#stayed in a hostel with them and I love them but I think our way of doing things is absolutely incompatible

[hexagonaldecency]

Putting a timer for my mental breakdown hiding in the toilet

[mischievousmoony]

Ooo could you pls write head canons about Remus x reader going on a trip abroad after graduation pls

jolie's summer kickoff 𝐢𝐜𝐞 𝐩𝐨𝐩𝐬 from the cooler ⋮ aka headcanons contains: remus lupin x fem!reader, 70s vibes

You and Remus want to have one last adventure before entering the real world, and what better way to do that than to travel abroad!

The only problem: you’re working with a tight budget. But no one said it had to be extravagant! You can backpack through Europe, stay in hostels, eat cheap meals, and still visit all the countries on your bucket list!

So, that’s exactly what you do!

James, Sirius, and Peter wanted to go with you guys, of course. And they try sooo hard to convince you to bring them, but Remus puts his foot down. This trip is just for the two of you. But maybe the other marauders will catch up with you two on one of your many stops

But for the most part, it’s just the two of you. From Spain, to France, to Italy. Germany, to Croatia, to Greece—you guys go all over. Just you, him, and whatever you can carry on your backs.

It’s not some luxurious, all-inclusive, five-star vacation. But you don’t need it to be and neither does he.

Sometimes Remus does feel a little bit bad when he sees you eyeing pretty things that he can’t afford to buy for you. The cosmos knows you deserve every last one of them. But he doesn’t have the means to pay for souvenirs from every city, or carry a surplus of them in your backpacks.

But what he can give you is memories. After all, you get to visit so many beautiful places! And he has a camera to capture every moment

He takes pictures of every view you say is pretty, every place you say you love. Pictures of you two together, in every city. and a lot of pictures of you, even when you’re not looking.

When your trip eventually comes to a close, Remus’ first order of business is to develop all the pictures he took

I think he’d put them in a book for you, and you’d find that most of the photos have little notes on the back, along with the date and the city.

A picture of you lounging on a beach in Barcelona. “Not pictured: Remus’ sun blisters.”

A photo of you (that you didn’t know existed) sleeping on Remus’ shoulder on a train. “She snores!”

A photo of the two of you, gelato smeared on both your noses. “She started it.”

There’s a photo of a sunset over an Italian coastline with a note on the back in Remus’ scraggly handwriting. “If only I could capture the awe in her voice when she saw this view.”

You’ve flipped through the book twice by the time Remus tells you, “I wanted to make sure you had something special from our trip. Since there were so many things I couldn’t get you.”

You obviously throw your arms around Remus and tell him that the trip was nothing short of perfection. That the only thing you could ever want or need was right here in your arms.

And he feels the very same about you.

[acupofcoffee-asia]

Taroko National Park/ Part Two

After retracing the Shakadang trail, heading towards the bus stop, we immediately realized something was wrong: the bus scheduled according to the timetable didn’t seem to be arriving. While we were waiting, we met a French family in the same situation, who asked us for some tips. The little I could do was try to act as a translator between them and Yun Xia, who, being familiar with the area, was the only one who could help us in some way. After a while, we lost sight of the family, but the bus still hadn’t arrived. So, who else but my amazing, newly-met travel companion could come up with a solution?

A few minutes after deciding to hitchhike, a car with a family of three stopped, and not only did they take a detour to drop us off at what would be our next stop, the Nine Turns Trail (九曲洞) but they were so kind and generous that they didn’t make us feel uncomfortable about it at all.

This second path was shorter, but its unique feature lay in how the trail was structured: it was almost entirely inside a tunnel, with tall pillars lining both sides. Looking out from them, you could catch glimpses of views that, despite the unkind weather and overcast sky, were nothing short of stunning. I believe, and I’m pretty sure, the photos I managed to take don’t even come close to capturing the beauty and grandeur of it all.

In any case, the stop was short, it was getting late, and Yun Xia had to head home to Taipei (to take care of her cat). It would take her a bit longer than me, as I was staying in a hostel in Hualien that night. Fortunately, the return bus passed by, almost on time!

Instead of heading straight back to Hualien, to the hostel as I had thought, while chatting about this and that with her, I decided to go to the last bus stop: I really wanted to see the sea. I got off at the terminal, Tianyang, to head to Qixingtan Beach: 七星潭 (Qīxīngtán).

Imagine arriving, just after getting off the bus, to a rather isolated street with small local vendor stalls on either side, surrounded by lush greenery that leads to the pebbles of the beach and then the blue of the sea, with stray dogs wandering around alone.

The encounter with these stray dogs was one of the few (maybe the only) moments during this week-long solo trip when a red flag went off in my mind. But it wasn’t until I realized I had wandered into what seemed like the entrance to an aboriginal reserve—an area that, as I later found out, held cultural significance for the local people but wasn’t formally designated as a reserve—that I had to fight my curiosity to keep going. I realized that I was all alone, in the middle of a barren field with a few trees, and at least two large stray dogs by my sides, not looking at me too kindly. Calmly (my movements were, but not the beating of my heart), and with all the composure I could muster, I got out of that uncomfortable situation and made my way toward the beach, where I stayed afterward.

The beach!

As soon as I got close, I felt an urge to do something that was a bit unusual for me. You should know that when I travel, I tend to not stay very much in contact with my loved ones; I check in with a simple "I'm fine, hi, how are you?" But in that moment, I felt the need to make a video call to my parents because I had to share the vastness and power of what was in front of me. They were with my grandmother when I tried to give them a taste of what was a very rough, threatening sea, yet at the same time so fascinating and powerful. It had the power to send adrenaline through my veins, and a feeling that, neither with words now, nor on the phone with them that day, I think I was able to convey.

I walked from one side of the shore to the other, until, after meeting some Taiwanese children who called me "美国人," (měiguó rén - American), (different from mainland China, where I was mostly called "俄罗斯,"(Éluósī - Russian), I headed towards the bus stop. It was there, after an hour of waiting for a bus that I thought would never come, that I met a Vietnamese family, with the father speaking perfect English, and we exchanged some travel information.

Just as we were talking and trying to figure out how to get back, since the bus still hadn’t arrived, a tourist bus driver showed up, a private one, to replace the one that was supposed to pass. With a kindness that continued to surprise me, despite having encountered not one person who wasn’t kind during those days of traveling, he explained that we had to go with him. And so, after a long journey (I was at one of the last stops, having reached the terminal), I got off and headed towards the hostel, which was still an unknown to me.

When I saw the alley I had to go down, it seemed anything but reassuring, since it was dark. But as soon as I stepped inside, I understood that this wasn’t just any hostel, and that it would be hard to find one as beautiful as this in the future.

I was greeted by a girl at check-in who gave me some directions, explained that I could check out on my own by leaving the key on the desk, and told me that the room I was going to stay in had girls from all over the world. "You’ll get along well," she said. "You’ll have so much to share, I’m sure of it." And that’s how it was.

Without even realizing it, I was plunged into the story of Charlotte (a fictional name), from France, who was taking a gap year from work and spoke a little Italian. During this year, Charlotte had sailed on a boat with strangers and planned to surf in Taiwan. Charlotte had a diary in which she asked everyone, including me, what happiness is. I think I told her that happiness, for me, is like a quest, something you never stop searching for, traveling, meeting people, and having experiences. But what struck me the most were the answers, so different, that people gave her. The simplest ones were the ones that touched me the most. I don’t have any contact with her at the moment, but I’m sure she’s gathered many more interesting ones.

We went to bed early, and the next day, when I went out to explore the east coast of Taiwan, I didn’t meet any of them. I said goodbye to this place with a bit of melancholy, and I hope to return one day. I hope it didn’t suffer too much damage after the 2024 earthquake.

This part of my journey has come to an end, but the more I write, the more I realize how much happened in those six days in Taiwan, and even the seemingly insignificant details, when I think about them now, take on a new hue. For example, how cozy was the little room and the bed I slept in at Hualien? I felt so at peace, and so at home. A year may have passed, but when I think about it, the feeling of gratitude remains.

[lanitalay]

Before I Say Goodnight

Chapter 4

a/n: sorry this is a bit late, Halloweekend got very busy. Enjoy!!

Other chapters

Warnings: none

Word count: 2k

“I suggest someone else take her back, she did not have a good time during the flight” Cassian says and flashes you a mischievous grin. His face drops when he sees the far away look in your eyes and the wet streaks on your cheeks “seriously though, can someone winnow her?” “I need to speak with Lucien so I can take her, but I have a few meetings until later in the afternoon” she looks to Mor “do you mind giving her a tour of the house and finding her a room in the meantime?” Mor adjusts her hair and says “of course, we can have a little girls day and get to know each other a bit. I’ll fill you in on all of our juicy gossip” she winks at you. You wipe your tears away and put on a poor excuse of a smile “that sounds great, I love to gossip”. You laugh, kind of, trying to ignore the pang in your chest. Memories of long gossip sessions with friends flashing through your mind. At coffee shops, during phone calls, at sleep-overs before you fall asleep. Amren gets up from her chair “I assume this meeting is over. I’ll see if I can find something in my personal library” and walks out. “Meeting adjourned '' Rhysand announces and the group stands to go their own ways. “I’ll be back as soon as I can, y/n” Feyre smiles and walks out of the room. Mor is waiting for you by the doorway “Come on, girl, there’s a lot to see”. 

