#summer classes are going well but juggling two at once plus work plus looking after someone

[dragonologist-in-the-making]

Paper Rings

Pairing: James Potter x Reader

Summary: On his first ride to Hogwarts, James befriended the girl who was obsessed with shiny things. Over their schooling together, their friendship turned into so much more.

A/N: lmao I suck at summaries. Also I’m back sorry for the random hiatus (and sorry that posting will almost definitely not be consistent after this either). I had this idea months ago, inspired by Taylor Swift’s Paper Rings, and I only just got around to writing it asdfghjkl. Still obsessed with James though rip me I just want someone to love me like this.

Warnings: Mentions of eating (briefly), otherwise just a lot of fluff.

Wordcount: 4k (wow)

...

Little James Potter waved goodbye to his parents as the train took off from the platform, nervous about his first journey to the infamous Hogwarts, but excited to discover all the great things his parents had told him for himself. First though: finding a carriage.

Trying not to show his nerves, he wandered along the corridor, peeping into the carriages to see if there was one he could join. For the most part, he found them all too full, too loud to juggle his nerves, or the students too old and intimidating. The days would come where James would rule the corridors of the castle, but the eleven year old boy on the train was just hoping to make a friend he could share this new adventure with.

As fate would have it, he found just that and so much more. In a carriage to herself sat a young girl, his age, her face turned away from him looking out the window. The only thing he could see was a petite sparkling bow, sitting neatly in her (y/h/c) hair.

Without thinking about it, he knocked gently on the compartment door, sliding it open as she turned to look at him inquisitively. Her (y/e/c) eye’s glittered as her lips pulled into a smile, creating a complete sense of comfort for James to ask. “Do you mind if I sit?” She nodded eagerly, gathering up a few books she had dumped on the opposite seat and dropping them into her lap. “I’m James.” He smiled.

“(y/n). It’s nice to meet you.”

They sat in a comfortable silence for a short while, listening to the laughs of older students, friends reuniting after a summer apart, and watching the landscape whip by them out the window.

“I like your bow, by the way.” James spoke up, feeling glad he did when an excited smile broke across her face, looking as if he’d told her she’d won the lottery.

“Thank you! I love the way it sparkles.” She said, gently pulling it from her hair and twisting it in the sunlight, showing how rainbows danced in the glitter and were thrown across their compartment. Satisfied, she used it to clip back the hair that was now falling into her face, and their conversation moved on, following each and every thought they were having, becoming fast friends. James didn’t think the journey could get any better until two boys showed up at their door and asked if they could join them, setting everlasting friendships in stone.

As the train pulled up to Hogwarts, any nervousness James had been feeling was gone. Instead, the only thought he had was that he couldn’t be more glad he sat in the compartment of the girl with the sparkling bow.

…

Their first year passed in a blur, and the Marauders spent the majority of it in each other’s company, laughing their days away.

Now, summer had come and gone, and their second year at Hogwarts was in full swing. They walked into their charms class together, laughing about a joke Sirius had made at James’ expense. (y/n) sat next to the curly-haired boy at their desk, as Remus Sirius and Peter sat at the one adjacent to them.

“Hey, it’s not my fault I didn’t make the team last year! No first year has made a house team in like 80 years! I’m telling you though, I’ll make it on this year, and I’ll be the best chaser this school has ever seen.” James protested, huffing as he put his textbook in the middle of the table for him and (y/n) to share. She laughed at him softly, hand patting his shoulder as the other boys got lost in their own conversation.

“I know you will, Jamie. And I’ll be there cheering you on every step of the way.” His cheeks redenned at her words, but luckily their attention was turned away by Professor Flitwick.

“Now students, the charm I’ll be teaching you today is more of a fun one to start off the year than anything you’ll likely need in your everyday lives. As always, I don’t expect you to create chaos by using these charms” – he turned his gaze to a particular group of students at this point who were all busily looking elsewhere – “but simply to enlighten yourselves and to show you what magic can do. So, the charm we’ll be learning today is how to make things glitter.”

James heard an almost inaudible gasp next to him, and he could feel the excitement radiating off (y/n). He chuckled, expecting nothing less; he’d known her for a year now, and if it wasn’t the bow in her hair there was always something shiny on her at any given time.

Flitwick talked about the details of the charm, how it could be applied subtly, only giving a faint sheen, or how it could be made much more obvious. Finally, he gave them the charm and told everyone to repeat after him. “Now, like I said, just because this is a fun charm doesn’t mean it’s an easy one, and I don’t expect you to get it on your first attempt. Just keep repeating the charm and-oh!” He broke off suddenly, just as James’ vision went hazy. Once he’d focused, he saw he was surrounded by a cloud of individual glitter specs floating around them, almost as if they were in their own galaxy. His gaze shifted to its centre, shining most brilliantly of all as her proud and excited smile dazzled him, making him forget entirely they were still in their charms classroom.

“Well done Miss (y/n)!” Flitwick’s voice broke through their bubble, and slowly each star seemed to fade out of existence, until they were back in their regular old classroom, thirty pairs of eyes trained on them. “You certainly felt the spirit of the charm and went above and beyond. 10 points to (y/h). Now, if you could help Mr Potter whilst we all get back to it!”

Chatter burst out the classroom almost immediately, partners working together trying to enchant an object of theirs to take on the glittery effect. Sirius turned to her, rolling his eyes half-heartedly.

“Becoming a teachers pet now are we, (y/l/n)?” She rolled her eyes back, waving her wand to produce a cloud of glitter that settled in Sirius’ hair, contrasting sharply against its darkness.

“It’s sparklesSirius, what did you expect? Now c’mon, this is the one lesson I won’t let you not do the work in. Make some glittery greatness and I’ll bake you all some cookies when I next steal James’ cloak to go to the kitchens.” With those words, the three boys turned their entire focus to the task at hand, while James still seemed slightly awestruck next to her. “You alright, J?”

“That was amazing (y/n/n). I had no idea you could do that.”

“Well I guess you can’t know until you try.” She shrugged, picking up her quill and placing it in front of him. “Charm my quill.”

“Why me? You could just do it yourself.” James asked, confused why she didn’t do it herself since she was clearly more than capable. Once again, she shrugged, looking into his eyes as she uttered the words so nonchalantly that would stick with him for years to come.

“Well, Flitwick said you needed to practise. Plus, it’ll mean more to me if every time I look at my quill I know that you’re the reason it’s shining.”

Within a heartbeat, James had uttered the incantation and a subtle shimmer had settled over the feather, imperceptible until it was moved and caught the light. The smile he saw when he looked over at (y/n) made him vow to himself that as long as he was around, she would never have an ordinary quill again.

True to his word, every time she brought out a new quill, he was quick to snatch it from her and place the simple charm on it. It became an unspoken promise between the two of them, and every time James saw that sparkle from the corner of his eye, he couldn’t help but smile to himself.

. . .

True to her word, (y/n) was there for all of James’ games, cheering him on from the side of the pitch, always the first to reach him when the game was over. High or low, win or lose, she was always there to remind him that he had played amazingly, and that she was proud of him.

After one such game in their fourth year, Gryffindor narrowly losing to Slytherin, she was at his side so quickly that he would have thought she had apparated if he knew this wasn’t possible. She wrapped her arms around him and held him tightly, feeling the slight shaking of his shoulders. “Oh, James.” She quickly ushered him off the pitch before he attracted eyes, assuring him that Sirius and Remus would collect his things from the changing room and bring them back to his dorm. Once they reached his dorm, she sent him to shower, promising that she would be there for him once he was back.

Sure enough, he came out of the shower in fresh clothes and damp hair, and she was still on his bed, patiently waiting for him. She held her hand out to him, a silent invitation, and as soon as he took it she pulled him to her side and once again enveloped him in a hug.

“I’m so proud of you, Jamie.” She whispered, squeezing him momentarily before drawing back and looking into his glassy eyes.

“Shouldn’t be.” He murmured, avoiding her gaze. “We lost.”

“And yet you scored more goals than anyone else the entire game.” She pointed out, sincerity lacing her voice. “It’s just because the snitch is worth a stupid amount of points, honestly the game has a lot of flaws.” James smiled weakly, they often had these debates about Quidditch and it always ended in some silly way.

“I did hit Malfoy in the head with a Quaffle.” He admitted, and (y/n) could see the weight falling off his shoulders.

“The highlight of all our years.” She laughed, reaching into her pocket and pulling out a little box. “I got you something.” She handed it to him, and he pushed it back to her, head shaking, doubt returned.

“No I didn’t do anything to deserve it. Keep it.”

“We already had this argument and I’m not taking no for an answer.” She shoved the box into his hands and folded her arms across her chest, waiting for him to open it.

Reluctantly, he pulled the lid off the box to reveal a snitch, the snitch he normally kept on his person at all times, now shining with a slight iridescence. James looked up at her, thankful but a little confused at the present.

“I’ve actually been saving it for when you lose a game. Which has been hard because that’s hardly ever.” She broke off to give him a playful glare along with her words, quickly broken by her soft smile. “I know you play with the snitch when you have a lot on your mind, and when you start to doubt yourself. I wanted to remind you that you’re incredible and you should believe that yourself. So, when you see the snitch and you see it sparkle, you’ll think of me, and you’ll remember how great you are.” He was speechless, and in the silent air, she did what the two of them did best, and started to nervously babble. “Well, that’s assuming you think of me when you see sparkles, and quite frankly after all this time I’d be slightly offended if you didn’t-oof” her rambling stopped when James tackled her into a hug, knocking them both back onto the bed.

“Thank you.” Was all he said, but she could hear the emotion behind each word, everything he was trying to communicate. All she did was hold him tighter.

It was then that Sirius and Remus walked into the dorm, carrying all of James’ equipment from the game, causing James and (y/n) to jump away from each other. Blushes arose on both their faces, not that the other would have noticed, each too busy looking at opposite walls of the dorm. Sirius and Remus exchanged a knowing look, but decided to let it slide, knowing there was an inevitability to it anyway.

…

Once again, (y/n) was boarding the Hogwarts express for another year of school. She knew this year would be a stressful one, with their OWL exams coming up, but she also knew that as long as she had her boys by her side, she would be absolutely fine.

Speaking of her friends, she was currently walking along the train trying to find them. She knew that Lily and Remus were prefects now so they’d be at the front of the train, but she was struggling to find anyone else. Eventually, she found James, sitting in a carriage by himself, absentmindedly watching the view. She chuckled to herself at the situation, the reverse of their meeting all those years ago.

She slid the door open, catching his attention and his ever-so-addictive smile. “Got room for an old pal?” She asked, sitting next to him when he patted the seat, his hand enveloping hers as soon as she had, a silent communication. I missed you.

“I was starting to think you’d gotten cool and forgotten about me.” He joked, nudging her playfully.

“Piss off Potter, I was always cooler than you.” She teased back, glad to see that nothing had changed despite their time apart. It never did, they were always James and (y/n), inseparable no matter how hard anyone tried. “Where is everyone?”

“Lils and Moony are doing prefect duties, and Sirius enlisted Peter’s help to try and sneak into their carriage and get the insider information.” He rolled his eyes light-heartedly, forming air quotes around Sirius’ words as (y/n) laughed, eyes closing in amusement. “What’s that on your eyes?” James suddenly asked, stopping her laughter short as she tried to figure out what he meant.

“Oh!” She remembered. “I went to see Lils in the holidays and she was showing me this glitter eyeliner that muggles wear! Why, do you not like it?” She suddenly felt self-conscious, wondering if it really was too much despite Lily’s reassurances. It was a subtle white, but still, it was glitter on her face.

“The opposite!” James was quick to answer, rushing so much to not hurt her feelings that he wasn’t thinking about what he was saying. “I think you look really beautiful (y/n/n), with or without the makeup. Besides, the glitter brings out your eyes.”

At this point, they were both blushing furiously, and James was still holding her hand, neither of them willing to let go. (y/n) couldn’t help but smile to herself, and remembered to thank Lily for the recommendation the second they were in the dorm together that evening.

…

James climbed the last step into the astronomy tower, seeing (y/n) leaning against the railing already, gazing into the night sky, a blanket and an array of snacks out on the floor behind her.

It was a ritual they’d started who knows when, a chance to wind down and escape the chaos of everyday life, to enjoy each other’s company and to feast away on whatever snacks they had managed to stow away for these evenings. Tonight’s selection looked to consist mostly of cauldron cakes and chocolate frogs, with the occasional sugar quill hidden amongst the rest. “Heavy on the sugar tonight, I see.” He broke the silence teasingly, settling himself so that he was sat at (y/n)’s feet, still able to see the clear night sky above them.

“If I don’t consume my own bodyweight in sugar I think I’ll pass out I’m that exhausted.” She commented back, sinking down next to him. Automatically, his arm wound around her shoulder, pulling her into his side and resting his chin on top of her head. There weren’t words to describe the feeling of pure content as she melted into him, completely at ease.

She reached out and grabbed a chocolate frog, unwrapping it and handing the card to James with a sigh upon seeing it was one already in her collection. She bit into the chocolate, her gaze on the night sky as his was unable to break away from her, the way she settled so peacefully against him.

“The stars sparkle too, you know.” She broke the silence, voice quiet but still holding its signature melodic tone. James finally broke away from looking at her, joining her eyeline and looking at the constellations above them. Even though he wasn’t taking astronomy as a NEWT, spending so much time in the tower with (y/n) as she mapped the sky meant he knew precisely what he was looking at, and traced the constellations with his eyes.

“You know, six years of friendship and I don’t think I ever asked you why you like shiny things so much. I always just accepted it as a part of who you are.” A smile graced her face as she unconsciously twiddled her fingers.

“Don’t laugh.” She warned, and he solemnly shook his head. “I think there’s something so entrancing, so beautiful about them. I think it serves as a reminder that even the most seemingly dull thing,” she picked up another chocolate frog box at this point, waving her wand to create a light sparkle over it, “is wonderfully brilliant if you just remember to look at it in the right way. It’s a lesson we should all carry with us, and I try to remember it whenever I can. Everything is beautiful if you give it a chance.” The sparkles on the box faded in the moonlight, as (y/n) finally looked up at James, only to find him already staring back at her.

Body thinking quicker than brain, seeing her (y/e/c) eyes glimmering up at him, James leant down and pressed his lips to hers. She stifled a gasp, quickly moving her lips back against his as her hand wound gently around the back of his neck. He poured all of his admiration into the kiss, everything he had been feeling for her since he didn’t even know when, feeling his heart soar to be here with her in that moment.

Eventually, they broke away for air, and a breathy laugh fell from (y/n)’s lips, blush rising on her cheeks as she turned her face away. James reached for her hand, interlacing their fingers and gently rubbing circles on the back of her hand with his thumb. “I’ve been drawn to you since the day I saw you in that train carriage. You’re the most beautiful person I’ve ever met, your soul. I didn’t even realise the outside matched until we came back from that summer you spent with Lily. But god, every day since then I haven’t been able to stop thinking about you. I like you, (y/n/n). I really like you.”

Around them, a shimmering cloud exploded simultaneous to a wide grin spreading across (y/n)’s face. It was their own galaxy, just like all that time ago in the charms lesson, but she was still in the centre, still giddy with excitement. “I like you too, Jamie.” Her smile turned a little sheepish. “And sorry, I think my emotions got a little out of control.” The star-like sparkles slowly dissipated around them until there was nothing left, and this time it was (y/n) who leaned up to James, connecting their lips one more time.

“You taste like chocolate.”

“I’m sure that must be awful for you, Potter”. Nothing had changed, and yet nothing would be the same either.

…

James was sat on the floor of his dorm, textbooks open in front of him, although this late in the day he was struggling to pay any attention to them. What he was focused on instead was his girlfriend, tucked into the alcove of the windowsill, absentmindedly writing away on a piece of parchment.

Her (y/h/c) hair was in plaits down her back, and in the candlelight the silver threads that James had helped her braid in this morning were casting light across the room that shifted with every little shake of her head or shrug of her shoulders.

“You’re staring again, Jamie.” She chastised, although the humour was clear in her voice. He pushed himself up from the floor with an exaggerated groan, making his way over to her and pulling her gently into his chest, pressing a soft kiss into her hair.

“Can’t help it love, you’re an actual angel.” He didn’t see it but he knew she’d be rolling her eyes as she buried her face in his chest to hide the blush that was forming on her cheeks.

“Stop being so cheesy.”

“As if you don’t love it.” She pressed a kiss into his chest, resting her head against him as she went back to her writing. He tried not to pry, but he couldn’t help but catch notice of his name and his interest piqued. “Who are you writing to?”

“Euphemia.” She replied nonchalantly, not pausing her actions as he took a step away, face scrunched in confusion.

“My mother?” she paused at this, looking up at him with false exasperation.

“Do you know many other Euphemias?” She deadpanned. He shrugged, admitting her fair point, moving back to her side where she immediately snuggled back into his warmth.

“How long have you been writing to my mum?” She paused for a second, contemplating.

“Since the start of term I think. She sent an owl, I responded, we haven’t really stopped talking since. Oh, I’m coming over for Christmas by the way, she invited me. Said it wouldn’t be Christmas without the whole family there” (y/n) looked up at him, flashing a mischievous grin, expecting him to whine childishly like he normally would, complaining that he was supposed to ask her. Instead, looking more solemn than she’d seen him in a long time, he crushed her against him, holding her so tightly before he leant down and connected their lips. The kiss was bruising, but it was packed with adoration, and it left (y/n) slightly breathless. He broke away, leaning his forehead against hers as she tried to catch her breath back. “What was that for?”

“I love you. So much. You’re absolutely perfect, and I swear, I can’t wait until the day I can put a ring on that finger and make it official, make you a Potter for real. I promise, it’s going to be the most sparkling, dazzling gem you’ve ever seen. It’ll shine just as brightly as you, and it’ll always remind you that you’re beautiful, in every way, and just how much I love you.” Her hand had come to rest on his cheek, smiling throughout his little speech, parchment cast aside and forgotten about at this point.

“Don’t be silly, James.” She laughed, stroking his cheek with her thumb. “I love shiny things, yes, but I don’t need one to be reminded of how amazing you are, or how much I love you. Hell, you could ask me to marry you with a paper ring and I’d still say yes in a heartbeat. I’m saying yes to you, to a life. You don’t need to win me over with some ridiculously expensive piece of jewellery.” He nodded slightly, pecking her lips before moving back to where he had been sat on the floor.

(y/n) picked her parchment back up, continuing on to the letter she had been writing to Euphemia Potter, unable to help themselves from planning the Christmas festivities despite it being early November.

Deep in concentration, she startled slightly as she noticed movement coming from the corner of her eye. She looked to the side to see her boyfriend once again, although this time he was knelt before her, holding up a piece of parchment that he had hastily fashioned into a ring, coupled with a sheepish smile.

Laughing merrily, she hopped down from the windowsill, pulling him up by his jumper and kissing him passionately as she slid the piece of paper onto her finger, looking forward to the day when they were older, when they could promise this for real, knowing that they had the rest of their lives ahead of them to love each other unconditionally.

When James first stepped on that Hogwarts train, he was hoping to find a friend he could share every moment with for the next seven years. He had found that in her, a best friend, now a lover, for seven years but for so much longer. The girl with the sparkling bow turned out to be his soulmate, and he sent a prayer of thanks to the stars every day.

#harry potter #harry potter fic #james potter #james #potter #james potter fic #james potter fanfic #james potter x reader #james potter fluff #prongs #prongs x reader #marauders #marauders era #marauders x reader #james potter x you

[atlafan]

My Everything - Part Two

A Take it Slow Sequel

What happens with Harry and Y/N after he proposes? How will the two navigate the engaged life while also continuing to juggle their jobs, friends, and families? Let’s find out.

Warnings: Fluff and Smut.

a/n: not proofread fam, I didn’t have the strength. 

Masterpost

It took Harry nearly an hour to get you to calm down after you said goodbye to your grandmother at the airport. You cried the entire car ride home, and you cried for a while at home. He chalked some of it up to your hormones, but he also knew it was just hard for you to say goodbye to her.

