#But dammit I’m gonna use this and hopefully not stay up until 6 or 7 am as much

[inga-don-studio]

Really trying to make lemons out of lemonade by taking that early morning work shift from a few days ago (& the resulting three full days of The Horrors resulting from the 180 to my sleep/wake schedule) to nudge my bedtime earlier.

Will it work for more than a week or two? ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ But I’m going to try.

[tuffduff]

Sunshine (Axl Rose x Reader)

Pairing: Axl x Reader (fluff)

Words: 1802

Request: @soundcitysession​ “Hi! Could you please write an Axl X Reader where he offers to teach her music, just fluff?”

A/N: This was kinda rushed towards the end, which is also where I began to struggle lol. Hopefully y’all enjoy this little fluff, I definitely enjoy writing cute, intimate moments. Requests still open! <3

Axl was just about the hardest working man you had ever seen in your life and he was without a doubt the most ambitious. He still had time for whirlwind romances of course; what rockstar didn’t? Axl kept beautiful company, all but lately, where he had sworn off women entirely.

“I can’t afford any distractions right now. We’re just trying to focus on getting out this double album.” He would insist in interviews whenever they tried prodding and prying into his personal life.

You wondered where that left you. It’s not like he knew you were in love with him, you were friends first and foremost, always. And there were times you would sit and just watch him from afar, while he practiced and warmed up on stage and sent a grin your way that made you reconsider taking the risk, but the idea of losing him entirely was too awful to think. No, having Axl in your life in this capacity was good enough for you.

You were surprised when he invited you to the studio one day, since you were well aware of his zero tolerance for distractions.

It was just the two of you, which wasn’t surprising—it was about 6:30 in the morning and the rest of the boys would be arriving later. Axl was always awake early and he would always call you, sometimes as early as 5. Due to this, you were somewhat on the same schedule. It made you wonder if he ever got any sleep.

For a long time, you sat silently, not daring to make too much noise or movement as he played piano, pausing every so often to write something in a notebook and singing under his breath. You jumped when he slammed down hard on the keys. He turned towards you violently, annoyed creases on his forehead and lips slightly pouted and tugging down.

“How come you haven’t said a word to me this entire time?” He demanded. Your eyes widened.

“Y-You said you didn’t want any distractions right now! I was just...letting you work.” The annoyance immediately dissipated and he chuckled in new understanding.

“Y/N, if I really thought you were a distraction, I wouldn’t have an invited you, honey.” Your heart fluttered at the name, but that wasn’t anything new with Axl. “Come sit with me.”

You obliged, moving to join him on the piano bench.

“You know, it’s not like I minded just sitting and listening.” You told him lightly. “It’s always a privilege, hearing you play. I could never create something so beautiful.” He looked over at you and you wondered why he looked so incredulous.

“Of course you could, you’re a capable and smart person. Don’t ever say you can’t do something—you can do anything. Besides, all it really takes is just some time and practice and the ability to just...let your heart speak.”

“Well, I definitely can’t do that,” you mumbled, feeling the irony at his statement and avoiding his gaze. There was a long pause between you.

“I can show you.” He offered. You glanced over at him again.

“Okay, no Axl; now I’m becoming a distraction, really. I should let you work—” you had moved to stand, but Axl reached a hand out and grabbed your wrist, keeping you in place.

“Y/N, I always have time for the people I care about, when I said those things…I was never talking about you.” There it was again, that fluttering feeling in your chest that made you consider risking it all. “Now, sit. Let me show you something.” Tentatively, you sat back down and watched Axl’s fingers on the keys. He played a few notes, something very familiar to you, yet something that you couldn’t put a name to. “Watch my fingers,” he told you, repeating the sequence slower. You tried your best to concentrate, but you had never played an instrument before. Axl’s close proximity also wasn’t helping. “Now try.”

Naturally, the first key you pressed was wrong. You cringed and Axl chuckled.

“It’s okay, try again.” He encouraged. For a second, you allowed yourself to appreciate his patience. It always left a bad taste in your mouth when all the media badmouthed him and called him a selfish primadonna. Axl has always been anything but.

This time, you got the first note right, but the ones that followed were off. You shook your head.

“Axl, really, I’m not cut out for this—”

“Hey, shh, darlin’. You’re doing just fine. I’ll help you.” He placed his hand over yours and guided you over to the keys. He played the right notes, and then kept going, using your fingers as a means to play. “It’s not like I got this way overnight. I took lessons when I was a kid. You get better with time.” He mused to you, his voice smooth and relaxed. As you listened and somewhat played, the tune registered in your head. “You Are My Sunshine.”

It sounded so gentle, soft and twinkling on the keys and it made you smile. Soon, you couldn’t hold back humming along with the piano.

“How about you actually sing?” Axl encouraged you. You shook your head, growing shy once more.

“That’s your job. I can’t sing.”

He smirked to himself, pausing your hands.

“I don’t know. You sing pretty well in the shower.” You felt your cheeks warm.

“I definitely don’t sing in the shower.” You lied indignantly. He laughed, shaking his head.

“I think you forget I have a key to your apartment, sweetheart.” Dammit. You raked your head frantically, wondering when on earth he had ever caught you singing. “It was a while back, we were gonna get dinner, you told me 7, so that’s when I showed up.” He explained. You began to laugh sheepishly.

“We didn’t leave my apartment until 8.” You remembered quickly. He nodded. You watched his face as he continued recalling the memory, some distance faraway nostalgia making his eyes sparkle.

“You were singing ‘Here Comes the Sun’ over and over again. It was stuck in my head for days after that night. And you decided you wanted breakfast instead and we ended up at that Waffle House and almost left—”

“Because the waitress kept coughing her lungs out.” You finished, reliving the memory with him. It was a night so long ago, but felt like it had been only last night.

“If you hadn’t wanted that fucking waffle so bad there’s no way I would’ve stayed.” He laughed with you, trailing off. When you glanced back over, he was staring at you. “I think about that night a lot. You were wearing that sweet perfume—you smelled like citrus, like summer.” You could feel your breath caught in your throat. “Can I ask you something?”

With your heart pounding, you could only nod.

“How come you only wear that perfume around me?” He asked his question boldly and with authority, his eyes unafraid to stare right at you as he waited for your answer. His expression was neutral and unreadable, and you found yourself at a fork in the road, unsure of whether or not to blurt out the truth or brush it off.

“That’s what I wear when I go out.” You replied, trying to sound nonchalant and not like your skin wasn’t prickling.

“No, you don’t.” He replied confidently. “You were with Slash and Steven the other night. I didn’t catch a hint of it. You only wear it with me.”

“I…” You muttered, not sure of what to say. “Well, I just. Excuse me for caring about smelling good around you.”

“I just wanted to know if it’s because you’re trying to impress me.” Your mouth fell open in indignation, even more so when you noticed the corners of his mouth tugging upwards in amusement.

“Me impress you? Oh, c’mon, don’t flatter yourself, Axl. I’m not trying to impress you, don’t be ridiculous.” He smiled entirely now.

“You’re really cute when you’re in denial.”

“I’m not in denial!” You insisted, feeling your cheeks flushing. He turned back to the piano keys, lightly playing notes again.

“Okay. Sorry for making assumptions.”

“Yeah, you’re forgiven. You know what they say about assumptions.”

“Maybe I was just hoping you felt the same.”

“It only makes an ass out of you—what?” He smiled smugly.