“I think this should be your room” Mor opens the door and lets you walk in first. The tour had been… a lot to take in. The house is huge and it’s beautiful but it has about a hundred floors and a million rooms. When you step through the door, you’re not shocked to see a beautifully decorated room with an incredible view to match. Velaris, the city of starlight, Mor had told you. “It’s close to the stairs, has its own bathing room and if you pull this back” she goes towards the curtains and reveals a glass door that blends in perfectly with the wall of windows “a balcony! I think no one has claimed this one because it is a little on the smaller side but if all goes well you’ll be on your way home soon” she smiles as you look around. This room is twice the size of my room back home. The bed looks divine, it is made with expensive looking linens, it has about ten decorative pillows that take up half of the mattress. You sit on it and lay back. Good god, I’m never leaving this bed. “This is the most extravagant bed and room I’ve ever seen, let alone stayed in” months of traveling on a budget had gotten you accustomed to thin mattresses at crowded hostels or questionable spare bedrooms from online listings. This was luxury. From what you had gathered last night, a High Lord is someone akin to a king and by the looks of this “house” Rhysand has the taste and wallet of true royalty. “I can’t disagree, it is beautiful” she sits next to you “so… I was serious about the gossip. There are some things you might want to know about the whole dynamic within the Court of Dreams” you can’t help the genuine smile that comes on “tell me everything”. “I knew there was something about you that I liked” she giggles “ok so since you’ve met Lucien I guess we can start with him and Elain. This is crazy, the poor male has terrible luck. Anyways Elain is Feyre’s sister and quick backstory, Feyre and her sisters were humans but for different reasons got turned Fae a while back. Elain and Nesta got dunked in the Cauldron and that turned them. The thing is that all of us were there when it happened and when Elain came out of the Cauldron, the mating bond snapped between her and Lucien-” Oh this is good. “Mating bond?” “Oh right, a mating bond is something that happens between two people destined by the Mother, as I was saying Lucien just says it in front of everyone and Elain is there like totally in shock. Flash forward to a few weeks later her mortal fiance hates Fae and wants nothing to do with her now and she wants nothing to do with Lucien and then Azriel kind of likes Elain now” she goes on to tell you about how Feyre and Rhysand met and Cassian and Nesta. You noticed that she didn’t tell you anything about her own drama but chose to not acknowledge it. It was comforting in a way that these magical beings had personal dramas and gossiped about it like you and your friends did “those stories are wild, Mor” she nods “we’ve been alive so long that we really have to work hard to keep things interesting” you snort and there's a knock on the door. “I’m sorry to interrupt but y/n, I’m ready to go when you are” Feyre says and you quickly get up from where you’ve made yourself comfortable on the bed. “Yeah, let’s go. Thanks for everything Mor” you quickly hug her and go towards Feyre. “How are we getting there?” you ask, not sure what to expect  “I’ll winnow us, you’ll see” you walk until you reach the terrace where you had landed with Cassian earlier and look at her wearily “this place is warded against winnowing so I’ll fly us out until we pass the wards and then I’ll winnow to the Manor”. As she speaks, wings appear on her back and she holds out her hands for you “it’ll be quick. I promise” you gulp. 

Feyre did not lie when she said it would be quick but left out that it would feel like the world is slipping from your grasp. You feel sick as she puts you down. You rest your hands on your knees in an attempt to steady yourself. “It takes a bit of getting used to” she lets you take a breath and you say “It beats going through TSA”. Feyre nods and when you’ve gathered yourself begins the short walk to the manor. 

Packing up your belongings was incredibly underwhelming. You had folded the tunic you’d been using as pajamas and the dress Vassa had given you and stuffed it in your bag. Feyre and Lucien had gone to the library to talk about whatever it was they had to discuss. You had a feeling they were talking about you and if you posed a threat of some kind, feeling that the offer of staying in the House of Wind came from the Court of Dreams wanting to keep a close eye on you. You zip everything up and descend the stairs to find your hosts and thank them for everything. Walking to the kitchen you find Jurian making dinner “they really take advantage of your talents here”. He turns from where he is chopping up produce and lets out a chuckle “it’s the price I pay for pissing Vassa off”. “What did you do?” you ask but before he can answer a lovely feminine voice interjects “he was being an idiot as usual” Jurian rolls his eyes but does not defend himself. “On that note,” you try to diffuse the tension “I’ll be staying at the Night Court while they research how to get me back home, thank you so much for everything. I think I would’ve been dead days ago if it weren’t for you” Vassa pouts “I’ll be sad to see you go, it was such a relief to have some feminine energy around here, but I understand” she walks over and hugs you tightly “please come say goodbye once you’ve figured it all out” you hug her back. Jurian stays by his vegetables as he says “you have to eat dinner here though, I’m making enough for the four of us and Lucien brought pie for dessert”. Your chest warms. He really got the pie. “In that case Feyre, will have to wait” you beam. 

After dinner and dessert with the exiles Feyre lets you know she’ll be waiting outside while you say your goodbyes. You hug Vassa and kiss Jurian on the cheek. Lucien offers to walk you to the door and you take the chance to say “thank you for the pie, it was delicious”. He offers you a half smile “you’ve had a rough few days, it’s the least I can do”. “Will you come visit?” you ask hoping the answer is yes. Everyone in the Night Court seems nice enough but Lucien, Jurian and Vassa have a special place in your heart. “I’m due to go there for a meeting in a few weeks. You’re always welcome to use your room here as well” nodding you hug him and without letting go say “I’m nervous”. He hugs you back “you’re in good hands, the House of Wind is safer and you’ll have everything you need”. You let go and walk out the door. 

Feyre walks with you until you reach your room “Mor showed you the kitchen and the common areas?” you walk in and set your bag down. “Yes, she was very thorough with her tour” you felt heavy. Maybe it was the flying and winnowing or saying goodbye or the weight of your reality crashing down on you. “Alright, try to sleep, if you need anything ask the house and if there’s an emergency you can wake up Azriel, his room is across the hall”. You remember him from earlier, tall, wings and devastatingly handsome. Historically, you had never figured out how to act around attractive men and during the meeting it was incredibly difficult to focus on retelling your story. “Thank you, Feyre” she goes to walk out and says “I’ll let you know tomorrow when the priestesses begin their research so you can join them if you like”. 

Wait, did she say ask the house if I need anything? You go to ask her but she’s gone. “House? Can I have water?” you ask to see if you had heard correctly. You are shocked when you see a tray with a jug of water and a glass appear on the bedside table. That is the best thing I’ve ever seen. You do your night routine: you bathe, brush your teeth and hair and put on your tunic. You pull the covers from the bed and get cozy. The house turns off the lights and the curtains are open, letting through the shine of the city and the stars. During the day it’s easier to ignore the ever growing helplessness. It feels like you’re drowning in it. Trapped in a glass coffin in between space and time. You feel your throat get tighter and your chest feels hollow and- Breathe. In. Out. In. Out. Count the stars, do something. Your mind screams. One, two, three, four, this isn’t working. You get an idea. Getting out of bed and walking towards your bag you pull out your phone. You haven’t used it since… well, since everything. It should be charged. Your heart skips when the screen lights up and you scroll to your photos as quickly as you can. Forty-five percent. You see a picture of your dog that your mom had sent you on your last day on Earth and tears well up. It hurts but it brings you comfort to know that they have each other. Committing the picture to memory, you shut it off and get in bed again. They have each other. They are not alone. Eventually sleep takes over. Mercifully, you have no dreams.

The house had closed the curtains after you fell asleep. When you woke up to a dark room you almost thought you had slept through an entire day. Sensing you had awoken, the curtains flew open and you see the sun above the city. It looks like it’s still early. You put on your dress and go have breakfast in the dining room. Azriel is the only one there. “Good morning” he greets. You fiddle with your dress, suddenly aware of the dirt that’s staining the hem and the way it falls off your shoulder. “Good morning”.

[andy-15-07]

Since I met you { Chapter 1}

masterlist ! pairing: Sam Claflin x oc!reader

SUMMARY : When a student meets a famous actor, what can happen? They fall in love, they don't care what the world says about them, they swear their love and that they will be next to each other regardless of the situation.

The story follows the beginning and formation of the love story of Sam and Andrea.

GENRE: fluff, love at first sight

When you ask yourself if you are making the right choice in life, you always ask yourself the question "Am I making the right choice?" , but for me it was not a good choice but an excellent one, I study what I like, photography.

Here I am studying at the University of Arts London, for a good career in this field, I am glad that I have taken this important step in my life.

My name is Andrea Lawson, I'm 20 years old and I'm in my first year at university, as expected, I live in the dormitory, I have a roommate Louisa.

Me and Lou are the complete opposite, she is always invited to campus parties, anyone who knows her, she is popular and I am the one who stays in the dorm room and studies, my personality is that I don't go to parties and I am not known by the people on campus.

But today is not one of those lucky days, Louisa and her boyfriend are in our room and I decided to leave them alone, after all they need privacy. As for love, it doesn't exist for me, I don't have a boyfriend, no one would look at me.

"Andrea, why do you have to leave? We can have a movie night with the three of us, you know we don't mind." Louisa tells me who was in the arms of her lover, Alex.

"I don't want to disturb you, you also need time together, maybe you have other plans and I don't want to be in your way." I tell them calm down while putting on my boots.

"Well let's say you're right. But where are you going?" Alex asked me.

"I'm going to that cafe I told you about."

"And you're going with someone?" Louisa asks me curiously

"Who should I go with? I'm going alone, I still have a few things to finish on a project." I tell

"You always do this, when you go out somewhere, you do all the work related to college, go out a little more, go to a party, have a drink and maybe get together with someone. You're living life!" She tells me and gets up from Alex's arms.

"Lou, you know that this is your lifestyle, not mine. Even if I meet someone, I meet them in my own way and you know this very well. Stop forcing me with such things. Please!" I tell her and look at her.

"I know, sorry! But I want to see you happy, not only with your head in books. You know I only want the best for you, right?"

"I know Lou and I thank you for this. Thank you!" I tell him and give him a hug.

"I'm glad we met, we make a good team" he says and hugs me.

Lou and I didn't know each other but since I started university, we are like two sisters, different but at the end of the day we tell each other everything and give each other advice.

"Now I know that I will speak on behalf of myself and Louisa, but be careful what you do," Alex tells me.

"I will, don't worry, I know what I'm doing. Have fun!" I tell them and leave the room.

I leave the room and meet the typical London weather, it's raining but it doesn't bother me, the rain calms me down.

The road to the cafe is not too long but it is 3 streets from the hostel, usually by the time I get to the cafe I listen to music with headphones, but today I didn't take them with me, but this doesn't bother me because instead of listening to music, I listen how it rained

Around me, the people in the dorms go to the club or others go to have a drink, it's normal that it's Friday. But what do I do? I'm going to finish a project.

