says while wringing the edge of the blanket on her lap, “I can’t believe I broke into your house! I will pay for whatever repairs that are needed, I swear.” 
The man smacks his lips as he takes in what she’s just said before he reaches his hand out, “‘It’s alright, love. No harm done. I’m Alfie.” 
He’s an oddly handsome man under his unkempt beard and the large scar on his face. And his hands are large and warm as they engulf hers in a handshake. Y/N introduces herself in return. 
“Surely there’s something I can do to make it up to you? I did break your window after all,” she tells him fretfully while climbing out of the bed.
 He watches her while rubbing his chin and says, “Yeah, ‘suppose there’s one thing you could do.” 
That’s how Y/N finds herself returning to the not-so-haunted manor later that night and having dinner with a one Alfie Solomons. 
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thebountyfucker · 3 years
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The Royal Affair - A Choose Your Own Prince Fic
18+ ONLY - NSFW
I wanted to try an experiment where I wrote a story with two parallel branches so readers could choose which character they wanted to read without me writing two separate fics! Let me know what you think! (Subject to more parts!)
Embo x AFAB!Reader or Cad Bane x AFAB!Reader
Tags/CW: Threats of violence/assault, embarrassment
Here's the link to my masterpost!
Want to be tagged in upcoming fics like this? Here's my taglist application!!
You eased up to the table, smiling despite yourself, and bowed your head. You didn’t say anything to them, as per the instructions from your boss, and carefully handed out the flutes of champagne. The royals prattled on in Durese, hardly paying you any mind, though the Prince did cast a glance up at you from the periphery of his vision. You bowed your head once more, and turned to leave.
-
You had never been more nervous in your life than you were now; with a tray of champagne flutes balanced in your hand, and the heel on your left shoe coming loose, you had to put the entirety of your focus onto your task at hand. It was a simple one, really - deliver the drinks to the Duros royal family, bow, and return back to the kitchen to fetch hors d'oeuvres. Simple. Easy. Yet the wobbling in your ankle frightened you. The last thing you needed was to drop the crystal flutes in front of everyone - or worse, on someone.
As you turned, you heard a loud snap, and your ankle buckled and rolled; you went down, your tray clattering to the floor. Conversations around you stopped, and the gazes of three royal families found you collapsed on the floor. A horrified blush crept up on your cheeks as you crawled toward your tray and gathered it up in your arms; you pulled off your shoes and slowly stood, pain blossoming from your ankle. You limped to the back room, and tossed your shoes straight into the garbage.
“What happened to you?” One of your coworkers, a pretty Rutian Twi’lek, asked, glancing down at your now bare feet and rapidly-swelling ankle.
“My fucking heel broke!”
“Oof, tough luck.” She shook her head as she kneeled down and prodded at your ankle. The pain was horrendous, but she didn’t look concerned. “It ain’t broken… I’ll see if I can get a wrap and some new shoes for you.”
“Thank you, Salicia.” You muttered as you sat down, propping your leg up on the seat beside you. Your other coworkers came and went, taking out drinks and snacks, and coming back with dishes and trash. They hardly spared you a glance. There was work to be done and attending to the weak link would only slow it down. You sighed softly as Salicia returned with a bandage and a pair of silken flats.
She sat beside you, gingerly lifting your leg to wrap your ankle. She was gentle, and the pressure of the bandage made it feel instantaneously better. When she had secured it in place, she handed you the pair of flats; colored a vibrant blue, the flats sported a winged lizard embroidered on each of the sides. The slippers clashed with your uniform, but it was better than nothing; you eased them on, and cast Salicia a glance.
“Queen Esmera gave these to me when she saw me asking the other girls. She saw you fall, said these would probably be more comfortable than anything we could offer.” She explained, her lekku tips curling up as she shrugged. “I think she may be fishing for a thank you… so… you might want to go out and tell her.”
“Alright.” You sighed as you stood and brought your tray back to the bar; the bartender noted you with a frown, but knew better than to say anything. “Can you get me seven glasses of your most expensive Phatrongi red? You can… add it to the party’s tab.”
“Did Queen Esmera give you those?” He asked, suspicion heavy in his voice. You glanced down at your shoes and nodded.
“Yep.”
“I suppose the wine is a ‘thank you’ to her.” He muttered, waiting for your nod, before continuing. “And you’re stroking her ego because…?”
“Because it’s the polite thing to do, I guess.” You shrugged, and he shook his head as he poured the thick, purple wine into the glasses.
“Yeah. Polite. And then they turn around and treat you like trash.”
“They’ve been nice to me so far.” You muttered as he helped stack the seven glasses of red wine onto your tray. Your departure toward Queen Esmera’s table was slow-going, as you didn’t want to risk tripping or putting undue stress on your ankle. Your coworkers were careful about not bumping into you, but there were a few close calls.
You made your way toward the Kyuzan Queen, careful to stand a distance away in case she turned her head to regard you; her ostentatious crown, constructed of metals and jewels and silken cloths, was large enough that it could sweep the wine right off your tray. That was the last thing you wanted.
She did, in fact, turn when she noticed you, and you breathed a small sigh of relief as her crown cleared your tray. She offered you a kind, mask-less smile, and you bowed your head respectfully in response.
“Thank you for your kindne-.”
And then it happened. You took a few step closer and the slippers caught on something - likely the queen’s dress. You tripped, and the tray of wine went flying; the wine splashed upon the Queen’s lap and onto the table. The princes and the King jumped back from the table as the wine spread out toward them. Your heart plummeted to the bottom of your chest, and you dropped to your knees at her side.
“I am so sorry.” Tears welled in your eyes. Salicia rushed over with towels, much sooner than you expected, and thrust one at you; she mopped up the table, apologizing to the princes, while you gingerly dabbed at the Queen’s dress. The red wine marred her white and gold gown, and you knew that the stain would never come out. “Please forgive me. Please. I’ll do whatever you want to make it up to you.”
The Queen gingerly patted your head as you dabbed at her gown; the weight of her ring-covered hand was rather comforting, and it did make you feel quite a bit better.
“There, there, Little One.” Her voice was honeyed and velvet-smooth, yet there was an imposing timbre deep beneath it, as if she knew and reveled in the power she had in this situation. “It was an accident, and these things happen. It is okay.”
“It is not okay!” The King’s booming voice startled you from the calmed stupor the Queen had put you in. Your gaze focused on the Queen’s dress as the party hall went quiet. “This insolent worm ruined your dress!”
“There is no reason to be upset. What is done is done.” Queen Esmera continued to pat your head reassuringly.
“There must be recompense!”
“Enough. You are causing a scene.” Her voice was even and steely, and her husband eased back down into his chair. The waves of rage radiating off the king made your skin crawl - he was one of those kings where the rumors of his temper far outshined any good he had done. There were numerous stories about girls being used and thrown in ditches after minor misdeeds. You hoped your employer would protect you from the likes of him… but that was no certainty. “The dress is ruined. I will call for a maid to bring me another.”
“I’m so sorry.” You repeated, and she tilted your chin up.
“That is enough, Little One. Now run along, okay?” She smiled sweetly, and you got up with your metaphorical tail between your legs. You limped back to the staging room, where you found a bench and collapsed onto it. Tears threatened to spill over, but you rubbed them away with the heels of your hands. You felt so foolish, so demeaned. The worst part of this, though, was that it was all your fault. No royal had made you spill the wine. No royal purposefully tripped you, nor did they break the heel from your shoe. It was your own insolence. You buried your head in your hands, a strangled sob leaving your lips.
Someone sat down on the bench beside you. You figured it was Salicia, until you noticed their scent - it was woodsy and entirely manish. You couldn’t think of anyone you knew who smelled like that. Curious, you spread your fingers open and peeked through them; sitting beside you was one of the Kyuzan Princes - the youngest of the four, whose name, you believed, was Embo. He cast you a glance, his browridge cocked.
“Oh! Uh…” You wiped your eyes on your hands, and then wiped your hands on your skirt. “Hello there, Prince.”
“You are in trouble.” He spoke, his voice unwavering and deeply serious. Your heart skipped a beat, and your stomach dropped.
“W-what?”
“My father is like a jungle cat chasing a rat. In his eyes, you wronged him, and he will not rest until you pay the price.” He explained, his voice low and conspiratory.
“But I didn’t do anything to him!” You squeaked.
“You embarrassed him, and my mother. He believes you made fools of them both before our allies.” Embo explained, his hands laced together and resting on his lap. “I came to offer my help. The last thing I want is for someone undeserving to be left in a ditch to die.”
“But you’re his son. How can I trust you?”
“Just know that I would rather see him dead than let any harm come to you.” He replied, his gold eyes narrowed and a small growl rumbling in his chest. You blinked at him, and then looked down at your hands. “And he knows better than to touch anything I lay claim to. If I tell him you are under my protection, he will not dare bother you.”
“I… wouldn’t want to be a bother.”
“Nonsense. My family keeps a large staff already. We would hardly notice one more.”
Your gaze remained on your hands, your mind running a million miles a minute. If you didn’t take the Prince’s protection, what would happen to you? Would the king stoop to harming you? It seemed that if his own son was worried, the answer was likely yes. So it would be best to go with the prince then. What if he was lying? What if this was all some elaborate ruse to get you into bed with him, or worse?
“I’ll… need time to think.” You replied, your voice shaking.
“Of course. You have until the end of the night.” He got up, dusting off his expensive suit, and disappeared through the door which led back out to the main hall.
You sat there, still trying to process what was going on; the staff around you stared at you, either concerned or shocked that you had gotten so close to the Prince without mention of sexual activities. You glanced at them, before standing.
“I… I need to take a walk.”
No one stopped you as you slipped out the door into the main hall. The royals were all happily conversing, and you noted that Queen Esmera had, indeed, changed her dress. You ducked down the hallway to the front door, desperately needing some fresh air to help clear your head. Ugh, you had a headache.
The guards allowed you outside, and you sat down on the top step to gather your wits. The warm, humid Coruscant air caressed your bare skin, grounding you to reality. The ambience of the thousands of speeders and marching of armor-clad guards drowned out any sounds from the gala itself. You buried your head in your hands once more, just trying to think.
“You’ve got some shit luck tonight.”
You turned toward the intruder, noting that the Duros Prince was approaching; he had a lit cig between his fingers, and he took a long drag.
“First de heel, den sullying Queen Esmera’s dress…” He shook his head as he eased down onto the step beside you. He offered you the cig, but you declined. “What gods did ya anger?”
“I don’t know.” You sighed, shaking your head. Cad leaned back, perching the cig between his lips.
“I assume de big guy already warned ya?”
“About his dad? Yeah.” You answered, your worry rising again; it was one thing to hear about the danger from the King’s son… now you were hearing it from an unrelated royal? Great….
“Den ya know you’ll need t’ low ‘til he comes t’ his sense, right?”
You nodded at this. “Prince Embo offered to let me stay with him.”
“Did he now? Doesn’t seem quite safe t’ be going back to de same home as yer threat.” He mused as he took a drag of his cig. “I came t’ offer de same thing.”
“Why?” You asked, wary of Cad’s intentions.
“Well, King Triakt has no domain over me and my family. And messing wit’ us could end badly fer him.” Cad drawled as he plucked the cig from his lips and flicked the ashes off of the end.
“Seems like a lot of trouble for someone you don’t know.”
“I don’t know ya but dat doesn’t mean I can’t extend some kindness.” He took a long drag of his cig.
“What’s the price?” You asked, watching his lips twitch into a small smirk.
“I don’ know yet. We’ll figure dat out as we go.” Cad smothered the cig beneath his boot. “Whaddya say?”
“I… need to think about it.”
“Sure, sure. When you make up yer mind, come find me.” He winked at you and stood, straightening out his outfit. He sauntered back inside, leaving you alone in your thoughts. Now, you just had to decide who to go with...
-
Who do you choose? Embo or Cad Bane
Tags List: @justanotherstarwarswhore, @doctor-ren, @that-clone-wars-girl, @some-serendipity-snail
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lonnson · 2 years
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2, 13, 17, 19, 26, 31, 35, 46, 59, 60, 62, 63, 71, 88, 99, 100!
@gi--hun asdfdghkslk you're the best!!! ✨🥰
2. Do you enjoy thrilling rides like rollercoasters? YES YES YES!!! The more extreme the better! I can really recommend the Prater at Vienna, they have amazing rides there!
13. Bright colors or neutral tones? I'd say neutral tones but I like to throw in some bright colour as highlights here and there
17. Would you rather be a lawyer or a doctor? Oof, since I'm a massive overthinker I'd probably suck at both 😅 But probably a lawyer because then I at least don't have a person's life depending on me
19. Power of invisibility or flight? Flight!
26. Did you enjoy high school? Not really 😓 I was a straigt A student but it came at the cost of having severe anxiety and basically wasting my teenage years on studying and worrying about school all the time. I still dream that I forgot to study, and I'm 25 now 🙃
31. What’s a show that everyone loves that you didn’t? All the streaming hits like Stranger Things, Bridgerton, The Witcher etc. I don't care about these shows at all.
35. Who are your top 5 celebrity crushes? THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR ASKING THE *REALLY* IMPORTANT QUESTIONS: Adam Driver, David Dastmalchian, Antony Starr from 10 years ago (present-day Antony is just... no), Aidan Turner, Joel Kinnaman
46. Do you have any tattoos or want to get one? I do have two tattoos! A wave on the inside of my arm and a Māori Pikorua Twist above my elbow. Also once you get your first tattoo you immediately start thinking about another one 😅
59. What country that you haven’t been to do you want to visit most? Canada, Iceland, Japan and Hawaii (I've been to the US before but Hawaii is kind of a separate thing for me because I've only been to Chicago and that's just something completely different)
60. Can you cook and do you enjoy it? No and no 😥
62. What’s your comfort movie? Shrek 2 and Love, Actually, they never get old 💕✨
63. Is there a genre of music you don’t like? There's an awful German music genre called "Schlager" and it's horrendous. Also I hate when they take old songs and put a beat over it and sell it as "new".
71. What genre is your favorite playlist right now and what’s it called? I don't think it's a genre but I listen to my "villain vibes" playlist a lot lately!
88. What’s your fictional OTP? Reylo, always. I also really loved Kiliel, Mary and Matthew from Downton, Annie and Mitchell from Being Human, Lucas Hood and Siobhan Kelly from Banshee and lately I'm really into Polka-Dot Man and Ratcatcher.
99. What’s the last show you binged? Tricky Business. It's an obscure Australian tv show from 2012 but I enjoyed it tremendously. Antony Starr is in it and oh-my-god he looked so good back then 😭💖
100. What’s one of your fondest memories? In 2017 I travelled around New Zealand and one night we stayed at a ski lodge that had an ancient tv and vhs-player in the common room and we watched the second half of The Fellowship of the Ring on vhs (because they didn't have the first half 😂) and it was just such a great group of people and I miss them.
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shandycandy278 · 4 years
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@somebodyalreadytookthis2 after that post and the thread that I had with @hummingbirdstars I had to write something. There was no way that I couldn’t. I blame thank both of you for this concept.
For everyone who might not be aware: this is about the ATLA crossover with the UTMV. The UTMV characters are human. Dream is Zuko and Geno is Iroh. Whether I write more or not honestly depends on if I can figure out how to write the others.
Also I apologize for any mistakes or off characterizations cause I literally just wrote this up and didn’t proofread. Oof.
Anyway, I hope you guys enjoy!
“You know, Dream...” Geno’s singular blood-red eye looked up from where he had been meditating, and Dream stiffened from where he sat, staring out into the wilderness. 
The hair that he had constantly dyed to keep it a ‘natural, darker’ color like his father and brother was growing back out into the bright blonde that it had been- long before any of this had ever started. They had been too distracted with their survival for him to keep up his appearance, and he knew that Dream was still sore over it. 
He still looked up to his family in a way, after all- even if they were all horrible. 
“All that stress isn’t going to do you any good. You should relax.”
“Relax?” He asked, his bright, fiery auburn eyes gleaming with anger that easily disguised the fear that Geno knew was there. “Relax?! We’re on the run from Nightmare! From the Fire Nation! Our lives are on the line! How on Earth am I supposed to relax?!”
“Well, for one-” He chuckled. “We would have heard your brother’s monologuing long before we saw him. And we’d have enough time to escape, too.”
“That doesn’t mean that we should relax.” His step-nephew hissed back, turning back to look at the forest. Geno sighed in annoyance, although he had to admit that Dream had a point. It was better to be wary in their situation, but still… 
“At the very least, don’t act like we’re going to be attacked at any second.” Geno patted on the ground beside him, making Dream glance back at him again. “Come over here, I’ll take watch tonight.”
Dream eyed him wearily- something that Geno honestly wished he wouldn’t do, but after what Dream had been through, he couldn’t exactly complain. The scars both on his body and in his mind would never fade away- not after what his stepfather had done to him. The most prominent scar, the burn that bloomed from his chest and stretched over the left side of his neck and onto his shoulder, was only just noticeable in the light of the fire. 
It made all of the progress that they had made together all the more worth it.
Geno watched quietly, forever patient as he waited for Dream to make his decision. One of the many things that he had learned over his years of serving his brother through the war that they had cast upon the world a hundred years ago.
“I’m not a kid anymore.” He said sternly.
“Of course not.” Geno automatically replied. “But it will get cold tonight, and at the very least, it would be best to sleep closer to the fire.”
To his pleasant surprise, Dream hesitated only for a moment before he slowly walked over to sit down, and then lay down on the ground next to him. Geno made sure to keep his movements slow and deliberate as he reached down to play with the golden locks- the ones that reminded him so much of Dream’s mother. Dream looked a lot like his mother, actually- he had been the twin to get all of her looks, and his brother was the spitting image of their father. Or so he had been told- their father had died long before Error had married her and had adopted the boys as his children.
Geno almost wished that they had never met. Not when it brought so much suffering. Error had never intended nor wanted to be a parent, and the proof was right in front of him.
But if they never had, then Geno wouldn’t have had the chance to meet such a lovely and kind young man- even if he was struggling desperately to hide it and pretend to be like the rest of his family.
He waited for Dream to slowly relax into the touch, for his mind to be partially asleep before he began to sing in a soft, gentle but still very clear tone.
“Valiant Heart, defeated again~” He heard an annoyed huff from Dream, but he persisted anyway- determined to sing the lullaby that Dream’s mother had sung to him long ago, before she had died from that terrible sickness and had left them in the clutches of their cruel stepfather. “Your hopes and dreams now are fading away, have you really found solace in the dark, I know your soul cries for another chance~”
He could feel Dream relax further under his ministrations, and he let a fond smile come across his face as he thumbed the eye-patch over his right eye, hiding his own horrendous scar. “To stop fighting is a way to perish, your hopes and dreams I can help to redeem, Valiant Heart, my soul will fight away, to make you see this world clearly again~”
The light snores that came from Dream was the only thing that Geno needed to hear to know that he was fast asleep.
