#unfortunately in middle school i was one of my theater teachers favorite students.

[carcasstohounds]

currently my biggest flex is that my new english teacher, who is notorious for being too busy to remember the name of anyone who isn’t her favorite speech kids or theater leads, knows me by name by day 2 of class.

#she knew my name before this class too but now she definitely knows it lmao #and she’s only gotten me and my sister (who was in her class and is currently a speech kid and won an award for theater tech) confused once #i know that she knows like three people in this classes name and one of them is mine and another is a speech kid actor #also i should note that she runs the speech program and our theater program both of which are pretty big groups. #which is why it’s funny that she knows me bc ??? why. ive talked to her like three times total. not complaining it’s just funny as hell #I Just Want Her To Like Me. it’s the gay kid who just wants english teacher approval thing yknow. #but she likes that i said i really like poetry (which is true!! i do!! no one else in that class does lmao) so there’s that #and i raised my hand for stuff so. on my way to being a favorite student ig. #unfortunately in middle school i was one of my theater teachers favorite students. #that doesn’t sound that bad but trust me. it was. i wasn’t an actor but she liked me because i did tech #literally everyone was scared of her because she was just really fucking intense about everything #louise.txt

[i-am-bitterly-jittery]

Simply Meant To Be (pt 1)

An expansion on this soulmate blurb (no Virgil in this one though)

[part 2]

Rating: teen

Word Count: 2130

Pairings: Roceit, Intrulogical

Warnings: minor swearing

~~~START~~~

Roman is a romantic, that’s just a fact. He loves love. Any day he gets to watch two soulmates meet each other is automatically a good day. The second best day of his life was getting to watch Remus meet their soulmate when they were sixteen. The best day of his life is reserved for when he meets his own soulmate. 

It hasn’t happened yet, but it will. One day. 

For now, Roman is content with being colorblind (well not content, but he’s learned to not let it bother him too much). Remus and Logan are actually a huge help with that. Logan has even gone as far as to make a list of all of Roman’s clothing and includes a chart of what pieces do and do not go together based on Remus’ (admittedly professional) opinions, and Remus actually went through and labeled all of Roman’s makeup with what color it is and what kind of look it should go with. 

Anyone who vaguely knew the twins might think that Remus would use this opportunity to mess with Roman, but Remus knows how much Roman hates being colorblind; they would never lie to Roman about colors — about other things? Sure, but not colors. 

Remus and Logan met when Logan moved to their school from Georgia. One day Remus had claimed that there was a trail of color — they would later learn that it was navy blue, Logan’s soon-to-be favorite color — leading from the parking lot, to the main office, to the east wing. They’d chosen to skip first period in order to follow it, having never seen the trail before, and Roman, being unwilling to miss the opportunity to watch his brother meet their soulmate, followed him. Remus had walked right into a physics classroom, and straight for a boy with short curls and thick glasses that Roman had never seen before and declared him their soulmate. 

Roman got detention for skipping first period, Remus got a pass on account of meeting their soulmate. 

Most people met their soulmates before they turned twenty-five, after all, how difficult can it be when all you have to do is find the trail of color they leave behind them everywhere they go and follow it?

Well, as Roman has learned in his thirty-five years of being alive, it can be pretty freaking difficult. 

As children, Roman and Remus had wandered their town far and wide looking for colorful trails, and even after they met Logan, Remus continued to go with Roman as he searched, even if they couldn’t see Roman’s soulmate’s trail themself. As soon as Roman graduated from high school, he took the customary gap year that most everybody who hadn’t met their soulmates yet takes to search for their soulmates. 

He never caught a glimpse of anything. 

“What if I missed them somehow? What if I saw their trail and just didn’t realize it?” Roman whines one day at his usual Saturday brunch — because they’re adults goddammit — with Remus and Logan. 

“You wouldn’t have missed them, Ro bro,” Remus assures him as they do every time Roman starts lamenting about having not met his soulmate yet. “Colors are so unmistakable that there’s no way you’ll miss them.”

“And even if you are genetically colorblind — which is unlikely considering Remus is not,” Logan continues before Roman has a chance to respond. “I have read multiple papers that state that soultrails will still make themselves distinct. There are multiple accounts of the trails emitting light, absorbing light, or even emitting sound. All of that is, of course, on top of the translucent cloud that follows your soulmate’s every move. I find it improbable that you, of all people, would not have noticed a soultrail.”

“Yeah, I know you guys are right,” Roman sighs. “I just want to meet them! I’ve travelled all over the place looking for them, where are they?”

Remus says nothing, which Roman is grateful for because Remus has a habit of saying dark jokes in an attempt to lighten the mood, and Roman really doesn’t need to hear them suggest that his soulmate died in a car crash or something right now. Besides, the question is rhetorical. If Remus could see Roman’s soulmate’s trail, then he’s sure they would have spent the last nineteen years looking for them too. 

“Sorry, I guess I brought the mood down,” Roman apologizes. “How are you guys?”

Remus opens their mouth.  

“The PG version, please!” Roman rushes to say before Remus can mentally scar him. Again. 

Remus closes their mouth again. 

Logan rolls his eyes fondly and proceeds to get Roman up to date on all the high school gossip. 

“- and of course the middle school’s robotics instructor left suddenly to follow her soulmate to England, so I have taken over as their advisor until a suitable replacement can be hired.”

“How is that?” Roman asks, cringing at the thought of having to deal with middle schoolers. Kids in general kind of freak him out, but middle schoolers especially. 

“It has been fine, they are not as adept as my high school students, but of course for many of them this is their introduction to such things, so I’m trying to be patient and supportive.”

Roman snorts at that. He’s sure Logan is a good teacher, but his brother-in-law can be a bit short tempered, and has a habit of talking down to people who don’t understand what he’s trying to tell them. 

“Don’t laugh at him!” Remus jumps in to defend their soulmate. “Logan’s great with kids, it’s adults he has a problem with.”

“They are much too old to be as ignorant as they are,” Logan defends himself resolutely. 

“Of course they are, Sugar Butt.” Logan cringes slightly at the pet name, which is really all Remus is ever looking for with their pet names. 

“Anyway,” Logan says, somewhat forcefully. “There is one student who seems to know what he is doing, but he doubts himself at every turn. I have tried telling him that he is doing everything correctly, but he is… reluctant to trust himself.”

“Maybe as the year goes on he’ll gain confidence,” Remus suggests. Logan hums in acknowledgment, and Roman takes that as the end of talking about Logan’s students. “Oh! Ro bro! Did you hear the theater got a new makeup artist?”

“Finally!” Roman groans, thinking back on their last makeup artist. “I swear Lisa was trying to poke my eyes out every time she did my eyeliner!”

“Oh she probably was,” Remus comments offhandedly. “I told her — back when she first started with the theater — that you thought that makeup artisting was a waste of time.”

“WHAT!?” Roman screeches, gaining the attention of the staff and other patrons. 

“Roman,” Logan warns, growing uncomfortable under the curious stares. 

“How could you do that to me?” Roman hisses at a much quieter volume. “I never said that! She hated me for five years because of you!”

Remus shrugs, slurping the end of their drink through their straw loudly. 

“You better not make the new artist hate me!”

“I would never!” Remus gasps, clutching their heart dramatically. 

Roman glares. 

“Cross my heart!” Remus insists with a much too innocent expression. 

“I hate you.”

Remus just gasps again before dissolving into uncontrollable giggles. 

 ~~~

There isn’t rehearsal on Sunday, so Roman doesn’t have to go in to work. Unfortunately, he is saddled by the knowledge that Remus — as the theater’s costume designer — does have to go in today, and therefore has a whole day to lie to the new makeup artist about him. 

Come Monday, all Roman can do is hope that Remus hasn’t done irreparable damage. 

“Calm down,” Remus orders when they come to pick Roman up. “They weren’t even in yesterday; I haven’t met them yet.”

“I’m not letting you ruin my relationship with the makeup artist again,” Roman pouts. 

“Just try and stop me!” Remus cackles. 

Once they reach the theater, Roman practically jumps from the car before Remus has even parked. 

“REAL MATURE!” Remus yells after him as he sprints for the theater door. 

“THIS ONE IS GOING TO LIKE ME!” Roman yells back. 

“NOT IF I MEET THEM FIRST!”

Roman skids to a stop as soon as he reaches the lobby. Not expecting their twin to just be standing there, Remus slams into his back, throwing them both to the ground. 

“The fuck, Ro Bro?” Remus demands as they flop off their brother and onto their back. 

“I-I see it,” Roman whispers, voice filled with wonder. 

“See what?” Remus demands. “The lobby? You’ve seen the lobby bef-oh!”

The awestruck look on Roman’s face finally clicks, and Remus bounces excitedly. 

“You see it? Like it it?” Remus scrambles to their feet, dragging Roman up with them. “Where? Which way does it go?”

“It looks like how the sun feels,” Roman says instead of answering. “All light and warm and good.”

“Roman Kingsley you tell me which way your soulmate went this instant!” Remus demands loudly. This is important dammit!

“It goes from there,” Roman points to the side door that’s usually used by staff that take the bus to work. “To there,” the door leading backstage. 

“Excellent!” Remus cheers dragging Roman forward. “Time for your date with destiny!”

Remus throws the backstage door open dramatically, but Roman groans as he realizes that his soulmate’s trail is going in literally every direction, making it impossible to know which way they went last. 

“Well?” Remus asks expectantly. 

“Either my soulmate is familiarizing themself to the theater, or they knew I’d be here and are trying to spite me,” Roman answers somewhat dejectedly. “I can’t tell which trail is freshest.”

“Well shit.” Remus scans each entry as though Roman’s soulmate will just happen to wander in (plausible, considering they’ve trailed all over the theater). 

“Hey guys!” A voice calls from by the dressing rooms. The brothers turn to find Thomas, the owner of the theater and their boss. 

“Thomas!” Remus cries gleefully. “My absolute favoritest person in the world behind my incredibly sexy soulmate!”

“Okay, so you want something,” Thomas answers with an amused grin. Remus always piles on the compliments when they want something.

“Who’s new today?” Roman asks, more to the point. 

“Like, in the theater?” Thomas asks. “Just Janus, the new makeup artist. Why?” Thomas’s eyes widen as if he’s just had a realization. “You’re not going to prank him or something, are you? He’s very talented, I can’t have you scaring him away already!”

“Roman’s soulmate is the new makeup artist? Lame,” Remus pouts. “How am I supposed to trick him into hating Roman?”

“Soulmate?”

“My soulmate is in the building, Thomas!” Roman declares, striking a dashing pose before deflating a little. “Except his trail leads all over the place, I don’t know where he went!”

“Oh… well,” Thomas looks to each direction Janus could have gone, but he clearly doesn’t know which way Janus would have gone. “He said he wanted to get a lay of the land before everyone got here…”

“I got this!” Remus pipes up suddenly before cupping their hands around their mouth like a megaphone and screaming at the top of their lungs. “JANUS!”

“What?” A faint, far-off voice calls back, followed but the sound of hurried footsteps. “Thomas?”

“Dressing rooms!” Thomas calls back. 

Footsteps thunder down the stairs, and all too soon a man appears on them. 

The first time you lay eyes on your soulmate, you begin to see the world in color. Everyone’s experience is different: Remus said that as soon as he laid eyes on Logan, the world exploded violently into vibrant shades. Logan said that colors appeared one at time, quickly, but slow enough for him to notice. Roman’s mom said that her soulmate’s trail swelled to fill the space before things slowly began to take on their proper color, and his mama said that it was almost like everything had always had color, she just hadn’t bothered to notice before. 

For Roman, the man before him is painted in vibrant shades while the background remains in grayscale, but as soon as the man makes eye contact, his colors begin to slowly bleed throughout the space. 

The man’s eyes widen as he stares, slack-jawed at Roman — no doubt mirroring Roman’s own expression. 

“I’m Roman,” Roman says quickly, before Remus can forever ruin his first meeting with his soulmate by making a dick joke or something. 

The man smiles and Roman immediately decides that his favorite color is whatever this guy’s eyes are — they’re hazel, but Roman will later change his favorite color to red after realizing how stunning and bold the color is when it isn’t just another shade of gray. 