As I was thinking, I didn't realize that I had arrived in front of the place where I can call it my favorite place in the vicinity.

Not many people come to this place, only a few, the owner was an old lady who always tells me that this was her dream.

I order a coffee and sit in my favorite place, by the window, to watch the rain. I look around the room and notice that there are few people today, something usual.

I take out my laptop and the files I need and spread them on the small table.

I think it's been an hour since I've been here and I decided to take a break, when I look up from my laptop I realize that someone is looking at me.

A boy, I think he has the same age as me or is 2 years older than me, I look at him and smile, lowering my eyes to the file. Suddenly I hear someone clearing his throat, when I look up I see the boy looking at me.

"Hi! Can I stay?" He was asking me, easy to guess that he is from here, he had an English accent.

"Yes, you can sit down, I don't mind" I say and smile.

To my surprise, I smile for the first time when I'm not forced, this boy has that something that makes me smile, he's cute, even very handsome.

"What are you studying?" He asked me and looked at a file that was fixed in front of him.

"I study photography, and what you see there are pictures taken by me for some exams, some are taken just out of passion." I explain to him but my smile doesn't disappear.

"The pictures are very beautiful, even excellent. You are very talented."

"Thank you very much!" I thank him.

"I'm Sam, Sam Claflin." He says and extends his hand towards me.

"Hi Sam, I'm Andrea, Andrea Lawson, nice to meet you!"

"The pleasure is only mine Andrea," he tells me and I blush, I have never blushed from a small talk.

"Are you studying somewhere? I haven't seen you in this place before." I ask him and look at him carefully.

"I'm not studying, actually I studied but I finished last year. But I like coming to this place, it's quiet and has that something that tells you to come again, and the owner is wonderful, she reminds me of my relatives. Not you I saw you here, I remembered a beautiful girl." he tells me and I start to blush even more.

"I haven't seen you either until today, maybe today is our lucky day. I don't want to seem too curious, you can not answer me if it bothers you. What did you study?" I ask him and look at him as if he were the last person on earth.

"Don't mind, I studied at the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art." he says and approaches me, with a smile that could not be erased from his lips.

We look into each other's eyes and I feel like my heart would jump out of my chest, I look at his green eyes, like a forest in spring. I feel his hand when he takes mine and at that moment let's get even closer to me. This has never happened to me, but it was a pleasant feeling.

"What do you say if you want to go for a walk together in the park, don't worry if it's raining, I have an umbrella. Do you want to go Andrea?" he tells me very slowly, telling me almost in a whisper  and squeezes my hand a little in his.

"Yes, I would be delighted to go for a walk Sam." I tell him the same way he asks me, like a whisper.

I see that his smile seems to increase upon hearing my words, as if he knew that the answer would be 'Yes'. I remember the discussion I had with Louisa and her boyfriend, I think I was right not to listen to her and to do things my way and this I did.

"Let me help you pack your things." Sam tells me and I nod my head.

He helps me pack my things, then he gives me his hand to stand up, I see him go behind the chair where I left my coat and take it and motion for me to put my hair aside and help me with the coat , he also gets dressed and looks for something, but I can't figure out what.

I see him take his scarf from next to my bag and put it around my neck, a gesture that left me speechless.

"It's cold outside, so I don't want to hear you say something against the scarf, okay?" he tells me with a smile.

"Ok Sam, I trust you." I tell .

We say goodbye to the landlady and head for the exit, Sam smiles and opens the door for me, going out I realize that he was right, it's cold outside, he opens the umbrella and extends his hand towards me.

Out of instinct I put my hand around his hand and I approached him, I feel him looking at me. I look up and look straight into his eyes and smile.

"Sam?"

"Yes Andrea? Is there something wrong?" he tells me, his tone of voice is worried.

"No! Everything is perfect, it's more than perfect. I wanted to ask you something." I tell him and in my mind I think if it is a good idea or not.

"You can ask me what you want my dear." he tells me, and when I heard how he told me those words, I was even happier.

"What do you do? You mean as a job?"

"My dear Andrea, I'm an actor. But keep calm, it's not too well known yet, not many people know me yet, I've been part of a few films and series, I'm not that famous yet. That's why we walk around without we are disturbed." Sam tells me and I am a little shocked.

"I didn't think you were an actor, yes you are very handsome and attractive, I'm not saying you're not. But I didn't expect it."

"You think I'm beautiful and attractive, Andrea, you're already making me fall in love with you," he tells me and we stop.

He turns to me and looks into my eyes then he looks at my lips and at that moment he leans down and captures my lips in a passionate kiss, I didn't expect this but I kiss him back. It's like a scene from a movie or even from the books I've read.

Sam breaks the kiss and looks at me and puts his arm around me and hugs me, I put my head on his chest and we stay like that for a few minutes. The first to break the silence is Sam.

"Andrea do you believe in love at first sight?"

"Since I saw you, I knew there was something special with you, I had to find out, but after this moment that we shared, I know what it is." I tell him and look at him.

"What is special about me?" he asks me and I look at him attentively.

"You're not like the other boys, but you're not a boy, you're a man, a gentleman, a romantic. I know we've only known each other for a few hours but I really like being with you, I told you that you have that something how do you make a person sit next to you regardless of whether you are an actor or not." I tell

"And you have that something that makes a person talk and sit next to you. Ever since you entered that cafe, I have seen a person passionate about an art that many people do not understand, when I came to your table I realized I was right, you're that type of person who focuses on something. I like that in a girl." Sam told me and I realized that he was telling the truth as he looked into my eyes and caressed my cheek with his thumb.

"You know something Sam? I'm lucky to have met you."

"I like you Andrea! Maybe we have the opportunity to get to know each other better, what do you say?"

"I like you too, Sam, and I agree that we should get to know each other better." I tell him and kiss him on the cheek, but Sam makes a face that knows what he's asking for.

I look once more and put my arms around his neck and press my lips to his in a passionate kiss in which Sam does not hesitate to respond to this kiss. It's as if our lips are two puzzle pieces that have finally found their match.

We break the kiss and look at each other. Maybe in the end I found someone with the same passions as mine.

"Where are you staying? It's already getting dark, it's cold and I don't want you to go home alone and catch a cold. I want to go with you to make sure you get there safely and to hold you in my arms."

"A real gentleman and I want to stay in your arms and I live in the dorm, it's 5 streets from here."

"Staying in the dorm? That's cool, I hope you have a roommate or more," says Sam and takes my hand.

"I only have one colleague and the reason why I left the dorm is that she came with her boyfriend to our place and I thought I'd leave them alone," I explain to Sam and put my head on his arm.

"I understand! You always have to leave when her boyfriend comes or do you leave of your own free will?" she asks me

"I'm leaving, they also need privacy and if I didn't leave today I wouldn't know you anymore, right?"  I ask him looking at him.

"Yes, you are very right, my dear, and unfortunately I have arrived."  he says a little upset because our walk is over.

"Oh, I don't like it." I tell him and pull him to a side where he was covered to leave the umbrella down for a few minutes.

"We'll see each other, I promise, give me your phone so I can pass on my number, then I'll give you my phone so you can do the same, ok?"  He tells me and takes his phone from the pocket of his brown coat that he is wearing.

First I give her my phone and she gives her number and she gives it back to me, when I look at the new contact, the first thing I see is the name 'Sam♡', I am surprised but I love this.  I look up from the phone and see him smiling at me and holding his phone for me to take.  I take it and give him my number, I gave him the name just as he gave me 'Andrea♡' on the phone and I give him the phone back.

"I'll give you a message, I promise," he says and puts his arms around my waist.

"Ok and I promise I'll send you a message" I promise and put my arms around his neck.

We look at each other and I see Sam lean down and kiss me passionately.  We break the kiss and I head towards the entrance but I suddenly stop.

"Sam, wait, I have to give you the scarf back!" I tell him and take it down.

"No Andrea, I want you to keep it, it suits you better, it suits your style. See you tomorrow, yes?"  He asks me and I nod and watch him leave.

I like him, he is the kind of man I like.  I enter the dormitory and head towards my room and my thoughts remain with Sam.  The person who stole my heart

[invisibleraven]

Keeping Spirits Bright

Day 13: Stranger + Willex <=AO3

Willie had always loved helping-helping meant he stayed on the good side of his various foster parents and the people who ran the group homes. Being helpful meant he was hurt less, and often given even a smidge better treatment. Sure that was messed up, but it was how he learned to survive. 

Even into adulthood, Willie loved helping. Since Caleb gave him a healthy stipend to live off, he didn’t really need a job-though he did do the odd shift at the club and freelance work at the board shop whenever he wanted to. But mostly he volunteered-helping out local shelters, organizations, and charities whenever possible. 

It meant he got to do good in the world, while meeting new and interesting people-one of his favourite things-all while feeling great about being helpful. Of course, he also grew up in the system so he knew when he was being taken advantage of, and was quick to call people out on it. He was generous, but he wasn’t about to let his charity and efforts get taken advantage of. That’s why Caleb insisted on vetting any place he wanted to help beforehand-he was weirdly connected that way, though the less Willie questioned it, the better. 

Willie also loved to help those in need-look, he had that healthy allowance, most of which he never touched, and downtown LA was full of people who had hit hard times, so why not spread the wealth a little? It was never much-enough for a good meal or a stay in a hostel for the night, but it made all the difference to the people he gave to. 

He always got the thankful looks, and some people tried to insist it was too much, he was a stranger, blah blah blah. But Willie just shot them a smile, some finger guns, and went on his way. He liked being the weird helpful stranger-it suited him. Sure, some people he got to know and kept in touch with, but no real friends. 

That all changed when he met Sunset Curve. 

He found them busking one day down by the pier-playing covers and originals both, flashing charming smiles and great showmanship. Plus they were all pretty darn cute. But Willie was immediately drawn to the drummer-blonde, with a shy smile and dazzling blue eyes. This was Alex who chatted Willie up after he left a generous tip in the guitar case as they wrapped. 

Alex who was very gay, very interested, and very very cute up close. 

But Willie could also see that he and his friends were being wasted on the tourists around Santa Monica. They should be headlining shows, not collecting spare change. So Willie decided to help them. 