“It really was a nice visit. I’m glad she got to stay with us.” You say to him as you lay on top of him on the sofa.

“Me too, she’s a hoot.” He rubs your back up and down. He was happy you weren’t crying anymore. “She’ll be back soon enough. She wants to go dress shoppin’ with yeh remember?”

“I know, but I don’t want her spending the money coming up for every little thing. Like if she comes up for that, she probably won’t come for the bridal shower…” You sigh.

“You both will just have to decide what’s most important.”

“I’ll definitely need her for the dress shopping. It’ll be bad enough with my mom and sisters judging every little thing I might like. Rachel’s the best at picking things out. I’d rather just go with the girls and Nannie.”

“So you should do that. Listen, this is supposed to be fun for us. Don’t worry about other people, do things the way you want to do them.”

“I suppose with Erica doing it all before me, there are things my mom can get out of her system. We’re going dress shopping with her next month. I feel like I’m about to get really busy. El said she wants her bridal party to pick out their dresses soon. And I have class…”

“Take a deep breath. You’ll get overwhelmed if you think about too much at once.”

“You’re right, sorry.”

“S’okay, I know it can be easy to get stressed out. At least we have the whole day off together today. What do you feel like doin’?”

“I’d like to have sex, but my period is really bad…”

“We could-“

“Harry, I don’t think a shower could even help right now.” You groan. “I could suck you off.”

“It’s only fun if I get to reciprocate.”

“Not true.” You scooch down his body. “Now I kinda really want it anyways.”

“Oh you do?”

“Mhm.”

You get between his legs and unzip his shorts. You kiss on his lower stomach as you palm him through his boxers. He runs a hand through your hair, as you continue. You tug everything down just enough to get his hard dick out. You spit into your right hand to stroke him for a bit, running your thumb across his tip. Harry’s breath hitches and his head rolls back. You continue to pump him while your lips wrap around his tip.

“Ugh, fuck me.” He groans, and you can’t help but smirk when you look up at him. “Wipe that look off your face, now.”

Your mouth falls open and he pushes your head down further on him. You take the hint and swirl your tongue around him. His hips thrust up and you feel him hit the back of your throat. You choke on him for a moment and you feel tears prick at your eyes. But you work through it, and swallow.

“Shit, ngh.”

You loved hearing home moan like this, it only made you want to work harder for him. You bob your head up and down, really making a mess of it. You look back up at him, trying to give him innocent eyes as you spit trailed down your chin.

“Y/N.” He breathes as he looks at you.

You pop off him just for a moment to pump him. Your other hand rests on his hip and you give it a squeeze. Your mouth goes back down on him, and you both groan.

“That’s it, baby, that’s so good, fuck.”

You cradle his balls as you suck on him, and he comes into your mouth. You continue to suck until you’ve gotten every last drop into your mouth. You sit up and wipe the corners of your mouth and tuck him back into his pants. He watches as you get up to go to the kitchen. He knew you were going to rinse your mouth out like you always did. You come back to him, and lay in your spot on top of him like you were.

“You’re so fuckin’ good at that, thank you.” He kisses your forehead and you practically purr in his arms. There was nothing like a forehead kiss.

“My pleasure, babe.”

“Wanna go out to dinner tonight? You and I haven’t been able to celebrate just the two of us yet.”

“Yeah, I’d like that a lot actually. Can we get Italian?”

“We can get whatever you want, my angel.” You nuzzle further into his chest and enjoy the smell of his cologne.

//

After falling asleep on top of him, you wake up to the feeling of being carried to your bedroom.

“Harry?” You mumble.

“Sorry, I needed a wee, and so I thought I’d just set you down in here.”

“That’s okay.” You yawn as he puts you down on the bed. “Probably shouldn’t sleep the day away.”

He uses the toilet and comes back to sit next to you.

“But being lazy once in a while is nice, isn’t it? I feel like we had this crazy busy summer, it’s nice to just relax.”

“How do you see things at the studio now that all the kids are back in school?”

“Everyone and their brother wants a fall photoshoot. The leaves are going to peak soon, so everyone wants these like harvest style pictures. Plus, we’re already starting on holiday photos. Mariah suggested doing Santa Sessions, so we’re gonna get those booked out soon.”

“Are you going to have Santa there?”

“No, it’s more like decorations, the backdrop would look like his workshop, stuff like that. I don’t know, it’s her project.” He shrugs. “Either way, we’re stayin’ busy, and that’s the most important thing.” You nod.

“I think I’m gonna take a shower before we go out later. I need to wake up.”

“How come you’re so tired, baby?” He rubs your back.

“Think it’s just my period, makes me exhausted sometimes.”

“I’m gonna take Buster out for a walk then.”

“Alright.”

You get into the shower and stand there for a few minutes. You shave your legs and anywhere else you feel like you need to, and get out. You blow dry your hair and throw some curls in. You walk out into the living room in your towel, with your underwear on of course. Harry wasn’t back yet, and it was raining outside.

You grab your phone and call him. He doesn’t answer.

“What the…”

You race back to the bedroom and throw some sweats on. You slip on your sneakers and grab an umbrella and out the door you go. You’re not sure where to go at first, but you walk the usual route you and Harry always take Buster. It was absolutely pouring. You were starting to get nervous. You squint as you see a figure walking towards you.

“Harry!” You gasp and run down the street to cover him with the umbrella, not that it mattered now. His eyes were puffy and red and his head was hanging. “Wh…where’s Buster?”

“I don’t know.” You both turn to walk towards the parking garage. “He heard some thunder and slipped away from me. I ran after him and called for him, but…he just got away from me.”

“Oh no! Well, we have to find him!”

“I know!”

“Don’t yell at me!”

“I’m not!”

You both get into his car, and start driving around.

“Jesus, it’s gonna get dark soon. My poor baby.” You start tearing up.

“He never runs away. The one time I have a slightly loose grip on the leash-“

“You can’t blame yourself, it was an accident. We just need to find him before it gets dark. I’m going to text Niall to see if he’ll wait outside our building. Maybe he’ll come back.”

“Good idea.”

“Harry, drive towards the park near the studio, it’s not that far from here and he’s used to going there.”

“Okay.”

Your entire body was shaking. You didn’t know what you would do if your little boy was lost forever.

“Y/N! There by that tree! Think that’s him?!”

“It could be! Let me get out.”

You basically jump out of the moving car and run towards the large tree in the park.

“Buster!”

He looks up at you, but doesn’t come towards you. He’s whimpering where he sits, frightened by the cold and the thunder.

“Baby, it’s me! It’s mumma! Don’t be scared.” You slowly approach him and stick your hand out. Harry runs toward you both after parking the car. “See, it’s daddy too! Nothing to be scared of.”

“I think his leg is hurt…”

“Oh my god, I think you’re right!”

Harry approaches him and picks him. He’s soaked, but right now it didn’t matter.

“Babe, sit in the back with him, I have a blanket in the trunk we can wrap around him.”

“Okay.”

Harry gets him in the car while you grab the blanket. You wrap it around him and try to comfort him.

“I’m gonna drive to the vet.” You hum your response as you continue to try to calm Buster down.

“Do you think a car hit him?”

“I have no idea…maybe he slipped? Can a dog roll its ankle?”

“I guess we’ll find out.”

Harry gets you all to the vet, and carries Buster inside. You check him in and they’re able to take him right away due to the emergency. You’re told to wait in the waiting room. Harry keeps pacing back and forth, his nerves were shot.

“Mr. and Mrs. Styles?” A nurse comes out. You think to correct her, but now isn’t the time.

“Yes?” You say standing up. Harry also notices you don’t correct her, and for a second he feels a little better.

“Come on back with me.” She smiles.

You take Harry’s hand and follow her to where Buster was. You hear him yip, it was like he was good as new.

“We had to put a brace on his back left leg. He has a slight sprain. We’re not entirely sure how. It didn’t look like he was hit by anything, he could have slipped and fell the wrong way. We gave him a shot to numb the pain as well.”

“Oh, thank you.” You throw your arms around him and he licks your cheek. “Mumma was so scared.” You kiss him a ton. Harry pats his back and gives him kisses too. “Don’t you ever run away from your daddy again, do you under stand me?”

“Miss…he’s a dog…not a small child.” She says with a blank expression. You turn to look at her slowly. Before you can say anything, Harry does.

“Listen, I’m sure you have to deal with stupid people all day, but this dog is our child at the moment, so if my fiancé wants to give him a stern talkin’ to for running away from me, then she will, and you can just keep your mouth shut, yeah?”

“Right.” She coughs nervously. “So, here’s his prescription, and some details on how to help his leg. You can check out up front, we’ll want to see him for a follow up.”

Harry takes the papers from her, and sets him down on the floor. He has a slight limp, but he’s able to walk. You practically white knuckle his leash as you lead him back to the lobby. They give you the medicine Buster will need, and out the door you go. You sit in the back with him again.

“Thanks for the backup in there.”

“Don’t mention it, I wouldn’t let some stranger disrespect you like that. I don’t care how silly she thought it was. He was bad runnin’ from me, even if he was scared, and he should know it.”

“We should stay in with him tonight, we have plenty of leftovers we can have for dinner.”

“I was thinkin’ the same thing. We need to get his leg on a pillow.”

You had texted Niall earlier to let him know Buster was found and safe. Harry gets Buster up to the apartment. You drag his dog bed over near the sofa and put some extra pillows in there.

“I need to go change, my clothes are still soaked.”

You nod at him as he walks down the hall. If the situation wasn’t so serious you might have joked about how sexy he looked, but maybe you were save that for some pillow talk later. He comes back out a few minutes later and looks at you.

“Do you even feel like eating?” He asks.

“No, I’m sick to my stomach.”

“Me too.”

You both sit on the sofa and sigh.

“I’m very upset with him.” You say. “But I’m glad we found him before it got dark out.”

“I just feel so stupid for letiin’ him get away in the first place.”

“Harry, it’s not your fault. Accidents happen. He knows not to run away, we trained him right.”

“It was like everything happened in slow motion too. As soon as I heard the thunder we looked at each other and I knew he was gonna do somethin’.” Buster looks up at Harry. “Yeah, I’m talkin’ about you, bub.” Harry leans down and pats his head.

“I’m gonna go make us a little food.”

“Thought you were sick to your stomach.” He smirks.

“I’ve calmed down a bit. He’s here with us now, that’s all that matters.”

“Alright, well in that case, I’d love some kugel please.”

“You got it.” You stand up and kiss his forehead.

You go into the kitchen and make up a couple of plates. Harry thanks you when you come back out.

“Do you feel like watching a movie?” You ask him.

“Sure! What did you have in mind?”

“You should pick, we always watch what I wanna watch.”

Harry smiles and flips through the different options of movies on the various platforms you both paid for.

“Oh! How about When Harry Met Sally?”

“Yeah! You know I’ve never seen it, but I’ve always wanted to.” Harry’s jaw drops. “What?”

“The Film Studies minor slash Film Club president has never seen When Harry Met Sally?”

“Romantic Comedies isn’t exactly a genre you study extensively, although, I know this film set a precedent.”

“I wish more were like it, to be honest. So do you feel like watchin’ it?”

“Definitely, now’s a good a time as any.”

“This is one of my all-time favorites, Y/N, I hope you like it.”

“I’m sure I will. I love Billy Crystal.”

He starts the movie as you both continue to eat. When you’re both done he sets the plates on the side table, and puts his arm around your shoulders, pulling you in close to him. Both of you put your feet up on the ottoman.

“It’s like we’re on a little date, isn’t it?” He asks you.

“Mhm.” You smile and snuggle in closer.

“Now that my weekends are freeing up, I wanna make more time for dates. I wanna take you to the movies, and go out for drinks.”

“So you essentially want to establish a date night?”

“That sounds so…boring when you say it like that, but yeah. We both always have so much going on, I just want to make sure we make time for this.”

“Me too, Harry. We can definitely have a date night.” You squint at the TV. “Wait, so what’s happening, why are they driving together?”

“So, they both just graduated from college, and he’s dating Sally’s friend. They both needed to go to New York, so she told Harry to drive with Sally.”

“Ah, okay. And that’s how they met.”

“They meet multiple times, they keep findin’ each other over the years.”

“Aww, that’s so cute!”

You both enjoy the rest of the movie. You tear up a bit when they fight and then hug it out. You can’t help but laugh a little towards the end when Sally tells Harry how much she hates him, and then they kiss. It reminded you a little of 10 Things I Hate About You.

“What did you think?” Harry asks yawning as the credits roll.

“I really liked it! I can see where a lot of other films took things from. It had a really good pace too, like I never felt bored.”

“I’m so glad to hear you say that.” He says with relief. “I feel like I kept watchin’ you to see your reactions.”

“I know you were.” You both laugh. “Do you think we should let him sleep with us tonight? If he whines in the middle of the night for his medicine I wanna be able to hear him.”

“Good idea, yeah, he can come in with us.”

Harry picks Buster up and carried him to your room. You do your nightly routine and get into bed. Buster lays at the both of your feet and falls asleep quickly. He must be exhausted from the entire ordeal. You knew you and Harry both were.

“Who’s he goin’ to work with tomorrow?” He asks he climbs into bed with you. “I’d take him, but somethin’ tells me he’s gonna want his mum.”

“I was thinking the same thing. I don’t have many meetings, so he’ll be fine with me.”

You both kiss goodnight, and snuggle up to fall asleep.

//

Buster was able to walk, but not for long period of time, so Harry makes sure to help get him into your car. You didn’t carpool on Tuesdays because you saw Dr. Mara right after work. Once you get Buster up to your office, you give him some medicine.

“Mornin’, here’s your…aww poor thing, look at him.” He hands you your coffee.

“I know, he scared us so bad. I’m just glad we found him and he’s safe. It’s only a sprain, so if we do everything right he should be back to normal in a few weeks.”

“Well that’s good at least. Why’d he run from Harry again?”

“The thunder from the storm yesterday scared him. I think it was too loud for him.” Niall nods.

“So, I’ve just been told we have a meeting this morning, like now, in the conference room.”

“Are you serious?” You groan. “I haven’t even gotten settled.”

“I think it’s quick, Sharon said we don’t even need our laptops.”

“Okay.” You sigh. “C’mon, Buster.”

He gets up slowly and follows you and Niall down to the conference room.

“Congratulations!”

“Oh my gosh!”

Everyone from your division was there smiling at you, and there were bagels and doughnuts out on the table.

“What is all this?”

“Niall told us all yesterday that you got engaged so we wanted to celebrate with you!” Trish says.

“This is so sweet! Thank you all so much.” You look at Niall. “You’re too good to me, thank you.” You both hug.

“And I got that lox you like too.” He points to it.

“What a treat! I’m glad I had a really light breakfast this morning.”

Niall splits a bagel with you, and put some lox and cream cheese on it. You show everyone your ring, tell them how Harry proposed and showed off a few pictures. They each give Buster a little loving as well, and he soaked it up.

Eventually you go to your office, after thanking everyone for the millionth time, and get some work done. You had a ton of emails to catch up on, and a couple of projects that needed to get started. You weren’t even hungry when lunch rolled around, so you just hung out with Buster in Niall’s office.

“Our new intern starts tomorrow.” He tells you.

“Oh? And what’s their specialty?”

“Once again, we have a social media/video editor. His name is Zach, and he’s a senior. He actually goes to where you went.”

“Oh, really? Well that’ll be fun. Maybe I could be like a mentor or something.” You shrug.

“We having a meeting with him tomorrow morning. I guess we have him all day on Mondays and Wednesdays.”

“Didn’t the school year already start? Why is he just coming to us now?”

“That was on our end, HR took forever to get everything processed.”

“Awesome.” You scoff. “Well, at least he’ll actually be able to get work done being here for full days.”

“Yeah, definitely. Hopefully this one won’t have a crush on you.” He laughs.

“Stop it.” You groan. “I never want to think about Matt ever again. You know I ran into him months ago at the bar? It was when we went out for Sarah’s birthday.”

“Oh you mean the night none of you wore bras and you got that bartender’s number?”

“Yup.” You sigh. “And it wasn’t like I asked for the guy’s number.”

“I know, I’m just givin’ yeh a tough time.” He chuckles.

//

You period ended Wednesday morning, which meant you could finally surprise Harry with something he had wanted for a long time, but you had to wait the entire work day to give it to him. Around 9AM you had your meeting with Niall and Zach. Buster was being very needy with you, and at on the floor between your legs with his head in your lap.

“He really is just like his father, huh?”

“Niall!” You burst out laughing and nudge his arm. “You can’t say stuff like that. What if the intern was here?”

“He’s not here yet.” He laughs.

“Buster’s just not liking the medicine he has to take. I feel so bad, he only wants me. I think Harry feels like a bad father.”

“Don’t all kids want their mum when they don’t feel well?”

“Hi, I’m so sorry I’m late, it took me forever to find parking, and then I had to get all the way up here.”

A young man with short black hair and blue eyes walks in. He looked to be just under six feet. He was wearing a blue button up tucked into some khakis. He looked nice enough. Niall stands up to shake his hand, you do the same. He’s startled when he hears Buster yip.

“S’no problem, Zach. Please have a seat.” Niall says to him.

“Is there a dog in here?” He sits down adjacent to you.

“Yeah, sorry, this is Buster. I bring him to work with me most days, I hope that’s alright.”

“Oh, sure! I love dogs, just didn’t see him.”

“Well, I’m Niall and this is Y/N. We’ll be supervising you this semester. This is basically an intake meeting. We wanna make sure we’re putting you on projects that make sense, and all that.”

“You also go to my alma mater.” You smile.

“Seriously? That’s great! And yeah, I brought my laptop with me, I thought I could show you some of the things I’ve done, if that’s cool.”

“That would be great!” Niall says.

//

After an hour with Zach, you and Niall show him where he’ll be working, and Niall gets him started on a few things. You liked him so far. He seemed smart and down to business, which is exactly what you were hoping for. Towards the end of the day he knocks on the outside of your door.

“Come on in, Zach.” You smile and he walks in. “Have a seat.” He does so and smiles at you.

“Um, so, I just wanted to say your name sounded a little familiar, and I realized that you founded the very film club that I’m in.”

“Oh my goodness, really?! I’m so happy to hear it still has members.”

“Tons! I also work in our alumni office on campus, and I think it would be really cool if you came to campus and spoke with the current members. Sort of show them that being in a fun club can also help lead to bigger opportunities. We could do an alumni spotlight on you for the magazine.”

“Do you really think that I’m worthy of the alumni magazine?” You scoff. “I get sent that thing in the mail all the time, and it’s always these stories about old people.

“Or random dudes. I think they should feature more women. The director of alumni relations would love this, I think. He’s really nice. Could I at least give him your email?”

“Sure.” You smile. “At any rate, I’d love to come to a film club meeting some time. I could show you all the projects we used to make together.”

“That would be amazing!” He beams. “I can’t wait to tell them. We meet on Thursday nights. This week would be too soon, I assume, but maybe next week you could come?”

“I’d love to.”

He gets up and thanks you for your time before leaving. He was a sweet boy.

//

You got home before Harry on Wednesdays, which was perfect for what you wanted to put together for him. You get Buster fed and settled before heading into your bedroom. You put on some black lace lingerie and then grab your navy pencil skirt to put on over it. After that you put on the blazer that goes with it, and button it up. You slide your feet into your nude pumps. You go into the bathroom and pin your hair up into a more formal bun. All you’d have to do is take one pin out and it would fall into your waves. You touch up your makeup, and make your way up to the loft.

Harry gets home and kicks his shoes off. Buster carefully trots over to him and Harry lets him lick his hand.

“Hey buddy, where’s mumma?”

“Harry, is that you?”

He looks up towards the loft.

“Yeah!”

“Could come here for a minute please?”

“Sure thing, one second!” He uses the bathroom quick and then heads up to the loft. His eyes grow wide when he sees you. “Did you have, like, an important meeting today or somethin’?”

