#(i loved goth fashion as a little kid) but wearing anything else made me so deeply uncomfortable and unable to function properly

[gardenstateofmind]

when i was younger and learned that a lot of autistic people wear the same exact outfit every day i was like "oh that's wild" and then i got a little older and Realized

[thtupidity]

So I actually did this a lot faster than expected so uhhh here's the character pages. There were also all the locations until Jan 2021 (or whenever the space station update was) but nothing really of importance.

Anyways here's the core crew's entries, only Jake, Tricky, Fresh, and Yutani had 4 pages unlike the 2 the others got (except for Dino, Boombot, and Miss Maia who all share a single page)

Jake, the first character you meet in subway surfers is the group's leader!

[no speach bubble]

- his grades don't actually reflect his intelligence because he's "too much of a dreamer to focus on schoolwork"

- he constantly wants to go further than everyone else which is why he doesn't turn down challenges and dares (how can this possibly go wrong)

- his need for thrill makes him kinda insensitive towards his friends, he still cares about them and will do risky things for them. Sometimes just for fun.

Tricky, meet the gang's rebel girl— and dance diva!

"I gotta admit, that my ballet training comes in handy when I'm jumping obstacles in the tunnels! But I have to be careful not to twist an ankle — my tracher and my parents would kill me..."

- she can only use her money on things her parents allow her to

- if she gets caught by Ted her parents would make sure she never skates again

- she is a complete perfectionist and takes angles and physics into consideration, and if she can't emulate it perfectly she gets frustrated

Fresh, Fresh was birn in the wrong time: his head is totally in the 1980s

"I live my life by the five elements of hip-hop: MC'ing, DJing, breakdancing, graffiti and education! Okay and skating. Is there room for a sixth element? Who decides this stuff?"

- there isn't much that we already know i.e just saying "he loves the 80s" over and over again and his paragraphs are short. Justice for my boy.

- "Fresh is the most levelheaded of the gang — good at defusing arguments and keeping them all together. He thinks before he speaks, which is kore than you can say for Jake!" ...damnnn

- He feels as if his family is stifling sometimes, so he likes being able to get away from them.

Spike, keeping it real!

[no speach bubble]

- Spike is pointed out to have his fashion more closer to the 70s compared to everyone else's 80s vibe. So food for my "Spike is older" headcanon yum yum

- His boots are shit for skating

Yutani, the gang's resident tech genius, whose inventions are out of this world!

"Whatever my home planet is like, I hope it has lower gravity than Earth — imagine the jumps and tricks you could pull off! And it'd hurt less when you fell, too."

- Yutani thinks there is a tech-based solution to any problem

- She thinks she's an alien because of her missing birth records

- Yutani being able to understand the turbine is implied to be related to her alien orgin

- She also sometimes says more than she's supposed to on her streams (let Yutani do the next interactive stream, grill her on information instead)

Lucy, the punk girl of the gang

"Who said goths have to be mopey and depressed? Sure, I hang out in dark tunnels a lot— but I know how to have fun!

- so there isn't anything important just describing her outfits. But them calling her punk and then talking about her being goth is mildly annoying.

Frank, who *is* that guy?

[no speach bubble]

- nothing much (predictably) just making fun of his clothes.

King, who made him king?

"Heavy is the head that wears the crown, that's what they alwayd day. They should try wearing a crown made of paper! Saves a lot of neck strain."

- not a subway surfer, but he hangs around them because he wants to be included in the fun (justice for King)

- His design is based off of a kid on the album "you've come a long way, baby" by Fatboy Slim

Ella, fresher than Fresh!

"That little brother of mine doesn't know real music when he hears it..."

- She likes reggae music over Hip-hop

- that's about it sadly

Ninja, the moonlight shadow! (i love this title)

"I will strike when you least expect it. Not now. Or now. Look, it won't be when you're watching me."

- He still has no canon name

- A lot of talk about ninjas being assassins so I like to take it as their way of saying Ninja has killed and will kill again.

- His Yang outfit could be useful for sneaking around in the snow

Tagbot, the cyber-surfer

"My databanks contain over three million tags in two hundred languages! I can also spell-check your tags, if you like."

- Yutani is the one who built him, and its stated that he's inspired by Jake. Love her still but would like to know her reasoning to this bold choice.

Tasha, bringing good cheer!

"Give me an "S"! Give me a "u"! Give me a "b"! Give me a "w"! Give me a "a"! Give me a "y"! What d'you mean, why? It's today's word hung word! LOOK, I JUST NEED THE "Y" AND I'VE COMPLETED IT!!"

- there isnt actually a lot here, other than like "hah bet you didn't think you'd find someone like her being a subway surfer!" So were moving on. Most of these are like this. (Justice for Tasha)

Zoe, playing dead.

"Must...tag...walls..."

- she's one of those fast zombies which is horrifying

- She's also not very talkative

- She hasn't tried to eat anyone's brain... "yet"

- Again shes implied to have been dead since the 50s

Brody, too cool for school

"I surf anywhere... beaches, subways... its all just boards to me!"

- young lifeguard

- He's posh?? Maybe??

(These all share a page unfortunately)

Dino [no sub title]

"Roar! What else do you expect me to say? Im a dinosaur."

- "maybe its secretly Yutani"

Boombot [no sub title]

"I don't break down when I break-dance!"

- I hope youre hungry. For nothing. (Justice for boombot)

Miss Maia [no sub title]

"People think i'm mysterious because I wear this respirator mask... really, I just want to avoid breathing in paint fumes. It's good sense!"

- I hope youre hungry. For nothing. (Justice for Maia)

Guard and Dog, don't let them catch you!

"This job would be great if it weren't for those kids. I'd never have to do anything! Although them the boss might fire me for doing nothing..."

- Ted's boss reveal when

- Hes always following them around the world. He's the biggest hater in the subway surfers universe no one does it like him.

- Subway company either makes him wear costumes on holidays or he just does it himself

- He dresses up as NYPD, which im pretty sure is a crime to impersonate an officer...

[rhysismydaddy]

Fanny Pack Sexiness (Nessian Smut)

Prompt: *sensually unclips fanny pack* this is weird, i know. but i just saw a tweet and i thought if anyone could write this, it would be you.

Laughed so hard when I read this. If this isn’t Nessian, I don’t know what is. NSFW warning because I do love a fanny pack moment ;)

_________________________________________________________

Nesta glared out the window, keeping her unspoken vow to not look over at the atrocity that was her boyfriend. 

Well, that wasn’t not fair. 

The boyfriend himself was actually pretty nice to look at. 

Broad shoulders, a tall frame filled with meaty muscle, curly brown hair, and golden eyes made him interesting enough, she supposed. 

But it was what the bastard had chosen to wear that had driven her insane all day. 

The monstrosity was strapped around his waist currently, and she could’ve sworn it was laughing up at her. 

Consider this the first and last time she would ever travel with him. 

Because since it wasn’t obvious enough they were American, Cassian had chosen to wear a fanny pack. Over an I <3 LONDON shirt. Which he’d paired with khakis. 

He looked like the cover of a tourist’s guide made for forty year-old, single men who lived with their mothers. 

And she knew it was at least partly her fault he was dressed so stupidly, but she refused to apologize. 

Last night, they’d been heading out to dinner, when she commented that almost always, he wore all black. Honestly, it wasn’t even a complaint, considering she was guilty of the same thing. 

Why bother trying to put together prints and fabrics and colors, when black looked so nice on her? 

Anyway. She hadn’t been complaining. Teasing, but not complaining. 

But noooo. He’d immediately gotten that annoying, competitive look in his eyes that both made her smile and want to strangle him. 

“What would you like me to wear, Nesta?” he’d asked, golden eyes practically glowing. 

She’d sighed, probably making things worse. “I’m just saying, we look a little goth when we’re together.”

Cassian had just smiled down at her, then walked out of their room. She hadn’t thought any more of it when he’d slipped back in later that night, but then this morning, when he’d gotten dressed in the bathroom and opened the door with a flourish, she’d almost hit the floor. 

He was not built for fanny packs and khakis. 

He was built for... well, he was built to be naked all the time, but since that would probably get them sent back to the states, tight black shirts and jeans was a decent second option.

Plus, as if it weren’t bad enough already, he’d been adding to the ensemble all day, building up to the horrendous outfit she was currently avoiding looking at. 

His faded combat boots had been replaced with flip flops. His hair was tucked under a very large hat with a Big Ben outline across the front. He’d even stopped to buy a fucking old-fashioned pipe from the William Blake exhibit they’d gone to see. 

He was trying to drive her crazy. 

But little did he know, she had a few tricks up her sleeve. After three years together, she knew how to drive him crazy, too. 

So she’d plotted and schemed all day. And as they rode back to their hotel in the cab, it was finally time for it to come into play. 

Trying to be discrete, she nodded at the driver.

Cassian’s eyes shot to her as the man slammed on the brakes. It had costed her twenty Euros, but seeing the look of shock on her boyfriend’s face was so worth it. 

Especially as she shouted, “Drive him to the other side of the city and kick him out!”

And jumped from the cab. 

It was still moving a little, but she’d been prepared and hit the ground at a run. 

Manic laughter came out of her as Cassian turned around in the now-speeding cab, shouting something unintelligible back at her. 

He wanted to dress like a tacky tourist and drive her crazy? 

Fine. 

She’d just have to show him what he was missing out on. 

~

A little over an hour later, the door to their hotel room swung open, hitting the wall angrily. 

“That asshole took me halfway to fucking Essex, then had the audacity to charge me for the ride. Next time you have someone kidnap me, at least pay the fee, woman! I swear-”

Whatever he was about to say lodged in his throat as he took a look at what she was wearing. 

It was all new, and his eyes took in every piece of the wardrobe with a predatory gleam that sent her toes curling. But she acted unaffected, even as she bent down to fix the strap of her very high, very uncomfortable shoes. 

“What’s going on?” he asked, voice rough. 

Straightening, she shrugged and fluffed her hair. “I’m going to dinner.”

“You mean we’re going to dinner.”

Finally. 

Nesta turned towards her boyfriend, enjoying the way his eyes dipped to the almost indecent amount of cleavage on display. 

She traced her eyes over his entire rumpled, touristy outfit. “I’m not going in public with you while I look like this and you look like that.” 

His eyes narrowed as he finally caught on to what she’d done. “I’ll change then.”

It was a struggle not to laugh. “Well, you seemed so intent on replacing your wardrobe, I figured I’d help you out and dumped your suitcase.”

That was a lie. It was safely hidden down at the front desk. 

“You did what?”

Ignoring the question, she said, “You’re welcome. And since you can neither change nor go like that, I guess I’ll just see you later.”

Making her way to the door, she was abruptly stopped by a hand smacking into the wall closest to her, an arm now blocking her path. “Nesta Archeron, you are not going out looking like a goddamn supermodel while I sit here with my thumbs up my ass.”

“How you fill the alone time is irrelevant to me, Cassian.”

His other hand made its way to the wall, too, caging her in. 

“I know you wouldn’t throw my clothes out. Where are they? Tell me, and we’ll go to dinner.”

She shrugged, resolve to keep the secret building by the second. 

She was aware they were both a little competitive, but she didn’t care. She was winning this, one way or the other. He’d admit he’d been wrong to dress like an idiot today, then--and only then--she’d give him his clothes back. 

“I know what you’re doing,” he told her, the tone of his voice proving that it was working. 

He was suddenly so close she couldn’t think about anything else. 

Even dressed in head to toe tacky, he somehow managed to suck all the air out of her lungs. 

One hand turned his hat backwards so the brim wouldn’t poke her, and he leaned in close enough to run his nose down her neck. 

“Tell me, Nesta.”

“No.”

His teeth nipped at her skin, and she shivered. “Do I need to fuck it out of you?”

Gods, yes. Please. 

That hadn’t been her plan at all, but her body was more than on board with it. 

Except there was a bit of a problem. 

“You are not fucking me with a fanny pack on, hate to break it to you.”

Cassian pulled back far enough to wink at her, then his mouth was on hers, dominating her in the way that she’d only ever let him do. He pressed her against the wall, chest tight against hers, as he slipped his tongue in her mouth. 

Hands on her waist lifted her, and then she was being thrown halfway across the room onto the neatly-made bed. 

Propping herself up on her elbows, she glared over at him. 

“I was being serious, Cassian. You’re not getting any while you’re dressed like Uncle Sam.”

He swaggered over to the foot of the bed, the comment not at all impacting his confidence. 

“Allow me to remedy the problem then, princess.”

The hat’s the first to go, and it was a relief to see his unruly hair finally free. She heard the slap of his flip flops on the floor and figured he kicked them off, too. Cassian tugged the horrible, bright yellow “I <3 LONDON” shirt over his head, then stared at her, eyes narrowed. 

“I’m keeping the fanny pack.”

It was adorable how wrong he was. 

Raising an eyebrow, Nesta leaned back and let her thighs fall open, keying him into the fact that she’d somehow forgotten to put on underwear tonight. 

His jaw tightened, but he didn’t move to take off the damn pack. 

So she ran a manicured nail over her bottom lip, then slipped it in her mouth and sucked on it. She was pretty sure Cassian was about to pass out as she released it with a pop, then brought it between her legs. 

“Nesta.”

“Hmm?” she responded, the sound drawn out and breathy as she pushed the finger inside herself. 

“I like the fanny pack.” He sounded so sad, it was almost comical. Like a kid on Christmas who’d just been told Santa hadn’t come.

Too bad.

“Then stand there and watch.”

Oh, he did. His eyes were intent on her hands, both the one between her legs and the other that made it’s way to her breast. 

She rolled a nipple between her fingers and groaned, and he leaned down to fist the sheets at the end of the bed in his hands. “Fuck.”

Nesta refused to give first. Absolutely refused. 

And she knew what it would take for him to give in. So she added another finger, back arching off the bed, and worked herself until she was so close she couldn’t stay still. 

His knuckles were white as he gripped the comforter tight enough to threaten the strands, but it wasn’t that that forced him to lose their little battle. 

It was the sight of her coming undone before him. 

She moaned, and it might’ve been his name that fell from her lips, as release found her. When she heard the strangled, creative curse he let out, she knew she’d won. 

Forcing her eyes open, she watched as he finally unhooked the fanny pack and let it drop to the floor. 

It was the sexiest thing she’d ever seen. 

Cassian quickly kicked off his hideous khakis, then prowled up her body, dropping little love bights on her thighs, her hips, her breasts. 

“That was so hot,” he groaned as he settled between her thighs, bracing himself on his elbows. 

“That was the idea, idiot.”

He stopped for a moment, pulling back to give her a sour look. “I think I’m going to make you apologize for that.”

Before she could tell him there was a fat chance of that happening, he pushed into her. Nesta gasped, and his mouth was suddenly on hers, absorbing the sound. 

After a brief moment to adjust, his hips grew rough against hers, the grip he had on them almost bruising, but she didn’t care. 

“Fuck, Cass,” she groaned, arching into his touch as he drew little circles on the bundle of nerves between her legs. 

He picked up speed, pounding into her so hard she started shifting up the bed until he wrapped an arm around her shoulders, keeping her in place. 

Release started building up in her, and she could tell it would be almost too intense when it crested. But just before she got to find out, he slowed his rhythm, swirling his hips slowly against hers. 

An indignant, hateful sound left her mouth, and he pulled back enough to smirk down at her. 

“Say it,” he commanded, eyes like molten caramel as they watched her hips try to gain more friction. “Say you’re sorry, and I’ll give you what you want.”

“Fuck you,” she panted, barely resisting the urge to punch him. “You insufferable, arrogant bastard.”

“Not exactly what I want to hear, but close.”

A maddeningly slow circle of his hips had her regretting ever going out with him. 

Another had her planning his murder.

Yet another had her cursing the day he was born.

“Say it, Nesta. You know you want to.” He dipped his head to kiss the base of her throat. 

Her body was so strung out it was a miracle she didn’t burst into tears, but she somehow managed to hold off for another few minutes.

But then he grabbed her hands and pinned them above her head and all but growled, “Just fucking say it. Say it so I can fuck you like you deserve.”

And she was just desperate enough that she said, “I’m sorry I called you an idiot, you horrible asshole.”

He smiled down at her, and she glared. “Such beautiful words.”

“Cassian, I swear-”

The words became lost in her throat as he finally, finally started moving again, somehow harder and quicker than before. 

Release immediately crashed into her, and she moaned as she drew tight around him. 

“Good girl,” he murmured, and even though she currently hated him, the words just made the release that much sweeter. 

Especially as he didn’t stop. Her body was trembling underneath his, but he kept going, even dipping his head to kiss his way down to her breasts. 

His tongue swirled around the peak of one, and she groaned loudly as the wave inside her seemed to crash once more, leaving her scattered and broken in the aftermath. 

Cassian finally followed her lead, collapsing on top of her and pressing her into the mattress below as he said her name in a helpless, loving sort of way. 

Their breath was uncontrolled and loud, and it took a few minutes before either of them could speak. 

Then he asked roughly, “Now, where’d you hide my shit?”

“Front desk,” she panted, pushing her hair off her forehead with a tired hand. 

He drew back, looking over her partially-clothed body in a satisfied, male way that made her smile. “I really like that dress, in case it isn’t obvious. Want me to go change so we can eat something?”

Before she could respond, his mouth was at her ear, hot breath raising goosebumps across her skin. “Or do you just want to eat here?”

Suddenly, food was the last thing on her mind. 

Her hands found their way to his hair as she drew him back down to her. 

“Just get it tomorrow,” she murmured, lips finding his again. “And never wear that fanny pack again.”

_________________________________________________________

Like I said, I had WAY too much fun writing this hahaha. Kinda really loosely based on when Joey (Friends) went to London and dressed like a tourist :)

Tags: @sjm-things @santas-dwynwen @thebitchupstairs @sayosdreams @perseusannabeth @cursebreaker29 @a-bit-of-a-cactus @elriel4life @girl-who-reads-the-books @aelinfeyreeleven945tbln @highqueenofelfhame @tswaney17 @rowanisahunk @superspiritfestival @studyliketate @over300books @justgiu12 @maastrash @aesthetics-11 @bamchickawowow @b00kworm @sleeping-and-books @musicmaam @hizqueen4life @maybekindasortaace

[mandoalorian]

Shopping with Maxwell Lord

READ PART TWO HERE

DAY FIVE: Shopping with Maxwell Lord [This is the one I really wanted to write for myself and my own self indulgent needs!]

Taglist (let me know if you want to be added!)

Permanent: @supernaturalgirl @phoenixhalliwell @ah-callie @luvzoria @stardust-galaxies @wickedfrsgrl @goth-topic @nerdypinupcrystal @wonderfulfluffer @kiwi-the-first @pedroepascal @castiel-barnes

December Writing Challenge: @mandos-blaster @silent-and-resigned @valentinasubmarina

December Writing Challenge Masterlist

Main Masterlist

Warnings: allusions to sex, mention of orphanages and losing parents, Maxwell really wants a baby...