First it was just hanging out with Alex as they put up flyers all over down for the gig they managed to score at Eats ‘N Beats. It was a decent coffee spot that ran Open MiKe every month, but they had to start somewhere right? 

“I could give my dad your demo,” Willie offered. “I don't think the Hollywood Ghost Club is your guys’ scene but you never know.” 

“I’ll ask Luke about it,” Alex said. “We aren’t really picky about our gigs. We once played a book club.” 

“A book club?” Willie giggled. 

“Yeah, we got cookies and discussed Nicholas Sparks, plus a whole lot of ladies who claimed us as nephews,” Alex replied. “But unfortunately none of them could get us into the Troubadour or the Orpheum.” 

“You ever gone back?” 

“I do,” Alex admitted. “Mainly for the cookies, and to see the ladies, but sometimes I get a new book I love. Plus it’s a low anxiety thing, which for me, is a plus.” 

“Well maybe next time you could bring me,” Willie offered. “I’ll even bring cookies.” 

“No way, they’ll like you better than me,” Alex laughed. 

After that Willie couldn’t stay away-finding every excuse to hang out with Alex, be it helping him promote the band, watching him practice, going to their gigs. Finally asking him out so when they weren’t doing band stuff, they were going out on dates. Willie showed Alex all his regular haunts, all the places he helped out. 

This is where they met Gregg who was organizing a holiday concert to fundraise for a bunch of child orientated charities. Willie was already raring to help out, but it was Alex who asked if they needed another band-free of charge. Luke would love getting their music out there, and even though Reggie and Bobby would grumble about performing for free, but it was for a good cause, and they would love that. 

“As long as we don’t have to play Jingle Bells that is,” Alex laughed. 

Willie got to beam with pride as they played-making all the kids in the audience smile and cheer as they rocked the heck out of Deck the Halls and Frosty. They totally didn’t need to know that Willie-or more so Caleb, had called in a few favours to get some managers in there too-maybe just maybe, he could give them their big chance. 

But even if they didn’t-Willie still felt great that he met them, that they helped them. Not only because it meant these kids got a great show, but that he had Alex. A stranger that may just turn out to be the love of his life-and that was worth more than anything.

[rrezshifts]

hai haiiii theo hope ur doing well ૮ ◜ᵕ◝  ྀིა ₊˚⊹ ᰔ i wanted to ask ☕️ , 🍨 & 🫖 from the ask game for your rdr2 &ﾉor eah dr <3 !!

hi fawwwnn!! i’m doing good!! hope you are too!!! i’m only answering for my red dead reality sadly, because i haven’t developed my relationships in my eah reality too much yet. but thank you so much for considering that one and im sorry i couldn’t answer for it 😭💕

☕️ ⊹ ࣪ ˖ hot chocolate : what does the winter season look like for you two? are you two the type to stay cozy inside and order takeout, or would you rather go for a walk in the snow? do you celebrate any holidays, birthdays, or anniversaries together during winter? . . . as we were first getting to know each other we were traveling down california. california luckily doesn’t snow on the path we were going down, but it still gets dreadfully cold. the winter months were okay for me, i’ve had experience in this weather and knew how to survive and thrive in it. but the gang, because of their experience with winter ultimately meaning snow, and with the lack of it, they assumed the weather was warm enough to not need as many layers. wrong! we ended up spending time in a town scrounging up enough money to afford them more layers. but before we could, the nights were rough for them. so we had to rent out cheap rooms which kept us in that town longer. and to keep the rooms cheap we had to share not just rooms but beds. i was in a bed with charles. and he’s so large you’d think he had enough body heat to keep him warm, but i would wake up in the middle of the night to him clinging to me, shivering and cold. and we had tried to ask the hostel for extra blankets when we first arrived but they said it would “cost more”. so one day while everyone was out i dipped into my own funds to buy an extra blanket for me and charles’ bed. even before charles and i got romantically involved, and especially after, we continued to share beds in hostels. and instead of only ending up cuddled up by the morning we started the nights off that way. if our roommates had questions, they didn’t ask. except when we’d room with yoloxochitl, she always had something to say because i’d have something to giggle about and mention to her!

🍨 ⊹ ࣪ ˖ affogato : how does your s/o show love? does their love language align with one of the traditional 5 types, or is it something unique to them? do they have a special way of making you feel appreciated? . . . charles’ love languages are primarily gift giving, acts of service, and quality time. he’s not too much of a talker, he doesn’t like to get into anyone personal space too much either, not if he can help it. but he loves carving wood and giving them as gifts or spending some of his money on small things he’d think i’d like. he also just likes to sit with me and listen to me talk to him, sometimes chiming in. he likes to walk on beaches with me and go on hikes, and hunt with me. charles makes me feel appreciated when he understands and acknowledges my love languages. so like he rarely used to give words of affirmation, but now he will with me, just because he wants to. or he’ll grab and hug me as he kisses my cheek, come up behind and squeeze me in a hug, even though he rarely touches people. when i realized that he loved me enough to want to do these things he wouldn’t want to do with other people, and he never stopped doing those things with me, i melted.

🫖 ⊹ ࣪ ˖ chamomile tea : how does your s/o help soothe or ground you when you're feeling overwhelmed, stressed, or anxious? if you're having a bad day, what do they do to help? . . . charles is very wise, he knows exactly what to say and he is always on point. when i’m anxious in any way he will have the perfect words for me, helping tremendously. but he also just sits with me and is with me when i’m not feeling well. and merely having him by my side, with his large hands rubbing my back or brushing his fingers through my hair. it just makes every weight drift of my shoulders and i lean into him like he’s home. when i’m having a bad day he offers to take us somewhere, a beach, hunting, into town, or just a simple horse ride. he offers up his time in order for me to get distracted from the bad that was that day and make it better. he’s very empathetic and understanding. and he cares about me so much.

© rrezshifts last updated. 02/12/2025

[gaminegay]

Wild dream sequence from a while ago that I wrote down

Triple threat and more, the Dreams

Getting ready in the morning with [FLATMATE] can't tell what the time is she says I'm late, I send the message to work but then I think 'am I actually late' BC this happens all the time (me dreaming that I'm late or waking up thinking so but it's actually a holiday or something) and there's just no way it's 3 PM . But our clocks say it is and every other clock in the hallway etc is like 16:02. Too many clocks are different for me to trust any one. I go to work and I wasn't late. V early in fact. Once again my mind has betrayed me

Something something, waiting for a bus and there's a family of mice lives behind the sign. Sat is there ask him if he's scared of mice he says yes so I don't tell him about the mice right by him. Mice love me I record them

I scream and shout and throw a fit as I quit my job. no going back there. [FRIEND] did the same. In the car on the way back I keep asking what will I do tomorrow, what will I do, I have no job, what will I do?

A friend from the past who's incredibly kind lives on the street with his husband and toddlers. They prefer it over being seperated. Make the most out of half cover and cold pasta, we stay with them for the night, their hospitality far surpasses their means.

Wake up (but not really (but I don't know that yet)). I figure quitting the job was a dream or hallucination. Feel like nothing is real. [COWORKER] calls by coincidence as I'm pondering to call him to check how real it all is. I ask how I left work yesterday, he says I didn't talk but seemed really checked out. That figures, if o was having a Moment. At least I didn't ragequit. We meet at [OTHER COWORKER]'s house. Fsr G and B are there but leaving. Get G attention ask if we're doing our usual drink n draw. It's already 9 so no time, G is wearing beautiful gold makeup. Tell the boys (coworkers) can make our usual movie night after all.

Kind of shady mall. I pay for what I think is a turn with a sex robot toy thing but it's a person. She says she'll finger me, I say no I can't its not personal I just don't like it. Some back and forth in what looks like a beauty parlour. I finally agree. She has assistants that dress me up sexy and give me gloves and shit. I lay back in a massage chair and just sort of give up to the experience. There's more people there. Are we going somewhere private? Where are we? As I think that, she suddenly looks like a man with a mustache and begins shooting people, like with a gun. I'm still in the chair I'm freaking out so scared, he seems contemplating if he'll kill me too. Hope for life? No, that was a tease. He beats me to death and he and his friend mock and disrespect me as I die.

Wake up again. At a work thing the same job I quit before. Nice homeless guy is there. We do some spiritual crap, there's a work dinner, [OTHER COWORKER] takes me aside because I'm clearly losing it but I lose him too, he tries to lead ke through a door but it shuts between us leaving me trapoed and him away.

Sleeping (platonically) with acquaintances at a sort of hostel and just can't stop shaking and hyperventilating for hours. I wake them up with my noise despite best efforts. Ashamed, comforted, shaking, scared, gasping for air, terrified.

So glad when the alarm rings. Write it down.

[storiesofsvu]

it's thursday bitches

spoilers under the cut

Okay, I was organizing fic and writing shit for the first two hours so I couldn’t live react BUT:

That ep of Mothership was phenomenal. Good job team.

Barely paid attention to Toronto, I can’t get on board yet.

Now it’s SVU time.

“happy hunting” ewww… puke in my mouth, that’s disgusting.

Girl WHAT THE FUCK. I don’t care if you JUST met someone at a hostel that night, you don’t fucking leave them alone in a bar when they’re visibly really drunk and with two guys all over her, come on.

Okay, I’m starting a Velasco line tally: 1

OOOO a full scene! Look at our boy go!

Okay yeah he is finally getting some screen time

These boy may not be the actual perps in this situation, but there is no doubting they’re pieces of shit.

This is gonna be one of those cases with the last minute twist that the other girl is the actual perp, right? That’s why there’s no dna?

I don’t like this squad. I understand rollins not coming back/kelli not wanting to come back (hello, she just had a baby, and would you want to go back to a workplace you were fired from full time?) but I will forever be salty about them getting rid of muncy and churlish, they FIT with the squad, they worked through their issues and worked well together. It was refreshing to have the younger generation coming in and being mentored by liv, fin and Bruno. I like the fbi girl, she’s a great actress, but the vibe isn’t the same.

Ohhhh I forgot about the other guy from the beginning lol

Okay but I DO love three powerful older women interrogating pathetic young twenty something boys

LOOOL and this dynamic of good cop bad cop between Bruno and joe?! LOVE IT.

