#so it's like a time spent w family and we didn't include each other which is Interesting

[saetiate]

pov you're on sae's line messages with me

p.s. i might srb this but please don't reblog!! i am open to replies but i'm feeling a little shy about this ahaha <3 thank you for your kind understanding!

[studentbyday]

week 3 / small commitments challenge “There is no race to win. Only a stroll.”

Yes, emerging adulthood is a privileged phenomenon. But with great privilege comes great responsibility and I sometimes feel the need to know exactly what I want in life from career to friendships to romantic relationships to family and how I will handle challenges in each of those domains that may have a chance at or will definitely come my way in order to be responsible. But that's an impossible ask at this stage of my life. I don't even think I can know all of what I want in life for decades to come. I keep changing. And it would not be wise now to run around in circles, chasing my tail, coming to no conclusions, or to rush the decision making process and come to conclusions that aren't well thought out. Sometimes I feel like I should make these decisions faster whenever I see others in my life around my age making them or having made them already or just generally progressing faster in life than I am. And other times, for seemingly no reason at all, I pick up the issues again from the backburner in case this time I stop chasing my tail...but that hasn't happened yet.

We all have different experiences that lead us to our varied and valid conclusions. Perhaps my peers have just experienced enough to come to theirs. Which means I just have to keep exploring different options until I feel informed enough to make those decisions for myself. And when I've made those decisions, I'll have to commit to them fully (well, 99.9%) so that I can be free in mind to become as good as I can at whatever I decide to do. This doesn't mean I'll stop re-assessing my circumstances periodically as that's how one spots better opportunities and improves themselves, but equally important is only changing direction when there are objectively good reasons to, not just because strong feelings of FOMO or self-doubt pull me so (those feelings can and have been useful in telling me when smth is genuinely wrong about my current situation but they can also be to my detriment when they arise primarily because of the voice in my head whose sole purpose is to be a pessimistic nay-sayer/bully).

hours spent stu(dying) 😭 tomato garden (50/10): M: 🍅🍅🍅🍅🍅 Tu: 🍅🍅🍅🍅🍅🍅 W: 🍅🍅🍅🍅🍅+(1/2 🍅) Th: 🍅🍅🍅🍅🍅🍅🍅 F: 🍅🍅🍅🍅🍅 (so tired, i had to take a nap 😪) S: 🍅🍅🍅🍅🍅 Su: 🍅🍅🍅🍅🍅

In other news, the ochem midterm was this week. I studied as hard as I could for it all week, but that meant I didn't start on the new module (not covered on the midterm) for this week, hence the absence of a true weekend 😭 3 more weeks to go (including 1 week JUST to review for final woohoo!! [no that isn't sarcasm, i genuinely need that time lol]) and then we're NOT doing any more ochem at uni (self-study, maybe, but istg never again in a squished timeframe like this 😭). (Also wowwww can you tell i'm tired by the number of times i repeat the same words and emojis in a short paragraph... Adrenaline [or is it the sun? 😒] had me waking up before my alarm all week, averaging 7 hours of sleep a night 😭)

[thelifeofachristian]

Walking Away From God Pt. 2

I spent 6 years away from God. Doing my own thing...but it didn't get me anywhere. The depression was heavier than ever, and despite hiding behind a smile and an energy that made me seem like I was ok I really wasn't. I took 18+ units as a full time student just so I wouldn't be home. I was working at a job I really enjoyed but I made just enough money to pay my own bills but not able to help my family with anything else. It was just me, my mom, my brother. and my grandma who would live with us a few months out of the year when she would come back from Mexico. But we were all in a bad place, we were all depressed and oppressed by our own minds and it was hell. Passive aggressiveness, emotional manipulation, and sweeping problems under the rug only for it to explode back out when we would have bad days. My brother and I would say hurtful things to each other, avoid each other like the plague in our own rooms (he had his own room while I shared w my grandma and mom.) and then we'd be good for a few days.

I was disassociating from the rest of the world by drawing myself in the business of work and school. When it wasn't either of those things and I had a lot of free time I would binge watch Anime, KDramas, Youtube videos of things I liked, and I would also read. I read so much that I had bookshelves full of books and the storage cabinets filled with books as well. Art supplies from work but I would also draw both traditionally and digitally. I would also read copious amounts of fan fiction -the longer the word count the better-. Let me be clear though, all of those things are not bad -when done in moderation- but this was my escape. Instead of turning to drugs, sex, alcohol, and other related addictions I chose Media and books. I saw what the other vices did to my friends and family. The media itself showed how harmful those things were. Myself and my family had been victims of an alcoholic and toxic family member that I wanted no part of that world. So I chose the thing that would cause the least harm to others and myself. (Not that it was any better to hurt my own mind but at the time it was the best option.)

I also got into an MLM or pyramid scheme as ppl would call it because I became desperate for money. My work could no longer sustain me after it became clear that my mother might lose her job. I was too scared to look for other work because I didn't think I had what it took and I was fearful of how much of a failure I would be if I took a fast food job. (Ironically I did end up taking a job at Chick Fil A and an Acai food place a few years later but that's a story for another time) It wasn't any better I wasted more money than I was making and I foolishly dragged a few friends with me because we were in similar boats. We did eventually quite within a 2 year span but the damage had already been done. Praise God we're still friends because most times those things do ruin friendships.

But it was during those two years that God started calling me back. I had hit rock bottom and it was then that God would use my friends and some people I had become friends to bring me back into God's house.

From here on the title will change to "Returning to God" A lot of what I mentioned here and in the blog before will be broken down into longer sections in the future. Like my life during college which includes my identity and sexual orientation crisis, my addiction to my books, social media, and fan fiction that led to my addiction with porn/erotic literature. This blog is a safe space for all. If you have questions do not hesitate to ask. God has been guiding me to open up about my life and until now I had been hesitant due to my own fears and thinking my testimony didn't matter. But I will not be silent any longer. Even if it reaches just one person, it's one person that the devil can no longer hold captive.

[leatherbelt1295]

Your Daily Smile #2617

@ehan281

This should have been posted yesterday, but I didn't really get a chance to. I spent the previous 2.5 days with EHAN irl, and man they were just so wonderful... I'm so grateful we got to hang out again and do more than we did last time. Went during this time for a multitude of reasons since things lined up perfectly, but most importantly it was like a birthday present to him (5/29) and myself (6/3). We haven't seen each other since October 2017, so naturally I really missed him so much. ;w; That's way too long!!

We got to eat yummy food each day, got to meet his adorable doggy Sparky, met his folks, go through a mirror maze, played a laser busting game?, watch him do little runs of SpongeBob Battle for Bikini Bottom, watch the new Spidey on opening night with his brother, and went to a convention together and even cosplayed which was super fun! I went as Peppino Spaghetti from Pizza Tower (so if by chance you were there on Friday and saw Peppino, it might've been me!) and he was an excellent Cameron from Ferris Bueller Day Off. It was cool how often we were recognized, heheh. Really nice to see people's faces light up like that. Of course, we saw a lot of great cosplays too! Here's a few I saw myself that I got pics of, really nice stuff!

We got to play my favorite beat-em-up The Simpsons by Konami, and I'm glad EHAN and his brother really enjoyed it too! Really cool stuff all around, found plenty of gifts for my folks at home but also a couple things for me. Oh and Petra stuff and even comm'd a Petra for EHAN. :]

I haven't been to a con in 7 years, so being back at such a fun one was something I absolutely needed and appreciate immensely. Good times all around! I'm happy he and his brother enjoyed themselves too.

Here's my loot, though only the Jolteon and black shirt are for me.