He let out a loud sigh a few moments later, staring up at the treetops and listening to the creatures as they chirred and cooed. 
It had been a very, very long journey. 
For everyone.
His only hope was that there would be peace, once all of this was over. He wouldn’t ask for anything else.
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mari-vargas · 3 years
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How about the story of how my car earned a name?
But first: the story about getting this car. Actually wow there’s a lot of stories that are interconnected here…. Alright well I’ll leave the story about how I developed car anxiety and how it subsequently got worse for another time. Point is I had it, and technically still do although I got help and can now mostly manage it. However due to this above all else I couldn’t stand riding in a car with tight suspension let alone driving one because I could feel the road with my butt. I also didn’t want to be in a red car or a car I whose roof barely reached my chest, as both statistically increased the probability of being involved in an accident (for opposite reasons ironically and no that does not mean the combination cancels each other out). Also I have a long torso and long legs (no I’m not tall my proportions are just a bit odd) so a short car was uncomfortable to try to get into and then to sit in because my head would be brushing the ceiling and it’d be hard to look out the front window.
So with that in mind you might be able to guess how I felt when my mom sent me a picture of a bright red Chevy Spark in someone’s driveway saying only “What do you think?” Well…I told her. My grandma had had a Spark so I knew my head brushed the ceiling, I knew I could feel the road with my butt, I knew it was short and difficult to be spotted by other vehicles even being bright red, I knew it had no getup to get around other cars that hadn’t seen it there before turning or lane changing…so on and so forth. I gave her my honest thoughts through stated facts.
I THOUGHT she was asking my opinion before deciding whether to buy it from the person whose driveway it was in. TURNS OUT she had bought it as a used car from a dealership that had used it as a rental and was now selling it after it had reached a certain number of miles. The driveway she had taken the pictures of it in? Was OUR driveway and I had just completely missed that. My mom was so pissed at me. She had my dad call me because she just couldn’t deal with my “disrespect” (however accidental it had been…oof). My dad cleared up the misunderstanding between the two of us and I was ecstatic to have my own car to use up at university and my mom had gotten a really low monthly payment for it that I’ve been able to handle myself since graduating. My mom told me she knew how I couldn’t stand to “feel the road with my butt” and had taken it on a long test drive just to make sure she couldn’t before she signed for it. The seats were adjustable and I’m able to sit in it without my head hitting the ceiling. And besides it was mostly for an around town car so the other issues were less major hazards. She picked me up in it from the transport station when I came home for winter break and my dad helped me get it back to university with me at the end of break.
I was able to stand it, but I didn’t particularly like the car. It was still red. It was still small. It was still not very aerodynamic and very lightweight. To be honest I already had a year and a half experience getting around without my own car so the little red roller skate basically spent the whole semester sitting getting rained sap on in my apartment parking lot. It came home with me for the summer. That’s when I really used it. That summer (as with the previous 5 years) I was working up the mountain at a summer camp as a lifeguard (omg—the irony: I have a fear of drowning), and additionally I was volunteering at a museum that was about the same length drive as to my actual job, so long as there was no traffic (with traffic it could be 2-3 times as long).
One day on my way home from the museum, there was a HUGE wildfire that wound up jumping over and straddling the freeway I took to get home. Worse, it had already overtaken the back road through the mountains. I was stuck, along with thousands of other cars trying to find any way out. The traffic was horrendous and it took 3 hours to get from one end of the town to the other (where I’d have gotten off to take the back way if that’s how I went…not that it mattered, we were forced off anyways). About 2-2.5 hours in I heard from the radio that the mountain roads had been contained and reopened for the stretch that I needed so I planned on taking that. It had taken me almost an hour to go between two stop lights, and I had considered pulling over in a parking lot I was three cars away from being at the entrance to, but right as I got to the driveway the mountain roads were opened. Then just as I reached the turn for the mountain roads, the freeway entrance right there was opened right before my eyes. I got on the freeway and passed through still burning areas and after that passed by several cars that had overheated and stopped running. I had already swore to my car when the temperature gauge for the outside temp suddenly jumped to 140-something°F that if we got through this together I’d find a name. And while passing by those other cars I reiterated that promise and even started brain storming names.
The stubbornness and sass and indignation I could feel rolling off my car mixed with the absolute queen energy meant it wasn’t hard to decide to go with more feminine names. An obvious choice given her size and color might have been Ladybug. This of course was also strengthened by the fact I was watching Miraculous Ladybug at the time and well my car had earned her name by saving me and not giving up even when it got really tough. I didn’t want to name her Ladybug though because to me that was a name for a VW Beetle. My old dream car that stopped being my dream car at the peak of my car anxiety because VW—old and new—have very tight suspension: you’ll know if there’s so much as a pebble in your path. So then I decided perhaps Marinette? But…well I wasn’t comfortable explaining the reasoning behind that one. So instead I thought perhaps I can compromise, something with ‘Mari’ (muh-ree like Marie, not mawr-ee like the shorthand of my character my page uses the name of) so I could still pay homage to the cartoon superhero. And I was in luck: google translate provided a translation of ‘ladybug’ in Spanish as “Mariquita”. Now I don’t know a single Spanish-native speaker who has ever even heard of that word let alone using it for the red and black spotted beetles, but regardless it was ideal for my usage.
My car is now named Mariquita, Mari for short. Although to be honest we usually call her something closer to “Murrey” because it’s close to “Murphy” as in Murphy’s Law. As I’m sure I mentioned before (although as it’s been several days since I typed most of this post out, I can’t really remember) she’s a bit of a Shop Queen. But that’s ok. Despite it all she’s been pushed way beyond her initial expectations of being a little around town car. She’s gotten me through two major fires, and been prepped for evacuation for several more. She’s become a car with an hour commute each way at least five days a week on high speed freeways with nothing around for miles. She’s been a moving car and a road trip car and been car jenga’d successfully more times that I can count. She was never meant to do what the things she has wound up having to do, and yet she’s pulled through time and time again.
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twisted-nox-sidus · 4 years
Note
Hello there, I’ve just read your headcannon of Strix trolling the Octavinelle trio. LOL. Thank you for the laughs. Since April fool’s day is coming. If you have the time, can you do a scenario where Strix trolls the other dorms with the help of her dream eaters. If you can include Malleus, it’s okay. If not, I understand. Thank you and stay safe.
Anon continued: Hi there, during my previous post, I was asking whether or not Malleus would join Strix’s trolling in trolling the other dorms since April Fools is coming. Oh! I almost forgot, can Grim and Lilia join with Strix in trolling. Thank you and have a good day or night.
Oof, doing six other dorms is a lot in one post, so I’ll keep things condensed, hence the headcanon format (sorry if you really wanted a scenario version!). I see Malleus and Lilia as types to watch for entertainment than directly take part in it. Strix left Grim out of her plans since he himself is chaotic already. It was time for her to assume the lead and let it out, at least for the day.
It’s come to my attention that I like doing headcanons of Strix and her dream eaters, so I plan on doing more headcanons/scenarios involving the pesky but cute spirits. They don’t stop here so look forward to it! Happy April Fool’s~
Heartslabyul
Heartslabyul could handle strange things more so than any other dorms. Just not anything against the crimson tyrant’s 810 rules.
“WHO PAINTED THE ROSE MAZE BLUE?!!!”
Riddle’s face fumes as red as his hair. Not a single trace of red is found! There was only blue as far as the eye can see.
Deuce, Trey, and Cater were rendered speechless by the sight. Just...wow. They’re not even dreading the culprit’s fate at Riddle’s mercy; instead they’re impressed with the feat. Such commitment!
Meanwhile Ace was resisting from bursting in a fit of laughter. That madwoman actually did it! She even casually remarked about doing such a feat but no one had paid her words seriously. Bravo! Bra-freaking-vo!
Ah, speaking of...
“You have a lot of nerve showing your face, Strix! You must be begging for your head to roll! This is defying the Queen of Hearts herself! Repaint every single rose -by yourself- until all is red!”
“Sheesh, let’s not get a rage stroke. You’re still so young...” Strix nonchalantly yawns. “I wanted to surprise you so I spent the whole night painting every rose blue. Of course, I had a helping hand with me.”
She vaguely gestured to the dream spirit hiding behind her leg. Me Me Bunny’s ears act as another pair of hands, and this cutie is quite dextrous; it also knows “bun fu”.
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“Oh you surprised me all right. [Surprise] is only an understatement!”
A sigh. “You don’t get it, Riddle. Think of it this way. Blue makes the red stand out. Then the only red rose we’ll see...is you, my queen.”
She leans forward to slip a strand of Riddle’s velvet red locks between her fingers and graze her lips on them. Her half-lidded bright blue eyes gaze into his steel gray pair. Perhaps she was still under the drowsy spell to comprehend what she was doing, though a part of her was knowingly teasing.
Riddle stared wide-eyed. His cheeks flushed in a different meaning this time.
She pulls back to give space and turns the other way.
“Plus, contrary to your words, I think you actually like my surprise. It’s certainly not boring. And it’ll only be for today.”
Strix flashed a lazy grin his way.
“Happy April Fool’s~”
Savanaclaw
Strix’s dream eaters are quirky, adorable, and colorful spirits. Jack often questions their capabilities. What can little prey do to the brawny hotheads of Savanaclaw?
A lot.
One day Strix was on patrol. Jack had been keeping an eye as she works part-time as the “cleaner” of Savanaclaw. Just how much power can she draw from these familiars? It was a test for Strix to see if she can meet the standards of a respectable magician in this academy.
Meanwhile Ruggie anticipates something interesting will happen. Strix’s dream eaters are an enigmatic force to reckon with. He himself certainly doesn’t plan on confronting them since that’s not what he signed up for as vice dorm leader.
The hyena snickered his trademark laugh. What mayhem will the prefect student do?
Strix had to break up a fight for the nth time this week. Things happened, and one of the students said something that forced Strix to deal her hand.
Instead of commanding her eagle and hawk to attack, she summoned a single chubby cat/dog hybrid with stubby legs. It doesn’t look like a clever beast.
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Aww, look at it roll around and paw at air for affection while its pink tongue stuck out. They’re going to die of cuteness.
Strix blankly stared ahead. “Meow Wow... Balloon.”
Said spirit stood on all four legs and stopped wagging. Every onlooker watched as it inflated in size. It continued to grow and grow until no one could see the light of day. It was then everyone thought it’d be wise to run from immediate vicinity.
However it was too late when Meow Wow deflated in puffy smoke and sparkles, drowning its victims along with the plume of clouds.
Jack and Ruggie watched from a platform above where they could see the area in action.
“Magic familiar tamers have unique strengths...” Was what Jack concluded. A hawk and eagle’s cries pierce the sky.
Ruggie rubbed the back of his head. “Let’s be real; in this world, birds are a real hassle. As long as you don’t make an enemy of them...”
Strix was already gone by the time Meow Wow inflated. Her eagle dream spirit now willingly massive in size acted as her glider and transporter. Strix’s body dangled as she clung tightly to her Eaglider’s talons until it settled her on the balcony of a dorm room. Eaglider flew to patrol elsewhere alongside Halbird, the hawk dream eater.
Sitting on a chair was Leona playing with a chess piece in his hand. A chessboard was already set up on the table, the black side facing him.
“Enjoying your job, aren’t you.”
Strix allowed a sheepish smirk. She’s not exactly proud to engage in cleaning up people’s messes, but there’s the thrill she finds in it. “To be honest, yeah. I think I might be a sadist at this point...” She mumbled under her breath and continued, “Sorry for the wait. Let’s start.”
Scarabia
“Jamil, a rainbow fish is swimming through the skies!”
“Nonsense. There are no aquatic animals in Scarabia. You probably just saw a magic carpet.”
“Then how come no one told me magic carpets can shoot lasers??”
Before Jamil can decipher whatever the hell Kalim meant by that, the sapphire blue skies turned murky. No, that wasn’t the work of clouds.
To everyone’s bewilderment, they bared witness to a school of colorful fish roaming freely through the air and above the whole dormitory aimlessly.
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Lasers shoot from their mouths and make contact with the other to cause sparks to erupt in colorful fireworks. So that’s the laser part...
Kalim’s eyes sparkled. “It’s like the aquariums at Octavinelle, but airborne! *gasp* I just got a great idea for the next party!”
“For the nth time Kalim no more parties this month!”
*whistle* “Fin Fatale’s actually enjoying this. Who’d knew?”
The two boys turn to see Strix approaching them causally.
Strix grinned. “Bet you don’t see this in Scarabia often.”
Pomefiore
Pomefiore students have a tendency to look into a mirror at almost any given opportunity. They recognize every detail of their their highly bestowed beauty, lest they would fail to maintain perfection.
Imagine their surprise when a carbon copy of themselves suddenly replaces their reflection, except in a horrendous eye-burning color palette that screams “clown”
Turns out the copy really is a clown creature with a large tongue. Jestabocky simply loves to prank people at the expense of their reactions, and it took a liking to Pomefiore students.
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Strix giggled in amusement, much to Vil’s chagrin. Standing next to the man was a Vil duplicate, except in that hideous orange carrot and lemon yellow palette that made his eyes want to bleed. Of course no one could ever compare to the original, especially a circus mimic at that.
Rook was examining his blood red and ice blue carbon copy. What a refreshing change of pace! “Your dream eaters never cease to amaze, little owl.” “Don’t hunt them for sport though!”
Epel was staring at his clone awkwardly. Cotton candy hair and yellow eyes are an odd combination. And would it stop grinning uncharacteristically like that? It’s freaky.
Strix looks beside her. Teal green hair, violet eyes, and an orange to yellow uniform color scheme. It’s horrendous, but that’s where the fun lies. Her dream eaters don’t know the meaning of color coordination.
Ignihyde
Strix thinks a surprise here and there in the shut-in dorm leader’s life ought to keep him on his toes. She knows how much Ortho wants him to come out his room, and so she’ll deliver just that.
Idia recieved an alert message as he was browsing the net. A window pops up displaying the security camera footage across the entire Ignihyde dorm.
To his horror, rainbows invaded the cameras everywhere he looked. In each one there was a massive bipedal colorful panda doing something to the students behind the screen. One was lifting a student to the air, another swinging and cradling, and others generally giving bear hugs to any soul -dead or living- that enter their vision.
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Though the pandas are harmless and students are unharmed (some seem to enjoy it while others are bewildered in shock), Idia was quaking in his chair. If he walks out the room he’ll be crushed by the pandas’ mercy! (And by rainbows and cuteness!)
He zoomed in one of the footages. A Kooma Panda held a sign directly to the camera.
[YOU’RE NEXT]
This is nightmare fuel! Nightmares, he tells you!
Just as he spun around to hide and cower in the safety of his blankets, he had failed to notice the looming shadow over his flaming head prior to this very moment.
There was the same panda. In his bedroom. Staring right into his soul.
It smiled. (I reread this part and lowkey I realized I was writing a FNaF fanfic for a moment wut)
Idia wheezed. How did it get here?! Was it capable of teleporting?!
The shut-in had never ran for the door to the outside world with such eagerness in his life up to now. He slammed the door open and was about to hit the breeze when suddenly he recognized Strix standing right in front of him.
He practically tackled the poor girl (oof). Just when he dreads the contact with the floor, he felt something bouncy push them off. And then the same bouncing source came from behind. Now he’s squeezed between something.
The world spun in his eyes. Light-hearted laughter snapped him out of his trance. His soul actually came close to leaving him the moment Strix’s face registered in his vision. So close!
Two Kooma Pandas were hugging and nuzzling the two in a human-dream eater sandwich. Awww.
From the sidelines, Ortho watched in awe. That’s one way to bring his big bro out of the room. He eagerly joins in the hug fest with Strix and an all-too drained Idia.
Strix giggled and wrapped her arms around Idia and the panda behind him. She was clearly enjoying this. “Happy April Fools~”
Diasomnia
First things first: Strix can’t fool two all mighty and powerful faeries. Instead, she’ll entertain them like she and her dream eaters have always done. After all, boredom is their kind’s biggest enemy.
One day, Diasomnia students were walking down the halls when they notice a colorful bat creature hanging upside down from the ceiling, innocently watching people pass by.
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There was one Komory Bat. The next door over there are two. The door after that door appeared three. In front of the dorm gate there may or may not be a bat perched to greet students in and out.
In the library, students are surprised when they’re greeted by the librarian aid...who was working upside down and levitating with gravity magic.
Strix casually acts as though it was natural. When she had to move away from the counter she continued walking upside down on the ceiling. If the ceiling was too high she’d float over just above people’s heads, and address when needed.
Strix likes to mess with Sebek by doing a “handstand” on his broad shoulders while talking to Silver. Sebek would shoo her off and when he does, Strix still pesters him by floating with a mocking haughtiness behind the way she rocks back and forth while grinning mischievously. The sight is hilarious, much to Sebek’s chagrin.
She can see why Lilia likes doing this. By the end of the day though, that’s enough walking on ceilings for the year.
Strix greets Malleus at eye level. “How’d you like it? Not boring, right?”
The horned fae chuckled. The glimmer of accomplishment in her stunning blue eyes amuses him the most. Like a child who proudly boasts their little achievements to appeal to their parents. It was adorable. “Certainly.”
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frostspoken · 3 years
Text
Extra fluffy drabble time: 1/2
The last thing they were expecting when they’d been invited over to candela’s for a night over was the flourish she’d put on, Music was playing from a small speaker in her living room, the ever delicious allure of food was being cooked in the kitchen. They couldn’t tell what by the smell alone but they weren’t picky when it came to candela’s cooking, it was something they enjoyed no matter what was coming to fruition, The sound of the front door had candela in all of her glory poking out from her kitchen and grinning at her partner with that sharkish grin that accentuated those bright, golden eyes and sent their heart a flutter 
though it was interrupted as her arcanine ran at them and jumped up. nearly knocking them back if not for the fact they were used to the canine’s antics. Face lighting up it truly only did around pokemon as they cooed at the big pupper. Flopping their large paws over their shoulders to steady the dog before proceeding to smother them with kisses and fur ruffles.
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“Oh hello artemis...!! look at you!, you must have gotten groomed today because you are positively stunning, you truly are the most perfect specimen of an arcanine i have ever seen.”
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For his credit, He seemed so very pleased with the affection from their frequent visitor and nearly started to howl right then and there from excitement, His tail wagging near to knock him off his hind feet if it went on any longer so blanche let them down. still ensuring to give their ear another good foot kicking scratch before being startled by candela who slung an arm over them and pressed a hearty smooch on their lips. Momentarily stumping them for words.