“I always do.”

“Wait, you weren’t wearin’ that before you left this mornin’…”

“I always dress like this, I’m not sure what you’re talking about.” You wink at him and his eyebrows raise. His lips curl into a grin.

“Is…are we doin’ this?” You nod yes. “Okay, okay.” He takes a deep breath. “Go on.”

“So, um, right, we need to work late tonight…got a big presentation tomorrow.” You try to look as serious as possible.

Harry circles around you and stands right behind you. He dips his head down so his lips are at your ear.

“And what can I do to assist you?” You turn around to face him.

“You know, standing so close to me like that isn’t exactly professional.” You smirk. ��I’m your boss after all.”

“Right.” He leans against his desk. “Wouldn’t want anyone to think you play favorites with or anything.” He smirks. “Although, they already think that since I’m the only one you’re nice to.”

“That’s because you’re the only competent person here.”

“You know what I think the real problem is?”

“What’s that?”

“You can come off as uptight.”

“Well…I’m just always stressed.” You shrug. “It’s not easy being the CEO of a large company, you know?”

“I do know. That’s why you hired me, remember? To help make you less stressed, but in all honesty…I don’t think you’re using me to my fullest potential.” He grins.

Harry was amazing you. He had clearly wanted to do this for a while, and you were happy to finally be doing this for him.

“You think so, huh?” You cross your arms. “Enlighten me then, how could I be using you?”

He takes a step forward and uncrosses your arms. He takes one of the buttons on your blazer and twists it between his thumb and index finger.

“You walk around with so much tension in your shoulders. I could rub them for you, but you’d have to take this off…”

“I suppose that would be alright, but I’ll warn you, I don’t have much on underneath.”

“Doesn’t bother me if it doesn’t bother you.”

You nod and unbutton the blazer. Harry pushes it off your shoulders, and he gasps when he sees the black strappy bra that you’re wearing. You fold the blazer and lay it on your desk chair.

“This alright?” You smile.

“When did you get this, it’s really pretty.” You suck your teeth and look at him. “Shit, sorry.” You clears his throat. “Yeah, perfectly fine.”

You turn around and he starts to rub your shoulders. His thumbs knead into the back of your neck and you let out a soft moan.

“Good thing everyone else is gone for the day, or else they might get the wrong idea with noises you’re makin’.”

“Can’t help it, your hands just feel too good. Who knew you had such a gentle touch?”

One of Harry’s hands slides around to the front of your throat.

“And what if I wasn’t so gentle?” Your eyes grow wide, not that he can see. An ache starts to grow between your legs. “Got an answer for me, boss?”

You weren’t sure how to respond. You wanted him to really grip you, make it so you almost couldn’t breathe, but you were slightly scared that if you both got too caught up, you could have a flash. Although, you were almost positive Harry wouldn’t let that happen, so you decide to roll with it.

“I think…I could use a different way to de-stress.” You turn to face him. You put a hand over his and slide it down to the top of one of your breasts.

“I could get fired if HR finds out.”

“Who do you think signs their checks? I decide who gets fired around here, and it certainly isn’t going to be you.”

“Then I’d be happy to give you what you need.”

“And what exactly is that?”

That shit eating grin of his forms, the one where you can really see his dimples. His other arm snakes around your waist and pulls you close to him, so your hips are touching him. He removes his hand that’s on top of your breast to the back of your neck and pulls you to kiss him. You moan as his tongue enters your mouth. He was getting a pretty good taste of you. He lets go of you, and waits for your response.

“Ah.”

“Need a little more?”

“A lot more.”

You reach for the pin that’s holding your bun together and take it out. Your hair falls and you shake it out. Harry grabs you by your hips, and bends you over his desk. He hikes your skirt up and he groans when he sees the thong you’re wearing.

“You know, I think it’s a little…naughty of you to have been wearing this underneath your clothes.” You look at him over your shoulder. You give him a look that says, not too hard, and he nods in understanding.

You feel a smack, not necessarily on your ass, but more so right near your center. You mouth oh my god to yourself. You had zero idea he really wanted to do things like this with you. But then again, you weren’t really you and he wasn’t really him. Harry grabs your hips and places a hand on one of your cheeks so he can see his target better. You feel another smack and you gasp. He leans down so he can speak into your ear.

“See, you’re this really strong woman, and I think that’s great. But I think it’s time you’ve been taken down a notch, don’t you?”

“Yes.”

You hear him undo his pants, and then you feel him move your thong to the side. He grabs you by the back of your neck and pulls you up. He taps your bottom lip with his index and middle fingers. You take the hint and open up for him, sucking them into your mouth. You swirl your tongue around them and really make a show of it for him. He tracts them and the next thing you know he’s knuckle deep inside you. You loved it when he’d finger you from behind. There was something about the angle he was getting that always felt so good.

“You like that, boss?”

“Yes, please keep doing it.” You groan.

He pumps in and out of you, and you cry out when you feel him under you, lips wrapped around your clit. You claw at his desk as your legs start to shake. All of a sudden he stops and you look at him.

“Didn’t think I was gonna let you come so easily did you?” He raises an eyebrow at you. “You’re always so in control, but not tonight.”

He pushes you back down against the desk so your chest was flush with it. He removes your thong all the way and leaves it around your ankles. He bunches your skirt up around your hips and spreads you apart with his thumbs. He slowly inserts himself into you. As much as he just wanted to be careless and rough, he didn’t want to send you into a frenzy.

“Fuck, you feel so good.” He groans once he’s full inside. “So wet for me.” He pulls out and then slams all the way back in.

“Do that again.”

Harry happily obliges and fucks you like that for a few minutes. It was how you had wanted him to fuck you for a long time, and you were happy to be in a place where he could. He was starting to hit you g-spot and it was overwhelming.

“Shit, right there, that’s it!”

He could tell you were close, but he didn’t want you to think you could come yet. He grips the back of your neck with one hand, and squeezes your hip with the other.

“Are you close?”

“Yes!”

“You have to ask me if you can come.” He slows down his pace and rocks in and out of you.

“What?!”

“Ask me if you can come.”

“Can I come?!”

“What’s the magic word?”

“Please!”

Harry grins and picks up the pace again. Your moans and groans mixed with the sound of his skin slapping against yours. You come hard around him. He pulls out and comes on your ass. You groan when you feel the heat from it. You hear him zip his pants back up so you stand up and turn to face him. You weren’t sure if the role play was over or not. When you see his features soften and his reassuring smile form on his lips, you know it is.

“C’mere.” He holds his arms out for you, and you nearly trip into him since your panties were still around your ankles. “Whoops, sorry ‘bout that, baby.”

“S’okay.” You giggle as he kisses the top of your head.

“Let’s get you downstairs.” He picks you up bridal styles and carefully brings you down the spiral staircase. “So, to what do I owe this amazing surprise?” He carries you down to the bathroom and sets you down on your feet. He runs a rag under some warm water to clean up where he came on you.

“I just wanted to do something special for you since you proposed, but I couldn’t exactly do this for you while I was on my period…” You wince slightly when he cleans up near your center.

“Sorry…did I slap you too hard?”

“It didn’t feel like it while you were doing it.” You get out of your pencil skirt and Harry helps you get out of your strappy bra. You throw on some of his sweats and go into the kitchen with him. “We should probably take Buster out soon…”

“We can start cookin’ and then take him out. Right buddy?” He yips at Harry and he chuckles. “So…it was okay, all of it?”

“For doing in a role play, yes.” You rub the back of your neck. “But that’s the only scenario I want you talking to me like that, okay?”

“Fair enough.” He shrugs and wraps his arms around you. “Thank you.”

“Did it live up to the fantasy?”

“God, yes. Even more so. That was really cool of you, Y/N.” He kisses you quick. “So, what do you want for dinner? I’ll make whatever you want.”

“I think we have stuff for tacos, I picked up those meatless meat crumbles…”

“Tacos it is then.” He smiles.

“Come on Buster, mummy take you out quick while daddy cooks.” He tries to hide his smirk. “You wanted me to call you that earlier, didn’t you?” You say, crossing your arms.

“What would make you think that?” He asks facetiously and you roll your eyes. “All part of the fantasy, love.”

“What is it with guys and wanting to be called daddy, I really don’t get it. Why would you want me to fuck my father? Or have me picture my father?” You laugh.

“S’not what it’s about…it’s more of just like…a dominance thing. Like I said, it’s just part of the fantasy, I don’t actually want you callin’ me that unless it’s in reference to Buster.”

“Good, because that’s the only way I’m calling you that.” You smirk, and put Buster’s leash on. Harry gets to work on the tacos.

//

“Wow, Harry! This looks great!”

He had set everything up on the island like a little buffet so you could add all the fixings you wanted. You each eat three soft shell tacos and clean up when you’re done. You were stuffed. You both flop onto the sofa and relax.

“So…Glee?” He says to you.

“You read my mind.”

#my everything #take it slow #take it slow sequel #harry styles #harry styles imagine #harry styles x reader #harry styles y/n #harry styles x y/n #harry styles fluff #harry styles fic #harry styles fluff fic #harry styles smut #harry styles smut fic #fluff #smut #harry styles fanfic #thanks for being so patient! #hope you all arent on content overload with all the excitement today #hoping to post updates for this MWF #we shall see #come hang in my inbox!

[tangledstarlight]

julie’s ready for a year away from home, studying and trying to refind the magic in music. luke’s about to start on a summer tour around europe opening for a band. they meet one night, sparks fly and emotions run hight. now they’ve just got to try and see if they can maintain a long distance friendship.

days go by and seasons change (lets try again next winter)

trigger warnings!! alcohol and swearing and mentions of blood via food

also on ao3 –– [ 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | extras 1 & 2 ]

spring

“I still can’t believe you didn’t kiss him,” Flynn’s voice echoes through her phone where it’s propped against a book of Shakespeare’s poems and being stopped from sliding down her desk by her half eaten sandwich. Which hadn't been her best plan, because she was starving and now her sandwich was employed elsewhere.

“I’m not just going to kiss a random guy a met once,” she can see Flynn opening her mouth with a retort so jumps in to add, “I like him, yes, but I’d rather have him as a friend then an awkward one night stand situation that’s made even more awkward when I eventually run into him again because one of his bandmates is Carrie’s cousin.”

It all seems perfectly logical to her. Luke was cute, yes. And sure, she’d wanted to kiss him, but if it came down to one kiss or a new friendship? She was going to choose friendship. They’d connected more in one night then she’d connected with anyone in years. They got each other.

(What Julie hadn’t told Flynn or Carrie or anyone, was about the deal they had made. About how if by December, when she was wrapping up her year in England and they were finishing with their album and they were still talking, still felt the same, they’d try.

Julie didn’t mention it to anyone, barely even liked to think about it herself because she didn’t want to jinx it, didn’t want to spend time wondering what might happen when they tried. What trying even meant.)

“So you’re going to be friends?”

It’s pretty impressive, Julie thinks, how Flynn can convey her utter disbelief and amusement via a single eyebrow raise on a slightly blurry and pixelated facetime call. Maybe it’s the years of friendship that means Julie knows what she’s not saying or maybe it’s just Flynn’s power. Either way it has her pushing her laptop away with a sigh and picking up her phone. Scooping her sandwich up with her other hand. 

“Yes, we’re going to be friends. We can be friends. Do you not think we can be friends?” Julie furrows her brows, both in concern and how many times she’s said the word ‘friends’ in one breath.

“Of course I think you can be friends! He’d be lucky to be your friend, you’re amazing,” Flynn is quick with her reassurance, but Julie can tell there’s a ‘but’ coming and braces herself for impact. “But. The two of you spent practically the whole night together and have spent pretty much every day since talking. Plus, you’d have to be pretty blind to miss the way he was looking at you in the least friend way possible.”

Julie really hoped that the wifi connection was bad enough to hide the blush she could feel heating her cheeks at the reminder of the way Luke had looked at her. She had never really understood what books meant by ‘intensity of their stare’ before, but she was pretty sure it was whatever Luke was doing with his face and his eyes, somehow he could even do it through a facetime call. Personally, she thinks it should be illegal. His whole face. Banned. Fined every time he looked like he looked.

“Yeah, well,” Julie swallowed, tucking hair behind her ear for something to do while she tried to gather her thoughts and control her face. “We’re still going to be friends. And anyway, we’ll probably slowly stop talking before we ever meet again and he’ll find some extremely pretty girl on tour and fall madly in love and forget all about me.”

As long as she was telling herself that it meant she couldn’t be too disappointed when it came true. No point getting her hopes up.

“If you say so,” Flynn didn’t sound convinced and Julie rolled her eyes at her friend, sticking her tongue out childishly, to be rewarded with Flynn laughing.

“Now come on, enough about me and my awful love life. Tell me about this thing you're working on!”

// 

//

“Ow, crap.”

It’s not really the first thing you want to hear when you accept a phone call at 8am. Julie blinks at her phone as she pulls it away from her ear to double check the caller id and that she hadn’t imagined it ringing. But there’s Luke’s name and his slightly blurry photo staring back at her.

“Luke?” She asks, hears the sounds of a scuffle on the other end like someone juggling too many objects at once.

“Julie! Hey! Sorry, just spilt one of my coffees. Is black pudding made with blood?” Luke’s question catches her off guard. Her mind is still trying to process the mention of multiple coffees that it takes her a moment to register what he’s asking her. And it just causes more confusion to her half asleep mind.

“Are you really calling me at 8am to ask about black pudding? Why are you even awake?” She groans, collapsing back against her pillows and pulling the covers back up to her chin. It was Friday, she didn’t have class until 1pm, she was supposed to get to sleep late and he’d woken her up.

To talk about black pudding. Idly, she wondered if it was too early in their friendship to just hang up without it seeming too rude.

“Last night Reg said it was like haggis, but that doesn’t make sense, does it? Because I swear haggis is like, sheep. And you’d think blood pudding would be, y’know, blood. Given its name.” He kept talking away, apparently not at all discouraged by her lack of response.

Julie let her eyes fall shut as she listened to him talk, to his voice and not really what he was saying. He had a very nice voice, it was kind of soothing, letting his excitement and enthusiasm wash over her. How could someone be so enthused about a random food at 8am? Julie struggles to follow his train of thought and why she was his chosen person to call about the matter. But she doesn't think he really wants her input anyway. Just an excuse to call her.

She’d been guilty of a similar thing. Calling him for no real reason other than the fact she’d wanted to talk to him. At least when she’d called it had been at a reasonable hour and about something more interesting than a weird food dish.

“How long have you been up?” Julie cuts through his rant on weird British dishes, stifling a yawn against her covers.

“Er…” there’s a pause, phone line crackling as he seems to think, “Like an hour? I went out to get the boys coffee, because I’m super nice like that, but they were still asleep when I got back and I tried to wake ‘em up but Alex threatened to throw my guitar out the window so I wandered around the hotel for a while, drank my coffee, then I drank Alex’s as revenge, and then I got bored of walking around so now I’m sat in a park and talking to you. And drinking Reggie’s coffee. It’s the worst one. I hate oat milk.”

Julie can almost picture him, sitting on a random bench in a random park somewhere in Edinburgh, notebook and tangled headphones and three empty coffee cups next to him, all jittery caffeinated energy. It makes her smile and huff out a small laugh.

“You’re going to be so insufferable after all that coffee. They might kick you out of the band, abandon you somewhere in the highlands,” she teases.

“I’d just keep showing back up. Every time they tried to lose me I’d just show up again at the next venue with no explanation,” there’s a smile in his voice and Julie takes a moment to appreciate that she can tell. That they’ve talked enough now that she knows what he sounds like when he’s smiling, when he’s joking.

“Luke?”

“Yeah?”

“Go eat something with your fourth coffee please. I’m going back to sleep.”

“Shit, did I wake you up again? I thought you had a 9am on Thursdays.” He sounds so genuinely confused and concerned that Julie tries really hard not to laugh.

“I do. But it’s actually Friday, not Thursday.”

There’s a silence on the other end of the line and for a moment Julie thinks that maybe he’s hung up on her, but then he’s letting out a breathy laugh and she relaxes back against her mattress.

“Well fuck. That explains why they guys are still asleep and got pissed when I tried to wake ‘em up then.”

“Tour life is really messing with your days of the week, huh?”

“You’ve no idea,” There’s another pause and she hears rustling and footsteps and then, “I’ll let you go back to sleep. Talk later?”

There’s a note of hesitation in his voice and it makes Julie want to smile, so she does. “Yeah, talk later. Bye Luke.”

//

Julie spins around and around underneath a streetlight, her eyes locked above her as she watches the streams of light turn with her and make stars dance across her vision. A slight breeze blows her hair around her face and Julie lets out a laugh, light and airy like how she pictures all the bubbles in the drinks she's had tonight. 

She closes her eyes against a wave of dizziness and tries to imagine the stars.

There’s too many clouds in the sky for her to see the actual stars when she opens her eyes and it makes her pout, just a little. She likes to see the stars, to try and find constellations, and when she couldn’t do that, to make up her own.

Her phone makes a chiming sound in her hands and she whips her head down to look at it, Luke’s face filling her screen with a small frown, his eyebrows drawn together and a hair sticking up. A wide smile breaks out across her face and Julie raises her phone so it’s level with her face, even as she still spins around.

“Luke! Why are you on my phone?” Distantly, Julie knows she must be almost shouting, but she’s too happy and too drunk to really care.

“Er, you called me?” Luke sounds confused, but as Julie blows hair out of her face a small understanding smile tugs at Luke’s lips and Julie’s momentarily distracted by watching as the smile spreads across his face, reaching his eyes, one of his hands appearing in frame to push his hair out of his face. She stumbles to a stop, feeling a little dizzy from all her spinning and pounding heart.

“I did?” She doesn’t remember doing that, for a moment Julie frowns, lips pulling to the side as her eyes look at the ground before she blows out a breath and shrugs, looking back at Luke’s face on her phone. “Well, hi! We went out for drinks!"

Julie watches as Luke sits up in his bed, a light flicking on next to him and lighting up the room.

(In the morning, when she remembers this, she’ll probably feel bad about waking him, knowing his sleep schedule is already a mess. But right now, standing in the street halfway back to her dorm, two of her friends chatting a short distance away and a cute guy looking at her from her phone, she can’t really find it in her to feel bad. Just a giddy type of happiness.)

“You having a good night?” His voice is a little rough with sleep she notices, adds a gravely note to it that’s not normally there. Julie really wishes she could hear him talk like this all the time, first thing in the morning, in the middle of the night when one of them wakes up, after a nap in the middle of the day.

“The best! It would be more fun if you were here, though,” the words stumble past her lips without her even realising what she’s said. And she doesn’t notice the way Luke’s breath seems to catch through the speaker or the way his eyes widen a fraction or the way his smile turns more into a smirk. Whatever he’s about to respond with is cut off by Julie’s mind returning to her original disappointment of the night.

“You can’t see the stars here.”

Luke frowns a little and Julie tilts her phone so the camera is facing up and only the top of her head and her curls are in frame.

“See? No stars, only streetlights.” She pouts, tilting the phone back towards her with an exaggerated pout on her face that makes Luke laugh and Julie pout more. “Why are you laughing!? That’s mean! I miss the stars and you’re laughing!”

“Jules, it’s not like you can really see the stars all that much back home either,” he says it gently, but there’s still that teasing tone in his voice and hearing him call her ‘Jules’ makes butterflies form in her stomach.

“I still miss them.” She mutters, blowing out a breath and conceding the point. She’s honestly too drunk to even fight it and for a moment she sways slightly in place, her eyes staring just above her phone as she gets lost in her thoughts.

About stars and cute boys with calloused fingers and her friends who made her laugh and her mom who had taught her about constellations and how tired she suddenly feels.

“When we’re both back in LA I’ll take you somewhere you can see all the stars,” Luke says softly, so softly she almost misses it, but her eyes flicker down to the screen and lets a soft smile pull at her lips.

“I’d like that.”