“It doesn’t matter, clearly you don’t have feelings for me.” You blinked a few times, dumb-founded.

“I…” you groaned, hearing him laugh. “Am I really that obvious?”

“No, not really. I just notice every little thing you do, darlin’. You think I don’t feel you watching me whenever we’re on stage? You think I can’t see the way I make your eyes light up?” Again, you could feel yourself growing defensive, but Axl reached out to caress your cheek, stopping your words before they ever even came. “Hey, it’s not a bad thing. When I see you watching me, you make me feel like I’m on top of the fucking world. It’s like everyone else in those little clubs just disappear, and there’s only you.”

“But…you said that you didn’t want any distractions.”

“From what’s important. This double album, the band…and you. I don’t need or want any of these women throwing themselves at me, Y/N. Not when I’ve already got you. It just took me too long to realize it. And that’s what makes me an ass.” You giggled, your glee only lasting for a second before he leaned forward and pressed a gentle kiss to your lips.

“Just like I thought,” Axl breathed out once he pulled back, eyes still shut. They fluttered open and he searched between your eyes. “You taste so sweet. You’re my little piece of sunshine, babe.”

“I love you, Axl.” You blurted out, allowing yourself to finally embrace the truth, and the words felt freeing leaving your mouth. He kissed you again in reply, the force of his kiss ferocious, almost as though he couldn’t quite contain himself, as if he were allowing you his own kind of truth; he had been waiting God knows how long for this kiss. When you pulled back for air, you bit your lip and grabbed his hand in yours. You could feel various rings on each of his fingers. “Do you think maybe, once you finish the album and everything, you could maybe teach me how to play?”

“We’ll do a little every day,” Axl promised enthusiastically. “But I have to say, it’ll cost you.” He pulled you closer to kiss again, making clear his preferred method of payment.

“Do you offer payment plans?” You teased, giggling as he kissed down your jaw and down to your neck, nipping your skin playfully.

[twinklecheeks]

Friends With Benefits (Jeff Wittek Imagine) Part 2

Summary: Jeff and Y/N have been hooking up for a while. The whole vlog squad assumes they’re dating and Y/N does too but Jeff doesn’t like labels. He eventually starts to express interest in Natalie.

Note: Planning on making this a multiple part series, depending on how good it does. You’re 21 & Latina in this (maybe) series. Also, I’d like to apologize for the typos, if there is any. I’m just illiterate lmao.

Warnings! pregnancy, abortion? mentions of sex.

Part 1

Word Count: 2.4k

Y/n doesn’t know what to do. A million scenarios were going on in your head. “What if I tell him and he doesn’t want it? What if I never tell him and I get an abortion? I mean my body, my choice, right? What if I leave youtube, pull off a Kylie Jenner and reveal it to the world when it’s born? What if I put it up for adoption? Would I choose a closed adoption or an open adoption?” As all these scenarios are running through your head, the doctor asks if you want pictures. “Ummm yeah sure.” This just feels like a nightmare to y/n. The doctor is ready to discharge you and you take an uber home. You feel a buzz in your pocket and it was a text from David. “Hey you should come over and film tonight. We’re messing around with helium and stuff that messes with your voice.” You were about to say yes until you remembered that you were with child. Helium is probably not the best for pregnancy…. “Sorry I can’t come today. Not feeling too well.” “Damn maybe tomorrow. I pulled a prank of Jason’s new tesla and I need some reactions.” “Sure, I’ll be there.” You finally arrive home and you just feel super overwhelmed. Your anxiety already fucks with you at random times and now add the pregnancy hormones, that just sounds like a recipe for disaster. You decide to text Carly and Erin in y’alls gc. They have basically been you best friends since you’ve been a part of the vlog squad but you don’t know if they’ll be pissed once you reveal your secret relationship w/ Jeff. “Heyy, can you guys come over rn? I have to tell you guys a secret and you’re the only people I can trust at the moment.” Erin: “Sure. Well be there in like an hour or so. Carly and I are filming a bit with David. Probably won’t take long.” “Okay great. See you later.” Carly reads the messages from her phone and whispers “sounds serious, what do you think she’s gonna tell us?” “I don’t know. Just hope she isn’t dying or something.”

You say to yourself, “Since Carly and Erin are gonna be here in an hour, I should get pregnancy tests from the store. Just hope no fans recognize me.” You try to dress incognito and you remembered you had some expensive ass wigs in you closet (you’re a boujee ass college student lol) Once you glue the wig on, you get in your tesla (like the tesla Carly has) and you head to target. You have your hood up and sunglasses on like you’re some sort of fbi agent or something. You head to the aisle the pregnancy tests are in and see the condoms right by there and you mumble to yourself “if you woulda just taken the time to come to target and buy those, you wouldn’t be in this mess you dumb bitch.” You grab a couple of the electronic pregnancy tests cause like my bio says “i radiate dumb bitch energy.” You get home, take off the wig and read the text that says they’re 5 minutes away.

*Carly and Erin pov*

“How much you wanna bet that she has a thing for someone in the squad.” “CARLY.”

*Y/n pov*

You hear a knock at the door “heyyy” you say in an awkward tone. Erin sees the hospital bracelets on your wrist. “Oh god you are dying” Y/n: “ERIN WHAT THE-  NO ARE YOU CRAZY” All of you head to the couch and you have a hard time telling them so you say it really fast “SooooIjustfoundouti’mpregantandyou’regonnabeauntsmaybe.” Carly didn’t catch any of that but all Erin heard were the two big words. Both of them start screaming out stuff like “YOU’RE PREGNANT” “WHAT” “WHO’S IS IT.”  Y/n: “Okay okay okay. I’m gonna tell you guys everything.” So you ended up telling them the saga of you and Jeff’s relationship. Carly: “ITS. JEFF’S.” Y/n:“That’s all you have to say?” Erin: “You have to take another test. This can’t be right.” You go to the bathroom and 5 minutes later, the test says ‘pregnant.’ Erin: “ummm how about you go to a doctor so they can run some tests.” Y/n:“I already got a blood test done in the ER. Nothing is more accurate than a blood test.” Carly: “when are you due.” Y/n:“Early April I think.” Erin:“So you’re not gonna make it to my wedding?” Y/n:“Oh shit you get married in April. Dammit.” Carly: “So what are you gonna do?” Y/n:“I honestly have no idea. I just feel like he’s gonna deny everything and say its not his. He’s the only guy I’ve been sleeping w/ since New Years.” Erin: “well, whatever you decide, we’ll support you. Hopefully I’ll have a newborn baby to be my ring bearer or flower girl.” You smiled just thinking about that. Before you knew it, It started to get dark and both of them left. You didn’t want to be alone tonight, so you decided to facetime one of your other best friends. Y/n:“Hey Stass. You wanna have a girl’s night? Stassie: Sorry, I’m already having a girl’s night at Kylie’s house. You hear Kylie yell in the background “YOU CAN COME TO MY HOUSE.” Y/n: “Thanks, I’ll be there in a bit.” Two years ago, you would’ve never thought that you’d be friends with Kylie Jenner. You two hit it off when she invited the vlog squad to a roller rink to celebrate her becoming a billionaire.