Bruno is fucking killing me rn, this is hilarious. Prime television.

The fact that there is still another hour of television after this? I’m TIRED. And like..grey’s starts soon too so that’s gonna fuck me up.

This episode has fully sold me on wanting Bruno to destroy me. Sir. Pls.

Something that fell into your lap?! Liv…baby… you wanted to take in every abandoned kid at svu over the past 25 years. You were the mom calvin deserved, you wanted to adopt, you have ALWAYS wanted kids/to be a mother, its been part of her character arc literally the entire time the show was on air. Yes, technically noah kinda fell into her lap, but the way it was addressed here did not seem right lol.

Okay, that episode was actually super good compared to the last few weeks!

Don’t trust this captain at ALL. but like, I don’t think we’re supposed to LOL.

“I don’t know… im not his mother.. thank GOD” lol… we love Jet.

I miss bell…is she gonna pop up at some point? We need her sass/banter

The fact that she went out to do this super nice thing by replacing the flowers for jet cause she let her stay with her and THAT’S when she was attacked. Fuck this. Ugh.

The fact that they’re going through so much effort to block the face/voice of this killer means that we know who they are already, right?

BUT also… if the captain hadn’t called jet specifically to get Elliot to his fucking iab appointment she would have been home and able to protect the girl… so like… im still super sus of her

All of these crusty old white men all look alike and I cannot tell the difference between them. Is it the cap’s dad? Brother? Husband? Random poker night connection?

DIVORCE???!!!! I DID NOT SEE THAT COMING.

…okay but now they could be together somewhere down the road? Like.. they really did bomb us with that ship so I haven’t had time to decide if I like it or not but we’ll see how things go.

Okay so the brother AND the dad are both in on it? Maybe the cap isn’t actually sus and will be blindsided?

Meh, that ep wasn’t that good tonight tbh but two outta our aint bad!

[newzealandmozsombi]

Arthur’s pass day 2

Today was an up and down kinda day. Both literally and metaphorically. I did a bigger hike to Avalanche peak, it was a loop starting 5 min down the road from the hostel and it ended 100m behind the hostel. I decided to get an early start to try and avoid clouds on the top as it was only supposed to be sunny a few hours in the morning, got up at 6:30 and was on the way by 8:05. An older local guy (60+) was also aiming for the same peak (we chatted a bit last night and in the morning) and we started arond the same time, lovely chap, met him near the top as he was getting there and I was heading down. He just got back like 10 min ago we chatted a bit again.

Anyway, the way up was steep, techy, roots and rocks but doable and for once I was able to pace myself properly from the start, didn’t rush into it but found a steady speed and carried it all the way with only one short stop basically. It was 2 hours and 3 min to the top, about 1100m of elevation, but the last 30 min was the most technical and scary part, I was really on my limit mainly cause there was a lot of climbing and getting around big boulders and since it was already on the ridge the “trail” was really exposed and if I haven’t told you before I am telling you now, I have a fear of heights. Still, it was great pushed me just enough to make it but didn’t feel that weakness and trembling in my arms and legs that I feel when go over the limit. Oh another thing that made things spicy was the snow and ice on the top part which made things slippery and I really had to watch my every step. Fortunately there were footprints that I could follow and they made things safer, I don’t think I would have been willing to carve my own path had the footprints not been there. I was alone on the top for like 30 min when people started arriving, one british sounding guy from the hostel, a canadian dude and some french girls (as well as other people). I overheard the canadian guy saying he is from Canada to someone else so I asked him which area and he happens to be from Vancouver island, where I am going in two weeks. I swear to you, 1 min into our conversation he was like “if you want you can stay with my mum she wouldn’t mind”…What did just happened?! 5 min ago he triggered me cause he didn’t talk and seemed arrogant (simply by not saying hi) and now he is offering me a place in Canada…So yeah. Still can’t get over it, the generosity and just how random (or not) the whole situation was…Unfortunately I won’t be around the part where they live and since I won’t have too much time on the island (outside of volunteering) I have to pass on the opportunity but still, I am just really grateful for it..In any case, we exchanged contacts and may go out for a drink in Christchurch next week.

So there is this famous bird called Kea, it is native to New Zealand, the only alpine parrot in the world. I’ve only seen them from afar when I was on the west coast and they were sitting on the rooftop of the hostel. I’ve seen many signs here that you shouldn’t feed them etc and I finally saw some from up close, like really up close. The british dude was telling me about how he saw a group of keas on the way up and not long after he headed back down this group of 6-7 keas showed up on the top. They are pretty big about the size of a rooster I’d say, have some beautiful feathers and are really cheeky, not to mention fearless. They are famous for stealing people’s belongings whether that’s a shirt or a camera and eating whatever they can. They are pretty much like seagulls just fancier in a sense and I definitely felt more foregiving with them although when they tried to eat the grip of my hiking poles I got a bit more serious. The french girls were the main victims, the keas tried to eat their shirt they put out to dry and I shit you not, the sole of one of their shoes. While it was on her foot. So yeah, sneaky lil’ buggers…I was really glad I could see these birds from so close, they do look stunning and were great entertainment while I was waiting for the clouds to pass. (I spent almost two 2 hours on the peak).

After I accepted that some parts of the view just wouldn’t clear up I headed down and only 3 min into the descent while lowering myself in between two rocks out of nowhere I felt a sudden sharp pain in my right knee..My theory is that as I spent so much time on the top all my joints and muscles got cold and I started going down with a bit haste than needed and I may have put too much weight on my cold knee joint or something..I don’t actually know, long story short it was hurting every time I tried to put weight on it so I waited a bit, tried to move it, kinda warm it up and it got better but the pain kinda haunted me the whole way down and since the descent was really steep (sometimes I literally have to ditch my hiking poles and climb down on rocks) it didn’t really help..Now I am back at the hostel, did a bit of stretching hoping that this will help, we will see..Getting up and sitting down hurts a fair bit, walking around is fine but I guess I’ll just have to see how it feels in the morning and can decide on what’s next based on that. I am a bit worried but hopefully resting it a bit should be enough..

Sometimes it be like that, up and down…Still, this hike with the view, the keas and the canadian dude was definitely top 3 hikes in New Zealand, I am just not certain which hike got knocked off from the podium since they were all memorable for some reason. Also what made it one of the best ones is that it wasn’t boiling hot, I was sweating but I actually only finished one bottle of water during the whole trip cause I just wasn’t that thirsty whereas on a normal hike day I drink 2,5 bottles (about 2,3-2,4 litres).

Obligatory song recommendation:

Sleep Token - Ascensionism

I usually have a song or two stuck in my head while hiking and this wasn’t one of them but once I got back it this song popped into my mind and the title is just way too perfect, so here it goes. A slow building modern metal song from one of my favorite bands.

[slowarc]

A decade ago, I moved 3,000 miles away from my home town. I made the decision and three weeks later I was on the road. My car was so full — literally the only open space was the drivers seat and one cup holder. I drove by myself for four days, Virginia to Portland, OR. I remember almost nothing about the drive itself. I don’t think I clocked back into my body until I broke down in the bathroom of the hostel I stayed in once I finally got there.

I didn’t know anyone there. I didn’t have a job or a place to live. For the first time in my life, I was beholden only to myself.

Sometimes I miss that.

And I feel conflicted about missing it, because I’ve been with my partner for over two years now. They have changed my life in so many positive ways. I love the way their brain works and how well we balance each other. All the shit we’ve been through over these two years has been external to our relationship, but there have been moments when I miss the independence I had at 24. The freedom to just leave at the drop of a hat. Of course, that’s not a healthy impulse. It hasn’t served me very well in the long-term.

Still, it kept me from ever feeling stuck like I have the last couple years. Not stuck with them — just stuck in the mess. Never having enough money. Applying for hundreds of jobs I never heard back from, and being mistreated at the ones I did. A younger me would have bailed, but I couldn’t do that this time. I had a tie. A tight one.

I don’t really know what I’m trying to say here tbh. Maybe nothing. I just found some old YouTube videos I made back then and I’ve been thinking about them a lot. Life is cyclical.

[tessbev]

Wow wow weeeee wow. Day 2

Actually before I get to the good stuff….

So i woke up for day 2 feeling great. No hangover whatsoever! Happy water living up to its name. Nick on the other hand had been up 6 times in the night getting sick (both ends🫠). He even put himself to bed much earlier than I did so we’re thinking it might have been some of the meat maybe?? Anyways, he “wakes up” (he actually didn’t sleep due to other people’s sleeping noises and what have you) so he’s a mess, and stays in bed basically unresponsive until the last moment. Remember also that he’s supposed to be driving himself on these windy roads for 6+ hours. One look at him and I knew he couldn’t (or more importantly shouldn’t) do that. None of the drivers spoke well enough English for them to understand the situation but after some phone calls and some broken conversations I got through to them that he needed a driver (the cost of the trip is a lot less if you were to drive yourself so he had already paid for a driver and when you’re driving you can’t take in any of the scenery like you can on the back). A stressful start but we got him a driver and the fresh air did him good. We start driving and what do we get blessed with?? SUNSHINE!!!! GLORIOUS SUNSHINE!!!! I started crying within the first 10 minutes ( happy tears).

The views were absolutely incredible, the sun was beaming we were so warm and everything was glowing. The difference the sun made was everything. I was expecting cold weather the whole way through so this was SUCH a treat. Throughout the day layers and layers were peeled off as we got to bask in the sun and feel the warm breeze. We went to the furthest most northern point of Vietnam. We saw the border to china and took a million photos and videos. I was feeling fabulous. Nick on the other hand was wishing he had never been born and will never sleep in a shared hostel room again lol. Also claims he’s never drinking again but it’s our friends’ birthday tomorrow so good luck.