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“What a dear offense, my big baby getting all this love before me? I could swear you were datin’ him instead with all the kisses you were gettin’ Pft, Kiddin’, get ya butt over here for a hug before i suplex ya instead.”
---------- readmore solely for length so the dash doesn’t suffer -----------
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“Whh-..Candy! you know that isn’t remotely true, he’s just a perfect pokemon and- OOF.”
“Yeah, yeah, you analytical grump, hush a moment. I missed ya like all day!”
“It’s only been a day!!”
“A day to long if you ask me.”
“This is why i don’t ask you.”
Her mouth filtered into a fake offended gasp even as she felt the other hug her back and melt into her touch she knew so few people could accomplish with them and nuzzled into their hair briefly, It smelled like sea salt. Clearly it meant they’d been spending some time in the sea today, Ever so rare was it that blanche didn’t swim at a point in the day, She held them long enough that after a moment, she got to hear a brief murmur.
“I missed you to candy..~”
And for blanche’s sake, she didn’t point it out instead she’d be content to cherish it as it was, A sweet affirmation of how sweet blanche could be if given the time to present it. She finally releases them from her grasp and they already look more relaxed, A small smile tugs at a otherwise normally neutral expression, they set about taking their coat off, Hanging it over a door hook, they didn’t have their wetsuit on for once. Instead a simple flowing shirt and long pants that still obscured their figure, their shoes were kicked off next and candela quirked an eyebrow.
“I’ll have you know, I still think those things are astoundingly fuckin’ cursed.”
“And i’ll tell you right back, My crocs are comfy and i will gladly be cursed because unfortunately you fell for every part of me, including those.”
“Can’t believe i have to throw the whole blanche out because of their footwea- Wait no i was kidding, blanche please-.”
And there they go, getting smoshed in the face by their partner’s hand, though it’s clear they aren’t taking it to seriously either because the small smile had grown into a bigger one that wasn’t quite full but would likely be achieved in a short duration.
“One more comment bout the crocs and i’ll buy you some as your only birthday present, custom made to be valor themed.”
“You wouldn’t-!”
“Oh i would~.”
The look on her face nearly made them start laughing, it was such a unique blend of playful horror and horrendous offense, Still. She put that look back to a softer smile even as she pulled them in again for another soft kiss to their forehead. 
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Her warmth was ever so soothing that they couldn’t help but wish there’d been another though instead they found themselves watching candela as she moved over to the kitchen with a sudden excited exclamation.
“Foods done! come get some dinner blanche, I made one of your favorites and somethin’ a bit extra special for desert.”
It took them a moment to puzzle over this before their face lit up.
“Creampuffs?”
“Fuck yeah i made creampuffs, i know how much you like em’, looked up how to make em’ and just went for it, it wasn’ even that har- OOF, Blanche-”
She found herself practically tackled into a hug and looked down at the other in surprise, Oh...oh that was adorable, They looked so excited at the thought of their favorite desert. Homemade by one of their favorite people solely for the fact that they’d been coming over.
“That is probably the nicest thing anyone has ever done for me.”
She finds color coming to her own cheeks in a small blush at their gratitude and she nearly tries to brush it off.
“It’s not that big of ah deal blanche, really-”
“No! don’t brush this off, it is, You didn’t have to do any of this yet here you are. Doing it just because you can.”
The blush darkens and she uses this moment to scoop blanche up into her arms, making them squeak in surprise as she carries them into the kitchen.
“Yeah, yeeeeah, ya big ol’ nerd, your worth it. Now come on, it’s all gonna get cold with your proclomations of love over creampuffs-”
“CANDY!”
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The Sky Beast, New and Improved
Eeeek I wrote another Mothman Ryan fic!!! All inspired by @q-unsolved ‘s amazing art :D
Summary:
Ryan Bergara is 100% human until they shoot the Mothman episode. They didn't find anything but Ryan might have brought a piece of the investigation home with him.
Or: A bit of Mothman attaches to Ryan and he gets pretty cool perks. Shane is a fan.
Find it on Ao3 here or read below!
"Eeeeee, last chance!" Ryan pinched his voice two octaves higher, poking his head out the car window to squeak into the woods on the side of the dark road.
"I think you've offended the Mothman." Came Shane's reply from beside him, the words tinged with mirth. Despite the horrid noises that the older man had made earlier for his moth call, he still somehow found Ryan's imitation extremely hilarious.
"Shut up, Shane," Ryan grumbled with a grin, starting up the car again. It had been a long day of shooting, and they were all more than ready to get back home.
If he was being honest he didn't really believe in the whole Mothman concept, and it boggled his brain that Shane could trust these crazy 'enhanced' natural creatures more than he believes in ghosts and demons. His friend was leaning back in his seat, but not tilting it back so much as to be in Mark's way, a self-assured smile on his face.
The hunt hadn't been entirely fruitless, Ryan reminded himself, their calls had attracted something, at least, just many much smaller somethings with sharp canine teeth.
There is a dark shape that appears out of the corner of his eye at night. With his irregular nocturnal patterns demanded by the nature of his work and spontaneous late-night research sessions, Ryan had first chalked it up to sleep deprivation. It is an actual phenomenon proven by science, Shane would have said, when your eyes don't get enough rest they start to bail on their job and show you random shit. But is the phenomenon normally limited to the hours after sunset?
There were nightmares too, way more frequent than what usually follows an especially creepy investigation. The dark shadow was there too, and in the once or twice that Ryan had managed to take control of the dream long enough to look, there would be two bright red spots at the top of the shape, then the figure would shoot off to the corner of his vision again, wings hardly moving despite the swift movement.
And the migraines, so fucking many of them. He just feels a pressure building up in his ears, like they were picking up something high pitched that his brain cannot register, but some primal part of him recognized as wrong, abnormal, dangerous, run . Then the pain would explode through his eardrums and stay lodged in his head for hours. Ryan went to his doctor after the third time he had doubled over in pain, the hospital did all sorts of scans but could find nothing wrong.
It was all stupid, the Mothman trip wasn't even that scary, why the hell was the thing showing up in his head? Why can't it leave him alone?
(two weeks later)
Ryan's alarm goes off at 6:00, and he flings out a hand to swipe it off without opening his eyes. He shifts a little, relishing the feeling of down against his back, keeping away the slight November chill. Yes, this was LA and the temperature never dropped below freezing, but a guy needs some soft fluffy blankets come wintertime, sue him.
The alarm keeps blaring. He tries again. And again. But the damned screen isn't recognizing his fingers.
"Nnurgh." He grunts, lifting his head from the nest of pillows he had curled up with the night before. It was sort of unusual for Ryan to sleep face down, but it had just been the most logical choice at the time. He pushes himself up to his elbows and rubs at his face, while his hand tries futilely to shut his phone up. "Why do I wake up so early." He grumbles to his palms, maybe his phone was broken, yes that would explain why prodding at the screen has been doing nothing--
Ryan stares at his hands, both in front of him. Then he turns to look at his phone.
There is a dark thing hovering over the buzzing device, surface shimmering slightly from the dim light peeking through the curtains. He jerks away from it, letting out an entirely unmanly squeak as the thing moved with him, curling around and behind him faster than he could turn around in his still sleep-relaxed body. A soft warmth closes on his back on the right side, solid and fuzzy in a way that eerily mimics the softness on the other side. Oh god, the thing's on his back.
For a few moments, Ryan can't convince his body to move and just stays half crouched on his bed. The slight chill that glances his front only accentuates his panic. Slowly rising to sit back on his heels, Ryan whips a hand back as fast as he can manage in the attempt to grab at the thing. Do not be afraid, do not be afraid--
The weightlessness hits him hard when the thing suddenly soars up and away until the only points of contact are two spots between his shoulder blades. The rush of air and following pull from those points lifts him clean off the bed, plunging him into blind terror for a few seconds as oh god he is in the air , hovering above his bed with arms flailing. The twin spots on his back strains with the effort as the thing flaps with quiet, powerful whooshes. After a solid five seconds, the thing finally stills, dropping him on his ass onto the bed with an ‘oof’.
What, the fuck.
Ryan gives his weird job all the credit for his ability to maintain the state of calm--or shock, honestly, he wouldn't be able to tell-- enough to climb off the bed and walk to his closet. At least the thing isn't moving now, though he can feel the weight of it on his shoulders. And okay maybe he does miss the warmth on his back, just a little, monster produced or not.
Heart thumping in his chest, he peeks at himself in the mirror, terrified that he'll see the thing's eyes staring back at him. His own hair is disheveled, his eyes wide and beady in the way that would have made Shane laugh. And oh yes, the thing was there, arching off from his back with a terrifying eight-foot span, dark-colored and still shimmering slightly in the dim room. He quickly turns to look at his back, wide eyes not missing the way the tip of the thing curled in to avoid hitting the closet door.
It takes his brain a minute to catch up to what his eyes were seeing.
Wings. He has wings .
"The fuck?"
As if in answer, one of the black wings flips down to slap him upside the head, as if to say: took you long enough you doofus.
"Ow!" He complains, but however he tries, and god knows he did, his hands could come nowhere near the damn things as they moved in every which direction with fluid ease, putting his body off balance in the process when they flapped around.
If this is the result of Shane taunting some demon he is going to kill him.
“Eeeargh! Eeeargh! Eeeargh!” His phone screams from the bedside table. Right. He almost forgot about his damn alarm amidst all the crazy.
Snatching it up from and turning off the awful noise, it doesn't even quite register in his mind as his fingers move across the screen until it was showing Ryan that he is calling Shane. The man picks up on the 7th ring.
"Ry, wha?" His voice is gravelly and scratchy from sleep and Ryan's shoulders lose some of their tension at the familiar sound.
"Shane can, uh, can you come over? Now?" He pinches the bridge of his nose and closes his eyes, only jumping a little when the wings, his wings, settles against his back again in a warm blanket.
"Now?" A groan, Shane wasn’t a morning person, "Are you okay? Did something happen?"
"Just, come over. Please." Ryan adds, leaning his head against the cool glass of the mirror. His head feels too hot, even when his front is still cold.
"Okay, okay. Hang in there buddy, I'll be there in twenty."
Shane gets there in fifteen minutes. Ryan hears the sound of approaching footsteps from his curled up position on his bed and is wrenching the door open before Shane has the chance to knock.
"Thank fuck." he breathes, grabbing onto an arm and pulling the taller man into his apartment, shutting the door behind him. He keeps his back tucked against the door, the wings sparing his body from touching the icy surface.
Shane is studying his face with a perplexed expression and two thermoses of coffee in his hands, hair sticking out on one side in a horrendous cowlick. "Ryan, what happened?"
"You, um, might want to set those down and sit." He says, waving at the steaming cups of energy in Shane's hands, he's totally going to inhale one of those once his nerves are a little less shot.
Shane does so, expression tilting more and more towards worry as Ryan stays at his spot by the door.
"I'm going to show you something, and, and I'll need you to not freak out okay?" Ryan's voice shakes a little, and he holds his hands out in a placating gesture.
"For the record, if you just killed someone, first I will commend you for your productivity at six in the morning; second, I'll help you hide the body."
"Wha--no." Ryan huffs a laugh, the tension momentarily forgotten. They had known each other long enough that his big gangly friend knew how to get him out of panic mode. He gulps down a deep breath, and slowly steps away from the door, coaxing his wings to stretch out on either side of him. He has to admit, once he had stopped trying to grab the things they have been much more cooperative and responsive to his mind.
"Oh."
Ryan glues his eyes on his bare feet, cause he doesn't know what he would do if he looks and sees disgust or, or fear in Shane's face. "I woke up and just had these," the wings flap on their own volition, almost preening, Ryan realizes with mortification, "I-I don't know how it happened, they feel real Shane. What the fuck am I going to do? I don't know if its a demon thing or something to do with Mothman cause I've been having nightmares about it ever since we came back from Virginia--"
"Ryan, Ry calm down." Shane's out of his seat again, gripping onto Ryan's shoulders firmly to stop his rambling, "We'll figure this out, just, breathe."
Ryan let his head fall forward until his forehead’s pressed against Shane's rumpled hoodie, letting the steady beats of Shane's heart slow his own breathing. When he looks up again, Shane's staring at his wings with unabashed curiosity. Then he gets a light slap to the face to bring his attention back down to Ryan, courtesy of his right-wing. Huh, Ryan muses distantly, maybe having semiautomated wings does have some perks. The baffled expression on his friend's face right now is definitely worth it.
Chuckling in surprise, Shane once again pokes his head past Ryan's shoulder to get within an inch from the wings, his eyes crinkling into crescent-moon shapes. "They look less feathery and more, I dunno, maybe like deer velvet? They're quite fuzzy-looking." He pauses for a second deep in thought, and his hand on Ryan’s shoulder twitches like he wants to touch the wings. "The Mothman idea has more traction, I don't think if demons existed they would use their time to do this."
"I still can't believe you think Mothman is real but not demons." Ryan sighs, poking Shane in the chest with a finger. This has the unfortunate side effect of making him very aware that he does not currently have a shirt on. How had he not realized that? Will he have to cut holes in his shirts now? Fuck can he even go to work with wings sticking out of his back--
"Hey, stop that." Shane's hands on his shoulders give a light squeeze, and Ryan makes the effort to stop his brain from running away with his wits and hurling itself off a cliff, for both their sakes.
"Take your own advice and sit down." Shane's voice is gentle, and Ryan let himself be guided towards the couch and smiles gratefully when a warm cup is pressed into his hands. A few sips of the still too hot liquid goes a long way to ground him back into the normality of his morning routine. His wings find their own place to be, which turns out to be draped across the back of the sofa, their tips just peeking over the length of it.  
"I-I can fly." He blurts out, and a hysterical giggle bubbles out from his chest, and soon both of them were laughing and wheezing as the potentially fun part of the whole situation hit them suddenly.
"For real though, what are we going to do about this?" Ryan says in between giggles, gesturing at himself in general. "I mean it would be different if I can make them invisible or something but that's not--"
"Ryan," Shane's eyes are wide as he stares at the sofa, and his voice is full of wonder, "look."
Ryan cranes his head back to glance at where his friend was indicating and is, for the second time that day, shocked to hell and back. Seriously, if he is going to at least try to live a decent lengthed life, he's gotta get used to seeing strange shit. He can still feel his wings against the sofa, but they were not there. He reaches his hand back tentatively to where his limbs would have touched, and it's like his hand is passing through a dense, dry mist. His wings, but invisible.  
"They're still here." He murmurs in awe, moving his hand along the top of the sofa to stroke along the strange feeling of dense air. "They're invisible now."
"Oh, this is going to be so much fun." Ryan turns and with a flicker of darkness, his wings are back in physical form again, his hand resting gently against its fuzzy surface. Shane is full-on grinning, eyes alight with mischief, and he manages to say with complete seriousness, "Ryan, you're gonna be the new Mothman now."
And the strange thing is, Ryan doesn't feel repulsed by that idea. Far from that, the thought sends a thrill through him, awakening an almost primal part of him, the possibilities flitting through his mind faster than he can fully grasp each.  He grins back at his friend.
"Yeah. I guess I am."
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alchemt · 4 years
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𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐑𝐀𝐂𝐓𝐄𝐑  𝐒𝐇𝐄𝐄𝐓   .
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repost ,     don’t reblog ,     please    ! 
BASICS.
full name.   varian of old corona   ! nickname.   v ,   goggles ,   hairstripe ,   vari  . gender.   cis male   (  he  /  his  ) height.   5′0″ age.   17 in canon verse ,   varies within others   !   zodiac.   aries sun ,    libra moon ,    pisces rising  . spoken languages.   drums my hands on the table ,   you got a dead language and something translatable and this kid learns it within a few weeks ,    easy ,    so we’re sorting demantius’ dialect in here ,   but i’d say both the dialects of the inner  +  outer parts of the kingdom  !    (    i’ll talk a lil more specifically ab this in accent  !    )    maybe a smattering of words n phrases of languages found in the other kingdoms ,   due to his work that has all kinds of people coming to him for alchemic assistance ,  as well as being an outskirt village  !
PHYSICAL CHARACTERISTICS.
hair color.   black w/ brown highlights and a teal stripe  !   eye color.   blue   ! skin tone.   very light and very very fair ,    burns within a few hours of being outside in the summer sun ,    but before that ,    freckles  ! ! ! accent.   the tts  -  english version of what was most likely a version of an early nineteenth century germanic dialect by the coast   !     i would also reach to say that it’s probably audibly different from what is usually spoken within corona’s main city   /   citadel ,    due to the distance between main and old corona ,    there’s probably a different dialect for those living on the far reaches of the kingdom outskirts  !    voice.   usually very pronounced ,   very loud ,   and very fast ,   depending on whether he’s talking ab his work or not .    either way ,    it’s prone to cracking .   his brain tends to work faster than his mouth ,   so there’s a lot of repetition and backtracking as well  !   dominant hand.   ambidextrous  !    he’s confident enough w/ pouring chemicals with both hands ,   and his staff switches between right and left constantly .   it doesn’t look like he prioritizes towards one over another ,   usually using the one that feels right in the moment .   posture.    absolutely  horrendous  !    literally you will always find him slouching over notes and various versions of work ,    falling asleep in bad positions over his workstations ,    and w/ working his way around machinery   ––   hanging over and around gently dangerous and in - progress kinds of equipment and chemical machinery does  not  always equal the best of results for one’s muscles and posture    ––    but   !     ruddiger  is actually a really wonderful addition to the family here w/ this ,    a welcome weight on his shoulders ,   which also serves to remind him to straighten up   (   in more ways than one  🥺   )   ! scars.   lots of chemical burn scarring   !     alchemy is an incredibly dangerous practice ,    and vari is  not  one to stick to a safety protocol on his own volition ,     like  a  whole  entire  fool  ,   so there’s lots of burnt clothes and burn scars    ––   the gloves were most likely a  gift  from his father ,    as soon as there had been a few accidents leading to some permanent markings on his hands ,    the same w/ the apron .    i do like to think he makes his own goggles ,   though ,    i.e.  why he has  so  many  of them to go around   !   tattoos.   n/a in most verses ,    but i love the idea of him getting one to tie back to all the work he’s done w/ the demanitus legend   /   language when he’s older   !  birthmarks.   hmmm .    i may come back to this at a later point ,    but for now let’s say if there are some ,   they’ve been marked over by other scars .  most noticeable feature(s).   teal hair stripe ,    gigantic goggles ,   some article of clothing is always slightly singed   (   or still on fire ,   please let him know asap   !    )  .  