You arrived at her mansion, finding both of them upstairs sitting on the floor in the nursery, playing with Stormi. You’re thinking about telling Kylie and ask her for advice. She’d completely understand; she had a baby at 20 and the whole world had eyes on her not knowing whether she was or wasn’t pregnant. You don’t mind if Stass knows because she helped keep Kylie’s pregnancy a secret, so you know she won’t tell anyone. Y/n:“I have to talk to you guys about something.” Kylie: “Sure. About what?” Y/n:“I’m pregnant.” Kylie and Stass: “YOU’RE WHAT.” Y/n:“Why is it so surprising that I’m pregnant.” Kylie: “who’s is it.” Stass: “it’s probably Jeff’s.” Your eyes go wide as she said that, Stass: “and just by the look on your face, you just confirmed it.” Kylie: “is Jeff the fit one with the New York accent?” “Yeah.” Kylie: “Ooooo he’s hot. So what about pregnancy did you wanna talk about?” Before you ask about pregnancy, you had to tell the whole saga for the second time today. Y/n:“I just don’t know what I should do. How did you feel when you found out?” Kylie: “well, I was shocked at first but then I got excited. Did I plan on getting pregnant so young? No. But I know I’ve always wanted to be a mom. Yeah, motherhood came earlier than expected but I honestly can’t imagine my life without Stormi. Hiding it from the public wasn’t easy but I’m lucky that I had people I could trust to hide my secret. And if Jeff doesn’t accept the baby as his, then screw him. He’ll look like the asshole for leaving. So what do you want to do?” Y/n:“I think I want to keep it a secret but that gonna be really hard because 1. I’m a youtuber and people are gonna see me gain weight, 2. I’m a college student and I have to go on campus for classes. Stass: “Can you look and see if they’re offering online courses for the classes you need to take?” Y/n:“Probably but I don’t want to die of boredom and stay in my house all the time.” Kylie: “I didn’t stay in my house all the time. I just had a lot of security around me 24/7. I bought more cars and switched between them all the time so the paparazzi would be confused. I made sure to wear baggy clothes all the time. I really didn’t start to show that much until I was almost 5 months pregnant.” Y/n:“I’d be 5 months by the time the semester ends for winter break. Should I risk it? Kylie: “I don’t know. Every body is different.” Y/n:“Thanks for the advice Ky.” Kylie: “No problem. You can always come to me for baby advice. I can help you prep. Stormi might not be right baby to start off practicing with but you’re lucky Kim just had a baby in May.” Y/n:“Are you sure she’d be okay with you borrowing Psalm to teach me how to be a mom?” Kylie: “Are you kidding. She’d love it. She has 4 kids under 6 years old. She needs a break. Oh and when it’s time to find out the gender, you HAVE to let me plan the gender reveal and baby shower.” Y/n:“haha okay.” Kylie then takes a vid of y’all playing with Stormi and posts it on her insta story captioning it ‘girls night❤️’

You wake up the next morning not feeling great at all. Kylie: “Drink ginger ale or really bitter lemonade. It helped me with my morning sickness.” Y/n:“Thanks. I should get going. I have to get to class in a couple of hours. I’ll text you later.” Kylie & Stass: “call us as soon as you figure out what you’re gonna do” Y/n:“k, bye”

Y/n talking to herself while driving home:

It probably wasn’t the best decision telling 4 people that I’m pregnant cause I’m not past the 1st trimester yet but I just couldn’t keep it in. I had to vent to someone! I’m scared of telling Jeff but I’m 1000x times more scared of telling my parents. When should I tell them? I mean, I’m flying to Seattle next month for a couple days for my moms birthday…. is that a bad time to tell them both?? I mean, my mom has been begging for grandchildren for the past couple of years. There was one time in high school where I was typing an essay in my room and my mom randomly comes in and says “mija, cuando tu tienes un hijo, nombrarlo después de mí” like who tf says that to a 17 year old? What was I gonna do today? I have class later but- Oh shit. I said I was going to David’s today to film a prank reaction. I hope I don’t have to be in the same clip as Jeff. Luckily your class is only an hour long and so you got home, quickly showered and went to class.

 As you got out of class, you hear a ding from your phone. David: “Are you on you way?” Y/n:“Yeah I’m like 30 minutes away.” As you’re driving down David’s street, you see 4 people. David, Jason’s mom, Erin and?.... Of course it would be Jeff. You get out of your tesla and David is getting the camera ready. He opens the gate and you see Jason dressed as Carmelita, showing his genitals all over the car. Everybody is screaming. “NOOOOO OH MY GOD” Jeff: “HOW CAN YOU SHOW THAT TO HIS MOTHER?” Jason’s mom is laughing hysterically. After a couple of minutes, he stopped recording and invited us all in. You haven’t been to David’s house since the incident with Jeff but you were acting as if nothing happened. You were just acting really quiet around Jeff because you’re literally pregnant with his child and have no idea how to tell him. Jeff: “Hey y/n haven’t seen you around lately” all you said was ‘hey” while looking at your phone. Jeff: “What you’re not even gonna look at me? You think cause you’re hanging out with Kylie Jenner, you’re too good for us?” Y/n: “Us? You’re literally making no fucking sense rn, I’ve talked and hung out with everyone except you. Plus why would you care? You kicked me to the curb like I was a piece of trash. Not sorry that I wanna be treated right.” Jeff pulls you to the backyard. Y/n:“Get the fuck off me” Jeff: “why the fuck are you acting like this?” Y/n:“like what? A person who’s finally standing up for herself? I don’t need you and why would you care what i’m doing? Last thing I remember is that you’re with Natalie. I hope you treating her like an actual person, unlike how you treated me. Playing around and fucking me like I was you’re toy.” Jeff: “You consented.” Y/n:“Yeah but now I realize I was dumb as fuck saying yes so many times.” At this moment, you were contemplating whether you should just tell him. You were about to tell him until the last sentence he said left you livid. Jeff: “You said yes cause you were desperate sweetheart. You fucked like a whore. I probably wasn’t the only one you were sleeping with.” At this point, you just wanted to run him over with a car. You didn’t want to be the stereotypical raging Latina so all you said as you were walking away was “Goodbye Jeff.” You didn’t even turn around. Everybody in the house from David, Jason’s mom and Erin heard every single word. On the drive home you made your decision. You’re not telling Jeff it’s his and you’re raising this baby alone. Since you’re still in the first trimester, you’ll keep it to yourself just a little bit longer before you tell the rest of the vlog squad.

*One Month later*

Y/n is officially past the 1st trimester. I’m now 13 weeks. You look in the mirror and see a tiny little bump forming. You telling your parents last week wasn’t the best… Your mom was excited but disappointed; your dad couldn’t even look at you. Your older siblings stuck by you. But now that you have the biggest obstacle out of the way, you have to tell the vlog squad... I wonder how this will go...

----------------------

I’m surprised at how many people liked chapter 1! It was confusing for me switching back from saying you & y/n but I think I did better in this part. Oh and I’m not sure if I’ll be writing as much as I am in the future. I think the minimum will be 1k words but I’ll probably write more than that.

Oh and just a heads up, I’m starting school at the end of the month! I’ll try to release as many chapters as I can write in the next 3 weeks.

Taglist: @elvlogsquad @siemprestan @zavidzobrik @irisindigonightmare

[veridium]

happy pills

The storm is on the horizon for your favorite modern thedas college girls. It’s my honor to push my piece a step further on the board. This episode brought to you by Norah Jones’s “Happy Pills,” otherwise known as my favorite song to sing wine drunk in the shower! 