Word count: 2.7k

Rating: PG-13

Maxwell stood there, front and centre of the living room, in front of the television, frowning. A crinkle in between his brown eyebrows and his arms crossed over his chest. "Max?" you asked, looking at him with bewilderment. He didn't reply. "Max, can you move? I'm trying to watch A Christmas Carol." Maxwell sighed, moving out the way and slumping on down on the couch next to you. You continued watching the black and white movie for only a few seconds before tossing your head back and pausing it. "What?" you asked Maxwell and he narrowed his eyes.

"What?" he repeated, his tone almost accusing.

"Why are you so miserable?" you asked him and he shrugged, looking away from you and back at the paused TV. "Hello? Cat got your tongue?" you quizzed, causing him to roll his eyes. "Talk to me."

"I just-" Maxwell took a deep breath. "I hate the time of year. I mean, since meeting you, it's been better. It's been so much better but still… it still feels tainted by my past." he revealed. You wrapped your arm around him and lay your head into his lap. He found his fingers smoothing out your hair, bringing him a sense of comfort and belonging. "I don't know what to do."

You thought for a moment, glancing back at the paused television and back up at your boyfriend. "You remind me of Scrooge." you said out loud.

"Excuse me?" Maxwell asked and you giggled, reaching over to grab the remote and press play on the television.

"Ebeneezer Scrooge from A Christmas Carol," you clarified, pointing at the character on the television. "He was always miserable around Christmas. He made his business associate work in the cold and he never gave to charity… but then three ghosts came to visit him and he changed into a better, kind hearted and more generous man."

"Wow," Maxwell scoffed. "You really know how to make me feel better." he said sarcastically and you slapped his arm playfully. "I don't see the resemblance. I give to plenty of charities and I never make my employees work in the cold… and what is he wearing?"

"Maxie," you laughed. "It's set like, 100 years ago. Listen, I think you're wonderful. You give so much already. And I love you no matter what but… Christmas in particular is a time for giving back. Helping those who are less fortunate than ourselves. I think it could really bring you a kind of happiness. It'll keep you occupied and-"

"You have something in mind, don't you?" Maxwell sighed and your lips curled into a grin.

"Maybe…." you smirked, your eyes sparkling with excitement and desire. Maxwell loved to see you happy.

"Okay, what is it?" He asked and you sat up, taking his hands and giving them a gentle squeeze.

"When I was in the city the other day, I saw that the orphanage have been asking for donations. They're saying they'll accept anything. They just want the children to have a Christmas they'll never forget." you explained and Maxwell nodded. He was one of the biggest investors for the orphanage in DC. As a child, he knew how it felt to feel left behind. "So Max, what if we give them a Christmas they'll never forget?"

"Send more money?" he asked, already reaching for his checkbook.

"No. No that's...not what I meant." you shook your head.

"Well what do you propose?"

"Shopping!" you beamed and Maxwell sighed. "C'mon, it'll be fun." You grinned, pulling him off the sofa and wrapping your arms around him.

"It's Christmas Eve, the mall is going to be chaos." Maxwell shook his head in dismay.

"We are going shopping Maxwell." you said sternly. "Trust me on this one."

You pulled him over to the lobby and passed him his winter coat, scarf and gloves before swinging on your own faux fur jacket and wooly hat. "You can make up for this tonight." Maxwell told you, playfully smacking your ass as you opened the front door. You laughed and rolled your eyes before taking your boyfriend's hand and pulling him outside.

Maxwell was right. The mall was chaos, but luckily everyone was in a world of their own, too focused on getting their last minute Christmas shopping in before the big day tomorrow. "What's the plan?" he asked as you analysed the map of the mall, trying to figure out the most efficient route.

"We get toys and clothes and…" you looked up at Max. "100 kids live in that orphanage. We're going to do the absolute best we can for them, okay?"

"Okay." Maxwell agreed and you took his hand.

"Okay," you confirmed. "Let's go."

The first stop was a department store. It was bustling like you had never seen before. You and Maxwell both decided it would be best if you split up and went your separate ways before reuniting at the main entrance with your shopping. Taking control, like he always did, Maxwell told you to pick up toiletries while he'd look at the children's clothes.

You found yourself grabbing bubblegum flavoured toothpaste and princess pirate toothbrushes and washcloths, mermaid bubble bath and astronaut shower gel. You were practically pushing everything you could find into your shopping basket, trying your hardest to ignore the heaviness and the way your arm ached from the weight of it. You grabbed some fruity fragranced body spray for the slightly older girls and some deodorant for the preteen boys before heading to the checkout.

Maxwell Lord in the children's clothing section of the busiest DC department store was something else. He was surrounded by pink fluffy cardigans made for two year olds and onesies with little trains printed on them. Maxwell was someone who had a key eye for fashion, and while you were someone who wanted to grab everything you could, Maxwell really valued the quality. He strutted over to the designer brand section and picked out a dozen pairs of cashmere socks, winter UGG boots, Gucci jackets and white, frilly, made in Milan dresses.

But then his eye caught on something. It wasn't designer, it was a small, pale yellow babygrow with the words "Daddy's little princess" embellished in pink glitter writing. It was the smallest thing he had ever seen and he was enamoured. He stared at it for a few moments, before it was snatched away by a middle aged red faced woman with her hair scraped back into a ponytail.

"Hey!" Maxwell shouted, spinning around and pointing his finger at the woman. "That's mine." he frowned, angry that she had taken the last one.

"Finders keepers." she snarled.

Maxwell tore his hat from his head and removed his sunglasses. "Do you know who I am?" he quizzed bitterly, his hand taking place on his hip.

The woman gasped, her mouth parting slightly. "Oh- oh my god," she said with shock dripping from her tongue. "You're! You're Maxwell Lord! The King of Infomercials!!! I just seen you on the television in the electronics department!"

Maxwell smirked, satisfied with his reputation and influence he had over people. "Yeah, that's me. Now if you don't mind, I'm going to need that uh…" he didn't even know what to call the babygrow, instead gesturing aimlessly towards it.

"Okay!" the woman beamed, "But could I get an autograph and a kiss on the lips?"

Maxwell's frown deepened. "What?"

She scrambled around in her purse for a pen and handed it to him, rolling up her sleeve. "Sign me!"

"On- on your arm?" Maxwell asked and she nodded eagerly. Maxwell removed the lid and swiftly signed his name over her skin before handing her the pen back.

"Oh wow," she blushed, fanning herself before pouting her lips.

"Yeah, not happening." Maxwell sighed. "I'm not kissing you." The woman knotted her eyebrows together and straightened herself up, but before she could retort, Maxwell snatched the babygrow from her arms and ran to the elevator. "Nice doing business with you!" he grinned, waving his arms and running away."

After paying for the goods, you and Maxwell met back up and made your way, this time together, to the toy store. "Reminds me of when I was a kid," Maxwell smiled at the memory as he took your hand and looked up and down the shelves in awe. "My dad would take me here every year to pick out a new toy for Christmas. It was one of the only times we got to spend with each other." You hummed, leaning your head into his shoulder. Maxwell grabbed a few stuffed animals and threw them into the shopping cart. "I can't wait for the day I have kids." he announced.

"I thought you didn't want children?" you asked, your voice soft at the thought of your boyfriend being a father.

"I thought for so long I didn't want kids…" Maxwell admitted.

"I think you'd be an amazing father," you told him, squeezing his hand, only making his smile grow further. "Hey, we should get a few of these new electronic train sets! And the new Little Mermaid Barbies! What do you think?"

"I like how you think." Maxwell replied, pressing a kiss into your forehead as you picked out the dolls.

It was around 2 p.m. on Christmas Day. You and Maxwell had just finished your dinner and you had slipped into a fleecy elf dress you had purchased at the mall a day prior. You revealed yourself to Maxwell who was laying on the sofa watching the television has his stomach settled from all the food he had enjoyed.

"Check me out!" you grinned, giving him a little twirl, the bells on your elf hat jingling. Maxwell's jaw dropped as he drunk in your appearance.

"Where on God's great earth did you get that?" he asked, looking slightly mortified.

"The costume department at the mall!" You laughed. "I thought I could wear it for when we visit the orphanage. Don't worry, I got you a little something too so you don't feel left out." You presented Maxwell with a full body Santa Claus costume. "Ta da!"

"Not a chance." Maxwell sighed.

"Come on!" you growled playfully. "I'm sure the kids would love Maxwell Lord giving them presents, they'd be star struck. But Maxie, they're kids. I think they'd love it even more if the presents were delivered by Santa Claus." Max grimaced, knowing you were absolutely right. "Please." you pouted, fluttering your eyelashes.

Maxwell sighed again, this time deeper. He could never deny you. "Fine," he grumbled. "I'll get changed and then we can go."

You squealed excitedly, kissing his cheek. "I love you so much Maxie," you said, and Maxwell felt a blush creep over his cheeks. "I just know you're going to be a great dad one day."

"My back hurts." Maxwell moaned as he adjusted the sack of presents over his shoulder. You chuckled, shaking your head as you carried bags of clothes and toiletries of the orphans.

"Proud of you," you assured him. "Almost there."

You practically melted when you saw the delight of the screaming children hurry over to your boyfriend and wrap their tiny arms around him. "Ho ho ho," Maxwell bellowed and you watched with complete adoration as he dropped the sack of presents and interacted with the children. "Have you all been good this year?" he asked and the kids screamed in affirmation.

"Santa Claus!" A little girl gasped, reaching her hands out and making grabby fists. "I thought you weren't coming this year." she admitted, her eyes glossy. Maxwell kneeled down so he was level with the child.

"My elf told me how good you had been this year," Max smiled, pointing at you. "What's your name darling?"

"Maxine," she smiled and you saw Maxwell soften.

"I like that name." Maxwell replied, pulling her into a hug. "Merry Christmas Maxine."

"Thank you Santa, will I see you next year?"

Maxwell looked at you and you nodded your head. "Of course, as long as you be a good girl, I'll come back next year."

Maxine grinned, before hugging Maxwell tighter, refusing to let go. Just then, a boy who you estimated to be about thirteen or fourteen tapped you on the shoulder. You spin around with your best elfish smile, but frowned when you saw the magazine he was holding. It was a tabloid with your face on the cover. You winced at the bad angle. "You look like Max Lord's girlfriend." he deadpanned.

Maxwell's head snapped towards you and the boy and he strolled over. "Well well well who is that beautiful lady?" he asked, taking the magazine from the boy and checking it out.

"Max Lord's girlfriend." the boy replied. "Your elf looks like her."

Maxwell pinched your cheek. "This elf? No, not a chance." Maxwell laughed and you gave the child an apologetic look. "This lady in the magazine is far too beautiful to look like my head elf."

You weren't sure whether you should feel offended or not. Little Maxine gasped, racing over. "You can't say that!" she squealed. "What about Mrs Claus?"

You smirked, leaning into Maxwell. "Yeah Santa, what about Mrs Claus?"

"Uh- well! Mrs Claus… I do love Mrs Claus very much and she's at home baking Christmas cookies so I better be on my way… but it was lovely to meet you all!" Maxwell waved and you stifled back a laugh.

"Please don't go." Maxine cried, hugging Maxwell's legs.

"Be good and I'll be back next year." Maxwell promised, patting her on the head.

"Promise you'll come back?" Maxine begged, tears in her eyes. You wondered how many times little Maxine had asked a parental figure to come back to her and been let down. Maxwell wondered the same, his heart breaking at the thought.

"I promise." Maxwell affirmed, raising back to his feet and placing a hand on the small of your back.

"Merry Christmas everyone! Enjoy your presents and remember to be good children. We hope to see you next year!" you said farewell with a cheery smile and the children waved back.

When you got home that evening, you slid out your elf shoes and took off your hat. "Can you help me get out of this dress?" you asked Maxwell, holding up your hair so he could reach the zipper.

"Actually…" Maxwell trailed off, biting his lip. "Maybe you could wear it for bed?" he suggested with a smirk.

"An elf? Really Max? You want me to be an elf?" you laughed in disbelief.

"Could be fun." he shrugged and you rolled your eyes, opting to leave the elf dress on as you clambered into the warm king sized bed, watching Maxwell as he got undressed. "Oh I almost forgot," Maxwell said, reaching into the bag from the department store yesterday. "Close your eyes." You followed his instruction as he dived into the bag and took out the pale yellow babygrow he had fought for. He padded over to the bed and sat down, placing the outfit in your hands. "Open."

Your lips parted slightly as you took in the embellished words 'Daddys little Princess'. You glanced back up at your boyfriend and gave him a questioning look. "I'm confused." you admitted and he took your hands, rubbing circles into your skin.

"I really want a kid," he whispered, looking into your eyes. "I know you do too, and when we've talked about it I've always shut you out but… damn it, I really want one. Do you think… I mean. What do you think-"

You cut him off by pressing a kiss into his lips and holding him tight. "Okay," you nodded, your voice croaking with all the pent up emotion, rubbing your nose against his. "Let's have a baby." you smiled and Maxwell grinned, pushing you into the bed and climbing on top of you.

READ PART TWO HERE

[fangroyal]

i'm really curious about Dawn of the Conformists!

OH GOD OKAY SO

Fuck.

Somehow I just knew someone was going to ask about this one, and I’d have to find a way to actually explain it.

Which is honestly totally fine because I do love this crazy thing, but...

So this is CuRed (aka Michael/Pete, aka the curly-haired goth kid and the red-haired goth kid, because I’m pretty sure this is one of the rarest rarepairs I ship, and I don’t expect everyone to know who they are. 😂😂😂). Fun fact about me: they are my OTP only second to Dron, SO YEAH.

This one’s obviously way post-canon, when they’re of adult age and all that. It’s got zombies. It’s got roadtrips. It’s got pining and misunderstandings and epic human-on-zombie fights. And, you know, conformist stuff. Or, moreover, zombies that are obsessed with so-called “conformist” things. Because, you know, the goth kids are so annoyed by that kind of thing, haha. Which is fun for me, as a fellow goth, because I actually like some of the things I’d be ragging on myself.

ANYWAY, it’s a problem project for me because...ugh. I’ve just had it lying around for so long at this point - since September 2017? I think??? - and because of that, it’s gone through several transformations from the original idea. Essentially, whenever that was in 2017, I wrote down an outline and a bunch of snippets of scenes, was SO excited about it - and then I got really super sick in summer 2018, and have since not written anywhere near as much as I used to. (An issue that plagues me to this day. *sigh*) And up until a couple months ago, I would only open the folder for this one, like...once or twice a year, read through it and smile and remember how much I loved it and this ship...and then I’d continue to do absolutely nothing with it.

The reason for this is because after what happened to me in 2018, and now that I’m pushing 30, my writing style and my relationship to my writing and the kinds of stories I want to tell have all changed so much. And not that I’m trying to say what I wrote for this story three years ago is bad, but it’s...it’s, uh, not good??? Okay, so, by “not good”, I really mean it’s just...it’s too much like my old writing. And not just the words themselves, but the character development, the plot, my strange need back then to be very, you know, shock for shock’s sake. 🙄 Like, when I was younger, I admittedly didn’t have a great grasp on a lot of the pieces and parts of writing. Not saying that I’m a fucking expert on it now, of course not, but I do prefer the way I write now - my style, my voice - a lot more than what it used to be.

So when I inevitably opened up that folder again a couple months ago, and once again remembered how much I used to love it, I was struck by how much I wanted to change about it, to make it more like how I write now.

And so what was once actually called The Walking Conformists became Dawn of the Conformists. I decided what was once two old friends realizing their small mountain town had all turned into zombie-like “conformists” - that they needed to get away from there, move to another state, another city, where Henrietta was waiting for them, and thus the pining and hijinks sprinkled in between - needed to be more of a gradual “what the fuck”, both cracky and not, zombie’s placated by conformist things experience, a la Shaun of the Dead (i.e. the name change). I wrote up a few lines about this one scene that really stuck in my mind for the new treatment, and THEN...promptly didn’t do anything else. Again. 😂

Because, you see, I’m also having a lot of trouble translating the old outline and snippets to the new version. I don’t like a lot of what it once was, but I do like some of it. And unfortunately, the parts I do really like still relate to that whole roadtrip/moving idea, aaaaannnndddd....I don’t know what the fuck to do about it, haha. If anyone out there is willing to, I don’t know, alpha? or something? and help me out with this transition, I would appreciate you forever.

ANYWAY, I’ve rambled on enough, I think, LMAO. So I’ll give you snippets now. The first is one of the pieces I do still like from the original - a little glimpse of our poor angry boy Pete raging at himself over just how much he wants Michael. The second is part of that scene that gave me the desire to start crafting the new version. (Both are very rough, I’m so, so sorry.)

Old Version:

Pete had tried his best to make himself look like he hadn't gotten dressed in the back of a car, nor brushed his teeth in the woods with a water bottle, but he feared he hadn't succeeded. Michael looked immaculate in that way that drove Pete absolutely insane. Normally, his hair would be gelled down on the sides, top swept forward in a delicate wave down one side of his face. He was, of course, lacking in such style today, his hair mussed instead, curls tousled all about his head ― and yet he still made it look like the goth fashion statement of the century. He was even sitting there wearing that stupid fucking dangly raven's skull earring Pete had gotten him for his birthday at least four years ago, and it made Pete want to gouge out his own eyes.

He took out his frustrations on his last piece of sausage instead, spearing it violently before shoving it in his mouth.

New Version:

Pete jumped back, knocking into the counter and sending an empty mug crashing to the floor. His hands scrambled behind him, his breath coming in short pants. The man swayed on his feet, a hanging piece of skin on his cheek sagging low enough that Pete could see the layer of muscle tissue beneath. He glanced at the bread knife at the far side of the counter, wondering how quickly he could reach it before the intruder came for him again.

Then, the man slowly raised his arm and pointed at the menu above Pete's head.

Pete blinked. A hour seemed to pass as they stared at each other, and then the man gestured emphatically, and Pete ― against his better judgement ― stepped cautiously forward and followed the man's finger to the spot he was pointing at.

This had to be a fucking joke.

"Y-you want that?" Pete asked. The man gave another insistent growl, and he leaned away from him, his pulse twinging in his neck.

"You've gotta be fucking kidding me," he huffed. "Fine. H-hold on, just ― just stay there, okay?"

Pete tried his best to remain calm as he waited for the milk to steam. It was difficult to do with a definitely possible living corpse standing menacingly on the other side of the register, boring holes into his back with cold, dead, surprisingly wide-open eyes. Pete struggled to keep his hands from twitching as he poured espresso into a to-go cup.

When all was said and done, he plonked a large pumpkin spice latte onto the counter with a nervous nod of his head.

The man picked up the cup, and ― seeming to suddenly think of it ― flailed his free hand for a moment before dipping it into a tattered pocket of his jeans and fishing out a small pile of something that might've been a muddy piece of trash, might've just been a clump of dirt, but most certainly was not any form of currency Pete recognized, and slapping it onto the counter. Pete eyed it with barely-concealed disgust.

Then the man took a sip of his drink and smiled. Or at least attempted an approximation of a smile. His skin cracked from his lips out and threatened to fall off his face entirely. He grunted something that sounded suspiciously like 'thank you' and shuffled towards the door, cradling the cup lovingly between both hands.