#julie and the phantoms #julie molina #luke patterson #alex mercer #reggie peters #jatp #jatp fics #jukebox #rosie vs writing #* #*fics

[peace-coast-island]

Diary of a Junebug

Making music with bebop gyroids

Musical gyroids galore! Kelly, Ned, Gutsy, Livvy, and Lulu are here with us to enjoy the sunny weather and make some fun musical instruments. The gyroids were designed by Daisy Jane and Kelly with some input from Ned and Goldie - and they look (and sound) so awesome!

It's been so bright and sunny these past couple of days, it feels kinda unusual. Looks like the sunshine's come out early this year! No shorts yet, but we've pulled out the sunglasses, where I finally get to use my new shades Daisy Jane got for me. Pretty and functional is how I like it - though I'm pretty sure that Daisy Jane spent quite a bit on these sunglasses - not that I'm complaining as they're really good at what they're supposed to do. I feel so cool and badass wearing them!

With Livvy home for spring break, she and Gutsy figured, what better place to spend a short vacation than at a camp? Gutsy always wanted to drop by to visit us since we came to Charm Villa to see her a while back. And of course, she had to bring little Lulu along to explore the great outdoors with her. Good thing they chose to come during a campsite event! What better way to be introduced to the camp than a gyroid adventure?

Since the Coloratura Jazz Band Festival last year Kelly and Daisy Jane began working on gyroid designs inspired by the festival. Kelly really has a way with instrument designs, coming up with interesting ideas like an electric cello in the shape of a treble clef or a harpsichord that looks like one of those cool antique desks. That's why gyroid events are so much fun - you can craft so many creative things with them!

Joining Kelly is her best friend Ned, her partner in crime. They've been friends since high school, often attracting trouble although things end up working out in the end. Coincidentally, Kelly's mom is a private investigator and a few years back she worked with Gutsy on a case involving a farm at Cedar Pickett. Kelly and Ned got involved and wound up riding horses along the infamously dangerous canyon trail to catch a criminal. They all remembered each other after all these years as it was an interesting case. It's fascinating how small the world can be sometimes!

Ned, according to Kelly, is a world class baker when it comes to pies. She wasn't exaggerating. He and his dads run a bakery/nightclub called Dub Step Pie Club. Despite the name, it actually looks like a pretty cool place. I should drop by there the next time I visit the island.

At first glance, Kelly and Ned seem like an unlikely duo. In a way, they kinda remind me of Daisy Jane and Almie - the bubbly outgoing one paired with the introverted quiet one. Kelly's the one dragging Ned into her schemes, usually involving her mom's cases. Ned has an unusual connection with the dead, so every once in a while he and Kelly end up with a murder mystery or a ghost with unfinished business. They have a fun dynamic, those two.

In between gyroid hunting sessions, we hung out at the main campsite and did a little baking. Ned taught us how to make pumpkin brownie pecan pie, a specialty at the Dub Step Pie Club. That, along with the cubeyberry pie he brought from home, were some of the best pies I've ever had! Tomorrow we're gonna make peach lolliberry pie, another favorite at the club.

Lulu's so cute when it comes to finding gyroids! Seeing her get excited and waddling around while carrying a gyroid - which looks huge in her little arms - my heart just can't take it! She's also become quite a chatterbox - I love hearing her point out things at the camp and getting excited about everything. Lulu's definitely the type of kid who's not afraid to take a tumble and get her hands dirty. It's so cool to see more of her personality come out, especially now that she's talking. If Lulu keeps this up, I'm pretty sure Kelly's gonna straight up die of cuteness before the end of this event.

Livvy has been enjoying the great outdoors, especially after a stressful couple of weeks at school. She's a business major with a minor in humanities - the latter which kinda happened and she decided to go along with it because, why not? It's more work, but she's not complaining too much because she enjoys the classes. Since going off to college, Livvy started a study/productivity vlog called coffeelivvy, where she posts about study tips as well aesthetic and practical notes. I enjoy watching her videos while journaling, especially her plan with me bullet journal videos.

Gutsy's been busy with Lulu and the cafe. She's into making bread these days so later this week we're gonna make baguettes, which sounds fun! I'll admit, the process of making bread - as in with yeast and proofing and such - sounds kinda intimidating, but with a pro like Gutsy, the process seems less daunting. Since working at the cafe, Gutsy found out that she has a knack for baking as well as making latte art. So along with some decadent pies, we also got to enjoy lattes with the pretty milk foam designs - a winning combo that's perfect for a camping event!

Kelly's on spring break too, a well deserved vacation after a busy semester. She reminds me of Alex and Claire, being the kind of person who does a lot of extracurriculars and manages to be on top of everything academically. Along with being in the Coloratura Jazz Band, Kelly's also a volunteer of the Asian Pride Film Festival, a video editor for Leicester Academy Theater, an RA, and captain of the badminton team. She also plans to take summer classes and go to Amsterdam for the the fall term, graduating in the winter.

Ned, of course, is managing the bakery of Dub Step Pie Club while juggling classes at Seashore Path. After taking a year off due to burnout, he returned for the spring semester, changing his major from English to business marketing. So far Ned finds his second go of college much less stressful than when he first enrolled, which is great to hear. I hope things turn out better for him this time around.

While collecting gyroids at Lost Lure Creek, we ended up taking a detour through the acorn trail. It's one of many places I haven't got to exploring yet so it was the perfect opportunity to finally check it out. Kelly took a bunch of pics of the trees with its warm autumnal colors. This area of the woods looks like it's fall all year round and it looks so pretty! And of course, the trees are full of cute little acorns that we had to take back to the camp.

Later on, while crafting gyroid furniture, we painted the acorns. It's been a long while since I've painted so naturally I was a little rusty at first. The idea for a painting session came about when Kelly mentioned that she and a friend led a Bob Ross style painting event at their dorm building that everyone enjoyed. Peaches and Lolly just bought some new paints so it was the perfect opportunity to try them out. I think my favorite is the acrylic gouache - something about painting with them is so satisfying to me.

Then we hung out at the beach, collecting shells, sea glass, and gyroids. Although it's bright and sunny out, it's not warm enough to go swimming yet. It was nice sitting out there under the warm sun, just hanging out with friends. We also did some fishing, catching some tuna that we later made into poke bowls for dinner. And for dessert, we had cubeyberry pie paired with a bottle of peach wine, courtesy of Gulliver.

Before heading back to the main camp, we dropped by the hangout sites to collect more gyroids before calling it a day. Lulu enjoyed helping out campers by bringing them fruit. I love seeing her chatter away to the campers and talking about fruit. Gutsy says that Lulu isn't afraid of strangers, which we clearly saw as she approached everyone she met. She's a little handful, keeping Gutsy and Livvy on their toes! I swear, you blink for less than a second and next thing you know, Lulu's run clear across the camp and trying to climb a tree or get into the water.

At some point, we got into an impromptu musical session starting with Kelly on the drums. Then Ned joined in with maracas, Livvy and Friga on guitar, Benedict on double bass, Soleil on keyboards, me on the toy piano, and Gutsy and Daisy Jane on percussion. Lulu was so cute dancing along to the music! I think we made a pretty good band - it sure helped passed the time while waiting for the gyroid stuff to be built!

Today we crafted the harpsichord, a galaxy themed dulcimer/synth, and a star shaped hybrid of a ukulele and violin. Like I said earlier, the designs of these instruments are amazing! Plus, they sound fantastic! We had so much fun making music - I can't wait to build more stuff and create even more music!

#animal crossing #animal crossing pocket camp #Diary of a Junebug #headcanon ramble

[fallen029]

I’ve been busy. 

Want the beginning of the next OpB part? :)

Operation Bosco: Revisited, III

Sometimes, it was difficult to remember his mother.

She’d come to him in flashes, other times, in strange remembrances of an age he’d mostly blocked out now. There was a certain scent in the air, during the summer, that permeated around the region in which he’d been born and when he caught whiffs of it, in his travels around Bosco now, it immediately sent him back to those nights.

That place.

Shae told him it was a good thing, that he didn’t remember it.

She couldn't exactly relate, personally, to his story, as she’d grown up in Joya, in a loving home with both a mother and a father, where she never even dreamed of the atrocities that were taking place down the river, but that didn’t mean she couldn’t empathize.

It didn’t take a genius to realize, having been born into the trade, there had to have been very little, if not none at all, of Xavier’s life that should be carried over. And Shae thought it was best for him to put it all behind him, if he could.

“You have a new life now,” she’d told him when the first had just met, joining up with Astra’s fledgling group, when things still seemed bright and possible. “Here. With everyone.”

And he was happy for it.

Honest, he was.

But as those two years came to pass and he’d watched so many people that he was excited to get to know walk away from the trade.

Everything was falling apart.

Astra took him to the side once, out on the tiny porch as she smoked and the sun set, him fiddling with his unloaded gun, cleaning it, and maybe in another life, they could be something else. Siblings. Out in the dead of nowhere. Watching their life pass them by.

But things weren’t different and he didn’t know Astra well, maybe, but he knew her enough, he always thought, and he wanted to do anything she asked. He’d always had. Not just because he thought she was attractive (because, oh, he did) or because he had nowhere else to go (that was also a rather big one), but because he just believed in her.

In them.

It was the first time that he’d ever truly felt like he was apart of something, not even a family, really, maybe, but something and to watch it die, slip through their fingers, without accomplishing anything at all…

He’d been hurt. So much. In his very short life. But to have a task, no matter how small, in dismantling the thing that had hurt him felt like a step towards healing that.

He couldn’t give it up without fighting for it.

“Richard’s thinking about heading back home. To his guild.” Astra had taken a long inhaled, he remembered, because there was such an extended pause, maybe left for him to fill in the gaps on his own, but when he didn’t speak, she took care of any guessing. “And I want you to go with him.”

“What? No, I have to stay here. And patrol and-”

“Patrol what? Everyone’s gone.”

“Astra-”

“I made a mistake, X.” It felt weird for her to admit such a thing, to him of all people, but maybe she wasn’t. Speaking to him, at least. She didn’t look at him, anyways. Just out into the sunset. “In coming here. I just always thought-”

“You just have to give it a little bit more time.” He frowned over at her. “We’re all already here. Me, you, Shae; we’re not going anywhere. And Richard will stay if you ask, I bet. Maybe things will be even better, just the five of us. Can’t we just hold out? A little longer?”

She didn’t answer him, that night. Only sighed and he went back to his gun and it would only be a few more weeks before Haven and Locke arrived.

He found he really liked them as well.

Richard was hard to get along with and too old, really, to entertain a lot of Xavier’s nonsense, but Locke was always a good sport about most anything. And Haven was always willing to throw down, in the yard, with him.

He loved the idea of freeing Bosco, of working to do so, but…

The past few months, he mostly just love the feeling he’d gotten. Even into the summer months, where the smell of the fresh grass and late evenings usually sent him swirling backwards, towards the uncomfortable memories of his past usually crippled him, but not this time.

This time he had training to focus on, people to talk to, Haven, Shae, and Locke to bother.

Liberation of the country felt so distant and almost unreal, but if attempting it meant perpetually living the life he was currently, Xavier was content.

“You’ll come back with us, one day,” Haven told him once, when they patrolled together, late at night, and he asked her what she would do, when she got back to her guild.

She’d claimed she’d probably be awarded S-Class immediately, as well as drown in all of the praises of her family and associates. Plus, marry Locke or whatever and all that dumb shit, she’d added though the former thought seemed far more intriguing to the woman.

X had smiled in agreement, nodding his heads in all the right places, before wondering allowed if he’d have a proper place, really, stuck between Bosco and Fiore, but Haven had only made a face as she insisted on her previous statement.

“I have a cousin your age,” she’d continued on. “Ajax. You guys could even be a team if you ever figure this magic thing out. You’ll be a hero too. Just...not as much as me”

And he’d shoved her and she shoved right back, with a bit of electricity behind it, and Xavier liked it there.

With all of them.

So much.

It’s why he missed them so much when they were all gone.

He’d begged and begged to be allowed to go to Joya, but Astra insisted he had to remain behind before she took off as well, back for Bosco to hook back up with Richard, where he also wasn’t allowed to go, and it just wasn’t fair.

It was never fair.

For all he was supposed to feel in charge, Xavier felt that most of the women from the Factory still defaulted to following the lead of the three that had been in charge of them there while the few that stuck around from Ewing’s manor kept to themselves as well. It made it difficult for him to exert any sort of control over anyone when they all seemed intent on ignoring him all together.

There was one person, though, who couldn’t find herself rid of him.

Nessa was a...complex case.

One that, in an ideal state would be handled by someone who wasn’t awkwardly juggling his own previous baggage. She shouldn’t have been shoved off on Xavier, but there wasn’t quite anyone else on the property that could deal with her either and it was just the worst case scenario being played out as everyone was too busy to accurately solve it.

He didn’t get to spend a lot of time around kids his own age growing up. There were other children on the property, but they were the ‘Master’s’ actual children, with his actual wife. Locke told him, once, when he was explaining it all to him late one night that they were his half siblings, if the Master was his father, as he surmised, and that sounded right to Xavier, maybe, but it had never felt that way.

It wasn’t until he was sold away, after the Master’s death and his oldest son took over, that Xavier was able to escape, tumbling out of a transport vehicle and lucking into stumbling upon a meeting in a nearby forest that Astra was holding.

Fate, she told him as she ran her hand over his arm and, just like that, the thing that had always marked him, kept him contained.

Enslaved.

There were no children in Astra’s group and, originally, he was meant to be brought back across the boarder, into Fiore preferably, and dropped at an orphanage. It was great there, she’d insisted to him. Learn a bit of magic and you could make your own way eventually.

But it was overwhelming.

The idea of it.

Being sold off from his home had been difficult enough, but to now suddenly be free…

He’d imprinted on her. That’s what owe of the guys who used to be around claimed, when they thought Xay was asleep one night. Astra was his savior, atop being a rather pretty young woman, and it was unlikely for the boy to be easily parted from the woman. And when he begged and cried and insisted, throughh tears, that he could contribute, if she just let him try, if she just let him stay, he’d be the most productive member of her group, he swore, Astra just…

Gave in.

To it.

At the time they weren’t doing anything too dangerous. Outside of, well, hoping to overthrow not only a regime, but also a way of life that was so ingrained in the culture, it would surely tank everything to rip it away.

Mostly, back then, they passed out fliers.

And X was allowed to go to Bosco often anyways. Astra kept him save back at base, where he was taught by some of the older guys how to fire a rifle and instructed to keep patrol around the property. He did this with pride, walking around the perimeter and watching, nightly it felt like at times, as instead of keeping people out, he tried to keep people in. People liked to dip, in the middle of the night, to never return, rather than face the rather persuasive Astra and Xavier tried his hardest to keep them there, to keep every single person who slipped out there, but there was just nothing he could do.

Things felt different, when Haven and Locke came. Yes, there was no one left, really, and yes, things felt like they were falling apart, but Astra agreed to try, to really try again, and he knew that they’d change things. The two of them. He hadn’t been raised in Fiore, but even he’d heard of the power of Fairy Tail.

And, well, he liked Haven and Locke for other reasons too.

Even though he was mad at them before they left, when he was given the directive of looking over things while they were out atop keeping up with Nessa, he intended to do so to the best of his ability.

“I told you,” he bragged to Nessa that first day everyone had cleared out and it was just him, only him, that was supposed to run things for a few days. “I’m a top dog around here.”

In her time definitely not being held captive, nope, not at all, Nessa had found use of her time in the same way she’d spent all her other days, back on the manor, cooking and cleaning where need be. She kept busy this way, not unlike how Xavier was placated with a gun and a job, when he first arrived.

They lacked something, growing up the way they had, and the idea of fun and games was beyond children or teens in their positions.

At that moment, as he was lording this over her, Nessa was actually in the main house for once, sorting through some stacks of maps and things that had been left strewn about the living room. Astra had told Xavier one of his jobs was to pick up in her absence, but that sounded like a lot of work and he figured he could kill two birds with one stone by shuffling Nessa into the house to do this portion of his work for him.

“It’s quite dusty,” she’d told him softly and, well, yeah, maybe, but it was home.

Now though, she was folding and placing maps and papers while he bragged himself up and it felt like a good day.

A great one even.

“The top dog, huh?”

This didn’t come from Nessa. Even she looked up, surprised at the voice. Neither she nor Xay had noted the nearly silent opening and closing of the back screen door and both teen’s jumped some, to find Wanda standing there, her eyes accusatory and sent towards the boy. But, as his surprise wore off, Xavier only laughed some with a nod, not feeling the least bit of unease Wanda had tried to force upon him many times.

This was his home, here. He was safe.

He was the top dog.

Of course.

“Wanda,” Nessa spoke her name with a bit of a bow of her head, looking back at her maps before her as she said, “We’re cleaning up. It was Mistress Astraea’s orders-”

“She is not,” Wanda reminded the girl softly, “a mistress.”

“Nope,” Xavier agreed with a slight laugh. “She’s just Astra.” But, then he paused, thinking, and remarked, “Well, I guess she couldda been one. A mistress. But she’d probably like to be called Master a lot better. Haven told him that Mistress sounds weaker, so-”

“What do you mean?” Wanda had gone over to where Nessa sat, before the coffee table, to glance over the papers she was straightening up. “About Astraea?”

“She’s, like, apart of a top family or something.” He even shrugged, not too concerned. “She couldda been a Mistress. I guess. Who cares about her though? I’m the one in charge now.”

“For,” Nessa whispered a soft correction, “now.”

He stopped short, Xay did, to smile over at the other teen as she blushed a bit, at her own words, unable to help as a laugh escaped his lips. He’d never rightly heard her do it before, rib him, even in the lightest of ways, and it felt like something close to a breakthrough.

Maybe.

Her mother frowned though, glancing between them before remarking, “Don’t you have something else you should be doing then? Boy? If you wanna be the one in charge around here-”

“I am the one in charge around here.”

“For,” Nessa whispered softly again, “now.”

“Well, the people outside who are meant to be partaking in training seem rather lost without you,” Wanda informed him. “Not to mention, I think there was some confusion on the schedule for lunch-”

“Crap.” Xavier took off then, running even, as he refused to allow his first post as leader to be undermined. He couldn’t risk one of the other men or women to fill in, perhaps even have Astra take notice of them, and then the top hierarchy he was on be put even further out of reach. Still, to Nessa, he managed to call over his shoulder, “I’ll see you later, okay?”

Which left the girl with the mother she knew about as well as the boy, honestly. Blushing now for another reason, she busied herself with cleaning while the older woman merely looked after the teenage boy.

It would be a strange few days back on the property.

[oddcoupler222]

Akskdkdk I’m not crying I just got some tww feelings in my eyes and to the rest of tww fans you’re welcome (I’m the biggest one of them all) let it be multi chapter 🤲🏻

did i take one person asking for something and turn it into a spinoff semi romance novel? i… may have.

Eliza -

Colleen -

(for funsies)

 Fall 2018

Eliza wouldn’t say she loved her work study job in the registrar’s office. But she had friends with various other jobs throughout campus, and she knew because of their tales that her job wasn’t the worst.

Would she love to trade with her new friend, Sara, and have the job in the printing lab in the library, where she would just have to un-jam the printer and restock it with paper, then sit on her laptop? Of course. But she was also nosy as fuck and she got a lot of insider info from her supervisor here. Plus, she got all of the registration codes early. So who was the real winner?

Still Sara.

“Hello? Hi. I’m sorry, are you busy? I’m - I’m not trying to be obnoxious, but I really really have to get into a class, and I have nowhere else to go to ask. I’ve tried the professor, I’ve tried her TA. I’ve asked all of the upperclassmen I know. And this is the final stop before I may very well have a breakdown.”

A frantic, pleading voice interrupted her IG scrolling. It was technically one of her two fifteen minute breaks that she got during her five hour shift. She intended to tell the interloper that she would have to wait until the other side of the office didn’t have a line, because where her desk was, was technically closed.

But Eliza had never seen an angel in real life before. And she was such a simple, simple lesbian.