We headed to Red Robin later on, and that was nice too! At least for me and his brother. :)

I went with the intention of recreating a certain Bocchi the Rock comic to EHAN. :))

And it worked. :)))

And the waitress didn't believe him when he said it was my birthday too. :))))

Ended the night with some 3 player Mario Party 2 on Pirate Land. We lost to the CPU DK because of usually MP shenanigans lol. Still fun!

And followed that up with me and EHAN rewatching Space Patrol Luluco as we do every June 5th, but a little early this time so it could be irl. A wonderful time as it is every year, but made more special being together and having fun irl! I'll be taking about that more on tomorrow's YDS though. :)

Wrapped up the visit with another good breakfast and visiting a lovely park, I really enjoyed that too.

Again, overall, I totally needed this trip and I'm eternally grateful for being able to do so. I really miss him though. ;w;

And I suppose I should mention a bit how my birthday was yesterday aside about half the day being with EHAN. I received gift art from friends through the day, including right at midnight and even today... Y'all really didn't have to... ;; But thank you so much... And to those who I know may read this and wanted to draw me something or whatever the case may be, but couldn't for any reason, just know it's more than okay and the fact that you even thought of me in the first place means a lot to me already. Wishing me hbd means a lot too... 🥺 So thank you guys too!

Even had a big surprise on the flight back home before departure. Someone close to me with connections actually informed the crew on board that it was my birthday, and if they could deliver a message to me for them, which they absolutely did... Even gave me free snacks and water, and invited me to sit in the pilot's seat which was !!!!!?? It was so cool what the heck... I'm grateful for that... 😭

Nice time spent at home with family, always nice to see them. It ain't a birthday without being with em, I'd say. Nice lil gifts too, they shouldn't have... ;; I do wanna show this Hank Hill in particular, gave me a good laugh and I love it, heheh. The Bocchi doodle too!

But yeah, I just wanted to dedicate this YDS to thanking @ehan281 and his brother for a wonderful time and express my gratitude of a happy birthday too. Hoping the next time we meet won't be so long! ^^

[sebstanseabass]

Afterglow (A Bucky Barnes AU fan fiction) - Chapter 4

Previous chapter links:

Afterglow chapters

Pairing: Bucky Barnes x reader

CHAPTER FOUR

The cab ride towards the White Wolf was much faster and louder than you anticipated. The cab driver's blaring music from the radio was so loud it felt like you were inside a rave. You and Bucky had to yell over the music for you to talk about what has been happening in your lives for the past few months. You couldn't summarize everything in a five-minute cab ride. So far, these were just some milestones you both gathered (well, more of his): while Bucky was in different parts of the world (Greece, Macau, Amsterdam, Monaco, Aruba) managing interrelation business and hosting nightly parties and whatnots, you were just in New York tending to drunkards (and that includes Peter sometimes) and taking photos of whatever products that come your way.

At that moment, you saw your life pass by in black and white, while Bucky's in color -- just a parade of rainbows trailing behind him wherever he goes.

Yet he still found the things you did interesting.

You wondered what the word interesting meant to him. Of course, you didn't bother asking him that. Perhaps he just felt sorry and wanted to make you feel good.

The moment you got out of the cab, you guys took a deep breath, thankful that that awful ride was over. The music floated away as the cab sped up in the streets.

"What a dick." Bucky commented, watching the cab race through the streets. Any more speed, the cab would've flown in the air.

"I know." You snorted. "God, that was an awful ride. I felt like I was at a frat party."

"Funny. You don't look like someone who would go to one." He joked.

"I went once." You defended. "With Parker."

Bucky raised his eyebrows at you and stared.  Blue eyes piercing right through you in disbelief. "Okay." You sighed. "I picked his drunk ass up at that party. But I really have been to a party with Parker." You left out that detail of you and Peter making out at that party. That was just between you and Peter and you wouldn't want to include his stepbrother in it. Or perhaps Bucky knew about it. You did just found out they talk to each other almost every night. But as you told Bucky about that party, you received no reaction whatsoever which meant he knew nothing. You felt good about that.

You and Bucky stood in front of the White Wolf, trying to shake out the ringing in your ears. Stupid cab ride. Why you couldn't just walk here was because of Bucky. Apparently, he was still a bit hungover. You wondered what would take him to get fully sober.

You stared at the wolf headstone once more, admiring it for the second time today.

"I commissioned an artist for that." Bucky spoke, poking his finger on his right ear. "Just found him on the subway one day. He was selling some sculptures he's made. Asked him if he could make me one and ta-da!"

"It is beautiful."

"I have others he has made inside." With this, Bucky started to walk towards the inside of his hotel.

The uniformed man greeted you on the steps. You sent him a knowing smile once his eyes landed on yours. He smiled back as you introduced yourselves to each other.

"Is she still in my room?" Bucky asked the uniformed man who you now know goes by the name Leonard.

"Yes, sir." He replied. "She said she'd -- "

"I know what she said." Bucky groaned, remembering what you'd told him earlier. "I'll call you from up there if anything goes wrong, okay Leonard?"

"Yes, sir. I'll be on alert."

You watched the exchange in utter fascination. It was like watching something straight out of an action movie: "I'll be on high alert" "I'll tell you when the coast is clear" "Roger that" "I'll call you when something goes wrong"

The only thing was, this wasn't some action movie though Bucky did have a plan. You just never knew about it until you got in the elevators.

"Here's the plan." He started. "We go in holding hands, I'll introduce you as my girlfriend. Maybe fiancé! When she sees you, tell her you're my fiancé and when she tells you that she slept with me, I'm going to deny and you're going to believe me because as my fiancé, you deeply love me and believe everything I say."

"Ew, it's like I'm a sub."

"Wow, you're a dom?"

"I can be." You winked at him.

"Huh, I honestly thought you're a virgin. You know, that type of 'never been kissed, never been loved' type."

In your head, you started singing the rest of the song. "I'm an angel in the streets and devil in the sheets, Bucky." You joked which he took seriously seeing it on the look on his face. "Anyway, your plan?"

"Right! She'd yell and go nuts until she gives up and then leaves the hotel -- "

"Then we get married and let Peter pay for our honeymoon!" You finished for him with a sarcastic smile on your face.

He smirked. "I like the way you think, Aria. But I don't think Peter's gonna want that."

"What do you mean?"

"W-well, he's not gonna afford it is what I meant."

"You're probably right." You gave him a low chuckle. "You're rich. Pay for our honeymoon." You joked.

"As soon as we get this bitch out of here, yes I will, doll." He scrunched his nose up and winked at you right before the elevator doors opened. Swiftly, Bucky grabbed your hand and intertwined your fingers. "Let's do this."

Hand in hand, you stepped out of the elevator. What stood in front of you was the same woman from earlier this morning. Body still clinging to Bucky's shirt. Faint red lipstick still smeared on some parts outside her lips. Blonde hair still disheveled. If you didn't know any better she was just here in the penthouse, waiting, not moving even a single inch.

You put your hand on Bucky's arm, hiding a faint expression of how big it felt against your skin. "Honey, who is this?"

"I-I don't know!"

The unnamed woman managed to step forward, looking Bucky in the eyes. "What do you mean you don't know? We slept last night!" Then, she looked at you. "Who the hell are you?"

"His fiancé." There was a sly smug tone in your voice. Even on your face.

"Fiancé? He didn't tell me anything about a fucking fiancé!"

"What the hell are you saying?" Bucky yelled. His grip tightened on your hand. "I've never even met you! How did you get in here?"

"We spent the night together, what the hell, Bucky!" She bellowed like a monster, then her voice softened. "I-I told you I love you."

"You're crazy."

"Call security." You said. "Now, Bucky!"