"Sure thing," Pete mumbled, hovering anxiously at the register as the man leaned against the door, swinging it open and disappearing into the night. Before it even shut, Pete was already striding across the room, grabbing and yanking it closed, flipping the lock and switching off the neon 'open' sign, gripping the handle with shaking hands as he sank to a crouch.

"What the actual fuck."

WIP Title Game

[mikenewtonhateblog]

My oc’s aka too long of a gd post

The “BL” Crew (does not stand for boys love I’m just a moron who made that abbreviation before knowing what it stands for). My main crew and main series, a lot is a big WIP right now as I’m slowly redoing the first book and all the lore. Why? I love torture. Book is fantasy type but I won’t specify what.

Lacie, the protagonist. God tier idiot, bisexual bipolar depressed MESS, insomniac, former theater kid, doesn’t know what she wants out of life but currently it is not This(plot of book). Hot headed, impulsive, crude, rude, Mommy IssuesTM, would rather be taking a nap right now, rules are made to be broken, absolutely fucking FERAL, more bags under her eyes than the airport lost and found. 5’5, 130lbs, Aries, age 18, white as shit like literally the whitest human you have ever seen, strawberry blonde hair in a 2011 Hayley Willaims haircut with long bangs, the darkest brown eyes you’ve ever seen that stare directly into your soul. Lanky, no curves, body of a 12 year old boy but works out so she can and will kick your ass and thats a threat. Not human?

Josh. Soft boy, smart, Lacie’s cousin and only friend for like the first 18 years of her life, autistic anxious mess who’s special interest is anchient egyptian history, is in honors classes, despises math, passes out when his girlfriend looks too cute, just needs a hug. Can eat a whole carton of easy mac if left alone, whole wardobe is the same outfit just different colors/hoodies, sensory issues, seriously can someone give this guy a hug. 5’9, 150lbs, Pisces, age 18, mixed (half whatever flavor of white Lacie’s family is [they don’t even know its just some scandanavian shit and irish], and half mexican on his mom’s side), medium olive skin with freckles and moles, dark chocolate brown hair that’s a bit of a 2009 Beiber cut, warm brown eyes, not beefy, a lil thicc and self concious about it but squishy boys are GOOD. Gets bit by a werewolf so now he is one his mood on it is “thats a lot to unpack but let’s just throw the whole suitcase away”.

Zander. There is not one braincell in this man, himbo KING, pansexual dumbass with undiagnosed ADHD, no impulse control, head empty and full at the same time, PTSD, his fashion sense should be an actual crime, gets in fights to feel something, basic requirements for him to be attracted to you: kick his ass. Drinks his respect women juice, sees a folding table and must immediately launch himself on it, chaotic, cannot drive a car and will not, food aggression and eats enough for 3 people but never gains weight which is ILLEGAL, him and Lacie may be a couple.....but in this house we stan slow burn, he talks in caps and every sentence either ends with a question mark or exclaimation point, likes romcoms. 6’2, 190lbs, Sagittarius, age 19, austrailian roots and has the accent but is from [REDACTED FOR STORY REASONS], white, dorito shaped with long legs, blueish black hair that’s long and messy, dark navy eyes that match his hair, bigass neck scar from [REDACTED]. Not human

Peter. Gay dad friend who is TIRED of having to be in charge of a bunch of teenagers, only one with full functioning braincells, lowkey a genius who loves engineering, mixes magical technology with human technology because he likes to play god, is he ever sober? No one knows, will kill for a bottle of single malt, his fashion sense? Tastefully expensive suits perfectly tailored. Likes building his own weapons that no one else knows how to even use, generally non-threatening but can get scary if needed. 6’4, 140lbs string bean man, Scorpio, age 179 but looks early 30s, I know I said Lacie is the whitest human but he’s even paler like a literal sheet of paper with scandanavian roots/ancestors were vikings or some shit, blonde hair styled like 2013 Brendon Urie lmfao, light crystal blue eyes. He’s a vampire and was born one.

Danielle. Tiny, sweet, queen of girls supporting girls, comments on all her friends instagram posts with 20 emojis, LOVES fashion and has a wardrobe that would make anyone jealous, oozes feminine energy, only child and parents are in love still, gets exactly 8 hours of sleep each night and wakes up looking like a disney princess. Just because she is small and cute doesn’t mean you should underestimate her she WILL fuck your shit up. Quiet when angey which is terrifying. Josh is her bf and she loves him so much but also loves teashing the shit out of him. Legally cannot cuss, polite, used her high heels as a weapon once, speaks like 5 languages because studying them is her hobby, gardens, hugs everyone. 5’0, 110, Taurus, age 18, mixed (half french-american, half Korean-american), glowy skin always, PETITE frame aka the friend everyone can pick up when they hug, long past her waist curly brown hair, bright green eyes. She’s not fully human as she has fae blood in her and this gives her the ability to talk to and control plants. Flower crowns for everyone

Becca. Theater kid who would die to sing in Wicked and has the vocal range to do so, cannot wait to graduate and go to her dream college which she got into and a scholarship, closeted lesbian bc her whole giant family is extremely catholic and she feels like not dealing with it, “no boys allowed in bedroom” rule is her favorite joke, chill, middle child of 5 siblings and just wants some peace and quiet for ONCE. Her fashion sense is “I’m dropping subtle hints I’m gay but only to other gays”, has a black belt and took self defense classes. 5’6, 145lbs, Virgo, age 18, Latina (cuban and mexican mix), darker brown skin with light freckles over her nose, athletic build, eyebrows on POINT, bright caramel eyes, short light brown hair cut in a bob, has a tiny nose stud, always wears a blue friendship bracelet her gf made her. Human

Anika. Calling her a bitch/slut is a compliment, bisexual, a bit of a mean girl but she grows out of it give her time!!! Is always Too Much, the horny friend, favorite color is red so thats almost all of her outfits, loves to show off her body as much as she can because she’s hot and knows it and thrives in her own confidence. Her mom is literally like Regina George’s mom from Mean Girls but married a rich man 20 years older than her, Anika doesn’t know her bio dad but thats fine neither does her mom and her step dad is nice and does his best to be a dad. Becca’s gf, always hanging out at her home so Becca can get some quiet because Anika’s an only child and has a pool. 5’9, 135lbs, Gemini, age 18, white, long layered dark reddish brown hair, teal-blue eyes, swimmers body type (I normally do not mention bust size but she would want the internet to know she was blessed with big bahoogles so there you go), can sprint in heels. Half mermaid (boy was that a surprise considering her mom doesn’t know who her father is LOL)

Rex. Nb uses they/them he/him pronouns but honestly will respond to any, goth lite, only attracted to men and ace, can read minds so knows all your secrets, mischevious little shit, great friends with Zander and enjoys his dumbass thoughts and that he’s basically a human version of Jackass, wears too many rings, goth boots for kicking and fashion babey, always has the freshest memes and will not hesitate to roast in the group chat, hangs with the girls most of the time. Chaos god who loves making art, be gay do crime, skateboard and spraypaint. 5’8”, 165lbs, Leo, age 18, Native American, masculine frame, dark brown skin, blue eyes, firetruck red shoulder length hair that’s usually in a ponytail, knock-off gucci sunglasses just for judging their friends. Has magic in their blood so not entirely human and can cast spells and shit (don’t roast me its a wip and I’m doing my research)

Sam. Boho goddess, aromantic, makeup and nails are always instagram worthy, quiet and stoic type but losens up around close friends, Rex is her best friend, has some trauma and doesn’t want to talk about it, emotionally numbed out a bit and wants to purely vibe. Has seen some of the worst parts of humanity and wishes she hadn’t, finds no point in being bitter or resentful though because that won’t change anything, loves cats and once she moves out shes adopting one or three. Has wine aunt energy. 5’4, 200lbs PLUS SIZE QUEEN, Scorpio, age 18, Filipino (her parents are immigrants fun fact!), really olive skin sometimes has a grey/green tinge to it, dark brown almost black shoulder length hair, gold-hazel eyes. Sam’s the victim of a family curse that requires her to consume human hearts to survive, she can transform into a pretty scary looking being and uses this curse to hunt down pedoph*les, r*pists, murderers, and abusers. The less often she feeds the less human she looks, hence the constant grey/green tinge to her skin. 

Andy. Baby of the group, must be protected at all costs, 100% didn’t sign up to be in a friendgroup of 90% monsters but highkey loves it, trans, bi, anxiety MAXED, just wants to draw comics and cosplay spiderman, has to babysit his two younger sisters a lot because his parents are....not great, and as a result now knows all the lines to Tangled and The Little Mermaid. Big nerd energy, has to draw on everything including homework, gets inspiration for comics from his friends, awkward and socially anxious, drinks way too much tea and will accidentally steal your pens. Fears include: crowds, thunder, tall angry men, tiny spaces. Just trying his best. 5’2, 100lbs BEANPOLE BOY, Leo, age 16, white (irish and scottish roots), freckles absolutely EVERYWHERE, orangey red hair thats in desperate need of a haircut, chocolate brown eyes, braces, chronic nail biter. Human and kinda wishes he wasn’t.

That’s it for now if you read all this bless u thank u here is my whole heart. Please no discourse, literally these are fictional people I’ll never publish the books they go to.

[silveny-dreams]

Wow I’m sorry I suck at specifics I mean how would u imagine them like personality wise if they where real in the human world and what do you think they’d act like and how would they dress. (Sorry this took so long I really am an idiot)

EXCELLENT this is a great headcanon/au idea so I’m gonna go full-fledged headcanon on this for you! (also seriously no worries I’m sorry that I couldn’t tell what you meant straight off)

OKAY here’s the Squad as High School Humans:

Sophie is your chill, every girl, you know? big zip-up hoodies, sneakers, always has earbuds in...she doesn’t fit into any of the cliques at school, but she’s dead smart with that touch of “don’t really care” that makes her not labelled a try-hard brainiac;  she’s quietly obsessed with loads of nerdy fan culture--she’s just good at keeping it on the down low; sticks with her two best buddies for the most part (Marella and Dex obviously don’t @ me); she’s down to be casual friends with you if you’re not a complete jerk and she’ll make playlists and mixtapes for her friends, which is how you know she cares

Fitz is that guy that everyone simultaneously loves and hates--top in all his classes (except for Sophie), star of the school’s most successful athletics team (I’m thinking football but the sport is different for each school), impeccably polite to teachers and other students (although any of his friends would tell you that yeah, he’s a little arrogant, but they’d be quick to say “who wouldn’t be if they were him”), one of the few guys in high school who dresses more adulty/preppy (he had guidance from his older brother), the kind of good-looking that people of all grades and interests are into; most people would be lying if they said they didn’t think he was attractive

Keefe is Fitz’s best buddy and popular by proxy, although he’s got enough of his own charm and good looks to be popular on his own, too; instead of being sporty, Keefe is definitely the star of the fine arts program (solid singer, excellent drummer, decent actor); dresses way more casual, although it doesn’t matter what he wears--he still looks good; absolutely a closet nerd for pop culture (bonds with Sophie over this when they both get detention and she pulls out a binder with pop culture stickers on the inside); people pining after him are intimidated to approach only because he’s Fitz’s best bud and Fitz is terrifying to approach; one of those infuriating geniuses who doesn’t study for anything or turn in half his work and he’s still got straight As

Biana is similar to Fitz only in that she’s gorgeous and appears untouchable; one of the few people in school with the daring to dress fashion-forward instead of like everyone else, and it really works for her; good student, is student body president and star of the women’s lacrosse team; has a secret wild side that no one knows about that she indulges with friends she made from other schools Sophie and Biana become unlikely friends after spending the first two years of high school hating each other for no other reason than “she’s so different from me that she would probably hate me”

Dex is your AV club president and also the stage manager of the stage hands union; catch him backstage giving tech cues with a headset looking super professional during all the theater programs; spends the first two years of high school in hand-me-down clothes too baggy for him and spruces up his look once Sophie and Biana become friends; Biana’s lowkey had a crush on him ever since freshman year but she’s too shy to admit it since Dex has a grudge against all things Vacker; spends his lunch hours sitting in an alcove outside the lunch room eating with Sophie and Marella cracking jokes; could be the smartest student but doesn’t care that much so he’s at usually a B average, maybe B-

Tam is (to the surprise of hopefully no one) the resident goth kid; because of how he dresses (think all black, of course) and how quiet he, is no one approaches him and they all think he’s probably mean or super-emo, but he’s really just a grumpy, closeted softie; always hangs out with Linh to the point where people are whispering about whether it’s weird or not (not that he cares); average student but definitely super-smart about the subjects he actually is interested in (which is usually not any of the ones taught at school); he and Sophie are kind of silent allies in the classes they share full of people not like them--they always trade looks and smirks when someone says something stupid in class or when the teacher makes a dumb joke, and they swap music (their tastes are similar and different all at once)

Linh is your fairly shy, softspoken brainiac; captain of the academic team; an excellent visual arts student (think pottery, drawing, painting, LOADS of artistic mediums) but her biggest interest/love is photography; the kind of gal who has an artistic instagram no one but Tam knows about where she puts all her best pictures and art; the best way to describe her style is “soft”--think cozy sweaters, flowy tunics, pretty scarves; not always sure of how to make friends so she sticks fairly close to Tam, especially since she knows that if she didn’t he wouldn’t hang out with anyone else anyway and she doesn’t want to leave him all alone

Marella is one of those floater people who wouldn’t fit into any friend groups, except that she does have Dex and Sophie (she was friends with Dex since elementary school and met Sophie in freshman year at lunch); on the debate team for the sole reason of getting to argue; runs the gossip column on the school paper/website (she knows everything and no one knows how); joined the improv team her senior year and was amazing at it; there’s no other way to say it except that she dresses fairly butch/hipster and has at least five piercings, none of which her parents approved; not the best student but manages to squeak by because Dex and Sophie help her out

[jess-the-vampire]

The Demon Next Door, Chapter 1

Next

It was a normal day just like any other, High Schooler Marco Diaz was fast asleep in his room, waiting for the alarm to go off so he could get ready for school.  Another long and boring day of school to be exact, as it had been for 17 years of the human child's life. On a better day he would've preferred to have stayed in his bed for hours and just rest, but that would only get him nowhere in life and with Karate later this week and of course his chores, sleeping in was going to have to wait for the weekend. It was just another boring, normal day. What do you expect when you live in a town called Echo Creek though? And what would you expect from someone as normal and average as Marco Diaz?