CHILDHOOD.
place of birth.   old corona  ! birth weight.   most likely underweight . birth height.   small ,   tiny ,   it sticks w/ him ,   the poor kid  !   first words.   blue  !     siblings.   none   !    can’t vouch for canon here ,   but i’m going to go with historical accuracy here and say his mother died due to sickness when vari was still a baby . parents.   quirin  ( father ) ,   a woman who wasn’t given a name bc tts is Like That™  ( mother ) parental involvement.   being son to the leader of the village isn’t always .   super  great   !   there’s a lot of interactions between them that lean into the thinking that there’s a .   stilted kind of relationship between them ?    (    think .    that is enough ,     varian     /     yes ,   sir .       think .     not again  ,    varian  .     think .    you are not ready .    )    running a village is a busy enough position to be in ,    let alone one in the middle of a crisis  ,     and it doesn’t feel like there’s much time left ,   or  prioritized ,   in either of those times  ,    to develop a relationship w/ vari  ?     i can’t imagine that the loss of his mother really .    helps  ?    there’s so much  hurt  there ,    you can see it when quirin looks at the portrait in qfad ,    and so they’re very distanced due to just .    not knowing how to reach one another  ?    there’s always something ,   too big to cross ,    too far to reach .    so much of varian’s story is trying to get his father to  see  him ,   to be proud of him ,   and it reflects so much onto .   quirin’s absence  ?    in vari’s work ,    in his interests ,   in  him   ?    and in wanting that ,   needing that emotional relationship more than anything else  ?    feels like enough to drive him to uh     .  .  .     doing A Lot™ to get it .   
ADULT LIFE.
occupation.   " wizard “  of old corona   →    alchemist   →    co-lady-in-waiting   (  The Best Day ,    you will never be able to pry this title away from him   )    →    the gentle villain stint    →    redeemed alchemist     →    most trusted royal engineer of corona   !   current residence.   old corona   !    depending on verse he also travels ,   and lives within the citadel to be close to the official castle lab  !   close friends.   ruddiger ,   rapunz.el ,   cassandra ,   eugene ,   lance  . financial status.   as son as the leader of a village ,   i’d say middle class ,   esp. since they’re living in an outskirt town ,   it isn’t much ?    a lot of varian’s experiments come from deconstructing old ones to reuse and rebuild from scraps .   he def sews their clothes back into working order as well   !    driver’s license.   not exactly modern ,    but he  can  fly a hot air balloon  !    that’s pretty vehicular   !    no license tho bc he’s .   gotta rebel in the ways that he still can  !   criminal record.   pulls out a scroll that rolls down the whole expanse of the throne room    :     “  attacking  “   princess rapunz.el on the night of the snowstorm ,   drugging an entire castle staff w/ laced cookies ,   assisting   +   instigating in the theft of herz der sonne's journal ,   assisting   +   instigating the plan to break into the castle vaults ,   stealing the sundrop flower   (    +   later destroying it    ) ,    endangering the crown princess on multiple accounts ,    multiple accounts of assault   +   endangerment to the people of both main and outer corona    (   birthday automaton ,   enhanced ruddiger ,   army of automatons .    ) ,     kidnapping the queen ,     attempted regicide ,    breaking out of jail ,     aligning himself with the saporians ,    wiping the memories of the king   +   queen ,    allegedly planning on continuing the memory wipe to the whole of kingdom corona ,    endangering the whole of main corona with his chemicals yet  again  . vices.   arrogance ,    doubt ,    recklessness .    love language.    primarily  actions  ! !     you need something done ?   you need someone to do something for you  ?    he’s your boy  !    he also gives gifts ,   as well ,   mostly  practical  ones ,   usually lil machines or things he’ll think that could be of use or necessity  !   
MISCELLANEOUS.
character’s theme song.    oh   i  will  make  you  proud   is too much of a  bop  to be anything but his theme  !   we also see it played throughout the seasons in instrumental swells within gentle or Big Plot™ moments ,   even all the way back in  what  the  hair  !   so much of his character  +  narrative arcs lean on being seen and known and validated  ?   it’s important to him ,    but especially for it to come from his dad ,    or even from those he admires n looks up to  ?     The whole entire Dream  ! hobbies to pass time.    experiments ,    building w/ spare machinery parts ,   playing around w/ ruddiger ,    cooking  ,    gardening  ,    sewing ,    reading ,    etc .     ! mental illnesses.   anxiety ,   depression ,    ptsd . physical illnesses.    he gets sick a lot .   exposure to dangerous chemicals can lead to a weakened immune system ,   so it ends up showing in lots of semi - sick days after all - nighters that he works through until he eventually collapses or gets worse .   it does mean that he eventually develops a good repertoire of being able to recognize various symptoms of sicknesses ,    and with a bit of studying ,    experience on how to treat people within his village   +   even beyond   ! fears.   losing his father ,    being lied to   /   kept in the dark ,   not being enough despite his best efforts  ,    never being fully trusted in the same way again ,   that he won’t be who he could’ve been ,    once ,    bright in the light ,   unhurt and unhistoried ,    and that the darkness is still in him ,   waiting for the day that he snaps again .    self-confidence level.    can i get a big  oof  in the chat bc it’s not .    really exactly super - great  ?    or even super - sturdy ,   for that matter  ?   ambition is one thing ,    but failed experiment and failed invention over and over again can be .   extremely disheartening ,   especially when it comes w/ a verbal disappointment speech ,   as well as side - eyes and general wariness   +   distrust from everyone in his village .   he’s incredibly confident in his knowledge   +   ability ,    and can don the   “  wizard of old corona  “   facade ,    but he’s .    he wants to do something right ,    so  so  badly ,   to prove himself ,    to prove that he can ,    even if he’s not exactly the right person to do it ,   he’s going to try anyways  ,    even if it’s just in case ,    even if it’s the only recourse left   ?    and that can be .    dangerous ,    to say the least ,    as we’ve seen .     but  but  but    !    with the help of raps and cass and eugene and lance ,   and being given the chance(s) to be included in their lil found family ,    in being able to prove himself among them    (    with some bumps along the way ,    a sad kid with no family left can go a lil feral w/ fury and grief as a treat ,    as you do ,    you know how it be sometimes    ) ,    and come into his own  ?    has been .      the  absolute  best   !     everything he’s done for the name of good ,    for the betterment of the lives of others  !    all of the light that it brings into his life ,    into his work  !      love that for him   !  !  !    vulnerabilities.   overactive ,   maybe leaning a lil too close to what’s really an obsessive need for answers ,    how that there are not many lines he’s not willing to cross to do something he deems Right™ or for those that he loves ,    how he’s easily provoked to accept challenges   +   problems to solve .
TAGGED BY.   @irnmaidn​ ! 💕 TAGGING.    so  i  did .   gently  cut  a  lot  out  of  this , so  if  you  are  interested  in  filling  this  out ,   let  me  know  and  i will  happily direct  u  back  to  the  whole  of  it   !
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storylocke · 4 years
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The Light - Ch 3
[As the group enters the quiet little place of Iki Town, Virginia can't help beaming at how quaint it is. People hanging out on their front porch, children running by with small Pokemon close at their heels, and even with the signs of activity, it was fairly quiet. There sure were a lot of people out for how late it appeared to be… Or maybe they had all just left the show?]
Lillie:
[Catches her gaze as her eyes sweep by in trying to follow the happy children with the dog. Smiles a bit to himself.] Y'know, that little Rockruff I have at my place used to be wild. It always makes me smile when I see her roughhousing with my little girl.
Virginia:
[She could see why. It looked like fun~!] Iki Town seems to host quite a nightlife- Oh, but you said something about day and night not working properly?
Lillie:
You should really see this place during the day~! Not that there's much to see here in town, but it's more lively than it is now. The main factors you'll need to know is the Kahuna's house and the town square.
[It really was a square from what Virginia could tell. A large platform stood in the middle of the clearing with stairs on each side and a huge ring painted in the middle of it.]
Lillie:
Hmm… Anabel should have been here though. Why don't we use this as the new meeting spot and split up to ask around?
Kukui:
Sounds like a plan. [Notices Virginia already wandering off like a girl on a mission.] And don't leave town without us!
Virginia:
[Turns back] Can do! [Watches as the professor leaves for the more crowded part of town downhill that they'd passed through before. There weren't many houses on this level, but she still wanted to take it all in. This far uphill, she could see her house looking so small all the way near the shore. There were large Pokemon moving nearby, maybe even just on the other side of the Kahuna's house as she watched the treetops shake in the night air. Looks down at the Fennekin still nestled in her arms.] Isn't this all exciting?!
Fennekin:
[Probably but right now it looks like all he wants to do is doze off in the warmth.] It's a great piece of antiquity. The style of houses, and the torches, I bet this place hasn't changed for a hundred years. [Looks up at her] You think they have a shop here?
Virginia:
Hmmm… the professor didn't mention one. [Glances back uphill the towards the path leading to the woods. As she peered into the tunnel of trees though, there appeared to be some stairs. Maybe there was more to the place than in sight] Come on! Lets see what we can see from the top! [Sets him down and starts to jog towards the hole in the trees leading out of town]
Hau:
[Amused] Well that didn't take long. [Turns to Kukui] Weren't you going to stay with her in case there was trouble?
Kukui:
[Just staring at the empty pathway she already disappeared down.] …. [Shakes head] I told ya I had a feeling where Anabel went. Even if I went, I'm pretty sure there's gonna be a lesson learned the hard way. So what did Quips tell you guys when you called him anyway?
=+=
[While the two had stopped at the edge of town, Virginia and Fennekin made their way up the winding path of stairs. Maybe she was wrong… maybe there was no more to the town this way. But surely it was safe to explore as clean and clear as the path was through the small canyon. And who knows! Maybe the missing girl had gone to see the view from the top as well. She could at least go until the edge of wherever, for surely there had to be a point where the road more clearly entered the wilderness.]
Virginia:
So what would a little fox like you do with an antique anyway? It's not like you can store them in your Poke Ball. … Can you?
Fennekin:
[Soft little laugh] Nah, they're too expensive anyway, so I just like looking. I've always been fascinated with learning about the ancient world, but I'm not too keen on the more modern stuff like you seem to be. That's how I learned my super awesome Light of Ruin technique I learned back in Kalos! Only… I don't know if I'm doing it right since sometimes I accidentally knock myself out…. [Looks up at his trainer and tilts his head slightly in curiosity. She's staring at something just ahead of them, but from their angle, it's actually above them.] Verge…?
Virginia:
[Stops in her tracks and slowly points at the top of the stairs. Softly] Light… [Looks down at him and it's obvious he sees it too as his little nose starts trying to sniff out what it can be] I'm sorry, but why don't we pick up our talk later? [She goes to recall him and moves the ball to her bag for now before turning to see if the light remained.]
[Virginia kept going, mesmerized by the gentleness the light. As she carefully crept up on it, she sees it's not so much of a direct light but a figure all in white and bathed in moonlight. A girl practically glowing before disappearing from sight through the small archway of trees. Virginia moved faster to catch up.
As she arrived at the top, the Mahalo Trail opened to a wider area, and the soft hush of the river from before grew to a roar about a mile out of sight. But that didn't matter to Virginia right now! She seems to have arrived just in time as the girl is suddenly staggering, struggling against having her bag pull her towards the cliff! The duffle bag abruptly pops open though, and a colorful blob of a creature bursts out; leaving the girl falling backwards and onto the ground from the sudden release. The little puffball starts to fly toward the bridge before its' handler can catch it.]
Girl:
Oof! [her wide brimmed hat tumbled off, but she's in much too big a hurry to worry about that as her ward is quickly floating away] Nebby! Wait!
Virginia:
[That thing was a Cosmog, no doubt about that between the stories she'd heard and the old pictures she'd seen. Grainy as they always were, seeing the shifting ball of stardust, for herself, she could see why. With the warning from the professor, and now this girl with her long blonde hair and white dress seeming reminiscent of him and his lab coat, it didn't hurt to take a guess.] Are you Miss Lillie?
Anabel:
[Brushes herself off as she gets to her feet] Huh? Yes, my name is Lillie. Anabel Lillie, that is. I work as the professor's assistant and… [Tense as she is, biting her lip, the girl turns around seems completely taken aback by this stranger. Her eyes lock with Virginia and the sensation of being caught has her shaking.] Ah… Ah… I'm working on an experiment right now! [Some experiment. She glumly glances back at the bridge in distress.] Just so you know, this will be my first time trying this out. I... I'm glad you came. I needed a test subject. Can you please help me? I need to reach Nebby!
Virginia:
[Honestly was too drawn in by the girl's beauty and hearts filling her vision as the Voices rise louder than before with talk of love and ringing bells. She's not even paying attention to anything the girl just said. Dreamily] I do~
[As the two are having this moment, out of nowhere a small flock of Spearow descended upon the Cosmog! The little puffball froze in the middle of the bridge, curled up and frightened as the birds circle above it and take turns pecking at it. The girls look back at the poor creature, somewhat mortified.]
Nebby:
[Distressed noises] Fwoom!
Virginia:
[Sorry, wait what? The Voices change to a cry of alarm. Save Nebby!] I mean, I will! Just, ah… hang on! [She awkwardly circles around Anabel to scoot passed, rather clumsily with her footing as she's almost tripping over herself on the bridge. This thing was a mess… With no idea what she's doing, all Virginia can think to do is throw herself over the defenseless Pokemon and tries in vain to thwart the birds back with her hand.] Shoo! Back you pests! Uh...wha-?
[As the Spearow keep screaming in some infernal tongue, a light starts building underneath her. Little streaks start seeping out of the little cloud, like starlight, when suddenly she feels the raw energy burst into her chest! Everything stung, the world now reeling, and she could feel herself falling into nothingness as the flash had blinded her for the moment. All she could think to do was cling to the colorful Cosmog still nestled against her chest when a horrendous screech could be heard from above!
A soft boom of thunder and all the Spearow cries suddenly ceased. The roar of the river was deafeningly close, but before she could even scream, something caught her. She opened her eyes to see a strange metallic face focused away from her as they flew back up the cliff face with such speed she was getting dizzy. The strange creature set her down on the ground, and stared at the three rather judgmentally. Virginia remained curled up where she'd been dropped and took a moment to get her bearings as she wasn't quite sure she was seeing things right yet. She couldn't even find the nerve to speak yet but gazed on the new mechanical creature in wonder.]
Anabel:
[Gives a soft bow to the creature apologetically.] I'm sorry, officer. [The creature gives a fierce roar as lightning crackles over its' body. The being seems to settle a moment, speaking to her in subtle clicks and strange movements as soft whirring gears are heard deep within.] … Yes... [pleasantly surprised] Of course!… [a little less sure] Ah… It is fine… [bows again, but in a deeper, almost servant-like way this time] No p-problem at all. I'll be sure to tell everyone so we may begin as soon as possible.
[With another loud roar, the yellow coated creature flies off with a flash as suddenly as it appeared. The night is still once more…]
Anabel:
[Heaves a sigh of relief] …. [Hurries over to the puffball and their rescuer and offers the stranger a hand up.] Are you okay?! I never expected anything like that to happen! Can you say anything? Does it hurt?
Nebby:
[Excited as it floats to her] Momma! We spun around ten times and almost ended up like a Pyukumuku being chucked back into the sea!
Anabel:
Hmmph! No thanks to you. You should at least apologize!
Nebby:
[It would, but it's already been distracted by something and wandering off.]
Anabel:
[Deeep sigh.] It really is sorry. I mean, we both are, but- [Takes Virginia's hand in both of hers, pulling her to her feet.] It's such an impulsive Pokemon. I really have no idea why it even wanted to come here tonight. Don't worry, though, Tapu Mageko won't hold any of this against you.
Virginia:
That was a Tapu!? [Everything happened so quickly, she was still unsure what just happened. Finally brushes herself off and looks back at the bridge in ruins. Did that really just happen? Now that she's had some time to sit and get her thoughts straight, she starts putting the pieces together.] Soooo… you somehow understood all that? What did it say?
Anabel:
Hmmmm…. I'm still learning how to talk to it, but you coming here tonight was no coincidence. It seemed to be expecting you.
Virginia:
Well…. yes? I figured you would expect me since your father and I have been talking for months now-
Anabel:
What?! Was that today?! [Hand to her cheek as she could just slap herself] Then you must be Verge!
Virginia:
[Brightens up] That would be me~!
Anabel:
I'm sorry, I completely forgot we were supposed to meet you today. If you've already met with him, then I'm running extremely late! We better get back to town or my father is going to kill me. Come on, Nebby!
Nebby:
[Brings over the item it went to investigate and gives a squeak to draw Anabel's attention to it.] I used a crystal like that when I was a young Trainer, but don't need it now. You use it and build a new age. I'll stay and take care of the old age.
Anabel:
Oh you! You're not staying out here. [takes it up and looks it over. Huh… A Sparkling Stone.] I already have one of these… [holds it out to Virginia.] I think this was left for you.
Virginia:
[Takes it, curious, and shifts it around slightly so she can see how brightly it shines even in the moonlight.] What is it?
Anabel:
Normally, it's given out to those who are to be the next Kahuna. I'm already in-training, but I think with some polish we can see what it really is since I've heard on more rare occasions it can be given as a sign from the Tapu that you have a great purpose ahead of you. Or maybe Tapu Megeko wants to impart some of its' power to help somehow in this crisis too. We should show this to Kahuna Hau and see if he knows the meaning of it for sure.
Virginia:
… [Knows it sounds dumb but just has to ask] The Kahuna's a Popplio?
Anabel:
Ah… no. It's a bit complicated. [The pair give one last glance around the clearing before starting down the steps to the Mahalo Trail.] I don't think Nebby would have attacked like that if I could have used the Araquanid I trained so well but…
Nebby:
No vacancies~!
Anabel:
There, too, was plenty of room! A ball hardly takes any space at all! [Into the bag! Watch it wriggle.] I hadn't realized I had left home so defenseless until it was too late. [Gives another little bow] Thank you again for joining us, Verge.
Virginia:
[Waves it off] If it makes you feel any better, I'm not sure I was thinking either. I had a Pokemon too, it's just, I only really became a Trainer today, so I suppose it completely slipped my mind I could fight back instead of throwing myself into the frey like that. Today has really been… exciting.
Anabel:
Believe me, "exciting" stuff will likely become an everyday occurrence around here. [shifts a bit nervously as she readjusts her bag and begins down the next flight of stairs.] See, we Kahuna are chosen by Pokemon, but a Champion is chosen by people.
Virginia:
[Slight blush as she starts laughing. That's nice to say but...] Champion? Me?