Never in her life had she ever been struck like this, though. The tousled blonde hair that she could see was usually nice and orderly. The clothes that screamed an upper-middle class (at the very least) background, though trendy.

Blue eyes crystal clear but starting to brim with tears.

“I’m not busy. What can I do for you?”

“Thank the gods! In order to graduate on time with my major and both of my minors, I need to double up on some courses. Which means I have to take some courses before I’m technically supposed to. So, I got permission to take Ethnicity and Identity with Dr. Oakhart next semester, even though it’s a semester early. Because I need to take Cultures of Essos the semester after, and it’s a prereq. But it took forever to get permission to take Oakhart’s class early; I had to basically camp out in her office,” a little laugh fluttered out, anxiously. “And now? She gave me permission but told me she wouldn’t let me jump the waitlist. I just. I really need to get into that class. Can you even just tell me how long the waitlist is, maybe? Please?”

Someone was wound extremely tightly. It wasn’t usually something Eliza, as a laidback person, enjoyed. But she was already charmed.

“Let me check.”

She typed in her credentials into the system as she surreptitiously glanced up at the girl. Her cheeks were flushed and seven hells. She was cute.

“You really camped out in her office?”

“Huh?” A fleeting smile flashed over her face, and it warmed everything inside of her. “Oh. Well, I know it sounds crazy in retrospect. I can just sometimes get very focused.”

“I gotcha.” Eliza did not, in fact, relate. But her pretending to put this girl at ease.

She pulled up Oakhart’s Gender and Identity class for the spring – and yikes, there was a waitlist a mile long.

“That’s not a good face.”

“Ouch.” She kidded.

“Gods! No, your face isn’t -”

She stopped her before she could ramble anymore. Especially because she wasn’t sure she could handle some sort of mangled compliment from this gorgeous creature without stumbling over herself. “It’s cool. Uh, yeah, no the waitlist isn’t bad.” She lied through her teeth.

“It’s not?” The could-be model’s voice was as incredulous as it should be, as she tried to lean over the counter to see the computer. Like she had to see to believe.

And Eliza quickly turned the computer more toward herself, “Uh, you can’t - against policy-” once again, the lies.

“Sorry. That was probably crossing a line.” She blew out a deep breath and her shoulders deflated. “I guess, can you just put me on the bottom of the list?”

“Yeah,” she lied, fully intending on breaking the rules, as she clicked the top of the waitlist to flag her into the class. “I just need… your name.”

She very much wanted to learn her name.

“Colleen Durand. D-U-R-A-N-D,” she spelled it, and Eliza could very easily see that she’d spelled her name or heard it spelled just so in order to get places in life many times.

She typed her name into the first place on the wait list. “I imagine you will probably hear about this class sometime soon. Don’t fill this block on your class schedule.”

An all too brief, but brightly blazing smile stole her breath. “Thanks so much.” Colleen checked her wrist, a nice looking silver watch glinting in the light coming in from the window. “Gods, I have to go. All right. Thanks again.”

“You’re welcome!” She called after her.

Colleen Durand. She loved the registrar’s office.

Spring 2019

Approaches to Comparative Literature… was a joke.

Colleen rarely thought of classes like that, because all she had in her head was her mother’s voice, saying, “If I’m paying for you to go to a public institution“ - even though it wasn’t in the top 5 universities in the nation (god forbid she go to a public university, even if it was ranked as one of the top ten colleges in the country) - “You’d better be bringing back nothing short of straight A’s.”

She was a junior in college, was on track to graduate at the top of her class even with having two minors - she took 6 classes a semester, not counting the summer and winter semester courses she took. And she took all of them seriously - took color coded notes by hand, sat in the front of the class.

But this course… she just couldn’t. She tried for the first two weeks, learned that the professor left much of his job up to the TA, and then said TA had hit on her in an extremely slimy way and she - well, after that she started slipping into the back row. Just this one class wouldn’t hurt.

She was the only one in her row and sitting in the back gave her a whole new perspective.

It especially gave her a perspective on the girl she’d only known as Nice Girl at the registrar office who doesn’t think I’m crazy before now, and now she knew her name - Eliza.

Eliza, she’d learned from sitting in the front, types vigorously during every class on her laptop and occasionally makes very funny commentary.

It was only in switching her seat to sit behind Eliza that she realized she isn’t taking notes on her laptop, but was instead just being very active on various social medias. Mostly twitter.

@elizathesapphicSCREAMING my TA just announced that some of our earliest lgbt writers were great friends and roommates. i could teach this course better lmao

She wasn’t wrong.

@elizathesapphica limerick -there once was a TA from hellwhose hair is rock solid from gelhis voice is nasally and gratinghis ignorance is so fucking frustratinglet’s not forget he’s smarmy as well

Colleen had genuinely had to smother a laugh from that one. And, it turned out, from many others. The semester passed in a blur of moments - her twentieth birthday, an intense and stressful visit from her mom, juggling 6 courses and her first practicum - but Eliza stands out.

They don’t talk, because… well, what would they even talk about? They seem like really different people and Eliza is super lively, but she learns a lot about her.

If it wasn’t obvious from her twitter handle (obviously), she’s a lesbian. Who very much loves Margaery Tyrell - someone Colleen vaguely knows is a recently out politician - and Sansa Stark - who Colleen is very familiar with, because of the writings she’d done and the classes she’d taken that Sansa had TA’d for before she’d finished her master’s - and their very public relationship.

As well as many, many other lesbian celebrities and television shows that Colleen does not watch or follow, but is still entertained by because Eliza is entertaining.

At the end of the semester, she follows Eliza’s twitter on the account she never uses that is basically untraceable to her. It has her name on it, sure, but nothing else. No pictures. No retweets.

But Eliza’s twitter is good for a laugh and sometimes she needs that.

Fall 2019

“Ohhhh my godddd, Sara. Can you believe it’s her?” Eliza wrapped her arm around her best friend’s shoulders, pulling her close - as if they could shrink back against the wall behind them.

They were going home the following day for winter break and so it seemed like everyone who had an off campus apartment was throwing a party. Which was great because Eliza hadn’t gone out this semester much at all. There had been too much work and too much - uhhh well, being lazy and not wanting to leave her dorm when she could binge watch shows with Sara.

Sara elbowed her in the side accidentally as they fell back against the wall. “It’s who?”

She pointed across the large living area full of tipsy-to-drunk college students, to the front door. “Colleen! She - I don’t think she ever comes out? Why do you think she is right now?”

Sara’s eyes rolled before she jostled their shoulders. “Oh you mean your cruuuush. I don’t know, it’s the end of the semester. Everyone’s out. It’s not a big deal.”

Eliza ignored her and stared at Colleen as she and a friend Eliza recognized didn’t know the name of - she was a master social media creep but that didn’t help when someone didn’t have social medias - chatted and made their way across the room.

And her heart started racing. “Oh my gods. Oh. She’s coming over here. Do you think she -”

“We’re right next to the drinks, why do you think she’s coming over?” Sara’s retort quickly popped her rapidly inflating hopes, and she trained a critical eye on Colleen-Gorgeous-Durand. “That is dream crush girl?”

Eliza spun so quickly to face Sara that she nearly sloshed her vodka cranberry over the rim of her cup. “How can you say it like - like that? Look at her!”

“I mean. She is pretty. In a buttoned up way.” Sara turned to face her, having to tilt her head up just enough to quirk an eyebrow. “Is that your type? You haven’t dated much in our eight month friendship tenure.”

Eliza scoffed. “No! No. I don’t have a… type.” She started slapping Sara’s arm, “Ohhhh gods, she’s coming, she’s coming, she’s -”

Sara caught her hand and held it tight, hissing, “Calm down, you look insane.”

Colleen approached them with a nervous looking smile. “Hey. Can I ask where you got your drink?” She surveyed the table in front of her, dubiously, “I just don’t really see the mixer I want -”

It was like an automatic reaction. Eliza’s hand shot out and offered her cup, “Take it! Still full. Just made it. Made tons of them. See?” She held it up so the rim reflected the dim light. “I didn’t take a sip yet or anything. I can go make another cup.”

Those sky blue eyes were so brilliantly light and she gave the slightest twitch of an eyebrow as she accepted Eliza’s drink. “Um… thanks?”

“Yeah. No prob. Enjoy.” She grinned, knowing it was too bright for the moment, but whatever.

She felt triumphant, even when Sara collapsed against her in a fit of giggles as Colleen walked away. “Holy shit. I see now why you haven’t dated.”

“Um, what is that supposed to mean? She sought me out.” Now that she replayed the interaction, though, she could… sort of… see where she’d gone wrong.

Oh, fuck.

Sara only laughed harder, letting Eliza’s hand go and wrapping it around her waist in a hug. “Listen.” She tried to calm her laughter. “Listen. What I just witnessed means one of two things: your crush is an absolute idiot who took a drink from you, a weird ass stranger at a party. Or she actually somewhat recognizes you, too, and doesn’t think you’re a creepy stranger.”

“Oh, fuck. Now I need to find more cranberry juice.”

Spring 2020

“Who’s that girl over there? She keeps looking at us.” Colleen’s friend and flatmate, Natalia, commented. They were in the dining hall, which is a rarity since they hadn’t lived on campus since they were freshmen.

“What girl?”

“Pretty, dark hair, dark eyes. She has like 4 piercings up her ear. She has a rainbow pin on her backpack. Seems gay.”

Pretty with dark hair and eyes, the earrings, and the dead giveaway rainbow pin already tells her it’s most likely Eliza Harlow, even before she turns and looks. Colleen rolls her eyes. “How does she seem gay? Besides the rainbow pin,” she adds on, even though she knows - of course Eliza Harlow is gay.

Her still very active twitter is still hilarious and very, very full of lesbian pop culture. It’s gotten almost kind of frustrating, the fact that Eliza never really posts anything about herself on her twitter. Colleen definitely knows she is a lesbian more than anything - she posted something just last night about a pro soccer player and proclaimed that her lesbian heart wasn’t going to survive her coming out.

But she never posts anything about her own life. It’s not like Colleen cares? But she can’t help but be intrigued. It’s weird. But maybe that’s just the culture they live in these days.

She still turns and looks where Natalia is pointing, anyway. Sure enough, Eliza is sitting - backpack perched on the table next to her bagel, rainbow pin on display - with her ever present friend whose name Colleen knows is Sara (thanks, twitter). Pretty with her dark hair curling, as usual, over her shoulders.

And, Natalia was right. She’s throwing looks over at them.

Eliza had spoken to her for the first time, without having to do so for a class project, last week. She’d tossed her backpack over her shoulder super casually - Colleen had noticed out of the corner of her eye, as she’d packed up her own bag - and approached her.

“Can I borrow your notes?”

Colleen was always loathe to part with her notes. She took pride in them - even color coded them - and she doubted that strangers would take as much care with them as they deserved.

But Eliza… well, she didn’t really know her. But she didn’t feel like a stranger either. Especially with her eyes looking all hopeful and nervous. She wondered if Eliza had fallen behind in class with all of the work she was doing on her social medias. Or on her work for the internship she had at the Red Keep (thanks, twitter).

She’d handed over her notebook with a smile that was genuine.

“Whatever. The rainbow pin is why she seems gay, fine. But she’s coming over here.” Natalia brings her back to the moment, making a face at the meatloaf she’s eating before she pushes the tray away. 

Colleen sat up straighter, dropping her own fork. “That’s Eliza. We’re in Valyrian Lit class together.”

Eliza walked even closer, looking… apprehensive. Her big, expressive eyes were downcast, as she worried at her generous bottom lip. Which was weird because no, she didn’t know Eliza personally. But she kind of did know her personality. And she was not apprehensive.

It took a moment for Colleen to notice the notebook in her hands. And that it wasn’t the same green one - always green notebooks for lit classes - she’d given Eliza three days ago.

“Hey! Colleen! Hey. Uhhh. I have… your notebook.” Eliza held out the notebook toward her, shifting back and forth on her feet. “Your notes were - great. Such a help.”

“No problem, but…” Colleen eyed the notebook - a mint green as opposed to her hunter green. “That’s not mine.”

“No, it is! I - it is.” Eliza cleared her throat and slid it down onto the table. “It’s definitely yours, now. Um. The thing is. My obnoxious roommate  - I didn’t choose her? I was supposed to live with my friend, but then housing got all messed up and. It’s a whole thing,” she waved her hand, and Colleen, despite being so anal about what the fuck happened to her notebook, couldn’t help but be entertained. “The point is, she spilled her coffee all over your notebook.”

“What?!” All the gods, her notes. All her time and color coordination. And that had all of her handouts and - fuck. Dr. Lannister was not an easy professor to pass, his exams were notoriously difficult -

“Ohhhh, shit,” Natalia whispered.

Eliza quickly flipped the notebook open, frantically pointing at the pages. “No! Wait. I, I dried out your notebook and spent all last night re-writing your notes. I tried finding a matching notebook, but this was the only green one they had at the store. And I bought colored pens, because I figured out the color system, too. It’s all there. I swear. And I made copies of all of the handouts and put them in the back. Thanks. For the notes. I’ll never ask again, I swear.”

She hitched her backpack over her shoulder without another word and spun on her heel.

Colleen leaned over the table to peek at her notes and… wow. Eliza really did figure out her color coding system, even down to the obsessive tonal color changes for different types of literature. And. She skimmed her eyes quickly over the page - Eliza definitely left some insightful notes in here that Colleen herself had missed.

She turned her head to see if she could even call out her thanks to Eliza, but she was too far away. All she could see was the other girl slapping her palm against her forehead as she turned to leave the hall.

It made her smile.

Fall 2020

Professor Stark tapped her hands on her desk, “And as much as I know group projects aren’t everyone’s favorite thing, the sad reality is that we have to work with people in real life that we don’t get to choose. So, you will all individually document what you do in this project and then evaluate each other’s contributions at the end. You have your groups, the rubrik, and some examples to start with. Even though the project isn’t due for over a month, I would highly recommend starting it early.”

Eliza wouldn’t say she loved group work by any means, especially when the groups were assigned.

Colleen caught her eye and asked, “You want to come to my place this weekend to get started? I really don’t like to wait until the last minute for these kinds of things.”

Eliza was pretty sure she was going to write Sansa Stark a thank you letter.

#those who wait #sorta? spinoff #kinda romance novel #part 1 #at the very least it is giving me some fresh writing ideas flowing #ive needed this #thank you for having a modicum of interest anon #this just sets up some history for us was was funsies to write

[wanderleave]

My contribution for @jancyweek2019, which is, fair warning: absolute nonsense. Entirely inspired by this post made by @metropoliskid, which is based on this tweet.

Once again, I know my blog text is tiny, so go find this guy on AO3 if you wish.

Nancy Wheeler was twelve years old when she started dating Jonathan Byers.

She thinks.

She isn’t sure. (Not about Jonathan Byers, she’s sure about him; she’d always found him endlessly intriguing, even in elementary school, when he sat at the picnic tables with Barb while Nancy played horses at recess, surrounded by girls who had names like hers—Stacy, Ally. Long e sounds. Names that rhymed.)

What she isn’t sure about is if they ever really started dating.

And if they did, they certainly never stopped.

If it did happen, it is, technically, the longest relationship she’s ever been in. If she’s counting.

She doesn’t know what that says about her.

She was twelve years old, sitting on a bench inside Hawkins Middle, reading A Tree Grows In Brooklyn for English, waiting for her mother to pick her up and bring her to ballet. (Nancy never considered it, in her youth, how much of her mother’s life revolved around ferrying her and her siblings across Hawkins, from one activity to another. She must have been so grateful when Mike declared his independence from the automobile and insisted on riding his bike everywhere.)

She’d glanced up to see the Wheeler family station wagon coasting to a stop just outside the front doors, just as Jonathan Byers coasted to a stop in front of her.

“Nancy,” he’d said, breathless.

And that’s when it got complicated.

In the rush of juggling her school bag, her dance bag, and the blare of her mother’s horn, she didn’t quite catch the words that followed her name.

Her eyes had flicked to the car outside, then back to him. She’d thought about asking him to repeat himself, but his face had been open, expectant, nervous. Hopeful.

She couldn’t deny that face.

“Oh, um. Yes,” she’d said, in response to what she’d been pretty sure was a question.

He’d grinned at her. Held up his hand.

She’d high fived him, and rushed out to her waiting mother.

It was only as the car door slammed shut that she processed the question he’d asked her.

“Do you want to be my girlfriend?”

It’s only later—years later—that Nancy realizes that she’d have said yes even if she had heard him clearly.

As it was, she only got to enjoy their relationship—if it was a relationship (if seventh grade high fives could even be called a relationship)—for one day. Less than a day, even.

She’d glanced over at him shyly all through class, counting the minutes until lunch, when she would confirm if she’d heard him right. He’d returned her glances with equally shy smiles, putting her anxious mind slightly at ease.

And then the loudspeaker buzzed, Jonathan Byers was called to the office—and he was gone.

His whole family was.

Mike had pouted for weeks, his best friend vanished in an instant. “It’s not fair,” he’d moaned at dinner. “Why do they have to move just because of his stupid dad.”

The moaning continued over the phone, short long-distance calls that Nancy only ever worked up the nerve to intrude on once, picking up the receiver to mutter a quick “Tell-Jonathan-I-said-hi,” before hanging up with a clatter.

But the frequency of the phone calls trickled away as the school year went on, and by the time summer arrived, Mike had stopped insisting on being allowed to visit Will, and Nancy lost her only chance to confirm her relationship status.

She knows she could have called him herself. But that was, for her twelve year old self, too much to bear.

And plus, he’d never called her.

She misheard him, she told herself.

(She didn’t.)

He’d asked her another question, not girlfriend-related at all.

(He hadn’t.)

She’d told all her rhyming friends, giggles down the phone line later that night, and they’d waited alongside her with heavy anticipation for one of them to finally have a boyfriend, only to have their hopes dashed when it ended up being over before it really began. In the end she just felt foolish, for making such a thing over a boy.

“You know, you two never actually broke up,” Barb pointed out one day, once Nancy was able to think about it without wanting to bury her face in her hands, a matter of years later. As time goes on, it became almost a joke to her friends, a Schrödinger’s relationship that Nancy is both in and not in at the same time.

“Oh you can’t,” they said to James C, who asked her to prom as Nancy sat, blushing furiously, at her lunch table freshman year. “She’s dating Jonathan Byers.” (He’d been a senior, convinced she couldn’t turn him down, staggering away at Nancy’s faux-regretful confirmation of her relationship status.)

“So what’s this about you and some long distance guy?” Steve had asked, the first night she’d allowed herself to be inveigled into his back seat.

“Oh,” Nancy had said, already pulling her shirt over her head. “That’s . . . nothing. Middle school stuff.”

“Good,” Steve said, and Nancy forgot all about Jonathan Byers for the moment.

But she never truly forgets, not really.

Nancy moves to the city in one fell swoop.

She loads the U-Haul herself, only takes three wrong turns, and crams her entire life into the tiny studio that somehow costs more than the two-bedroom apartment she’d left Steve standing in, bereft.

She locates the nearest bodega, maps out her work commute on the subway, and prepares to begin her life anew.

It doesn’t quite work out like she plans.

She does manage to navigate the subway with relative ease, and she stops by the bodega almost every day, grabbing yet another item she’s realized she doesn’t own and cannot seem to live without.

The life anew part, however, eludes her.

She has a life, of course—drinks with college friends, lunches out with work colleagues. She tries new things, meets new people, goes on an endless parade of first dates. She even makes it to second and third dates for a few. But in the end, her days start to end up feeling enough like the inevitability she’d tried to escape that she wonders if it might make sense to head back to Indiana, see if Steve is still standing right where she left him.

It’s then that her thoughts turn to Jonathan.

Not in any kind of concrete sort of way—when she thinks of him it always feels hazy, somehow—but more idealistic; she imagines him living the life she wishes she could lead. He’d escaped Hawkins, in a way she somehow cannot, like the town is clinging to her, holding onto her fast even across state lines.