As the alarm beeped he hit the button and sighed, his eyed opened and closing in sleep before getting up.  He stretched his legs and found the nerve to get up and get dressed in his usual jeans, hoodie, and sneakers. Out the window he could see very little action, as everyone was possible still getting ready for the day, the only activity he could spot was some large trucks outside of a rather nice looking house practically across the street from him, there seemed to be movers taking some boxes outside of the trucks and making their way inside. He didn't pay it much mind though, he needed to hurry up and get ready, he had to make it to the bus on time and get a seat next to his best friend. He didn't have all day to gawk across the street to see what was happening when he had other matters to take care of, he needed to finish school for today, get his homework done and hopefully work on his plan on asking his crush out like he usually tended to do every night. Not to mention he always had babysitting duties for his younger sister in the evenings these days. If he didn't make it on time for class, it'd ruin his daily schedule, not to mention probably worry the heck out of his friend, and that usually never resulted in anything good. He hummed to himself as he finished getting dressed and went downstairs to see his family, who were already wide awake of course, they were usually more at home then they were at work, and that had it's benefits and it's downfalls. "Good morning Marco!", his dad shouted from the kitchen, "Breakfast is on the table for today! Better eat up so you don't miss the bus!"., Marco thanked him with a small wave, his family seemed to have been infected by "The happy virus", as his family seemed almost overally positive all the time. Marco sometimes loved it, but also sometimes he hated it, especially now, in his moody teenage years where positivety didn't always seem to click with him and his generation. Well, maybe it was more him. "Yeah i got it....don't worry, i'm gonna catch it in time...promise...". "See the new neighbors moving in marco?". Angie Diaz could be spotting feeding Marco's younger sister some breakfast as he stopped to eat the fresh plate of omelets and bacon left out for him, he grabbed a fork full and made quick work of it, "Yeah, from my window...when did they move in?". He wasn't entirely paying much attention, more focused on the rest of his day then on some strangers moving in nearby, "Oh, just today i think, we haven't made an introduction yet but i think i spotted a boy about your age over there, maybe you should go say hi later today?". "Uhhh...I don't know about that....". "Well, that's how you met Star right? When she moved in last year? Sounds like a good opportunity to make a new friend.", the human sighed, "Mom, Star kinda approached ME, it was never really the other way around. And besides...i'm sure the guy's probably not too crazy about making friends so soon. He might need more time to...settle in and all that.". He finished his food and stood up, "Maybe some other time mom, just uh....i'll catch up with you later..". His mom didn't have much time to say goodbye before he headed out but he didn't like to waste time. Especially to see his long time crush Jackie again. There was no time to waste. As he waited for the bus he could get a better view of the family moving in, and if marco didn't know better he'd think they were probably really into goth and horror judging by their rather spooky looking furniture and decor being carried into their equally spooky house. He could spot an older man which he presumed was the father speaking to a younger figure marco had only to assume was the son his mother had been talking about. Wearing a leather jacket and reddish hair with a streak of pink in it, they seemed to be a little at odds but they didn't pay marco any mind. No sign of the mother though she was probably inside, then again, maybe he was assuming too much about this family to say if they even had a mother. They had only just moved in and he was already judging and making too many assumptions about them, not a good way to start with his new neighbors. The first time he met Star he assumed she'd be another Brittney Wong, another unlikable popular girl who threw her money around willy nilly and made everyone feel bad about themselves. And that turned out to be far from the truth. He probably shouldn't judge so heavily here, though the house and the furniture being moved in had him curious. They stopped talking quickly and the boy turned around to see Marco was looking at him, the human felt a twinge of embarrassment as he turned his head away, just as the bus came rolling up to get him.  Thank god for the bus because that would've looked odd, him staring at the new kid. Stepping aboard he found Star and took a seat next to his best friend, watching the boy and his house roll out of view quickly and allowing marco to calm down and get back on track for today. "Ooooo, new neighbors?", Star, Marco's bubbly blonde friend asked. Star was an unusual girl since the day they first met, with long blonde hair, hearts on her cheeks that she simply told them were just makeup, and bright blue eyes, not to mention her horned headband and sense of crazy fashion. She looked back through the window as Marco shrugged, "Yeah i guess so, we haven't had any new neighbors around since well...you, so looks like we're gonna have a new student soon too...". "OOOOO!!", she jumped up and down in her seat, "Who are they? Are we gonna see them in homeroom today?!". "What? no star, that's not how it works, they gotta move in first.....and besides, I don't really know anything about them...they kinda just....showed up....it's kinda weird.", Marco shook it off though, "Don't worry about it Star, i'm sure you can talk to them later on....for now, let's just focus on today. Did you even finish up all your homework this time or do I need to help you out again?". Star, gave him a pout and grabbed onto her backpack strap in a meek manner. "Star...". "I'm not good with math marco...you know that...". "What even are your private lessons about, I thought they were to help you catch up in class?!". Star sweated but brushed it off fast, "Well, yeah! But i still prefer you helping me marco.....pretty please? This was so typical of Star, her parents seemed so rich, hiring her private tutors for lessons and keeping her up all the time with them, but Star herself didn't seem to be getting anywhere with her earth studies. She claimed that her old school in whatever state she lived in had taught her very differently but marco was sure she just had paid no attention whatsoever to her lessons and that could be easily told by her normal grade score in her classes. Did the girl ever get goods grades on her own? Most likely no considering what Marco has seen. "Fine, i'll help you out, before class starts....but you really outta try harder in these classes star, these are kinda supposed to help you in the future, getting a job and all that?", Star pouted at what he was telling her, and he knew how much she hated being lectured, but she still complied. "Fine fine fine, from this point on, i'll stop asking you for help with my homework....IF, we go over and meet the new neighbors later today! I wanna see if they're any cool...". "Star...focus!" There she was again, making excuses to avoid talking about her study habits. "What? Last time someone moved in, you made a best friend....maybe they'll be cool enough that we'll have someone to hang out with us for movie nights and stuff! Being a new kid is tough, that's why we outta be his friends before anyone else does!", marco laughed to himself, "Says the girl who made friends with everyone instantly when she got here, Star, i'm sure the new kid will be fine without us....besides, i like just the two of us hanging out just fine...". She rolled her eyes as the bus rode on, making it's way to the school and finally dropping the kids off for the day. Marco of course, was perfectly ready to sit in his perfect spot to greet jackie that day, the two nodding and star groaning at marco yet again, not even saying a single word to the girl. But Marco ignored her, making a snide nod to all their instances of having her deal with crushes and how THOSE normally turned out and Star quieted on the matter. Marco quickly went over some of the algebra they just learned before they could separate into different classes that morning, he didn't know how much star was paying attention but she was scribbling down some notes, so he could only hope that meant she would be fine on her own for now. The girl was definitely a strange one alright, but at the same time she was his best friend. The first class when on fine, business as per usual, and marco glanced every once in awhile at a blonde girl sitting in the front row with short hair and a blue streak in her hair. He blushed as he kept taking notes, Jackie Lynn Thomas, the girl he'd been crushing on since forever, was sitting in his first class in the front row, and he still had made no effort to ask her out. Star teased him about this since the first day they met and he couldn't blame her, he looked like a fool crushing on a girl like this. As though jackie would just turn around and embrace him. When he knew she never would if his life depended on it. He had been crushing on her since they were kids, and he couldn't recall ever even speaking a full sentence to her, it shouldn't have been so hard and yet, it was. He had to make a move eventually, he had practically dreamt about asking her to the next school dance and with his luck someone else would ask her out before then and he'd miss his chance. Jackie was rather desirable after all, there was no way he was the only guy....or girl, who'd ask her to go with them. Ugh, he was such an idiot. His focus was so much on Jackie he had barely noticed the teacher attempting to get everyone's attention, being signaled by someone at the door. Marco looked up to see a very familiar and handsome boy walk in, he seemed rather mixed race though marco couldn't identify exactly what, with a long nose and beautiful green eyes, he had fiery red hair and a pink streak alongside it, his ears were pierced and he seemed to be wearing eyeliner. With a leather jacket, a ripped shirt, boots, and jeans, he looked like a true badboy. And Marco recognized him immediately. His new neighbor, the kid he was staring at earlier. "Class, I'd like to introduce you to our newest student, Thomas Lucitor!". - It didn't take long for Marco to form an opinion on Tom, he seemed to be quiet, bad at making friends, and seemed to like to keep to himself. Marco couldn't entirely blame him though, he was new to this place and he seemed like he was still getting used to the move, though marco had to wonder how he got here and signed in to the school when he only moved in so shortly ago. Then again, Star did the same thing so maybe Tom's parents planned ahead like hers seemed to. Either way, the boy seemed distant, mad even. He frequently looked mad, sometimes like he would cry at times, not like when star arrived. She came in super bubbly and happy and excited and people were drawn to her instantly, and she adapted within a few hours of her arrival like it was a walk in the park. Tom was not that. He didn't really raise his hand, or talk, and he seemed to keep to himself. Marco noticed he kept looking out the classroom window more then anything, not really paying much attention to the teachers and trying to occupy his mind with anything else. He was a strange boy, that was for sure, but then marco felt himself sink with some shame for making fun of the new kid. He considered speaking to him, but kept to himself, just glancing at him every once in awhile as the class continued. And Marco found himself watching him till class ended more then Jackie as the bell rung and everyone started to pack up, Tom grabbing his stuff and walking out into the hallway. Marco bit his lip and grabbed his own stuff, heading out to his next class to find that the Lucitor boy was standing in the middle of the hallway, everyone in a rush to get to their next class but clearly he was not, and Marco for a split second almost left him before gaining the courage to go up and talk to him, if only to ask why he was doing absolutely nothing when the bell rang in 5 minutes. He had planned to move on, to stop worrying so much about this kid and continue the say as normal but....found he couldn't, at the very least he could try, if this tom guy turned out to be unpleasent then he wouldn't have to bother him ever again. New kids usually tended to have a hard time in this school, but maybe that was because Brittney was popular and judgemental and used to making those kids feel like outcasts off the bat, and if he was going to see this kid on his block more often, the least he could do was say hi. He tapped on the boy's shoulder, hoping tom wouldn't hurt him for this, and Tom almost jumped, scared out of his mind.. "Uh.....hi? Do..you need help?". Tom blinked at him, blushing and adverting his eyes in embarrassment of his situation, "I uh....yeah, i don't really know where i'm going or what i'm doing...i'm new....so...i don't know where to go.". He was way more awkward then he looked upon first glance, his eyes avoiding contact with marco's and his body tensing. Marco held his hand out, "Hand me your schedule, i'll help you out..", Tom thought for a moment and pulled out a paper from his back and red backpack and handed it over. Marco felt tom looking at him for a bit as he rapidly scanned the paper over, "You're my new neighbor aren't you? I saw you earlier today...". Marco, embarrassed, let out an awkward laugh to ease his embarrassment for gawking at his neighbors, "Yeah that was me....but don't worry, I don't plan to uh...stare at you like that again uh...no wait, I mean... you'll fit in around here eventually...". "Thanks...I uh..sorry, i guess i'm wasting your time...". Marco smiled at him gently and handed back the paper, still rather embarrassed, "Oh no, it's ok, trust me....I had to help a lot of new kids around here out before....c'mon, we have the next class together, let's make it before the bell starts ok?". He grabbed Tom's wrist and the two hurried their way to the next room, only making it seconds before the door shut. Tom seemed incredibly thankful and smiled the first time he had since Marco saw him that day, guess Star wasn't entirely wrong with that suggestion to make friends with the new kid, he might've jumped the gun dismissing it earlier. He was so used to it being only him in Star for awhile, that he hadn't been one for making many new friends, but- Tom seemed like a decent guy. Maybe on the outside he looked a little scary but overall he seemed rather friendly and easygoing, if not also a little shy, he really didn't look how he acted at all. It probably was too soon to have a real heavy opinion of him as a person, but considering how he looked, marco was pleasantly surprised already. Throughout class tom sat next to marco, asking him for help and support, he had already seemed to grow a liking to marco right off the bat, his experience in this class was a contrast to the last alright. So much so, he tagged along with Marco after class on instinct and Marco didn't seem to mind all that much. He was getting a few looks from his classmates, but it probably had more to do with Tom's appearance then anything, he kinda stood out. Marco was more then used to it though, after all, Star was usually the center of attention no matter where she went. It was lunch time, and marco usually sat with star at a lonely table all to themselves, though before he entered to the room, he stopped to acknowledge tom. Tom was like a baby duck, following marco everywhere, clueless and persistent. For a moment he felt embarrassed though, backing off, "Oh? Do you want to part ways? I-I'm sorry if i sorta am bothering you, i tend to do that a lot.....I just wasn't sure what to do and if you don't wanna be around me i'll just-". "You uh....you wanna join me for lunch?", he said quickly before tom could finish. "Lunch?". "Yeah, we can eat together, wild guess but, i'm sure you aren't interested in eating alone right?". The boy blinked before he chuckled to himself, relieved marco wasn't creeped out by him, "Yeah, i'd like that uh.......sorry, i guess i don't know your name yet. I'm Tom, Tom Lucitor?". He held out his hand for Marco to shake it and Marco almost released his hand, noting that tom was STRONG. "Marco Diaz...i'm kinda the safe kid around here, at least that's what everyone calls me...c'mon, let's get going so we can get a good table...". Marco himself wasn't usually fond of being tasked with a tour guide for new students, but at the same time he hated to leave Tom alone on his first day of school. Dude seemed pretty upset as is. When he first met Star he had clearly gotten on the wrong foot with her before they became friends and he supposed he didn't want to make the same mistake again. Tom still seemed anxious, not nearly as cheery as Star was, he probably left a lot of friends back home. Star arrived being excited to move in and make friends and get to know everyone and everything, but Tom seemed to be the opposite of that, not eager to really do much of anything. Until now. "Thanks....marco...". "Oh , it's not a big deal, since we're kinda neighbors now i suppose we should well....get to know each other a little? I uh....where are you from anyway?", Tom's eyes widened and he tried to come up with an answer, "Oh i uh.....i...forget.....don't worry about it, i don't think you've heard of the place anyway...". Marco raised an eyebrow at the bow, who was starting to sweat a little, "Uh, is everything ok Tom? You look like you're kinda stressed ?". "Oh, me? No, it's just....thinking about home is...kinda tough right now..."., the boy nodded along, "I understand, well, i think you're gonna like this place. It's not exactly great and i'm sure it'll take some adjusting, but it's cool, don't worry..". Tom seemed to feel more reassured as they made it to the cafeteria, Marco leading Tom over to the lunch line and Tom following Marco's lead as he ordered food, as marco got to the cashier, much to his surprise, Tom butted in and paid for both of their meals. Geez, was this guy rich? If he was he was sure Brittney or the rest of the school would've said something, itching to be tom's friend. Though marco found his thoughts swimming at why tom would have this much money on him just to go to school. "My treat....for helping me...". Marco was still flabbergasted as Tom lead him away so they could go find a place to sit, Star didn't seem to be here already so she'd have to meet up with them later. Marco found one empty table and took a seat, Tom taking a seat next to him. Marco could see Jackie sitting with her friends at a different table, smiling and laughing, and he could tell he was staring at her. Even Tom seemed to notice who he was looking at directly, but he didn't say anything, eating his slice of pizza and staying quiet. "My best friend should be here to eat with us soon, you'll know her when you see her, trust me. But maybe you two will get along, she was kinda excited about you showing up, she kinda likes making a lot of new friends.". Tom snorted, taking another bite, "Well, lucky her i guess...i was kinda expecting to come in today and not make any friends. I'm kinda not really all that good at it, i sorta am told i get on people's nerves or have these....issues..". "Really? You seem like an alright guy.". "Trust me, i've....had problems...socially, i thought this day would kinda suck.....but....it kinda sucks a little less...", tom smiled to himself, "You're pretty nice to a guy you don't know that well y'know? I could be a total jerk for all you know...". That got a laugh out of marco, "I guess i just didn't want you alone on your first day, i mean, for awhile i was kinda alone myself....i didn't really talk to many people and just kinda focused on myself, till star came in that is, i think i'd feel like a jerk if i didn't...well...help.". "Wait.....star?". "HEYYY MARCO!!" Star, finally here, rushed through the door and to the table, paying no mind to Tom. "Sorry i was late, apparently my teacher caught on to well....you helping me with my homework and well.....apparently I have detention....", Marco almost chocked on his food as Star took a seat, "Don't worry though! She doesn't REALLY know it was you, I told her it was just....my mom, so...that means you don't have detention this time!". Marco sighed and pulled on his hair, "Star, you know that means they're gonna call your mom right? To confirm it?". "Well..". "Star....". "You think i'm grounded?". "Oh yeah you are.....". Star huffed and that's when she finally, FINALLY, took note of the other boy. Tom had been staring at her this entire time, mid-bite of his food, he looked like he almost might drop it. Star looked equally stunned at the boy, for a moment being confused, but then right back to stunned. Marco coughed into his hand and got the attention of the two teens, "Star, this is...Tom Lucitor, apparently he's my new neighbor who you saw moving in earlier, i guess he really was coming to school today, like you said...guess i was wrong this time.". Star said nothing, her face still in total shock. Tom's mirrored her own. "Uh....guys?". Star turned her attention back to Marco, "Uh....great to meet you tom....". Tom followed in her footsteps, turning away from her to focus on his lunch, "Yeah uh....great to meet you...Star..". Marco looked between the pair, taking note of their strange expression and voices, something was definitely up about those two and he made a mental note to ask Star later. Then again, knowing Star, this was probably another "Oskar" situation, and boy did they not need another one of those. Marco bit at his lips and turned to Tom, "Well Tom, If you want...you can maybe come over after school...if you want to that is....my parents want to well, meet your family as they always do with new neighbors.". Tom snickered, his eyes still lingering to Star though, "That's nice but I kinda need to help my parents when I get back, we still gotta finish unpacking and setting everything up....but...uh...here...". He scribbled something down on a nearby napkin and handed it to Marco. "You can uh....call me, i guess...i might need more help getting settled...in, I don't know much about this place yet". Marco took it, pocketing it, "Of course.....and you can have mine too....", he scribbled on a napkin himself and handed the scrawl over to Tom, who seemed appreciative. Tom had made his first real friend and it had only been one day, and with someone he could visit and hang out with easily no less. Marco smiled and the three finished their lunch, Star surprisingly quiet during lunch for once in her lifetime. As though Tom's presence suddenly didn't make her want to speak. Though Marco didn't really think much of it, she may just not be used to having someone new at their table, plus he had his suspicions, and he could swear Star was looking over at Tom a few times during their meal. And Tom in return. The bell rang and Marco helped Tom find his next class as he headed to his own, the rest of the day going by easier then before. Star joining him quickly as they got ready to go home and Marco spotted Tom heading over to him, looking at the school bus, Marco ushering him to get on board. Had Tom never been on a school bus before?  Tom followed them, watching Star and Marco take a seat next to each other, he seemed to be looking for space for himself at first, but then turned around and took a seat by himself nearby, looking out the window. and Marco felt a little bad, but he also couldn't bring himself to tell Star he wanted to sit with the new guy just to make him a little less lonely on his first day, she was still his best friend after all and he didn't know Tom all too well yet. Just that, he seemed like a guy Marco was welcome to hang out with, if Tom wanted to. When the three got off the bus Star waved and headed up the street to go home, saying she better get going for her "Private lessons", Marco waving at her and turning to wave to Tom....only to see he was already on his front lawn, heading inside without so much as a word to Marco. Did not sitting with him on the bus make him that upset? Marco sighed and headed into his own home, maybe Tom just wasn't used to being so social, it was ok, he could talk to him later. He was his new neighbor after all. And hopefully, he might make a new friend out of this.

[thedrowsydoormouse]

1. Do you ever doubt the existence of others than you?

All the time. I wouldn’t be shocked if I woke up one day still as a little kid and all this was some weird fever dream.

2. On a scale of 1-5, how afraid of the dark are you?

Is 0 an option? If not then 1. 

3. The person you would never want to meet?

Jared Leto. I have zero interest being sexually harassed or any of the other shit he thinks is ok. My other answer would’ve been Harvey Weinstein but I’ve regrettably already met him at a party when I was 13 and promptly threw up in a trash can because the vibes I got off him were so negative they made me physically ill.

4. What is your favorite word?

Fuck. It’s so versatile.

5. If you were a type of tree, what would you be?

Palm tree. 

6. When you looked in the mirror this morning what was the first thing you thought?

“Holy shit! My hair’s still curly! I thought that bun fucked it up!”

7. What shirt are you wearing?

A super old black tank top with a faded Union Jack on it that’s covered in holes but is super comfy so I wear it to bed.

8. What do you label yourself as?

Demi-pansexual goth-y punk rocker chick with emotional intimacy issues, a biting wit, and a flair for the dramatic

9. Bright room or dark room?

Dark. I’m like a vampire. I hate the light. It gives me headaches.

10. What were you doing at midnight last night?

Watching TV.

11. Favorite age you’ve been so far?

So far 25 has been pretty good.

12. Who told you they loved you last?

My partner.

13. Your worst enemy?

Red meat. Makes me crazy sick.

14. What is your current desktop picture?

15. Do you like someone?

It’d be awkward if I didn’t considering I’m in a committed relationship.

16. The last song you listened to?

Basket Case by Green Day.

17. You can press a button that will make any one person explode. Who would you blow up?

Trump. It’d solve so many problems.

18. Who would you really like to just punch in the face?

Trump. Any question like this has the exact same answer.

19. If anyone could be your slave for a day, who would it be and what would they have to do?

I’d make Trump be my slave while I donate both of our time helping the homeless and the “illegal” immigrants in Downtown LA. That way I can punish him while also doing some good.

20. What is your best physical attribute? (showing said attribute is optional)

My hair. When I let it air dry it has the best curls I’ve ever seen!

21. If you were the opposite sex for one day, what would you look like and what would you do?

I’d probably look the same but without tits and I’d probably jerk off a lot.

22. Do you have a secret talent? If yes, what is it?

I can always predict when my brother’s going to be home to within a 10 minute window.

23. What is one unique thing you’re afraid of?

Dying at Disneyland.

24. You can only have one kind of sandwich. Every sandwich ingredient known to humankind is at your disposal.

Caprese sandwich. It’s just as good fresh as it is as a grilled cheese.

25. You just found $100! How are you going to spend it?

Probably on either makeup or skincare because I need to replace a few things that I’m running low on.

26. You just got a free plane ticket to anywhere in the world, but you have to leave immediately. Where are you going to go?

Tokyo Disney Resort. 

27. An angel appears out of Heaven and offers you a lifetime supply of the alcoholic beverage of your choice. “Be brand-specific” it says. Man! What are you gonna say about that? Even if you don’t drink booze there’s something you can figure out… so what’s it gonna be?

Captain Morgan Watermelon Smash. I love watermelon and I love rum and that’s the best mix of the two.

28. You discover a beautiful island upon which you may build your own society. You make the rules. What is the first rule you put into place?

Every single person is equal. Full stop. Anyone who says otherwise is banished back to the mainland.

29. What is your favorite expletive?

Fuck.

30. Your house is on fire, holy shit! You have just enough time to run in there and grab ONE inanimate object. Don’t worry, your loved ones and pets have already made it out safely. So what’s the one thing you’re going to save from that blazing inferno?

My dance bag. It has a lot of good memories attached to it and has my first pair of pointe shoes in it which I can’t replace.

31. You can erase any horrible experience from your past. What will it be?

Watching the plane hit the 2nd tower live on TV on 9/11 when I was only 7. It fucked me up so badly I’m still in therapy for it.

32. You got kicked out of the country for being a time-traveling heathen who sleeps with celebrities and has super-powers. But check out this cool shit… you can move to anywhere else in the world! 