While Bucky grabbed for his phone, the woman pleaded, still trying to convince you that she slept with your fake fiancé. "If he says he doesn't know you," you responded, "then I believe him." Bucky slipped away from you, probably calling Leonard from downstairs. He gave you a knowing look, as if ushering you to unleash some kind of hell on his one-night stand. "You need to go, lady, if you don't want to be banned in every hotel here in New York. Yes, my fiancé can do that. So better get your ass out of here or -- "

"Okay, okay!" She held up her hands, giving up. "I'm out of here! Jesus fucking Christ -- " She mumbled more under her breath as she took of Bucky's clothes, revealing a white tank top underneath. She picked up her heels that were scattered on the living room: one shoe on the couch, the other near a foot of a small table. Picked up some pair of jeans on the carpet before stepping inside the elevator.

"I wish you luck in your fucking marriage." She said, tone filled with rage. Then, she proceeded to flip Bucky one last time before she disappeared behind the elevator doors, eyes boring into Bucky's.

"Okay, she's going down. Tell her to never come here again. Thanks, Lenny." Bucky dropped the phone call and gave you a smile. "And thank you for your performance."

You bowed, like how actors bow after a play ends, and flashed him a smile. "Why, thank you."

"Thanks to you I'm never gonna see that woman again in my life."

You turned your back on him, seeing the place for the first time without a tainted image of the woman. A line of little sculptures near every wall (perhaps the ones he commissioned from that subway artist). Family photos, albums and trophies took up a whole cabinet. You shifted your gaze towards the living room where a nice brown couch sits on top of a beige rug, which faced a huge flat screen television. Two pairs of love seats sat across from each other. A glass table set in the middle. On the back wall was a photograph of Bucky which took the whole space. He wore a neat, well-pressed grey suit, sitting on what seemed like a throne inside a home office, one leg stretched outwards and one leg just resting normally on the floor. He had this head tilt on one side, right hand under his chin, blue eyes looking directly at the camera. On its floor were stacks of magazines, and papers.

Even you couldn't deny how good Bucky looked in the photo but the photograph itself? You knew you could do better than that.

You turned around and found Bucky nowhere. "Bucky?"

He then emerged from what seemed like a kitchen because he was carrying loads of food and trod towards where you were and placed everything on the coffee table. "Yeah?"

"If I wasn't here, what would've you done?"

He shrugged, and opened a yogurt. "Probably stay in your apartment forever."

"Wow," you sat on the couch, watching him devour the food on the table, "seems like you've planned everything out."

"Seems like it, yeah."

"Do you always do this, Bucky?"

"What do you mean?"

"Have sex with girls, then make up a lie to get them out of your life."

"Oh, that was the first time." He replied. "Those three words really freaked me out. I've never heard that come from someone besides my family. Never even told anyone I've loved them, again, except my family."

You nodded in response and looked around the penthouse some more, admiring some paintings, big and small, on the walls. Perhaps some were real, perhaps some were just school ofs. On your right, was a draped curtain covering a whole glass wall that overlooked New York city. Bucky clicked some button somewhere which let the curtains open, letting some of the New York sun inside. From here, one could see the whole view of New York. All its pleasure, glory, grime, and lowliness.

Oh, the things you would give to live in a place like this. If you wanted to take in the beauty of New York, you had to climb up on the fire exit towards the rooftop. And the view from up there wasn't as pretty as this one. All the pretty spots were behind million dollar skyscrapers.

You looked at Bucky once more who leaned against the love seat, then closed his eyes. That same fuzzy image, which you thought you had buried at the back of my mind, resurfaced.

"Bucky?"

He shot straight up. "Yeah?"

"Have we... met each other before?"

A frown formed on his face, his blue eyes meeting yours, his gaze intense; as if he was trying to put a finger on something, on you. But then he gave up, telling you perhaps you'd just seen him somewhere here in New York the last time he was here, bumped into him. Something like that.

You agreed. Maybe that was it.

Again, you pushed that image at the back of your mind, hoping it would never come up while Bucky was still here.

You were about to ask Bucky how long he was planning to stay in New York before partying in every country outside America when your phone rang.

It was Steve. You picked it up immediately. "Hey, Steve. Is everything okay?"

Bucky shot his head towards you, perhaps wondering who this Steve was.

"Hey." He replied. His voice was groggy, like he just woke up. "There's been some misunderstanding with the shipments. They thought I said drop them in the morning. Long story short, the shipments are just outside the pub's door."

"What? They can't do that!"

"They have a lot of deliveries today so they had to. I told them to wait for you but those are impatient bastards. New shipment boys."

You cursed then stood up. "I'm actually not in the apartment right now. I'm somewhere else. Not important. I'm on my way."

"Get there fast, Aria."

"I will, don't worry. Bye, Steve."

Once you got off the phone, you told Bucky the whole situation.

"Let's go then!" He said with much enthusiasm. "Those drinks are no good sitting out there. How else am I going to make you the best drink you'll ever have, darling?"

[etaerealjin]

promises || jikook

genre: fluff, angst (!!)

pairing: jimin x jungkook + the rest of bangtan

background: ex-lovers, wedding preparations, wedding planner, brokenhearted!pjm, angst, (a bit of homophobia will be present, not much).

word count: 3.7k

– [ those in italic are set in the past ]

"Jimin!" A friend called out from behind the young man while he was folding the tripod used for the photobooth. He turned around and was soon engulfed in an embrace by his friend, Taehyung.

"Success!" They both say in unison and Tae soon helped him with wrapping up things. Of course, he's the one who arranged all of these so he's also in charge of cleaning up. Luckily, Taehyung was there to help him.

Ever since he was a college student, he's always dreamed of arranging events because it was his forté, and he really adored seeing people happy during their birthdays. His huge dislike was arranging funerals but of course he had to take those, for the money – but what he loved most is arranging weddings.

He thought, “If I can't have it, then might as well watch people fulfill my dreams for me.” Sure, he was an absolutely beautiful, handsome, amazing man but since he grew up in a highschool wherein gays or lesbians or bisexuals would often get bullied or made fun of because of their sexualities, he sulked and thought no one would ever wanna marry him, considering his sexuality.

He was gay and out, and he's absolutely proud of it. If it wasn't just for those homophobic people who bullied him back then. However, college changed his life. Taehyung was there ever since they were in middle school, and he's the only person who accepted Jimin in being gay, including his family also – but Tae stuck with Jimin through it all. From his rejections, to Jimin rejecting other people, from his first heartbreak, and his first boyfriend.

His first ex fucking boyfriend.

"My honeymoon would probably be at Los Angeles, I'll have him take pictures of me, and we'll spend a day in our hotel fucking, and then we'll stroll around and–" He got cut off when he heard a chuckle from behind, making it the reason why Taehyung had his eyes behind Jimin the whole time he was talking.

Jimin turned around to see Jeon, a varsity player who had – well, low grades, but he was a pretty fucking boy and he had manners, and he wasn't homophobic, and he's really skillfull with balls.

"So, spend a day in your hotel fucking and strolling around Los Angeles, huh?" Jungkook chuckled and sat beside Jimin cooly, but in the inside, he was going nuts and wanted to scream. He was so nervous but he got ahold of himself, unlike Jimin who had his eyes open wide.

It was just his fourth week of being a third-year college student, yes – he was now more out and proud of his sexuality but he didn't really like it when people confront him about it, especially boys, because he grew up being made fun of by them. He ended up just rolling his eyes and staring at Taehyung, completely ignoring the basketball player beside him, but his forehead creased when he saw Taehyung wink at him before leaving.

"Why not spent a day in my hotel – not fucking though, and lets stroll around the city for now?" Jungkook asked after a few minutes of silence, still stuttering through his words, but Jimin was left dumbfounded.

He wasn't going to make a decision anytime soon, and he thanked the bell for ringing. "Shoot, I still have basketball practice." Jungkook grew problematic, wanting to spend time with Jimin and wait for his answer, but also wanting to attend practice. "Can I borrow your phone?"