As a coping mechanism, it’s pretty fucked up, as Steve used to say, having the ghosts of her past haunt her present, but she’s working on it. She took the first step, at least.

She left.

“I wish you’d just come back,” her mother pleads, on the nights Nancy finds herself longing for the comforts of home, fingers grasped tight around the phone. What her mother doesn’t know is that she doesn’t call to be convinced to return.

She calls because it’s the one thing that strengthens her resolve to stay.

She only knows one person at the party.

Alice waves to her from across the apartment as Nancy navigates through the crowd, holding a six-pack in front of her like a peace offering, losing four along the way as she edges through and around clumps of people.

Nancy offers up the spare, taking the last beer for herself, and proceeds to endure the interminable agony that is entering a story halfway through and not knowing the teller well enough for them to recount the beginning. She likes Alice, she does, finding her Midwest sensibilities comfortingly refreshing after her months in the city, but theirs is a friendship of convenience, nothing deeper. Nancy wonders what Barb would say, if she were here.

Stop thinking about your dead friend and make some new ones, probably.

Nancy laughs to herself at the thought, and then starts at the unfortunate realization that someone is saying her name, and has been, for some time now.

“Sorry.” Her eyebrows raise, her eyes open wide, trying to make it seem like she was mostly listening this whole time. “I didn’t catch that.”

Alice gives her a look, but she’s smiling. “Sam was asking if you know the host.”

Sam ends up being a girl with black hair and even blacker eyeliner, who seems to be nursing Nancy’s other beer.

She shakes her head, shrugging a little. “Just Alice—”

“The only person that matters,” Alice interjects.

Nancy rolls her eyes a little. “I just moved here from Indiana,” she continues. “Alice is taking pity on me because I know no one in the city.”

Sam makes an ah yes face of benign interest, but then her eyebrows crinkle together. “Actually, my boyfriend grew up in Indiana, I think.” She turns her head, calls into the kitchen, but the actual name gets lost in the buzz of the crowd.

Sean, maybe.

Sam goes off in search of Sean (or was it John?) and Nancy takes a swig of beer as the conversation turns to the subway, as it is wont to do among people with only tenuous connections to each other but all with a singular hatred for their shared means of transportation.

Nancy’s just happy she has her own story—getting caught underground for half an hour, the windows steaming up as people shed clothes around her—and manages to coast on that contribution for the next twenty minutes, sipping the dregs of her bottle as the group grows and shrinks, and the stories go on and on.

She’s about to go in search of another drink (or if she’s being honest, maybe an Irish goodbye) when Alice begins recounting the story of her last date, a story Nancy knows from lunch last week, and realizes that she has one more story to contribute.

“—and when I told him I had to be up early the next morning, he rolls over, gives me a high five, says nothing else and strolls out the door. Haven’t seen him since.”

“I’ve got that beat,” says Nancy, and knocks back the rest of her beer. She takes a deep breath. “So I’m in seventh grade, and I’m waiting for my mom to pick me up after school. When—”

And then she sees him.

Coasting up to her just like he had eleven years ago.

“Oh my god,” she breathes.

She sees his hand reaching toward her, and for one absurd, heart-stopping moment, Nancy thinks he’s going to give her a high five. But the hand keeps going up, pulling her into a hug, and she actually cannot believe this is happening.

“Nancy Wheeler,” Jonathan Byers says, and she can feel her name vibrating through her, he’s holding her so tight. She wonders if that’s why she can’t catch her breath, but even after he releases her, she’s still got that feeling—like she’s missed a step, like the universe has been thrown out of alignment.

“Oh my god,” she says again, because that’s all she can do.

“I’m guessing you two know each other,” Alice remarks dryly.

He’s grinning, and his hair is shorter than it used to be (of course it would be, he’s not in seventh grade anymore), but he’s unmistakably Jonathan Byers, eleven years older. He spins to the side, wrapping his arm around Nancy, and she wonders if she’s dreaming, because this cannot actually be happening.

“Um, yeah,” she begins, but Jonathan cuts her off.

“Oh, we go way back,” he declares, and smiles fondly down at her. “Nancy’s my girlfriend.”

Nancy chokes on nothing, and changes her mind. She isn’t dreaming.

She has actually died.

It’s the only explanation. One last gasp of reality, chiding her for spending so much time thinking about a boy that she was never supposed to see again.

Death is cruel, though, because instead of the sweet bliss of nothingness, instead she has Jonathan Byers grinning at her, Alice looking at her, dumbstruck, and from behind her, a vaguely familiar voice saying, “I thought I was your girlfriend.”

Nancy turns to find Sam staring at her, a look of amused concern on her face.

“Um,” Nancy says.

#stranger things #jonathan byers #nancy wheeler #jancy #jancyweek2019 #special thanks to tumblr user stoprobbers for creating the initial gdoc for this guy while i was computerless in santorini #is that a #humblebrag #? #maybe #whatever it is thanks friend #after last time i know better than to predict how many chapters so #more coming soon #fanfiction

[ledenews]

DeMarr Moulton - Humble in Victory

DeMarr Moulton isn’t one to humblebrag, though few could blame him for a little chest puffing given what he’s accomplished. After all, Moulton needs to walk fewer than 10 blocks from his residence in New York’s Upper East Side, and he’d be at the Met and Central Park. Not bad for a young man from Wheeling who grew up in less than ideal conditions. Moulton’s home may have lacked in material niceties. But what it did have is a loving family, headed by two hard-working parents, who were steadfast in setting a great example for their children and were unwavering in offering their support of their kids' dreams. That’s why every year, Moulton reposts a memory on Facebook he first made in March of 2011. Moulton was a sophomore then at Cornell University, halfway to his sociology degree from an Ivy League school and playing college football on a level most valley natives only dream to achieve.  The post features an image of his family’s old house in Wheeling and mentions some of the more unsavory features of his neighborhood. Yet here he stood, despite it all. He reshares it every year, not to draw attention to himself, but to remember where he came from and offer his heartfelt thanks to those that supported him along his journey. It's a journey that finds Moulton a resident of one of New York City’s most prestigious neighborhoods, a licensed attorney and, since September, an associate at one of the top law firm’s in the county in Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe. He's a Linsly School and Cornell University graduate and finished Law School at the University of North Carolina in Chapel Hill. Not bad indeed DeMarr. Not bad indeed.

An All-Valley and All-State defensive back at Linsly, Moulton played for four yeaars at Cornell University as he juggled the rigors of an Ivy League education with the demands of being a major college athlete.

People always say a Linsly education is the first step on the path to the Ivy League. How did the school prepare you for such a rigorous academic workload in college, and did playing football, both in high school and college, help you learn to juggle a lot of activities which demanded your time?

This is a great question because Linsly and sports are the two top things that I think have shaped my life. First, I wouldn’t be where I am in life without Linsly. Period. So yes, everyone knows Linsly prepares you for a college education. It offers all the AP classes, electives, and teachers that could easily be teaching at universities around the nation but chose to stay at Linsly. But how Linsly really prepared me for college and for life is just that success is expected and normalized. Every day I was surrounded by people who had big dreams, whether that was to be a doctor, lawyer, go to an Ivy League school, or play college sports. Nobody wanted to be average. And the resources there—the faculty, coaches, fellow students, alumni—all were willing to help us all get where we wanted and take time out of their days to help others get on the path to their dreams. To me, I had no excuse not to at least try to become something more than what’s usually expected from someone from where I come from. I didn’t know it at the time, but I had no choice but to be successful because that’s just how Linsly cultivates its students. I wouldn’t have made it to Cornell or UNC or became a lawyer without Linsly’s help as a student, and even to this day my Linsly family helps however they can. As I was answering this question, my old coach and dean, Mr. Plumby, actually called to check on me. Second, high school sports and college football have helped me off the field more than anything. Sports, and specifically college sports, are almost a 24/7 job. Obviously, you have practice and games, but in college you also have film, workouts, and meetings. In addition to all that, you still have class. And if you tore your ACL like me, then you had to do all that plus whatever rehab and treatment was required. So, you have to learn to manage your time, or you can get behind quickly. So, time management is a key skill you gain from college sports that stays with you in your professional life, for sure. Additionally, from college sports, you learn how to be a part of a team, how to work hard, how to work efficiently, and how to take feedback. These skills are something every employer is looking for, and when they see you played a college sport, all these boxes are immediately checked off. So, regardless if you were a SEC football star, or if you were a D2 backup point guard, they know you have these skills and can add value to their company. And as a lawyer at a big law firm, these skills from playing football at Cornell have been a tremendous help.

You had a little time in between getting your sociology degree and attending UNC. Were you trying to find the right career, and what ultimately led you to take the LSAT exam and go for law school?

I spent about a year and half between undergrad and law school. I worked at Willams Lea during that time. I knew whatever my future career was, it was going to be something where I could help others. I knew I probably wanted to go to law school, but I definitely didn’t want to go straight from undergrad. I wanted to be home with my mom and dad. I also wanted to save up some money and get some work experience. And as a legal document specialist at Williams Lea on the Orrick account, I got some experience with how a big law firm works and some of what being a lawyer entails. Everyone always jokes and asks, “That didn’t scare you away from the law?” But it was a really good experience for me.

You were a summer associate at Orrick during 2017. What was your first introduction to big city law like and was that when you knew that a) you wanted to work in a big market, most likely for Orrick, and b) is that what gravitated you toward complex litigation and white collar practice?

Moulton is pictured with his older sister, Tiffany, and his father, William. DeMarr's parents, William and Brenda Moulton, set examples for their son in hard work and perserverance, and offered unwavering support as he chased his dreams. Coming to New York City for the first time was crazy. It obviously was different than anywhere I’ve ever lived. It was overwhelming immediately because I couldn’t just drive to Target and get everything I needed for my move. I also didn’t know many people, so it was a new place and new job all at the same time. But after a short while I met some new friends and connected with some others from Cornell, and it was fine. Being a summer associate was dope because we got paid well, and we had all kinds of events like Mets game, shows, and Michelin star restaurants for lunch. But even after now living here for about six months, I still wouldn’t say I’m used to having to catch a train or only buy enough groceries that I can carry for a few blocks. New York City is fun, and I’m glad I got out of my comfort zone and made this move. I really never thought I’d be a New Yorker, but after interviewing with firms in NY, and specifically Orrick, I knew New York was where I was going to end up. It’s just the epicenter of the legal world and where all the biggest clients and cases are, and I knew that’s where I needed to be. And yes, after my summer at Orrick I knew I wanted to do litigation. I did both deal work and litigation work during the summer to try out both sides, and I decided I liked litigation more. Reading and writing are more of what I like to do and where I think I am at my best. Also, being an athlete at heart, I think the more competitive nature in litigation is more comfortable for me. It’s like my side versus the other side, it’s almost like a team sport.

Never one to forget where he came from, Moulton stopped by the Wheeling YMCA last summer and, along with lifelong friend and fellow Wheeling native DeVaugh Gordon, dropped off a number of backpacks for the YMCA's Operation Backpack.

Are you taking the partner career track or instead trying to strike the right amount of work-life balance? Ballpark, how many hours would you say you log a week? Were there other areas of law you considered, or is this discipline the one you feel is right for you?

I’ve only been in practice for less than a year, so I don’t know whether becoming partner is what my future holds or not as of right now. I’m just going with the flow. I haven’t been out of school for even two years, and I’ve already had two legal experiences (clerking and Orrick), so I’m still learning what I like and don’t like. I don’t think any decisions like that will be based on how many hours I work or work-life balance, but more on if am working on matters that feed my intellectual curiosity. I think if I can go to work without dreading work, then even if I work 80 hours every week it, wouldn’t be as bad as working on things, I’m not interested in for 40 hours a week. So yes, I’m still considering all options, and I’m at a great, diverse firm with many types of clients and matters. I have gotten so much exposure to lots of different types of law, but I am not ready this early in my career to pigeonhole myself into one area. Before law school, I thought I only wanted to be a criminal defense attorney, but I became open to other disciplines once I experienced more. And at Orrick, with our amazing pro bono program, I still get to do criminal work on top of working for some of the biggest and widely known companies in the world.

Lastly, given the coronavirus pandemic and its hold on New York City, how has that changed your daily routine, not only in your professional life, but also at home? Is it hard trying to go about your day as best you can while seeing the number of cases and death continue to escalate?

Well New York is being hit hard by the coronavirus, and most of us are not allowed to go to work. I haven’t left my apartment in over a week as I am trying to strict quarantine to hopefully be able to go back home to Wheeling or Pittsburgh, where it’s probably safer. I’m an introvert, so I am handling it better than some others. I can work out when I want and sit on my rooftop to get fresh air if I want. Orrick is one of the top tech firms and some people worked from home a lot before the virus hit. I’m still working a lot, just it’s from my couch rather than in my office. We still have lots of calls and video chat meetings regarding our matters. So other than being in court, the work is still plugging along. It’s hard going about your day because even just running to the grocery store seems like a risk. New York isn’t known as the friendliest place, but nowadays you can tell people don’t even want to be on the same sidewalk as someone else. Everyone is scared and seeing the number of cases and deaths every day adds to the collective stress and anxiety here. Hopefully things get back to normal sooner rather than later. Read the full article

[stacze-blog]

I’ll Betray You To Protect You

Chapter 1: Memories 

<Description...Chapter 2>

          As your teacher finished passing out the results of the test that you had taken last week, the bell rang loudly and everyone began to pack up their school supplies. The letter A on your paper made you smile because  it meant that the long hours of studying had paid off. The door flew open with a huge bang, catching everyone's attention--except yours. You already knew that it was Jimin and Taehyung by the way your female classmates were screaming with excitement; they ignored the yelling from their fan girls and quickly traveled to the back of the classroom. Once your bag was packed, you heard a groan of annoyance and hysterical laughter, a smirk appeared on your face as you checked to make sure that the rest of the students had left before getting up to walk towards the commotion. "Oigoo this can't do Kookie-ah! You got a D- on your test! Umma is very disappointed in you young man!" TaeTae said in a stern feminine voice and playfully slapped his young friend's hand. Jimin was a giggling mess by this point and he just watched as Jungkook got scolded by his elder. The only sentence that the poor boy could get out was “At least it’s not an F this time” before gettingt nagged again.

"Well, he would have gotten a better grade if he decided to study with Namjoon and I instead of going off to start a fight with an enemy gang with Hoppie" you said sarcastically as you held up your test--grabbing the attention of the three boys.

"(Y/N)! We forgot you were in the same class as our little goofball!"

"Yah! I'm not a goofba-"

"You're coming to the hideout today right?! We haven't seen you in a while!" Jimin said excitedly as he gave you a quick hug.

"What are you talking about? I visited you guys three days ago!" You chuckled softly and sat on the chair next to Jungkook. "I can't today, I'm sorry. My apartment is a mess! I'll just go see you gu-"

"Please! We'll get everyone to help you after school on Monday, we promise!" Taehyung and Jimin said simultaneously as they began to pout and widening their eyes to look like sad puppies.

"Fine...if it'll make you guys happy, I guess I can put off cleaning for two days" you sighed, causing them to jump up and down with glee.

          The four of you walked out of the front gate and decided to head to a small bakery before going to the base since none of you had eatten lunch because, well, the cafeteria food was disgusting. They walked much faster than you did, so you were left to stare at their backs and you couldn't help but wonder how all of you became so close.

~4 months ago~

          Summer break had just begun and you were coming home from your best friend's house. Your parents were waiting for you in the living room because they wanted to tell you that they had gotten a job offer in America to work for a popular company; they were both successful fashion designers so this news did not surprise you. There was only one problem, this meant that you had to leave Korea. They saw how much you disliked the idea of going to the US, so they proposed the idea for you to live near your aunt in Seoul—you couldn't actually move in with her because she already had four kids and a husband to worry about—you agreed and began to search for an apartment. It took all of vacation for you to find a place that was a few blocks away from your relative's house and was also near a decent school. Since your parents were kind—and you were their only child—they told you that they would send you money every month for rent, food, clothes, etc. because they wanted you to focus on your studies instead of having to juggle a part-time job.

           After seeing your parents board their flight, you went to your new place and decided to unpack the large stack of boxes in your living room. While you placed the last cushion on your white couch you spotted a piece of paper on your coffee table; you picked it up and face palmed yourself because it was the form that your new school needed from you to be accepted as a student and it was due today. You quickly changed into a pair of jeans and threw on a red flannel over your white V-neck before rushing out the door. It was 4:19 pm when you arrived and you were praying that the school's office would still be opened. Peeking through the glass window on the door, a relieved sigh left your lips when you saw that the principal was still there and she happily accepted the document upon opening the door. When you were about to walk away, thinking you were free to go, she asked if you could quickly talk with her about the rules of the school and—of course—you couldn't decline.

            It was about 6:30 pm by the time the meeting finished and the sun was quickly setting before your eyes. Your stomach grumbled with hunger and you decided to look for a restaurant or maybe even a bakery; as you walked around you noticed how beautiful the lights of Seoul were and how the people on the street seemed so fashionable and carefree. You were hypnotized, but was soon interrupted by someone who accidentally bumped into you. "Sorry abo-…Hey, you're pretty cute! What's your name?" The man speaking to you seemed to be in his mid-thirties and he smelled strongly of alcohol. You turned and prepared to walk away from him but, to your dismay, he yanked your arm and slurred, "You think you can just ignore me?!" Laughter erupted from him as he dragged you into an alleyway. Before you could scream for help he covered your mouth with his rough hand and used his body to push you up against a wall. You thrashed around--trying to break free--but he was too strong; his other hand began to unbutton your pants and your body began to tremble with fright.

"Don't worry...I'll make this quick" he said in a low tone.

           As his fingertips made contact with the skin on your pelvic area, you whimpered and closed your eyes waiting for him to do his worst but, at that moment, you suddenly felt his hands rip away from your body. There was a loud thud on the floor and you heard someone sigh and say, "Geez...bastards like you shouldn't be allowed to freely roam around " Your eyes shot opened and you turned to see someone with dark brown hair and a large nose glaring in the direction of the creep, who had a rounded cheek boy sitting on top of him. There were five other men around you; one was on the phone speaking to the police, another was poking the defenseless pervert's arm—he seemed kind of strange—and the other three were talking quietly. Your knees gave out and you slid to the floor to curl into a small ball. The person on the phone handed the device over to a guy who had blonde hair before bending down to look into your eyes.

"Hi, my name is Seokjin but you can just call me Jin."

"Or Momma bear!" the weird boy said and he gave you an adorable rectangular smile.

            "Like I was saying...” his voice sounded slightly annoyed for a second, "My name is Jin. We're not going to hurt you" he said sweetly and you opened your mouth to say something, but, you felt warm tears fall from your eyes instead. "Aw you must've been terrified...I'm sorry this happened to you" Jin pulled you into his chest to muffle your sobs. It was like your mom was hugging you because of how loving and safe the embrace felt, but the tender moment was cut short when the red headed boy with milky white skin said, "We have to get out of here now! If the cops see us, we'll be in huge trouble! Find something to tie that guy up with so that he can't run away." The younger members listened to their hyung and began to look around; to their luck, there was an old dog leash in the trash.

"What about her? We can't just leave her here! She's still trembling..." It was true, you couldn't stop weeping and your body was shaking like an earthquake. Jin gripped you tighter knowing that you were unstable to do anything at the moment.

"What do you want to do Jin? Take her to the base? What if she's a spy?!"

"Does she look like a fuckin' spy to you?!"

            Everyone was stunned at his sudden outburst. They all turned to look at you and—after a few minutes of silence—the blonde man said, "Fine, we'll let her stay there for a few hours, but..." he stared straight into your bloodshot eyes, "If we find out you're an informer...we won't hesitate to kill you, do you understand?" You vigorously nodded your head and his serious expression disappeared within seconds. "My name's Namjoon. People also call me Rap Monster or Rap Mon for short but just call me by my name, ok?" he introduced himself then smiled, causing the dimples on his cheeks to bore deep into his skin and you felt your heartbeat quicken slightly. Shockingly, he reached down to pick you up bridal style and Jin looked at him with confusion before saying, "I could have done that too you know?" Namjoon snickered and began to walk with you in his arms while everyone else followed behind.