“Janus.”

~~~TO BE CONTINUED~~~

General Taglist:

@royalty-of-all-things-snuggly

@pixelated-pineapple

#ts sanders sides #sanders sides #roceit #intrulogical #roman sanders #remus sanders #logan sanders #Janus Sanders #character thomas #My writing #thursday writes #fanfiction #fanfic #creativitwins #princeit #soulmate au #simply meant to be au

[beauty-grace-outer-space]

1 and 9?

1. what is/was school like for you?

School was apparently stupidly easy throughout elementary school. In kindergarten, I’d finish the work before the teacher finished explaining the assignment because I could read faster than she could talk, and then I’d want to help the others or go do something else. They had a counselor come sit in on the class to observe me after a while (and the teacher complaining) and he promptly informed everyone that he was absolutely certain that I had ADHD, and that the solution was not to medicate me or switch classes, but for the teacher to step it up and keep me engaged. 

After that, they wanted to move me to third grade, but I was only five years old so instead, I did first grade half in English, half in Japanese. But the Japanese teacher really did not like me (because I was younger than the other students) and despite doing well in the class, she refused to teach me. She called me “the baby” and made me sit off to the side and “play” instead of lessons most of the time. Halfway through the year, they moved me back to an all English first-grade class, and I had the meanest teacher I’ve ever had. I got in trouble a lot. 

In second grade, my teacher was a gem and instated a rule that I could move around however I wanted, and sit in whatever position I wanted... as long as I could touch my desk. She incorporated singing into the lessons, which I found fascinating, and had a lot of student participation which helped. I have been reliably informed that this was the point when other students started to bully me, but I have very little or no memory of it. I asked a friend about it once, and she has vivid memories of it all. When I asked her why, she said, “People thought you were really weird”. I just said, “I am really weird.” 

In third grade, my teacher gave out “points” for good behavior, and had a separate area of the classroom for play once work was finished. She kept legos and other fun toys on hand which was great, and I started trying to build up good behavior points to buy little gifts for my mom in the student store. That year, I made student of the month for the first time and cried. 

In fourth grade, I broke my wrist and the boy next to me got mono so I sat alone most of the year. My teacher liked to read to us from The Hobbit or the Chronicles of Narnia. Not many memories from that year. 

In fifth grade, my teacher was a tiny amazing woman who encouraged me to write stories once I had finished my work. My friends and I formed an author’s club and a book club, and that’s when I really started writing in my free time. 

Sixth grade was the first year I had multiple teachers (in middle school you change classes). It’s also the first year I remember struggling with math. 

Past that point, it’s really hit or miss. Sixth grade was the year I was formally diagnosed with OCD and major depressive disorder. It’s very common for folks with ADHD to hit a breaking point and suddenly struggle immensely, and most of my memories of middle school are of sitting at the dining room table in tears, radio on in the background because I needed a dual focus point, trying desperately to do my math homework. 

For the first time in my life, I felt stupid. I had always been “the smart kid”, the “gifted child”. As I failed to comprehend basic math concepts, my self-esteem plummeted. Something in my brain interpreted this as a loss of control, and I started washing my hands until they bled. I started self-harming. I wasn’t sleeping well. I couldn’t figure out what was wrong with me, and all I could see was that everything I had ever thought myself to be was a lie, and everyone was going to be so disappointed that I failed to live up to all that supposed potential. 

My mom found me a therapist (whom I still see to this day). We figured out how to keep my hands from looking like desert battlegrounds. I joined student government, but for the first few years, people didn’t like me much. I made the National Honor Society but had to drop out in tenth grade because I couldn’t make an A in math class. I was on track for the College Prep. Honors diploma, but I missed it by (you guessed it) one math class. 

I found choir and theater, and I excelled in English. I struggled a lot, but I found my niche, and I threw myself into art subjects with everything I had. My graduated class was really small, so we all go to know each other really well and I got along well with basically everyone (though I was still very weird. I just knew how to own it and roll with it). 

I couldn’t afford a university (my family went through a really hard financial patch), so I applied for community college. I had a lot of angst about that because, at 17, it felt like failing somehow. (It’s not, and don’t let anyone tell you it is. Community college is dope, valid, and budget-friendly.) I did great in my classes... but bombed math. Totally failed it. Straight “F” for the first time in my life. And I burnt myself to the ground. 

In nine months I did six stage productions and 20 classes. I got to school around 7AM and left after midnight sometimes. Other unfortunate circumstances occurred (cough trauma cough) and I ended up leaving the school for a gap year, but I was suicidal and struggling a lot. 

A year later, I made it into my dream school and I moved out of state to attend. One of the first classes I had to take was a math class, and I was distraught. But something about this teacher, and the way he taught, and the type of math it was... it clicked. I passed the class with a B+, and it fulfilled my math requirement forever. I called my mom sobbing. 

I had a great first year, went back for the second... and burnt myself out again. More unfortunate circumstances occurred, and between the harassment, the social abuse, the verbally abusive director I had for the show I was in that year, and a roommate who wouldn’t speak to me, I burned myself out again. 

I dropped out after that year. It took five years to gather up the willpower to try again. Last year, I finished my degree via online classes. Somewhere in there, I stumbled upon ADHD characteristics and got curious. Asked my mom and turns out they had me unofficially diagnosed when I was five and no one informed me. They did their best to help things along, though. My mom interviewed and hand-selected my teachers where she could. The administrative staff was onboard to work with me instead of against me. I just had no idea. 

TL;DR: School was interesting, I had no idea I had ADHD and just kind of muddled along wondering why I was so weird/couldn’t shut up half the time. Gifted kid burnout, college blew up in my face, lots of mental health stuff and pain later, ta-da! AA. 

(If ya’ll could see the face Grammarly is making at me because of the tone and wording of this post... it’s like O_O-- “bitch is you ok?”). 

9. favorite stim / one you do most often?

I only very recently became aware that I stim. I’ve always done it, but again, I was not aware that I had ADHD until last year. Most common ones are leg bouncing and-- if I’m playing an instrument, reading, or thinking-- rocking. I do think there’s something to be said for... I don’t know how to say this and not make it weird, but... having something to chew/suck on? Because I bite the inside of my mouth a lot, and if I have a lollipop, I’ll first finish it, then chew on the stick, etc. but I won’t seek things out to... put in my mouth, if that makes sense? I also sing basically constantly if I’m alone. There are more, but they don’t come up as much. 

#long post #sorry #i just woke up #adhd

[valkerymillenia]

Hi, I asked about jason’s memory in my last ask in cbds. Thanks for answering. It made me wonder would jason gets flashes about his time with dick and the twins?I really admire your patience in writing your story. This is why i’ll fail as a writer, because i have absolutely no patience. I mean I would probably rush my story and that would make it turn bad.

Ok, so, no. At first Jason has no memory between his death and the Pit. Eventually though some things start to trigger pieces of memories that he doesn't really understand, his full memory takes quite a while to return and by then he's dug himself into too deep a hole.

Also, you sound EXACTLY like me when I started writing.

So I'mma ramble now. Feel free to ignore the boring story time beneath the cut but I promise it has a point, it's just bound to be long because I don't know what brevity is and when I'm sleep deprived I talk to much.

Before I started writing I always wanted to put stories down into words but I never ever considered writing books, I used to make elaborate fantasy worlds, characters and lives in my head that dragged on for weeks on end, slowly becoming more and more complex, it was pure escapism, but I never thought about writing those stories down precisely because I though "I'll never have the patience to develop this, I'll just rush it or quit halfway".

Then when I was in 10th grade there was a writing contest in my school and two of my cousins were teachers there and writers themselves and encouraged me to enter (there were 3 categories actually- teachers, 7th to 9th grade and 10th to 12th grade). I figured, why not?

The story had to be handwritten under a pseudonym with a 5 page limit (no word limit because it was handwritten, you just had to use standard test paper for 5 pages, and yes, this was normal because not everyone had access to a computer to type their work), it was fiction under the theme "stories of our people" and the judges were a panel of teachers and one famous writer (he had a very popular YA adventure series and some great mythology based novels, unfortunately he passed away a few years later).

Now, bear in mind 2 things. This was a school surrounded by forest in the hills of a small rural city but it was the biggest rural city around and all the other towns and villages sent their kids to high school there, the second thing to remember is that high school is mandatory education in my country so dropping out isn't really an option. Therefore we had hundreds of kids in the high school grades (somewhere between 600 and 800 kids, I think, there's less nowadays because the next town over grew immensely and has its own high school now).

You'd think kids wouldn't be interested in a writing competition but the author that was coming to judge was very popular at the time and, well, it was a high school in the middle of the woods in a small countryside town. Things were boring, ok? We didn't have a mall or a movie theater or anything, so when something popped up to break the boredom (or someone even remotely famous showed up) everyone jumped at it.

So a lot of people participated and me? I was just dragging my feet because "I didn't have the patience", I waited until the last two days before the deadline and poured out a story last minute with a shitty penname based on my mythology obsession (Valkery Thot, you can laugh about it nowadays but Thot was the Egyptian good of scribes and I was NERD).

The story was about two kids that never liked each other growing up even though they lived close to each other, they end up crossing paths on the same adventure to a local inaccessible waterfall we have here in the mountain, they were looking for treasure based on stories and maps from each of their grandfathers and find a cave together where they discover etchings left by said grandfathers and, long story short, the treasure was friendship.

(Sappy as hell, I know, but I was thinking the whole YA adventure mindframe, ok? Plus, it wasn't my preferred writing language, which is English, and I was 15 and literally improvised the whole thing last minute, didn't even draft anything, I just wrote it directly and barely proofread for typos.)

So I entered the contest last minute with no real hopes, it was just an experiment but it proceed to be way more entertaining than I though, without the pressure of actually wanting to win it was easier than I thought.

Award day came and we all gathered in this fancy huge auditorium we had, it was the fanciest part of the whole school but it still couldn't fit everyone in there, then again most students that came just wanted an excuse not to go to class that morning. Anyway...

One of my cousins won in the teacher category and I was all proud. I watched the 3 winners of the 7th to 9th grade category being awarded and started getting distracted (because unless I was drawing or stimming I had the attention span of a goldfish). Then the 10th to 12th grade category came and I was so distracted that they had to call me twice before I realized I'd won second place!

First place went to 12th grade boy that wrote a story called "The Message", very purple prose and perfect grammar, lovely story, but I digress.

Anyway, the famous author was the one to give me my prize and told me my story was very vivid, there were some typos but he was impressed by the creativity and the amount of action I packed into 5 pages while still giving it a satisfying ending. I barely grasped what the heck he was saying at the time because I still had this certainty that I bullshitted the whole thing last minute and couldn't even remember half of what I wrote but I asked him if he thought I "could be real writer someday" and he just said I already was a "real writer" because all it took to be a real writer was putting it it words, that and actually enjoying the world I made up.

It stuck with me. I didn't realize right away that that was my dream, that I wanted to be a novelist, I still wanted to be an artist and was stuck under all those expectations to choose a proper college path and career (I thought I could do law, AH! what was I thinking?!) but it really stuck with me and shortly after I started getting really deep into a side of fandom that I hadn't experienced before (because I never had much access to internet before that) and started to want to put my stories into words even if I never finished them, I still didn't think I had the patience or the originally.

A few years later I realized that when it comes to something I'm passionate about I do indeed have the patience, by age 12 I had already been writing long comprehensive character bios, story details, transcribed quotes, meta theories, summaries and collecting tons of info of all my favorite fandoms and not to share, just for fun (and probably OCD) this went on for years before I even found out that the internet had whole websites and encyclopedias for such things (not like today though but yeah), and it had never occurred to me the patience that that in itself required.

My first fics were atrocious! Mostly because I made A LOT of typos due to not being used to writing in English full time but my thoughts came more naturally in English and I didn't enjoy writing fiction in Portuguese anyway (poetry though? Absolutely), I also used extremely exaggerated plot points, be it drama, angst or romance. But people liked the stories for the content and not the accurate spelling so I kept at it. I never used to finish my fics back then, not due to lack of patience but mostly because I put too much pressure on myself to make a story perfect and would stop having fun.

When I started writing purely for fun and passion (and realized that not every story needed to be a novel length epic) that's when I started churning out my best (and ironically longest) stories and getting better and better.

I won't lie, having readers encouraging me was key, it's half of the fuel I need to keep going, outside interest is an incredible motivator, but mostly I just realized that the key to good writing is:

Less pressure + more passion = all the patience you need

This doesn't just apply to original work though, it's also about fanfic.

Holy crap, that was a lot of words just to sum everything up on that one bold sentence... See, I could never have written this much when I was in high school, that's also a matter of practicing until letting your thoughts out into writing becomes second nature but that's a whole other story.

Anyway... Thanks for the lovely message. It's the story of thing that means the world to me ❤️

(and PS- no, I haven't won any other contests since that one but I have published articles on magazines, no published novels yet though because I don't think my original ideas are ever good enough to follow through).

#CBDS fic #rach rambles #writing woes #writing contest story

[peter-parkers-passport]

Flower Child (Peter Parker x ofc)

Chapter 1: Favors and Phone Numbers

warnings: language (barely), mentions/depictions of anxiety

Two Months Later

Lila Landry sat in her literature class Monday morning staring at her fingers rather than paying attention to the course material. She frowned at the dirt underneath her fingernails, mentally making a note to buy a more aggressive hand soap before she got home that evening. Although, deep in her heart she knew that the dirt couldn’t leave her fingers, no matter how hard she tried. Not that she minded, Lila loved that while her hands were clean, there was always a piece of home tagging along for the ride.

She was so busy examining the dirt that she didn’t hear her teacher call her name. Three times. “Lila.” Fourth time’s the charm, for Lila stared up at her teacher, who had a flat look on his face. Good old Mr. Puth, always looking to pick on the students who didn’t know everything he taught or didn’t pay attention. Unfortunately, he decided he wanted to pick on Lila that class period. He raised an eyebrow, his expression seemingly triumphant. “Thank you for joining us as we discuss the tragedy that is Patroclus's death. Care to share your thoughts on how Homer intended it to be perceived?”

Lila’s cheeks flared, for she hated being the center of attention. She thought she made that rather obvious, as she strategically chose her seat in the middle of the classroom, away from the back, where prowling teachers might try and pick on a student, yet not in the front with all the teacher’s pets. Her seat was one row over from the row of desks next to the window, so she wouldn’t be accused of daydreaming should any wandering stares find their way to the great view of New York City. It was almost perfect, she went by mostly unnoticed.

Mostly. Mr. Puth was a different story: he was like the living embodiment of Professor Snape, so miserable with teaching that he decided to psychologically torture the people that were legally required to be there by the state of New York. Today just happened to be Lila’s turn for the needless picking. As if forgetting Lila’s straight A’s and high marks in his class, he still felt the need to prey on her, expose her shyness like chum for all the sharks in the water to see. 

Swallowing most of her stutter, Lila did her best to rise to the occasion. “W-well, seeing as h-how Homer wasn’t - wasn’t a single person, the death of Patroclus is actually interpreted different ways.” Sliding into the topic that she was familiar enough to be comfortable with, Lila found herself slowly relaxing, and forgetting about the eyes still glued to her.

Mr. Puth’s arched eyebrow rose fractionally. “Oh. And how do you figure?”

“I figure since this story is older than written history, it’s safe to assume that Homer might be a representation of multiple bards all over Ancient Greece. That the bards that perform this story orally recounted a similar series of events, one that has too many translations to count on two hands. Going off of this, I’d think that Patroclus’s death is interpreted in many different ways.”

Mr. Puth had no choice but to let the matter of Lila not paying attention slide. But that didn’t mean she was off the hook. He sat down on his desk and crossed his arms. “And how would you interpret the death of Patroclus, in the eyes of Achilles? I’m sure you could help explain it to the rest of the class.”

Not likely, Lila thought. The rest of the class had either already read The Iliad twice over, or just didn’t care. Blowing out a puff of air, Lila ran a hand through her messy, honey-colored waves. “Well, historically speaking, the death of Patroclus would be equated to that of Juliet losing Romeo since they were lovers.

“Sexuality didn’t exist in Ancient Greece,” Lila elaborated, eyeing her teacher’s expression change minutely. “People just loved, left and right. Achilles loved Patroclus, and to lose him, to have him ripped away from him, well, I personally think it’s one of literature’s greatest romantic tragedies.”

There was a moment of uncomfortable silence, while Mr. Puth contemplated her answer. “Does anyone think that Lila’s perspective draws parallels to any other tragedies set within the poem? Or any tragedies it alludes to?” The teacher left his desk, grabbing his book and resuming his lecture, selecting his next victim.

Lila let out a breath she didn't know she’d collected while waiting for Mr. Puth’s response. Glancing down, she saw that the dirt that had collected underneath her fingernails had been picked out, and now sat on the desktop. Several spots under her nails were bleeding, and Lila clenched her shaking fists.

Stupid nerves.

                               *****

Midtown had colorful hallways, mostly because it let its students decorate them. A majority of the decorations were flimsy fall leaves dangling, reminding the students of the changing seasons. Others, like posters, reminded students of upcoming events. The tacky 80s decorations on the Homecoming poster assaulted Lila’s eyes every time she stared too closely at it. Yet another event she couldn’t attend. Although she wasn’t sure she really wanted to.

Another poster that was taped up was the Academic Decathlon poster, reminding Lila of her need to get her dad to fill out her permission slip, as well as write a check. Just last weekend, the decathlon team clinched a spot in the national competition, which just so happened to take place in Washington, D.C., a place Lila was dying to visit. Their team now spent their period together relentlessly practicing any and every topic under the sun. All thanks to Liz Allen, whose rigid leadership was starting to become a regime under the promise of winning a national competition. With Liz being a senior, Lila couldn’t really blame her for being so strict in their practice, seeing as how winning nationals would be great to add to a college application.

Lila grimaced, her mind moving from D.C. to her permission slip to her dad, and the thought had her gut rolling. Lila clutched her phone in her shaking hand, weaving in between students passing in the halls. She marched straight for her favorite decoration in the school: the mural.