"Uh, yeah, of course." Jimin said while Jungkook stood up. Of course Jungkook knew Jimin wasn't going to give his number that fast, so he thought of another way to do that. "Just know I'm not giving you my nu–"

"I know, I need to call my mom."

Oh.

Jimin bit the inside of his lips and waited for Jungkook to return the phone until he felt a tap on his shoulder. "Got it, see ya!" He shouted and sprinted off to the field with a wide smile on his face. Jimin got confused but he then scurried off to his recent calls, only to see his last dial was Jungkook, basically giving Jungkook his number which wasn't his intention at all.

"Wow, I despise basketball players who always get their way with anyone they want!"

Turns out, Jungkook wasn't that kind of player Jimin was expecting him to be.

He puffed his cheeks and let out a big breath, getting up from his couch and cutting of the hours he spent staring at his wallpaper and thinking about things and what could've been.

He had a frown on his face, as always when he's alone, that got cut off and was soon replaced by panic when he heard his phone ring. He answered the call and was greeted with a loud "Hey!" from Hoseok, Taehyung's and his' friend who also helped him with his job.

"Lower your voice, bitchass–"

"Please, please, come to the office now, like right now!"

"Why? What happened?"

"Just go!" He heard two voices which were Taehyung's and Hobi's shout that in unison and his brows furrowed. He grabbed his keys in an instant and drove his car to the office. Jimin could say that he's a successful man now, he really is. There aren't much event planners and organizers in the city so when he started small, he already knew his goals and that it was gonna get attention. He's been with this job for a two years now and he loved it so much, considering that he's earning money for charity and he was working with his bestest friends.

Two years, yes – of course.

Somehow, Jimin was also not regretful with the part that he chose to fulfill his dreams despite what he went through. What they went through. There was a small part of him which was a bit thankful for the breakup, because if not, then he wouldn't be doing what he loved right now.

Was it even a breakup?

Was there even a breakup?

He pulled up in front of the office and went inside the building, taking the elevator to go upstairs. He hurried off to open the glass door but what he saw brought shock to his whole self.

By the back of the man sitting on the waiting sofa, who was reading magazines, he recognized who it was in an instant. It's been over two years but the memories still flashed by when he saw just a small look of the back of the man, Jeon Jungkook, his man. Used to be his man.

He stood there, stunned and didn’t know what to do but when he got to his senses, he realized how fast his heart was beating. All kinds of emotions rushed by him but he quickly got a hold of himself. He didn’t want to see Jungkook. He also didn’t want Jungkook to see him, well at least not right now.

He scurried off to the door behind the lobby only to be greeted with Hoseok's pitiful eyes and Taehyung biting his nails.

"Jimin.." Taehyung started and bit his lip. He let a deep breath out before starting his own apology speech but was cut off by Hoseok when he noticed how Taehyung was stuttering inaudible gibberish.

"Look, w-we didn't know that it was his voice. We didn't even know that it was him by the caller ID until he came here. With her. With a woman." Hobi started and fiddled with his fingers.

Jungkook and Jimin's breakup was a rather sensitive topic for them, including the fact that both Taehyung and Hoseok was there to witness how they both got ruined by each other. Though they tried getting them to work it out again, they all lost contact of Jungkook after that incident which led to Jimin being more devastated.

Jimin was silent. He didn't know how to react and what to even say, he wasn't hurt but there was a huge part of him that was nervous. He decided to gather his senses and breath out.

"Look, it's okay. I can face him. Why can't I? I mean, it's been two years and I was the one who caused this so..." He trailed off and unintentionally, his voice got muted on the last part. "Besides, it's not even a wedding. Who knows? It might be a – uh, a party! Or like, a funeral? Or a debut!"

"You don't have to do it if you can't."

"I can, Tae." He said and slowly placed his belongings on top of the table. He sighed and faced them, ready to talk to his ex-boyfriend and almost fiancé. He sighed and went behind Jungkook and the woman beside him and coughed, minding them of his presence while Taehyung and Hoseok stood behind him. 

“Oh, hi!” The girl who was sitting beside Jungkook stood up and stretched her hand out. “My name’s Park Jisoo, are you Mr. Park? The event organizer?"

The guy in the black leather jacket slowly turned around upon hearing the surname, and there, they locked eyes. Jimin felt his whole body weakening and he's still in a state of shock. Jungkook changed a lot over the few years, physically. He became more buff and well, hotter. Jimin wouldn't deny that. But that doesn't change the fact that he broke that man's heart.

"Oh yeah, this is Jungkook. My–"

"Oh yeah, I know. He called the office yesterday, right, Mr. Jeon?" Jungkook stood up and nodded. He didn't say a word, let alone know that Jimin already achieved his dreams of becoming an event organizer, let alone know that Jimin was the owner of the business they contacted.

Jimin let out a shaky breath and gestured his hands towards the table. Jisoo sat down across Jungkook and Jimin was in front of them. He got his notepad out, ready to take down notes, obviously hurting from the inside but he collected his shit and forced a smile.

"So what's the event? Like, is it a debut? Or a party? You know we do all kinds of–"

"It's a wedding."

And that was the time when Jimin shouldn't feel anything anymore, after two years, but he still did. What hurt him more is that the answer came from Jungkook's mouth.

"Our wedding."

"I want it here in Korea, Gguk." Jimin said as he dipped the paintbrush in the pot of brown paint, coloring the hair of the man in the painting.

"What? Why?"

"Don't you want to? I mean, Korea feels like home. It's where we came from. I don't want it to be a hassle for everyone to fly to another country just for a wedding."

Jungkook nodded and painted the sky, agreeing to Jimin's plans as he should and as he wanted to. After all, he's the aspiring organizer here so he knew what was right.

"I want to get married on a beach, babe. The aisle and the flowers should be pink, and the theme of the wedding should be floral. Oh! What if I wear something bright pink? But, Seokjin-hyung wouldn't like that, he'll say that it's his idea, right. I'll wear something baby pink, and you'll wear a white suit. It should be a windy day, we'll be saying our vows while the wind is–"

"Love?"

"Yes? I want our cake to be red velvet–"

"Look at me." Jimin turned around and locked eyes with Jungkook. "No matter what the wedding is gonna be like, I want it to be with you, okay?"

Jimin chuckled and held Jungkook's waist, tiptoeing and giving his lips a light peck. "Of course, who else would it–"

"Promise?"

Jimin smiled and let out a shaky breath. "Yeah, promise."

I guess promises were meant to be broken after all. Jimin shut his eyes and drank the banana milk from his side table, biting his lip after that and letting out yet another deep breath from crying. His eyes were bloodshot and he had tear-stained cheeks that were puffy – and apparently, a broken heart.

Ever since that day, he spent most of his nights crying after arranging things for their wedding. Busy months had already passed ever since he promised himself that he wasn't going to cry about it, that he wasn't going to let it get to him, but again, promises were meant to be broken.

Taehyung even suggested that they shouldn't take the offer, but Jimin insisted, saying that he's fine and it'd be a good money for them, and that he loved doing the work – but in reality, he was hurting so fucking much. His heart would feel like it was being torn apart by every arrangement he was doing for the wedding – from the cake, to the place, to the the theme and to the location. It all hurt.

But he wanted to do it.

He really did. Maybe a way of accepting the consequences of his actions back then, and also to be with the love of his life for the last time before they go on their own ways. Jimin obviously had the worst path.

On a good note, Taehyung and Hoseok, even with Yoongi, Hoseok's boyfriend were all supporting Jimin's decisions and helping him. They had four months to arrange the wedding, and now they're only down to a week. It was all close to being finalized but the designs for the event still weren't fixed, and that's what Jimin is going to take care of today.

He started the engine and drove to the shop where he had to get designs, but as soon as he halted because of the stoplight, he received a text from an unknown number.