"I-I could walk if I-I'm t-t-too heavy" you managed to say with a shaky voice.

"Nah, you're not heavy at all and plus, by the way, your quivering,;I don't think your body would let you walk."

           You slowly bobbed your head and kept quiet the whole trip to their hideout, which was an old school about half a mile away from your apartment complex. Everyone entered the abandoned building and traveled to the first room on the second floor; once inside, Namjoon set you down on one of the desks before telling his crew to line up to introduce themselves. The redhead from before stepped out of line to walk towards you and squeezed your cheeks with one of his hands to turn your head from side to side—it looked like he was inspecting you features.

"Don't think because you look innocent that I'm going let my guard down" he said with no emotion in his words.

"Stop messing with her Suga! Don't worry about him, he may seem like a bully but he's nothing but a lazy teddy bear" Jin said, causing everyone giggled.

"Whatever...Well, he sort of already told you who I am. My name's Yoongi, but everyone calls me Suga" he finally released your face and patted your head before walking over to a couch in the far corner of the room to take a nap.

"Haha! My turn! The name's Hoseok but everyone calls me J-Hope or Hoppie! You want to know why?"

You stared at him and asked, "Why?"

"BECAUSE I'M EVERYONES HOPE! HAHAHA!" The two of you began to laugh and he was about to say more when someone pushed him aside.

"Me next! Sup! I'm Jimin or Chim Chim! I-"

"Have no Jams!"

           "Hyung stop! I have more jams and muscles than you!" he screamed and began to chase Namjoon around the room. You watched them for a few seconds and jumped to the sudden sound of a person clearing their throat; your attention was diverted to the sixth person you were going to meet. "My name is Taehyung but…" he pretends to do a hair flip and continues, "People call me V or TaeTae! Let's be friends!" His unique smile appeared on his face again and he gave you a tight hug before running off to play with J-Hope. The last member in line moved towards you and gave you a cold look, "I'm Jungkook...my friends call me Kookie. It's nice to meet you." You gulped because the tension between the two of you began to grow and you fidgeted underneath his intense stare. Jin sensed how uncomfortable you felt and walked over to where you guys were. "He doesn't mean to be so cold. He's just really bad with talking to girls! Isn't that right, Kookie?!" He blushed and shyly replied with a simple "No."

           After Namjoon was tired of running, he took a seat next to you and asked, "Now that you know our names, what's yours?" You realized that you had forgotten to tell them who you were and quickly stood to your feet. "I-I’m s-s-so sorry! My name's (Y/N)! T-Thank you so much for saving me back in the alleyway!" You bowed deeply hoping that they weren't going to be offended, only to hear laughter throughout the room. "You're so polite! Don't worry about it! But I'm kind of curious about how you got in that situation in the first place." They gathered around you as you started to tell them your story and their defensive walls began to crumble.

"So that's what happened...you're new here and you were just at the wrong place at the wrong time. Sorry we kind of shocked you earlier, but we really aren't bad people. You see, we're a gang called Bangtan; we were on our way home from meeting with a rival gang when we saw you getting harassed. At first we thought that the whole thing was staged and that another one of our enemies was trying to lure us into a trap, but. once we saw him trying to take off your clothes by force, we were convinced otherwise" Suga apologized

"Oh, I see. Its fine, I didn't suspect you guys of being hurtful to begin with."

"How old are you, (Y/N)?"

"Hm? Oh, I'm 17! I'm going to start attending (S/N) on Monday!"

"That's where Kookie, Jimin, and I go to school! Yay! We’re going to be the four musketeers!" Taehyung cheered

"It's supposed to be the three musketeers but I don't mind" Jungkook snickered.

           You looked up to give them a small smile, but gasped when you realzed that they were all beat up and bleeding. "Oh my gosh! Are you guys ok?! You're all hurt!" They looked at each other with puzzled expressions; you walked up to Hoppie and touched the bruise on his cheek which caused him to wince in pain.

"Hehe yeah...our little face-to-face became a...fists-to-knives?" Namjoon answered while nervously looking at you.

"Do you guys have a first aid kit?!"

"No…we kind of just let out wounds heal over time...No one was stabbed so-"

"Wha- But what if they your cuts infected?!" You didn't know why but for some reason you felt the need to take care of them. "Come on, I have some disinfectant and band aids at my house."

"I-Its fine we don't want to bother yo-"

"No, no. Come on, I don't want you guys to have green and purple skin; plus, I owe you guys for saving my life. Who knows what that guy would have done to me after he raped me..."

         Hesitantly, they all agreed and followed you to your home where you treated their injuries and cooked for them; you all bonded and quickly became close. They continued to invite you over to their base to just hang out and you did the same over at your apartment. You were soon considered part of the gang and you couldn't be happier.

~End of Flashback~

         "Come on (Y/N)! You're falling behind again!" Chim Chim screamed with his arms wrapped around Kookie and TaeTae. "Coming!" you yelled and ran towards them. At that moment you felt a twisting sensation in your stomach—and it wasn't from hunger. Something was going to happen, but you didn't know what.

#bts scenarios #bts #jimin #jin #jungkook #suga #namjoon #jhope #rap monster #seokjin #yoongi #v #taehyung

[happi-tree]

ocean, thrill, and warning for the spring ask game?

Hi there, nonnie! I hope that you're having a lovely day 🥰🥰🥰

Ocean - what’s your favorite sea creature?

Ooooooh I have a few, actually. It'd have to be a tie between whale sharks, leafy sea dragons, and dolphins! Sea creatures in general have always interested me, but these are my faves 💙

Thrill - what is one thing you’re looking forward to?

Being done with my summer classes! I'm only taking two but the course load is quite condensed, and while I enjoy them, it'll be a huge relief to have them out of the way.

Warning - what would your warning label say?

WARNING: agressive hugger!

Honestly, it could say a lot of things tho lmao

#hello nonnie! thank you for stopping by #there was a pretty significant part of my life where I was obsessed with sea creatures #I used to check out the same illustrated shark book just to look at the pictures and the scale drawings lmao #summer classes are going well but juggling two at once plus work plus looking after someone??? no ma'am #asbdsajbdjkabs I guess I could also come with a volume warning bc I have the tendency to be very loud completely on accident #ask game #nonnie

[gethealthy18-blog]

30 Best Gifts For College Students

New Post has been published on http://healingawerness.com/getting-healthy/getting-healthy-women/30-best-gifts-for-college-students/

30 Best Gifts For College Students

Harini Natarajan Hyderabd040-395603080 August 16, 2019

College isn’t just about having fun and hanging out with friends. It also involves juggling classes, new responsibilities, part-time jobs, relationships – and finances.

While choosing a gift for your college-going friend, you need to ensure that it is functional, practical, fun, and compact – and something that they will need and use.

We have chosen the top 30 gift ideas for college students, keeping in mind the best ones. These ideas will help you decide what to pick and what not to. Scroll away!

30 Best Gifts For College Students

1. LED Digital Alarm Clock

Travelwey Home LED digital alarm clock has a simple design and is easy to operate. This not just your average alarm clock. It has some cool features, including a night light on the top, which will satisfy those midnight reading sprees of college students without disturbing their roommates.

Key Features

Easy to operate

Comes with a night light

Loud alarm for heavy sleepers

Can be set to snooze for straight 5 minutes or 9 minutes

Jumbo LED digits with sliders for light adjustment

Standard US 120V outlet with battery backup

Buy it here!

2. Power Bank

Anker PowerCore 20100 mAh portable power bank charges any mobile in a few minutes through its PowerIQ and VoltageBoost technology. It is lightweight and is very useful for college kids who use their mobile phones extensively.

Key Features

High-speed charging

Lightweight

Self-recharge in 10 minutes with 2-ampere charger

Certified safety

Comes with a micro USB cable, travel pouch, and welcome guide

Lightning cable for iPhone available separately

18-month warranty

Buy it here!

3. Portable Table

This portable college table by Lifetime can help students during exams and important assignments. It has a four-seater capacity bed with three height settings and is ideal for individual or group study sessions.

Key Features

Made of polythene plastic and powder-coated steel

48-inch x 24-inch dimensions

4-seater capacity

Foldable

Adjustable to 3 height settings (24-inch, 29-inch, and 36-inch)

Convenient to move around

Buy it here!

4. Table Lamp

TaoTronics LED desk lamp comes with five lighting modes and seven brightness levels, allowing students to use it without irritating their eyes. The flicker-free lighting system can be used for long hours as it saves more than 75% electricity than normal desk lamps.

Key Features

Lighting without flickers

7 different brightness levels

5 color modes

Versatile design

Reduces electricity usage by 75%

1-year warranty + 18 months extended warranty

Buy it here!

5. Toaster

Say goodbye to sudden hunger pangs with the KRUPS stainless steel toaster. It is available with 5-level functions – Cancel, Toasting, Defrost, Reheat, and Bagel, in addition to a 6-level browning control. The toaster also comes with a removable crumb tray for easy cleaning.

Key Features

Made of high-quality brushed and combed stainless steel

Blue LED indicators

5 functions: Cancel, Toasting, Defrost, Reheat, and Bagel

6-level browning control

Removable crumb tray

2-year warranty

Buy it here!

6. Electric Iron

Don’t let your child or friend struggle with a pile of dirty clothes at the hostel. Gift them the Rowenta Micro Steam Stainless Steel Iron with 700-watt power. The iron comes with easy temperature control and distributes steam equally, making the clothes look crisp and wrinkle-free. The 3-way shut off system ensures that your child/friend is safe from accidents.

Key Features

1700 W power

Stainless steel soleplate, made in Germany

Equal steam distribution

Easy temperature control

Easy to fill tap water to iron

3-way shut-off system

Buy it here!

7. Sewing Kit

The sewing kit by Artika has more than 50 sewing items. It comes in handy during emergencies and can help one quickly fix any wardrobe malfunction. Whether you are a true fashionista or not, this DIY travel sewing kit can help you avoid any fashion faux pas.

Key Features

Comes in a premium PU case

Consists of golden eye needles, metal thimble, stainless steel scissors

Lightweight and safe to carry around

40 sewing pins and 38 spools

Great for emergency sewing fixes

Buy it here!

8. Lap Desk

This memory foam lap desk by Sofia+Sam would make for a practical gift for college students. When students don’t feel like using the table and chair, this lap desk can be a boon. It is tough and portable, and it can double up as a writing desk as well.

Key Features

Comfortable and multipurpose oversized lap desk

Comes with a memory foam cushion, wrist rest, and handle

Supports laptops with a screen size of up to 20 inches

Tough and portable

22″ x 14.5″ x 2.55″ dimensions

Buy it here!

9. Laptop Backpack

The SwissGear travel laptop backpack is made of durable 1200D polyester material that can carry laptops up to 17 inches long. It comes with a separate iPad compartment and other multiple pockets. One can carry all their college essentials in this 31-liter backpack with adjustable straps and a padded back panel.

Key Features

Made with durable 1200D polyester material

Can carry laptops up to 17 inches long

Separate iPad compartment and other multiple pockets

Padded back panel and adjustable straps for extra comfort

Exterior Dimensions – 18.5″ X 13.5″ X 9″; laptop compartment dimensions – 17″ X 12.5″ X 2.5

31-liter capacity

Buy it here!

10. Insulated Water Bottle

Hydro Cell water bottles are made of high-grade stainless steel and have two caps. The double-walled layer aids temperature control while the non-corrosive and anti-slip layer ensures that the water is clean and safe for consumption even after multiple uses. The water bottles are also BPA-free (free of Bisphenol A, a synthetic organic compound).

Key Features

Available in

multiple colors

Made of high-grade stainless steel

Non-corrosive and anti-slip layer

Double-walled layer for temperature control

BPA-free

Lifetime warranty

Buy it here!

11. Memory Foam Pillow

This memory foam pillow by Coop Home Goods lets one sleep comfortably without causing any neck strain. The pillow’s outer cover is made of 60% polyester and 40% rayon, and the inner side is made of certified memory foam. The pillow is hypoallergenic and dust mite-resistant and comes with a 5-year warranty.

Key Features

Outer cover made of 60% polyester and 40% rayon

Adjustable design for utmost comfort

Hypoallergenic

Dust mite-resistant

Certified memory foam

5-year warranty

Buy it here!

12. Mesh Shower Caddy

The Attmu Mesh Shower Caddy comes with eight small and one large compartment, allowing you to store all your toiletries in one place. The tough mesh material and durable handle ensure that you can put it up anywhere without any hassle.

Key Features

Tough mesh material

Durable handle

8 small compartments and 1 large compartment

Lightweight and versatile

Quick-dry material

Completely rust-proof

30-day money-back guarantee

Buy it here!

13. Clip-On Fan

Beat the summer heat with the SkyGenius portable mini desk fan. It comes with a 2600 mAh battery that is replaceable and rechargeable. It also is equipped with 360-degree vertical and horizontal rotation.

Key Features

Powerful and portable

Fashionable

Replaceable and rechargeable 2600 mAh battery

360-degree vertical and horizontal rotation

Can be clipped anywhere

19x15x10 cm dimensions

Buy it here!

14. Clip-On Reading Light

This reading light by TopElek has seven LEDs and nine modes to control color temperature. This reading light is equipped with a 1000 mAh Li-ion rechargeable battery. It also has a 360-degree flexible gooseneck for convenient adjustment to adjust it conveniently anywhere and anytime. The strong clip ensures that the light holds securely on any material you wish to clamp.

Key Features

7 LED lights, 3 color temperature settings, and 3 brightness settings

Zero flicker

Lightweight and portable

360-degree flexible gooseneck

Built-in 1000 mAh rechargeable battery

Buy it here!

15. Kindle

The new waterproof Kindle Paperwhite is the best gift for college students who love reading. The sleek and lightweight design, combined with long-lasting battery life, gives one uninterrupted reading experience. The built-in adjustable LED light and two different storage options enhance your overall reading experience.

Key Features

Very thin and lightweight

300 PPI glare-free display

Waterproof

8GB and 32 GB storage options

Audible integrated

Long-lasting battery life

Built-in adjustable LED light

Buy it here!

16. 2-in-1 Straightener and Curler

If you are looking for gifts for college girls, the Furiden hair straightener plus styler will work best. The product is convenient to use due to its 360-degree swivel long cord and the auto shut-off feature. The balanced heat place helps to curl hair in just 15 seconds.

Key Features

One step straightener and styler

Easy to use

Curls hair in 15 seconds

Energy-saving product

360-degree swivel long cord

Balanced heat plate

Auto shut off feature

Comes with a heat resistant glove, flat iron bag, salon comb, and 2 salon hair clips

Buy it here!

17. Scientific Calculator

This calculator would be an ideal gift for any student who loves math. The multi-view display shows multiple calculations at once and can easily convert decimals and fractions.

Key Features

Ideal for problems that don’t involve graphing technology

Multi-view display

MathPrint to display mathematical symbols, expressions, and fractions as they are

Easy to convert fractions, decimals, and terms into alternate representations

Buy it here!

18. Coffee Mug

Let the students enjoy their hot beverages in the Yeti Rambler stainless steel mug. It is made of high-quality material and has a comfortable handle for an easy grip.

Key Features

14 oz capacity

Highly durable

Dishwasher-safe

Comfortable handle for easy grip

Duracoat color prevents scratching and peeling.

Advanced design prevents frostbite.

Buy it here!

19. Electronic Pocketbook

The Rocketbook Everlast smart reusable notebook allows students to write as many notes as they want without wasting paper. This is an innovative approach to conserve natural resources while being equally efficient.

Key Features

Environment-friendly

32 reusable pages

Easy to clean with a wipe cloth

Available in multiple colors

Works with any marker, highlighter, or Pilot Frixion pen

Buy it here!

20. Blanket

Bedsure Sherpa fleece blanket is a good gift for college students to use during the winter season and cold nights for a comfortable sleep.

Key Features

Double-sided soft blanket

Made of reversible material

Made of 100% microfiber polyester fabric

Comes in multiple colors and size

Buy it here!

21. Pop up Laundry Bag

Students can organize and store unclean clothes and linen in this Mesh Popup Laundry bag. This helps them save time and energy.

Key Features

Made of a sturdy mesh

Versatile storage solution for the home

Comes in different colors

Durable handles

Twistable frame

Buy it here!

22. Desk Organizer

Organize stationery with the SimpleHouseware Mesh Desk Organizer. This is a convenient product that can be kept in small spaces where there isn’t enough room for storage.

Key Features

Space-saving design

Comes with a drawer

Multiple compartments for easy storage

13.25″L x 13″W x 9″D dimensions

Buy it here!

23. 2-in-1 Trimmer and Shaver

Looking for gifts for college-going guys? Buy the Philips Norelco trimmer that comes with a dual-edged blade for easy cutting and trimming. It comes with click-on combs to ensure a fast and even trim. It can shave hair of any length and is comfortable on your skin.

Key Features

Rechargeable one-blade trimmer

Dual-sided blade for precise cutting and trimming

Easy rubber grip

One blade can last up to 4 months

Buy it here!

24. Bluetooth Headset

This over-the-head bluetooth speaker by Mpow 059 is a great gift for all music lovers. Just charge once and enjoy 20 hours of non-stop music!

Key Features

Hi-fi sound output

Comfortable ear cushion

20 hours of music time with a single charge

Can be used in wired and wireless modes

Foldable headband

Comes in multiple colors

Buy it here!

25. Planner

The Simple Elephant Planner let students organize all their upcoming tasks and manage timetables easily. Gift it to a college student to make their life more productive.

Key Features

High-quality no-bleed paper (110gsm)

Dedicated pen holder

Durable soft leatherette hardcover

3 bookmarks and 58 note pages

Free sheet of stickers

Buy it here!

26. UNO Cards

The classic UNO card game can be an amazing gift to a college student living in a hostel. They can play this game with a single friend or a big group of friends. Either way, it guarantees a lot of fun!

Key Features

Pack of 112 cards

32 special action cards

3 customizable cards

Can be played by up to 10 players

Buy it here!

27. Laptop Cooling Pad

The Havit Laptop Cooling Pad can be a great gift for college students who use laptops frequently for study, work, or gaming purposes. It has two shield holders at the back, which provide two height levels for better viewing and typing. This helps prevent neck and back pain as you can adjust the height based on your comfort.

Key Features

Slim and portable

LED indicator to know the working status

2 adjustable height settings

3 ultra-quiet fans for zero disturbance

Built-in dual USB ports

Ergonomic

Buy it here!

28. Electric Toothbrush

The Oral-B White Pro Electric Toothbrush is a great gift idea for college students who are very particular about their oral hygiene. It comes with a pressure sensor that stops the pulsations in case you brush too hard. It also comes with a built-in 2-minute timer that pulses every 30 seconds so that you can switch the areas of the mouth. The pack contains one Oral-B professional handle, one cross-action bush head, and one charger.

Key Features

300 times better than a regular brush

3D cleaning action

Built-in 2 -minute timer

Effective to clean plaque

Replaceable and compatible head

Buy it here!

29. Yoga Mat

The BalanceForm GoYoga Mat is a useful addition to every college student’s daily routine. It is made of genuine BalanceFoam that comes with a two-year warranty. It cushions the elbows, hips, knees, and spine on hard floors and also keeps you balanced. The double-sided non-slip surfaces help prevent injuries while exercising. It is comfortable and suitable for people of all ages and sizes.

Key Features

Made of eco-friendly material

Comfortable

Moisture-resistant

Lightweight

Comes with a free yoga mat strap

Available in multiple colors

Buy it here!

30. Fitness Band

FitBit Charge 3 is a useful device for students to keep a tab on their daily activities and calorie intake. It encourages them to move around and stay healthier. The design is durable and swim-proof, and the device is wearable in the shower as well. You can also connect it to your smartphone to get call and text notifications on your wrist.