Enjoy some sad, tepid burn and friends knocking sense into each other! uwu!

start from the beginning // previous episode

--

6:50am, Friday morning:

--dude, send me your coffee order in ten minutes or perish.

Ellinor: surprise me

--you hate when I do that

Ellinor: you always say that! you know me

--ok fine, it’s my funeral after it’s yours. I’m at the studio. Hopefully you’ve snuck back through the window from your nocturnal love nesting.

Friday morning workout at the dance studio does not rival Josephine’s pep talk as far as therapeutic outlets go, but it’s a close placebo. She’s been going once a day at least since Wednesday evening, and switched to early mornings in order to evade any possible ‘run-in.’ Now she is an even more mean, lean, dancing machine than she usually is, dressed in her black leotard, tights, and running shorts. The last thing on her to-do list while in town is to stop into the coffee shop downtown to pick up coffee for her and Ellinor -- she called dibs on the honors, edging out Cullen for once that week.

She parks her car on the curb at 7:45am and tosses her hair up in a clip. Hopping out of her mini and over the crosswalk, she walks in with ease though the memories flood. Down the way she sees the table where her and Cassandra had their disaster coffee meet-up, and butterflies yet linger in her stomach as she waits in line to place her order.

Just as it’s her turn, people come down the shop stairs from the second-floor lounge area. A set of flats with ballerina laces, the other calf-high, military style boots. The worst combination of people there could ever be. Cassandra, and the red-headed friend of Josephine’s. Lily? Leliana. Leliana.

What are they doing here? It’s the crack of fucking dawn!

They’re walking close, and it’s not due to the lack of space. Shoulder-to-shoulder, like...like how they used to. Olivia can’t bare to look at their faces and have it be made worse. She closes her eyes and turns away. Dread and its accompanying sensations flood her from nose to toe. She braces for a collision, a cringey ‘oh how do you know so-and-so?’ and sly grin for absolutely no reason. Cassandra’s awkward inability to hide her feelings of uncomfortable distaste.

But, across the floor, the secondary door entrance rings its bell, and she turns to see they are gone. Left without so much as a horrible side-eye. Well, fine, if that is how it is...

Is she that unrecognizable post-workout? God, she must be. She pulls out her phone and flips the selfie camera on. It isn’t the worst she’s ever looked -- sophomore year, second semester finals definitely takes the cake in that category. But she does look...human. Mortal. Normal, sans emo pride flag hoisted in her wake.

Her gawking is interrupted by a text from Ellinor:

Ellinor: Hey, still bringing my coffee? I have some things to do and class later…

--Yeah, I’m ordering now. Be at the dorm in 15.

Oh, so she is alive. Funny. She pays for her to-go order, a white non-fat mocha and an Oregon chai. She’s expanding Ellinor’s palate, slowly but surely, starting with the chai family. Today is a risky day to try, though -- Ellinor has been a happy nervous mess, and last night’s antics have them both on edge: another instance where she’d said she would come home in a few hours, tops, only to stay over until morning. Something’s got to give.

Heading to her car, she makes a couple more texts, but to Theia instead:

--dude, hey, do you know Leliana?

She’s buckled up by the time Theia responds. The early mechanic bird always gets first dibs at tinkering with the shop stuff, as she would say.

Theia: Leliana? Who fucking doesn’t.

--That makes me feel better. She queer?

Theia: Yeah, she’s one of us. Cool once she likes you. I swear she ran a government background check on me when I started hanging out with Josie.

--well, great, she’s hanging out with...she who shall not be named

Theia: Well, hope she says goodbye, because I’m still killing her lol

--Ha, very funny. I gotta drive, I’ll text you later. See you this weekend at the gala?

Theia: Yep!

Well, shit. What’s there to like about the situation besides their choice in shoes? Nothing. But she’s got a coffee order to deliver to her best friend, and that takes precedent. She puts the car into gear and takes off.

Once on campus she marches straight up to their rooms, where Ellinor is waiting with a boot tapping the ground and phone in both her hands.

“There you are! Fuck,” Ellinor sighs, rubbing one of her eyes. “Tell me it’s at least a double-shot.”

“Triple,” Olivia grins, handing it to her. They both sip, and Ellinor makes a face.

“Is this a boujee chai? You got me a boujee chai again.”

“I got you a nice chai. You’re welcome, Olivia, for being my coffee fairy…”

Ellinor pinches the bridge of her nose, like a reset button, and refocuses on her phone screen. Is she still grumpy from Olivia’s read last night? Maybe, it was a bit...brutal. That’s what happens when you catch her trying to sleep, noise machine on ocean sounds and late night oreos digesting.

“Thank you,” Ellinor finally spits out, pulling her headphones from her denim jacket pocket. “I’m sorry, I’m just...worried.”

“Why? What’s up? Fuck, my class starts soon, let me throw some clothes on and get my bag.”

A black spaghetti strap, black jeans, and a grey long cardigan will have to do. She runs some product through her wet hair and ties it back up, and out in no more than 3 minutes. They get down the stairs and onto the sidewalk. Private enough for multitasking gossip and academia.

“So, what’s with the stick up your ass?” Olivia asks, slipping her aviators on.

“Nothing.”

“Bullshit.”

“Not even!”

“You got ten minutes before the door closes and you gotta find another plucky blonde to be your confessor, dude. Speak now or forever hold your peace!”

“Urgh!” Ellinor chokes back an erroneous groan, pressing her to-go cup to her lips. “I need to be beamed up, Scotty. This is getting too much.”

“Too much? Dude, what?”

Ellinor takes another long chug, and their walking gets faster. Oh no, she’s not getting out of this one.

“His sister is arriving today.”

“I thought you were excited to meet her.”

“I am! It’s just...It’s…” they round a corner, a back path to the area of campus where their buildings are located. “You know in movies and shit when people get introduced to other people and the mutual friend goes “ah, shit, this is...my...friend,” like all awkward? I realized this morning that he’s gonna have to do that.”

Olivia sighs, adjusting the position of her bag shoulder strap and hooking her thumb onto it. “And you want to be introduced as an important person.”

“Yes! I--NO!”

“Aha!” Olivia finger guns. Caught red-handed...or...hearted...whatever it is.

“That is not what I am having an issue with! Look, you were right, okay. I don’t want it to be this way. I need to nix it.”

Olivia dragged her shoe heel to a halt, eyes round and mouth agape. “The fuck?! Ellinor, how am I to blame for this?”

“Your text! You...with the thing...and the ‘is this what I want’ shit!”

“Ugh! Ellinor, Jesus Christ!” she grabbed her by the wrist and pulled her off to the side. They had entered a little park-like area, with a couple trees and a cheap looking sitting bench. Guiding -- no, yanking -- Ellinor to it, she slung her onto her ass and set down her coffee.

“Alright, Ellinor, gloves coming off.”

“What?”

“Gloves, off,” Olivia rolls her shoulders. She’s still feeling bouncy and strong from workout. “You keep saying the opposite of what you feel and it shows. You obviously like him, and he obviously likes you. Why are you acting like being an adult only means saying no? The fuck?” Olivia throws her arms up.

“I’m not! I’m just being practical! I don’t even know if would want to be anything else. He seems perfectly fine as it is!”

“Who said to be friends, Ellinor? Who? I’ll give you three guesses, the first two don’t count!”