The mural was two stories tall and was the wall next to one of the main staircases in the school. The pastel blue background gave way to all the greatest scientific discoveries, as well as several people who had made them: Doctor Bruce Banner, Sir Isaac Newton, Galileo Galilei, even Howard Stark. They’d commissioned several art students a few years ago to design the mural, and while most students could ignore it, Lila seemed to gravitate toward it.

Perhaps it was because Michelle Jones perched herself at the same corner facing the wall. And, being that Michelle was Lila’s only friend, the mural became a place of solace for Lila, too. To no one’s surprise, Michelle was nosing her way through her most recent book (book number thirty-five of the calendar year, if Lila could keep track), and hardly looked up when Lila stopped in front of her. “What do you want?”

Anybody else would’ve taken it as a dismissal. And to everyone else, it would’ve been. But Lila was quiet enough that she had a firm grasp on body language, and she knew that while it took some warming up, Michelle Jones had welcomed Lila to accompany her. She was ninety percent sure it was because the taller girl pitied her for having zero friends.

“I’m an idiot,” Lila huffed.

Michelle merely turned the page, not looking away from the words. “I’m sure you’re right, but why?” Lila held her phone, still trying her best not to throw up. Michelle glanced up from her book, squinting at the text on her phone. “Hey Tulip, please make sure to ask your friend about the computer today during decathlon. Xo.” Michelle’s eyes flickered from the message to Lila’s face, taking note of the sweat starting to line her forehead. “I’m confused.” Had she not said so, it would’ve been impossible to tell, for Michelle’s expression remained completely neutral.

Lila threw her head back before stepping closer. “It’s about Peter.”

“Ah,” Michelle said wryly, returning to her book.

“MJ,” Lila whined, gently taking the bookmark held in Michelle’s hands, and tucked it in her book, swiftly removing it and carrying it under her arm while walking down the hall to their shared trigonometry class. Any other person and MJ would’ve punched them in the throat for taking her book. Instead, she fell into an easy stride next to the panicking girl. “This - this is serious. Defcon One, National Emergency, um - uh - gah! I’m not able to think of witty remarks with so much at stake.”

“I question why you’re not in theater, sometimes.” Michelle watched as Lila paled at the thought, and even more anxiety seemed to sit on her shoulders. “Then I remember why.”

“Why did I ever mention that Peter built computers to my dad? Why did I ever mention Peter to my dad?”

“Because you’re hopelessly in love with the poor kid,” MJ answered, earning a sharp look from Lila. She then corrected herself, as Lila had a hundred times before, “Not in love, you just have a helpless high-school crush that will surely go away.”

“Your mocking does little to either make me feel better or even remotely help me.”

“Well,” Michelle started, taking her book gently out from under Lila’s arm and walking into the classroom door they’d stopped at. “You didn’t ask me to do either of those things. And you won’t get over said crush if you don’t actually talk to him.” She disappeared, leaving Lila to collect herself before the class started.

“Shit,” She whispered.

“Language,” A teacher spoke as she brushed by, and Lila blushed.

                           *****

As the day progressed and lunch passed, the hour for academic decathlon crept nearer and nearer, and Lila felt like she would rather walk straight into the New York traffic than have to talk to Peter Parker. Sure, what was the harm, Lila could get some decent practice at socializing, which was a crucial part of functioning in the world. But the nagging fear of Peter actually talking back to her brought a tidal wave a nausea, threatening to send her hurling. Maybe she shouldn’t have eaten her peanut butter and jelly. Although, it was a damn good sandwich.

Seeing as time was a tricky bitch, it flew by for Lila, and she cursed herself for not having rehearsed what she was going to say to Peter in the bathroom mirror at least once. So when she dragged her feet into academic decathlon, she felt like she was walking to her death. About three-quarters of her being figured that she could just go pick out the damn computer herself, and put it all together. And Lila knew next to nothing about assembling any kind of technology, but she’d rather have a complete disaster of a computer than have Peter Parker think she was a disaster.

She also couldn’t have her dad thinking she was a disaster, and that thought ultimately made the decision for her. She had to talk to the boy. So she just placed her stuff down gently in the empty room and waited for Liz to get there to instruct them on what to do.

By all accounts, it didn’t make sense that Lila Landry was on the academic decathlon team. It was mostly a blur as to how she’d managed to sign up in the first place, but she did remember her dad encouraging her to join some kind of extracurricular to make friends, and Michelle was already on the team, so it seemed like the natural progression. Until she realized that it required public speaking; even worse, public speaking in front of her peers.

But it shocked no one more than herself that she actually excelled. Lila was strangely competitive and refused to be wrong or last in answering any of the questions. Maybe it was the fact that she was reigning champion of Trivial Pursuit in her household, or maybe she just liked talking about things she was passionate about. Still, her shyness dominated her brilliance, and she volunteered to be the first alternate, along with Flash Thompson, and Sally Watson. 

Besides, she just liked being with the group. Although her fear of making friends held her back from really getting to know anyone on the team besides MJ, she enjoyed their presence. They were all incredibly brilliant, and eager to show it. And sure, everyone had their differences, but the way they worked together was surprising, to say the least. Except maybe Flash, who was convinced that Peter Parker was set on ruining his life. 

Since she was merely an alternate, Lila didn’t have to work as hard as the other kids did in preparing for nationals, so she was free to work on homework. It was usually when she got all her homework done, as she worked all afternoon and into the evenings sometimes to help her dad. And while her chemistry notes that she’d neatly written down and her textbook were cracked open, Lila couldn’t help but occasionally sneak a peek at Peter, the boy with soft curls and an even softer smile.

So when Mr. Harrington was reading out the last announcements, and reminding everyone to hand in their permission slips by the end of the week, Lila’s hands grew clammy as she saw Peter head over to him, handing his permission slip over. She caught Michelle’s eye, and she while she looked rather impassive, she gave Lila a minute nod as encouragement. Lila took a deep breath, handed over her own permission slip, and followed out behind Peter.

He was jogging down the hall to get to his locker before the next period and stopped. Clutching her backpack straps tightly, she walked over to his locker before her mind could scream at her to run away. Before she even managed to stop all the way, Peter had looked up at her and smiled softly in recognition. “Hey, Lila.”

“H-hi, Peter.” This was it, the moment of truth. Just ask the question, the worst he could say was no. Or he could’ve laughed in her face. “I was w-wondering-”

“Lila!”

Lila turned around at the sound of her name, and her stomach dropped. Liz Allan was walking over to Peter’s locker, eyes set on her. She smiled softly when she stopped, saying, “Wow, you got out of there so fast I thought I’d miss you.” Lila offered a small smile in response. “Anyway, I’m sorry I didn’t have you practice today. I promise, I’m gonna have all the alternates sit in and study tomorrow, is that okay?” A nod was followed, and Liz took that as a good thing. It was all the body language Lila had really been able to muster around the senior, so she supposed Liz had to take what she could get. The smile on Liz’s face grew bigger, and warmer as well. “Awesome! Oh, and my mom wanted to tell me she loved the fall wreath you made. It’s on our front door. Anyways, I’ll see you later,” She turned to Peter, who had a dumbstruck expression on his face. “Good job today, Peter.”

“Thanks,” He smiled, cheeks flushed with excitement that Liz spoke to him. Lila watched as he watched Liz walk away, and then turn back to his locker. “So, what were you wondering - Lila? You’re shaking.” Indeed she was, for the false courage she’d used had run out, and now Lila’s mind was on the fritz. Trying her best to ignore the pangs of jealousy and hurt she felt, she slowly counted to ten in her head while Peter looked on in concern. “Is it you practicing tomorrow?”

“No,” She said firmly, before wringing her trembling hands together. “W-well, yes, but n-no. I just don’t - don’t talk to people a lot, and-”

“Lila, it’s okay,” Peter comforted, his brown eyes staring into her green ones, and hands reaching out to gently squeeze her shoulder. She flinched away, and Peter nodded in understanding. “Sorry, you’re not a touch person, my bad. Just - just take a deep breath, okay?”

She nodded quickly, taking several deep breaths. Reality seemed to slap her in the face as she realized she completely missed the opportunity for any kind of physical contact coming from Peter Parker. Swallowing the lump in her throat, Lila sighed. “Sorry, sorry. I - um - I wanted to ask you a favor.”

Seemingly satisfied that the panic had subsided, Peter turned back to his locker to collect the remainder of the books he would need for the rest of the day. Lila took those brief seconds to take him in. A few scratches were on his fingers and a single, fading bruise on his temple that blended into his hairline. Not the first time she’d noticed any bruises from him, he’d occasionally come to school with bruises on his face, or he’d carry himself with a little more care, wincing from any hidden injuries. Lila was so distracted by looking at him that she almost missed him say, “Sure, what did you need?”

“Uh - I’ll understand if you’re busy, I know - I know you have the internship with Tony Stark, a-and if you can’t-”

“Well, you’ve gotta actually tell me the favor first before I can say no, Lila,” Peter smiled, a teasing glint in his eye. She felt like kicking something, for surely he knew what that did to her. And he was smiling at her, something that hadn’t really happened before. 

She breathily laughed, “Right. So - so my dad n-needs a complete overhaul of one of the computers in his shop. You know, the one by Delmar’s on 21st Street?” Peter paused and then nodded. “The - the computer is like, from the Dark Ages, and he - he finally agreed to get a new one. The problem is, he - he has no clue about anything technology-wise, and I’m - I’m okay at figuring it out, but I don’t want t-to invest in something I’ll need to replace a-a few years down the line. I was - I was wondering if maybe you could help me pick one out for him? I m-may have mentioned to him that you were super good with computers. If you can’t, I t-totally get it, you’re a - a busy guy, and-”

“Actually, I haven’t been that busy lately,” Peter almost seemed disappointed to say that. “Um - I can’t do it today, I’ve got the Stark internship right after school. But I can go with you tomorrow, was there a computer you thought about at all?”

Lila’s face lit up talking about her dad’s shop in Queens. “Yeah, actually. I was th-thinking maybe buying something clean looking that fits with the vibe of the whole store. I just - don’t really know what’s good for a business and what’s not.”

Peter nodded, “I get it. Would tomorrow work for you?”

“Tomorrow w-works great. I can - I can meet you after school if you like?” A smile made its way across Lila’s face, one Peter had never seen before. Lila didn’t know it, but it made her green eyes sparkle.

“After school works great, Lila, I’ll see you then.” She turned to walk away, still very aware of how her hands were still shaking when she heard Peter call out to her. She turned around, potentially giving herself whiplash, and saw Peter was right behind her. Startled, she hesitantly took a step back. “Actually - um - I might - I might need your phone number, in case I can’t find you.”

Her number. Peter Parker actually asked her for her phone number. Of all the directions she thought this conversation would take her, this was nowhere near any of the results. She thought she’d end up in some kind of vat of acid before she ended up with his phone number. And she also had to snap herself out of her daze, for Peter had his phone held out to her, and she stared at it a good five seconds too long. Gently taking the phone from his hands, she entered her contact information into the phone and added Lila Landry along with it. As an afterthought, she added an emoji, the tulip emoji, next to her name. 

Handing the phone back, Peter’s hand brushed hers. She swelled with pride for not flinching away and found herself relishing the feeling of his calloused hand on hers. He seemed to notice it too, for his expression changed fractionally, staring at their hands for an extra second before he withdrew, pocketing his phone. “I’ll see you later, Lila,” Peter waved, and walked off.

Lila’s bliss lasted the rest of the day.

                                            *****

Opening the door to her father’s shop, Lila was hit with the usual smell of fresh flowers, and her body relaxed at the simple scent of home. The sophomore looked around, kindly greeting the occasional customer that was perusing the store, smelling the occasional bloom or two. Soft music played in the background (no doubt Sophie’s choice) and mixed wonderfully with the sound of happy people buying bouquets. 

Lila’s father, Ted, owned and operated Landry’s Flowers, a successful small business that was supported across the entirety of New York City. What started as a small flower shop on 21st Street in Queens blossomed into a thriving local chain that provided anything from an individual bouquet to an entire arrangement for local hotels. Several locations had popped up over the last eight years, from Brooklyn all the way to Manhattan, Landry’s had something for everyone. 

It hadn’t started out as a business that planned to grow and thrive much like the flowers sold from it, but Landry’s was something special, and Lila always thought that was because both she and her dad built it from the ground up. After the Battle of New York, when the city was on the mend, Lila and her father both found therapy in rebuilding and expanding Landry’s Flowers into something that could spread joy and hope and love and everything in-between to the people of the city who needed it the most. So they broadened their horizons and contacted New York farms as well as city contractors to help them flourish. And Landry’s Flowers of today would never be the same.

While the other locations were wonderful and had a great staff of people running the show, the Landry’s Flowers in Queens was Lila’s personal favorite and became a safe haven from her insecurities. Perhaps it was because it was closest to home, and she could always find refuge in it after a brisk ten-minute walk. Lila lost count of how many times she’d spend her afternoons perched on one of the back countertops and either work on her homework or sit and people watch. She’d seen most of her community pass through those doors, and it always reminded her of how familiar the Queens shop was for her.

Or maybe she preferred that particular shop because of Sophie Nelson, who’d spent the last four years working there. The exact opposite of Lila, Sophie was loud and flamboyant, never afraid to talk to anyone, and most definitely not a quivering mess when it came to the people she liked. She was a role model for Lila: smart, funny, kind, and ever-present. Despite her affinity for chaotic fun, she always kept Lila’s feet on the ground, even though Lila never asked her to. It was what made Sophie so amazing, she always went along for the ride.

Deep down, Lila knew really why the shop on 21st Street was her favorite. And as she greeted Sophie with a quick hello, ran up the spiral staircase leading to the second floor, went into the backroom to drop her things off and headed up another set of stairs tucked into the back corner, Lila was met with her favorite place in all of New York: the rooftop. At the top of the stairs was a door, which led to the inside of the Landry family’s personal greenhouse. Covering the expanse of the rooftop, rows upon rows of herbs, flowers, and the occasional vegetable were neatly organized. Lila smiled softly as the sunshine enveloped her surroundings, and the warm air pressed on her skin to welcome her home. Her greenhouse was something she specifically asked to keep the exact same while her world changed around her, for the greenhouse had previously been maintained by her mother, and Lila worked hard to make sure it stayed the exact same. She breathed deeply, the potting soil invading her sense of smell, and Lila slowly walked around the room, picking up a spray bottle of water and occasionally watering a plant that looked particularly dehydrated.

She made sure everything looked alright before heading back downstairs and into the backroom to find an extra apron. Throwing it on, she adjusted her long hair before heading back onto the part of the second floor open to the public, walking over to the few customers that had bothered to venture upstairs and look over the cacti and succulents resting there. She made sure to say hello to every person she saw before heading back down the metal spiral staircase to do the same for everyone on the first floor. Once she’d made her rounds and made several recommendations to a few who were confused, Lila walked up to the counter to Sophie, who was saying goodbye to a customer carrying a large bouquet of sunflowers.

“Hey, Phish Food,” Sophie said, her voice happy as she saw Lila approach. One of the many things that Lila loved about Sophie was her voice, and how deep and raspy it was. It was almost believable that she was a seasoned smoker, but that was just the way she spoke. She always said it was like a secret weapon, because when people met her, they expected her to be this docile, quiet little Asian woman, and instead she was loud, rambunctious and “ready to shove docility up any privileged white man’s ass.” Her words, not Lila’s.

A journalism major, Sophie moved from Denver, Colorado to New York four years prior to study at Columbia. She was wicked smart, and sharp as a tack, and had a dream to take on the world through an investigative lens. She searched far and wide for jobs upon her arrival to the city and found an opening in Landry’s Manhattan location. It was fortunate enough that she was willing to do anything, for Lila’s dad was in desperate need of help running the Queens location due to the last person having to quit. She took her new responsibility on like a professional and bonded quickly with Lila, who was only eleven at the time. 

She told Lila that the reason she wanted to become a journalist was because of the emergence of Iron Man, and his constant battle to keep the world safe. After him came all the other Avengers that followed, and Sophie found herself tracking each and everyone with a great deal of scrutiny. In a way to keep up with everything going on, Sophie started her own podcast at the age of sixteen called Origin Story, discussing everything and anything superhero-related. It eased her into the world of journalism, and paid her relatively well, considering all the advertisers practically begging to be mentioned on her show. And when Lila got older, Sophie unofficially hired her to help her with merchandise, social media, and the occasional editing. It was Sophie’s goal to one day see to it that Lila would be a guest on her podcast, convinced that people would love to hear what she had to say.

“Hey, Half-Baked,” Lila greeted in kind, feeling Sophie bump her hip with her own. She smiled softly at the nicknames, remembering how two years ago, on an incredibly slow night, Sophie had Lila run out and grab some ice cream for the both of them. Either Soph knew or she didn’t, but Lila was feeling incredibly anxious that day after some random stranger scolded her for accidentally running into them, and was glad for the sugary reprieve. Together, with their pints of Ben and Jerry’s Half-Baked and Phish Food, they sat and laughed about absolutely nothing for the rest of the evening. “How’s it going?”

“Could be better, I’ll be honest,” Sophie replied. “The computer finally died this morning, so I’ve been running everything manually for the last couple of hours. Do you know how many people tried to pay with a check? For like two or three individual flowers? It wasn’t even a bouquet or a pot, it was an individual flower and they tried to use a check like we live in the sixties-”

“I’ve got somebody on it, Soph,” Lila reassured her. “M-my friend from school’s coming tomorrow after we go out and buy a new computer. It’s gonna be fine.”

Sophie turned to look at Lila with a suspicious stare. “Oh? And who is this friend that’s got you all stuttery?”

“What? Sophie, it’s not - it’s not like that.” She might as well have told her the truth, for her cheeks were already flaring a pleasant shade of red. She sighed, knowing that her worst enemy was herself. “Fine. His name is Peter, Peter Parker.”

“Oh, I see,” Sophie’s tone wasn’t mocking, but it was definitely teasing Lila to stir more of a physical reaction to her success. Lila’s neck began to grow warm, as well as her ears. “And is Peter the boy you’re always daydreaming about?”

“I don’t daydream, Soph.”

A scoff came from Sophie’s lips, “Sure, and I’m Hawkeye. But anyways, Peter Parker.”

“Sophie-”

“What? He’s got a nice name!” Sophie defended after Lila’s voice grew weary. “It’s strong, like a superhero. You know, like Bruce Banner, or Sue Storm. Alliteration names are where it’s at. You would know, you have one.”

“Okay, I’m going back up to the greenhouse to curl up in a ball and die, thanks.”

“Love you, Phish Food. Don’t die without me!”

                           *****

“Tulip, are you home?”

“In the kitchen!” Lila answered, smiling at her other nickname, and her personal favorite. She was bent over the oven, spooning the sauce she’d made back over the cooking chicken. Pushing the rack back in and closing the oven, Lila straightened up to see her father walk in and place his things on the kitchen island next to his keys. Ted Landry sighed, smiling softly as he walked around and gave his daughter the usual kiss on her forehead in greeting. He then began to roll up his sleeves and went over to the sink to wash his hands, staring up at the racks of herbs that blocked most of the view that the window above the sink provided. 