Key Features

Tracks calorie intake

Monitors heart rate

Get your call, text or mobile notifications on the OLED screen

Connect with GPS to see real-time pace and distance

Sync stats between your electronic devices

Buy it here!

Most college students struggle with finances because they don’t earn themselves. These gifts can go a long way in helping them. But you don’t have to limit yourself to the options mentioned above. You can also try customizing gifts as per the choice of the person you are gifting it to.

Which of the gifts would you pick? Why? Do share your thoughts with us by leaving a comment in the box below.

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Source: https://www.stylecraze.com/articles/best-gifts-for-college-students/

[zipgrowth]

What Does Computer Science Professional Development Look Like?

Computer Science Education Week is once again on the horizon, taking place this year on Dec. 3-10, 2018. Many students and teachers will sign up for the Hour of Code, a global movement that invites pupils and educators to try programming exercises—many for the first time.

But what happens after those 60 minutes are over? All the excitement around computer science education will come to naught if teachers are ill-prepared to take the next step, and know how to channel the excitement into teachable moments.

Most teachers have not taken a computer science course in college, and will need professional development support. Citing data from a Google/Gallup survey, Code.org, a nonprofit advocating for computer science education in schools, writes that “principals in rural and small town schools say the biggest obstacles to increasing access to K-12 computer science are the lack of teachers with the necessary skills and funding to prepare or hire teachers.”

To go beyond the Hour of Code, we need to train teachers to teach computer science. But what should this computer science professional development look like?

Computer-science professional development is not about the tools, the curriculum or the lesson plan.

This summer, I spent several weeks planning and teaching the Foothill College KCI Computer Science Crash Course. This intense course runs for four-and-a-half days, and gives teachers a deep dive into the world of computer science—understanding algorithms, data, the internet and of course, coding. They are encouraged to take off the teacher hat and think of themselves as students, in order to understand the subject for themselves.

Instead of focusing on a specific tool or curriculum, the course is about understanding fundamental concepts in computer science, weaving together the course instructor’s own experiences with a variety of existing curriculum available today. An important goal is to make each teacher a stronger coder so he or she will have the confidence and knowledge to meet the needs of every student in their own classrooms. Attendees can either spend a large part of the course on coding in Scratch (block-based programming) or Python (text-based programming), or they can choose both. They also learn to control motors and LED lights using code with the micro:bit, a small, inexpensive computer.

As I was teaching this course, I found that I was learning just as much in the process. (In a meta way, one could call this my own professional development with a professional development course.) In addition to discovering even more ways to teach computer science concepts based on my interactions with the teachers, I learned so much about computer science professional development itself. Here are some key takeaways.

1. Teachers come from many backgrounds, and will take CS to their schools in many different ways.

This is my third year of teaching computer science professional development through this program, and I am always surprised by the diversity of teachers who attend. Who are these teachers who give up a precious week of summer to learn computer science?

Some were sent and funded by their district, but many others were paying for the training by themselves. Some even set up their own DonorsChoose page to get funding to attend the course!

Educators differed by age groups, college backgrounds, school types, number of years teaching, and definitely on how much coding they had done before. The graphs below show the diversity in their teaching experiences and their background in computer science.

Source: Sheena Vaidyanathan

In addition to coming from different backgrounds, teachers planned to take what they learned back to their schools in different ways. Some would be returning to an already-planned computer science class; others were going to enthusiastically advocate and support the very first such program in their schools. Others planned to launch their own after-school computer science offering, as they waited and hoped that the administrators would add the subject to the formal curriculum someday.

Several teachers came from schools that aim to integrate computer science in existing subjects, such as science, math, English, Spanish, or an AVID class. There were a large number of teachers who were a coach or a TOSA (Teacher on Special Assignment) tasked with supporting the integration of computer science curriculum in their schools or districts. And then there were few teachers who had come just to find out what computer science was all about. They wanted to end their summer armed with a better idea of the digital world around them.

Source: Sheena Vaidyanathan

2. Python may sound scary. But it’s not!

We offered teachers a choice to learn one of two coding languages: Scratch, which has a block-based visual interface, or Python, which is text-based. We made extra time this year to introduce Python to those interested, based on my own successful experience with teaching it in my own middle-school classes in Los Altos School district for the past two-plus years. It’s an easy language to learn and it is powerful, making it popular in both industry and education.

Teachers with experience with Scratch spent more time on doing the coding challenges in Python. Even teachers completely new to coding were surprised to find that text based programming was not scary as they imagined since they were guided through fun simple code-together projects. Once they understood the concepts, they were able to code several projects independently. Teachers were proudly showing off their Python projects, even taking photos to send their family or friends.

I am a bit crazy about Python—so much so that I’ve written a book, “Creative Coding in Python,” to show creative, open-ended projects (such as making chatbots, adventure games and geometric art, for example) to make the language engaging and accessible to anyone.

3. Taking off the ‘teacher hat’ is a must in any professional development.

Every day during the course, teachers were reminded about taking off their teacher hat, and just being a student. It is important to remember that summer is a time for teachers to learn for themselves, and not worry about how exactly to run the lesson.

While lesson plans and teaching strategies are important, the focus was on first understanding the subject. Especially with coding, teachers are often so busy running a particular project in a class, that they can forget the fun of just coding for the sake of coding. Strengthening coding skills and building a passion for working through difficult debugging challenges translates into a better computer science teacher for all students.

Teachers often commented that being learners themselves helped them understand better what their students feel each day, and helps to build empathy especially for students who may be struggling in their classes.

4. Professional development time is teacher community-building time.

Computer-science teachers are often the only one in their schools or districts, and most do not have local professional community for support.

Their challenges may be different than those teaching other subjects. In dealing with a subject that is still new for most schools, computer-science educators not only have to teach it, but also advocate it to administrators, parents and students as well. They teach a subject where new tools and resources are added everyday, one that involves managing the large amount of screen time. In addition, they usually juggle a computer-science class along with other core subjects, like math.

Professional development sessions offer a great opportunity to spend time talking with like-minded teachers about why and how they hope to teach computer science. The bonds created in these sessions will be valuable as teachers return to the classroom. It will be the start of a much-needed computer science teacher community for them, and they can continue to connect online and via weekend workshops and future events.

Computer-science professional development is not about the tools, the curriculum or the lesson plan. It is about giving teachers, who did not take these courses in college, time to learn and understand more about this fascinating field. Understanding this subject in greater depth enables teachers to explain concepts in ways that allow them to reach all students and spark their own passion for the subject.

It is also about helping teachers find others who want to learn more about computer science to build a community that will support each other in their efforts to introduce the subject to everyone—kids and adults alike.

What Does Computer Science Professional Development Look Like? published first on https://medium.com/@GetNewDLBusiness

[loseweighthandbook]

Marketing to Senior Citizens – Health and Fitness, the Growing Trend Amongst Seniors

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Today seniors can't afford not to get moving! With all the hype around nutrition and exercise the aging population is well aware of the benefit of an active lifestyle.

Most seniors of the 55 plus group are keen to reap the rewards of healthy aging through a variety of activities. They are not newcomers to the gym so to speak. Most have kept active with some form of physical activity throughout their lives, whether it is hardcore workouts in the gym or a congenial round of golf on a summer's afternoon. Women of this age group have also managed years of multi-tasking, most having juggled full time careers, while raising families and still found time to fit in some form of exercise. These women became well acquainted with aerobics, step classes, strength training and power walking. Also, stress relievers such as yoga and pilates were embraced to combat tension and fatigue. In many cases these activities were their salvation of an overly busy lifestyle.

It is only natural then, that these baby boomers are looking to continue their active lifestyle into retirement. Quite possibly, with the time constraints lifted at this stage in life, it leaves them to focus more sharply on their health and wellness.

A huge opportunity exists for gyms and programming facilities to cater to this senior market. The number of seniors is set to skyrocket in the next five to ten years and if gym operators are to jump ahead of this curve, they should set their marketing sights on appealing to and attracting this demographic.

How to go about this? What are seniors looking for when it comes to staying fit? Firstly it is important to see a visual image that they can relate to. Marketing success is all about seeing yourself in the picture, being that person who is strong, fit and beaming with energy. If a beautiful twenty something image is smiling back, then age becomes a handicap in the mind of the senior, derailing their good intentions, making them feel like they can't compete. The perfect image that will empower the market they are trying to impress is an attractive fit senior pursuing the exercise of his or her choice. An ad such as this will pop with the 55 plus market, creating a role model with whom they can immediately identify and connect. Seniors like everyone else need to be able to put themselves into that ad campaign and honestly believe that it could be them looking out. This puts the wheels in motion for a positive mindset and a "can-do" attitude.

Seniors are only as old as they feel. Once again we come back to the mind-set, which is a very powerful tool. Boomers today are constantly fighting the aging stereotype that has depicted seniors in the past. Seniors in their sixties often look, act and feel ten to fifteen years younger than their actual age. Advertising should play up to this pretense which promotes this healthy reversal known as "turning back the clock".

Another means of promoting fitness is to educate the senior who wants to get moving and who wants information as to how this will benefit them and enhance their life. They need to know the positives, what they can expect, and can look forward to as a result of embarking on the fitness journey that the marketer proposes. The campaign needs to encompass every aspect of their life, proving that properly presented, seniors will understand that an opportunity to change is being offered which will impact and alter their lifestyle. It's within their reach, all that remains to be done, is to get out there, set realistic goals with realistic time frames and make it happen.

This brings us to another point. Marketers should focus on the enhancement of senior life overall, as a result of engaging in exercise and activities, rather than the promise that, if you join up you will achieve this enviable body or snag that hot date. The quality of life and the heightened enjoyment of everyday activities which seniors can have as a result of exercise need to be highlighted.

Marketing programs should also contain testimonials and feedback from actual seniors delighted with their progress and accomplishments, similar to that of "before and after stories of weight loss". Seniors want to hear how it has enhanced and changed other people, who are just like themselves. They want to hear the successes, for example, how exercise lowered blood pressure, how strength training enabled other seniors to do more, how medication was reduced, how endurance was stretched. It all gives the feeling that anything is possible, if they can do it, then I can as well. It sends a message and an incentive to become a joiner.

Seniors often prefer to sample a program on a trial basis to see if it's going to be the right fit for them. Offering special programs geared to this group is smart when limiting them to one or two classes. Fitness activities can be offered at many different types of senior living facilities. Places such as retirement communities and nursing homes already recognize the need and benefits of fitness and nutritional programs. Approaching these senior residences is an effective strategy of marketing to large groups of seniors. There are also many senior assisted living residences that do not have organized fitness classes or programs in place yet, but they will soon. Visit these places and offer a free class or program, if these programs are successful you will know that this appeals to seniors and if the need is strong enough to continue. This will help to target the senior market, zeroing in on what works and what doesn't.

Marketers of fitness need to alter their sales approach to seniors. This age group is not impulsive and will appreciate a thorough, softer sell approach. Seniors need and want information and prefer patience. This in turn builds trust, instilling confidence in the senior contemplating buying a membership. It basically reaffirms that they are doing the right thing in taking this first step to join.

Seniors as consumers hold certain expectations that need to be met for fulfillment. As part of the packaging of the programming, seniors also need and crave socialization and to be part of the group. They need leadership, to have an instructor to safely guide them through the program, with an eye to protecting them from injury and awareness of ailments like arthritis and osteoporosis in the participants. They look for convenience, with minimal stairs and easy entry, or even better brought to their home. Lastly they want value and attention, to feel like they are progressing and that their state of well being is something that is noted.

As with any market, the sales approach needs to be geared to their age defined needs and preferences. In the year 2010 and in the coming years the greying of the boomers market will keep growing by leaps and bounds. There will be an even greater emphasis on slowing the effects of aging and possibly the reversal through movement and exercise. This, the marketers realize is what it's all about at any age. Seniors, like everyone else, want to maintain a high quality of life and that definitely includes exercise to make it happen.

[ad_2] Source by Lawrence Comiskey

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[peace-coast-island]

Diary of a Junebug

Jazz bands, food stands, and cherry blossoms

Happy Floral Festival and the Coloratura Jazz Band - two big things that led to one super fun night!

This year, our camp had the honor of hosting the Happy Floral Festival. I still can’t believe that out of all the camps, villages, and islands out there, the committee selected us! For that, I have to thank Isabelle and Tom Nook because I’m pretty sure that we wouldn’t have made the list if it wasn’t for them.

Setting up the festival was an exciting and daunting task. Along with setting up the stands and displays, we have to make arrangements for things like music, vendors, etc. This year, the Coloratura Jazz Band fronted the festival, this being the third time in five years they’ve been a part of the festivities. So having them around to help set things up was super helpful - plus it’s nice to catch up with some familiar faces I haven’t seen in a while.

The newest member of the jazz band is none other than Sapphire. She joined the group a couple months ago as a pianist, which she says she wouldn’t have gotten in without Mabel and Kelly- two old high school friends who have been in the band for a couple years now. 

Being part of something big and fancy like the Coloratura Jazz Band isn’t something that Sapphire aimed for and she confesses that she feels a bit like an outsider compared to other musicians but at the same time it feels right. Sapphire’s the kind of person who just wants to be - not that she doesn’t have any goals or ambitions in mind, but she doesn’t want to feel like she has to compete in order to justify her existence. 

Mabel was the one who suggested that Sapphire audition for the newly vacated position. She, Sapphire, and Kelly were in the high school jazz band back in the day - Mabel on saxophone and mallets, Kelly on flute and percussion, and Sapphire on piano. While Mabel and Kelly continue to pursue music in college on a professional level, Sapphire turned to other interests. She posts piano covers on social media and occasionally plays at the Jazz Lounge Cafe, but other than that, Sapphire’s been busy trying out other things.

Like her roomie Steven, music’s one of those things that Sapphire always finds herself gravitating back to even though it’s not as big or prominent in her life as it used to be. As Steven once said, as much as he enjoys making music and how much it’s shaped his life, he doesn’t want to build his identity solely around that. To do so would be setting up a trap for himself as he's went through a tough time in his life where he couldn’t make music, which led to a cycle of depression and self doubt. And when you’re going through something rough, the last thing you need is an identity crisis. 

Having gone through an experience similar to Steven’s after the death of her best friend, it’s no surprise that Sapphire feels that way about music too. Unlike Steven, Mabel, and Kelly, Sapphire’s not a prolific musician who is looking to challenge herself or show off her chops to a wide audience - she just wants to enjoy playing the piano. She doesn’t feel the need to strive to be on top nor does she wants to prove herself to a bunch of strangers by pretending to vibe with something she’s not really feeling.

With Mabel and later Kelly, Steven, and Spencer suggesting that she give the Coloratura Jazz Band a go, Sapphire decided why not? Truth was she’s been going through a bit of a slump so she needed a pick me up. Getting into a big name jazz band seemed like a long shot for someone like her so she figured that even if she didn’t get in, at least she’d have something to do for a while.

And in an unexpected turn of events, Sapphire was called back for another audition. Then another, and a final one after that. How or why they chose her over several other more qualified musicians is something she’s not gonna question. After all, this is the Coloratura Jazz Band we’re talking about!

Mabel’s been with the band since last year and she’s been loving it. She’s got an interesting story - a childhood that she barely survived, family tragedies, and an incredible will to live. Despite everything she’s been through, Mabel still retains her optimistic and bubbly personality.

Having spent most of her childhood on the edge of death battling leukemia, it’s no wonder why Mabel lives every day like it’s her last. She’s the kind of person who leaves a lasting impression on you, even if you’ve only known her for a short time. Now when I see glitter I immediately associate it with Mabel.

While her future remained uncertain for most of her life, one thing Mabel found as a constant source of happiness was music. Her mom first taught her how to play the guitar, which Mabel picked up quickly. It wasn’t long until Mabel was giving performances at the hospital lounge on the floor she pretty much grew up in. Later she learned how to play the piano, drums, bass, and saxophone.

Tragedy struck when she was eleven and her parents were killed in a car accident. Her family was planning to go on a vacation with the money she received from the Falling Star Foundation when Mabel fell ill. They were planning to visit their summer home, which they haven’t been to in years since Mabel’s diagnosis. After experiencing two relapses, Mabel wanted nothing more than to go to a cabin that took her back to simpler times. With the place being abandoned for a long time, it was in need of fixing up, which was what Mabel wanted to use her Falling Star money for. At Mabel’s insistence, they went on the trip but insisted on only spending one week at the cabin instead of two as planned.

Her parents died on the way back home while her brother hung on for a few more days. Mabel was allowed to stay by her brother’s side until the very end, holding hands from their hospital beds. Losing her family was a devastating blow for Mabel, especially in her weakened state, but she wasn’t going to let that bring her down.

By some miracle, Mabel beat the odds. Through sheer willpower, the memories of her family, and the support of her aunt and uncle who took her in, Mabel hung on. As soon as she was strong enough, Mabel went through an experimental chemo trial that was super risky but paid off in the end. While it brought her time, the risk of another relapse was imminent so she was also being prepped for a bone marrow transplant as soon as a donor came through.

It wouldn’t be for another couple years until they found a compatible donor for Mabel. By then it was the third time Mabel had been told that she was getting the transplant, only for things to fall through at the last minute the first two times. After a long and difficult recovery, the worst was finally behind her.  

Since then, Mabel’s been making the most out of her life. From writing songs, making glitter confetti bombs, taking classes at Seashore Path, putting together cute care packages and sing alongs for pediatric cancer patients, performing in theatre and with the jazz band, taking on karaoke bars by storm, tending to her family’s garden, and spending summers as a counselor at Camp Constellation, things are never dull when Mabel’s around. 

Kelly’s been with the Coloratura for almost three years now, so I guess you can say she’s a professional flautist. She’s been playing since middle school and later picked up percussion as well as guitar, piano, and viola. Along with being section leader in the jazz band - a position she landed earlier this year - Kelly’s also involved with Rosegale Theatre as an intern and Asian Represents! as a volunteer. Along with juggling classes at Hollywood U she runs a channel called sillypanda where she posts flute covers, livestreams, and a day in the life vlogs.

I don’t know how she keeps up with everything, but Kelly manages to make it work. She helped us a lot when we were setting up for the festival, arriving about a day before the rest of the band came. Like I said, hosting the Happy Floral Festival’s a daunting task, and if it wasn’t for Kelly, I wouldn’t know what I was doing half the time. No wonder everyone wants her to help set up events! 

The festival was a lot of fun! The biggest highlights were the Coloratura Jazz Band’s performance and the Happy Bouquet ceremony that followed. Being showered by flower petals while a jazz band plays on underneath a moonlit sky and surrounded by good company - what more can you ask for? The concert and ceremony were a little over an hour and a half, though honestly it felt like it flew by. 

Tonight’s the kind of night where time kinda stretches yet flies by at the same time. Like you’re fully aware that you’re living out a memory that you’ll remember for years to come. It’s the kind of feeling that brings on mixed emotions - joy for feeling like you’re on top of the world, and melancholy for these moments aren’t meant to last. There’s nothing you can really do about it other than just living for the present.

It was nice catching up with friends like Katie and Sapphire as well as getting to know Mabel  and Kelly. From admiring various floral displays to trying all the food stands, it’s no wonder why the Happy Floral Festival is such a big deal! Like how Sapphire can’t believe she’s part of the Coloratura Jazz Band, I find it hard to believe that the camp was selected to host a festival. Even though the festivities have ended, I’m still not over it.

In between the fun moments of hanging out with friends, trying all kinds of foods, and dancing to the jazz band, the quiet moments were just as nice. Aside from the ceremony and concert, I think the biggest highlight for me was taking a moonlit stroll with Daisy Jane and collecting stray flowers carried by the breeze that came our way. 

When I’m with Daisy Jane, it feels like we're the only ones in the world, ready to take on anything that comes our way. It’s one of these moments that make me wish that nights like this would last forever.

#animal crossing #animal crossing pocket camp #Diary of a Junebug #headcanon ramble