I’d probably wanna move to either Paris or Tokyo.

33. The Celestial Gates Of Beyond have opened, much to your surprise because you didn’t think such a thing existed. Death appears. As it turns out, Death is actually a pretty cool entity, and happens to be in a fantastic mood. Death offers to return the friend/family-member/person/etc. of your choice to the living world. Who will you bring back?

Carrie Fisher. The world needs our crazy space mom to shock it back into the good timeline.

34. What was your last dream about?

It was super mundane. I was painting my nails. They were gorgeous.

35. Are you a good….[insert anything you’d like here]?

I’m good at a lot of things.

36. Have you ever been admitted to the hospital?

No. And I hope I never am until I’m in a body bag on my way to the morgue.

37. Have you ever built a snowman?

I’m from Southern California. We don’t get snow.

38. What is the color of your socks?

One is aqua with flamingos and pineapples and the other is grey with rainbows and clouds. They are also currently inside out.

39. What type of music do you like?

I mostly listen to punk, grunge, classing rock, show tunes, stuff like that. I’m pretty open to everything except religious, children's, and rap. And free-form jazz. I hate that shit.

40. Do you prefer sunrises or sunsets?

Sunsets.

41. What is your favorite milkshake flavor?

It depends on where I’m getting it but anything super sugary.

42. What football team do you support? (I will answer in terms of American football as well as soccer)

I hate football. The only sport I even sorta watch is baseball.

43. Do you have any scars?

A few. None of them are very noticeable, though, and they’re all in hidden places.

44. What do you want to be when you graduate? 

I wanted to do something in the entertainment industry. So I studied costume design. Instead I just fucked up my mental and physical heath almost to the point of no return.

45. If you could change one thing about yourself, what would it be?

Nothing. I love myself exactly as I am.

46. Are you reliable?

Shockingly, yes. I seem super flaky but if you need someone to get something done or remember some random shit I’m your girl.

47. If you could ask your future self one question, what would it be?

Depends on how far in the future. But I think it would be who wins the presidential election this year. Because if we have to deal with 4 more years of Trump I’m going to kill myself.

48. Do you hold grudges?

Like you wouldn’t believe.

49. If you could breed two animals together to defy the laws of nature, what new animal would you create?

CatDog. And not just because of the cartoon from when I was a kid.

50. What is the most unusual conversation you’ve ever had?

Me and my therapist were talking about how Columbus is the reason humans have chlamydia.

51. Are you a good liar?

Extremely. 

52. How long could you go without talking?

However long I need to. I spend a lot of time alone so talking isn’t really a big deal for me.

53. What has been you worst haircut/style?

I once had a bob when I was a kid. It wasn’t a good look. I don’t have the bone structure.

54. Have you ever baked your own cake?

I love baking and cakes are super fun to make!

55. Can you do any accents other than your own?

Many! I used to do theatre and the more accents you could do the more roles you could get.

56. What do you like on your toast?

Butter. Melted. I’m a simple girl.

57. What is the last thing you drew a picture of?

I was watching Next In Fashion and got pissed that they didn’t have a single plaid fabric in the studio so I drew this red carpet look using almost entirely plaids.

58. What would be you dream car?

A motorcycle.

59. Do you sing in the shower? Or do anything unusual in the shower? Explain.

I love to sing in the bath. I even have a special playlist that’s just songs I sing in the bath.

60. Do you believe in aliens?

I’d be stupid not to.

61. Do you often read your horoscope?

I used to. Not so much anymore.

62. What is your favorite letter of the alphabet?

This is a stupid question.

63. Which is cooler: dinosaurs or dragons?

Dragons. Hands down.

64. What do you think about babies?

Cool in theory, horrible in practice. I will never be a mom.

65. Freebie! Ask anything interesting you can think of.

I’ll use the same question I asked @anangelamuse-castiel-spnfam​ which was “If your universe suddenly stopped existing and you had to pick another one to live in, which would you pick?” and my answer would be probably the one that I keep seeing in my head that I’m writing a book about because I know shit isn’t going to hit the fan and the world is actually on the mend. But only if I can swap places with the main character of the book because she’s awesome and I love the way her story ends.

[faketextsfromlastmight]

Best of tags #06

A compilation of my favorite reactions to this blog.

@buckettkun on Aoyama and Tokoyami coordinating their costumes: (Link)

#they know the importance of Aesthetic

The reason I ship these two is that they’re surprisingly compatible. Both of them are socially maladjusted dweebs far too invested into their subculture. Hell, Aoyama wouldn’t have to try very hard to match Tokoyami in terms of costume: renaissance knight and classic goth? Lots of overlap there. The main difference between them is that Aoyama pretends to be cheery and hides his dark secret pains, while Tokoyami pretends to have a grim backstory but lowkey doesn’t have one.

That being said Tokoyami’s characterization still confuses me. He’s obivously based on a chuunibyou archetype but at the same time he’s the type of fictional character which chuunibyous try to emulate. He’s obviously pretending to be scary and dangerous and cool, but Dark Shadow kind of lives up to the hype. Tokoyami acts like he has something to prove even though he has nothing to prove. It’s a mystery.

@pearlkeratin​ on Class 1-A’s insecurities: (Link)

#do mina or tsuyu have any insecurities?

I didn’t include every student in that post because some of them don’t have very noteworthy insecurities (so far in the story).

I’d argue that Mina is actually TOO easygoing. She admits that the reason she’s so far behind in terms of grades is because she slacks off. Her optimism and general overconfidence tend to turn against her.

As to Tsuyu, yeah, she’s definitely one of the most mature and well-adjusted kids in the class. Her teachers point out that she’s an extremely well-rounded hero. When they designed the mid-term exam, they really didn’t have any weakness to exploit, she just happens to be above average in every single aspect.

@zestyperiwinkle on Kaminari being considered clever in middle school: (Link)

#the idea of kaminari being considered clever#his middle school classmates must have put no effort into anything

I can imagine Kaminari’s old classmates singing this :

No one's bright as Denki No one's smart as Denki No one's brain's as incredibly big as Denki For there's no man in town half as witty Perfect, a pure mastermind You can ask any Oda or Toshi And they'll tell you there's no one bester they can find

@my-minds-cabinet on Kirishima’s fashion sense: (Link)

#is this why hes a fashion disaster?#lol jk i love kirishima#bnha

I don’t know, Kirishima has a good sense of style because he’s canonically the person who picked the disguises for Bakugou’s rescue mission. And these outfits were killer, including his. We also see in the “Two Heroes” movie that he chose decent clothing for him and Bakugou. So clearly he knows his fashion and deliberately CHOOSES to dress badly outside of these rare occasions.

My guess is that Kirishima is actually a fashion savant and that we’re too dense to see the logic behind his choices. His crocs are actually avant-garde and we’re too basic to see their brillance.

@todorokilovers on Iida being hot: (Link)

i mean, he looks hot without his glasses but with them he’s a soft boy

There are only two genders: soft and hot.

@taghashromer on All Might being intimated by Bakugou’s parents: (Link)

#this is so funny because all mights easily the most famous and accomplished person there#bnha

All Might wishes he could go back in time and punch his teenage self in the face for wanting to become a public figure. He clearly has issues with showing vulnerability.

@kaminaris-quirk on Momo talking about utensils: (Link)

what’s ustensil?????

Utensils are those little lumps of flesh at the back of the threat which can become inflammated. God, Kaminari, you’re so stupid!

@toshinoriigay-imean-yagi on Kirishima wearing crocs: (Link)

That's not how Crocs work. They're so beautiful that their beauty gets absorbed into your skin and makes you beautiful. It doesn't work on me tho:')

We bow to your sartorial expertise, o bold philosopher of the written word. Clearly you’re too beautiful a person for the crocs to have any discernable effect.

@bnhanerd on Iida enabling harmful beauty hypersexualizarion of teenagers: (Link)

Iida let us dowN sndjenjd

Iida is a nerd/jock hybrid. Sometimes the jock genes just take over and he disappoints people.

@evilkitten3 on Bakugou and Todoroki not deserving to win the Sports Festival: (Link)

i mean... bakugou was probably more against getting that medal than anyone else, in all fairness

Yes, Bakugou is often right but he undermines his own argument by conveying it in the most obnoxious way possible. Bakugou wanted to win the Sports Festival to prove he’s so strongest, but his victory is meaningless in that regard because his two strongest adversaries either were going through a mental breakdown or injured by their self-harming quirk. In a way, yes, Bakugou probably deserved to fight Todoroki and Midoriya at their full potential and strength rather than profiting from sheer dumb luck. It’s pretty clear the writers agree with him, too. Very little time was devoted to the semi-finals and finals compared to the Todoroki/Midoriya fight because the writers knew no one would really care. This is actually something that happens in real-life competitions. Sometimes the finals are boring because the most interesting opponents went out too soon.

That being said, Bakugou’s behavior during the award ceremony is still unacceptable. It’s offensive to the other competitors who tried their damn best to get a medal. A big theme of the Sports tournament arc is the importance of respect in competition, both to yourself and to other contestants. In the eyes of Shinsou, Iida, Uraraka and countless others who went though great hardships and didn’t even make it to the finals, Bakugou was being a brat. Sometimes your victory is bitter and it’s just something you have to accept growing up.

Bakugou is spectaculary ill-adjusted in terms of social skills, which does lead me to wonder if some of the things he says are misinterpreted. Take his infamous “if you want to become a hero, you’re better off jumping off a roof and being reborn with a quirk in your new life”. Had he said “the superhero system is entirely based on genetics so your ambition is a fruitless endeavor”, people would probably agree with him. But of course he had to convey that in the most horrific way possible... which is a shame, because Bakugou was technically right. As far as Bakugou and Midoriya were aware, there was no example of a quirk being acquired rather than inherited at birth. Discouraging Midoriya from embracing a superhero career made a lot of sense.

[thesoundofaghost-mp3]

May's tutorial on how to take 2000s looking pics! This is not just for scene and/or emo kids, although ofcourse yall can use this!

Here are a few things you can do to make pictures look like they were taken in the 2000s!

What better way to look 2000s than when you use 2000s technology?

Exemples of things you could take a pic with are: an ipod, or any mp3 player actually, 2000s looking cd players, PS2 controllers (make sure it actually looks like you're playing or believe me, someone will notice!) or xbox controller (if you use older consoles of any type, the vibe might look more 90s but if you manage you can still make it work)

If you can't take a picture next to or with 2000s technology... anything? Well maybe you can take a selfie with a fliphone, or a T Mobile Sidekick (if you have one, lucky you!) or even a Nintendo DS if you've got one of those with the camera! Mirror selfies were also a thing of the (mid?) 2000s if they were taken with an actual camera! Let's also not forget the webcam pictures!

Here's one I took for example:

Special "effects"/ Editing:

One thing that makes almost all pictures look so much more aesthetic/better: putting the flash on! I promise it works almost all of the time, the picture will look more high quality and clearer even though it is the same quality as without! If you think your outfit might not be too great or you'd like to make it look like it was taken with a low quality phone, blur the picture! It could also just look artistic, which works just as good.

As for the editing, Glitter, like edits made on Blingee, turning up the contrast, putting a filter (or a few) that give off a blue hue or darker, add in your FriendProject profile number, or your nickname in a grungy font, or photoshop yourself in front of a cute butterfly background!

The poses and angles!

Taking a picture with only this information might not be enough to make it look as 2000s as you want it to be, so now let's see another thing; the poses and the angles! Especially when you take a selfie, do not understimate the power of the "myspace angle" as you might've heard before, the super high angle from which you take the selfie, in which you could include your whole outfit. I know, out of experience, that the position in which you have to try and stand to get your whole outfit in the picture is very, VERY uncomfortable, but trust me it's worth it!

Here's an example:

Other angles/poses you could use are for example the ones in which you position the camera, phone or whatever you take your pictures with at your feet, put a timer or make someone take the picture for you, in an angle at which your feet will look bigger than your head and your whole outfit will be visible again! This one's hard to explain but here's an example, again from one of my pics because I couldn't find one from someone else: (putting "myspace picture big feet" on google, does in fact, not work)

Shoutouts from most known myspace celebs were a big thing back then, with the name of someone (or their own, partly to prove they aren't catfish) written on their hand or a piece of paper, as well as showing off fake tattoos made with sharpies, or something like "I love you!" on the palm of your head, so standing there showing it, could, somehow be a pose? I guess so... oh well, this is still something that would've been on this list!

There are many more (like for example the ones where your legs look broken as you sit on the floor, or the one where you are showing off your room plastered with posters..) but just know not to just stand there looking lost (unless that's what you're going for), be either VERY dramatic with the poses or super casual, no in betweens or you'll probably look awkward!

Dramatic makeup and hair!

Of course... To keep on being dramatic, because the 2000s very much were, (as every decade, in their own way, but you get what I mean) hair was often in crazy colors and or haircuts! Even if you were neither emo nor scene, celebrities like Christina Aguilera or Kelly Clarkson, to Matt Tuck (that's right!) had highlights in their hair, or just dyed parts of their hair, usually blonde, black or red, but chalk haircolor exists in many colors, so go crazy on that!

See here:

Not only that but side ponytails, extensions, crimped hair, face framing bangs, spiky gelled hair etc. Even if you aren't emo or scene, your hair can cover one of your eyes for the picture!

Makeup had to be very visible, especially as a scene kid or emo kid with the overflowing amount of eyeliner, and colorful mascara or anything that you could find to be original and "artsy" really, but also for any other person! Makeup looks that were usual attire were for example: LIPGLOSS, blue, purple, white or eyeshadow, frosty pink lipstick, a lot of mascara, colorful eyeliner, rosy cheeks, or lined lips (darker on the outside) but none of that would be complete without thin eyebrows! Fake tans are also a go-to if you're feeling it!

Now, if you're too scared to use hairchalk or dye your hair, and you aren't too good at makeup, no worries, you've still got other options!

Props and accessories!

Big sunglasses.. yes, even indoors! Rimmed glasses, Colored lenses, "Bug eye" sunglasses, there are many to choose from! Scarves, very unnecessary but pretty cool looking! Hoop earrings were also in! For guys too, jewelry was often worn, for example diamond earrings, shell necklaces, as well as the typical "gangsta wear", you would've guessed it: the dollar sign necklace or chunky golden chains/necklaces. They were ofcourse not first worn during the 2000s, but they were definitely still very much worn then! Other jewelry often worn were silly bands, wristbands, kandi bracelets and necklaces. You can even wear fake piercings!

As for headwear, still many to choose from, like trucker hats, both for guys and girls and anyone who'd like to wear those, bandanas, fedora hats, (do not recommend, 80% of the time you'll look awkward, but you can't know if you're part of the 20% that could rock the look if you don't atleast try, I guess) "baker boy hats" and big huge bows for all my scene beans out there. Belts. BeLtS! A lot, too much, 3 of them, or one big one, just find whatever you have and wear the goddamn belts! Fishnets! Fingerless gloves! They were very much in, and not just for scemo kids!

Not only is it about things you can wear, but also things you can use for the picture, you can look cute while holding a plush toy, (bonus points if you've got a gloomy bear, hello kitty or gir plush!) mysterious while holding a notebook/ diary of some sort or nerdy with your favorite book, but a lot of pictures get much more fun when they are super random, for example like kiki kannibal, just casually holding a lamp in her garden...

Clothing!

Now, this one will be short as I will mainly give you guys links to some articles that talk about 2000s fashion, but here's a thing: If you're going for a very "in your face" kind of style, go fully crazy lol! Scene kids get your neon green tights or red ripped skinnies out and wear all of the colors, preps wear your shiniest Playboy logo shirt, goths and emos you better wear your nicest black knee high converse, all of it!! Go fucking over the top because truly, it was rarely ever over the top in the 2000s! Also, did I mention? Cringe culture is dead, nobody cares if you somehow manage to truly go a little too far! If you're feeling yourself, don't hesitate to show a little skin, (I don't mean totally naked, duh, especially if you're a minor plz no it's usually a very bad idea) ain't nothing wrong with mini skirts or crop tops! (guys, GUYS please wear them too if you feel like it, I promise you a lot of us think that's hot okaythatsall)

Anyway, here's a few articles on the fashion/clothes! Most of these include also accessories etc but you'll find a lot about clothes!

Includes men's clothing too!

https://www.complex.com/style/best-fashion-trends-of-early-2000s/

Yes.. I know.. Buzzfeed.. But oh well, it's still showing the clothes and fashion like we need! There isn't much for guys here, but there is inspo to take from it lol!

https://www.buzzfeed.com/leonoraepstein/forgotten-early-2000s-trends

Now, I know what this one says... apparently all of these trends were"mistakes"... Well who's gonna laugh when 2000s style makes a comeback? Definitely not them, once they look back on this article!

https://www.goodhousekeeping.com/beauty/fashion/g2898/worst-2000s-fashion-trends/

This article includes men's fashion and also includes a link to buy the items! That is, if you've got 35$ to spend on a cap for example... Which I don't, but that's okay, it's got pretty good examples of the fashion!

https://spy.com/gallery/2000s-fashion-trends-throw-back-style/

And since I couldn't find a good article on 2000s alt fashion, I made a Pinterest board with a few exemples for Scene, Emo, Goth, Mallgoth/Goth, Visual Kei and Cybergoth! There isn't a lot yet, but you'll get the general idea :)

https://www.pinterest.fr/mayskelly/2000s-alt-styles/

I hope you guys like it, and try it! I think I may share my favorite attempts if enough people do it on my instagram story and here, and tumblr as well if anyone participates in this!

[gingerstorm101]

A Little Too Late Chapter 3

Summary: Years after the death of Ziva, a case comes up where Tony finds out that she’s keeping a secret from him.

FF.net

AOL

Enjoy!

He looks down at the envelope in his hand, his name is written in red marker on the front. He knew who did it, who else could it have been? Tali. He doesn't know any other child who could have broken into his apartment, except maybe the kid down the hall. But he doubts the kid is skilled enough to get in here.

Tony looks around the room, noticing the picture he left on his end table had been moved, the one he holds dear to his heart. Pulling out his phone, he calls his senior agent.

“McGee.” His voice was groggy over the phone, probably only had an hours’ sleep before he had called him.

Turning on the spot, back to the envelope on the floor behind his door. “McGee, wake everyone up. My apartment was broken into.”

It took a few seconds before the younger man answers him. “At midnight? Tony, did you just get home?”

“Just get over here McGoo, if we want any sleep tonight, get a McMove-On.”

With a yawn, the agent responds, “On it boss” before hanging up. Tony, knowing it would take them a few minutes before his team got to his apartment, walks out. He only has one destination. The coffee shop.

***

Sobering up, Tony walks down the hall to his apartment with O’Riley on his tail. The young man was yawning loudly as they made their way to the door. As he opens the door, he hears Sandra and McGee coming off the elevator.

“Was it really her?” She asks.

“We won’t know until we get fingerprint evidence.”