As Lila turned to the cutting board that was perched on the opposite side of the island from where Ted placed his things, she snuck a glance at her father, always happy to see him home. His smile still sat on his lips, accentuating the few wrinkles he’d actually managed to accumulate in his early forties. It was amazing, Lila thought, how much he still smiled given their circumstances. Yes, he was successful, yes his daughter was brilliant and doing well in school, but still, after everything he’d lost…

“How was school, Tulip?” Tulip, her favorite flower since before she could name most flowers, seemed a natural nickname for Lila, according to her dad. Ted very much liked to call people by the name they preferred, and nicknames were few and far between. So Tulip was something of a rarity, much like his daughter was. “Pits and peaks, give ‘em to me.”

Lila was gently chopping up some walnuts for the salad she’d prepared along with the rest of dinner when she glanced up at her dad, who was observing the rosemary that sat on the second row of herbs. He plucked a few leaves and threw them into the oven to sit with the lemon chicken he could smell. Lila smiled, knowing she forgot to add the rosemary, and glad that her dad was there to keep up with her. “Well, a pit was Mr. Puth calling me out in front of the class to see me slip up.”

“Yeah, never liked that guy,” Ted agreed, picking up the already chopped walnuts and adding them to the bowl of spinach sitting on the far side of the counter. “Is this blueberry in here?”

“Blueberry goat cheese,” Lila answered, catching her dad’s doubtful stare. “You’ll like it, I promise.”

“I know, I know, I trust you. So, Mr. Puth called you out in front of the class, never fun. What was a good part of your day?”

“Um - well, I was completely on top of it in literature and launched an entire debate in the class over The Iliad. So Mr. Puth didn’t need to call on me again.” Lila took it as a personal victory, and was quite pleased with herself for not melting into a puddle in front of her classmates. She was sure it wasn’t physically possible to do so, but her anxiety always played out that delightful scenario in crystal clarity. Fortunately, that was something her dad knew.

So he let it slide. “Okay, any other peaks? There’s gotta be more to your day than just your first class is going well.” Reading her like a book, Ted watched her chop up the last of the walnuts before ushering her aside so he could take them over to the salad. She checked the kitchen timer and grabbed a tray of asparagus she’d prepared earlier and placed them below the chicken in the oven. She then helped her dad set the table for the two of them, grabbing the plates and napkins while he grabbed the cups and silverware. She headed back to her dad’s wine fridge and pulled out a white, pouring her dad a glass and retrieving a glass of water for herself. “Liz Allan told me how much her mom loves the fall wreath I made. It’s hanging on their front door.”

Ted smiled, squeezing her shoulder. “That’s fantastic, Tulip. It’s no shock, though. I mean, you always did have an eye for that sort of thing.” Lila was spared of having to grapple with the compliment by the timer going off for the oven. She waved her dad back to the table to sit down before taking the lemon chicken out of the oven as well as the asparagus. Bringing the food over, she set it down between the two plates and was about to sit down herself when her father spoke again. “It’s kind of quiet in here, Tulip. Whose week is it?”

“Uh - it’s mom’s week,” Lila said. The same touch of sadness that always hit Ted’s blue eyes appeared at the mention of Lila’s mother. Before the silence could grow heavy, she moved over to the living room where a large turntable was perched on top of a large shelf in the corner. Lila walked over, and pulled out the box that sat on the top shelf, labeled “Angelina”. Sifting through the various records that sat in the box, a smile fell on Lila’s face when she saw Billy Joel’s 52nd Street and immediately took it out of its sleeve. Only when the familiar guitar started playing did Lila return to the dinner table. Her father served her the chicken and vegetables she made and smiled at her. “Great choice, Tulip.”

And nothing else was spoken of it. For the rest of the evening, Lila and Ted Landry spoke of their days, how Ted was currently busy trying to book the Plaza Hotel for their holiday arrangements, and how Lila would need the company card to go out and purchase a new computer with Peter Parker the next night. Ted was delighted to hear how she’d gotten Peter to help, and didn’t miss the light blush that coated Lila’s cheeks when she spoke about him, nor the sparkle in her bright green eyes that accompanied it. 

                         *****

That night, after Lila finished washing her face and getting ready for bed, her phone, which rest on her nightstand, vibrated twice. Then twice more. As she picked it up to read what was on her screen, it vibrated twice again. Lila opened her messages to see several texts from an unknown number and more apparently coming.

Hi, Lila. I was just wondering if it would be okay to meet by the West doors at 2:45 tomorrow so we can go grab that computer?

It’s Peter, by the way.

Parker.

From academic decathlon.

Lila’s heart soared, and the smile that grew on her face was one that ached. Eagerly, she saved the phone number with his name and a little microscope emoji next to it. She went back to the conversation and left her own reply.

Hi, Peter. That should work just fine. See you tomorrow!

Two minutes. Then:

Great. See you then!

Lila Landry went to bed barely able to contain her excitement, and butterflies started swimming in her stomach for the afternoon she’d get to spend with Peter. 

#peter parker #peter parker x ofc #mcu #spider-man #spiderman #marvel #marvel x ofc #spider-man fic #peter parker fic #mcu x ofc #slow burn #mine

[ahgaru]

I’LL REMEMBER // DAY6 Fic

Pairing: Park Jaehyung x Kang Younghyun | Jaehyungparkian Word count: 2,170 Summary:  Jae comes to their old school with Younghyun like what they did eight years ago. He did exactly the same thing they did except for one thing

also posted on twitter

Jae lets out a heavy breath as his eyes scan the area. His gaze drops on the small frame he's holding. He caresses the glass and paint a small smile.

It's been eight years since he last set foot in this place. The last time, he's with the same person he's with right now.

He looks up to take a glimpse of the area again. “Let's go.”

He carefully takes every step as he enters the place. It's where they spent their entire highschool life--their puberty period, where they first had flings, where they first read adult magazines during class, where they first got their hearts broken, where they first fist fought, and where they built the foundation of the unbroken bond they have had.

Jae playfully kicks the pebble in front of him slowly, like how the other did it eight years ago.

“You remember when I first dragged you here?” Younghyun asked as their eyes wandered at the soccer field of their school. “You didn't want to because you want to play badminton or basketball instead. Yet you didn't want to leave when I told you that we should head home.”

Both of them went back to their school two months after graduation day. They want to go to every corner and reminisce everything, keep them in their hearts and treasure them forever.

“My mom scolded me, you know?” Jae chuckled. “My uniform was full of dirt. My face was, too.”

“But then you asked me to play soccer the next day.”

Jae lets his eyes study the area for another minute as he recalls all the fun times they ran around the field, trying to steal the ball from each other, and dropping on the ground when exhausted.

“It was really fun playing with you, Hyun.”

Jae starts walking again, holding Younghyun in his left hand. He halts at the tree near the wash area. He traces the familiar carving on it: JPian

He laughs. “You remember this? Jaehyungparkian. You loved it, didn't you?” He looks at the other with a bright smile. But after a while, it turned into a sad one. “Let's head somewhere else.”

They go all around the campus. Jae voices out every memory he can remember in each place. Like how they both did eight years ago.

Jae doesn't let go of him as they go from one place to another.

They went to their old classroom where Younghyun would always fall asleep during class, write poems in his notebook, or read manga. Jae would always play games under his desk. They would always get scolded every time and were made to stand on the hallway.

They pass by the classroom where Younghyun would always take a peek to see what a senior was doing--a senior he has a crush on. And Jae would always appear behind him and try to surprise him. When the senior would look at their way, Younghyun would hide and Jae would wave a hi with a bright smile.

Jae opens the door of the infirmary. He remembers sitting at the edge on the bed at the corner when he sprained his ankle after jumping when he was playing badminton with a classmate and Younghyun immediately ran to check up on him. The sprain wasn't anything serious but the worried look on the younger's face has triggered something inside Jae. It's as if a candle has been lit up or a switch has been turned on.

“I guess that was the time I realized why my past relationships, or flings, didn't go well.” He caresses Younghyun with his thumb.

He also takes a peek at the science laboratory where they were lab partners and Jae confidently mixed some chemicals that blew up.

Jae smiles as he sees the cafeteria. He recalls how Younghyun would always squeeze himself to get their food. It's always a battlefield there.

Jae does not forget the library, where Younghyun sometimes go to sleep. Or write again. He strolls around the shelves, letting his hand touch the books he pass by, until he reach the last shelf and arrive at the very corner.

He slowly pulls three books at once, the last three on the middle row, revealing a hidden notebook stuck behind the books. It's where Younghyun wrote his poems and songs. His dream was to be a songwriter.

Jae flips some pages slowly and with utmost care. He can still see how bright Younghyun's smile every time he finishes a piece. But no one would seem to give him attention. Although the younger would always keep mum about it, Jae knew about his frustrations. Who doesn't want his talent to be recognized? Or at least be appreciated a bit?

They proceed to the music room afterwards. The first time Jae caught Younghyun there, he was mesmerized. He didn't tell the younger that he knew about his little secret. Jae didn't know why Younghyun didn't want anyone to know that he plays.

The song was soothing yet sad and heartbreaking. Every time Jae couldn't find Younghyun at the library, he would always go here in silent, and he would always see Younghyun sing and play the guitar; or piano sometimes.

“Shall we head to the theater?”

It was the last place they visited eight years ago. And the last place they'll go to today.

Jae's feet are heavy as he takes every step after entering the mini-theater of their school. When his eyes land on the stage, he can feel his heart squeeze.

He takes a seat as his knees are about to give in. He lets Younghyun take the seat on his left. They both face the stage.

“Remember what happened eight years ago?” Jae smiles as he curbs himself from breaking. “I was surprised, too. I really didn't know they will all come.”

He smiles softly as he plays a song from his phone. He places it on the arm rest. He listens to it as he reminisces the unexpected event that happened the last time they went here.

“You're supposed to perform here.”

“Yeah,” Younghyun smiled with a hint of sadness. “But I couldn't come.”

“You were so happy then,” Jae tried so hard not to make his voice crack.

The younger was supposed to sing his own composition during the school festival. But because of unfortunate events, he couldn't make it.

“Of course. I've always wanted for people to hear my piece.”

“Why don't you play it?”

“Now?” Younghun looked around. “But no one's here.”

“I'm here,” Jae locked their gaze until the spotlight suddenly switched on.

They flipped their eyes shut from the blinding light. Their hands in front of their faces to shield it from the light. A figure revealed itself behind it. It's their class president, Sungjin.

They heard footsteps behind them and saw Wonpil carrying a guitar, and Dowoon with a stool. The latter carefully put down the chair and the former handed Younghyun the guitar.

“We're here,” the class president behind the spotlight exclaimed.

As if on cue, people started to fill the theater. Their classmates took their seats and readied themselves to hear Younghyun's song.

There were some familiar faces, too. Their homeroom and math teacher, his favorite, at the side with some other teachers. Their P.E. teacher, who would always scold him, was there, too. Ayeon, the senior he has a crush on. Jieun, his first ex.

Jae nodded at him and motioned him to take a seat and start playing.

“I'm nervous,” Younghyun whispered.

Jae tapped his shoulder. “Don't be. You always tell me to do things with so much enjoyment.”

“As if it's your last,” Younghyun continued and Jae choked a sob.

He shook his head not wanting to think about it. “Not that, let's stop at the ‘enjoyment’ part, okay?”

But that's what Younghyun would always say. “As if it's your last.”

When he dragged Jae to the soccer field. When they first cut classes. When they jumped in the river, still wearing their uniform clothes. Everything Younghyun has been wanting to do that Jae seemed a bit hesitant, he would always say it. “Let's enjoy this, savor the moment as if it's our last.”

Younghyun showed a tight-lipped smile and sat down. Jae went down and took a seat in the front row.

Younghyun took another glance at Jae before closing his eyes and started playing.

In the passing time You’re fading away now I’m afraid that I’ll lose you Even in my memories

Jae bit his lips to prevent them from shaking. He kept on looking away to restrain the teasing tears to fall. No, he's not gonna lose him. And no, he's not gonna lose every memory of him.

The moments you gave to me They were so precious I’ll remember

Of course. He will never forget.

Jae could hear some of their classmates crying. Their P.E. teacher kept on wiping his tears, too.

Younghyun was a naughty student. But he sure brought unforgettable memories and made their highschool lives worth remembering.

Just the fact That we were together I’ll leave it in a deep part Of a corner of my heart (I’ll remember)

Younghyun was alreading shedding tears. At the last line, his voice almost cracked from trying not to cry. Jae stood up and went up the stage.

Younghyun couldn't almost continue the song but was surprised when someone sang the next verse. How did Jae know it?

In this slowly fading picture You’re fading away as well It’s sad because Time can’t be stopped

Younghyun's right hand that was strumming the guitar dropped. He stopped playing and Jae stopped singing. The latter just stood there and let tears leave wet trails on his face.

Younghyun couldn't look up. His shoulders were moving up and down from heavy breathing because of his wailing. The room was suffused with grief and tears.

Jae stops the song. It was a memorable yet painful day. He couldn't stop the time.

“As if it's your last.”

They all knew the possibilities. They all knew that it's gonna be the first and last time they'd hear Younghyun sing and play the guitar.

He was sick. He couldn't come during the school festival because he was in the hospital.

He looks at the man beside him. He holds him again. “I lost many opportunities. And even eight years ago, I never had the guts to tell you what I really feel.”

His hands softly brush the countenance of the other. “I love you,” he sobs.

Jae is now a successful singer. He became one to fulfill Younghyun's dream. “I want my pieces to be heard. Sing them for me.”

Jae's songs were all written by Younghyun. The latter gave him a couple of notebooks with his works when they went back to the hospital after visiting their school eight years ago.

Yesterday, I'll Remember, the song they sang here, was released. He went back here with him to reminisce once again, celebrate their victory, and get Younghyun's secret notebook at the library, which Jae only remembered yesterday, too.

He did every single thing they did eight years ago. He's still with him. The only difference is, he's now with his picture and not the person himself.

Jae embraces the frame before he takes a deep breath and stands up. The notebook resting on his lap falls. He takes it and is about to walk away when he notices a page with a folded part at the top edge.

He opens it and sees his name being scribbled multiple times. Some lines that are probably potential lyrics, too. Like, “You’re too much. Why do you drive me so crazy?” and “What can I do? I’ve already fallen for you.”

Jae keeps on flipping the last pages. There are a lot of lines that seem to be written in hurry. Like an idea just came and you didn't want to lose it. Maybe it was like that.

Jae drops on his seat again and holds the notebook and frame close to his chest when he sees what's written in the last page.

Everything I write is about you, Jae. I have no courage to tell you but I love you. I hope these songs and poems are enough to tell you what I feel.

I'm sorry for falling in love with my best friend. Also, I'm not sorry because that's the best thing that has ever happened to me.

They didn't hear each other say it. Younghyun didn't have the chance to know that Jae feels the same. Jae sobs some more, clutching his chest.

Yes, he won't lose him. He won't lose even a single memory of him. An even now that he's gone, he's still in his heart. And another thing to remember was added: Younghyun loves him, too.

Just the fact That we were in love No matter how much time passes I’ll remember Because I loved you without regrets I’ll leave you inside of me

Fics masterlist

#day6 #day6 fic #day6 fanfic #day6 fanfiction #day6 jae #day6 young k #day6 kang younghyun #day6 park jaehyung #day6writersnet #kang younghyun #park jaehyung #jae #young k

[themurphyzone]

A Skele-Ton to Learn

Based on a quick gag from Backwards to School Night where they bring a skeleton back to life. 

“You wanted to see me?” Melissa asked, closing the door to Principal Milder’s office behind her. She dropped her backpack at her feet, slipping into a chair. There was a boy with messy blond hair by the water cooler, who seemed rather fascinated by the taps. His outfit was more appropriate for a rodeo rather than a public school. 

Principal Milder sighed. “Get comfortable, cause this is gonna take a while.” 

The boy flopped into the seat next to her. “Hello!” he exclaimed, shaking her hand. She shook it once to be polite. “Wow, you’ve got really strong carpals!”

“Uh, yeah. I drink a lot of milk,” Melissa said, eyeing him cautiously. 

The boy nodded eagerly. “So what’s your favorite bone? I like the strength of the femur, oh, but the clavicle has this really pretty shape too, and I could go on forever about the scapula....” 

As he rambled on, Melissa decided she didn’t care about a reprimand and gave Principal Milder the universal sign for ‘Who the heck is this and why is he complimenting my bones within five seconds of meeting me?’ 

“Meet Pat Ella,” Principal Milder said awkwardly. “Or as you and the rest of the school know him, Bony Boy.” 

Melissa managed to crack a smile. “That’s hilarious. Everyone knows that Bony Boy is the-” 

An alarm went off in her brain. 

“-skeleton in Mrs. Murawski’s classroom what’sgoingonhere?” Melissa’s voice rose to a shriek and she climbed out of her seat, holding her backpack in front of her for protection. “You’re supposed to be skin and bones, wait, no, just bones, cause skeletons aren’t supposed to have skin!” 

“There was an incident the night of the Parent-Teacher Conference-” Principal Milder continued. Melissa got the impression she was laughing at her. “-in which Pat Ella claims he was hit with a strange beam of light and came back to life. Unfortunately, we can’t verify his claims with the security cameras since they’re always malfunctioning and I still haven’t heard back from the district about getting replacements.”

“Is your name really Pat Ella?” Melissa asked the former Bony Boy, slowly putting as much distance as she could between them. 

He grinned. “I think so! I wanted to name myself Jack Skellington, but apparently there’s some copyright laws that prevent it.” 

“I can’t disclose his former identity to you, since that would raise numerous ethical and legal implications as to why the school was keeping a student’s skeleton in the closet,” Principal Milder said. “Besides, Mrs. Murawski terrified all the attorneys in the Tri-State Area when they objected to her marrying a teacher’s desk.” 

“How fascinating,” Melissa said, her throat growing dry. 

“And now I’m tasking you with the job of showing Pat the ropes around Jefferson County Middle School. You’ll be his guide for the rest of today.” 

And with that, Principal Milder dismissed them. 

“Are you hungry?” Melissa asked. 

“Famished!” Pat exclaimed. “Man, I haven’t had a digestive system in a long time. It’s so weird having squishy organs that can spill out if you just cut the skin right.” 

While Milo often made some off-hand comments that could be taken as creepy or macabre, he lacked the obsession with human anatomy that Pat proudly possessed. Briefly she wondered if she was acting as a guide for a future serial killer. 

“You know, most people tend to respond with a simple ‘yes’ or ‘no,” Melissa said hopefully, hoping to instill a basic social skill early. “Now, did you bring your lunch?” 

Pat had gone with the simple answer of no, which she was thankful for. She pointed him to the lunch line, which was incredibly long despite only being five minutes into the break. 

Now that they were separated, Melissa’s heart was calming down. Milo, Zack, and Mort were already at the table. She sat down and took out her lunch without looking any of them in the eye. 

“So why were you called into Principal Milder’s office?” Milo asked. 

Somehow the sight of ham was making her queasy, and she gingerly peeled it off the rest of the sandwich. “Anyone want this?” she asked. 

There was a bark by her feet, and Melissa looked down to see Diogee drooling at the sight of the ham. She tossed it to him, and he gulped it down in a single bite.

“Diogee, go home!” Milo ordered. Diogee whined and exited the cafeteria, a student opening the side door for him. “Silly pup, he’s not supposed to be in the school cafeteria.” 

She took a tiny bite of her cheese and tomato sandwich. “Bony Boy came back to life on Parent-Teacher Night. And now I’m his guide at school for the rest of the day. His name’s Pat Ella now. He has an obsession with anatomy and now I’m afraid he’s gonna dissect me in my sleep and display my vital organs on trophies.” 