When we got to the next hostel he paid extra for a private room so he could get some sleep *diva moment I was foreshadowing earlier* (in his defence the night before his pukey happy water fiasco we had the same group sleep situation in the hostel and he had gotten no sleep that night so he had 2 sleepless nights in a row and if there’s one thing to know about nick it’s he needs his 8-10 hours of uninterrupted sleep. Or else). He went to bed at 4 pm and woke up the next morning at 8 am so it was money well spent and he woke up a new human. I also should mention that the alternative to the private room was one HUGE room with like 30 people?? Maybe more?? And someone got sick all over their bed and it sounded like a nightmare. A bit too college-esque for my liking and nick would have most certainly lost his mind.

While nick was having his beauty sleep we had another family style dinner, delicious as usual! Same things as the night before but I feel like I could eat rice tofu and veg everyday for the rest of my life. You probably already guessed after the pukey story that the happy water was flowing. Lots of happy water. Maybe a bit too much but you live and learn. Not much to report about that night, had a great time and put myself to bed pretty early. One thing I love about drunk Tess is she always puts herself to bed before she can make a total fool out of herself. She also doesn’t get sick on her bed either (except that one time after my 19th birthday but I’ve grown up since those days)

Tumblr only lets me add 10 photos so I’ll make more posts with more pictures xx

[beaubaptiste]

A very wicked and very agreeable smirk crossed Beau’s lips before turning into a broad, knowing smile. Her eyes became hooded as they locked onto Gabriel’s and she knew deep down that she didn’t need to vocalize that he was right — he already knew. She wanted this man. It was primal, feral, and had a touch of fate to it that made her forget anything logical or sensible. In the back of her mind, she wondered if it was something out of her control. She had been hesitant about settling down and having children to further the family bloodline and to ensure the House had a caretaker after her time was done, and knowing that there were layers to everything, part of her wondered if Gabriel was put there to make her unable to resist the urge to maim him and have his babies.

“It was definitely you.” She said with a certainty she didn’t actually have.  She didn’t actually mind being wined and dined, and it most cases would encourage it before jumping into bed with someone, but the kind eyes of the man across from her were inviting and his silly little smile made her want to skip a few steps. “If it weren’t for the fact that we’d both end the date getting arrested, I’d be doing terrible things to you right now. But I want to make sure that if either of us end up in handcuffs, one of us has the key, not some third party.” She winked. 

“All over.” She said with a shrug. She chewed on her mouthful properly before swallowing and answering, knowing that even if she wasn’t behaving with the best of manners, she at the very least, didn’t want to talk with her mouth full. “Asia was nice. I probably spent the most time there. I’ve also been to Nirobi and Zimbabwe, Uganda… France was ghetto as hell, but kinda nice. “ She smiled, fondly recalling the memories. “ Just cause. It wasn’t anything fancy — most of the time I stayed in hostels, share houses, or even on the couches of friends I’d made along the way. This one time I spent two months in Germany just sleeping in large groups at whoever was throwing a party. I didn’t party much, but I did have friends who loved the lifestyle, so it was easy to go along with them, wait til’ everybody got so drunk they couldn’t make it home, then get a few hours sleep in someplace warm and safe. We’d all be clustered on the ground in living rooms or bedrooms… Sometimes we’d be in sleeping bags huddled in front a fireplace, but if my travel pack or sleeper got stolen I’d just use my duffle bag as a pillow and cover myself in this down coat I had. Sometimes friends were laying on towel or old picnic blankets, but we didn’t care; we were young and living our lives, seeing the world and learning… I can’t imagine livin’ like that now, but back then it was the best feeling to be free…”

Beau paused, taking a soft sigh before she came out of her memories and refocused her eyes on Gabriel. He was watching her with a sort of intense focus, as if he were hanging off her every word, and she knew he would, at some point or another, want to hear more. She understood that her life read as a really interesting adventure book or a movie women loved to rewatch, but it came with it’s own hardships as well, even if she didn’t share those in her stories. Nevertheless, it was too soon to tell the bad with the good, and in spite of her feeling drawn towards him, there was still the fact that she didn’t know Gabriel well enough to be so vulnerable, even if she wanted to.

Shaking her head, Beau took and processed another hearty bite before answering. “ A stray? Nah, I didn’t think that, You walked those brown eyes and fine ass into my house and all I thought was ‘ I’m gonna wrap my legs ‘round that man’s neck before the night is over’. And I didn’t lie.” She added with a smile as she sipped her drink. 

Hesitating, Beau let out a small smile and sigh as she forced the words out. “ No, no family. Not anymore.” She offered, but didn’t want to ruin the mood by going into detail. Instead, she licked her lips and extended her hand across the table to graze her fingers over his knuckles. “But if we’re past bein’ coy, then you wont mind me askin’ how long we’re gonna take with dinner before we get to dessert? Cause I got something real nice and sweet for you to eat in the backseat of your car.” She said in a low, seductive voice. Her eyes then crinkled in the corners as her smile grew. Beau leaned in more, covering his hand with hers as best as it could before saying. “ Or if you don’t like it in the car, you can just take us back to mine and fuck me all night long.”

“I’m convinced you wouldn’t be satisfied unless I took you here and now.” He laughed between the two. For all his so-called chivalrous behavior, it was a blessing she didn’t take up the space in his mind to see all of the things he’d rather be doing right now. As he watched her smile turn to a grin, more sweet than anything, it triggered some of his desires to daydreams. He imagined her smile turning to an open mouth, the way her dress would slip off the sides of the table, thinking about having her soft legs on either side of his head. “And that’s exactly it right there,” he said in the midst of his own chuckle, pointing at her lightly with his fork. “I can’t remember was it me or you that wanted a proper date? Cause I’m pretty sure it was you, I don’t know how I ended up the holier-than-thou virgin at the table.”

Whatever he said seemed to make her laugh, hiding her smile behind the fabric of the napkin. “Oh well that’s okay, go ahead and tell me all of mine I’m sure the list is long enough.” Still, he made note of what words he used and how he used them. She had much more independence and stability than most, and whatever lack of trust or confidence she had in others must have had everything to do with them. Or maybe that was his bias talking. Even if he couldn’t picture a darker side to her, it went without saying that it wouldn’t have mattered all that much. Quickly and probably foolhardy, he was much deeper than he actively thought about.

Gabriel was generally pleasant but had anyone seen him now, they’d know right away. He had never been all too romantic either, and even when he really liked a woman he had his reservations. But talking to her felt like water, laying with your back on the surface while it carries you. She felt like an old friend, like withholding himself would be a disservice. “Where’d you go for travel?” He poked in to more of his food, chewing before asking for more of herself. “You travel for school or just cause?” It wasn’t often travelers stuck to the places they came from.

His eyes rolled into a smile, half bashful from her comments. “Now don’t you start, we’re almost done. You’re making me feel like a stray.” He tsked, trying to wrestle her in. “You’re acting like you don’t take care of the whole neighborhood Ms. Rogers. You must of took one look at me and said oh that’s a project.” He laughed heartily. “I think I was dropping papers and looking around aimlessly I should count my lucky stars you wanna be seen with me in public.”

The way her eyes fell, even as her face put the work in to conceal it her expression was divided. “No family stuck around with you? You don’t have to say, if you’re not comfortable, of course.” There was some sense of sadness in the words, and Gabriel knew the feeling almost instantly. Loneliness was hard, and with a disciplined heart to set the boundaries life often had the inclination to feel hopeless. He saw the love she had to give, his eyes hallowed in her own, putting a little pressure on her fingers in recognition of her emotion. “We’re well past the point of being coy, but I’m sure I can help with one or two of those things. I’m great company, great at making noise, too, but we can practice that together. I might need to borrow some of that warmth from you.”

[alittlesilhouettoofaman]

Sleeping Together, an excerpt from Froger Love

Ever since boarding school, Freddie had hated sleeping alone. He'd been sent so far from home, and he missed his baba and mama so much. He didn't fit in at boarding school, something the other boys made abundantly clear, calling him buck tooth or bucky. London was lonely. Lonelier than Freddie had ever imagined, but then he found Brian, Roger, and John.

Queen was doing well, but they needed to think bigger... All four of them were crammed into Roger's dingy van, squabbling about something silly. Well, not that silly. 

 "I don't want to share a room with you!" Brian exclaimed. 

"Why not!" Roger whined. 

 "Mate, you fucking stink, and I'm not staying up till four with you again." Brian glared at Roger. "I'll be sharing a room with John, and that's final." 

"But there's only one bed!" Roger tried to whisper. He just couldn't. "I know you better than Fred. No offense, mate." 

Freddie sighed. "Dears, we've been driving for hours. We're all knackered. Let's stop fighting and get some sleep." Honestly, Freddie was looking forward to sharing a bed with Roger. He was always so warm. Roger went silent as Brian parked the van; his lips slightly puckered. 

They grabbed their stuff, all of them staring up at the dingy hostel they found themselves in front of. 

The paint was peeling off of the walls and half of the sign was missing. 

"Well, isn't this lovely," Brian winced. 

"Maybe it will be better inside?" Freddie considered hopefully. 

"It can't exactly be any worst," John chimed in dryly. 

Unfortunately, they were proven wrong about that. Reluctantly, they checked in, knowing they had little choice given that they'd never been to the city before. 

Roger swallowed thickly as he shut the hotel door behind them. The hair on his arms prickled at the thought of being alone with Freddie. It both terrified and excited him at the same time. "Some hotel, huh?" Roger chuckled awkwardly as he set his suitcase to the side. He suddenly felt so unsure of himself-something which seemed to happen a lot in Freddie's company.

“Oh, this is nothing,” Freddie said, kicking off his go-go boots. “You should’ve seen the hovel we stayed in after we left Zanzibar.” Freddie shimmied out of his tight jeans and plopped onto the bed. He was completely oblivious to Roger’s staring. “I hate when we’re stuck in the van for so long! My legs are sore!” Clad in nothing but a silk shirt, Freddie started jumping on the bed just like a child. He giggled at Roger’s horrified expression. 

“What are you doing?” Roger asked. 

“Flying!” Freddie giggled. “C’mon, get your feet off the ground!”

Roger pursed his lips, fighting a smile at the amusement jumping on the bed seemed to bring to Freddie. He couldn’t remember the last time he felt like that. Unable to resist, he kicked off his shoes and made a beeline for the bed…the furniture creaking below their combined weight. “Whoops!” Roger exclaimed as both of them lost their balance, tumbling backward against the bed with a smile. 