The world seemed to stop turning. Olivia stood there, hunched forward in her shoulders, looking like she was lobbying on a Congressional floor that water was a basic human right. That same ardor, all for her best friend botching her love life. But Ellinor was squirming for all the wrong reasons. She was doing exactly what she did when things got too good: finding a reason to call it good, while they were ahead.

Ellinor bunches her knees together and sits back, pouting.

“I said it,” she mumbles.

“I’m sorry, I didn’t quite hear. Who?” Olivia holds a hand to the rim of her ear.

Ellinor purses her lips and looks off to the side, evading her eye. “I did…” another low tone.

“Uh, come again?”

“I did! Dammit!” she kicks the floor and folds her arms. “Shit, fuck, dammit…”

“BINGO! Ya’ll we got a winner!” The salt in her tone’s getting excessive, even for her own internal standards. Which, clearly, are immense. Deflating her tirade and taking a breath, Olivia puts her hands to her hips. Shifting from antagonist asshole friend to helpful soccer coach mom.

“Babe,” Olivia gives in, “maybe it’s time you listen to the Disney song and say you like him, and you know what you want from him.”

“Do I?” Ellinor asks as Olivia sits down next to her, thigh-against-thigh. She lays her head on Olivia’s shoulder. “I’m so confused I can barely think straight.”

“Hey, that’s less of a problem then you think.”

“Oh. Ha-ha, nice gay joke, funky little bisexual.”

Olivia giggles, and wraps her arm around hers. “Hey, it worked. And now, we’re gonna be late for class.”

“I know.”

They both sigh, and accept the inevitable. Each of them has their reasons. Ellinor probably doesn’t want to see Cullen and have all her existential agony to show off. Olivia just...wants to stop caring. The week has gone on logistically without a hitch, and her workaholic personality has ensured everything but her love and social life has gone smooth. Everything is on fire, but it’s fine. It’s so fine.

“Well, games are fun, right? We’ll have fun.”

Olivia stills, her cheeks flushing. It suddenly gets a whole lot hotter. “Uh, hey, about that…”

Ellinor twitches and sits up, looking at her with a pointed face of ‘oh god, please don’t.’ “Olivia…”

She cringes and bunches her shoulders. “I just don’t think it’s a good idea.”

“You said yesterday it’d be fine! That you were all good under the hood!”

She glares, but with a laugh in the back of her throat. “I didn’t say ‘all good under the hood.’ I have never said that in my damn life.”

“You! But you said! Ugh, unbelievable!” Ellinor let her hands fall up, then down onto her jeans, making a slapping down. “What’s going on? Did you talk to Cass?”

Cass. She calls her Cass all the time. It’s nice, but it’s not her. Cullen calls her Cass, too. They all call her Cass. Why not her? Why does she have to be extra and say ‘Cassandra’ all the damn time? For fuck’s sake.

“No, I haven’t. It’s still radio silence, but…” she teeters on whether or not to explain, but she figures it’s written all over her face anyways. Ellinor’s look of skeptical frustration says as much. “I saw her this morning.”

She pauses. Anticlimactic, so it seems. “You...saw her? Is that...a big deal?”

“No, it’s…” she rubs her hand against her scalp of tied-back hair. “It’s not that, really. It’s...how I saw her.”

Ellinor looks as if she’s about to hear a testimony of assisted homicide, as she turns to face her, criss-crossing her legs and picking her coffee up. “What is that supposed to mean?”

“You know that girl I told you about, the one Josie introduced me too?”

“Yeah, the creepy redhead. What about her...oh, oh no. Liv…” she scowls in sympathy, “they weren’t…”

Liv smiles with sadness and looks off to the grass in front of them. “They were at the coffee shop. What was supposed to be our coffee shop. At 7:45 in the morning, no less. You know what that means.”

“...morning after hookup coffee…” Ellinor whines a bit in secondhand misery. “Fuck. It can’t be.”

“I mean, I was wrong. I must be,” Olivia shrugs. “Or she’s having very fond friendships.” Very, very fond. 7:45 in the morning, dressed with makeup on and school bags packed fond. No one’s that fond without something that perked them up the morning before. Unless you were Ellinor Trevelyan and hated admitting feelings.

“The worst part,” she chuckles again, “the worst fucking part! Is that Leliana said she heard about me. My dumbass was like ‘oh, cool, Josie mentioned me,’ but no! It was! Her! That...that!” she stops before she gets carried away, gritting her teeth as she puts her coffee to her chin. “They must laugh about me. Goodness, why would she make a move on Cassandra, she’s clearly not interested and spoken for! Secret...CIA lesbians…”

Ellinor rolls her lips, choking on her laugh she so desperately wants to let out. They refrain from eye contact in order to save face.

“You might be jumping to conclusions, maybe? They could be friends. Josie and her seemed tight, and you don’t know if this Leliana person is even--”

“I texted Theia after I saw them. She’s ‘one of us.’ And pretty, and sophisticated, and...has leadership roles. I look like a chipmunk and Marilyn Manson had a love child on a good day.”

Ellinor gasped, and slapped her in the thigh. “Olivia Berenice, shut up! What the hell! Whatever this woman has going for her, you’re hot, okay? Hot, and brilliant, and cultured!”

“I’m a chipmunk!”

Ellinor roars and starts tickling her in the side, but she only groans and squirms like a gangling preteen without proper cognitive awareness. But, laughter does take hold, and she even snorts.

“Fine, fine! I’m not a chipmunk!” she wiggles, “I just! I’m mad. I’m mad that I’m mad. I shouldn’t be jealous of something that wasn’t mine to begin with. But here I am, sulking and pouting, going ‘but that’s MY spare bike helmet she’s probably wearing, riding on the back of her motorcycle.’ I want to bury myself alive. This shit blows.” She sips more of her mocha, but the sweetness is no longer satisfying. The taste of resentment and unresolved bisexuality overtakes the white chocolate.

“It...it does blow,” Ellinor admits, leaning forward with her elbows on her knees. “Damn.”

“So, forgive me, but I don’t think me showing up tonight will be good. Or necessary. I’m just gonna be that awkward friend that Cullen wants to be nice to but also respect his roommate’s choices. And from what I gather of Leliana, she’ll probably just go Avril Lavigne and kick me into the mini-golf lagoon.”

That evokes a laugh, but a sorry one. Pity. Ellinor downs the rest of her chai and slides her feet over the edge of the bench, boots barely touching down on the dirt. “That means I’ll be on my own with Rosalie, probably. Fuck.”

“Hey, that’s not a bad thing. You’re cute, and funny. From what I’ve heard of her, she’ll probably look at you like the sun shines out your ass. A grunge babe, out in the world and getting educated. Yeah…” she teases, a crooked and charming smile.

Ellinor groans. “I’m a mess, is what I am. She’ll see me twenty yards out and go ‘shit, what’s that hot mess express doing out here in public?’ and Cullen will go, ‘hey, that’s my friend! My friendly friend, who I only have friendship for. The friendliest friend to ever...friend…” she gets sadder the more she talks, as does her posture. It’s disheartening to see her spin and spin and spin, rather than just cut herself a break.

“Ell, you gotta put yourself outta your misery,” Olivia concludes, pulling her phone out. “And I don’t mean by taking a break.”

“There’s no way to know if I’ll be more miserable for indulging myself, though. I’ll just jump out into the water and fall flat on my face.”

“Or, he could catch you, like he’s been trying and offering to this whole damn time.”

“That’s not true!”