Anabel:
[Soft laugh] Maybe not yet. But this isn't like the League Champion you're thinking of, this is more in the traditional sense. A Champion is someone who is chosen to represent a group and fight on their behalf. Usually you want to pick the bravest or the strongest since obviously if there's to be a fight, you want to increase your chances of winning. But our battle ground here is… different. You may not be literally chosen by the people of Alola, but with time… I'm sure we will all look to you to save us. [Ahem] I'm still not sure what Tapu Koko sees in me yet, but, despite the rough introduction, it really does approve of you. It brings me joy to think a new age will be coming to Alola~!
Virginia:
[That sounds like a lot of pressure. Save them from What exactly? Ahem] What kind of new age? Nebby mentioned something about guarding the old one, right?
Anabel:
Hmmmm… I'm not quite sure, actually. Though I do know Tapu Mageko said I'll be leaving the island soon.
Virginia:
[Stops short with a subtle whine getting stifled in her throat. Great, now she really got the girl's attention. Coughs] Sorry, it's just… I was really looking forward to getting to hang out with you more and now…
Anabel:
[warm hum as she stares ahead a moment to think on it] I feel we have a real connection going after meeting you. [Smiles at her] But I'm certain Tapu Mageko said you're to come with me! You certainly proved your courage back there, and perhaps that's why our Guardian wants you to go and protect me during my trials as the next Kahuna. [Not so eager] And with Nebby, I'm sure I'll need all the help I can get…
Virginia:
Can't you just leave Nebby home with your dad? Hau said he wouldn't mind helping to protect the little guy.
Anabel:
No… as I said, around here we are often at the whims of Pokemon. Nebby chose me for a reason, but I think it's only now I'm starting to understand why… [deep breath] One part I'm not so sure of was Tapu Mageko said something about Nebby being a key to the light. ...I think… Which, as I'm sure you noticed, Nebby has a very powerful light it can emit when in distress. I've only ever seen it once before tonight, but I'm wondering if that light may somehow help us to combat the Shadows.
Virginia:
Shadows…? [It was a common enough word, but somehow between Anabel's tone and her own mind flashing back to a dread from so many years ago, she has to ask.] Like a Shadow Pokemon?
Anabel:
Oh! [Tenses up as she suddenly wonders if she's said too much.] H-have you seen one before? I haven't yet, but the way it's been spreading in the other islands, I don't know what to think. But… [Her voice hitches as she tries to shake off the growing fear] But we don't know yet if that's what Tapu Mageko meant.
Virginia:
But the trials will mean you have to go to the other islands at some point, right? [Even if they aren't sure yet that she was right about them traveling together. Fidgets a bit as she debates on how stupid, how awkward, how terrible an idea this is that's brewing up inside her but after walking down the next flight in awkward silence, she just has to do it.] Can I ask you something crazy? [The girl looks at her a bit worried but also curious. Takes her by the hand] Will you marry me?
Anabel:
...What?
Virginia:
Maybe it's the near-death experience back there talking, or the fact you sound like you might not survive out there, but I don't want to lose you. It would just be between us. [She's surprised to see Anabel is hesitating but doesn't seem opposed to the idea.] Just think of it, a secret engagement until this is all over. Something to look forward to. You feel it too, don't you?
Anabel:
[blushing deeply] I do, but… [starts grinning as she feels her heart gushing] But sure! Why not?
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
A/N: Love knows no reason~ love knows no rhyme~ Love can blossom any old time~
I've tried working things around a few times now, and just have to admit I don't know how to write a love-at-first-sight. It's odd because since it was such a brief quip that caused the marriage lore to pop up, I really had hoped to do this scene right since it became a major piece to the Run... But I feel like it came off rushed and awkward. Oh well, I tried. XD
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debbstepps · 5 years
Text
Oof
I’m drowning in so many story ideas!!!!! I DONT KNOW WHICH ONE TO STAR AS MOST IMPORTANT AAAAHHHHHHHHH!!!
so anyway, since I haven't posted anything in a while, I’ll deviate from “Globalization”, and post a few shorts about my other stories I have barely worked on.
Enjoy, I guess. \../
Ps: sorry for any spelling mistakes and choppy writing, wrote this when I was in high school and did only minimal editing.
Once upon a time there was a very handsome adolescent.
And this handsome, stupid adolescent, lived in a palace, for he was a prince.
In this palace, where the handsome, stupid, lazy, adolescent lived, there was his mother, the Queen, the father, the King, and his younger brother and sister, which were twins, which were the prince and princess.
There were also the servants, maids, hand maids, butlers, kitchen staff, knights, guards, cleaning staff, stable staff for the horses, and the royal pets.
There were many other kingdoms that this narrator barely knows of. Which the prince, barely thinks about.  The kingdom, which the handsome, stupid, lazy, unkept, adolescent dwells in, is the center (somewhat) and the most productive out of all the other kingdoms round about it. Very agricultural, conservative, religious, with every person looking out for the other.
There were forests, swamps, rivers, lakes, and ponds, a variety of wild animals which rarely attack the commoners, and other stuff which this narrator knows a lot about, but is too lazy to explain.
More details of the kingdom will come later, when the handsome, stupid, lazy, unkept, ridiculous, adolescent, does the unthinkable.
But back to the story…..
This adolescent was the next heir to the throne, but he could care less.
Sometimes this adolescent would pull pranks on the royal subjects for the sake of it because he was “sooo” bored. I mean, how could his parents subject him to such boredom? Math, physics, chemistry, English, biology, sociology, hieroglyphics, the list can go on! He couldn’t even play and have fun like the rest of his mates. Not like he had any.
“It just wasn’t fair” the snotty prince yelled to his butler.
“Why can’t I have a normal life like everyone else!?” he yells some more.
I internally sigh. Can he get even more spoiled? Anymore annoying? I mean, royalty and all, but really? If he really wanted to get back at his parents for breathing riches into his nostrils, he could give all he had to the poor. But then he’ll just say that it isn’t worth it. OKAY THEN, is what I would’ve said.
“How about this?” I suggest to him, earning his interest.
“How about I take you into the city to explore? Of course, I’ll have to accompany you because I don’t think you know how to brush your teeth by yourself” I say as a joke. The prince took it in another way.
“REALLY!!??” he exclaimed, “So I’ll get to visit my friends and meet new people- OH, I’ll even get to meet the priest and tell him how I really feel about his teachings instead of lying to his face- heck, I’ll get to lie in everyone’s faces.. HAHAHA”, he begins laughing more to the room than to himself, and I begin counting down the days of my death.
“Before we set off, prince, we’ll need to carry some luggage. Money, clothes, more money, soap, sponges, toothbrush….. more money, some garments for when it gets cold at night, and a hat to block the sun from your eyes….. and even more money” I start counting off the things on my fingers. I sneak a quick glance at the prince and behold, he’s staring out the balcony like a Disney princess, wondering when will his life begin.
I sigh, heavily.
Surely this wasn’t in the job description when I applied to this post. I mean, a butler was meant to attend to his master's needs, but this!? I feel like I’m babysitting a grown five your old.
“Butler, we mustn’t tell Father or Mother, or they’ll kill me gracefully, and murder you brutally” he whispers in a sing-song voice. Why does he sound happy?
“Of course your highness, I will make sure all the other staff, which you have taunted, will exercise self-control, and will try not to tell the king and queen that you have momentarily run away to seek vain freedom”.
The prince grins widely like he had not sensed the sarcasm dripping from my every word. I worry about his social skills in the outside world.
I check the time on my watch and tell the prince to start packing so we can have an early start in the morning. He nods his head before skipping to his closet. I watch him take out a feathery hat with weird designs and see him throw it in the pile of clothes he might consider taking with him on the trip. My worries intensify.
I steadily close the doors to his room and begin walking down the hallway. I look at all the paintings that are on the wall. Paintings of the royal family and their lineage, others of famous men who fought bravely in battles and wars, of woman who, when they had life and death in palms of their hands, decided to let most of the soldiers live, and many more.
My mind wanders. I begin reminiscing those days before I became the royal prince’s personal butler.  It’s remarkable what can happen to you within 6 months of work. 6 months ago, I was on a job hunt, trying to find whoever can hire a scrawny teenager like myself. Although I knew that not many citizens in this kingdom can rely, or even trust on a teenager, let alone a black teenager, they should have at least considered.
Well, that’s what I would’ve said if I was still looking for a job, but now I’m glad that all those useless people turned me down. I have a job in the palace now. One they can never have, even if they tried hard enough.
I enter the staff resting room, where most of the maids and servants have come to relax, dreading the moment their masters will call them up. I bow slightly to them. They are my elders, even if I am in a higher position than them. They nod their heads in return.
The resting room is, surprisingly, spacious. A rectangular, stainless-steel table, is in the center of the room. Wooden chairs with cushions are stabled on either side of it. There is a gas cooker on the far end of the room, with tea and other personal refreshments. Brought in by the servants themselves. The floor is made of marble, one a commoner could hardly afford. I still find myself tip-toeing across it when I enter, careful not to leave marks or dirt.  Sometimes, the Queen stumbles down here (and I say stumble because it’s once in a green moon that she does) to bring in some biscuits and teas from expensive stores. She thinks we are cut off from the outside world and such and have no idea what she does.
Silly Queen. Isn’t it from the outside world that you brought us from?
“Oh, are you on your mini break?” Shianne, one of the maids ask me.  She has a caramel skin color, with bright brown eyes and curly eyelashes. Her hair was put into a big bun, quite messy looking too. She’s only two years older than me, but is married and has two kids. I’m still wondering why she married so young. Or how she does it.
“Well, after I saw my master pick out a horrendous hat to take with him on a trip, I’ve exiled myself, so I can still be called his butler” a hint of amusement evident in my voice.
The staff snicker at my remark, and I smile inside. I go and sit down near one of the dishwashing boys.
“Good day,” I greet.
“Good evening to you too,” one of them says smiling, “What is this trip the young highness is going to?” he whispers. The vents must carry a lot of noise, or, the highness is disgracefully loud.
“Well, this trip is to destroy his ego and get him off his high-horse, I presume. In reality, he says he’s bored and wants to do things that commoners do” I whisper smugly. By this time, all the boys are huddled around me, like I’m telling them the prince’s newest nightmare. Which, by the way, is what I do often when I have time to spare at the end of the day.
“Do the King and Queen know?” one asks.
“And what about the rest of the staff? The guards especially” another says.
“And who’s gonna cover for you? Certainly not I” a haughty voice jeers. I turn to the owner of it. Nelipot. Short cropped hair with an olive complexion. His caramel eyes hinted disdain. He had an overpowering aura surrounding him and we didn’t really get off on the right foot. I gave him a shrug.
“That isn’t my proble-“
“Oh yes it is!” he shout-whispers, if that makes sense.
“What happens if you two get caught wonderin’ in the middle of the night, and the king and queen ask where you’ve been goin’ to?” He pauses, wanting to let his words sink in before continuing (I made sure his words did not sink in),
“Sure, you might say the prince suggested it, oh- but wait- YOU suggested it did you not!? Then they’ll ask if something is wrong with your head. Why you kept it all hushed and such,” his bulgy arms cross over his chest as he stares down at me like I’ve been warned.
I have been warned.
I cannot care less.
I stand up from my spot on the bench when someone tugs at the hem of my suit jacket. I turn to see who is tugging on me, and I peer down at the dark-skinned, blonde haired boy. He’s one of the younger dishwashers. Caring to the breakfast, lunch, and dinner plates of the palace, and cleaning up after formal gatherings held in the ballroom. He’s only been here for two months but has already become the princess’s favorite. Probably because of his appearance.
His big green eyes stare up at me. Warning me, cautioning me about the trip the prince and I have unofficially planned. I bend a little, making sure our eyes are leveled, smile gently, and take his hands in mine.
“Don’t worry Chip, we will arrive at the village safely, even if the prince might make a show of it, and we’ll come back to the palace in one piece, though with a few scratches and bruises” I assure him. He smiles slightly at my intended humor.
“Well, I know. But with everythin’ Neli kept yapperin’ about, can’t help but worry… yah know?” his voice barely audible. I am sure going to miss his sanity when I’m away.
He wasn’t one for yelling or shouting, but when you do catch him doing such, just know its not for the better.
“Yeah, just ignore him. He thinks he’s boss, working in the palace earlier than all of us, but his words will mean nothing if he dares speak to the prince in such manner. Besides, I’m the royal Highness’s’ butler, anything he says or does, I have to follow, no matter how stupid it may be” I place my hand on his shoulder as a gesture of comfort, “Don’t worry, his plan will go up in flames and will be nothing but ruins” I don’t say in a matter-of-fact tone because everyone knows the prince always got his way. This won’t be any different.
He nods his head in understanding and stands up to attend other duties, probably to keep himself from worrying.
I stand to my full height and see the rest of the young men staring at me. Nelipot glares before retreating to wherever. I hope it’s the underworld.
Having realized that my break is over (wasted over people who worry too much), I go back the way I came, taking a different route this time because I don’t want to see the hopeless prince just yet.
Heaven must know what he’s doing, or packing.
I walk up the stone stairwell and enter a long corridor. Glass windows reflect the setting sun on the horizon. I begin to walk slowly, taking in the view.
The world looks so peaceful when viewed from big, glassy, windows.
“Indeed it does”, a voice says.
I stop in my tracks and turn my head to where the voice came from.
The King.
Did I say that out loud!!!?
Oh heavens above. Oh Marry, mother of Jesus. Oh good Lucifer, sent from hell. Oh mount Zion. Oh-
(When in troubles, you could always count on the bible)
“Your Majesty” I bow.
“Oh, don’t do that, it could result in back failure”, he raises me from my bowing stance and stands next to me.
I dare not look him in the eye.
“the sunset looks lovely this evening, almost giving us a last farewell, before something devastating happens”, the king mentions.
I flinch. I feel ants crawling all over me.
The damn vents must’ve carried the prince’s obnoxiously loud voice, all over the bloody palace.
“Jonathan,” the king says.
I finally look him in the eyes. His ocean blue irises never ceased to amaze me. He looks very young, acts very mature (with a playful side), and talks like one of the elders. No one can compare the first-born prince, heir to the throne, to his father. At least that’s what I think.
“Yes, your majesty?” I try not to show fear.  
“Promise me that you’ll take care of my son, won't you? I know he can be a handful, a mouthful, and two-hands-full, but he is someone to admire, when he doesn’t speak like a spoiled dog” the King addresses.
My mouth hangs agape. He begins to laugh.
Maybe it was my shocked expression plastered all over my face. Maybe it was the-
No, it was just that.
“Jonathan, you act as if my choice of words against my son could’ve killed him. But you, you’ve been holding back so many gruesome words you would���ve used against him. I applaud your self-control.” He pats me on the shoulder before walking towards the way I had come from.
I stand there, flabbergasted, shocked, dumbfounded. Paralyzed would befit my posture.
Had I been an open book? Were my expressions so easily read? Does the prince know about my speech towards him? Oh hell, I’m in a nutcracker.
I begin to head to the prince’s room, hastily.
I wonder if he knew all along? Why hadn’t he dismissed me yet? Is he looking down on me?
I am standing near the prince’s bedside. He is currently in the bathroom, cleaning himself.
I stand aloof, thoughts holding races in my head. I stare down at my feet, feeling my eyesight becoming hazy and my mind losing consciousness.
Well, that’s what it feels like anyways.
Two fingers snap in front of my face, and I jump. Well, more like take a step back.
“Your Highness, I was just… uh just” I start tripping over my own words.
“Butler, whatever is the matter? Oh, did you have a run in with my father? You do realize that he is human right? No matter the status or role he is playing,” he shakes his head lightly, “all you servants and maids and such should always remember that”, he pats my shoulder before dragging himself to his bed.
I don’t do much, except internally scream.
Watching the young highness climb into bed to sleep, well, try to sleep, puts my thought at ease. I don’t have to see his face.
“Butler?” he calls out from underneath the covers.
“Yes?” I respond in a hushed voice. The silence in the room Is deafening. You’d think I would be used to this by now, having worked here for 6 months, but no.
“Tell me, when are we going to vacate this dreaded room and explore the unknown?” his voice muffled by the duvets.
“Hmm, all in due time, I suppose. Or whenever you feel like it”
“This is not fair. Shouldn’t you say yes to everything I say and ask of you?”
“Well, if everything you say and ask of me is stupid, I wouldn’t really say yes”
“Did you just call me stupid?”
“I called you numbness of mind and knowledge”
“That’s the same thing”
“I suppose”
The room goes quiet again. I can feel the prince’s eyes on me, staring.
I look to where the prince is, and lo and behold, he is staring at me.
His eyes are like his fathers. Ocean blue. Crystal blue. Piercing blue. Looking at me.
Boring holes into me. I stare back at him. My own, forest green eyes. They hold contempt, while the prince, mischievousness.
We hold this gaze for what seems to be like eternity.
“What are you staring at butler?”
“Someone who might make my hair turn gray faster than my age can manage” I retort.
The prince burst into laughter. I grin and take a bow.
The rest of the night resembles a baby smiling in its sleep, for no apparent reason.
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ambient-dawn · 5 years
Text
AB6IX ‘HOLLYWOOD’ MV Reaction
Fair warning before we begin: my brain to mouth filter is a touch broken atm being excited and sleep deprived at the same time is such a fun combination. So if I cuss I’d like to apologize ahead of time. I cuss a lot when I’m excited about something and I know some of you may not care for cussing (not to mention I’m sure some of you are younger than me and cussing around minors is not okay). So I’m trying my hardest to use clean alternatives but if I let something slip I am so sorry.
Edit: I thought this was going to be easy to screen shot but oh my god was I wrong. The editors used this weird fuzzy filter thing and it looks so cool and amazing for the mv but it does not translate well into the screen shots holy crap.
Edit 2: Picked out my photos for the solo reactions/first thoughts and oh my god I want to fight whoever edited/shot the mv cause the lighting for each solo scene is different and it’s driving my ‘artists ocd’ up the wall because all the colors look wrong/different and AHHH ITS SUCH A MESS! HOW’D YA’LL NOT PICK THAT UP BEFORE POSTING IT! ITS LIKE YOU DID HALF THE JOB, SAID ‘GOOD ENOUGH’ AND SLAPPED A ‘GOOD JOB’ STICKER ON IT FOR GOOD MEASURE!! ABSABKLBdbsdlkgbdnlsbfjsabjs! whhhhyyyyyy!
Edit 3: Please enjoy my decent into sleep depravity cause I’m nowhere near 100% still after my five minute nap and I do not want to try and edit these all over again to make them make sense. The only reason I’m not going to bother going back to bed is because its currently 4pm and if I sleep now I won’t be able to sleep tonight.