“God this feels more ancient than Brian’s old banger of a van outside!” Freddie giggled; his eyes crinkled with mirth. 

It brought a warmth inside of Roger at the noise. It had been so long since he’d felt that same happiness, and it was impossible not to get swept away with Freddie.

"I'm surprised it held up under our weight." Freddie laughed, imagining the ancient bedframe giving way and them ending up even closer to the dirty floor. 

"Don't even joke about that!" Roger looked horrified. 

"Well, I suppose we'll not break the bed then. But that doesn't mean our night of fun has to end." 

"Hmm?" Roger hummed. 

Freddie grinned. "Have you ever gone sock sliding?"

“Sock sliding?” Roger frowned. Growing up, he’d not had many sleepovers with friends, so most childhood games were lost on him. “What’s that when it’s at home?” 

“You’ve never heard of sock sliding?” Freddie asked in indignation. “Oh sweetie, you haven’t lived. Let me show you how it’s done.” 

Roger watched Freddie carefully bound up from the bed, delicate and noiseless as a cat. All of his worries about sharing a room and a bed with Freddie had disappeared, and the two of them were back to being their usual silly selves together. It was just the distraction Roger needed.

Grabbing Roger's hand, Freddie pulled him into the hallway. "Now, it's important, we're wearing socks, otherwise it won't work, and this hostel's perfect because it's not carpeted. All we need now is a running start!" Freddie ran and slid down the hallways. Laughing like a little kid, he hollered, "C'mon, Rog, your turn!" 

Roger watched him, lips pursed in amusement. But he figured he could use the distraction. “Oh, what the hell.” Roger followed his lead, stepping backward and sliding himself forward along the wooden floor. He slipped, falling to the ground with a giggle. He couldn’t remember the last time he felt this free.

Freddie jumped on top of Roger.  They both shook with laughter. 

“Shhh!” Someone from a different room hushed. 

Freddie and Roger giggled. 

A door opened and Brian poked his head out, “Quiet down!” Roger and Freddie roared with laughter.

Roger had never felt as free and giddy. All of his anxieties about being with Freddie disappeared, and it was like he couldn't stop laughing. "Oops," Roger gasped out between more giggles. "I think we've just been told off." 

"I'll make it up to him tomorrow." 

Roger blinked, partly taken back by the beautiful image of Freddie on top of him, a cheeky grin on his face, and his dark, shiny hair falling across his slight shoulders. He'd never noticed just how full and soft Freddie's lips seemed. In fact, they looked inviting.

As their laughter died down, Freddie could feel just how close he was to Roger. “I-I suppose we should get some sleep?” Roger doesn’t like men, Freddie tried to remind himself. He’s my best friend. That’s all.

Roger swallowed thickly, his gaze drawn to the curve of Freddie's lips. It would be so easy to lean forwards and kiss him, cover his smile with his own, but then...what would happen after that? He was no good at relationships. His last one proved that. The thought of losing Freddie for good made his heart clench in his chest. "I guess so," Roger said reluctantly, though he couldn't seem to make his body follow that command. Instead, he remained where he was, his arm sliding round Freddie's slim waist. God, this feels so right, Roger thought to himself wistfully.

Freddie sighed. He had never been able to love anyone halfheartedly. He loved Roger as a friend, of course, he loved him as more. But Roger didn’t know how to love right or how to love right in return. He always came to Freddie for advice, but what could Freddie say?

Roger felt his cheeks burn as Freddie slowly detangled himself from his embrace, his gaze towards the floor. A pang of panic shot through Roger at the thought of him already messing up the fragile bond between him and Freddie. He ran a hand through his hair, painfully aware just how aroused he had already gotten at their closeness. Freddie's lithe body pressed against his had felt too good to ignore... Roger shivered, his mouth dry at the prospect of how electric that first kiss might had been. But alas, Freddie would never feel the same way. And he liked him too much as a friend to lose him. "Beer?" It was the only thing Roger could think of to say. Lord knew, he could do with a drink.

Freddie snorted. "I suppose we'll both be smashed anyways. Who needs sleep anyway?" Freddie considered himself a night owl. He was always restless, but there was something about the darkness that made his thoughts bubble up like a lava lamp. "I think there's a bar downstairs." A bit of numbness would do him good because then he wouldn't care so damn much. 

Roger nodded, looking away until he didn’t quite feel so flushed. He was already slightly tipsy but the ability to his numb his thoughts and feelings further was a very tempting offer. “Let’s go.” Roger lead the way, striding down the hallway with a determined spring in his step. His heart was still racing and his body still felt all tingly from their near kiss. He couldn’t get the image out of his head—the two of them entwined. How good it would feel. He shivered, clearing his throat and desperately searching for a distraction of some kind. 

Freddie followed after Roger, trying to clear his thoughts of Roger's tight pants, or how his shirt didn't quite cover his toned back. Freddie shook his head. He stared at the colorful carpet instead, but it gave him the heebie-jeebies because it looked like the carpet from The Shining. Finally, they arrived at the dark bar. It was well into the morning and past the time for parties, so it was quite empty. Freddie hurried and ordered vodka. "Here's to us, I suppose," Freddie toasted, trying not to stare at Roger for too long. But it was impossible, wasn't it? Roger was a creature of sunlight and morning dew; he simply shone too brightly to ignore.

Roger smiled, his eyes lingering on the curve of Freddie's lips as he made a toast. He clinked his glass against his, holding his gaze as he took a sip. "To us." The burn of vodka against Roger's throat was delicious. It was just the distraction he needed.

“To us,” Freddie echoed. Friendship is better than nothing. Roger had a strange look in his eyes. But Freddie didn’t question it. He wondered how Roger saw him because when he looked in the mirror he didn’t see anything special. Just a boy who was too wild and reckless…

“So,” Roger cleared his throat, searching for a conversation starter. “How do you reckon this tour will go?” They all knew it was make or break. It was just another thing that was playing on Roger’s mind.

Freddie didn’t know. He wanted to say that of course, the tour would go fabulous. But the truth was, he didn’t know. “I’ll sing my heart out. You’ll drum your arms off. Brian will bore us all to death, but he’ll play his guitar strings off. And Deaky, well, he’ll keep us grounded. But his legs might fall off with that funky dance of his.”

Roger chuckled in fond agreement. John had only been with them for a few months, but he’d already fit in with them so well. They were a band but first and foremost, it already felt like a family. That was exactly why these newfound feelings for Freddie made things so much more complicated, he thought, his gaze lingering on Freddie’s lips a fraction too long as he went to take a sip of his drink. Freddie arched one eyebrow, amusement in his eyes. “What?” “What?” “You’re staring.” “No, I’m not,” Roger insisted, cringing internally for having got caught as he reluctantly tore his gaze away and sipped his own drink. He should have been more upset given he’d only just broken up with his girlfriend. But he’d known it was the right thing to do. They barely saw each other now that the band was taking off. And if Roger was truly being honest with himself, he’d been having more and more fantasies about a certain beautiful and exotic lead singer for quite some time. Now they were sharing a bed for the whole night-and all Roger could think was how much he was dying to kiss him. Consequences be damned. 

“I suppose we should at least try to get some sleep,” Freddie said softly. He doubted he would be able to sleep so closely beside Roger. But he couldn’t take Roger’s staring anymore. Roger was looking at him like bees and flowers…

“Err…yeah, I guess you’re right,” Roger reluctantly agreed, downing the rest of his drink and forcing his gaze away. He felt flushed with embarrassment and desire. He knew he could be a lot—he’d been told as much by almost everyone he’d ever met throughout the whole of his life. When he liked someone, he was all in. But it was different this time. It was Freddie. He would have to tread carefully. For starters, he wasn’t even convinced the feelings were mutual. Secondly, the band was too important to mess this up. And thirdly, if he managed to chase Freddie away…Brian would kill him. But the thought of spending a whole night so painfully close to Freddie was in the forefront of Roger’s mind. “Apologies in advance if I snore,” Roger tried to joke as they walked slowly back up to their room. “My sister always reckoned I’m louder than a trombone.” March 28, 2023

Freddie giggled. “I’m a bit of a bed hog.” Most of his lovers hated how clingy he was in his sleep. But his whole life he’d just wanted to be close to someone. Freddie was unsteady on his feet as he followed Roger back to their room. He wasn’t sure if Roger was talking. He couldn’t hear anything over the drumbeat of his heart.

“I wouldn’t mind that,” Roger admitted, looking back at Freddie with a smile, which quickly disappeared from his face when he saw how pale Freddie had suddenly turned. “Freddie?! A-are you okay?” He raced to his side, putting a hand against his back and trying to gauge what was wrong. March 30, 2023

Freddie shivered against Roger's touch. "F-Fine, darling, just floated away for a moment." Roger frowned. But Freddie didn't want to explain. He lay beside Roger, staring at how his golden hair almost looked silver in the dark. He thought Roger was sleeping, so he whispered, "You deserve someone who loves you. You give yourself to all of these girls, but none of them love you, not really. And I'd give anything to love you... but I can't because no one's ever loved me either."

Roger remained still, attempting to get his head around what he’d just heard. He’d been on the cusp of sleeping when Freddie began to speak. He rolled over, catching the way Freddie’s eyelashes were fluttering softly. He put his hand on his waist and moved himself closer. “You deserved to be loved too,” Roger whispered ardently. “You’re perfect just the way you are. I just wish you could see that too.”

Startled, Freddie was terrified that Roger had overheard his heart's greatest secret. He couldn't even process Roger's words... And Roger, knowing Freddie better than anyone else, pressed a chaste kiss against his lips. "We both deserve love," he whispered. "And I think we've been fools not realizing how much we love each other." Freddie blinked back tears, drowning in the ocean of their kiss...

[amayaonly1]

Diavolo's Cousin from Hell - Lesson 3 (Obey Me! x Female!MC/Reader)

@strawberry-moonpies So sorry for the delay! These past few days had been tough for me. The hostel I'm residing not only had water disruption for a few days but then suddenly there was a blackout in the middle of the night. On top of that, I had to deal with one of the most unreliable managements who's been very lackadaisical in following us up on our concerns. Anyway, hopefully, this chapter can make up for the delay. Take care!