“Ughhh, Ellinooorr,” Olivia falls forward into her lap, her head hung low. “Christ alive.”

“It’s not! He doesn’t look a touch uncomfortable with being friends.”

“Yeah, because so far friends has gotten him a spooning-mate for what, three nights?”

“Two!”

“Two! My God, forget about it, nevermind!”

They roll their eyes at the same time but for contrasting reasons. Olivia, fed up a bit by the circular direction of the conversation, would rather go to class and risk being locked out for her delinquency. “Come on, to class, binch.”

Ellinor lays her head back but pushes herself up, dragging her feet but carrying on. When they’re back on the sidewalk, fresh air in their lungs, things feel a bit less useless.

“But that also means he’s probably sick of me making demands,” Ellinor speaks again after about a minute of walking. “If I try to reset the boundaries, he’ll probably think I’m too bossy or something.”

“The man likes to be bossed,” Olivia says rather mercilessly, “I’ve never seen a guy with a more apparent invisible “peg me” sign on his forehead.”

“Olivia!!”

“What?!” she shrugs, “there’s a nobility in getting pegged.”

“Yeah? And what would you be, if Cassandra was involved?” a sharp, cutting response. Maybe Olivia hit a nerve too far.

She sighs. “The best peggers know when it’s their turn to get pegged,” she answered, “I do not possess such talents. The force is not with me.”

They come to the short concrete walkway to Olivia’s building and stop. People walk past, closer so that they have to be more secretive with their highly classified discussion.

“The force could be in you, maybe,” she giggles crassly, “uh, I mean, pour one out for your pegging skills,” side-stepping towards the path where she must walk alone. “You sure you don’t wanna go, dude? It’ll be a crowd, and you can spend all your time with Rosalie if you want to. I might need the help if she turns out hating my guts.”

Olivia slides her hands into her jean pockets and looks around. No one familiar, no one worth her attentions. Good.

“I’m sorry, Ellinor. I’m recovering, and I’m a hell of a lot better than I was last weekend, but...I don’t think I can see her. See them...at least, not like that.” The sight of Cassandra playing soccer was still sacred to her. The first real sight she ever got of her in action, and the epicenter of happier times with Ellinor on the grass sipping drinks and fantasizing about their love stories.

“Okay. Text me, alright? If you change your mind I can just swing around and come get you.”

“No worries. I’m probably gonna drive home tonight, actually. I got my dress for the gala, I just need to go spend time with Mother dearest.”

“Ugh, really?”

“Yeah. I know,” she huffs, looking up at the third floor windows where her lecture is being held without her. “Time to wake up and get on with life. You, at least, are still holding out.”

“Psh! No,” Ellinor make a ‘yikes face.’ “I’m on thin ice right next to you.”

Olivia stares at her, a brow raised. “Ellinor.”

“...what?”

She shakes her head, and turns her shoulders towards the doors that await her. “I’ll put it this way: I walked out on my person after demanding space once, and she came back around. I did it again, and I lost everything good about it in fear of facing the ‘maybe’ bad stuff. Don’t be me, checking messages that are a week old, hoping that I somehow missed one. Don’t get your heart smashed into the sidewalk when you see him out with someone else because you didn’t know what you may have had. Please.”

It pains her to say it out loud, but it’s true. The week was a yellow-brick road of life lessons learned all-too-late. If she could go back, she’s unsure of what she’d do. Maybe not kiss her, maybe still try but then ask what was wrong. Talk to her. Listen. God, listen better. But it’s too late -- or, it’s too close to being too late, and she can’t keep doing this to herself.

Ellinor frowns, as if she is about to tear up. Olivia grins and pats her on the shoulder. “Hey, go to class, kid.”

“Okay. Text me, please? Let me know when you’re on the road and when you’re home.”

“I will. Love you, bestie.”

“You too, bestie.”

And with that, they part ways, Olivia retreating into her sacred building, called Tifton Hall by everyone else. The stairs sound better than an elevator, and when she gets to the third floor, she sees that class was let out early. Great, so it was no use showing up. She climbs back to the second floor where the faculty offices are along with the TA office desk and inboxes. If she can get nothing else out of being there, she can check for any last minute notes. She’s been a horrible TA -- it’s been over a week since she checked it.

Nothing’s there, though, with the exception of a red post-it. Some Professor’s shorthanded nonsense, probably. Ripping it from the box and sticking it on her finger, though, the truth is revealed:

“Stopped by to drop off things for a Professor. Hope you’re having a good day. -C”

Her throat nearly closes, or so it feels. It must have been old. She looks on the back, and true to Cassandra’s erudite character, it’s dated. The day before last Friday. The day they hadn’t seen each other, or text, really. Turns out her distance wasn’t so far.

She looks down either end of the hallway -- no one’s there to make fun of her for what she is about to do. She pulls out her favorite notebook and presses it to the inside cover. The last thing she’ll ever have, for when she starts to forget it was ever real.

God, Ellinor, don’t fuck up like I have.

Time to put headphones in and marathon King Princess, St. Vincent, and Halsey, her sapphic patroness Saints, until she feels too heartless to care. A playlist on her Spotify made by Sera for her last fallout with a girl, titled “Girl Troubles, Dedicated to Baby Liv.”

[vesperlord]

My In Depth Analysis of all the songs on the RWBY Soundtrack

Volume 1:

This Will Be The Day: "I may be small but I can fuck you up" 

Red Like Roses Part 1: "Basic Info about everyone" 

Mirror Mirror: "I'm lonely and my life sucks" 

From Shadows: "VIVA LA REVOLUTION MOTHERFUCKERS!"

I Burn: "I'm a badass and I know it." 

Red Like Roses Part 2: “MOM WHY”

Gold: "My sister is the most important thing in the world to me" 

I May Fall: "Someday I'm gonna die, but you won't be the one to kill me!"

Wings: "You had a shit life but you're with friends now"

Volume 2:

Time To Say Goodbye: "Shit will get real, and we need to be ready." 

Die: "Shit has gotten real, and we aren't ready." 

Shine: "Shit, I'm in love" 

Dream Come True: A combination of "Notice me Jaune!" and "Weiss diss track"

Caffeine: "INCOMING CAFFEINE FUELED BADASSES" 

All My Days: "My sister has always been the most important thing to me" 

Boop: "Shit, I'm in love" 

Sacrifice: "I'm not gonna die for you."

Volume 3:

It's My Turn: "Fuck you dad" 

Not Fall In Love With You: "Shit, I'm in love"

Neon: "I'm better than everyone" 

Mirror Mirror Part II: "Fuck you dad" 

When It Falls: "Shit will go down and you can't stop it"

I'm The One: "We had fucked up pasts but we're still gonna murder you"

Divide: "You done fucked up, and I'm gonna fuck you up even more."

Cold:  "Goodbye Pyrrha/Monty"

Volume 4:

Let's Just Live: "Life fucking sucks, but we need to move forward anyway" 

Like Morning Follows Night: "Stay away from me, my life sucks!" combined with "I know your life sucks,  but I'm still standing by your side." 

Bad Luck Charm: "My life fucking sucks, you shouldn't get close to me" 

This Life Is Mine: "Fuck you dad"

Home: "I don't know what's gonna happen next, but I'm with my friends so it's all good." 

Armed and Ready: "PUNS" combined with "Adam you done fucked up" 

Lusus Nauture: "The Grimm are beautiful" combined with "I'm not crazy!"