I'm still miffed at the editors/producers. More so after spending 20min trying to figure out why the heck everything still looked so blurry. Come to realize that it wasn't the filter making them all blurry, it was that cameras they used. I mean yes the filter gave it this soft/fuzzy sort of look and I can understand one or two photos being a touch blurry cause y’know, its a screen shot. But when every single screen shot has the exact same problem then you start to wonder if its just the filter or if its the cameras they used to film on set. Anyways, I really tried my best to fix it but I dunno...I feel like I could have done better even though I know I don’t really have the skills yet so I’m rather bummed about it.
Ok enough of my rambling and complaining. That’s not what ya’ll are here for so let’s get this show on the road!
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istg tumblr hates me and my edits cause it always butchers the quality and actually im going to try something real quick here...ok nope tumblr just hates me. my screenshots are automatically saved as png files so i thought if i changed the file type it might fix the quality but no! nope! tumblr just hates my guts! maybe if you guys click on it to expand it it might look clearer but idk as i haven’t checked if that helps yet. anyways not much else to add on here as i was still very much awake when editing woojin’s cause i did his first. also i apologize for the rambling about his snaggletooth but tbh i very easily could have kept going on and on about it it really was just so uniquely him and the first snaggletooth i’d ever seen in kpop or otherwise and i was in love and i was not an nctzen then and even when i was it took a couple months before i found out about renjun’s snaggletooth but by then his was gone too and i’m low-key mad i didn’t get to experience that when it was still a thing and i’m rambling again but i really really do like idols and just people in general with freckles and snaggleteeth and etc etc. oof
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uh, i was freaking out at the time? about messing up? but now that i’m more calm i can kinda get into what was on the deleted one. uhm, woojin was the dance center at the very beginning? and be cause i was so focused on figuring out who he was i didn’t see daehwi who was standing right next to him at all? then daehwi had his first solo scene and i was so startled? and happy? to see him that i accidentally screeched “daehwi! my son!” at the top of my lungs and somehow gave myself a heart attack. it was....something to say the least XD. high-key spent 5 minutes after i screeched going ‘wait....since when was he my son? but oh my god daehwi!! why are you here?! my baby! wait what?” literally just ran myself in that circle for a while....haha....also it was after i saw daehwi thAT I WAS FINALLY ABLE TO RECOGNIZE WOOJIN! and i unintentionally screeched about that too tbh. literally i just scream “AH! WOOJIN?!” like i was in some kinda horror movie and i just got jump scared by the big bad who is also conveniently my old childhood friend that i forgot about and no the is not weirdly specific its a freaKING HORROR MOVIE REFERENCE! i hate horror movie sm rn. they’re just the same weirdly specific plot over and over again and wow i got off topic real fast where was i? right daehwi. my 2nd son. still have no clue when or how he became my son but i’m honestly not that bothered by it.
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uh...so to make this make more sense i type the white text on the top 1st then the white text on the bottom and the black text in the middle reads like a standard news paper article. so...black text block/column on the left is read 3rd and the black text block/column on the right is read last. legit had this odd experience where i thought there was six members? but i was just seeing double of one for some reason but not sure which one. and then i had this brief moment where i thought there were 4? even though i already knew for certain by that point that there were 5? and i have no idea why i suddenly thought there were only 4 but i blame my sleep-depravity. and yes he is still mini-hen even though i know his name is donghyun. and the only reason i got his age confused was because i had youngmin’s b-day up but i thought i had already scrolled back down to donghyun’s. i had been scrolling back and forth between their pfp on kprofiles its the first one that shows up on most google searches when i type say ‘nct members’ or ‘exo members’ and is very reliable for basic stuff like b-days and they update quite often too in an attempt to find at least one physical feature i could use to make sure i was giving the right member the right name. fun fact: i found 2 that i could use w00t
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if you think this is as bad as it got trust me when i say it got worse when i tried to do Woong’s. at least here i’m still making a bit of sense. uh.. i think i’ll just re-type this here? but without all the....errors...oh god my eyes. they burn at the sight of such horrid mistAKES!
“istg i need to go to bed but here i am STILL CONFUSING YOUNGMIN AND dONGHYUN! WHAT IS LIFE! HAHA! I DONT kNOW HER! i give up.”
“i love how my sanity has just been dwindling down the drain the more i work on this. its going to be so fun to see the progression on tumblr. haha”
“i thought there were 6 members because of him and donghyun haha. but he for real doesn’t look like a ‘95 liner he looks younger than me and it just makes me feel older than i already felt and i can’t spell.” i still can’t “y’all probably think i’m drunk but i swear i’m just sleep deprived. watch me not post this cause i am a dummy only to post it by accident cause i am a dummy haha. why word no go T^T fml” uhm.... to uh.... well? i think what i was trying to say in the last few sentences was that i might not post this? cause i find this habit of mine embarrassing? basically when i hit the metaphorical wall and cannot stay awake to save my life my ability? to form sentences? just vanishes. hence the running inside joke of “why words no go” at the end. and for the other black text block i was just saying that i couldn’t think of anything else to say and for you all to enjoy the somewhat text free screenshot. wow that was a mess and a half to unpack.
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“last one then i can go take a nap and maybe get some of my sanity back before i make the tumblr post and not look like a complete fool”
“limp noodle fingers plus sleepy speech makes fun time woo~”
“i swear i’m not drunk i’m just 2 seconds from face planting and just enjoy this boy i started to call ash as a way to remember him because his hair is ash-brown. I swear i know his name but heck if i can type reliably” in other words i somehow forgot his name in the 2 seconds since learning it “i can’t even brain enough to spell anything. case in point.” the last sentence here is in reference to my horrendous spelling of the word anything...i did some keyboard smash here... then....”He’s cute. I thought he was older than me but we’re the same age. BYE NOW! WOONG! THAT’S HIS NAME!” love how it took me this long to remember...some more keyboard smash...”bye bye”...and i have no clue if that’s more keyboard smash or if that was supposed to say something else
Also for why I decided to post this after all? Even though I do find this side of me embarrassing I had a feeling that if I didn’t just expose myself and have fun with it i’d end up accidentally exposing myself and end up hiding in a hole somewhere for several months. This is far less embarrassing for me tbh. Its not my best reaction by any means and i think part of that was because i was just so focused on daehwi and woojin out of surpirse cause i wasn’t expecting them to be in the group? and i kind of just unintentionally ignored the other 3 and i feel really bad about it. so! for their next mv i will do my utmost to give donghyun, youngmin and woong a lot more love and attention since daehwi and woojin got most of it here.
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That Which Holds Us - Chapter 3
Pairing(s): Adrien / Marinette, Nino / Alya
Summary: It has been several months since Ladybug and Chat Noir discovered their true identities. Now that they are not trapped by secrets, they can finally be their full selves around each other and have never been closer. Marinette is going into her final year at university, Adrien is exploring new classes and passions, and their friends Alya and Nino seem to be moving towards a happy future together. It all feels like things could not be better.
But of course, nothing in life is quite so perfect.
When Adrien starts having vivid nightmares and visions about his mother, old questions begin to resurface. Will he be able to find the answers, or will these ghosts from the past tear apart the heroes of Paris for good?
Reminder, you can also read / follow this fic at AO3 here, and FF.net here.
Previous Chapters
Chapter Word Count: 5,028
Enjoy!!!
A refreshingly cool breeze swirled around Marinette as she made her way through campus. Bright patches of early morning sunlight streamed between the buildings. The only sounds that reached her were enthusiastic twitters from birds soaring around the trees overhead. Adjusting the fully stocked cardboard coffee tray in her hands, she took in a deep breath and grinned.
Today felt like it was going to be a good day.
She’d managed to stay true to the goal she’d shared with Chat Noir the night before; when her alarm had gone off, she’d actually gotten up with it. And even with showering and prepping for the day, she’d ended up with plenty of time to stop by the nearby café and place an order.
“Mar-bear!”
A familiar voice rang out, and looking around Marinette spotted Meesh hurrying towards her, her long dark mohawk trailing behind her in a thick braid.
“Meesh!” Marinette cried, letting out an “Oof!” as her friend barreled into her and wrapped her in a hug. “You’re here!”
“How have you been?” Meesh asked, releasing the hug but keeping her arm wrapped through Marinette’s as they continued on. “You’re here so early, this is so unlike you!”
“Hey! It’s a new year, might as well start off on the right foot,” Marinette laughed, removing one of the to-go cups from the coffee tray and holding it out. “And I’ve been great. How are you? How was the move?”
Meesh took the coffee gratefully and shrugged. “Hectic, but alright. I always hate leaving home – and I especially hate leaving Benjamin – but at least it’s only for one more year.”
“Where’s the new place?”
“In one of the neighborhoods on that hill behind the library. You and Alya need to come over soon, I’ll make you guys dinner!”
Marinette let out an excited hum at the thought of that. Meesh always brought large bags full of fresh Mexican spices, a gift from her uncle who ran his own company. Food from Meesh was to die for every time.
“I’ll let her know! She was asking about you last night.”
The two girls continued around the corner and their familiar studio building came into view. Marinette’s heart leapt at the sight; after spending countless hours working there over the last three years, it was thrilling to be back once more.
Climbing the stairwell and opening the door to the third floor, Meesh let out a soft, “Yes!” and held out her fist for Marinette to bump. “First ones here, first choice of desk!”
Marinette returned the fist bump, letting out a dramatic sigh.
“Oh, however will we choose?”
“Goodness me, I just don’t know!” Meesh exclaimed, walking over to the desk second from the corner window and dumping her bag on it without hesitation.
Marinette laughed, following her and placing her own things on the corner desk, the very same one which she’d claimed as her own the previous year. Turning to look out the window, she placed her hands on her hips and took in the beautiful view. If she was being truthful, it wasn’t unusual to see the campus below her as it was now, slowly filling with life and light as the many students began their day; however, it was more common for her to see it from drowsy eyes at the tail end of an all-nighter working. To watch this now feeling so refreshed and charged for the coming day felt very nice indeed.
Going back to Meesh, she grabbed a second large cup out of the coffee tray and perched herself on her stool. They chatted happily, discussing their ideas for the Senior Capstone they would be putting together in their last semester, and wondering what sorts of assignments awaited them in the coming months as their studio slowly filled with fellow classmates.
“Hello ladies,” someone said above the growing noise.
They swiveled their stools to see Marinette’s favorite instructor approaching them, dressed in elegant black as usual, only her jewelry glittering with color.
“Good morning, Madam Charbonneau,” Meesh greeted.
Marinette pulled a third coffee out of the tray and offered it.
“Did you have a good summer?”
“Thank you, my dear,” Charbonneau accepted the drink with a smile. “You’re too kind. I certainly had a busy summer, but yes it was very good. I hope you are both ready for an exciting final year?”
“Very,” Marinette said, while Meesh nodded enthusiastically.
“Excellent!” 
Charbonneau grinned, before moving off to greet a few other people.
As she turned back to Meesh to continue their conversation, a figure from across the room caught Marinette’s eye; Mathis was setting his bag down at his desk from the previous year. 
A twinge of unease passed through Marinette as memories of what he’d done to her months ago came rushing back.
After the fateful Akuma attack that had brought the Student Gala to its horrendous conclusion, everyone had treated the situation the same as all other attacks. Hawkmoth was the one behind everything, and those who were Akumatized were considered as much the victim as anyone else.
But even though Marinette supported this approach wholeheartedly, she still couldn’t help but despised Mathis; after all, everything he had done to sabotage her and other students leading up to the Gala had nothing to do with any supervillains.
Adrien had encouraged her to tell her instructors about all Mathis had done, but without any concrete proof, Marinette decided it wouldn’t do any good. And since he had gained sympathy for being Akumatized, she might’ve just come across as spiteful. So instead, she’d kept the truth to herself. 
Surprisingly, Mathis had abandoned his usual snide remarks and criticisms after she’d returned to school from the hospital. In fact, he’d made no efforts to interact with her at all. 
Thus she, in turn, refrained from acknowledging him, and life had gone on in peace.
As if sensing her thoughts towards him, Mathis looked up and locked eyes on her. 
Marinette held his gaze defiantly for a long moment before turning fully back to Meesh, who was in the middle of telling her about a family trip from that summer. Marinette smiled and nodded, as though she’d been listening the whole time. After a moment, she chanced a glance back at Mathis.
He had his back turned to her, and was pinning things up to the wall above his desk.
Taking a deep breath Marinette looked away from him again, deciding to just keep ignoring him as best she could for the rest of the year, before she would finally be free of him for good.
A tall man with shoulder-length brown hair pulled into a ponytail walked through the door just then. Spotting the two of them at their desks, he picked his way over to them, smiling.
“Alec!” Marinette called to him, standing and giving him a hug once he reached them. “How are you? It’s so good to see you!”
“It’s great to see you guys too!” he said, giving her a squeeze and then hugging Meesh in turn. Pulling a nearby stool over to a neighboring desk, he set his things down. “I’ve been great! I’ll miss sleeping in regularly, but it’s good to be back.”
Marinette laughed and nodded in agreement, offering him the fourth and final coffee from the tray, which he took enthusiastically. 
Alec was from America, and had been one of the top three winners with Meesh and herself at the Gala that previous semester. In the months that followed, they had gotten to know him more and Marinette now considered him a very dear friend.
They continued catching up as the noise level grew and the studio filled with familiar faces. Friends greeted friends who they hadn’t seen in months, and the atmosphere hummed with anticipation.
Finally, the instructors gathered on one side of the hall near the wide windows, and Charbonneau called for everyone’s attention.
“Welcome, students, welcome!” she addressed them with a nod and a smile as they gathered around to listen. “Welcome to your final year at the Academy! You all have come so far over these last few years, and have grown impressively as designers. This year, we plan to push you more than ever, to stretch you in new directions, and challenge your skills in preparation of launching you into the professional industry. We know what you all are capable of, and we want you to see it for yourselves.
“This semester, we will be doing something a little different,” she continued, taking hold of a small box that had been sitting on the desk beside her. It seemed to be full of slips of paper. “While it is often preferable to design on your own, there will be instances when you will have to work closely with another person, or even with a team of fellow designers, on an extensive project. So, for your midterm assignment, we will have you partnered up with a fellow classmate.”
A murmur of surprise rose from the students.  
“Are they serious?” Meesh hissed to Marinette. “It’s our final year! They can’t expect us to show our best skills on a team project!”
Marinette frowned and nodded. It had been a long time since she’d had to work on a serious assignment with a partner – or even in a group – and that had only ever been in a traditional classroom setting. She’d never actually designed with anyone else.
“I know for many of you this isn’t your first choice,” Charbonneau said loudly, reclaiming their attention. The whispers died down and they all looked back at her, albeit warily. “But sometimes in life, you can’t always choose to have everything go your way. Many of you will likely have to work under a lead designer, depending on the kind of job you strive towards after graduation. And in those situations, you will have to work closely under their vision. This exercise will give you a taste for collaboration, and allow you the opportunity to figure out how you best cooperate with a partner in a setting where the stakes aren’t as high.”
As much as Marinette wasn’t thrilled by this project, she had to admit that Charbonneau had a point.
“Can’t we choose our own partners, Madame Charbonneau?” asked a tall girl standing on Meesh’s other side.
“Unfortunately, you may not,” Charbonneau said, reaching into the box to shuffle the bits of paper around. Marinette realized the box must be filled with their names. “Just as much as you can’t always choose your professional situation, you won’t be able to choose who you work with. Collaborating on something with your best friend is one thing; collaborating with someone you have yet to get to know is another. Your midterm deliverables will be a collection of twelve pieces total. Come up with an inspired theme and develop your visions together. Explore one another’s strengths and weaknesses, figure out a dynamic that works to your team’s advantage. From this point on, you must work together as one.”
With that, she pulled out two of the slips and read them aloud. “Antony and Clarissa, you will be our first pair.”
The two students smiled nervously at one another. 
Marinette noticed most of her fellow classmates still looked a bit apprehensive. Peering around, she imagined that working with any one of these people wouldn’t be half bad. There was, of course, a range of talent, but everyone had something to bring to the table, and she could certainly learn a thing or two from whoever she was put with. This might not be such a bad assignment after all.
Charbonneau continued pulling names out of the box, and as they were called, the pairs were shuffling around to stand next to one another.
“Meesh and Alec? You two are together.”
Marinette felt a small pang of disappointment as her friends high-fived each other; either Meesh or Alec would have been her top choices for this project.
“Marinette...”
She turned her attention back to Charbonneau with anticipation.
“You and Mathis will be partners this semester.”
Meesh and Alec let out a collective gasp. Even a few other students looked around in surprise.
Marinette was rooted to the spot. She stared at Charbonneau, who glanced between her and Mathis, looking slightly concerned.
Mathis, who stood at the opposite side of the class turned his head towards her, and he looked just as shocked as she felt.
‘Mathis? Freaking Mathis?!’ Her stomach felt as if it had decided to exit her body via her feet. ‘No, absolutely not. There is no way.’ 
Well, there went her plans of ignoring him for the year.
Charbonneau continued to read the last few names. 
Marinette stared at nothing. Thoughts of shouting “No!”, of declaring she’d refused to work with him, of demanding a new partner raced across her mind. But she did none of these things, her tongue frozen and heavy in her mouth. 
Absently, she heard Charbonneau name off the last pairs, and declare that the rest of their studio time was to be spent collaborating on ideas and researching inspiration. They were allowed to leave the building if they wanted as long as they sent in an email update by the end of the day to show any progress they’d made.
The hall filled with chatter as people broke off to start working. 
Mathis didn’t move. 
Neither did Marinette. She watched him, but his face had gone blank. A hand suddenly wrapped around Marinette’s arm and she looked around to find Meesh pulling her back to their desks, Alec trailing behind them looking unsure.
“You need to talk to Charbonneau,” Meesh said, releasing Marinette and sitting on her stool. “After everything he did to you? There’s no way, no way you can work with him!”
“You think I want to?!” Marinette hissed back, sitting on her own stool and feeling a swell of anxiety twisting her stomach into knots. “I don’t want anything to do with him! But –”
“But nothing!” Meesh insisted. “He’s the worst! You’ll be dragged down for this entire project. C’mon, you know I’m right.”
“I mean yeah, this will suck,” Marinette conceded. “But… I just… well, if I don’t do it, someone else will have to. And isn’t it better that I already know all his manipulative tricks? I don’t want anyone else to suffer just because I didn’t want to deal with him.”
“You don’t always need to be the hero, Mar,” Alec said earnestly.
Marinette let out a snort at that, knowing he had no idea how close to home he’d just hit.
“You’re right, no one ever needs to be the hero, but it’s still the right thing to do isn’t it?” she countered.
“You’re too nice for your own good, Mar,” he said, shaking his head.
She bit her lip, feeling conflicted.