"Can you go to the beach?"

Jimin's forehead creased, but he instantly knew who it was. He gulped and left the message on read, turning the other way to go to the place since Jungkook and his fiancé might say something they want for the wedding. Though he knew it was going to hurt a lot, putting himself in between the two of them, but he endured that and kept in mind that after all of this, he's going to get money and well, at least, closure for himself.

He walked to the sandy beach and got confused when he saw Jungkook on the sand, sitting there alone. He wondered where his fiancé was but a part of him was somehow grateful. "Hey!" 

 Jungkook turned around after hearing Jimin and he stood up with an enlightened face. "Where's Jisoo? I though she'd be here because I was also about to–" 

 "Oh, n-no. It's just me. She's at home." Jungkook said and bit the inside of his lips upon seeing Jimin's expression. "Did you think that I made you come here because of the preparation?"

"Uh, yeah? What else could it be?" He gulped and shook his head lightly, staring over at the ocean in front of them and letting silence take over them once again. It was nothing for Jungkook. But, it was a lot for Jimin. He needed it. The love of his life's presence beside him, the wind hitting their faces and ruining their hair, and just the sound of the waves. That was enough for him to feel at peace, it was enough for him before they go on their own ways – before Jungkook gets married. Jimin obviously had the difficult path. 

 "Congrats." 

 They looked at each other after saying that in unison. Jungkook chuckled and hugged himself, feeling cold. "You know, for achieving your dreams of becoming an event organizer. From the start, I knew you were gonna be successful." 

Jimin's whole face lit up at that. He was delighted inside. So happy because he wanted to hear that– he needed to hear that because Jungkook was the only one he wanted to receive it from. The side of his lip rose up but his gaze was still at the ocean, but inside, his heart was fluttering crazily. The last time he felt that was two years ago, and still from the same person. 

 "You too, I guess. On your engagement." He said even though a part of him wanted to say their engagement, which could have been. "So, uh – did you make me come here to congratulate me?" He chuckled. 

 "Oh, no! I uh– I wanted to give this." He rummaged in his pocket to bring out a box, and Jimin's face had an unexplainable expression. His lips parted and felt his heart weaken. 

 "You still have this?" He asked and gently grabbed the small pink velvet box from Jungkook's hand. 

 "Well, yeah. I-I thought it was beautiful and I didn't know what to do with it so I decided to.. yeah." Jimin nodded and stared at the box in silence before putting it inside his own pocket. He bit his lip and mustered up all the courage he had to say that one thing he's been dreading to say. 

 "Hey, I'm sorry." 

Jungkook chuckled, not sarcastically, but he really didn't know what to say. "Hyung, that was like two years ago. I wouldn't have proposed to Jisoo if I still haven't moved on from it, and you did too, r-right?" 

Jimin remained silent because he didn't want to lie. He didn't nod, he didn't shake his head, he didn't say anything. He just let the wind ruin their hair and they both remained silent. 

"Jungkook, I–"

"Shhhh, just follow me." He said and intertwined his fingers with Jimin's. They entered the small arch and Jungkook quietly got the bouquet from Namjoon. 

"Ready?" He removed the blindfold covering Jimin's eyes.

"Happy second anniversary, love." Jungkook said and handed Jimin the bouquet with pastel flowers. He was still in awe at what he saw and he was speechless, but he let Jungkook carry him away with his hand as they walked to the middle of the indoor garden with their friends circling around the room, all anticipating for what's next. 

Jungkook grabbed both of Jimin's hands and sighed deeply before beginning to say his short speech. "Jimin, I love you. I love you so much to the point that I want to give you every good thing on this earth but unfortunately, I can't – and the only good and pure thing I can give to you right now is myself." He said that while staring into Jimin's eyes, and he looked back with pure adoration as he felt tears coming. 

"When I met you it all just felt right, it felt like my problems came to an end, really. It felt like our red strings were connected, and yes, I did say that because I know how much you believe superstitions." Jungkook giggled and breathed deeply once again, slightly shaking. 

"I also know how much you hate it when people don't go straight to the point so, Park Jimin.." Jimin's face contorted into so much awe and adoration, but he still didn't know what to feel and how to describe everything. He felt his knees weaken more when he saw Jungkook get down on one knee.

"Make me the happiest man on earth? Wear a pink suit on a windy day in a beach here in Korea, and marry me?" He looked up at Jimin with hopeful, teary eyes and the latter looked back with his teary eyes as well. Soon enough, Jungkook's hopeful expression switched to a worried one when he heard Jimin sobbing hardly. 

Jimin took his hand back from Jungkook and covered his face, sobbing and crying hardly, enough for the whole room to hear and everyone in there started getting worried as well. 

"Baby, what's wrong?" 

"Jimin removed his hand from his face and wiped his tears a bit. "Jungkook, I love you, I really do, please trust me on that, but–" 

And that's when Jungkook knew what was about to come.

He bowed his head down, still on one knee. "I'm not ready for this."

"Yes!" Taehyung and Hoseok cheered in unison as Yoongi watched them from the side. "Jimin–"

His call was cut off when they all turned around to see Jimin sitting on the lobby couch, tracing a pink box with his fingers. They exchanged nervous expressions but Taehyung was the one to approach and the couple stayed behind. 

"Hey, the bake shop called me and said they just got stuck in traffic, but they're on their way now." Taehyung gently said and sat beside Jimin. 

"Oh, yeah! Thanks!" He said and kept the box inside his pocket, standing up to fix his white button-down. "Lets go? The event's starting." 

He then jogged out of the lobby and to the beach. He stopped at the side and Yoongi and Hoseok followed beside him. Taehyung was separated from them and he was one with the crowd because he's the wedding photographer, so the three stayed behind. 

They all watched in awe when the flower girls and ring bearers walked down the aisle, as well as the bridesmaids and Jungkook's best men, Namjoon and Seokjin.

Jimin felt like his world was crumbling down, but in reality, it was right there – fulfilling his dreams, their dreams, but with another person.

It hurt. It hurt so fucking much for Jimin to the point that he could no longer pretend to be happy. His lips started getting wobbly from the biting, his way of concealing his tears from coming out, until he no longer could and just let a tear fall out from his left eye. 

"For richer and for poorer, 'til death do us part." 

Jimin whispered that the same time Jungkook did through the microphone, feeling his whole self getting weak. He then got the small pink velvet box Jungkook gave him from his pocket. 

He got the ring out and slipped it on his own ring finger, watching how Jungkook slip another into his wife's. 

"You may now kiss the bride." Jimin heaved a huge breath and felt Yoongi's hand pat his shoulder, telling him something – and that is that he needed to let go now. 

 "Thank you." Jungkook mouthed swiftly which only the two of them knew. He forced a small smile through his miserable tears, and brought out two thumbs–ups.

A part of him didn't want to let go just yet, but he needed to. He needed to be happy for the love of his life, even if that happiness no longer included him.

 "Always have, always will."

inspired by: “the one that got away” by katy perry + “never not” by lauv.

rly rly satisfied with this one !! and i’m feeling angsty as fuck so :’)

[jleighwrites]

Through the Looking Glass [Unedited]

Quen inspected himself in the glowing mirror, knowing that the reflection was truly his own. He stood at 5 foot 8; a bit short, but he didn't mind. His ochre skin was clear and his hair was cut into a clean blowout. Apparently that was popular back in the 20's. His amber-colored eyes gleamed back at him, tarnished only by the dark circles underneath. Many of his acquaintances had gotten rid of theirs, but he liked how it made him feel human. 

When he was finished getting ready for the day, he stepped into the hall and made his way to one of his family's augmented reality chambers, or ARCs for short. When he reached the door, he took out his personal ID and held it in front of a small screen next to the door. It beeped once before flickering to life.