Inside, everything was the same with how he left it, the envelope still on the floor, and little fingerprints all over his apartment. The team shuffles in, looking at the clean room around them. McGee is the only one who isn't surprised by the layout of the apartment, on the other hand, O'Riley looks like he's about to piss himself. Tony expects that he's worried about breaking something in his boss' place.

“Let’s make this quick so we can all get back to our beds.” He says before taking a sip of his second coffee of the night.

"If we even make it there," O'Riley mutters under his breath.

Tony doesn’t have the energy to glare at the young probie, but he knew he was right. But he didn’t want to keep the agents up all night, there was no time sensitivity on the case, and they all work better after a rest.

He hopes Josh isn’t right.

McGee is the first one to get into action, grabbing his camera and taking pictures, along with O’Riley, beside them Sandra pulls out the equipment to dust for prints. Tony took this time to search the apartment, trying to find any hints that his daughter, god, his daughter, left anything else behind or stole anything from him.

It didn’t take long for Johnson to call him back to the living room; McGee and O’Riley using their own dusters in the same room. “Boss, so far we’ve only found one set of prints, a child’s prints.”

“What’s the chance it’s Tali’s?”

"How could a child, a 10-year-old no less, unlock the front door of a secured apartment building?" Sandra looks him in the eye, mixed emotions in her gaze, but he could pick out the sadness in them. What could she possibly be sad about? It was his life, his family he lost, not hers. It was his family that was killed before he had the chance to make Ziva his legal family. The woman pushing him away before he could propose.

But no. He lost his family, kidnapped before he could meet his daughter. These people, the ones who kidnapped Tali, just who are they? Why are they teaching her how to break into homes? Why? Why everything?

Tony turns to head to the kitchen with his own duster when McGee calls him over. “Tony,” The Senior Field Agent starts, holding the gray picture frame in his hand. “It looks like she spent most of her stay with this in her hand.” Tony lifts they frame from his agent’s hands, noting the dusted prints all over the edge. “If she really is your daughter, I’m not surprised she spent her stay with this picture.”

Gazing down at the woman in the frame, Tony smiles. It was taken so long ago, he hardly even recognized himself, a lot less gray hair back then. He remembers that day, Thanksgiving of 2012, McGee took the picture of him and Ziva, Ziva wrapped around his shoulders, her cheek pressed against his own, smiling. Happier times. He’d gotten a picture frame the same day he got the photo.

“I hope that she got good emotions from that photo as I do every time I look at it.”

Two hours pass before they are done collecting evidence from the crime scene; take it back to the evidence lock-up. Tony sends his team home to bed to get a couple of hours of sleep before their day starts again.

In the meantime, Tony checks into a hotel. There was only one thing left to do.

Call his father.

He takes a couple of deep breaths to get his mind in order before he pulls out his phone and dials the number. It rings five times before Senior finally picks up.

“Junior! What can I do for you at this time of night?” As frail as the man is getting, Senior still surprise him.

Tony paces in his spot, too wired to sit. “What are you doing awake?”

He could hear the smile and the fancy-dressed tux from over the phone. "I was just in a business meeting. If you want to make some money, you gotta be up and attem before your business partners do, that what I say."

He signed and paces some more. “Dad, ther- there is something I need to tell you.” Pausing, he wills himself to say more, but nothing comes. After a minute of silence, Senior speaks up.

“Yes, Junior? What is it?”

Finally, Tony sits on the edge of the hotel bed. “Ziva has a daughter.” He didn’t have to say it.

“I knew there was something there, Junior.”

“Now is not the time Dad.” He brought his hand up to his face, rubbing his eyes.

“Just answer me one question: Why did you walk away?” His heart lurched.

He looks away, knowing that his father couldn’t see him. “It’s what she wanted.” And he’s regretted it every day since.

“Bullshit.” Shutting his eyes, he inhaled. “Women don’t know what they want. No wonder you never got married.”

“Dad, please.”

"No, listen to what I have to tell you." His father's voice all but boomed in his commanding voice. "When your mother was upset with what I'd done, I would never just leave her alone. I would go out and grab her some of her favorite things. I made sure our marriage worked; she would rather have me there with her, showing her that I loved her. Not getting on a plane and doing business in another country. She would still be here if you did not make that mistake Junior."

He was right, but that didn't stop Tony from snapping. "Do you have any idea how much I regret walking away? No matter what you tell me, it will not change the fact that my soul mate is dead." Tony says with a sigh. "But Tali…" He trails off, unable to come to terms with what had happened. "One crime scene, she leaves a single, deliberate fingerprint. And then in the next, she leaves them all over my apartment. I feel like she's gloating."

“That sounds like you.” Senior smirks over the phone.

“Dad, I’m too tired for this shit tonight.”

"You're the one who called at 4 am."

Flopping back on the bed, Tony sighs again. “I… I had to tell you. You had to hear it from me before she even thought of telling you. If she’s anything like Ziva, she already knows about you, and I’d rather have you hear it from me first.”

Senior stays silent for a moment before he says one last thing before hanging up. “I had a feeling you know? But I pushed it away when you said she was killed.”

***

When the sun shines through the hotel window, Tony groans and buries his face in the pillow. He’s not ready for the day to start; he hardly slept as it was as his mind kept going over the case in his head. He could always stay in his bed until his alarm went off. Maybe even close his eyes until then. Slowly, he closes his eyes.

What must've felt like seconds, his alarm went off on the bedside table. All but growling, he gets ready for the day.

An hour later, he walks into the bullpen to find Sandra and O'Riley hard at work. "Where's McGee?" He asks setting two coffees down on his desk, each filled with sugar.

"Right here, boss. I was checking in with Abby, updating her on the evidence we found last night." Glancing over at Tony's desk, he comments. "Didn't sleep, Tony?" Without answering verbally, the man glares at him, the bags under his eyes prominent on his face. "Did you hook up with a girl while you were in that hotel room?"

Gritting his teeth, Tony slaps the back of his senior field agent’s head. A good old fashion Gibbs Slap. “No! I was not with a woman Mc-Gee!” The younger man throws his hands up, holding them in front of him in defense.

“Whoa whoa, sorry. You look like a train wreck.”

"Well, wouldn't you if you found out about a child who was at two crime scenes?"

Around them, O'Riley and Sandra stay in their desks, not wanting to disturb their boss. He was already upset as it is. "Look, I get it, all right. You weren't expecting this, but you don't need to be taking it out on us."

“I won’t be taking it out on you if you didn’t keep your trap shut McNosey.” The two glare at each other, not taking their eyes away for a moment when Tony’s phone rings. “DiNozzo.”

“I got something.”

Without a blink, he replies. “Be right there, Abs.” Stepping away from McGee, he speaks to Sandra. “Find me a suspect. Today.”

***

The music is blaring in the lab, and he's not sure if it's just him getting old or if it is from the lack of sleep, but for once, it was giving him a headache. "Abby!" The woman kept staring. "Abs! Abs!" Wide-eyed, the Goth turns around. "The music! Turn it down!"

Abby says a silent ‘oh’ before she picks up the remote and turns down the techno music.

“How are you not deaf yet?” She shrugs, a smile plastered on her face. He strolls up to her, still wearing the same outfit as she always had. Life has been good for her. Her and her short skirts. “What’d got Abs?”

“Conformation.” Turning back to her computer screen, the women types quickly, pulling up the fingerprints that they had gathered in the middle of the night. “Your suspicions were correct. Tali David broke into your apartment last night.”

“And you couldn’t just tell me that with a phone call? I went all out and everything!” He says, holding up the Caf-Pow in his hand.

She reaches for it, pulling it close to her. “Aww, you shouldn’t have.” Taking some sips before slamming the cup down. “Now. You, sir, need to talk to someone about this.”

Rubbing his eyes, Tony lets out a sign. “I already have Abby.”

Crossing her arms, she leans on one foot. “Why don’t I believe you?”

"I swear it! I talked to my Dad and Gibbs last night. I had to tell them before she does." All these emotions he was letting out was tough on him, he couldn't keep doing this. And yet, he does. "I don't know how much Tali knows. I don't know if she knows about Gibbs and McGee, even you and me. I have to protect you."

Abby frowns. “Aww, Tony,” She wraps her arms around the man, her warm body pressed against his chest. “I love you too, but Tali is just a child, she’s not going to hurt us.”

The corner of his mouth lifts a touch, he was about to respond when his phone rings. “DiNozzo. Yeah? Yeah. Well, go get him!” Abby looks at him expectantly. “The team has a lead.”

***

“David David, 27 years old, Navy brat but never continued the family tradition of joining the core. The type of gun Abby matched to the murder weapon is the same make and model as to what David has registered to him.” Sandra tells him from observation, looking into the interrogation room where David and McGee sit talking.

On the other side of the glass, David shifts in his seat. McGee clears his throat, placing the folder down in front of him, he gets started. “Do you know why we called you here today, David?”

The man’s eyes shift from the mirror behind the agent to his eye. “They said Stephen is dead, and they wanted to talk to me about it.”

Opening the file, McGee pulls out a photo of the two men, Stephen and David. “Our sources tell us you and Stephen are close, best friends even.”

“We’re not friends anymore.”

The room goes quiet for a moment before McGee replies, “Why do you say that?”

David lurches forward, his hands slamming against the table. “Because! He’s sleeping with my little sister!” He snarls at him. “He betrayed my trust! I can never forgive him for that!”

“Well,” McGee looks down at the picture of Stephen and a young woman. “He’s no longer sleeping with your sister.”

David looks away, his face stoned. Quietly, he says, “And how would you know that?”

“Because he’s dead.” The hard face the man was holding was gone, the next sentence made the man’s jaw drop. “And we believe you did it.”

[lpdwillwrite4coffee]

Get to know me tag! Thank you @edourado <333 

1. how tall are you?

I’m anywhere between 5′8 and 5′9 depending on who you ask (I always say I’m 5′8)

2. what color and style is your hair?

My NATURAL hair color is strawberry blonde, but it’s currently dyed dark magenta :) the style is a short asymmetrical bob, and my hair is naturally very thick and straight so I often have fun styling it with sea salt spray to give it texture. 

3. what color are your eyes?

Blue green, and my left eye is more blue and my right is more green. It’s actually pretty noticeable in the light

4. do you wear glasses?

I do! I have terrible vision without them as well, so I wear them at all times

5. do you wear braces?

I have never needed braces

6. what is your fashion style?

If the goth girl in your high school grew up, matured a little, decided to like some color, and learned how to style her body instead of just buying things that fit. OR if a mermaid came up on land, was a little cold so she bought a bunch of sweaters, had an affinity for chunky knits and soft fabrics and vintage jewelry, and lived in a cottage on the sea. OR if the off beat step daughter in a second chance RomCom worked in a coffee shop but sang in a grunge band on the weekends. OR if a soul from the 50s got reincarnated and missed the silhouettes of the dresses and the high-waisted jeans, but loves progressive feminism so she wears a rockabilly skirt to the polls when she votes.  Just depends on the day.

7. full name?

Haha, have to be smarter than that NSA! 

8. when were you born?

I’m old enough to remember the sounds of dial up, and how it feels to hang up on someone with a land line phone. And I remember when Nickelodeon cartoons were good.

9. where are you from and where do you live now?

I’m from North Carolina, and I live in Massachusetts now 

10. what school do you go to?

which one and when?

11. what kind of student are you?

I was a really great student by teachers standards, I was a decent student by my mother’s standards, and I was a fuck you student by my own standards.

12. do you like school?

I did until I didn’t. And then I bounced.

13. what are your favorite school subjects?

English and Art. 

14. favorite TV shows?

Hahahaha how much time do you have?

15. favorite movies?

I feel like my favorites change based on where I’m at in my life. I think the movie that changed things for me and made me fall in love with fun story telling was The Mummy

16. favorite books?

How about you try to get me to pick a favorite child?? (lol jk I don’t have kids, but the sentiment stands). Books I recommend that I’ve read recently are Children of Blood and Bone, In the Lies of Men by IR Harris (who is also my friend and I adore her and her work), and LA Noir for you history folks <3

17. favorite pastime?

I..... I don’t know if..... I have...... “pasttimes”........ Cuz my favorite things to do are..... also my work???? I’ve been getting into macrame lately, and made my “headboard” and a driftwood wall hanging that I’m really proud of. But my favorite weird thing to do is get in the car and drive somewhere and just explore. I like finding new places, I love the beauty of back roads and snippets of people’s lives that I get to witness through my car windows.

18. do you have any regrets?

I have plenty but honestly I’m thankful for them because they taught me so much and got me where I am today, so I wouldn’t change anything.

19. dream job?

Exactly what I’m doing-- Writing and creating stories.

20. would you like to get married someday?

I would! I don’t want a normal wedding though. Two words... Surprise Wedding. I want to have a big ole party and then surprise everyone by going “hey guess what! We’re getting married TODAY.” And watch everyone lose their minds lol.

21. would you like to have kids someday?

I very much want children, either my own or adopted. 

23. do you like shopping?

N OOOO OOO OOOO O O O. I hate it. I get in, get out, then get a coffee to reward myself for being in public for so long.

24. what countries have you visited?

I’ve been to the UK (England, Scotland, Wales.) I lived in England for 6 months for study abroad. I’ve also been to Paris, France, and I spent a month in Ireland.

25. what’s the scariest nightmare you’ve ever had?

Probably the one when I was a kid, where I was stuck in a white room with a giant spider and I couldn’t leave to find my mom, and the spider caught me and spun a web around me to trap me like it wanted to eat me. And then I woke up.

26. do you have any enemies?

I dunno............ DO I???

27. do you have an s/o?

Not yet! Feel free to apply though ;)

28. do you believe in miracles?

I do, indeed <3

tagging @kteague @asnowballschance @priya212 @purelyfueledbycaffeine and anyone else who wants to do this! 

[frighthouseofalighthouse]

All weird asks!! They're so good!

Sorry this is a bit late, babe! I wanted to wait til I had the opportunity to answer all these uninterrupted!

1. coffee mugs, teacups, wine glasses, water bottles, or soda cans?

Coffee mugs! tbh I drink tea out of coffee mugs because who actually uses teacups? I mean my grandma has tons and I would use them, but the handles are so tiny and I am v clumsy so it scares me.

2. chocolate bars or lollipops?

Chocolate bars!!! I’m too impatient for lollipops and plus they always get coated in saliva which just...drips down my chin since my mouth is already full.

3. bubblegum or cotton candy?

Bubblegum! I love cotton candy but I can only handle a bit at a time tbh. Also I haven’t had bubblegum in almost two years bc of braces and I miss it so much I can’t wait to have it again.

4. how did your elementary school teachers describe you?

Okay, so even though I’ve always been homeschooled, when I was in elementary school we did this program with a ton of other homeschoolers where you could take actual classes and stuff. My teachers always said I was quiet and focused and studious, and you could always count on me to be lecturing everyone else on the instructions if they hadn’t been paying attention. (does any of that surprise anyone?)

5. do you prefer to drink soda from soda cans, soda bottles, plastic cups or glass cups? GLASS SODA BOTTLES. nothing beats soda that’s been bottled in glass rather than plastic. You ever had orange cream soda from a glass bottle????? SLAPS ASS MY DUDE.

6. pastel, boho, tomboy, preppy, goth, grunge, formal or sportswear?

Pastel/boho/preppy/goth, my dude. I have so many sides to my fashion and aesthetic.

7. earbuds or headphones?

EARBUDS BC HEADPHONES NEVER FIT OVER MY EARS RIGHT. BUT EARBUDS WITH SOFT TIPS BECAUSE MY EARS ARE TOO SMALL FOR THE PLASTIC ONES.

8. movies or tv shows?

Tv shows tbh because even though I can binge 4 eps of 45 minutes each per night, they’ll hold my attention a lot more than a movie. It’s weird.

9. favorite smell in the summer?

Thunderstorms/petrichor, also natural bogs. PEAT BOG SMELL FUCKING SLAPS.

10. game you were best at in p.e.?

None. I liked trampoline time back when we took gymnastics, if that counts. I also liked jump roping and Irish step dancing.

11. what you have for breakfast on an average day?

Nothing lmao. I sleep til like noon and then I microwave something for lunch.

12. name of your favorite playlist?

My catchall playlist, Things I Love, my summer playlist, Summer Songs, my Gryffindor playlist, My Queen And Country playlist for writing, and my playlist for The Raven Cycle. (after I post this I’ll edit it and link them)

13. lanyard or key ring?

Keyring, a lanyard would like constantly detract from my outfit if that makes sense???

14. favorite non-chocolate candy?

Sour Patch Kids or Swedish Fish.

15. favorite book you read as a school assignment?

Between The Grapes Of Wrath, The Great Gatsby, The Handmaid’s Tale, and To Kill A Mockingbird!

16. most comfortable position to sit in?

Just fucking sprawled every which way.

17. most frequently worn pair of shoes?

My grey converse if it’s comfortable out, my silver flip flops if it’s hot, and my fur-lined black combat boots if it’s cold.

18. ideal weather?

65-70 degrees, partly sunny, breezy, not humid.

19. sleeping position?

I need to sprawl to fall asleep, but once I’m asleep I curl up into a little ball.

20. preferred place to write (i.e., in a note book, on your laptop, sketchpad, post-it notes, etc.)?

Laptop and notebook ONLY IF I’m sure of myself, which isn’t often. But I do write dense, scribbled paragraphs on sermon note pages if something comes to me during church lmao.

21. obsession from childhood?

The American Revolution, weather, astronomy, and mysteries/ghost stories.

22. role model?

Idk tbh? Lately I’m just trying to define and live up to my own standards?

23. strange habits?

Pulling the collar of my shirt up to my mouth and sucking on it. Also being a perfectionist in my writing. I don’t do messy drafts. It’s all perfect by the time I write it, and I edit/spellcheck as I go.

24. favorite crystal?

Amethyst (my birthstone), bismuth, opal, and blue goldstone.

25. first song you remember hearing?

Other than nursery rhymes/kid’s songs, it was Light Up The Sky by The Afters, or California Dreamin’ by The Mamas And The Papas.

26. favorite activity to do in warm weather?

Find shade/a cool spot and read with a cold drink.

27. favorite activity to do in cold weather?

ALSO READ. And snuggle with thick socks and a cup of tea and play DS games all day.

28. five songs to describe you?

My five faves atm -

I Am Here // Pink

The Pines // Roses and Revolutions

Soldier, Poet, King // The Oh Hellos

Traveler’s Song // Aviators

Hymn // Kesha

29. best way to bond with you?

Share my interests about politics, history, books, true crime, paranormal, tv shows, and also be kind and understanding when I don’t text for long periods bc I don’t feel up to talking.

30. places that you find sacred?

The woods on the hill behind my house. Dense, deeply green, secluded woods. Hedge mazes. Old and crumbling castles. Anywhere beneath a clear sky and a full moon. Your heart when you’ve come to terms with your fears and made peace with yourself. Anyplace with historical significance. Bookstores on an autumn/winter day. Libraries.

31. what outfit do you wear to kick ass and take names?

A kickass plaid, bruh. Also my leather jacket - once I lose enough shoulder weight to fit in it again.

32. top five favorite vines?