Bmblb: "The sweetest love song on the RWBY Soundtrack. Literally."

Volume 5:

INITIAL IMPRESSIONS:

The Triumph: "Life fucking sucks, but we're gonna kick some ass so it's all good" 

Ignite: "Prepare to get punched." 

The Path of Isolation: "My life fucking sucks." 

Smile: "I’m gonna smile while I kick ass and take revenge"

All Things Must Die: “You’re fucked.”

(No Initial Impression to “All That Matters” because I’m lazy. Thanks to @blake-wukong for sending me what we had of the lyrics though!)

FULL SONG ANALYSIS:

The Triumph:  "Life fucking sucks, but we're gonna kick some ass so it's all good. Hope you’re ready to die, assholes.”

Ignite: “Don’t fuck with me, my sister, my friends, my dad, my uncle, my dog, my bike, or my pet rock EVER AGAIN, or I will make sure there’s nothing left of you to bury. Featuring unexpected but most certainly not unwelcome jazz!”

The Path TO Isolation (I initially fucked it up, I know): “My life REALLY FUCKING SUCKS, SOMEONE HELP ME. Also, obligatory fuck you dad.”

Smile: “My daughter, racists exist. FUCK THEIR SHIT UP.”

All Things Must Die: “Sorry, did I say ‘You’re fucked’? What I meant was ‘The “You’re fucked” meter is broken.’ I hope you wrote your will.”

All That Matters: “Stick around this time, for fuck’s sake!”

This Time: “VIVA LA REVOLUTION! Only this time, better!”

Volume 6:

INITIAL IMPRESSIONS

Lionized: "Adam n-" "ADAM YES"

Rising: “We're back and we're badass!”

Miracle: "A miracle would be nice, but we'll hang in until we get one... Which might be a while..."

One Thing: “You got my [lover/father figure/best friend/whatever you interpret Roman and Neo as being] killed, I’m gonna fucking kill you!” 

Forever Fall: [Analysis unavailable due to heavy crying]

Big Metal Shoe: “Caroline Cordovin Diss Track”

Indomitable: "They can take our lives, but they can never take our silver eyes!” (Except for crocodile faunus. They can and will take your silver eyes.)

FULL SONG ANALYSIS

Lionized: “Adam may have been a shitty person but goddamn he was a great villain and got a fucking amazing villain song to go with it. Rest in pieces motherfucker.”

Rising: “You thought the bits from the opening were awesome? You haven’t seen shit yet!”

Miracle: “A miracle would be nice. But until we get one, WE’VE GOT METAL”

One Thing: "So that Neo and Cinder alliance. It’s most certainly gonna be long-lasting. No impending betrayal when the time is right. None at all whatsoever.”

Forever Fall: [heavy sobbing because the playlist I was listening to had this placed right after Indomitable and GOD DAMMIT THIS SONG IS EMOTIONAL ENOUGH]

Big Metal Shoe: “WHO DARED THE WILLIAMS TO CRAM EVERY FAIRY TALE REFERENCE POSSIBLE INTO ONE SONG. Because I’d like to thank you, this song is great.”

Indomitable:  I... don’t really have anything funny to say about this song. Not because I dislike it, far from it. But... just, give it a listen.

Nevermore: “Adam Y-” “ADAM. NO. DIE.”

BONUS:

Armed and Ready Acoustic Remix: Beehaw if it was a song

EDIT: FUCK I FORGOT RED LIKE ROSES PART 2.

EDIT 2: All Things Must Die and This Time analysed. Note that all V5 songs are subject to change based on the subject of the full songs. (Also I completely missed the lyrics to the song that played during the RWBY reunion, but if anyone has them I would be very grateful.)

EDIT 3: Updated for the full release of the V5 songs! I decided to move This Time down to “Full Song Analysis” because it’s the full song, we got the whole thing in the credits of Episode 14. Anyway, don’t mind me while I scream into the void about HOW FUCKING AWESOME THIS SEASON’S SOUNDTRACK IS.

EDIT 4: I just got First. I love Volume 6. I love the soundtrack. I CAN’T WAIT ANOTHER YEAR FOR MORE RWBY PLEASE RT- oh hey there’s comics and novels and world guides and all sorts of shit that’s hopefully coming out this year! (Dan DiDio if you lay a FINGER ON THESE COMICS I WILL NOT HESITATE TO-). 

Also, with this edit, due to us getting a Neo song, I will be deleting the tags that begged for requested such a song, because clearly, Rooster Teeth saw my shitpost and decided to acquiesce to my demands.

Also did some minor touch-ups, like bolding some text and shit because I personally prefer it that way.

EDIT 5: Oh boy Volume 6′s soundtrack is here, and it is a fucking roller coaster of emotions. Added all the full song analyses and moved Nevermore down there. Now I will return to hibernate until Volume 7 comes out.

[spn-ficfanatic]

The One Moment- Ch7: The Anniversary

SERIES MASTERLIST - PART 1 - PART 2 - PART 3 - PART 4 - PART 5 - PART 6

Chapter Summary: For your one year anniversary you’re headed to… VanCon! The most romantic location on Earth! Complete with screaming fans and cosplay, it’s your one-stop destination for luuurrve.

Genre: Big fluff. Massive fluff. So much fluff it’ll make your teeth rot.

Words: 2903

Warnings: Mild swearing

A/N: This song is featured in the last half of the fic, I highly recommend you check it out. Not only is it a great song, but anyone who knows OK Go will know they make some pretty insane music videos! 

Previously:

“I’m just… happy. And I love you,” you replied, placing a kiss on his nose. He brushed his hand lightly across your cheek and his face became serious.

“Y/N, I’ve never before loved anyone like I love you. And for what it’s worth, when I look into my future you’re all I see.”

“Dammit Jensen,” you sighed, pulling back from Jared suddenly feeling very self-conscious.

“Don’t be embarrassed babe, you have nothing to be worried about. It was nice to find out you feel the exact same way as me, if it makes you feel better,” he told you, burrowing his head into your neck and resting there.

And it was there he stayed until he was called back to set, each of you feeling like a weight had been lifted from your collective shoulders.

You could hardly believe your 1 year anniversary was already upon you. The time really had completely flown by in a mix of dinners and pranks and weekends away and midnight romps (the latter much to Jensen’s disgust). You had yet to make plans, unfortunately the date fell on a convention so no doubt you’d be celebrating either before or after the event, and while that was a little disappointing you knew that the job came first.

The week before, you were busy doing paperwork when you heard a knock on your office door. You were thrilled when Jared opened the door, and bounded across the room directly into his arms.

“Wow, hi babe! To what do I owe this greeting?” Jared laughed as he gracefully spun you around on the spot.

“A few dozen cups of coffee, give or take. And, you know, the simple pleasure of your company,” you told him, reaching up for a kiss before sighing contently and moving back to your desk. “Most the coffee though,” you added with a wink.

“Man, I should come say hi more often,” he smiled, sitting down at the chair opposite you. “Actually, I wanted to ask you something.”

“Fire away,” you reply, pushing the papers on your desk aside and sitting your pen down, giving him your undivided attention.

“So, I was just wondering if Eric needed you to come to Vancon this year,” Jared began, and you raised a curious eyebrow.

“I wasn’t planning to no. I expected he’d want me to stay here and proofread the new scripts but I haven’t asked yet.”