"Quenton Jarod Harris, Junior attending Paulson R. Stewart High. Would you like to begin Classes for the day?" it asked in a robotic voice.

"Yes," he replied.

"Creating Scenario… Connecting to server… Finalizing… Start-up complete. Have a good day, Quenton Harris."

He swung the door open and was met by a bustling school hallway. Dozens of beautiful faces were chatting with each other, walking past each other, and scrambling to finish assignments that should've been done the night before. He let the door creak shut behind him and it disappeared into the wall. He hadn't taken two steps before the robotic voice was back. 

"Message received. Sender : Juulia Brewer. Would you like to open the message?" Quen let out a heavy breath as he pinched the bridge of his nose. He regretted having skipped coffee this morning. The system repeated itself, "Would you like to open the message?"

"Yes."

An opaque, digital, blue message box appeared before him. As he walked, it stayed in the same position, phasing through classmates as he went, but they didn't flinch. To be fair, they couldn't even see it on their side.

Morning!! :DDD

In cafeteria.

Meet there??? uwu

Quen rolled his eyes at the emotes. Juuls had an obsession with "Millennial Texting", as she called it. In fact, she was kind of a nerd for it. She was the only one that had taken an interest in that era. American History classes taught them that the first 30 years of the century were dark times, but somehow Juulia managed to find light in them.

He reached out and pressed the X in the top right corner of the message box, causing it to blink away. "Hey, Google?" he called. 

"What can I help with?"

"Teleport me to the Cafeteria."

"Sure. Now teleporting Quenton Harris to the cafeteria."

The noises and sight of the hallway faded into a blue void. Here, it was relaxing. Here, he could breathe easy. And just like that, it was gone. The void transformed into the cafe and the garbled mess of voices was back.

He scanned the faces before him one by one, trying to discern his friend in the sea of Glowing radiance. On the days that he had to use ARC, it was always significantly harder to recognize Juulia. With ever-changing hair colors and styles, vast varieties of makeup, and feature correction, the only way he could tell the difference was when their name appeared in front of them when he met their gaze. 

A girl sitting a few tables down stood up and began to wave her arm around; he didn't have to see her to know it was Juuls. Disregarding the built-in recognition program, the greeting was a dead giveaway. She did this almost every morning, whether in person or through ARC.

He made his way through the crowd, literally. Instead of bumping shoulders with people, their holograms simply phased through him. The chamber, however, did produce realistic copies of inanimate objects. He plopped down on the nanobit replica of a bench at his school's lunch table.

"What's up?" he asked.

"Oh. Em. Eff. Gee. You literally took forever, lol," Juulia replied. A couple students around the two of them glanced their direction, giving them odd looks.

"Proximity chat," Quen reminded her. He took a moment to adapt to her new look. He assumed that she had been trying to look like one of those 'E-girls' that she was always on about. With neon pink hair, a beanie, and dark makeup, she looked completely different than she did yesterday.

"Oof. They just don't have good taste. The 20's were so… Lit."

"That's new."

"What? Lit? It just means, like, cool, but better."

"You're so weird."

"Pog."

And with that, the bell rang. Immediately, he was sucked back into the loading void briefly before being spit out into his first class of the day. He took his seat as the teacher appeared in the room. She was beautiful and could pass for 25, though she was actually 20 years older.

"Alright everyone, sit down please. Today, we'll be talking about why we're here. We all know that the early years were just about as bad as they could get. But they had some major influence on how things work in modern day."

Juulia would be bouncing off of the walls if she were here right now. Fortunately, she didn't have this class until after lunch. He was spared of her over-enthusiasm for now.

"Did you know that ARC was developed a few years after the events of the Covid 19 pandemic? It took a while, but when it was released to the public it was an instant success. Can you believe they used to hold classes through video chats on a computer?"

A hand in the back went up. The teacher motioned towards the student, urging her to ask her question. "What's a computer?" It seemed that everyone had been wondering the same thing, Quen included, because they all shifted their vision from the student to the teacher.

The teacher chuckled. "It was a large device that used to be kept on desks before technology was integrated into Glass."

"They only had technology on the 'computer'?" another student asked.

"I mean, they had other forms of technology. They had smart watches, smartphones, smart TVs… But most of their time connected to the internet was spent on a computer or on the smartphone, which is what we now call our Shard."

Quen had to admit, everything about the early 21st century was something else. But where it intrigued Juuls, it brought up a bad taste for him. To him, it was just the beginning of the death of authenticity.

After what felt like hours of droning, the class was finally wrapping up. Google's voice broke him from his thoughts. "Message received. Sender : Crystalinne Harris. Message saved for later."

"I've sent an assignment reminder to all of you. Your homework is a 500 word essay on what 'Facebook' was before it created Glass."

He scoffed at the assignment before the next bell rang, whisking him off to his second class. 

When the final bell of the day rang, the low hum enveloping him whirred into silence as ARC powered down. Without the machine running, he stood in a room made up of nanobits. The tiny metal balls made up the walls, floor, ceiling, and even this side of the door. All of them worked to create the illusion of being in an actual school, when in reality, he'd been inside a room no more than 10 feet wide and 10 feet long all day.

He stepped out of the chamber and made his way into the kitchen, where he was met by his mother and father. "How was school today?" She asked. His father pulled a latte from the Keurig and sipped it as he waited for a response.

"It was alright. Just another day," he replied, "Dinner smells good."

"Oh, yeah. They delivered lemon pepper steak and asparagus today. All of our portions are already in the oven."

"That's… Lit," he said, a smug sense of pride flickering within.

"That's funny, son. Haven't heard that since Gran was alive. Get that from, what's her name? Jessica?" 

"Juulia. Yeah." His father's beard was getting shaggy, he noticed. Since he had started using Glass, he had been letting it grow out. Seemingly, it didn't bother him much any more. His father had been adamant about leaving Glass alone for most of his life and had taught him to do the same, but when Grey hairs began to appear, he decided to finally give in.

Honestly, he wasn't surprised. Glass was wildly popular internationally. It had originally been bought out by the American government in 2040, probably for facial tracking, and integrated into every single building since then. It was everywhere. He and his dad were two of only six or seven people that he knew of that didn't use it. But now, he couldn't even say that.

After dinner, he had decided to take a hot shower. The water on his skin felt nice and he let the steam relax his muscles. When he finished, he dried off and wrapped his towel around his waist. Stepping in front of the mirror, a pleasant chime sounded.

"Glass activated," a voice with a programmed British accent sounded through the surrounding speakers. The edges of the mirror lit with a white backlight and menus appeared on the screen in glowing, white letters. A box formed around his face, his name appearing above it. "User : Quenton Harris detected. Set nickname : Quen."

He began to comb his hair into place when the voice rang out, "Quen, would you like to use the Autofix function?" A white bar highlighted the "Autofix" option on the menu. 

"No," He replied sternly. 

He finished with his hair and quickly brushed his teeth. When he smiled so that he could check them, the voice came again, "Light enamel stains detected. Would you like to use the Autofix function?"

"No."

It was irritating to hear it trying to coerce him into using it, knowing that it used that method to get so many people addicted to it. He simply shook his head. That's how it starts. A quick fix here, a minor upgrade there…

He pulled on a sleep shirt and some sweatpants, tossed his towel into the laundry chute, and headed for his room. He needed to write his essay and get some rest for the next day. It would be Tuesday, which meant live classes. 

Quen's alarm beeped, rousing him from his slumber. He sat up in bed and stretched, before lowering himself to the floor. "1, 2, 3, 4…" he counted the sit-ups in his head as he started his quick morning workout routine. He had always been physically active. Staying healthy had been a big goal for him. The way things were now, even with the best Healthcare, people hardly ever made it past their 50's. He wouldn't let himself be a victim of the system.