“Your aura is disturbed,” Mort noted. 

How helpful.

“It’s okay, we’ll help out in any way we can,” Milo reassured her. 

“How did Bony Boy come back to life?” Zack asked. “That’s what I’m wondering.” 

“Something about a strange beam of light....” Melissa murmured. She remembered a beam of light had enveloped their parents and Mrs. Murawski when they were de-aged and later returned to normal by the device Cavendish needed to fix. “Guys, I think the de-aging beam must’ve struck Bony Boy at one point.” 

Zack waved his hands frantically. “Slow down! You mean to tell me Cavendish and Dakota just casually had a gadget that can bring people back to life? Does that mean if you reversed the effects-”

“-that you could kill someone quickly and efficiently? Yes, yes it does,” Melissa finished. 

“Do you think I should call Cavendish and Dakota?” Milo asked. “I mean, doesn’t this technically fall under time travel?” 

“Time travel is messy enough if Dr. Zone is anything to go by,” Zack gulped. “Maybe we shouldn’t involve them unless we absolutely need to.” 

“Agreed,” Melissa said. 

To her dismay, Pat managed to join them with ten minutes left in the lunch period. “Hey, you must be Melissa’s friends! Milo, it’s nice to meet you! You fighting that sentient blob was super amazing!” 

Milo grinned at the compliment, only to be replaced by confusion. “Wait, how did you know about the sentient blob?” 

Pat gobbled down half of his spaghetti, dabbing at a glob of marinara at the corner of his mouth. When he set the napkin on his tray, Melissa couldn’t help but think it looked like blood.

“Being dead was kind of an out of body experience,” Pat explained. “I could see what was going on, provided I was facing the class and not the wall. Maybe not really an out of body experience, since it seemed like my soul was trapped inside the skeleton and begging to be set free, maybe an in-body experience would be more correct? All I know is that I couldn’t move at all.” 

He really shouldn’t talk about those things so casually, Melissa thought. 

“Whoops, I’m sorry for knocking your skull off one time and having to chase it all the way to a baseball stadium where the batter somehow scored a home run with you,” Milo said sheepishly. 

“Nah, I should be thanking you for that one,” Pat shrugged. “Gave me a chance to see more than a science classroom. It was totally worth the crack in my mandible!” 

“What do you think of Mrs. Murawski?” Mort asked. 

“She’s strange but cool, I guess,” Pat replied. “Things get weird after school though. She starts telling her desk things you’d only hear from a lovey-dovey couple on a honeymoon.” 

The bell rang, signaling the end of lunch. Saved by the bell, Melissa thought. She did not want to hear the details.

History class was an absolute trainwreck. 

And the train that smashed the wall where Mr. Drako kept a picture of his ex was the least of her concerns. Mr. Drako had finished his lesson early, leaving them with free time for the rest of the school day. Melissa was tempted to go up to his desk and beg to continue the Civil War to avoid her classmates freaking out when Pat inevitably complimented their skeletons. 

“Oh, I like psychological horror more!” Pat said to Chad, who was starting to turn green. “Zombies are cool, but I really enjoy villains who twist the knife into the mind and cause the heroes a whole lot of mental anguish. I love it when you don’t know what’s happening, and you’re given the bare bones, if you’ll pardon my pun, and your imagination starts filling in the blanks! That’s what true horror is!” 

Chad smiled weakly. “Uh, yeah. Cool.” 

To distract herself, Melissa turned to Amanda. “Hey, I haven’t seen Lydia for the past two days,” she began. “Is she sick?” 

Amanda didn’t look up from highlighting her planner. “She was doing a rehearsal and tripped on the stairs leading to the stage. Broke her arm.” 

“Maybe we should run by the hospital to see her,” Milo suggested. “The gift shop there has some really nice flowers. It’s too bad. She really loves theater arts.” 

Amanda nodded. “Yeah, she was more upset at being out of the play than her broken arm.”

“Too bad. Broken bones aren’t fun,” Pat frowned, rubbing his shoulder as if remembering an old injury. “And neither is your entire arm popping off when something crashes into it. Maybe it’s just my imagination, but my left arm just doesn’t quite feel like it’s in the right position.” 

“Um, maybe you should get that looked at?” Amanda asked nervously. 

Pat shrugged. “Maybe later.” 

Pat’s definition of ‘maybe later’ turned out to be never since Milo had invited him over to his house since he didn’t have a computer at home to do research for an essay. Melissa tagged along, since she practically lived at the Murphy home anyway. 

It beat being home alone when her dad worked long hours. 

Melissa tuned out Pat gushing over the vertebral column, wondering if there were any articles about his death. Or what his previous identity was, parents, date of birth, and public records. She figured it was a mystery that would never be solved. 

“Zack, do you think Principal Milder is secretly running a shady business with the school as a cover?” Melissa asked. “Because that has to be the logical explanation behind all this.” 

“Probably,” Zack replied. “I’ve never met anyone who was super concerned about their keys before.”

#milo murphy's law #melissa chase #zack underwood

[aryanarecords]

INTERVIEW WITH KO NARTER

I met Ko Narter during my NYU summer program (shocking, I know. I’m not sorry that I got to meet some of the coolest most artsy people over the summer, though.  Even better, I can show them to my readers, which is so dope.) I had just moved into my dorm and I was about to unpack when Ko and a few other girls knocked on my door and asked if I wanted to hang.  That was such a relief because I didn’t know what I was going to do until class the next day.  I was planning on sitting in my room?? Lol.  I thought that was really nice of her.  Anyways, I guess it was her cool Bay Area aura or the fact that she tried to break a world record for wearing Paul Frank shirts for 187 days in a row in the third grade, but Ko and I have very similar tastes in music, and our writing styles are very similar, so we connected pretty fast.  It wasn’t one of those famous jam seshes without her! When it came time for our student showcase at the end of the program, another girl in our group and I were paired up to harmonize with Ko for her song “Remnants,” which is actually on her brand new EP!  Unfortunately, I lost my voice and didn’t get to perform with her, but every time I listen to “Remnants” it reminds me of NYU.  Anyways, here is my interview with Ko! 

Give us some basic facts about yourself !

Birthday: 1/24/2000 Zodiac Sign: Aquarius Favorite Food: Carne Asada Burrito from Cactus (sad because I am a recent vegetarian) Favorite Color: to wear - black, to look at - some sort of forest-y green Currently Based: Oakland, CA Nicknames: Ko is a nickname! My full name is Koyuki which means “little snow” in Japanese! Fun Fact: My high school has a bird calling contest, and I won 2nd place in both 2016 and 2017.

How and when did you start making music?

When I moved to California in 2006, a lot of the friends that I made were in choir, so I  decided to try it out. That’s really where my deep love for music began. I seriously started making my own music in middle school, when I joined a band called “the Bystanders” that some of my friends had started. Throughout middle school and into Freshman and Sophomore year, we transitioned from doing mostly covers, to writing our own music. Throughout the course of the band, I went from drummer, to lyricist/lead vocalist. I didn’t write my own completely original song until Freshman year, when I had just recently learned G Em C D on guitar, and ran with it. That first song I wrote is now “You’ve Already Won” off my EP.

Who are some of your musical influences?

A huge part of my creative drive is seeing artists around me create music. There are some other artists and bands at my high school, and though we have completely different styles, I love supporting them and seeing people my age trying to do what they love doing, just like I am. As for some bigger musicians, right now I’ve been listening to Maggie Rogers, Khalid, Gavin James, Daniel Caesar, Stephen Day, and SZA. Some long time faves are Sylvan Esso, Kodaline, and Childish Gambino, and Us the Duo. My music taste is pretty eclectic but I really value strong vocals and lyrics which seems to be a common thread among most of my favorite artists. My all time favorite band is Thirdstory.  If anyone reading this has never heard of them - you MUST check them out. I have cried listening to their music a couple of times because I am so blown away by the emotion and thoughtfulness that emanates from their music.

You’re also in a band, Power Beez, how did you guys get together?

My bandmates, Maggie and Kay, were also in that band “The Bystanders” in middle school, so we’ve been friends since middle school, and have been making music together since middle school. We really became a trio when we all took Dance PE during our Junior year, and spent a lot of time together either choreographing or just hanging out. We are also all in the student run a cappella group in our town, the Troubadours,  so when someone asked for performers at a charity event at Dress Best For Less, we thought we’d take a crack at it. It all started with us covering “Who Says” by Selena Gomez, and “Fireflies” by Owl City, but as we arranged more music, we found that we had such a special sound, and because we had been making music together for so long, we knew what sounded good in each of our voices and how to divvy up parts. Our love of tacky 2000s Disney bops and passion for three part harmony really solidified us as a group.

What’s the story behind your band name?

Maggie, Kay, and I all took Dance PE, as mentioned in the previous question, and for our winter dance concert we were trying to think of a title for our dance. All the dances in the show seemed to be about power or puppets so we were toying with names with the word “power” in it. We were sitting in the theater when our dance teacher kind of blurted out “what about Power BEEEES” and said it in this very comical voice. Honestly our entire dance class career was a meme. Our first dance was called “Power Beez,” (“z” instead of “s” for comedic effect) our dance for our April dance concert was “Power Beez: the Squeakquel,” a la Alvin and the Chipmunks, and our final dance was called “Power Beez: Road Chip” (or maybe Chipwrecked - I can’t remember). When we started performing as a vocal trio, we were going to perform at our first official gig and when asked for a band name I guess “Power Beez” was the only thing that really made sense. What all started as a joke has now become our trio’s official name.

What was your inspiration for your new EP, KONA?

I don’t know if I should name drop in this because who knows who’s reading so -  this EP is almost entirely about one person, with a few lyrics being inspired by frustrations I was having in other relationships in my life. The easiest way to describe my relationship with this one person between Freshman through Junior year is “it’s complicated.” I mean we are still tight to this day but between being tight 4 years ago to today, our relationship has changed a lot, and you can hear the relationship shift on the EP. In chronological order, I wrote You’ve Already Won spring of Freshman year, and it’s about how I was foolish to think anything could last between the two of us. After our fleeting fling, we remained friends through my Sophomore year. In the summer between my Sophomore and Junior year (his summer before college) we worked at a summer camp together, and afterwards had another fling, but this fling was definitely much more emotionally involved and we were much closer. When he left for school, I had a lot of sadness and frustration, but we still talked even though we were no longer romantically involved. When I started seeing pictures of a girl on his Instagram, I wrote Her vs Me about how this girl was obviously more his type than I was. As I got deeper into Junior year, I wrote Remnants when people kept bringing him up, and all I was trying to do was forget him. I go to a small high school in a small town, so Continent of Conquests is about how he left me with nothing whereas he got to dive into a new city and new school and got to move on much faster than I did. Dead End was a bit of a backslide, when I realized I was always gonna hold a special place in my heart for him, and lastly Expiration Date tells the story of how I finally moved on, but also analyzing and criticizing his actions in our relationship. To get back to the question you actually asked, I don’t know if it’s fair to say he was the inspiration for the EP, but without him I wouldn’t have been able to write and create the way I did.

How long did it take you to write and produce KONA?

I wrote the music in a span of a few years, from Freshman to Junior year, arranged the music with Kay and Maggie (from Power Beez) in a few three hour rehearsals, and then recording took 15 hours and mixing probably took another 10 at least. My dear friends Kay, Maggie, and Emmett all volunteered their time, talent, and equipment to make this all possible.

What was the production experience like? 

I learned so much through making this EP. There was always another bump in the road whether it was having to re-record a guitar part, or getting sick and not being able to record. Everyone I worked with is a teenager like myself, and we all still have so much to learn in the music making world. For example, Emmett had mixed all the music and I was reviewing it for upload, when I realized that all the songs had been mixed in stereo, and the harmonies were coming through different sides of my headphones. I’m glad Kay and I caught the mistake, because that is not the way I had intended on releasing my music, but it was an artistic choice that Emmett had chosen. Not that stereo is wrong in any sense, but it wasn’t what I was going for. Little miscommunications like that definitely made the process longer, but I have a much more solid grasp on what I want my sound to be, and I know how to direct people to help me get there.

What’s the story behind your cover art?

This one’s kind of funny. The guy that all the songs are about also did the cover art! I sent him a text that straight up said “would you be willing to do album art for an album about you?” and he was totally down. I love that we are still homies, and he was so chill about it.

What’s your favorite song off the EP?

That’s like making me choose a favorite child! I guess I will always have a special place in my heart for You’ve Already Won. It was definitely most fun to record. Kay, Maggie, and I recorded the three-part harmony bridge live, unlike most of the harmonies on the EP in which we recorded tracks one by one and layered them in production. There is nothing better than locking in on some SICK three part harmony, and getting to put that on the EP was super special. It’s definitely not the most complex song, but there’s something about those lyrics and harmonies that continue to resonate with me every time I listen to it or perform it.

Can we expect new music?

Yes! This EP is actually half of an album, “Kona,” that I wanted to release, but I decided to divide the album into two EPs: “Pt. 1: You,” and “Pt. 2: Me.” It made sense for me to divide it this way because “Pt. 1: You” is all about how this one person (and a few others) affected me, and really is more about them than it is about me. “Pt. 2: Me” however, is much more introspective, and though I reference other people in the songs, it is definitely centered around my internal monologue and my thoughts on friendship and leaving for school next year.

What’s your dream venue to perform at?

I would say the Fillmore in San Francisco, and then the Fox Theater in Oakland. I have seen shows at both of these venues, and the Fillmore is pretty spacious, but definitely super intimate. Anywhere in that room has a good view, and I feel as an audience member that it is so easy to connect to artists at the Fillmore. The Fox is a way bigger stage, and eventually I would love to be playing to as many people who will listen, but for now I’ll stick to a more intimate and dedicated audience.

What genre would you define your music as?

Uhhhhh maybe Alternative? Easy-Listening? Is that a genre? I feel like my music isn’t necessarily happy or sad, but it is good in any mood. It’s definitely not super hype as in there isn’t a pounding bass or an intense beat drop, but it’s very calm music with a bit of a sarcastic/sassy kick if you listen to the lyrics :). Good for studying, good for a good post-breakup cry, and good for a just chillin’!

Anything else you want to add!

I tell this to everyone I know that likes music, but making music is SO EASY and there is no risk at all! I’m not saying writing, arranging, recording, producing, and releasing music is easy, but who is stopping you from jamming out with your friends to some song that you all know the lyrics to? Who is stopping you from posting a Soundcloud cover of whatever artist you have been listening to recently? Who is stopping you from writing lyrics that you may not have a tune for until months later? I always encourage people to create and to collaborate because it has been so joyful and gratifying in my own life, and I wish for everyone to have such a great experience with music as I have.

You can listen to KONA on Spotify and Apple Music!

Rock On,

Aryana 

#spotify #apple music #new music #music #new blog #music blog #new artist #singer songwriter #song #singer #acoustic #nyu #nyc #bay area #california #easy listening #chill #chill music #new ep #ep #album #single #underground music #young artist #support the arts

[ramblingsrantsreviews]

SEASON REVIEW: High School Musical: The Musical: The Series (Disney+, 2019)

I’ve been a Wildcat since 2006. High School Musical was a national event in my house. I went to the High School Musical on Stage! show in my Limited Too outfit. I saw High School Musical 3: Senior Year in theaters on opening day. And I cried when Zac Efron and Vanessa Hudgens ended their real-life relationship. #RIPZanessa.

When High School Musical: The Musical: The Series was announced I was a little bit skeptical. It wasn’t my High School Musical and none of the original creators were tied to the series. Then, I attended the D23 Expo in Anaheim, California in 2019 and got to see the cast perform and introduce us to their characters. I’m not gonna lie, hearing “We’re All In This Together” made tear up but I was still skeptical.

I mean how on earth could a show called High School Musical: The Musical: The Series be any good if they couldn’t have even come up with a creative title? Well, let me tell you, I was wrong. Not about the lame name (I’m still not a fan of that) but the show quickly became a must-see for me.

High School Musical: The Musical: The Series was created by Tim Federle and airs on Disney+. HSMTMTS, as fans have abbreviated it, follows a group of East High drama kids as they put on a production of High School Musical, chosen by East High’s new drama teacher. The show is a mockumentary and juggles the teenagers’ lives outside of school with the crazy world of high school theater. It features a mix of High School Musical songs and original songs written for the series.

The show features Olivia Rodrigo and Joshua Bassett who play Nini and Ricky our new leading couple. Along with them are our “wonderstudies” Matt Cornett who plays E.J. and Sofia Wylie who plays Gina. Larry Saperstein (Big Red), Julia Lester (Ashlyn), Dara Reneé (Kourtney), and Frankie Rodriguez (Carlos) round out our main high school cast. Of course, a show set in high school needs some teachers. That’s where Kate Reinders who portrays Miss Jenn, the new East High drama teacher and former background dancer in the original High School Musical and Mark St. Cyr who plays Mr. Benjamin Mazzara, the STEM teacher who is anti Arts come in.

Now that the series has officially aired its final episode for the season, it’s time for my review.

As always, spoilers are ahead. You’ve been warned.

Favorite Episode: 1×08 – “The Tech Rehearsal”

Picking my favorite episode proved to be insanely difficult but after much deliberation, I decided that “The Tech Rehearsal” is my favorite episode.

“The Tech Rehearsal” centers around the tech rehearsal, obviously. The cast shows up to the East High theater for tech rehearsal only to find that their beloved theater has been set on fire and deemed unsafe by the fire department. As the popular saying goes, “the show must go on!” Thanks to Carlos’s uncle they are able to move the production to the abandoned El Ray theater downtown, much to Miss Jenn’s dismay.

Once they arrive at the theater disasters continue to strike. E.J. gets his hands on Miss Jenn’s audition notes and discovers that he didn’t get the part of Troy Bolton because he has difficulty connecting to the material. Nini and Ricky are banished to the attic of the theater to rehearse a scene but end up reminiscing about their friendship. And the crew scrambles to get the theater for their production. Oh yeah, and Lucas Gabreel (aka Ryan Evans) guest stars during Miss Jenn’s dream.

So, yeah, a lot is going on in this episode.

The reason why it’s my favorite is because of the dialogue and the connections the characters have with each other.

I’m not even slightly embarrassed to admit that I am a 23-year-old who squealed in delight watching Big Red and Ashlyn flirt with each other. Their one-liners were honestly the cutest thing ever. Hallmark movie-level cheesy? Yes. But, oh so amazing regardless.

Another reason I love this episode is the scene with Nini and Ricky when they realize unlike their characters, they do have a history with each other. Nini is rehearsing Gabriela’s line where she tells Troy that singing with him felt like kindergarten where it was so easy to be friends with someone because you could be yourself. The line reminds Ricky of his past with Nini and the fact they actually did meet in kindergarten.

The two go on to reminisce about their early friendship and it becomes clear that these two kids are so not over each other. It’s the classic best friends to lovers to exes troupe and I love it.

It’s also a really authentic scene. Their reminiscing happens organically. When they first start remembering it’s playful and fun but as they continue it quickly turns to remorse as they realize that they miss each other, in more ways than they thought.

“The Tech Rehearsal” also lets Kourtney take center stage as she belts out a song on stage while Big Red tries to work out the lighting kinks. Kourtney’s “fifteen minutes of fame” moment causes her to realize why Nini is so passionate about theater.