“I can see the headlines now,” Meesh said dramatically. “‘Sweetest Girl In All Of Paris Tries To Do The Right Thing, Ends Up Convicted of Second Degree Murder.’ Sources say she was driven to ultimate violence by the biggest prick this century has ever seen!”
Alec laughed.
Marinette rolled her eyes and was about to shoot back a retort when she heard her name.
“Marinette?”
Turning, she found Mathis approaching them from between the desks. Instantly her guard was up, prepared for whatever snide insults he was going to throw.
But after a moment, he sighed and pushed his hands into his pockets, looking uncomfortable.
“Well, it looks like we’re stuck with each other,” he said, the muscles in his jaw tense.
“Yeah… looks like it,” Marinette said slowly, crossing her arms over her chest. “And I don’t know what kind of sabotage you have in mind, Mathis, but I really don’t have time for –”
“I’m sorry,” he interjected suddenly.
Marinette frowned. 
“For what, exactly?” she asked.
Beside her, her friends were doing nothing to hide their eavesdropping. Alec was looking back and forth between them. Meesh was glaring daggers at Mathis.
“You’re right. There isn’t any time for mind-games or whatever. This is our last year here, and I just want to use it grow as a designer and gain more knowledge and skill.” He shifted his weight to one leg, but never broke eye contact. His voice had an earnesty to it that she’d never heard before, though from his mouth it sounded like every word of sincerity was its own torture. “I’m sorry for how last semester went down. I let my temper and old habits get the best of me, and you won that competition fairly.”
Marinette tilted her head. Confusion coursed through her. There was no way he was actually, genuinely apologizing… was he?
“Oh, come on!” Meesh burst out. “You can’t actually expect us to believe a single word you say!” 
Marinette looked over at her, and Meesh shook her head warningly.
“No, I didn’t really think you would,” Mathis said irritably, a hint of his usual drawl coming back into his voice. “But regardless of whether you believe me or not, I want to do well this semester. And if we must work as a team, it wouldn’t really do me any good to sabotage my own partner, would it?”
Marinette knew begrudgingly that he had a point. This was exactly how she imagined any one of them should behave in their situation. Though of course, all of this would require thinking rationally and behaving like an actual, honest human being; things which she’d never really considered Mathis capable of.
“Is there a problem?”
Marinette turned to see Madame Charbonneau watching their conversation, wearing a critical expression.
Mathis looked back at Marinette with an eyebrow raised, as if to say, ‘Is there a problem?’
Taking in a deep breath, Marinette was silent for a long moment, thinking hard. Finally, she let out a sigh and shook her head. 
“No, Madame. We’re fine.”
Meesh scoffed.
Madam Charbonneau was regarding them closely.
Marinette put on a reassuring smile and said, “It’ll be fine. For this project, we’ll make it work.”
“Very well. Please let me know if this becomes any more trouble.”
Charbonneau gave Marinette one last meaningful glance before turning to check on the other pairs of students scattered throughout the studio.
Marinette suddenly had a strong feeling that Charbonneau might understand a bit more about her situation with Mathis than she was letting on. Smiling slightly to herself with this knowledge, she turned back to Mathis and glared up at him.
“Alright, let’s not dance around this,” she said in clipped tones. “I don’t trust you. Not even a little bit. But I do trust that you are a good designer. We are stuck with each other for the time being, whether we like it or not. But we don’t need to be friends to make this work, we just need to want to make a good collection and find a way to get along with as little bloodshed as possible.”
Mathis regarded her, and she saw a flicker of amusement in his expression.
“Fair enough,” he said, offering his hand to her. “Begrudging partners?”
Marinette smirked before taking his hand and giving it one, firm shake.
“Begrudging partners.”
Mathis released her hand and made his way back to his desk to collect his bag.
Marinette watched him for a moment before turning to her own desk and gathering up her things. 
Meesh and Alec were still looking at her in surprise. 
She shrugged, a little defeated.
“It’s not like I have much choice,” she said.
Meesh sighed. Putting her hand on Marinette’s shoulders, she whispered, “Watch him like a damn hawk, Mar. If he tries to pull anything, let us know immediately. He’ll never know what hit him.”
Marinette smiled at her, grateful to have a friend like Meesh.
The rest of the morning was devoted to inspiration hunting and library research. Both she and Mathis gathered up armfuls of books about everything from historical architecture to sci-fi and space travel, and they claimed a large corner table in the library to pour over them.
They discussed the merits of merging raw, elemental designs with the concept of clean, futuristic lines. They also pondered different types of detailed embroidery, and pairing simple silhouettes with dramatic embellishments. 
Every now and then, Mathis would say something rude or insulting that more befitted his character as she knew him, and in those moments Marinette would have to practically sit on her hands to avoid slapping him across his face. But regardless, she had to admit that it was obvious he was actually trying.
Eventually, they found themselves producing sketches based on their themes, and agreed to keep creating concepts until they could meet again in person during their next studio time.
By the end of the long period, Marinette felt unusually exhausted. The emotional tension that came with being around Mathis for such a long time had worn her thin. On any other day, Marinette knew she would’ve stayed in studio to keep improving their initial designs. But almost unthinkingly, she found herself making her way towards the subway station and boarding a train.
Tikki risked poking her head out of Marinette’s bag to look up at her, curious.
Marinette glanced down and shrugged apologetically. 
“I know, I just needed to see our guys for a bit.”
Tikki grinned. 
“You don’t need to apologize to me, I understand. This morning was way rougher than you were expecting, huh?”
“Ugh, tell me about it.”
Their whispered conversation was cut short as more people boarded the train at the next stop. It wasn’t long before Marinette was climbing the steps back into the bright afternoon sunlight.
The Agreste studio offices were set up in one of the larger buildings that inhabited downtown. Inside the entrance hall, the air was cool and conditioned. 
Marinette’s footsteps clicked on the polished marble floor as she made her way past the receptionist desks. A couple of familiar people greeted her with nods and friendly smiles, and she hurried up the grand staircase to the floor where Adrien’s office lived.
She was always surprised by how lively this place was; where the Agreste mansion always felt so cold and solemn, this company buzzed with activity. People hurried past her with stacks of materials or large magazine layout boards. Racks of high couture garments were being wheeled in and out of rooms. Every now and then, Marinette caught sight of an interior photoshoot taking place, the bright lights glowing to rival the sunlight she’d just left outside.
Making her way down several long, bustling halls, she finally rounded the last corner, bringing Adrien’s office into view. The floor-to-ceiling glass walls were gently frosted lower down but became clearer and clearer above eye level. She could make out Adrien sitting at his desk with his back to her, gazing out the window where the city stretched before him. 
Opening the door, she realized he was on some sort of conference call, speaking into an earpiece.
“Well if we can get her on board for the winter line, I’d say we’re in pretty good shape,” he was saying.
Marinette quietly put her bag down on top of his own backpack that sat in one of his guest chairs – he must’ve gotten there from his own morning classes not long ago – then moved around his desk to turn his chair around towards her. 
Adrien gave a small start when he felt himself being moved, but shot her a broad smile when he saw her. 
Without saying a word, Marinette sat herself onto his lap, snuggling into his chest and burying her face in his neck. She felt him smile against her head as he wrapped his arms around her. 
Already, just being close to him was causing her anxieties of the morning to fade away a little.
“Tell her I will come to Toronto myself for a few days if that would make things easier,” he continued, not missing a beat. “She shoots dramatic outdoor lighting better than most, and her techniques would be perfect to show off this series.”
Marinette fiddled absently with one of his shirt’s pockets, sad at the thought of him gone for a few days, but pleased that he would be getting to travel. He always loved assignments that took him places.
“Alright, let me know what she says, and hopefully we can arrange something for October, yeah? Cool, talk to you soon. Bye.” Adrien reached a hand up to his ear and clicked off the earpiece. “Hey Bugaboo, what’s up?”
“Hey,” she said, her voice muffled a little by his shoulder. “Did your classes go well this morning?”
“Yeah, that photography class looks like it’s going to be amazing.” He gave her a gentle squeeze. “I’m guessing my morning went a little better than yours though, huh?”
Marinette groaned.
“You’re never going to believe this,” and she launched into a recap of the events in studio.
“Wait, Mathis?” Adrien exclaimed when she got to the part of the name drawing. “You have to be paired up with Mathis?!”
“Yup.”
“And you can’t get swapped with anyone else?”
“Nope.”
“Why not?!”
Marinette sighed, and explained how even though it would be uncomfortable, at least she knew what he was capable of.
“Uh, yeah? Exactly?” Adrien said angrily, shifting her off himself a little to look her in the eye. “Don’t you think you act heroically enough as it is without making your personal school life suffer too?”
“That’s kinda what Alec said,” Marinette sighed, rubbing her eyes wearily.
“He’s right, you know,” Adrien huffed. “Mar, this is the guy who put you in a coma. You shouldn’t be spending your time with him! It’s not safe.”
“Adrien, he’d been Akumatized,” she sighed. “He would’ve never been able to do what he did if it wasn’t for Hawkmoth –”
“Oh, I’m sorry, is that supposed to make it better?” he shot back. “Every choice he made up until being Akumatized was still all him.”
“Your right!” she countered. “Which is why I don’t want him working with anyone else! I mean who’s better to handle something like this than Ladybug, y’know?”
“So you’re just going to step in front of the train on the off-chance that no one else will have to?”
“Well, now you’re just making my arguments for me,” she teased.
Adrien opened his mouth again, clearly ready to argue further, but was interrupted by a sharp knock on the door. 
Turning, they saw Gabriel Agreste standing in the doorway, looking just as stern as always. 
Marinette hurriedly climbed off Adrien and stood up straight. 
Adrien made no move other than to turn his chair slightly more towards his father.
“Mlle. Dupain-Cheng, what a pleasant surprise,” Gabriel said, his low voice cool and collected. “Adrien didn’t tell me you would be stopping by today, I would have made reservations for lunch.”
“Hello, Monsieur Agreste,” she said, smiling nervously. “Adrien didn’t know I was coming. I just decided spur of the moment to come and see him.”
“I can still call for a reservation if you’d like –”
“There’s no need, father,” Adrien cut him off.
Marinette glanced down at him and saw that his face had taken on the usual impassive façade she knew he saved primarily for interacting with Gabriel.
“Marinette was just checking in, she has to go to work here shortly.”
He looked up at her briefly, and Marinette instantly caught on to his plan of protecting them both from an extended social engagement.
“He’s right,” she said, adopting an apologetic air and moving to gather her bag off the chair. “I really must be going.”
“Before you leave,” Gabriel interjected, causing Marinette to freeze uncertainly on her way past him. “I have a small request to make of you.”
Marinette looked back at Adrien, who’s façade had cracked just enough to allow a small frown through.
“Oh? What sort of request?”
“You are in your final year at the Academy, is that correct?”
“Erm… yes, Monsieur?”
“Well, I will be hosting an event at my home at the end of the month. It is a sort of annual get-together for all my best business partners and designers. A ‘thank you for all your hard work’ party, if you will.”
Marinette tilted her head. She knew of this event; Adrien had told her about it in the past. But he’d also done his best to avoid returning to his old home. Ever since he became a legal adult and moved out on his own, he’d never gone to any of the events his father hosted there, no matter how “mandatory” they seemed.
“Some of the people there are looking for new, talented designers to join their teams in the coming year. Designers like yourself. I have already spoken to a few of them about the skills and professionalism you have demonstrated over the years. They would love to meet you in person.”
Marinette had thought all the big surprises for that day were over. But hearing that Gabriel had been talking her up to potential employers had her utterly floored. She stared at him, trying to figure out whether she’d heard correctly.
“Oh, my goodness, th-that is such an honor!” she sputtered, feeling her cheeks going red. “I-I had no idea you were… thank you so much!”
“Yes, well,” he said, offering her a small smile. “Adrien has always managed to find an excuse for why he cannot attend this annual party, but perhaps you can convince him that one night away from his duties won’t do any harm? Please, I insist.”
Marinette fought the urge to let out an incredulous snort. Hearing Adrien’s father of all people say that his son needed to forgo work to attend a party was the last thing she’d ever expected to hear in her life. She looked over at Adrien again, unsure of what to say. His father had cornered them quite successfully.
Adrien’s shoulders slumped a little in defeat.
“Erm, well… how can we, uh, refuse?” she said finally, turning back to Gabriel and smiling hesitantly.
‘Seriously… how?’
YOOOO!!! Guess who is the Actual Worst, coming at you with a brand spankin’ new chapter!!!
Honestly, I’m so sorry for the hiatus between updates. Let’s just say, depression is a real MoFo and for most of December and January when I had actual time to write, I wasn’t motivated. And then, February hit, I left my old soul-sucking job, and started working three new jobs all at once! Now I’m down to working two (thank God) with one of them being actual Graphic Design work, so that’s awesome! And! I’m planning on moving into a new apartment with some awesome friends here in a couple months, so that’s great. I may be crazy busy, but I’m finally feeling happy and energized and like my old self once again!
Anyways, I am thrilled to be writing more, and I already have most of Chapter 4 written! I need to add in a few things and then do an editing read-through, but I’m planning on posting that here in the next few days at least.
Also!!! I want to give a HUGE THANK YOU to everyone who has been commenting on this fic, giving it Kudos on AO3, and sending me all those wonderful messages! YOU GUYS ARE THE REAL MVP HERE!! Reading the amazing, positive things you had to say was so encouraging and motivating, I don’t know how I would’ve gotten back into the swing of things without you all! So thank you, thank you, a million times over!!!
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Season 2 Episode 14- Floundering Finale
It’s no secret that I think these designers stumbled to the finish line this season.  Unfortunately, Daniel, Chloe, and Santino really didn’t step it up going into the finale and we got three fairly underwhelming collections. None of the collections A) felt like full collections or B) had any surprising wow pieces.  This made it feel like I could take any look from one collection and throw it into the other and it would fit in.  Everything was just “fine”.
3. Daniel V.
Oof what a disappointment this was.  Daniel seemed to be the preordained winner of the season, but this collection was just a conglomerate of mall wear with a few “fancy dresses” with ugly appliques. There were certain flashes of brilliance, but he had too many starting points and never really went anywhere with any of them. It was such a shame to see Daniel fall so hard, but guess what?  We all done known this!!! He wasn’t that great on the season and this collection showed that.
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Serving you Blanche Deveroux realness.  Tacky floral? Check.  Shoulder pads? Check.  Fit and flair? Check.  Congratulations you’ve made your first grandma jacket!  
The skirt is nothing.
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The boring daughter of the woman in the first look.  I can get that top at J.Crew, Gap, Macy’s, literally any department store.  There is no design here.
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This is a cute coat, and had he run in this direction I think he could have eeked out the win because the judges really loved him.  The collar is wonderful and it is impeccably made.  the silhouette is gorgeous, too.
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And we’re back to mall wear.  The only part that is remotely designed are the shoulder straps.  Yawn.
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I agree with Michael Kors, I want to rip that thing off of her chest.  The pleating on the bottom is cute but still boring.
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Had this shirt been a mini dress I would have loved it, but it isnt.  The top is cute, but once again the skirt is nothing.  I also hate the two together, especially with the boots.
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Where did this come from?  It has absolutely nothing to do with the rest of his collection.  Had this been in the same cool tones I would have given it a pass, but changing the pallet and design details is too much.  I actually really like the pants but, as we know, I hate the under boob scoop.
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Oh look! He took my advice and made his shirt and skirt a mini dress for his thirteenth look.  This is cute and totally in line with the best pieces in his collection.  It isn’t shown here but I love the cowl neck back to these pieces.  I would have switched this piece and the previous piece in his lineup for a smoother transition.
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I want to like this but I just can’t.  Each piece individually is cute but all together it gets a bit costume, like someone on a Disney show.  Had he gotten rid of the purple sweater, which is a nothing piece already, it would have been much more successful.  But again with the damn chest patch.
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There were strokes of greatness in this collection. I absolutely love this top, it is so soft and delicate, the best parts of Daniel’s designs.  The pants are wonky but at least there is design there.
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J. Crew Outlet
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I like it but once again it does not fit with his collection.  No where else has he played with transparent volume or monotone multi-piece looks.  I like that he played with volume and top and on bottom, but was able to balance it out by keeping it body con in the middle.
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This dress is horrendous from beginning to end and not what I would want to leave in the mind of the public and the judges. The patch needs to go, but past that there are many more issues.  The color is so blah and the two browns do not mesh well.  All of the detail in the back looks very western, like cowboy boot or saloon door details.  Mess all around.
2. Santino
Santino created a lot of beautiful dresses for his finale collection, but he showed very little range.  It was quite boring and after a while and a lot of the pieces began to blend together.  That being said, there were no truly bad pieces in his collection but it didn’t feel like a full runway show to me.
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This is a gorgeous gown but it doesn’t give me the oomph I need from an opener.  The proportions are great and make the model look super tall and I love the fabrics he chose. It’s just a bit safe.
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This is cute and fun.  I love the leather pants, they add an edge to an extremely saccharine look.  The top is cute as well, I just wanted some more oomph again.
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Everyone on Project Runway has created this dress, and it’s normally in a quick or unconventional challenge.  I don’t need this in a 13 piece collection.  Love the color though.  Why this was in the middle of his maroon and pink looks I will never know.
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Yawn.  At least the blue dress was made well. What is up with the hem.  
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It’s a beautiful slip dress with a wonky back.
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For the 13th look it was more designed than any of the previous 3 looks.  Still, it needs even more.  Maybe if the lace was in a different tone than the dress?
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This one I love. The jumpsuit is nice but the star here is the cape.  It falls beautifully around her shoulders and arms and scoops around her neck wonderfully.  The only problem is that this should be a low point in a collection in terms of amount of design, not a high.
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She’s a majorette. The dress is ok but that jacket is hideous.  The horizontal lines are cutting her off at too many places.I
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I love the sudden pop of super saturation.  It’s the same cut on top as many of his other dresses but I enjoy the mix of fabrics.  I wish he had continued that into the skirt.
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And then this comes out of nowhere in the collection.  I kind of enjoy it just because I was so bored by everything else.  I don’t think he used the right fabric for the skirt or sleeves, it has too much structure for what he wanted.  I would have loved to see more of this leather work in his collection, but overall it’s a bit too Ren Fair.
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I. Love. This. Fabric.  He only used it in 2 pieces but I would have loved it in about 5 or 6.  And he knows how to work with it.  The way it flows around her body and drapes down is amazing. The pleating is amazing. I need Santino to stay in this lane because this is where his strength lies.
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His blue dress but in puce.  I like the lines of the trim though and it seems much better executed.