50 sit-ups, crunches, and push ups later, he stood up. Began getting dressed for the day. A white button up and a tie, he wanted to look nice. Of course, Glass attempted to goad him into Autofixing himself, and just like every other day, he had none of it. 

Finally, he felt confident. He was ready for the day. He grabbed his backpack from the back of his desk chair after ensuring that his report on Facebook was packed. Since he was heading out of the house, he also snagged his Shard from the charging pad and shoved it into the pocket of his black jeans.

He strode down his driveway and stopped next to his mailbox. After a few minutes, a large, white bus with no windows arrived. He climbed in and heard a chime over the bus' speakers. The British voice spoke, "Quenton Harris has boarded."

He made his way to an empty seat and plopped down. The first thing he noticed, like always, was the smell. An amalgam of body odors swirled around the cramped space, making him sick to his stomach.

Inside the bus, you could see the surroundings on the installed Glass screens, almost like windows. He turned his focus to the passing buildings as he tried to block out the horrendous scent surrounding him. He was one of the last stops, so he wouldn't have to endure it for very long. He slid his Shard out of his pocket and began to read the day's headlines. The war overseas was still raging on, as expected. The weekly universal paycheck rate was 31 dollars more than the last. And another round of the Meta-Vaccine was going to be made available before fall, hopefully to prevent as many infections as possible.

The bus rolled to a stop in front of the real Paulson R. Stewart High. When the doors creaked open, the automated voice announced that it was time to evacuate. He passed by the empty driver's seat and stepped out onto the curb, letting fresh air flow into his lungs. For the first time since last Thursday, he smiled.

Quen enjoyed the few moments he had in the outdoors as he strode to the entrance. Biding his time, he held the door open for other students. Unfortunately, he knew he had to go in.

He stepped into the real hallway, which looked almost exactly the same as it did in the ARC replica. There were three main differences. First, the smell. Just like on the bus, it was everywhere. It absorbed every crevice, every corner. It was disgusting. As much as it bothered him, no one else seemed to mind.

Second, the students he saw today were nothing like the ones that had been in his simulation yesterday. Where beautiful faces surrounded him before, he was now engulfed in a sea of low effort. Hair was frizzy, tangled, and out of place. Clothes were wrinkled and stained. And the worst, it was obvious that most of his classmates didn't take care of themselves. They were supposed to reach the peak of their physicality at ages 16 through 18. If this is what "peak" looked like, he understood why the average life expectancy was decreasing.

Third, Glass was everywhere. It made up all of the windows, all of the mirrors, and even lined the walls in some places. It kept track of each student as they navigated the hallways. The 'Assistant' feature was turned off, which meant no obnoxious voice trying to pressure him into anything, but it still worked it's magic in the reflections. Each user's Autofix settings synced up with every Glass that was linked to the system, which was - legally - all of them.

It disgusted him, the way people walked around, acting all high and mighty. Just because they never had to see their true selves didn't mean that no one would. The problem was, they didn't care. After graduation, They would be assigned a home, a mate, and a job. And after that, the only ones that would have to see them would be their direct family. All other interactions would be carried out in ARC, which had a partnership with Glass.

These moments, here, in Paulson R. Stewart High, were the last bits of his fleeting reality. Someone bumped into his shoulder, causing him to stumble out of the way. A bigger guy wearing a pair of eyeGlass gave him a strange look. "Sorry, man. Hard to tell the days apart," his apology sounded genuine, "Your fix looks nice."

"Don't worry about it. And thanks, but it's not an Autofix," Quen replied. The guy chuckled for a moment before tilting his head down to peek over his eyeGlass.

"No kidding. Well, good for you, man. Between you and me, they really need to get it together," he said, looking over the crowd. He shifted his gaze back to Quen, "Compared to us, they look pretty rough."

The sad thing was, he probably hadn't seen his true self in years. "Yeah, man. Well, see you around." Quen left him behind and began walking towards the cafeteria. There was only one person he wanted to talk to.

An arm linked through his, and through a haze of vanilla scented perfume, a familiar voice chimed, "Bruh, you got here earlier than me today. That's wack." He didn't have to look to know who it was. When he turned to her, he was engulfed by her radiance. She was authentic. She was real.

[duanecbrooks]