I do have one complaint with this episode and that’s that I wanted more of a technical aspect to it. Yes, there was some with the crew trying to figure out how to work everything in the decrepit theater but it didn’t feel like a tech rehearsal. It’s a really knit-picky critique but I needed to say it.

Least Favorite Episode: 1×01 – “The Auditions”

Thankfully I have a policy to never judge a show by its pilot episode. If I didn’t have this policy, I would have stopped watching High School Musical: The Musical: The Series immediately after the first episode.

“The Audition” is set at the start of the school year. Ricky returns to school to find that his ex-girlfriend Nini (they were on a break) has come back from summer theater camp with a new boyfriend, senior “it” boy, E.J. Things are awkward as expected. The students all enter the gym where they are introduced to the new drama teacher, Miss Jenn, who announces that East High will be putting on High School Musical as their fall production. Nini, of course, decides to audition for Gabriela and E.J. plans to be Troy. Determined to win Nini back, Ricky, who’s been anti-musical his entire life, decides he’s also going to audition. The drama unfolds and the episode ends with the cast list being posted — Nini and Ricky have been cast as the leads.

As I said, going into the first episode I was skeptical. High School Musical was my childhood and I didn’t want that to be ruined. I was afraid HSMTMTS was going to be too gimmicky and rely on nostalgia to gain its fan base.

Unfortunately, my worries were confirmed when the first episode aired.

I felt that it relied too much on nostalgia. It was super cringy. And I couldn’t accept the fact that someone else was singing High School Musical songs. Obviously, I got over those initial concerns but that doesn’t change my opinion about the first episode.

It’s honestly not a bad episode. It does what a pilot is supposed to do. It sets the tone, introduces us to the characters, and lets us know what the series will be about. I just wasn’t ready for all those questions to be answered when I watched the pilot.

Favorite Character: Ricky Bowen

Ricky Bowen stole the show and my heart.

Ricky got off on the wrong foot in the first episode. He’s pretty self-entitled and jealous when he finds out that Nini found someone else while she was at theater camp. Ricky feels like they weren’t supposed to see other people despite being on a break — sounds like Ross Geller to me.

Thankfully, over the course of the season, Ricky works through his feelings and sheds that Ross Geller, self-entitled attitude. Though he’s sad that Nini has moved on from him, he’s more upset that he’s lost her as a friend since the two have been inseparable since kindergarten.

He really goes through a huge character development transformation. Sure, he tried out for the musical in the hopes of winning back Nini but by the end of the season, he’s cultivated a new love for theater.

He found a home away from home and true friends who will be there for him no matter what. Plus, he gets to have Nini back in his life which is the ultimate win for Ricky.

One of the things I really loved about Ricky is his ability to be vulnerable. He’s definitely a character who wears his heart on his sleeve. It’s easy to tell when he’s angry, upset, and happy. We see him cry when he finds out that his parents are getting a divorce. We see him struggle to come to terms with the fact that his mother has moved on so quickly.

And he’s not only vulnerable in the safety of his house but, he’s also vulnerable in public. In episode nine, we see him visibly upset when he discovers that his mom has invited her new boyfriend to his opening night without telling Ricky.

Another reason I love Ricky is that he’s not afraid to confide in others or ask for help. He shares his feelings and frustrations about Nini to Big Red who listens to his endless rants and doesn’t complain. He confides in Gina when he learns that his parents are splitting up. And when everything is going wrong in the middle of the production, he reaches out to Nini because she’s the only one who will make him feel okay.

Ricky is what every teenage boy (fictitious and real) should aspire to be.

Least Favorite Character: E.J. Caswell

E.J.’s character is really interesting. He’s described as being a “jock-type theater enthusiast” which is basically Troy Bolton. Given this and the fact he’s just finished a summer at theater camp where he played the lead, he feels like he’s a shoo-in for the lead role. Of course, that doesn’t happen and E.J. spends the rest of the season being #bitter.

He’s upset that he didn’t get cast as the lead and instead is cast as Chad and he’s worried that Ricky is going to steal Nini from him. Of course, no one can steal a person from another person but E.J.’s behavior makes it pretty easy for Nini to realize that he’s not the one for her.

E.J. is a typical jealous-paranoid boyfriend. He’s so worried about losing Nini that instead of showing her all the reasons why she should stay with him, he instead drives a wedge between them by being manipulative.

Ricky may start off as the Ross Geller, but E.J. quickly takes over that title.

E.J. does begin to evolve over the season but it’s a more gradual and cringeworthy transformation than Ricky’s is. E.J. apologizes to Nini for what he’s done to her and telling the truth gives him such a rush that he begins confessing to every little thing he’s done wrong through social media posts. This causes his social media followers to plummet and makes him severely insecure. How Gen-Z of him.

With his self-esteem already in the dumps, E.J. makes things worse for himself when he snoops in Miss Jenn’s binder and learns why he wasn’t cast as Troy Bolton. E.J. then tries to prove her wrong which doesn’t go well either.

Honestly, E.J. only has two redeeming qualities at the end of the season. One, he did eventually leave Nini alone. That’s a pretty big one considering fictional and real-life men tend to continue to pursue a woman even when they’ve said no a hundred times. I appreciate E.J. for respecting Nini’s wishes and backing off.

The other thing I really did love about E.J. was that he was (most likely) the one responsible for getting Gina back to East High for the opening night. This is one of the first times we see him be truly selfless. There’s nothing in it for him. Gina’s presence doesn’t affect him or his performance. And yet, he knows that his cast is missing Gina — and he probably is too.

When E.J. flies Gina out for opening night, we finally see him embrace the “We’re All In This Together” motto.

My hope for E.J. going forward is that we continue to see him mature and grow into a generous person instead of one that is so caught up with his own issues that he doesn’t care about anyone else.

Favorite Pairing: Ashlyn and Big Red

Bet you weren’t expecting that one.

Listen, I love Nini and Ricky. They’re my favorite troupe come true (childhood friends to lovers), they understand each other on a deep level, they’re always there for each other, and they’re just downright adorable.

It’s hard for me to say they’re my second favorite couple because I really do love ‘Rini,’ but Ashlyn and Big Red really won me over.

To me, Ashlyn and Big Red embody what a high school love story should be. They’re innocent and playful. Half the time they’re unsure of if they’re flirting with each other or just being friendly.

Honestly, their dialogue is what really sealed the deal for me that they were my favorite pairing. They’re always so sweet together. They make the most subtle compliments sound like true poetry.

Big Red: “How do you light up an entire room?”

Ashlyn: “You walk into it.”

I mean, come on! How cute are they!

Sure, Nini and Ricky got each other cute and heartfelt gifts but Big Red got Ashlyn a giant bouquet of flowers! And they weren’t even a thing!!!

And then there’s the end credit scene during episode 10 that completely sealed the deal.

Big Red and Ashlyn understand each other. They’re both the underdogs of the series.

Ashlyn’s outgoing and talented but she’s never even talked about in regards to being the lead. She’s constantly in the shadows of her cousin E.J. who jeopardizes her friendship with Nini and the rest of the cast. And she doesn’t really mind. She stays in her lane, writers her music, does her thing, and really, is just happy to be involved.

Big Red ended up on the crew for the production because he had no other place to be. Ricky is his best (and only) friend and the only way the two of them could spend time together after Ricky gets cast was to join the production. It’s not what he thought he would be doing but he learns to love it — just like Ricky does. Big Red excels and ends up coming out of the production with a group of friends who truly love and care about him. I also love that through his character we got to see some of the tech side of high school theater. As a former high school technical theater kid, I loved that about the show.

Even though Big Red and Ashlyn aren’t an official thing yet, I ship them 110%. I can’t wait to see them develop and hopefully explore a relationship in season 2.

Complaints

High School Musical: The Musical: The Series really took me by surprise because I fully expected to hate it. I’m glad I didn’t. Given this, I really don’t have many complaints — they’re more knit-picky things.

I was sort of disappointed that we didn’t get a dress rehearsal episode. After the disaster that was the tech rehearsal, it would have been nice to see them get to practice one time through in the gym where opening night would be. If they would have done a dress rehearsal it would have given us a chance to see more of the High School Musical production. Or, if the creative team didn’t want to make the series longer, the dress rehearsal could have even been just the first act and then the second act could have been the opening night episode. I just feel that a dress rehearsal is an important part of theater and it was a shame we didn’t get to see this cast go through the dress rehearsal struggle.

I was really sad the characters Kelsey and Ryan didn’t get attention in this production. Kelsey’s role was completely nonexistent in this production. On one hand, I understand that the cast was already huge and adding a Kelsey would have made it larger. But I still missed her. It’s also worth noting that Ashlyn’s character is very similar to who Kelsey was in the film. Perhaps, the creators felt that they didn’t need to cast a pretend Kelsey because the show already had a Kelsey-like presence with Ashlyn.

If Ashlyn embodied Kelsey, then Carlos embodies Ryan. Carlos was the choreographer and Miss Jenn’s right-hand man. Ryan is very into choreography and is always willing to help Miss. Darbus in the originals. Plus, in High School Musical 2, he acts as the choreographer for the talent show.

Unlike Kelsey, who was nonexistent in the production, there was someone playing Ryan but we never learn anything about him. I think it would have been fun, fresh, and interesting if Seb would have played both Sharpay and Ryan. Truthfully, that’s what I thought was happening since he sang both parts of “Bop to the Top.” They could have split him and had one side of his wardrobe/make-up Sharpay inspired and the other side Ryan inspired. A missed opportunity if you ask me.

I wanted more character development for some of our characters. Ashlyn is so interesting and she mentions she does all these other things outside of just theater but we never get to see her beyond the walls of the theater. I hope we get to learn more about her home life and her other hobbies in season 2.

I also wanted more development when it comes to Seb and Carlos’s relationship. Yes, I am ecstatic that Disney went there and made a same-sex couple canon (something the original films were never able to do) but it’s not just enough for them to exist. They need screen time. They need a story. I want Seb and Carlos’s relationship to be just as important as Nini/Ricky and Ashlyn/Big Red. Fingers cross season 2 redeems themselves.

Another knit-pick, I wasn’t a fan of the changed “We’re All In This Together” choreography. The dance in the original is so iconic. I can still do it 14 years later! I felt betrayed when they didn’t do the exact choreography. I appreciate the show wanting to bring a new take to the production but this was one thing that shouldn’t have been changed.

My biggest critique isn’t about the plot of the series but the title as a whole. Even though I love saying High School Musical: The Musical: The Series, it’s the dumbest name ever. It’s clear that they were trying to cash in on the original High School Musical pandemonium. I’m sure it worked, but I also think it narrowed the reach the series could have had.

Not to mention it’s going to complicate season two. The series title makes sense for season one because they are putting on a production of High School Musical: The Musical but what happens when they are not putting on a High School Musical production? Tim Federle, the creator, already confirmed that season 2 won’t be about the beloved franchise. So now what?

Personally, I think the show should have been called East High Drama or something like that. It would have resonated with High School Musical fans but also wouldn’t have put the show in such a box.

I’m interested to see if the series will be renamed ahead of the second season. Or if it’ll be named something like High School Musical: (INSERT NEW MUSICAL NAME): The Series instead.

Praise

Obviously, there were a lot of things I loved about the High School Musical: The Musical: The Series. I could probably go one for days, so I’m gonna try to keep this list reserved for the highlights.

I absolutely loved the fact that the show was able to distinguish itself from the original films. I loved that they included original music and I loved it, even more, when I found out that Olivia Rodrigo and Joshua Bassett got to write “Just for a Moment.”

Another thing I was really excited about is that they didn’t really drag on the “love triangle” too much. It was there in the first few episodes but after E.J. betrays Nini, she breaks up with him and that’s that. Sure, both boys are still actively pursuing her but she’s not pursuing either of them. It’s still a love triangle I guess, but it doesn’t feel like a cliche one.

I loved that they allowed Seb to play Sharpay. I thought that was genius and amazing. It’s a shame that they’re not going to do High School Musical 2 because he would have killed “Fabulous.”

I applaud the show’s attempt to be diverse and inclusive. The characters are diverse in race, ethnicity, and sexual orientation but they’re also not defined by identities. I do think they could have done a bit more in terms of the LGBT inclusion but I applaud the moves they did make. The Homecoming scene between Seb and Carlos was everything.

I mentioned above that I liked that they included a technical aspect to the show. It could have played a bigger part but I’m glad it was mention to some extent.

One of my favorite moments of the entire series was the “Breaking Free” performance at the end. It’s such an iconic moment in the original film and I was worried it was going to fall flat in the series. It did not! Having the roles switch was genius. Instead of our Gabriela being the timid one on stage, our Troy is. Gabriela must coax him into joining her onstage. I think this move really embodies the series. We’re meant to believe that Nini = Gabriela and Ricky = Troy but they’re both more complex than that. I also felt it was very reminiscent of the “This Is Us/Gotta Find You” moment from the DCOM Camp Rock. Regardless, I loved it!

Oh, and I can’t forget Ms. Darbus’s original number. Though I did feel it was oddly placed, I thought it was an amazing song and a wonderful moment for Ashlyn to shine.

Overall, I was pleasantly surprised by how much I ended up enjoying High School Musical: The Musical: The Series. I am definitely a fan of this new era of Wildcats and can’t wait for season 2. Speaking of season 2, Disney+ announced that High School Musical: The Musical: The Series will return with new episodes in Fall 2020!

For now, you can stream the first season of High School Musical: The Musical: The Series on Disney+.

What did you think of the High School Musical: The Musical: The Series? What was your favorite and least favorite episode? Who do you ship? Will you be watching season 2? Let me know in the comments or by tweeting me @3RsBlog. 

Want more posts like this follow me here or on wordpress. 

#hsmtmts #high school musical the musical the series #reviews #nini #ricky #rini #seb #carlos #seblos #ashlyn #big red #kourtney #ej #gina #disney + #hsm

[captainolive23]

Fun Facts about Lawrence, Kansas

(So this is mostly just for people who want their fics to be accurate. I'm not saying you have to use these things in fics but if you want to, here ya go.) Ok so as someone from Lawrence I have trouble reading supernatural high school au fics that take place in Lawrence because of all the inaccuracies. Which is the sucky part of having the main characters from your favorite show be from your home town. Ok so first off if your fic takes place before 1997(1996?) then there was only one high school in town (Lawrence High) but if you're making it take place in modern day then there are 2. The newer one is the one I went to so I'm gonna give you some facts about Free State cuz I don't know shit about Lawrence High. -Free State was designed by a prison designer. -they were going to name it "Quantill High" but if you know anything about Lawrence history you know that Quantrill was a dude from Missouri, who during the civil war came over to Lawrence and burnt the town to the ground and killed a shit ton of people. -when you first walk into free state you see the main common area which is also the lunch room. There's two main doors leading into this area. One is on the side that faces the main road and the other is on the side that faces the student parking lot. The entrance to the office is on the side with the parking lot. -up until my senior year anyone could pretty much walk in the doors any time of day. Then in my junior year there was a remodel and the office got moved so they started locking the doors during the day and if a parent needed to come in or if a student got in late you had to get buzzed in through the office. -one security guard is total dick and will get after anyone for anything. Like wearing hats for example. While wearing a hat was against the dress code, none of the teachers gave a shit. The principal didn't give a shit either. Hell the other security guard really didn't give a shit. But one time it was snowing and it was cold as fuck and I was wearing my hat. The second I walked in the door this guy was yelling at me for wearing a hat. -so the average school day goes from either 0 hour to 6th hour or 1st hour to 7th hour. Most people go 1-7 but one of my friends went 0-6 since she had to be at school super early every day anyway. 0 hour starts at 7 am. 1st hour starts at 8. I wanna say that 6th hour ends at 2:20ish but I could be wrong. 7th hour ends at 3:10. -there are 3 lunch periods taking place throughout 5th hour. 1st lunch was preferred by most people but second lunch was nice to cuz it cut 5th hour in half and made it feel waaayy shorter. -we also had open lunch where we could leave to go to one of the restaurants or stores that surrounded the school. There was taco bell, burger king, McDonald's, starbucks, Jimmy johns, arbys, little ceasars (which tastes like the schools pizza so we avoided going there), dominoes, Chipotle and orange leaf(frozen yogurt place) and there was a Wal-Mart, CVS, a dillons (krogers grocery store), hyvee (another grocery store) and sprouts (organic food grocery store). If you had a car you could probably go other places too but lunch was only 30 minutes long so most people didn't. -wednesday and Thursday are short days. Until my senior year (so last year) Wednesday schedule was 0,1,3,5,7 starting at 7 and ending at 2:30. Thursday was 2,4,6 and was late arrival so school didn't start until 9 and went until 2. That switched my senior year so now Wednesday is the super short day. -they also started holding classes at the new career and college center during my senior year. Basically juniors and seniors can take one 3 hour long class at this place and get college credit. The class I took was forensic science but there was also a nursing class and a robotics class. There were others to but I don't remember them. You could either take the class in the morning or in the afternoon (which is what I did) and it only lasted one semester but if you took the science class that gave you a whole science credit instead of half a credit like a normal science class. -you only needed 3 science and 3 math credits to graduate but it you wanted to go to college you needed 4 of each. You had to have 4 English credits to graduate. -senior consumer math taught you how to do taxes and shit. -as long as you're not an overachiever senior English classes are fucking easy as hell. My first semester class was myth, fantasy, and folklore and we barely had to to any writing and my teacher read to us cuz it was the first class of the day and Mr. Wolak was about to have his first kid so he was practicing his character voices. And the second semester class was a little harder cuz it was mostly writing but Ms. Elliot was super laid back (someone brought pot brownies to her class once and she ate one even tho she knew there was pot in it. Seriously there's a reason she was everyone's favorite teacher) -the dress code was not heavily enforced. The only person who really cared was the security guard I was talking about earlier. -juniors and seniors could be office aids or teacher aids. Becoming a teacher aid was a little harder cuz you had to get a note from the teacher and permission from your counselor but becoming an office aid was pretty easy as long as there was an opening. -you only had to have half a P.E. credit (one semester) to graduate. Most people took more since it was an easy a. -you also had to have half a foreign language credit. So now we're going to get into actual stuff about Lawrence. -LAWRENCE IS NOT A SMALL TOWN. In the 80s and early 90s it kind of was but it's not anymore so if you're writing a fic that takes place in the 80s or 90s then it's fine to write it as a smallish town. But if you're basing it in modern day Lawrence it's not small. The high schools are getting so overcrowded they're thinking of building a third one. -there are 14 elementary schools. 