Fre shavoc ado, the one where the dog eats the butterfly, the Lin-Manuel Miranda one where he’s brainstorming, “what the FUCK kind of weather is this, and the dad and son with the saxophone and the oven door.

33. most used phrase in your phone?

“oh mood”

34. advertisements you have stuck in your head?

“WOW! It’s NatureStone!”

35. average time you fall asleep?

Right now it’s 4-5 am because I suck.

36. what is the first meme you remember ever seeing?

I Can Haz Cheezburger, My mom used to look at the website with me when I was like 10.

37. suitcase or duffel bag?

They both have pros and cons. :/ Duffel bags are easier to carry but suitcases keep stuff from getting broken better.

38. lemonade or tea?

TEAAAAAAAAAAAA

39. lemon cake or lemon meringue pie?

Lemon meringue pie!!! my stepdad made a really good one the other week.

40. weirdest thing to ever happen at your school?

Nothing, since I was homeschooled. Same weird shit that always happens at home. Our safe word for when I got overwhelmed in math was “quokka” and we’d stop and look at cute quokka pictures.

41. last person you texted?

My gf :)

42. jacket pockets or pants pockets?

Jacket pockets because things are not only hard to fit in girls’ pants pockets, but if you put a chapstick/lipstick in there it starts to melt :(

43. hoodie, leather jacket, cardigan, jean jacket or bomber jacket?

BETWEEN HOODIE AND CARDIGAN. SO VERSATILE. SO COMFY.

44. favorite scent for soap?

Irish Spring soap or the blue Dial bars smells better and cleaner than anything to me.

45. which genre: sci-fi, fantasy or superhero?

Fantasy. It can take me a bit to get into it, but once I do, I love it. I only do sci-fi if it has rebellion and isn’t heavy on the sci. And superhero movies are great but a lot of the tropes are meh. Fantasy has a lot more versatility if you ask me.

46. most comfortable outfit to sleep in?

Sweatpants/leggings and a soft, well worn tee.

47. favorite type of cheese?

Parmesan, white cheddar, or Muenster.

48. if you were a fruit, what kind would you be?

Raspberry!

49. what saying or quote do you live by?

“do no harm but take no shit.”

50. what made you laugh the hardest you ever have?

A really poorly edited political ad on tv a couple years ago. There was weird jazz playing, flames in the background of an image of the Capitol Building, and then the top of the dome opened and this guy’s face was inside. It is the single funniest ad I have ever seen and I laughed for 10 minutes so hard I was like an inch away from passing out.

51. current stresses?

Passing my driving test next month, getting a job, figuring out if my math skills are okay enough to take the SAT or an equivalent test.

52. favorite font?

Baskerville or Georgia!

53. what is the current state of your hands?

My fingernails are short bc I picked them while reading earlier, my cuticles suck bc I pick at those two, and my pinky is obliterated and scabbed because of when I accidentally sliced through the nail with a razor while shaving the other day. So, not great, but I’m living.

54. what did you learn from your first job?

That kids can be really annoying but also really cute and hilarious if you can get them to calm down. And also that baby fingernails are surprisingly sharp.

55. favorite fairy tale?

The OG Princess and the Frog where it’s implied the prince and “faithful Henry,’ his carriage driver, fall in love and ride off together at the end. JACOB AND WILHELM GRIMM SAID GAY RIGHTS.

56. favorite tradition?

Every December, my mom and I drive around after dark at night and I play Pokemon and we rate everyone’s Christmas decorations based on tackiness.

57. the three biggest struggles you’ve overcome?

So isolated I was as a preteen/early teenager, my self harm, and the internalized anger over my abusive relationship and PTSD.

58. four talents you’re proud of having?

Writing, puzzle solving, singing, and calligraphy.

59. if you were a video game character, what would your catchphrase be?

“Benvoli-no.” (I recently remembered I used to say that a lot and I need to bring it back)

60. if you were a character in an anime, what kind of anime would you want it to be?

Dark, fairy tale anime with a lot of secrets to uncover and some dark woods.

61. favorite line you heard from a book/movie/tv show/etc.?

TV show - “I am the Bad Wolf. I create myself.” - Doctor Who

Movie - “It’s not about deserve. It’s about what you believe. And I believe in love.” - Wonder Woman

Book - “If you never saw the stars, candles were enough.” - The Dream Thieves, by Maggie Stiefvater

62. seven characters you relate to?

Dean Winchester - Supernatural

Sam Winchester - Supernatural

Jack Kline Winchester - Supernatural

Charlie Bradbury - Supernatural

Gansey - The Raven Cycle

Blue Sargent - The Raven Cycle

Hermione Granger - Harry Potter

63. five songs that would play in your club?

Final Song // MO

Call Home // Heathers

I Am Here // Pink

Babylon // 5 Seconds of Summer

Shake It Off // Taylor Swift

64. favorite website from your childhood?

WEBKINZ AND THE OLD AMERICAN GIRL WEBSITE

65. any permanent scars?

Yes, I have several that remain from self harm, scars all over my left knee from being a clumsy child, and most of all a major scar down the center of my chest from heart surgery when I was a baby.

66. favorite flower(s)?

Rose, lavender, lilac, and dahlia.

67. good luck charms?

Not really???

68. worst flavor of any food or drink you’ve ever tried?

Olives, mushrooms, radishes, cottage cheese, and ranch dressing are all foul.

69. a fun fact that you don’t know how you learned?

Martin Luther didn’t actually nail his 95 theses to the church door, he just kind of passed them around, which is a lot less dramatic tbh. Also light-up signs were first used in New York City in 1884.

70. left or right handed?

I’m left-handed!

71. least favorite pattern?

I think zebra stripes, leopard print, and houndstooth are super ugly.

72. worst subject?

Math for sure. Even science would be easier if it didn’t involve so much math.

73. favorite weird flavor combo?

Wendy’s fries and chocolate frosty!!!

74. at what pain level out of ten (1 through 10) do you have to be at before you take an advil or ibuprofen?

I think a 7, usually. My pain tolerance is pretty high because of a) years of self harm, and b) due to my PTSD my muscles are constantly tense and in pain anyway.

75. when did you lose your first tooth?

I was 4, and it had been loose but it fell out when I was trying to blow up an inflatable ball.

76. what’s your favorite potato food (i.e. tater tots, baked potatoes, fries, chips, etc.)?

Fries or roasted potatoes that are charred and crunchy on the bottom. Chips are a close third.

77. best plant to grow on a windowsill?

Idk, my grandma’s the one with the green thumb mania lmao. But She keeps a lot of violets and arrowhead plants in the windowsills!

78. coffee from a gas station or sushi from a grocery store?

NEITHER I HATE BOTH COFFEE AND SUSHI IN ALL CIRCUMSTANCES.

79. which looks better, your school id photo or your driver’s license photo?

Never had a school ID, but my temporary license photo is actually pretty good right now!

80. earth tones or jewel tones?

I really like earth tones for myself.

81. fireflies or lightning bugs?

THEY ARE THE SAME MF THING. Also I call them both, it just depends on what comes out of my mouth haha.

82. pc or console?

PC, I guess, though I don’t really game. I just watch my stepdad game.

83. writing or drawing?

WRITING. I cannot draw to save my life.

84. podcasts or talk radio?

Podcasts, talk radio is so annoying.

84. barbie or polly pocket?

Barbie, although I loved both.

85. fairy tales or mythology?

Mythology I guess??? Although again, I love both.

86. cookies or cupcakes?

COOKIESSSSS

87. your greatest fear?

Rejection, losing people I love, people secretly hating me. Also drowning, spiders, clowns, and guns.

88. your greatest wish?

To be a semi-successful author and work in a library/museum.

89. who would you put before everyone else?

My mom and my gf.

90. luckiest mistake?

Almost dropping a knife blade first on my foot but it landed between my toes.

91. boxes or bags?

um boxes I guess? I’m really good at fitting things in tetris style.

92. lamps, overhead lights, sunlight or fairy lights?

FAIRY LIGHTS AND DIM YELLOW LAMPS.

93. nicknames?

Ell, Alexander, Ellie, Little Lion, and Nerd.

94. favorite season?

FALL FALL FALL FALL

95. favorite app on your phone?

Tumblr or Spotify. Two apps I couldn’t live without.

96. desktop background?

97. how many phone numbers do you have memorized?

About a half dozen. Mine, my mom’s, my stepdad’s, my grandparents’ home number, my grandpa’s, and my grandma’s.

98. favorite historical era?

Both the American Revolutionary period and the Victorian Era (esp in Britain)

THANK YOU LOVE THIS WAS SUPER FUN

[surveys-at-your-service]

Survey #194

“i’m numb to the pleasure but still feel the pain.”

Do you still talk to the person you last made out with? Yeah. What kind of vitamins did you take as a kid? I believe I first had those Flintstones ones, then later Mom got the gummy type. Have you ever gone to court? Only to explain to a judge why I thought my scheduled month-long stay in the psych hospital was unnecessarily long for my state. I was convinced all I needed to do was talk to Jason and boom, my problems would be gone. Safe to say, I was delusional. Glad I won that battle though considering I loathe that hospital for their extreme lack of therapy and activities to keep us occupied and out of our own heads. I was committed there I think five times and no stay did jack-shit. Are you friends with your neighbors? No. How long has it been since you’ve seen The Lion King? Years. But bitch when that live action remake comes out I'mma be the very first hoe at that theater. Have you ever had a crush on your siblings friend? No. What's the longest amount of time you’ve been on an airplane without changing flights? However long the flight to Michigan was. What’s the best wedding you’ve been to? My former dance instructor's. What time did you wake up this morning? Like, 7. What are you doing this weekend? There's no difference in weekends and weekdays for me. I'm sure I'm doing nothing. What’s your favorite Disney movie? TLK. Do you wear colored contacts? No, but honestly I'd love more sapphire blue ones if they're a prescription and not just cosmetic. Who was the last person you went to the movies with? I think Mom? Or did I go with Dad later? When’s the last time you spent time with your cousins? I haven't seen Robby since '15, but Audrey passed through with my uncle sometime last year. My other cousins, hell if I know. Why did you fall for the last person romantically? Good Lord, that's an essay. Just more than anything, I think it was the fact that she cares so deeply about animals and people alike and is passionate about what's right and wrong. Can you speak in a different language conversationally? If so, which language? I could maybe manage a very simple German convo? Do you ever fear falling asleep? No, but I do rather frequently don't look forward to it, or at least the process of falling asleep. I don't go quickly. What’s the last thing you had to eat? A bagel. Would you rather eat all day or exercise all day? I don't believe you physically could eat all day? And exercising, I'm assuming you'd eventually pass out? But let's be hypothetical. I'd have to choose exercise, I care way too much about not gaining weight. Does one eye tend to be weaker than the other? Yes, my right is considerably worse. What do you think of guys who ask girls out over via text message or internet? It's definitely not my preferred method, but do it if you don't have the courage to in person/just can't for whatever reason. Have you ever had a churro? I believe I have? If I'm remembering the correct treat, it was unbelievably too sweet and I didn't like the crunch. What’s one thing you like about your town? The town itself is real old-fashioned and small. Did you believe that alcohol is more dangerous then weed? I know it is. Do you drink more apple or orange juice? Orange. Are you a fan of the Grand Theft Auto series? Never played, but I highly doubt I'd enjoy it. Do you like the beach? If it wasn't for the wind, blistering heat, and sand. So basically, I don't. I only like being in the ocean. Do you or did you have a curfew at one point? No. Well, correction, if it was a school night before high school and I was out with a friend, I'm sure Mom established something, but idr. Do you peel the wrappers off of plastic bottles? No. What do you think is the youngest age someone should lose their virginity? No younger than 16. But at any age, be. Smart. Have you ever played Super Smash Brothers? I think at friends' as a kid? What do you like on your sundaes? Like, just chocolate syrup lmao. Have you done anything productive today? Well, I exercised some. Do you believe in abstaining from sex until marriage? What I care about is waiting for a person you feel truly in love with. I actually feel like abstaining could be a bad idea, as I'd assume for some people, the desire to have sex would play a factor in them wanting to get married, so marriage could potentially be rushed for the sake of that when you're not adequately prepared in other areas. What is your sexual orientation? Bi. Do you put your name on your food coverings? If I was using a fridge at a job or whatever, yeah, but I'm not in that type of situation. What is something you have acquired with age? Open-mindedness. Would you ever go out in public sporting pajamas? Depends on where I'm going. Have you ever ridden in a race car? No. Do you enjoy history? No. Have you ever changed religions? Twice. Is there anyone to whom you are afraid to stand up to? Mom. And pretty much everyone else. Do you like making lists? Sometimes. Do you play sports with your siblings? Never di- oh wait, Mom signed all three of us up for cheerleading as little kids. Hated it. Are there stairs in your house? No. Do you like onions on your burger? A small amount of minced pieces is fine. Could you ever give yourself a shot? Yeah. What is your favorite room to clean? I get the most satisfaction out of cleaning my own. Do you enjoy cleaning? Not the process of it, just the feeling afterwards. What do you consider your ideal weight? My /ideal/ would be around 120 again, but I'd be happy enough between 130-140. How many pounds do you need to lose (or gain) to be your ideal weight? LET US NOT What is your favorite thing about Valentine’s Day? Just it being a celebration of love, which to me, goes beyond just romantic. I think people should spend a little extra effort in letting one another know they really love each other. Now I believe every day you should treat people with love, but seriously focus on it and be thankful for those you have. If you wear one, what color is your wristwatch? N/A Have you ever made a pair of earrings? No. Who did you inherit your hair color from? I actually think Dad? Going through family pictures after Grampa died, I found out he was actually born dirty-blonde (I've only known him with black), like I was. Pretty sure Mom's was always brown. Have you ever wished that you were born in a different era? Woulda loved being born in the mid-early '80s. Do you prefer soft rock or hard rock? ....... I read "rock" as in like, minerals. And I was. Very confused. High on the list of my dumbest readings. Anyway, definitely hard. What was the best time of your life? As a kid. Do you prefer sunny or cloudy weather? Partly cloudy. How do you like your potatoes? For most of my life I only liked them as fries or as potato skins w/ cheese and bacon bits, but I'm gradually branching out. I like baked potatoes split with cheese and bacon inside too, and Sara's mom exposed me to the very first time I enjoyed mashed potatoes, yeet. So those have to be made a very specific, non-clumpy way. I also like hash browns, but not the shredded kind. Oh yeah, I live for the fiesta potatoes at Taco Bell too like gd good shit. Who’s your best friend? My babygirl. <3 If you don't count her, it'd be my mom, but if she's excluded too being family, I don't really have a best friend. Maybe Girt, idk. What’s a TV show you never miss? I don't watch any shows regularly. The one and only situation where I'd watch every episode ASAP is if Meerkat Manor came back. Have you ever lied about your gender? No. What are you planning on doing on your next birthday? Go out to eat with family, and though unlikely, getting a tattoo would be awwwesome. Do you know anyone else with your last name other than family? I don't think so? Is your favorite band still together? I actually just looked it up because I really wanted to know, and his band's still going, apparently! I thought this coming tour ("No More Tours 2") was the end, but apparently it's just the finale of his world tours. Where do you see most of your concerts? I've only been to one, which was in Raleigh. That's the most likely place we'd go to, though. Have you ever had escargot? Never in my life will I try it. Do you use Google every day? No. What was the last new food you tried that you thought was delicious? Oh my god in Heaven. So, for Christmas, my sis made these hot chocolate cream balls things she found on Pinterest, and literally, maybe the best thing I'd ever had. I just barely had enough discipline to not eat more than one lol. If you could invent a new holiday, what month would you put it in? Hm. Idk. Have you ever had a bedroom with a specific theme? No, I don't think so. If you had to design a room with a theme, what theme would you choose? Gothic, maybe with lil bits of pastel goth for some more personality. What was the best thing that ever happened to you? Realizing I can't just give my entire life to a person, losing any control over it myself. You have to allow yourself to be free; do not chain yourself to a single person. Have you ever given money to a homeless person? No. One, I don't have a source of income, and two, I'm perfectly aware what probably 99% do with it, especially because of my mom, who's pretty much made friends with the homeless on the side of the road, has learned each and every one use drugs or alcohol, so instead she buys them food frequently. That's something I would want to do, but I'm so paranoid of strangers, especially desperate ones, harming me for whatever reason that I probably never will. Do you like your hair better long or short? SHORT. OH MY GOOOOOD CUTTING MY HAIR SHORT WAS ONE OF MY BEST DECISIONS. Have you ever designed your own Facebook timeline cover? Yeah. What is one site that closed down that you wish would come back? Hmmmm. I don't really know. Well, the Animal Planet site still exists, but I wish there was still a dedicated MM section, y'know, with the forums and games and such. Really think it'd be nice if they kept little sections for all of their classic, better-known shows for old fans. Hell, I'm pretty sure MM was their most successful, why not keep remnants of it up there? Do you ever watch TV shows on YouTube? Rarely, if I ever watch a show. Foo Fighters vs. Red Hot Chili Peppers: Not a real fan of either, but I'd have to choose the former as I enjoy at least two of their songs. Have your parents ever complained about your hair? My mom was reeeaaally shocked and distressed when she arrived at the parlor when I got the "big" haircut and saw how much was gone (eight inches), but only because she was scared I'd hate it. Thankfully she really liked it when it was all said and done. Are you a fan of the Saw movies? Never really watched 'em. How did you decide on your Tumblr name? I'm a sucker for alliteration, and it's a survey blog. Do your friends have the complete opposite music taste as you? My closer friends, not really, actually. Do you ever forget how old your siblings are? I don't know any of my half-siblings' ages, and I forget how old Ashley is sometimes. I forget frequently if she's two or three years older than me. Do you tend to walk places more than drive? Ha, you can't walk to a destination here in the country. I only ever ride/rarely drive anywhere. Do you have any photos of you kissing someone? Yes. Do you ever hang out with your ex? Rarely with Girt. Would you like the ability to read minds? No, especially if you can't choose when it's "on" or "off." Even if you only choose when you do it, idk. Just... doesn't seem like a safe idea. Do you see the same people everyday? Lol that's usually just my mom, and yes. Have you ever made out on a couch? Yeah. Are you mad at anyone right now? No. It’s 4 in the morning, your phone rings, what do you do? Almost a guarantee I won't hear, considering it's on vibrate. Now if I did for whatever reason, ignore it unless it's a contact on my phone. Have you ever fallen backwards on a chair? I believe so, playing as a kid. Last time you laughed so hard you cried? I'm not sure, but considering I do that easily... Who last talked about kissing you? Sara. Who was the last thing/person you took a picture with? My kiiiitty. Did you speak to your father today? No. Would you ever get gauged ears? Definitely no. What aren’t you looking forward to? I really don't mean to sound all emo and whatnot, but I genuinely don't look forward to like every afternoon/early evening, as that's around when I hit my extreme boredom decline, which goes so low I feel death could maybe be more exciting. I am in no way suicidal, I just want this era of isolation, lack of purpose, and no progress towards a great future to end. My life's been at a stand-still for pretty much a year. Would you rather get your tongue or lip pierced? I already have both done. I find my snake eyes way cuter, but when I consider my outward appearance and what people generally see, I'd rather have my labret. What is your favorite personality trait? Kindness. What is the most romantic thing a significant other could do? Idk, but something with deep personal meaning for sure. When you are dating someone, what is the most important thing to you? There has to be a mutual, serious care for our relationship; my partner has to understand I'm not in for a fling. We both have to have the goal of forming and maintaining a healthy, long-lasting, meaningful relationship. If I feel being together is a game to you or just for a couple months of a bit of fun, bye. Would you be able to tell someone you love them, even if you didn’t feel it? No. Well, I do with my mom if she's pissed me off and I *feel* like I don't, but I know I do. If you were engaged, would you want a wedding as soon as possible? Not necessarily. I believe engagement is a stage where you're certain you want to get married in the not-so-distant future, but you have other important things to take care of first, like for example, buying a home and stuff like that. When in a relationship do you have to have contact with your partner on a daily basis? I wouldn't freak the hell out if you couldn't talk to me for a day, but I'd definitely want at least a little conversation, especially if we're serious. Do you believe in moving in together before engagement or marriage? Yes. You should know how you're going to handle being with your s/o every single day. Did you ever give a hickey to the last person you kissed or you guys didn’t go that far? Not yet. Is there anyone you want to come see you? Yeah. What was the last thing you saw that scared you? A video of this guy with his giant pet centipede like an idiot (super venomous) crawling all over him. Centipedes creep me the hell out, although at the same time I find them kinda cool. Is there something that’s happened today that you don’t want to ever go through again? No. Is the last person you kissed attractive? Yeah. Do you feel bored with your life? I think I've covered this enough. Who’s someone you miss that you haven’t talked to in years? Megan, more than anyone. Do you have severe withdrawals from medications? I don't think any were ever severe, but I was weaned off of them all I believed. Just honestly I've been on so many since 6th grade that I can't recall each one's ending. I only recall having shadow hallucinations when I was coming off one. What’s the most weight you’ve ever gained from a medication? Let's not talk about the subject I'm more bitter about than anything else in the entire world. Summary: Don't touch Abilify even if your fucking life depended on it. Do you have a doctor you can trust? My psychiatrist and therapist, very much so. I've only seen my new general doctor twice, so I can't make a fair judgment of her. Mom has a friend who sees her though, and she only has positive things to say about her. Do you pray? If yes, to whom? No. What do you miss about high school? A social life. Art class. What do you miss the most about college? Literally the one and only part I enjoyed at my first college was lunchtime, because Jason and I could spend time together, sometimes with his friends. Second college, nothing. It was online. Have you ever been the victim of a crime? I don't believe so? Is your life worse than you could have ever have imagined it to be? Or is it better, or just what you expected? Ohhhh man... As a kid, I was so sure I'd be amazing. Still had a bit of hope in middle school. High school and beyond, it's, so far, worse than I'd planned. What is the most beautiful landscape you have ever seen? Mountains. Driving through them is unreal. What is one place you have always wanted to visit? Idk about "always." But for the longest amount of time, it's been without a doubt South Africa. Who were your favorite celebrities as a child? Steve Irwin was and still is one of my absolute heroes. I loved Jeff Corwin, Jesse McCartney, Raven Symone, and the Sprouse twins, too. Do you prefer slow songs or fast songs? I'd say generally, faster. What color is your trash can? White. Who was your favorite family pet when you were growing up? We didn't really have a "family" pet, just ones one of us individually were particularly close to. I'd say the closest that qualifies would be Chance, our first cat. She was special. List five of your favorite YouTubers. You Already Know, GameGrumps, Shane Dawson, Daniel Howell, and Jeffree Star, but. I have so many jsfaqoweuoapsf. I wanna squeeze Rhett and Link in there, but while I still love them as people and creators, I've been losing interest in GMM over the months. What’s your favorite type of bird? Barn owls. I also love ravens though for their intelligence and personalities. What pet names do you use with your significant other? A lot, but I'd say either "sweetheart/sweetie" or "dear" are most common from me. I think. How would you describe your sense of humor? Sarcastic, I guess. Have you ever been a member in a band? No. Well, except school band. Have you ever watched yourself on video? Yeeaah, senior project was fun. But I know how I usually am well enough to say I honestly don't feel I did badly. Have you ever missed a flight? Yup. Never go to the O'Hare airport, jfc. Have you ever seen a lunar eclipse? Yes, and I hope to see the one this Sunday! Are you still in touch with your best friend from high school? No. Any animals whose behaviors you find particularly interesting? AHHHHHHH SO MANY!!!!! Social species' above all. Do you like animals better than most humans? Yes. What simple things in life bring you the most joy? Long car rides when I can play my iPod through the speakers and just go to another world. Sara singing, hearing my mom laugh. Seeing old couples holding hands in public kills me. How did you meet your significant other (if you have one)? YouTube. How did you meet your best friend? She's the same person as above. Are you friends with anybody you didn't like at first? Also see Sara lmao. Are there any musicians you didn't like at first, but grew on you? The first/most recent to come to mind is In This Moment. Is there anything you used to love, but now dislike? Peas as a kid. I'm kinda on the fence of liking or disliking PewDiePie as he is now (although I haven't watched too much of his newer content). Do you have any favorite books you'd like to have signed by the author? It'd be pretty cool for Ozzy to sign my copy of his autobiography, sure. Do you enjoy any of those old black and white horror films? Any one I've ever seen has been horrid, so I haven't seen many. What is your favorite yogurt topping? I loved those ones that had M&Ms in them. Where do you shop the most: Kmart, Target, Walmart, Fred Meyer, or other? Walmart or Harris Teeter. Have you ever done a craft project you saw on Pinterest? No. What beverages do you drink that contain caffeine? Soda. What has been the best experience you've had in a church? Uhhh. Oh, Jason's brother's wedding. Do you prefer that your nachos be spicy or not spicy? Obviously spicy. Have you ever had a kiss that felt magical? Mine and Jason's first was cute, but I don't recall if I thought it was "magical" because all I was focusing on was just how shy I was. First kiss with Sara was definitely more than special. Who is your best online friend? Sara once again. Who knows more about you: online friends or offline? Online, easily. Do you think that love makes people irrational? It can. What book, movie, or TV show did you find to be total garbage? Oh, I'm positive there's something, but nothing comes to mind. Is there a topic that is a sore-spot for you? Mental health and how it may affect your loved ones. Have you ever lost a friend over a guy/girl? Pretty much. Have you ever lost a friend because of a lifestyle change? Yup. Do you like kissing? The right person. What location holds the most memories for you? My childhood home. Hypothetically let’s just say you’re a supervillain. What’s your agenda? What are you trying to destroy and why? I would never want to be, but I suppose the most suitable for me would be punishing the person to break a promise somehow. Why, because I know just how agonizing broken promises can be. What’s your go-to topic when making small talk with others? How their day's been. When you get to be in charge of the tunes on a road trip or party - do you play what you want to hear or tailor the playlist to what you think the other people in the car/room want to hear? I do a mix of both. Thankfully, Mom and I like most of the same music, but I do learn what songs she doesn't like and avoid playing them unless I really wanna hear it. You have any bad habits you shamelessly don’t care to or plan to quit? Shamelessly, idk about that. There’s an app for everything. What apps consume the most of your time and energy? Facebook. The most overrated thing ever - what is it? I literally judge you if you have a bigass, obnoxiously loud truck. Compensating for something? The most underrated? Ummmm. Talking about pointless shit and doing nothing while enjoying your favorite person's presence is surely one. What’s something you find unconventionally romantic? Teaching your s/o how to play a game together and you both are enjoying it asjfaoswuw. One of my most cherished memories with Jason was that with Little Big Planet. Just in general I find it super cute to share what you love with each other.