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Yes yes yes yes yes yes.  He should have opened with this look and gone from there because this is by far the best look in the collection.  The extra drape in the front is such a beautiful and understated edition.  I just love it, possibly the best look of all 3 collections.
1. Chloe
Chloe deserved to win just because of the lack of imagination of Daniel and Santino.  Still, it isn’t the best collection in the history of the show.  
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She had the best opener of any of the finalists.  It is fun, cool, and most importantly, interesting. It’s a new take on a classic coat dress.
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I haaaaate this print.  I have never been a fan of dark green and pink and the floral looks dated, even for 2005. The actual dress is cute and a lot of girls would rock that silhouette.
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The same ugly fabric but in a much more boring silhouette.
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I’ve been on the fence about this dress, but I’m coming down on the side of quite liking it.  The pleating on the bottom are something I’ve never seen before and I like the folding detailing of the shoulder.  The fabric and sleeve length make it a bit grandma but overall its a success.
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This is cute. The fabric could have easily gone grandam but the cuts make it young and fresh.  The dress is cute but the shrug is amazing.  The way the two pieces make a cutout in the back is sublime.  She did a great job with volume in this collection.
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This look I don’t like as much.  It’s a little too stiff and stuffy and doesn’t match the easier fun attitude of the previous looks.  The tuxedo stripe is problematic, she tried to be different by angling it to the pockets but it doesn’t work.
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The same boring dress Santino made twice.  The fabric is way too thick and stiff, it looks like maternity wear.  You can tell this was her 13th look.
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From the waist up I like it, a chic little cocktail dress.  The color is also extremely rich.  The fit and flair leaves a bit to be desired just because I’ve seen it so much.  I wish should have taken the pleating from her 4th look and added it to more pieces, maybe this one.
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In my opinion, the printed pieces in her collection were the least successful.  The lace up top looks costumey and the shirt hits the model and an odd length, accentuating her hips.  
Upon closer inspection it may not be a print but a lace overlay an odd choice considering the abundance of solids and lack of lace in the rest of her collection.
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I have no clue where anyone would wear this dress.  The front is too stuffy for a cocktail party but the back is completely inappropriate for the workplace.  I love the power of the cobalt blue though, she looks powerful.  The seams on the front make her look extremely tall and lean.
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I am really not responding well to the print’s that she chose.  This looks like random islands or a deconstructed globe.  Aside from that it is the same basic empire waist dress I’ve been harping on, but this time in a maxi.
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I don’t mind the print as much here because a lot of the focus is on the gorgeous cobalt blue.  The sleeves and back make this dress.  The rest is a bit underwhelming.
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This is a strong second to last dress, but I would never use it as a closer.  This shows a restrained and edited design eye but doesn’t scream “this is who I am as a designer”.  I really have no issues with the actual dress, and the back is fantastic.
A well deserved win for Chloe, even if it was by default.
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fluffi · 3 years
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so should i reply in tiny font or just regular font?
hybe should do better in spreading out the comebacks of the groups under them :/ they're already at a huge advantage, might as well use it strategically. AHA streaming mvs is so convenient for a multi. the filler vids i could use in between could be mvs from the other groups that i stan. also you know what, i still haven't watched a single final performance bc im waiting for a friend to watch with me :D
i have a chinese movie recommendation in case you want something to cry over. i still love its ost and it's been months since i watched it. i'm not sure if you watched it already but more than blue. i've never cried over a movie as much as i cried for that one. the angst *chef's kiss*. i'd do anything to wipe my memory of it and watch it again for the first time.
also sungchan is mc-ing in inkigayo every sunday! and honestly, what the hell is nct hollywood :D but a part of me thinks it's just going to be a bunch of asians living in america like johnny that'll be a part of it. just a hunch tho. imagine having all 4 units coming back in a year with like 1 unit per quarter of the year. i'm not sure if sm even has the money to do this, especially when they filed bankruptcy recently.
and i've seen a lot of twitter memes saying taro's ghosted stans T_T alexa play ghosting by txt T_T sm come on give him smth to do, you're wasting talent.
the mall didn't burn down entirely (like from the outside it looked fine). the ventilation system caught fire so it was more internal—ceilings and all that. covered things with soot(?) and ashes so the entire mall was closed for nearly 2 years. and hey, i've experienced a school fire too back when i was younger. i, too, thought it was nothing but a fire drill until i saw the charred remains of the buildings behind our school : D thankfully, no one died.
the new nct track is for a samsung commercial AHAHA it's funny because nearly everyone uses apple TT_TT and the mv screams neo culture tech tho (well as it should lmao). yes, i was talking about that part in hot sauce but yes, it grew on me too.
ateez really know how to do a performance. they put the standard so high for me when it came to performing. their facial expressions and overall stage presence just impresses me. it's been a while since i've seen idols draw me to them by those standards.
ah, the long stan list! good luck in getting through it and i hope you do have fun as you go :] (also you can check out aurora by ateez and whiplash by tbz. the songs popped up in my head as i was typing this reply, you might like them)
ohhhh, what was the pd48 scandal? i don't watch survival shows so i don't know any of the stuff going on. would you care to elaborate? about their disbandment :(( i hope you're okay now tho! are the other girls still debuting in new groups? anyone eyeing an acting career instead of being an idol?
YES, A PATTERN IN THE BIASES (if you count an analysis of two ppl as a pattern, that is.) because it's the same pattern i have for my biaswreckers :D jake & seungmin, not only do they have the same animal to represent them, they have the same 'golden retriever' type of personality that just makes you go all soft. ygwim ;n; i wish i could elaborate but both boys just devastate me in the same level and my friends pointed out that they were quite similar in some aspects.
jaemin used to send really long bbl messages :< like if there was anything he loved most it was nctzens and it was obv in his messages. speaking of dream, album repackage news today! idk what to feel bc my hot sauce albums haven't even arrived yet :D + i'm dead br0ke.
how do you even manage to read 30k TT__TT i cant handle long fics bc of my attention span :D also, yes, i found the user now, i'll check if i'll like their works soon. <33
YES YOU SHOULDVE BEEN THERE T_T what a day that was. i think seungmin is still sweet and active in bbl. not a single cent goes to waste with him. also i think i'll post the drabble some time this month.
and oml seungmin vs jake :o let's see how that goes O.O XDD
clickity-clackity AHAH do you have a mechanical keyboard? :c i wanted one too but i haven't got around to saving up for one. but yes indeed, typing asmr v relaxing \m/
sunny hyuck day, fullsun sunday, fullsunday T_T feels were very strong that day. i kept seeing edits on my twt tl and i would just s o b : D i've only stanned nct for a year but i've seen him grow so much i just wanted to crie i love him sm :') yk my mom didn't cook spaghetti for my birthday, but she cooked for hyuck's? : D
and i checked ur recs blog and indeed, full of nct T_T
also have i mentioned that your desktop thing amuses me so much HAHAH i got confused for a sec if i had twt opened or tumblr. plus, i've been wanting to mention that i noticed that our mobile themes are opposites. black and red, white and blue. it's cute XDD <3
help, people have been telling me that our asks are long but i highkey love it. i added a ‘keep reading’ for the mobile users though, sorry in advance hh.
honestly, both works. tiny font saves space but regular font does more justice for my poor eyes haha. its your call!
hybe comebacks :( yeah enhypen got lucky because they came back right before cb season so they got three wins (yay)! on the bright side, txt just got their first win and bts has six wins, so it all works out i guess. omg yes, the streaming thing is perfect. i stan like 20 groups so i have a never-ending cycle of filler mvs and its always so helpful. ooh for the final performances - you wont regret watching any of them! literally wild, kingdom's budget and talent are wild.
ooh, I don't watch any cdramas lmao. i want to but i can barely finish kdramas. if its a movie ill watch it! ive never heard of more than blue but ill check it out <3 where can i watch it?
yes yes i have just realized that sungchan is yujin's co-mc! i watched their special stage (which is literally adorable) and was today years old when i realized that the dude is sungchan pls. nct hollywood was so unexpected and i still have mixed feelings about it now. LMAO JUST ASIANS LIVING IN AMERICA...help. that would be interesting (?) but the concept reminds me of those horrendous awesomeness tv shows. lets hope sm pulls this off well and proves me wrong. lmao all 4 units coming back would probably happen, but i hope none of them get overworked :( i constantly feel like mork lee has four clones :'( also...sm filed bankcruptcy??? dang, what happened?
ugh omg yeah shotaros talent is seriously being wasted in the basement right now. as for fires, scary T-T i wasnt that fazed by them until the australia wildfires happened, and i learned about the consequences of fire and got really scared. its good that the entire mall didnt burn down though! although its weird that no one is opening it :( schools really need to tell us the difference between drills though, it might be dangerous for those rebellious kids.
yeah i just realized that the nct track is an endorsement which partly explains why i cant listen to it. the mv's visuals are stunning!! the set and people are so gorgeous aa i cant
oh yeah im not an atiny but i have acknowledged since 2020 that they have one of the best, if not the best stage presence and expressions on stage for 4th gen. i think their only worthy competitor would be stray kids actually. theyre truly one of a kind and all of them are cute especially that yeosang guy. i will definitely check out your song recommendations though!
oof the pd48 scandal is extremely complicated. to condense it in a few statements: all of the girls' rankings have been rigged since the very beginning and it was rumored that they already had their end group before the show even started. it was like this for pf48 and pdx101 (group x1) which was why x1 disbanded within a month of debuting, and izone were on hiatus for like 4 months. im not the best at explaining stuff like this haha, but i think you get it. you can check out yt or search up 'pd48 scandal', a ton of articles and videos. as for new groups, nothing has been made clear yet. theyve only made instagram handles for now and appeared on variety shows haha. as for acting career, hyewon was supposed to do acting but was forced to join pd48 so maybe she'll continue acting afterwards? nothing is confirmed yet!
lmao two similarities, its okay it counts. ah, true, i can see their similarities now that youve mentioned it, as well as how jeno is kind of like that. however, i am currently attached to jaemin so we'll see what happens from there hehe. i swerve easily.
jaemin on bubble grr, that would be a whole experience. from the bare minimum of vidoes ive seen for him wbk jaemin is so whipped for czennies. ah yes repackage! i saw the post on instagram and went to the comments to see everything screaming ‘iM bROke!’ and it was lowkey hilarious lmao. kpop is really trying to suck our money T-T.
ope the longest fic ive read is like...40k words i think? and it was by jeonginks. ill read anything eiko produces lmao, theres always so much substance in her work. ooh, tell me what you think of luvdsc’s stuff, i just finished binging their entire masterlist lmao.
seungmin vs jake yeah, i havent been catching up on skz enha content because im still obsessing over the dreamies but when that saga is over then im going to focus on my ults lmao (which might include dream soon, hehe).
yes yes i have a mechanical bluetooth keyboard that i use to connect to my computer! it literally sounds amazing lmao, its only 10am here but i feel like im going to doze off from the clickity clackitys already. i cant wait for you to get one! tell me when you do, we can match hehe.
hyuck is an aodrable brat please. hes like the best comedian of nct at this point, so hilarious and filled with variety i love him. he rose up my bias list pretty fast too. LMAO YOUR MOM IS SO COOL I LOVE HER ALREADY. if only my mom would cook for my ults’ borndays.
yes my rec blog is a mess right now, ill organize it soon haha.
omg thank you and yes my website theme is one-of-a-kind. even i get confused when i open it or edit it, and i constantly get comments about it. also i just realized our opposing theme colors and i love it! its adorable.
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smoothshift · 5 years
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Daily Driving a Lamborghini Huracan for 24 hours - My Experience via /r/cars
Daily Driving a Lamborghini Huracan for 24 hours - My Experience
First off, this is, of course, a play-on-words to this thread regarding daily driving a Honda S2000 for a year. It's a cool thread by /u/dashboardforfire. Give it a read and an upvote if you haven't already. I owned a couple of S2000's in the past, and I truly do miss them.
Secondly, this thread isn't shit without pics. Here's a picture of the Huracan next to my 86.
Back Story
A friend of mine owns a 2016 Lamborghini Huracan LP610-4. I jokingly told him that he should let me borrow the car. Unbeknownst to me, he decided to make my joke of a dream into a reality. He brought the car for me to borrow last Wednesday, Aug 21, 2019. He told me he would let me drive it for a full 24 hours as long as I promised to follow these rules:
No eating in the car
No drinks in the car, except water bottles
Do not use Corsa mode; Strada or Sport only
Do not let anyone else drive the vehicle. Having passengers is okay, but only I am allowed to drive it.
No racing
All these rules were simple to follow, and I even took it one step further by telling him exactly where the car was going, how long it would be at certain locations, and how many total miles I was putting on it. I think he trusted me enough that the first couple of texts I sent him saying, "Hey, I'm taking the car to (location)," he responded and said, "You don't have to tell me. It's fine, brother."
Truly, he's got to be the coolest guy in the world. I own a base model Toyota 86 and I won't even let my own brother drive it. My friend has known me for about 2 months and decided he trusted me enough to let me use it for 24 hours with no conditions set on total miles driven. What a guy!
The Experience
Jesus. Fucking. Christ.
You ever felt like a celebrity driving a car? Have you ever made a stop somewhere and started feeling like you needed a security team to be the assholes for you so people will stop approaching you and taking pictures of "your" car? It's a surreal experience driving a Lamborghini, especially outside of the wealthier, greater West Los Angeles/Hollywood area.
The Lambo Huracan LP610-4 does 0-60 in the low- to mid-3 secs. I doubt I did 0-60 mph pulls in the claimed times that professional testers do, but I felt like I was doing 0-60 in the blink of an eye. This car begs to be pushed.
My friend's Lambo gets driven a lot more than the average Lambo. Here is a pic of the gauge cluster showing 33,432 miles on it hours before I returned the car. I believe I returned it with 33,457 miles. I borrowed the Huracan with exactly 33,350 miles. I put 107 miles on it total, just driving it around my town for a day. When I returned it, I apologized profusely, telling him that I was trying to keep it under 50 miles total, but he told me to "stop worrying. You got to enjoy your dream car. I'm happy for you." What a guy (x2)!
Everywhere I took this car, it was a show stopper. When I picked up my daughter in the Huracan, the traffic was ridiculous. People were literally stopped at green light signals just to take pics of the car. Kids were running up to me and yelling about how amazing the car is.
My friend told me to just tell anyone who asks that it's my car. I felt uncomfortable lying like that, but I honestly believe I convinced a group of kids to focus in school. I told them, "One day, your education will lead you to be able to afford a nice car, whether a Lamborghini, Ferrari, or something completely different, and it'll all be because you applied yourselves in school."
Attention from the Opposite Sex
I was approached by three different women on three different occasions.
The first woman approached me when I was with my friend (owner of the Lambo) and refilling the gas tank. She asked, "What do you do for a living?" I said, "I'm a professional millionaire." 😂 My friend couldn't stop laughing. I'm sure she got the hint because she just responded with, "Oh, good luck with that" and left.
Another woman approached me when I took my sister for a short drive to a local mall. My sister went inside a store. I didn't think anyone saw me get out of the Lambo. This lady flirted with me for a bit, telling me she thinks I look "good" in my #24 Kobe Bryant jersey. When I wasn't flirting back, she asked, "Are you single?" I said, "No, I'm not." She stormed off. When my sister and I were walking back to the Lambo, I saw this woman standing next to her Tesla X. She smiled and waved. I nodded, got in the car and left.
The last one was an (I assume single) mom outside my daughter's school. She actually walked over as my daughter and I were crossing the street to the Huracan. She had her little son with her. She asked me, "I know this will sound weird but are you single?" I said, "No, I'm happily married." She did an embarrassed laugh and said, "Well, if you're ever in the market, I'm looking." 🙄 Way to show your colors, gold digger. You know those thoughts you have after something happens, where you think to yourself, I should've said this? I had plenty of those. I should've called her out, but I didn't. I left it alone. I've seen her at the school every day since then. She smiled at me once, but I ignored her. She hasn't looked at me since.
Attention from the Same-Sex
I didn't notice.
Men will pull up next to you at lights or at high speeds on the highway to take pictures, but no male approached me on his own when the car was parked somewhere. I'm okay with that.
Edit to add: I did get challenged to a race by a Maserti Ghibili and a BMW i8 within minutes of each other. I just shook my head and turned onto a side street to avoid them.
Fuel Economy
First, here's another picture of the beautiful Huracan outside another friend's house
Anyway, big oof. My friend put 10 gallons of gas in the car. I continuously offered to pay for gas myself, but he said there was no need. What a guy (x3)! The fuel gauge shows 0%, 50%, 100%. When I drove the car away, it was just a little bit shy of 100%. After 107 miles of driving, the fuel gauge was well below 50%. I can honestly say that other than about five 0-60+ pulls on open roads, I drove the car pretty conservatively in Strada mode. I can't imagine daily driving a car that averages such horrendous fuel economy; however, when you have the money to afford a Lamborghini Huracan, fuel efficiency should be the least of your concerns.
Driveability
I'm in my late 20's. The owner of the car is approaching his mid-30's. He told me that I would probably get frustrated with the seating position, getting in/out of the car, and the lack of space. Before anybody assumes he must be an overweight individual, he's not. Dude is in much better shape than me. I believed him at first, but after driving the car for a while, I can say the Huracan is surprisingly comfortable for such a high-performance car.
The transmission shifts ridiculously quick. I have owned nothing but manual transmissions. I initially thought to myself, This car would be so much more fun to drive with a true stick shift. Nope. The space in the footwell is too cramped. My left foot got numb multiple times because there was no angle to put my foot in that was comfortable. With a 3rd pedal, I would have to have my left foot floating over the clutch every time. Even in fully automatic mode, the car seems to know when to upshift and when to downshift. In Sport mode, the car downshifts like a champ. It seems like the Huracan knows, "Okay, time to downshift around this big crowd."
The blind spots in this car are a bit ridiculous. The rearview mirror is tiny. The side mirrors can't be adjusted in any way that allows you to see your blind spots well enough. I learned from the driving school I attended in my teens that setting the side view mirrors out far enough allows you to see your blind spots better. It feels impossible with the Huracan. The only thing I liked was that you feel like you know exactly where the front bumper ends. I sat high enough where I didn't feel like the hood was blinding me from seeing how close I was to the edge of a parking spot.
Final Thoughts
After driving the Huracan for a day, I can't help but think that I want a similar car. I love sports cars in general, but not all sports cars are built the same. Lamborghini's are cars that are built not only for performance but also to make you look like a celebrity.
My friend says he'll let me borrow the car again soon. What's soon? I don't know and I don't care, just as long as I get to drive it again. It's an amazing car. If you never get to drive one, just know that you are lucky. It's hard to drive a Lamborghini and then move back to a "regular" car.
Last pic of the Lambo before I returned it
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