4 middle schools(which were junior high (7-9th grade) until my 8th grade year when it switched to middle school(6-8th) in 2011). There are 2 high schools. There's also a bunch of private schools but idk how many since they're not on the district website. -downtown Lawrence has a bunch of really cool old houses and all 3rd graders in the town get to take a tour of downtown Lawrence and see all the historic spots (like the giant boulder in the park and the oldest cemetery in town) -the sorority and frat houses are in downtown Lawrence. -there's this really creepy mansion between the frat houses that I always thought looked like a castle and I'm pretty sure a dentist lives there or at least did when I was little. -the guy who invented basketball lived here. -a couple years ago they blew up one of the dorm buildings cuz they built a new one and it was this huge thing that anyone who didn't have to work that day went to watch. I still have the video on my laptop. It was awesome. -the one place almost every teenager in town goes to hang out is java break. Its been here since my mom was a kid. They make milkshakes and smoothies and you can add cereal to them. There's a room in the back that's basically the graffiti room. You can draw on any surface you can find in there. There's some really cool art work in there and every once in a while they go in and paint over it. Most people just draw dicks tho. -the last day that the outdoor pool is open every summer they have a dog day where people bring their dogs to go swimming. I've never been since my dog hates water and other dogs but it always looks like fun. -on the 4th of July they have a firework show by the river which is next to downtown. I usually go to the hospital parking lot to watch it. -there's this one homeless dude who lives near the river who has chickens and the cops just sort of leave him alone cuz he's far enough away from any residential areas that he's not bothering anyone. -Lawrence is the most liberal town in Kansas mostly because Its a college town. We are an island of blue in a sea of red. -there are still racist homophobic douchebags here but not nearly as many as you would expect. There are a couple assholes that like to hang confederate flags on their trucks. Unfortunately said douchebags went to my school. They didn't have many friends tho. -the the Campbell's own pretty much everything in town. Every time they start another housing community they named it after one of their kids. From what I've heard most of their kids are pretty nice but I knew one of them and he was a total dick. He was the stereotypical rich white guy. -the other super rich family in town is the Compton's. They own peacocks, zebras and a camel. -both families live in these super huge mansions near free state high school. The Compton's oldest son dropped out of college to become a rapper and from what I heard he sucks at it. -for a long ass time there was only one place in town you could get fried chicken (kfc) but in the past 2 years we've gotten about 10 different fried chicken places. All of them within about a 3 block radius of each other. -for a long time (about 20 years) there was a bridge to no where next to the movie theater because they started building a road but then had to stop cuz they didn't have permission to build through the marshlands. They recently finished it. -the movie theater got remodeled in the last couple of years and it used to be super gross but now it has reclining seats that are super comfortable and it's a lot cleaner than it used to be -south park is downtown and it has a gazebo. -every year the humane society hosts a zombie walk downtown and it starts at south park. Its a really big thing. People decorate their jeeps with zombie parts and fake blood and have "zombie hunter" stickers. People dress up as either zombies or zombie hunters and walk through downtown. Some of the zombie costumes are fucking amazing. And there's always this one guy that goes with his daughter and they run up to random people and scream in their faces. My best friend got her picture in the paper one year cuz her zombie costume was that good. Anyway that's all I can think of for now. If anyone wants a part 2 or has any questions just ask and I'll do my best to help.

#supernatural #supernatural fic #sam winchester #dean winchester #castiel #sorry if the beginning seems confrontational #but I like high school aus and modern aus #it's just hard to read ones that take place in Lawrence cuz in my head I'm constantly trying to correct things #seriously tho if anyone has questions about Lawrence I'll be happy to answer them #my grandma's first car was a '67 chevy #destiel #supernatural au

[cunyappliedtheatreblog]

Abigail Liddell (‘12) is a theatre teacher in a Brooklyn middle school, the Assistant Director of the CUNY Creative Arts Team Junior Youth Theatre, and a proud mom. She chatted with Michael Wilson (’11) about her journey toward justice and joy in her work with young people.

What are you up to, Abby?​

I am a Middle school theatre teacher at a school in Crown heights. This is my second year in the DOE.

What’s a day in the life look like?

It’s so rough. But you know, I’m from Brooklyn, so I can roll with them. But…there’s a lot of stuff they’re going through as children, as kids. They’re living lives I couldn’t imagine living at their age. Even my own age. Shelters and all sorts of things. I always try to keep that in mind when I teach, and when I relate to them. They are probably going through some stuff.

I think that with every teacher, you’re more than a teacher. But I think working in the DOE and in certain areas, you have to be more than a teacher. You have to be a social worker, you have to be a mom, you have to be a caregiver. You have to be all of that. And I am more than willing to take that on.

I want to ask you about that. What gets you up in the morning to face that challenge?

You know, they say teaching is tough but rewarding…just like parenthood: seeing the moments they get it. Seeing them on stage, after weeks of rehearsal and how proud they are of themselves—how proud their parents and community are. And seeing their faces light up. This kind of reward is different than getting an “A” on a math test. This is a whole different type of shine that words can’t express. They feel so proud of themselves. And I love seeing that.

I can feel it from here! And—we’re on the phone, but I can see a big smile on your face.

Laughs. It’s there, it’s there. It’s there.

Tell me a story about a class or a student that took the journey from those weeks of rehearsals to being on stage and having that moment of recognition.

I put on two devised shows last year with my students (but this year I’m taking a different approach). And there’s this one student—we rehearsed for weeks for his role, and the show was the next day, and he didn’t want to do it anymore. He wanted to take a step back, do a different role. And I had a different student, one of my star students: he is a very challenging student, but I love him dearly, he was like, “Ms. Liddell, I can do it,” but I’m, “but he’s been rehearsing for weeks, so we can’t do it.” But he was able to do it. He learned the lines that we had already set, in a day, and even brought his own flare to it. So he really made that show and that production. And I was so happy and so proud of him. The teachers and the rest of the faculty were so happy to see that, too, because he doesn’t, unfortunately, shine as much in the other academic classes, but when he’s on that stage, it’s magical.

Why did you make the change from devising into whatever you’re doing now?

Because as a DOE teacher, I have to “Teach Theatre.” At CAT [the CUNY Creative Arts Team Youth Theatre], you know, you meet with the young people, it’s a lot of activities and exercises and they’re building skills that way. But when you’re a teacher, especially in the DOE, you have assessments, you have rubrics, you have a lesson plan, you have learning targets—I have to meet all these marks…so it’s a lot more administrative.

How is that for you?

Yeah…I’m learning it. It’s becoming easier for me. I didn’t like it at first. You know, I didn’t go to school for educational theatre…my goal is to eventually incorporate what it is I really want to do, which is what I learned in the MA, and still apply all these other things as a teacher the principal wants me to apply. And I’m gonna get there. So, this year, we’re not doing devised theatre at all. She wants to put on a musical, and so that’s what my focus is this year.

And it’s great, because as I mentioned before, I received a fellowship. This will help me along the way to meet that goal: to become a better teacher and hit those marks my principal wants me to hit as a theater teacher.

Congratulations on the fellowship!

Thank you! I am so excited, you just don’t know! There are hundreds of theatre teachers in NYC. I don’t know how many they accept each year. It’s a three-year fellowship, the Arthur Miller Theatre Education Program. I get a mentor, I get money for Broadway shows, I get inter-visitation with an arts organization in the city...

I’m really interested in how the Applied Theatre, the CAT experience, translates into everybody’s work. I see that there’s some challenge here about, well, “we want you to do a musical, because it’s really clear about how it’s going to fit into the common core…”

That’s all true, but I think what I got from the program, that’s much more important to me, is theatre and social justice. And just that focus on social justice allows me, as a human being, to connect to other people on a human level. Right? And I have to credit the program for this: one of my strengths as a teacher is to form genuine relationships with the students I teach. And I think it’s because I can see them and connect with them on that human level they’re not just robots or test takers that have to, you  know, “achieve success academically,” but they’re people.

When, in the MA in Applied Theatre program, did you notice you had that new ability to connect with students or participants as people?

I felt it initially when we had the chance to work with young people. I was NERVOUS! Oh my goodness, I was so nervous…are these kids gonna like me, do I know what I’m doing? But, just seeing how they responded to me, I was like, “oh, what I’m doing is alright. It’s nothing to be nervous about.”

But it was solidified years later, after I graduated. I saw one of the girls from that Youth Theatre cohort, I was like, “Hey, how are you?” She was like, “I’m so great! I’m so glad to see you. You know, when we did the program, you were my favorite.” I was like, “Really? Oh my goodness, thank you so much!” And I don’t know why, but that for me solidified: well yeah, I can do this. I can connect with young people in an authentic and genuine way. At the time [I facilitated], I was so nervous, but [I said to myself] I’m going to just try to do it the way I would do it, rather than trying to do it like anybody else. And that [conversation with the YT alumna] made me feel like I was being me and it worked.

We were encouraged so much to come and just be ourselves, in the program. And that’s the kind of feeling I want for all my students. I want them to feel like they all belong. Because that’s exactly how I felt in the program.

For me, it’s never been about teaching students how to act and be great actors. But, teaching them about themselves and the people around them, and how to respond and connect with the people around you. Middle school, and especially the one I work at, is very like, you’re just offending each other: you’re THIS and you’re THAT. It’s not about building up, it’s about tearing down. At least in my classroom, it’s about accepting, that’s where I’ll start.

I feel your passion, and I feel your desire, maybe even heartbreak, at how the environment doesn’t deliver on that.

But you know, I want to stay in the DOE. I want to work with these kids. I do. I know it’s tough, but I feel like everyday they can learn something in my classroom. And everyday I can learn something from them. And if it’s not how to perform the perfect pantomime, it’s probably how to be more kind to the next person. They can get something about being a human, or humane, you know, and I think that’s what I want to implement from the [MA in Applied Theatre] program, really.

And you work with the JYT, too, right [the CUNY Creative Arts Team Junior Youth Theatre]?

Yessss. So, another thing that keeps me going with this middle school, too, is that I have the outlet with the JYT, so I am able to do exactly what I went to school for, working with the JYT. Working with, you know, people that I went to school with: working with Joey. Working with Helen. So I’m directly connected back to the program, which I am loving.

What’s your role?

Assistant Director…so even though I’m not able to do it completely yet, in my school, at least I’m doing it in the JYT and learning, you know, skills all over again—practicing these skills. It’s one thing to learn it theoretically and have little practice sessions while you’re in school. But to do it after graduation, I’m loving it. So even though I have to focus more on core standards and all that teacher stuff here [at the DOE], I’m still able to do what it is that I really like to do.

I know that you’re going to make that bridge, Abby, as you master the core standards, that you’re going to—

I will. And I can’t wait Michael. Because I really want to make it happen. And I’m excited about it.

I think this story is about the journey. It’s about the way that justice is far from perfect and far from finished, and even far from clear.

Laughs. Yeah, and I like it. I’m cool with it. I’ve seen stories before that you’ve done [on the profile series] and people are doing some wonderful things. But I’m loving the journey I’m on. And I’m learning so much about myself, constantly. As a parent, too, I’m learning so many things I can implement as a parent as my children are growing. So, I love this journey I’m on. No, I’m not there yet, and I’m so okay with that. Because I’m gonna get there. Just like in applied theatre it’s not always about the product but about the process, I am so into this process right now.

One more thing! My babies! Remember I was pregnant going in the program and pregnant going out? And I also had one already? Well the oldest had the opportunity to join JYT and performed in a show and the one I was pregnant with in the beginning of the program is SO excited he can join JYT soon. Like next year! Can you believe it?

#cunyspsappliedtheatre #nycteacher #theatreteacher #proudmom #blackgirlmagic #brooklyn #creativeartsteam #AbbyLiddell #mainappliedtheatrealum

[fultas01]

Hello Reader!

Hi mom! For the last three months I have been working on this post, which if you see the word count you’ll begin to understand why it took so long. With over 5,500 words this is my longest post ever. Sorry, not sorry. In this post I’m going to talk about a lot of my adventures in the month of December (I know its March, BUT I’ve been busy!). This post will talk about some of the dumber (more air-heady) things I have done in country, as well as discuss my first vacation in Europe! While there is a lot in these stories, there is also a lot omitted, so if you want to hear more about any of these things, you’ll have to ask me in person, or wait for an Angela-tells-all post (not coming soon). So just remember: this is going to be a looong post, make sure to see it as a marathon, not a sprint! See you at the finish line. :)

The first misadventure: Losing of the Phone. 

After celebrating a lovely (and honestly completely different from I’m used to) Thanksgiving, I headed back to site with my site mate (sort of site mate, we live in different places, but he’s in the raion, so if I want anything I either go to his city or Chisinau), and about a half hour into the trip back I realized that I didn’t have my phone. Instead, I had completely forgotten that I had knocked it off the sofa the night before and left without it in the morning.

Some pictures from our fantastic Thanksgiving meal. Great food, drinks, and even better company.

We contacted our friend in Riscani and asked for him to look for it when he had time. He thankfully found it that night and texted to guard for me that I made it back to site, right before the phone died. He told me that it was like defusing a bomb, having to beat the clock to send a message as the phone was dying. After that, I tried to figure out a time when I could either make it to Riscani to pick up my phone from him, or if he could send it via rutiere back to Edinet for me. Unfortunately due to our schedules as teachers, and the rutiere schedule, there was basically no way to get to Riscani and back (without either missing part of the school day, or spending the night in the other town, neither were really acceptable). So, he being a great human being, said he’d take it to Chisinau that weekend and leave it in my locker for me.

Now I just had to make it a week or more without a phone. Normally, I don’t think that this would be difficult. Annoying yes, difficult no. But my phone has my alarm on it, which led me to being late two days of the week for school. I set the alarms on both my computer and tablet to help me wake up, and on the first late morning realized that my tablet had set the alarm for 8 am back in the states (not very helpful), and the one on my computer didn’t go off (no idea why… and now it will randomly go off around 8 am). Along with the fun times of sleeping in, I also found that due to random power outages, I had very little internet access. Every time the house lost electricity for a few seconds would turn off he motem, and I would be without internet on my laptop and tablet until it was turned back on by one of the kids. The lack of internet also was annoying at school, where if I was ever unsure of a grammatical rule or wanted to come up with quick examples of said grammar, I would google it. Without the internet on my phone, I was left to either guess at meaning or try some out of the textbook (and these textbooks are far from my favorite sources of information).

The final weird thing about being without a phone, was the fact that my program director was planning a visit to see me teach, and I was trying to fill out my request for vacation. I informed my program manager that I didn’t have my phone for the week, so she was awesome and called me via my host family’s phone. A little awkward to first few times, but since she ended up calling at least four times I got used to using their phone and my host family understood.

At the end of the week I was happy to find myself going to the capital for a meeting and to grab my phone. Being reunited was absolutely fabulous.

Misadventure 2: Teaching in a ‘Winter Wonderland’

I have a theory that in the month of December all kids that live in a country that celebrates Christmas are the same. They are counting down the days until they have a break. During this month we had our first snows, and did the kids go crazy at that! Even the teachers asked if I went out and built a snow man (no, no I didn’t, it’s freaking cold outside). And so, as any teacher can tell you, teaching students in December is somewhat similar to herding cats. They only learn when they want to, and you end up bending over backwards trying to get their attention.

During the month I had a hard time concentrating myself, as I was counting down to my vacation, so for the most part the only people who were trying were my partners. Sorry guys, I was distracted. But we pushed through and continued to teach vocabulary and grammar points while everyone was bundled up in their winter coats. This is because while the school is heated, there are some rooms that are better heated than others, and I think the English room was just a step above freezer.

Our heaters were located below the windows and they lazily pushed out a little heat. Meaning that the seats closest to the windows were the most coveted, since they were the warmest. But, sitting next to the windows made it easy for the students to get distracted by any and everything that passed by. While my 12th graders were very studious and interested in learning, my 11th graders took to talking about everything and anything that passed by outside, and just generally hold full conversations in Romanian. And how do you deal with this? Well, you probably shouldn’t follow my example and just start being sarcastic and snarky right back at the student in English. It gets their attention, and for those that understand what I’m saying laugh, but the kid who was speaking in Romanian just continue by saying  N’am înțeles (which means, I didn’t understand). Which I would then reply (in English, and sometimes in Romanian) either, I know, or put a hand over my heart and dramatically go: no?! Not the most professional answer, and I don’t recommend acting that way in class, but it just came out naturally, and it had a moticom of success in stopping conversation. I would also go and sit right next to the talkers and just stare at them, that generally had them blushing and turning to the front of the class real fast.

In the middle school grades I just generally let my teachers work their magic to make them behave (less rather than more) and we pulled teeth with my middle grades for the month. Did they learn anything? Maybe. Maybe not. But I definitely taught them the American move of hitting your head against a table or the chalkboard when frustrated. So….culture exchange?

In my youngest grades (2-5th) the students were still generally good. They wanted to learn, so we kept to our work and even played some games, sang songs, learned our ABCs and all that. :) I even taught a couple of my classes some Christmas carols. I hadn’t been planning on it, but when one of my second graders just started repeating “jingle bell, jingle bell, jingle bell…” over and over again, I couldn’t help go over to him and start singing the actual song. Which got the attention of everyone else in the classroom, and we quickly switched gears and learned the chorus of Jingle bells, because why not?

Misadventure 3: What’s in a Holiday?

Winter break began on the 24th of December, so I packed my book-bag and went to Chisinau, which was completely decked out for the holiday. When I arrived, I hung out with some other M31s, including the two ladies I was going to Romania with, as well as another friend who we were going to celebrate her birthday! We walked around in the beautifully decorated area, took photos and then made it to our hostel.

I was so thankful to get to the hostel, because after an hour or two of carrying a 10 lbs (I’m guessing, I have no idea how much it really weighed) backpack and my purse with my laptop in it, I was getting a little tired…. If you ask the ladies I was hanging out with, they might even go as far to call me whiny or annoyed.  BUT I’m sticking with tired, and I just had a desire to put my stuff down. Either way, we finally made it to our hostel after looking around downtown Chisinau and going down a sketchy alleyway to find our hostel (IDK if it’s just Moldova, but I feel like all of their hostels are down sketchy alleys).