[Anyone interested to be added to the tag list may inform me. 😉 At the moment, I write mainly for Obey Me! as long as my brain is willing to cooperate.]

Other work: A Lil' Oopsie

Diavolo's Cousin from Hell mini-series:

Prologue | Lesson 1 | Lesson 2 | Lesson 3 | Lesson 4 | Lesson 5 | Lesson 6

Belphegor couldn't recall when was the last time he ever felt so antagonised by a being's existence, let alone that of a demon, one that belonged to the royal family. Especially one that's been stuck to their beloved human since his arrival.

As soon as the so-called meeting adjourned, before any of the brothers could approach her, Balial stuck by MC's side merrily chatting away as the both of them exited the room. Whether that was intentional or not on the young Prince's part, no one would know- actually, scratch that. The contemptuous smirk he'd sent to the other demons over his shoulder was enough to provoke Mammon and Satan. Both needed to have Beelzebub grab them by the back of their collars before they could start a massacre, with Leviathan and Asmodeus at the side attempting to pacify them which only fell on deaf ears.

And as usual, dear oblivious MC didn't notice this exchange.

All of a sudden, Balial turned to the human beside him and blatantly asked, "Ah, Miss MC! Have you had the opportunity to ride a horse carriage in the human realm?"

"No," was her honest answer. "I've always found them fascinating, but never really felt desperate to ride on one. After all, it's quite a rare sight to see one in my hometown."

"Well, as a matter of fact, I humbly came here with my own horse carriage. The coachman did a splendid job driving two of our horses - Arion and Kelpie - as the journey was swift and smooth. I'm proud to say that he's trained them well as they're both well-behaved; if I do say so myself. If you like, I shall extend an invitation to you to ride my horse carriage to your abode; just the two of us."

And as usual, MC - oblivious to the simmering angry demons behind - excitedly replied, "I'd love to! I'll show the way to where we're staying also."

There he goes again, scoffed Belphegor in his mind, shaking his head disapprovingly as he watched MC happily leaving with the young demon.

"Seriously," grumbled Mammon once the two left the meeting room. "Who da heck does he think he is? Waltzing in here stuck to MC like a baby? And why's MC so dense to even notice that he's doing all that to rub it in our faces?"

"MC's always been a bit too nice to say no," noted Asmodeus sympathetically. "On top of that, from the way Balial has been acting around her, I would understand why MC wouldn't notice what he's actually doing. But, that's not to say that he doesn't like MC."

"Don't tell me he likes her," sighed Leviathan dreadfully.

Belphegor observed his brothers' expressions, silently. It's already a headache hearing that Balial will be dropping by here for a visit after their last experience with him, but the youngest demon brother didn't think that the young prince's obnoxious ostentatious flaunting would be taken to another degree. He took a sudden liking to MC - although, to give him the benefit of the doubt, it's rather understandable for one to gradually fall for her charm, just not this instant - and knowing that the Seven Demon Lords had a soft spot for her, he took advantage of that and went all out in hogging her attention. And knowing his persistence and obstinacy in getting what he wants, Balial's greed would put the current Avatar of Greed to shame.

But the youngest of the demon brothers is the Avatar of Sloth. So it's no secret that he hates anything that takes effort. That's why, he thought, as long as Balial didn't bother him or interfere with his routine, then these two weeks might not be as bad as he thought.

When he returned to the House of Lamentation with his brothers, Belphegor thought he'd take a nap in the attic room. It had been a long day for him, after all, having to attend a meeting so suddenly right after class. So there he was, climbing up the staircase that would lead him to the attic where he used to stay. He was thinking; if he happened to meet MC along the way, then he might ask her to join her. Dealing with the young Prince of the Underworld was tedious, so what better way to relax than to nap and forget all the young demon's shenanigans?

However - how very, unfortunately - standing inside the attic room was none other than the said demon. Right next to him was the elderly butler named Merihem, one of the rare demons Belphegor knew who had yet to use his powers to obscure his age, as he kept his grey hair and mustache. Like a typical butler, he sported a black suit, a pair of white gloves, and a gold monocle hanging from the right breast pocket of his coat.

The attic room, in no time at all, was starting to be filled with Balial's belongings. The sheets were replaced with the finest silk, dark orange drapes were taken down and substituted with ivory voile. The bear rug was no longer found and, instead, occupying the wooden floor was a large oriental rug. A clothing rack was set up near the full-length mirror, fully occupied by Balial's clothing. Empty leather suit cases were splayed at the side, with a few unopened ones just a foot away from him ready to be opened by him and his butler.

"Hello, Merihem," Belphegor greeted with a curt nod towards the said demon.

"Good evening to you too, Mr. Belphegor," responded the butler in a modulated voice, placing a hand over his chest as he bowed.

But the Avatar of Sloth then looked over to the Prince and glared. "And what are you doing here?" he demanded. The tone and his facial expression clearly emanated annoyance towards the Prince.

"What am I doing here, you ask," Balial repeated mockingly. "Well, I guess it can't be helped that you're a forgetful one. So allow me to remind you why I'm here - I'm staying here."

"I know that. I'm asking - why are you staying inside this room? There are a few guest rooms for you to occupy, so why this place?"

"Actually, this place has only one available guest room," retorted the young demon. "One is already occupied by Miss MC, so it's considerably rude of me to just bunk in when she deserves her privacy. Then there's one with furniture covered with white cloth, but MC suggested I occupy another room. That leaves us with one guest room which Merihem humbly occupies. At first, he wished for me to take that room, but it seemed that this room is nearer to Miss MC's room. So I chose this room, in the end.

"Judging by that scowl, I assume that this room is yours, even though you're already sharing one with your brother. Well, Belphegor, I'm terribly sorry for occupying your room. Alas, nothing is fair; but as long as an opportunity tilts my way, I shall seize it as resolve my indignation. So run along now. I'm sure you have plenty of resting spots in this lovely home of yours."

Just as he turned back round to continue unpacking with his butler, Balial added, "And while you rest, I ought to join MC in the kitchen. I heard that it is her turn to prepare tonight's meal; thus, I've volunteered to aid her. That sounds like music to your ears, doesn't it? Since you detest endeavouring in general, even if it involves her."

Perhaps Belphegor ought to take back everything he said about giving Balial the benefit of the doubt.

[goldenmorningglory]

i am thinking about bad buddy (surprise surprise) and how strongly and beautifully it uses locations that it makes us emotionally attach meanings to them.

we take their houses. well this is obvious so i won't go into detail. they've lived there, across the enemy lines with a tin can phone line connecting them. pat's room has seen his frustation releasing drum sessions cause of pran, his quiet sadness when things get too much, it has seen his gaze full of yearning in those three years when he would pull out the guitar. pran's room has seen pat a lot. it has seen pran unconciously smile as he looks at a pick. has seen him cry silently with the curtains closed as he packed away his things to leave. seen that unconcious smile come back and has seen the two of them serenading each other, happy and in love.

but these are not the places i want to talk about. I'm thinking of a non descript dorm corridor. of a rooftop. of a beach side. of a bus stop. of a bar.

we come across these places in our lives don't we? and something about how this show makes each of these super common places hold so much value for each step of pat and pran's relationship, influences how we see those places.

i stayed in the hostel during college. and corridors have seen a lot of things. crazy shehnanigans, getting scolded by the matrons, cats, late night or early morning walks by kids trying to cram last minute. phones calls with all sorts of emotions. for pat and pran i feel, it represented affirmation. them running, chasing, breathless as they act like kids again. the guitar scene where pat affirms that he did wait, he did wish to see pran again. ep 8 where pran affirms that he may take time but he'll never leave pat hanging. each time they waited in front of each other's doors and the other opened was an affirmation. it's a hallway with one way to go for them and it was towards each other. everytime.

i went to the rooftop at the hostel where i was staying for work recently. it doesn't have a skyline view but the stars were bright, the moon was beautiful and i was thinking of them taking the biggest leaps of faith of their 20 year old lives on a rooftop. the scenes may seem sad but for me they all spoke of strength. pran not hiding the fact that he was the 'girl' in the room across. the kiss. pran being ready to confess but pat refusing because he didn't want to win like that. the hug with a promise of running away. the rooftop now reminds me of strength.

i have always, always loved beaches. something about staring as far as your eye can see with the knowledge that across these waters are more people, countries, continents. and the beach is freedom in this show. it's the freedom pat begs pran to give them in ep 6. it's the freedom they wrest from the hands of fate for a limited time in ep 11. it's the freedom of being and loving freely as they come back after graduation. the motif of unshackled that the beach represents in this show is so dear to me.

now a bus stop is something we may not even register. we use it for transport, hurried to get from one point to the next. but this show made it a motif of building together. of teamwork, of setting aside differences and working together to build something lasting. from them bouncing ideas off each other in ep 3 and working together till it finished, the rest of the friends included. it represents pat and pran building again, that steady foundation they seemed to have had in high school. it represents pat asking pran to build with him in ep 6 to help him build something beautiful. it actually even represents the two main instigators of continuing the rivalry- korn and wai learning to be better and less violent over time. it's some sort of power to turn a common, everyday thing like a bus stop into a symbol.

now the bar. i was randomly watching gifsets and i realised how much that bar has seen of the growth in this group of people. it's seen the beginning of their detestation of each other, seen how the engg gang misbehaved with wai. it has seen pat struggle with wanting to get close to pran wanting to comfort him. it has seen a pat close to breaking down and trying not to let it show in the face of Pran's deserved win. it has seen the engg gang stop others from doing the very same that they did before. and finally it has seen each of them pat, pran, ink, korn, wai....has seen them grow, be better, be happier, softer and fall in love. the bar, of all places was the one that saw a lot of pre turning points of their lives and it's quite poetic if you ask me.

well of course these are the ramblings of someone who just has too much bad buddy thoughts and is probably overthinking everything but i really like the consistency of the motifs we got with the locations. it's nice to be able to draw patterns like that and have it make sense. all thanks to p'aof of course.