The Return Of Girls Gone Write     Further unmistakable evidence that women, by and large, are the superior writers: the former George W. Bush press secretary and current Fox News host Dana Perino's my-life-with-my-dog-Jasper memoir Let Me Tell You About Jasper...: How My Best Friend Became America's Dog and the large-screen sprite Anna Kendrick's personal/professional memoir Scrappy Little Nobody. These two books are, frankly, flat-out joys to read, the former being a frequently warmhearted, often humorous, always heartfelt telling of her life and experiences with her pet dog Jasper, who, as she convincingly claims, has become the real and true star of the Perino family; the latter being an engaging, sprightly, consistently witty literary self-examination of one of the modern-day American cinema's most succulent and most appealing chicks. To partake of these tomes consecutively, both from beginning to end, is to spend quality time with a pair of delightfully quirky, keenly aware, firmly articulate she-babes who, each in her own way, have a marvelous sense of proportion, a marvelous refusal to see themselves as having any kind of Greatness.             Before getting into just exactly why these superb books are superb, allow me to go into how I first became aware of Kendrick (If you'll remember, Perino first came into my life via her first-rate within-the-George W. Bush-administration memoir And The Good News Is...: Lessons and Advice from the Bright Side). Kendrick caught my attention, as do many other other folks and things these days, via YouTube. Specifically, first, during a compilation of Kathie Lee/Hoda's "best" Today "celebrity moments," wherein, when Kendrick was asked whether or not she'd like to play a game, she facetiously mimicked Nader and replied mock-earnestly: "No! I hate games! I hate fun, I hate laughing!" (Later, she was shown doing some mock-dirty dancing with said girls); second, during a trailer for one of Kendrick's more recent theatrical films, namely Get A Job, the aforementioned trailer's two highlights, for me, being 1) this scene where Kendrick's filmic character, Jillian by name, is sitting on the floor lamenting the fact that she spent almost all of the money she had on a BITCHIIN' pair of shoes, while clad in a pair of equally bangin' black toreador pants that, given her sitting position, magnificently show off her magnificently long, lean legs and her magnificently-proportioned bare feet; and 2) a long shot of Kendrick adorned in a man's white shirt and tie and black high heels and again displaying those stylishly long, lean legs. Thus I was already primed, due to being previously turned on by Kendrick, to favor her tome.             It's here where I'll deal with the highlights of both books, the places where our memoirists especially grab ahold of and, simultaneously, charm and delight us.               .Perino, on the vast network of fans/friends that has developed due to her having Jasper: "It is a bit wonderful that through television and social media, Jasper and I became friends with so many people across the country. I enjoy interacting with my followers and fans, and I really feel that we have modern-day friendships--people I've never met, but that I've come to know over time through short digital interactions. It has widened my circle of people I talk to, and it's deepened my appreciation for people from all walks of life. I now get a chance to communicate with people I wouldn't have ever known; the Internet has given us a way to connect and network that didn't exist before. We're all neighbors now (with the proper amount of fencing to keep things friendly).               "Often this new group of people has cheered me up or warmed my heart just when I needed it. Working in politics and live cable television can be stressful, and switching off at the end of the day isn't always easy. Jasper's following has actually given me a way to set aside the work portion of my day and exchange some messages with my electronic friends, which helps me keep grounded and cheerful."                 .Kendrick, on her brother Mike: "My brother is my hero. I've idolized him since the day I was born and I still do. He's responsible for at least sixty percent of my personality, for better or worse. I'm told that if you're an only child, you grow up thinking you're the center of the universe, and if you have tons of siblings you grow up with a healthy perspective on how small you are in the grand scheme of things. I'd like to think that my brother told me I was a worthless brat often enough that I got the same effect...     "Mike's main interests [when we were kids] were watching Star Wars, playing Magic: The Gathering, and avoiding his annoying little sister. The only time he happily included me was when he wanted to play 'Pro Wrestling Champions,' as I was an ideal partner on which to inflict moderate injury."           .Perino, on Jasper's television debut: "Jasper made his debut on The Five [Perino's Fox News political talk show] as a sleepy puppy at just two months old, and a star was born. I brought him on set and when we were back from commercial break, I showed him off for the camera. He looked right into the lens with his deep blue eyes (a Vizsla [Jasper's breed] is born with blue eyes that eventually turn amber). He snuggled into me. Hearts melted.             "Jasper has tons of personality and is as photogenic as any dog I've known. On Jasper's birthday, my [The Five] producer lets him come on the show and he sits on a chair, for the most part, wearing a bow tie collar, and you would think he knows exactly what he's doing when he looks into the teleprompter. He's certainly better behaved than [Five co-host Greg] Gutfield."             .Kendrick, on her early period as an actor: "Starting in theater gave me a basic work ethic that I may not have gotten if I started in film and television. I worked six days a week, eight shows a week (two shows on Wednesdays and Saturdays, Mondays off). It wasn't so much the schedule--I worked in accordance with child labor laws--it was that I was held accountable for my work.             "Once, during rehearsals, our director was playing with the shape of a musical number that involved most of the cast--which jokes should stay, where they should go, etc. He decided to try reinstituting a small joke I'd had in a previous draft, and we started the number again from the top. I lost where we were in the music and I opened my mouth to say the line, a measure too late. He was already shaking his head and signaling the pianist to stop.             "'Anna just lost a line. Let's go back to how it was before and start again.'"         .Perino, on her period as W.'s press secretary: "[B]ecoming the White House press secretary was the best thing that ever happened to my career. I learned so much--about policy, world affairs, management, and politics.             "But the most important lesson I learned working for President Bush was about character and how to conduct myself under stress and attack. I found out how to be productive despite obstacles, and appreciated how a communicator can help calm a situation, advance a negotiation, or lead to a solution.               "The press secretary is the pinnacle for a public relations professional--it was the opportunity of a lifetime.                 "But having worked in politics for so many years, I'd built up a fairly tough exterior. The daily battles can wear a person out, and in some ways, I became edgier and harder than I'd ever been.         "It was also a lofty position, and the surest way you can lose your way in Washington, D.C., is to let any of that power or prestige go to your head.             "Throughout those years [first dog] Henry kept me from losing sight of what was important in life: appreciation and gratitude for my health and blessings, and the love I shared with [hubby] Peter and our dog."     .Kendrick, on her early life as a struggling actor: "The next pilot season [for television series] was starting up, which meant I was usually sent on one to four auditions a day. I discovered MapQuest and wrote down directions by hand since I didn't have a printer. Between that and my growing knowledge of the city, I was only getting lost, like, six times a day. Pilot season is grim because you're sent in for everything, no matter how wrong you are for it. I kept a mountain of clothes and accessories in my trunk so I could go from the fourteen-year-old goth daughter on a TNT drama to the spoiled twenty-two-year-old receptionist on a workplace comedy. It's obvious now that splitting my focus made it responsible for me to do well on any of them, but I was in no position to turn down auditions.               "How do I describe my personal life during this time? I met funny, interesting people. I went to art galleries downtown, I performed a one-woman show for free on the street corner. Except none of that's true. I spent most of my time trying to find ways to occupy myself without spending money or ingesting calories."                     .Perino, on what she terms Jasper's "protest pee": "When I wrote And the Good News Is... I received a lot of gifts for Jasper, including an embroidered quilt with the Great Seal of the United States. It is beautiful and functional. [Peter and I] take it with us to our friends' homes if we are invited to stay the night, because, well, you try telling Jasper he can't sleep on the bed. With the quilt, we're covered. Literally and figuratively.                   "When we're at our place in South Carolina, leaving him in the house is even more stressful. For a while, whenever we'd go out, we'd come home and find that he'd peed on the floor. As soon as we'd walk in, we'd know something happened, because Jasper would grab a toy as he always does, but instead of frantic joy and butt wagging, his tail would be down and he'd look guilty. It was hard to discipline him because you're supposed to catch them in the act. [Hubby] Peter would get pretty made at Jasper, and I'd feel terrible.                 "'He's so scared to be left alone,' I'd say.           "'No, he's being a brat,' Peter responded."                   .Kendrick, on behavior at showbiz events: "There's a campaign called #AskHerMore, which was started by some thoughtful, intelligent females (Lena Dunham, Reese Witherspoon, Shondra Rimes, etc.). It aims to ensure that when women attend events, they are asked about more than their dresses. Men don't answer questions about their clothes; why should we [women]? A simple and understandable request.                 "However, if people could ask me less, that would be great. I would love it if we could limit my red carpet topics to my favorite colors, what sound a duck makes, and my thoughts on McDonald's All-Day Breakfast--blessing or curse?"                 Also: Nearly the final half of Perino's book consists of various @FiveFanPhotoshops pictures that very humorously show Jasper in a collection of quite colorful poses--Jasper painting a portrait of Perino's former boss, W.; Jasper as a race-car driver; Jasper and Perino involved in the Kentucky Derby with the latter on top of the former, et al. And Kendrick's tome closes with a "Bonus Reading Group Guide," wherein there are "a few questions to help you get the most out of your reading experience."(As an addend, Kendrick wittily 1] apologizes for the "fact" that her "Guide" offers no red meat for those of us who "happen to run a trashy celebrity news blog that requires you to peruse the content of privileged cretins like me"; and 2] gives us permission to "use these questions [in the "Guide"] as a template for creating misleading but juicy headlines." She winds up by, also wittily, summing up what she, so she claims, is conveying: "[F]amous white girls are really fun to be mad at") Among the queries asked in the "Guide":                                        .."Though every page of Scrappy Little Nobody is perfect in every                           way, which part is your favorite? Make a list (it can be a Post-it that                           says, 'Every part is my favorite') and tape it to your chest for the rest                                 of the day."                                        .."When Anna compares Zac Efron to Charles Manson, is she making                                 a joke or trying to warn us about a potential murderous mastermind?"                                .."In the sections about Alexa Chung and Olivia Palermo, the author                           viciously maligns two innocent and very fashionable girls. Is Anna a                           shady, basic bitch, or the shadiest, basic-est bitch?"                                       .."Anna makes a lot of bad decisions. Can you think of a time when                                 you've made a bad decision? Oh wow, really? We're gonna pretend                                   you can't think of a single example? YOU THINK YOU'RE BETTER                             THAN ME?!"             And thus there are the books of Dana Perino and Anna Kendrick, the former being a greatly stylish, consistently witty, always loving paean to a dog who is not only a beloved pet but, as Perino very convincingly limns, one of the most well-known and well-regarded personalities in America (easily, happily, well above and beyond any yammering about "animal rights"); the latter being an engagingly lively, undeniably honest, unrelievedly funny self-portrait of a celebrity gal who is obviously on the sides of life and living, whose unflinchingly upbeat, never-say-die attitude comes through in literally every paragraph.                 In the much-lauded theatrical film The Magic of Belle Isle, the single Mom Charlotte O'Neill (Virginia Madsen), during an evening dinner with her daughters and that evening's guest, the renowned Western novelist Monte Wildhorn (Morgan Freeman), asserted: "I've always felt that a book does something no friend could: Stay quiet when you want to think." To partake of the Perino and Kendrick tomes as they "[s]tay quiet" is to have you "wanting to think" about them--always favorably and, very often, with unsheathed laughter.