Once we sat our stuff down, we set out to celebrate Beth’s birthday in style. We went to a nice Italian restaurant, that I won’t be able to find again on my own. And whose name I don’t know (so sorry if you were hoping for me to give you a good restaurant in Chisinau, I have the attention span of a Labrador retriever and Dory’s memory). I can say that the food was delicious and the company superb. It was nicely decorated for Christmas, so we had to take a picture together. Unfortnately, I had not dressed for taking a picture, I had dressed for the 3.5 hour rutiera ride into the city, so I look like a hot mess.

That night, we stayed up late watching the movie Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them in our hostel. The movie was great, however the quality from my computer was lacking. :/

The next day was of course Christmas! And being in an orthodox country, December 25th didn’t necessarily mean a whole lot. But we decided to keep some traditions alive and went to see the new Star Wars movie in the theater (it was even in English :D ). Another really good movie, that I was happy that I got to watch, with Americans.

After the movie, we met other volunteers and had a little Christmas party together. We had food, nonalcoholic beverages, good company, ginger bread houses, and a piano! With the piano available, and a gentleman who plays the piano, we decided to sing some Christmas carols! Because, why not?

From the party, I left with my travel partners and we headed for the South Bus Station to catch our rutiera to Brasov, the first stop on my wonderful winter vacation! As we made it to the bus station it was already around 6 at night. So, we sat down to wait for our rutiera… and we waited….and we waited. During this wait, one of my friends reminded me that I still needed to turn on the roaming on my phone. With that thought in mind I looked around for an Orange store (our cell phone provider, not the fruit). However, all the little phone stores were already closed for the night (everything closes up when it gets dark, which at that time was around 4 pm). Cursing under my breath and heading back to my travel buddies, I began trying to turn roaming on from my phone. This, I thought would be an easy process, but NOOOOOO, it had to be difficult, and wouldn’t let me do it, without an added 200 lei (about 10 usd) to my account, something I couldn’t do from where I was. So I gave up and decided to turn it on the next day from Romania.

While I was messing around with my phone we were still waiting for our rutiera, and getting a little anxious that we hadn’t seen it yet. So we went to investigate, only to find that there had only been five tickets sold, so they were getting a car instead of a rutiera. No sense wasting the gas and the space when you could do it another way, right? So, we got to drive to Brasov in a minivan!  Not what I was expecting, but it was more comfortable than a rutiera, so absolutely no complaints…. Okay, my only complaint is about Bethany deciding to wake me up by hitting me. Thanks bro. I will get even.

We drove through the night and made it to our hostel around 2 am. Which, was earlier than we had anticipated… meaning that we had to wake up the employee to let us in and pay for another night, that we hadn’t been expecting. But that meant we did get to sleep in a bed that night.

Misadventure 4: Yes I’m American, yes I speak Romanian aka. Romania

We spent the next 2 days exploring Brasov and the surrounding areas. The first day we walked around Brasov, had some good food, walked up to the two observation towers (the white and black towers), threw some snow balls, checked out a grave yard (because…because!), checked out the black church, and generally just walked around the city.

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Each of these photos has a little story behind them, so if you want to know more, try to find me some day and ask, I’d be glad to share my experiences.

In the mean time, I will say that the pictures of us in the woods was in the middle of an impromptu snow ball fight, the big church in the early photos is the black church which was closed while we were there, and we joked that the tree looked like an old lady who had hair coming out of her hair net in every direction. :)

That evening (and the next one too), we came back to the hostel by 8 o’clock and played card games for a while. This led to us finding out that Susan is a card shark who spent a lot of time playing cards (successfully) in Vegas for years before she came to Moldova. Thankfully we were only playing Uno and go fish! However, Susan did wipe us out on first time around during one of the go fish games. She literally guessed all of my cards, then guessed all of Bethany’s. It was insane.  I can also say, that I never won a game of Uno, and I don’t think I won go fish either.

Our guardian at the hostel, she really liked my bed :)

On the second day in Brasov we went to Bran castle (Dracula’s castle) and to a fortress! It was a fun day trip away from Brasov, so we could walk up to the different castles (it was pretty dangerous getting up, and then down, the steep and snow covered slope to Bran Castle). However, I can now say I was at Dracula’s castle!

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One the 3rd day we traveled to Romania’s Capital, Bucharest! We decided to go via train and hang out in the city for a couple hours just seeing what they have. We decided that we would go to the Hard Rock Cafe in the city, which I was definitely cool with, since I knew I would be getting my Starbucks craving finally sated after 6 months without it.

Unfortunately, we didn’t know exactly how to get there, and ended up a little lost, and we walked for over an hour before we came to the restaurant. During the walk I had cut my heel (how? I have no idea), so I was kind of limping and trying not to be on my heel for the last kilometer that we walked. After our wonderful meal, we decided to ax the walking idea, and had the restaurant call us a cab back to a mall we had seen so that we could do some shopping. There, I finally had some Starbucks!!! (Twice <3)!

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We widdled away the afternoon and I left around 4:30 to make it to the airport for my flight to Budapest. This is where my luck changed, as the driver took me for a tourist and it took over an hour to get to the airport, and cost me 30 euros (nope, not how much it should have cost, at all!). There, I found out that I had missed the check in for my flight by 10 minutes. I could only reschedule the flight in the next twenty minutes for a flight in two days. Fml. I said no, and tried to not make a scene in the airport about how stupid this was, and decided that I officially hate airports.

I went back outside and flagged down another cab to take me to the train station. From the train station I was hoping I could get a late night train to Budapest. This second taxi ride took 20 minutes and cost me 30 Romanian lei (7 usd). I talked to three different tellers in the train station and was able to get an over night train to Budapest that was leaving in 2.5 hours. Thank god! After almost crying of happiness about being able to keep going with my vacation, I sat down and waited (in the cold) for my new train. It was not the way I wanted to spend my night, but I was able to make it onto my train and head for Budapest. I left Romania with a lot less money than I started out with, but I still left.

Misadventure 5: My Favorite City: Budapest

Before leaving the US, if you would have asked me what my favorite city was, I probably would have said Chicago. It’s close, it’s beautiful, and it’s a place where I could see myself living in the future. Now, I can say all of these things about Budapest, Hungary. The city was absolutely gorgeous, the people were nice, it has a cool night life, and I would give up a lot of stuff in my life to get the chance to live there (sorry Mom, I know that’s not something you want to hear, but it’s true!).

But back to my story!!!

When I left off, I had missed my flight to Budapest, and had to take a train. This train didn’t arrive in Budapest until noon or 1 the next day. Meaning, I had slept on the train, but I did get to meet two nice ladies traveling through Romania and Budapest and ending their trip for the New Year in Vienna. The ladies were from Denmark, and as soon as I spoke in Romanian they could tell I was American (American accents are ridiculously easy for people to pick out), so we were able to talk in English easily. They told me about their travels, and I told them about my time as a Peace Corps volunteer in Moldova. We spent the trip talking off and on about different topics, and we came away with me adding Denmark to the list of countries I would like to visit, and I talked them into visiting Moldova in the future (as well as talking up Chicago).

When I finally arrived in Budapest I got out some money, the Hungarian Forint. This monetary system was one of the only downsides (because why do I need a 10,000 forint note? Why can’t it be 100???? I asked myself this question my entire time in the captial).

So, after I had some cash, I followed the first directions to the hostel: get on the tram and take it to the next station. Got it, so far so good. Well, that’s when I got lost. I made it to the correct stop on the tram, then went the wrong way on the street. Then I backtracked, when the right direction, then turned the wrong way again! It took me over an hour to make the 15 minute walk to the hostel… not my finest moment.

I finally made it to the hostel (a very nice hostel too) and checked in. I messaged the volunteer I was staying with and decided to crash until I heard back from her. Being able to lay down on a bed was amazing, and I was almost asleep when I heard from my friend and headed out again to St. Basilica church.

Saint Basilica’s around Christmas time.

Afraid of getting lost again, I asked the receptionist to give me directions and a map (which she did). I made it to the Jewish Synagogue (about halfway there) and then got lost again, as I headed the wrong way. Again. This lasted a hour and a half (90 minutes of basically walking around looking at buildings, thinking that that  building looks like it could be a cathedral. Then realizing that I walked past it like 3 times) before I was finally able to meet and find my friend in front of the church, which we didn’t go inside of because we were starving.

Once we finally met each other, we decided to walk back towards the center of the city to find a restaurant. And guess what? We went the wrong way!!! We ended up walking a same way I had just come from and walked all the way around until we hit an overpass that seemed to be going out of the main city. Funnily enough, while we were walking, an English guy (probably our age) literally ran up to us, because he saw our map and asked us where we were drinking. Thankfully he kept going with his friends, so we didn’t actually talk to the guy, but it definitely made me more aware of how much of a tourist we looked.

I can’t remember where we ended up eating that night, but I think we ended up going to a ruin bar (which those are fantastic) and we drank Starbucks and talked while sitting outside listening to some random band playing in the background.

Day 2 of Budapest: Let’s be tourists

So on my second day in Budapest, we got all sorts of touristy with paying to have breakfast at the New York Cafe and do a hop-on hop-off tour. But when we left the restaurant, we lost more than we expected. My friend lost quite a bit of money (no idea where) and I lost my ticket for the bus. So  I had to buy a new one, spending more than I had planned on spending that day (oops).But I will say, the New York Cafe was really pretty.

From there, we tried to make things better and jumped on the bus touring the city and listening to the pretty insane stories of the city’s history (they threw a guy in a barrel and then rolled it down a hill into the Danube, not to mention all the floods, wars, and other disasters that have affected the area). We explored the city for a long while and split up for a little while exploring different areas. We met back up at the hostel and got ready for our big activity of our time in Budapest: a bath party. Budapest is known for their public baths, so we decided to go to the New Years Eve bath party (held on the 30th… no idea why).

While the idea was a really fun one, it was supposed to be like a huge night-time block/pool party. We didn’t consider the fact that the temperature outside at night was well below freezing. Not to mention what happens in pools when there is a lot of alcohol and drunk people. Also, I am not much of a party girl, as the DUF (if you don’t know this acronym, urban dictionary knows what it means) of every group of friends I’ve had since the age of 13 (probably), I was on babysitting duty, and my RBF (same as my earlier comment: urban dictionary) made me good at the job, but it made me cold and bored for most of the 4 hour party, not to mention that I was sober. So yay, gross water party where I wasn’t distracted by anything (person or anything).

With that said, I do think that the baths would be fun in the day time and when there aren’t so many people around, and I could actually relax, and not be annoyed. If asked to go to this party again, I’d laugh all the way to the nearest ruin bar, and tell you to go if you want, but I’ll be here having fun. Either way, I had a great day taking pictures then an okay night out.

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Day 3: Bye-bye Budapest!

On our last day in Budapest, my friend and I started the day out by going to the train station and buying tickets to Prague for that night (our way of saving money because a room in either city was more money than all the other nights combined, so no.). We then had some breakfast together and made a plan to meet back up together later. Then I went back out to explore the city by myself. To my mother, who very much might be hyperventilating reading about me going two days in a city by myself: I know you’re worried, but I made it without a scratch. And I honestly had a really good time, and if you’re afraid of me going it alone too much, you’ll just have to join me on my next adventures. :)

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This day, I got to try some local food, and had some mulled wine (delicious!), and took looots of pictures. It was a great day of traveling around and seeing different sites. I ended my time in Budapest by getting a local beer at a nice restaurant and then some waffles and a milkshake at a boutique cafe, that I will go to again when I visit again. Oh, and I of course had some Starbucks (the guy recognized me from the day before) before meeting my friend at the train station.

Misadventure 6: What’s your Prague-lem?

The final leg of vacation was to visit Prague, one of Europe’s top-rated cities. But, it is not on my top favorite lists. I went, I saw, I got the shot glass. I don’t have any strong desires to go again. That would be due to a lot of different things.

Our first day there started really early (like 6 am) and as I got off the train I was automatically cold and had to try and find my friend (she had sprung for the sleeper car, whereas I hadn’t). It took us a while to find each other, and then even longer to figure out where to go from there, since we couldn’t check into our hostel until that afternoon.

We went to the Old Town area and walked less than a block before we turned back around and headed for the subway, deciding that before we get any food we should find the hostel and drop off our bags. So, we were tired, and freaking freezing. Not a great start.

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Throughout the day my mood fluxuated from happy to annoyed and back again. We ended up lost at almost every turn, the guy at the hostel, while somewhat helpful flirted with my friend and ignored my existence so much that the next morning he didn’t even recognize me. But we had Starbucks and saw some of the sites. Unfortunately while we did have some fun, I think we were mostly tired, and just generally annoyed that we had gotten so lost and had to wait around in the cold for so long waiting on buses. If I had to give this day a rating from 1-10, it would have received a 4. It wasn’t terrible, but it wasn’t good either. Not every city can be Budapest.

Day 2: Do I look like D. Trump?!

Day two came early and I was annoyed to find myself ditched without a word. Not the best beginning of a day, but we were both annoyed from yesterday, so I don’t care about it now. But at the time, it had really pissed me off. That day, I missed out on everything I wanted to do because of getting lost (I had planned on doing a tour of a concentration camp a little ways outside of the city, then I wanted to do a walking tour of the city that talked about the history of the city from the time of WWII to communism, to the velvet revolution. However, I couldn’t find the place to save my life. So I walked around taking some pictures.

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I made my way back to the main area and decided to try some traditional food that I had heard about from a Youtuber from Prague. So I found the restaurant, which was more of a cafeteria. And sat down to eat. I was joined by a guy who began talking to me in (what I’m guessing) was Czech. But I quickly confessed to not speaking the language, and he happily switched to English, and we spent the rest of the meal talking about random things together.

After the huge meal that honestly I didn’t think was all that tasty. I walked to a nearby gift shop and bought my souvenir shot glass (I’m 22, I’m allowed to by tacky things as my souvenirs!). The clerk this time spoke to me in Russian (I can occasionally pick that language out now). And I replied, instinctively, in Romanian. When he just gave me a look I switch to English and he asked me where I was from. When I said Chicago (no one knows anything good about Indiana, so I almost always say I’m from Chicago), he told me he thought I looked German or Russian. Then he took that back and said that I look like Donald Trump. Which, if that isn’t the biggest insult I’d heard in months I don’t know what is. So, like a true lady, I had some choice words for him and left the shop with my shot glass (I’d already paid for it, otherwise I wouldn’t have given the guy my business).

After that, I settled down at a cafe and to make myself feel better about my frustrating day, I bought myself a ticket to a concert being held in the city. I left two hours early to make sure I would find it. And good thing I did, because I got lost again, had to ask for directions, finally find the the box office where my ticket was sold only to find out that it was closed. Basically crying in frustration, I quickly tried to find the theater and found (thankfully) with about 15 minutes to spare. I was surprised that they let me in, I got my ticket and even had a really nice seat in the first few rows (not that the show I went to see was heavily attended). The concert was amazing and it improved my mood tenfold. I finished the night going to a sandwich shop near the hostel and face-timed my brother, then went to the hostel and packed my things up for my early morning. And fell asleep before my friend made it back to the hostel.

Misadventure 7: Heading home

I hate airports. They are the bane of my existence. I hate, hate, hate, hate airports. My last day in Prague say me waking up at 4 am so that I could get around and leave for the airport. Which was an experience! consisting of a subway ride, then over crowded buses and having absolutely no idea where or when to get off. I arrived like an hour before I could even check-in and just hung out on the floor of the Prague airport next to a plug, as I charged my devices and tried to keep busy.

When I finally made it through check-in (not hard when you’re the 3rd person in line, and when the guy actually speaks English to you without looking like its a hassle). The only downside to going through security was they took my leave in conditioner (because I’m going to hold up a plane with the ability to have silky hair). Then my flight was delayed by a half hour (why? I have no idea, just because?).

From Prague I flew to Poland, Krakow. There I had a bit of an issue with my passport, since I had no stamps saying I left Hungary or ones that said I had ever been in the Czech Republic (great job, customs). So I had to stand there for a good 15 minutes while the guy checked on what to do. They eventually just let me through with a stamp saying I was leaving Poland (so according to my passport I entered Hungary, and then left Poland, not suspicious looking at all).

I then had something like 4 hours to kill. Which I did by first freaking out about not being able to find my flight anywhere on the list that would happen that day. Then found out that I was apparently looking at the wrong thing on my ticket. Then I freaked out about being at the wrong terminal and actually freaking out about thinking that I missed my flight, until I realized that Poland is an hour behind Moldova. So I had another hour of waiting and I was at the correct terminal. Talk about stress.

On the plane, my seat was taken by a mom and her kid, so I took her seat, and then listened to the baby cry and scream for the entire flight, plus the kid kicking my seat. Who says politeness doesn’t pay? Once back in Moldova, I was relieved to get to a hostel, but was over charged by a cabbie, only to find out that the hostel was booked full. So I called a friend and headed out of the city on the last rutiera to Balti of the night. And stood awkwardly close to people for a good 2 hours making my way to my friend’s house. I under shot where I should have gotten off, and ended up on the wrong side of her village and had to walk all the way through the village at like 10:30.

The next day, I made it back to my village. And that is the end of my adventures!

Final thoughts: aka the adventures of traveling alone

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Me and Czech Darth Vader, and my favorite picture from Budapest: sun setting over Hero Square.

Throughout my trips I spent some of my time traveling with friends, and some of the time traveling by myself. And I found myself meeting really nice people while I was alone. I met two women between Romania and Budapest, 3 gentleman between Budapest and Prague that I rang the New Year in with, David from Italy joined me at the cafeteria in Prague, and I ran into a couple different volunteers on their own vacations here and there too. All together, I had a really good time. Meeting new people, exploring new places, and just getting out of my comfort zone. The lesson here: go do something you weren’t planning on doing. Or travel! You never know what might happen.

  Thanks for reading! Until next time,

Angela :)

The Misadventures Part 2: Or how I got lost in 4 different countries Hello Reader! Hi mom! For the last three months I have been working on this post, which if you see the word count you'll begin to understand why it took so long.