[dantediscoversfic]

Chapter 40: The Crap Cave

“Dante! You found us!” Clio said as I hovered awkwardly in the doorway of the art room that first day of school during lunch period.

She bounded over and grabbed my elbow to draw me into the oddly dark classroom. The overhead lights were all off, the window shades partially drawn down and gloomy pop music I vaguely recognized as The Cure droned from a cassette player. About ten kids were sprawled out around the room, most of them sporting various degrees of punk/goth/New Waver style. Two corset-clad girls in billowy skirts drew intricate designs on each other’s arms in black pen; a couple dressed in “normal” clothes was making out with gusto in the corner by the potter wheels; a boy wearing all black continually skimmed his pointer finger over the top of a Bic lighter flame; and the rest were eating lunch, chatting, scribbling in notepads or singing along to the music. Clio flicked the overhead lights a few times to get everyone’s attention, eliciting a few winces and hisses and boos from the group.

“Everyone, listen up, this is Dante. He’s new. He’s from Texas, but try not to hold that against him. He’s a brilliant artist. Dante, this is everyone. That’s Raija, Jane, Sachi, Fletch and Kelly back there sucking face, Joseph, Ann, Dave, Forest and Vee.”

I was greeted with a few head nods and finger waves, except for the couple making out who kept at it with sloppy yet admirable enthusiasm. Everyone went back to their conversations as Clio led me closer to the girls she’d pointed out as being named Jane and Sachi.

“So, Dante from Texas, welcome to 'The Crap Cave’”, Clio said using air quotes. “We have lit mag meetings here and also make our own ‘zines and stuff. Raija’s mom Ms. B is the art teacher—she just stepped out for a minute—so she doesn’t care if we hang out here as long as we don’t you know, perform ritual animal sacrifices or set anything on fire. Again.” She coughed pointedly in the direction of the boy with the lighter seated a few desks down from us and the girls chuckled. Seeing my apparent confusion she said, “See, Joseph’s a bit of a pyro and went through a destruction of property phase last year, didn’t you, Jo-Jo?” The boy in question grinned slyly up at us. “But he’s got it under control now,” Clio continued. “He channels his urges into sculptures where he can use an actual blowtorch from woodshop.”

“Blowtorches rule,” he said and cast me one more glance before focusing all his attention back to his lighter and intrepid pointer finger. I couldn’t help but notice that all his fingernails were painted black and he was wearing eyeliner and dark lipstick like the girls.

I pulled my gaze away from him, not wanting to stare too hard and be rude. “What did you call this room? The ‘crap cave’?” I asked Clio. “Did I hear that right?”

“Oh yeah, you heard me right.”

“Do I even want to know?”

Clio laughed. “Don’t look so scared, we know how to use the bathrooms like everyone else. It’s a sort of long story. You ever hear of The Batcave?”

“You mean like from Bat Man comics?”

“No. Well yes, but no. Same but different. The Batcave is this famous club in London for people like us. Bauhaus, Robert Smith, Siouxie, Nick Cave, Specimen all hang out and play there. Jane actually got to go there this summer, that lucky bitch,” Clio knocked Jane’s shoulder with friendly admiration. “So we kind of started calling it that in homage to the club like a year ago. But then the school had this gross mouse problem and their little poops were, like, this constant presence in our lives, so somewhere along the line we started calling it ‘The Crap Cave’ instead. Because that's how we roll.”

“The mice were perfect and adorable, not gross,” Sachi said.

“Sachi, no. Just no. The mice themselves might have been cute but their poops definitely weren’t.”

The two girls bantered about whether the mice should have been saved and kept as pets or if they were indeed an icky health hazard while I took everyone in, trying not to gawk, and sat down to eat my packed lunch. I was fascinated by the group’s collective style: a motley assortment of teased and spiked dyed hair, leather jackets, ripped band t-shirts, corsets and lace, fishnets, heavy boots, winged eyeliner, black lipstick and nail polish, powdered white faces, spiky hardware chain jewelry mixed with rosaries, crosses and pentagram necklaces. Some of the boys were even wearing makeup, which was something you hardly ever saw in El Paso. Joseph, the pyro boy, was particularly fascinating to me. His raven hair was teased out as much as Clio’s and his dramatic eye makeup accentuated his blue eyes and delicate, almost pretty features. The flame from his Bic lighter cast a warm glow on his ghostly pale skin.

Clio must have caught me staring because she leaned in close to my ear and said, “Don’t worry, Dante, we might look at little scary but we don’t bite. At least most of us don’t. Forest over there is saving up to get his teeth filed, but it’s not for blood sucking purposes. It’s because it’ll look badass.”

“Wow. My old school in El Paso was a Catholic private school so we all had to wear uniforms. It’s so cool you can wear whatever you want here. And be whoever you want. Do you all make your own clothes? I love your corsets,” I said to Jane and Sachi.

The girls grinned at me with approval and Clio said, “I knew you were a good egg, Dante. Jane made the corsets. She’s an amazing designer and sewer. I think the rest of us get by with thrift stores, hot glue and a crapload of paperclips.”

“I’ve never really thought about my clothes before,” I said. “But now I feel so boring compared to you all.”

“Aw, there’s nothing wrong with being a normie,” Clio said and patted me on the back. “It doesn’t make you boring.”

“Well, if you want to try something new, let me know,” Jane said. “Jo-Jo’s my twin brother. I make stuff for him all the time. Cravats, vests, things like that. I’m sure he’d let you borrow something.”

“Wow, thanks. You think I’d look good?”

“Yeah, for sure. But don’t let us pressure you. We dress like this because it feels right, right? But it’s not for everyone.”

The girls nodded.

“How did you all know you wanted to get into goth stuff?” I asked.

Jane said, “Well, for me, growing up I loved making clothes and dressing up since forever. Halloween was my always my favorite holiday. I was obsessed, like obsessed. Like I’d start planning my costume and how to decorate the house six months in advance. And after it was over each year, the next day I’d get so sad and cry for days and beg my mom to keep the decorations up and let me keep wearing a cape or whatever to school every day. So when I figured out that I could dress however I wanted whenever I wanted and basically have Halloween all year round and have my clothes express how I feel inside all the time, it was like a big weight was lifted.”

“Do people make fun of you?”

“I mean, sure, dicks are dicks,” Jane said.

“We get all sorts of ignorant comments at school, on the street, wherever. Like…‘Hey Morticia, Halloween is over,’” Clio lowered her voice to a dopey male grumble.

“Or ‘Errr….Do you sleep in a coffin?’” Jane said.

“Or ‘You look pretty hot for a dead girl!’” Sachi said.

“Or my personal favorite, the classic ‘Going to a funeral?’” Clio said with an epic eyeroll. “Yeah, your funeral if you don’t shut up about it. Please. But there are lots of people who aren’t asshats and you can just ignore the losers.”

“Yeah,” Sachi said. “People say things like ‘Oh, you’d look so pretty if you didn’t dress like that’ but this is how I feel pretty and beautiful. I didn’t feel right before. Now I feel good. Right. Like myself.”

“Raija’s mom is super cool because she’s an old hippie and gets it,” Clio said. “But my mom is still waiting and praying for the day when I let her dress me all in pink pouffy dresses again. Sorry Anita, not gonna happen.” There was an edge to Clio’s voice when she talked about her mom that I hadn’t heard from her yet. It made me wonder what her home life was like.

Sachi said, “Yeah, my parents were all worried at first that I was depressed and wanting to kill myself. They tried to have an intervention with all my aunties and cousins. ‘We’re worried about you, Sachi.’ ‘This isn’t the real you.’ Um, first off, yes it is. And second off, I’m so much happier now than before when I felt like a fake.”

“Yeah, people think that we do this for attention or as a cry for help or because we’re suicidal or worship Satan or are in a cult, but that’s not true at all,” Jane said. “I started making clothes for myself when I was ten. This isn’t a ‘phase’. I’m not going to just grow out of it.”

“And finding people who are into the same bands and fashion and movies and everything makes putting up with all the weird looks and comments easier. We’re here for each other, ” Sachi said.

“And sure, we get attention,” Clio said, “because we stand out with our awesome amazingness. But it’s not like we do it for attention.”

“Yeah, I totally get it.” I said. “I think it’s great.”

The girls smiled at me and I wondered how it would feel to dress like them, if that would feel ‘right’ for me or not. I understood what Sachi had said about feeling like a fake, though, and not liking how that made me feel. I felt that way when I used to tell people my name was Dan and not Dante. I felt that way still, a little. Because I didn’t quite know what it meant to be totally free and open with myself and the world and the universe. Not when it came to the biggest secret I had. In El Paso, I felt like I already stood out by not looking Mexican enough, by liking art and poetry and books and astronomy too much. It was enough to blend in and not get teased or bullied for being a little strange. Now I wondered if I flipped the script and really tried to stand out—if I dressed all in black and put on makeup and spiked my hair and embraced my innate weirdness—if that would make me feel more like me. It might make me feel tough and cool and badass for a little while, but I doubted it would make me feel more like myself the way it did for this group. How did I know, though? I’d never tried it before.

I wondered what Ari would think of my new friends. I bet he’d like them. And then I wondered what Ari would look like in black nail polish and eyeliner. I bet he’d look like a dark glamorous rock star. The thought did funny things to my insides.

Then the art teacher, Ms. Baldwin a.k.a. Raija’s mom, came in. She had gray hair in a long braid all the way down her back and wore a long flowy dress and bangle bracelets. She turned the overhead lights on and said, “Hey darklings, the cruel daylight beckons. Gotta get ready for the next class. Lunch is over in five. And you two, yoo-hoo, Earth to Fletch and Kelly! Please rein in your raging hormones during lunch if at all humanly possible? I can’t have anyone getting pregnant on school grounds.” Everyone cracked up at that and Fletch and Kelly turned beet red but finally disentangled their entwined limbs (and tongues).

I had an art class with Ms. Baldwin later in the day so I introduced myself.

“Hi, I’m Dante Quintana, I’m in your painting class during sixth period.”

“Dante, it’s so nice to meet you. You’re new, yes? This lot showing you the ropes?”

“Yes, Clio invited me to eat lunch with her and be part of lit mag.”

“That would be lovely. I’m the advisor, so I’m sure I’ll be seeing a lot of you. How are you finding Chicago? Settling in all right?”

“Yes, ma’am.”

“Ma’am! Please, call me Ms. B. Where are you from?”

“El Paso.”

“Ah. I’ve only been there once. EPMA is a lovely museum. Have you been to the Art Institute yet?”

“No, I haven’t.”

“We’ll be doing a field trip later in the year, but if you are a lover of art you must go. It’s one of the prides of Chicago.”

“Thanks, Ms. B, I will.”

"Now if you’ll excuse me, Dante, I have to prep for next period. See you in a few hours!”

Ms. B went over to her daughter Raija, who had been sitting off to herself drawing in a sketchpad for most of lunch, and gave her a quick side hug before disappearing into a supply closet. Since everyone else was getting packed up I ate the rest of my lunch quickly and consulted my schedule to see where I was headed next.

“You’re in sixth period drawing?” I looked up and saw it was Joseph who had asked me the question. Standing up instead of hunched over the desk I saw how truly long and lanky he was. He was about a foot taller than me.

I nodded up at him and tried to smile but had a hard time keeping eye contact.

“Cool. Me too.”

He flicked his lighter a few times in his right hand and then grinned a lopsided grin at me before heading out into the hallway right as the bell rang.

This was shaping up to be a much different first day of school than I had expected.