“Well don’t. Because I was kind of hoping you’d come along this year. With me. As my date.”

“Hun. This is a Con, not a prom.”

“I know I know it’s just, well, it falls right on our anniversary and with Lacey working all the time I just hate the idea of you being alone,” he replied, looking down at his hands to avoid your gaze.

You frowned, and lifted his chin with your hand to force him to look at you.

“Sweety, I promise I would be ok. But if you’re sure you’re alright with my being there that’s fine too, I don’t want to distract you from your work but I DO want to be with you. Usually I get to see the Con’s from the other side; this could be a lot of fun actually,” you replied, liking the idea more and more as you talked about it. “Maybe Lace could even get the time off, she’d totally love cos playing as Sam Winchester,” you teased, which garnered a smile from Jared.

“That would be a lot of fun. See if you can tee it up?” he asked, giving you a kiss before his phone started to ring. “Crap, they need me back.”

“It’s ok hun, I’ll see you at lunch.”

You blew him a kiss as he walked out the door, and spun around in your chair with glee once he was out of sight.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

You were thrilled to get to your hotel after what ended up being a fairly stressful week. Jared and Jensen had already headed downstairs to finalise some business with the convention so you took the opportunity to call Lacey. Sprawled out on the bed, you kicked off your shoes and sighed contently.

“Living in the lap of luxury are we?” Lacey greeted you on the other line.

“This bed is made out of clouds or something, I swear,” you replied with a smile.

“Well, you’ll have to give me a demonstration when I get there in the morning. Breakfast in bed!” she whooped with excitement. “I could only get a crappy single on level one… I’m betting my bed is made of razor blades.”

“Nah, they’d spring for hay at least, you’ll be comfy enough. Hell, Mary gave birth in a stable so it can’t be too pricky.”

“If you say so. Worse case scenario I’ll just come up and kick Jared out of the bed. I’m sure he won’t mind.”

“Funny thing is, he’d probably happily take the sofa,” you replied with a smile.

“Yer, dude, what’s with you getting all the good ones?” she whined. “ANYway, I’ll be there around 7:30am ok?”

“Sure, and hey come straight up to our room, we can have breakfast with the cast. Buffett and all,” you told her.

“Food, glorious food,” she started singing down the line. “Shit ok, I better go, my supervisor just walked past. Byies!” she rambled quickly before hanging up, leaving you rolling with laughter on the bed at the image of her singing in the hospital hallway with her boss in earshot. You calmed yourself long enough to hear Jared open the door, followed closely behind by Jensen.

“Hey guys, how’s it all going?” you asked, rolling up into a sitting position on the bed.

“Yep, all the arrangements have been made. What were you laughing at?” Jared asked with a raised eyebrow and a smirk. You shrugged.

“Just listening to Lace embarrass herself in front of her boss. So you know, nothing new.”

“So, what are you crazy kids gonna get up to tomorrow?” Jensen asked, sitting on the couch opposite you with a bottle of water, while Jared sat next to you on the bed.

“I figure after breakfast we’ll see as many panels as we can, check out some of the costumes. You know, the usual thing.”

“There’s a concert on tomorrow night that you should check out,” Jared added, taking a sip from his water.

“Maybe. Will you guys be there?”

“We might make an appearance,” Jensen replied non-committedly, catching Jared’s eye.

“Well, is it worth going if you won’t be?” you asked. “What actually is this concert?”

“Rob will be playing with his band. They’ll belt out some songs, hopefully the crowd will get into it… sounds like it’ll be a great night, you should definitely check it out,” Jared said, pulling you in to kiss your temple before jumping up and heading for the bathroom to brush his teeth.

“Well yer, ok, I guess we will,” you told him. “Promise me we at least get to have an anniversary dinner on Sunday night babe?” you called out, glad to hear a muffled sound in the affirmative coming from the bathroom between brushes.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The day went by in a complete blur. Jared let Lacey in at 7:30am before hopping in the shower, leaving her to bounce on the bed and wake you up in a frazzle. Once you’d managed to slow your heartrate down you both began excitedly preparing your day. She seemed SUPER excited about the concert and left no room for negotiation on your attendance, so you locked that one in. A few panels, silly photos and shopping for merchandise later you found yourself an hour out from the concert and despite yourself feeling a bit down.

“Hey Y/N, what’s wrong?” Lacey asked you concerned, as you both got ready. You shrugged.

“I dunno, it’s dumb. I just, it’s our anniversary tomorrow and I haven’t seen him all day. Like, properly seen him. If we hadn’t gone to the panels I actually wouldn’t have laid eyes on him since breakfast,” you pouted. “I came so we could try and get some time together but it hasn’t happened at all yet.”

“Awww, come here babe,” Lacey cooed, arms outstretched inviting you in for a hug. You approached and was reaching for the embrace when you instead received a slap on the back of the head.

“HEY! Geez Lace, what was that for?” you cried, rubbing your scalp.

“Dude, I’ve not had sex for like a year so take that whining elsewhere,” she told you in playful annoyance before softening. “You know he’s going to try and meet us at the concert, and you’ve still got your romantic dinner thing tomorrow night. So just come out and have fun and be glad to have him to cuddle up to when you get back, OK?”

You sighed and nodded your head before Lacey pulled you in for a proper hug, pulling away quickly when she remembered her hair straightener was ready for her.

A few hours later you both found yourselves downstairs in the concert hall, hot and sweaty from the continuous dancing. You’d not yet seen Jared and were considering heading up to your room at that point, when Lacey seemed to sense this and grabbed you even harder. She was having the time of her life, and while you were definitely enjoying yourself you knew you’d be just as happy watching a movie with Jared.

“I know what you’re thinking. Just, like, 30 more minutes ok?” Lacey yelled out above the music, giving you her best impression of Sam’s puppy dog eyes knowing you couldn’t resist that.

“You suck, you know that?” you told her dryly before groaning loudly. “OK, I’ll give you 15 more and then I’m out.”

“20!”

“15 Lace! No negotiating.”

“GAH! OK fine! Here, hold my purse for a sec I better check my phone.”

You continued to watch Rob on stage and move around tiredly to the music while Lacey appeared to be writing a SMS, presumably work.

“Can’t they leave you alone for even one day?” you asked her.

“Huh?”

“Work, right?”

“Oh, right. Yes, a doctor’s work is never done babe, you know that,” she replied with a wink before putting her phone away and turning back to the stage. The song was slowing down and you watched as Rob made a concerted effort to listen into his earpiece. Apparently someone was telling him something.

“OK guys, we have a special treat for y’all,” Rob called into the microphone, the last song fading into the background. “Can we all please welcome Jensen Ackles to the stage!!”

You looked around in amusement as the crowd went wild. You had given up expecting them to “make an appearance” as Jensen had suggested the night before, so this was a pleasant surprise. He gave Rob a hug before taking the microphone and moving to the front of the stage.

“HELLO VANCOUVER!” he cried out, like the big dork rock star he thinks he is you thought to yourself with a grin. “So it’s just me for the moment, Paddles should be out soon but there’s something else I wanna do before he does. I understand my best mate Y/N is in the audience with y’all. I mean, she’s also Jared’s girlfriend but you know she likes me better,” he added with a wink.

You brought your hand to your face with a laugh, hiding in embarrassment while a few of the fans turned around and gave you a friendly smile. A few started pointing you out to Jensen and you weakly raised your hand to grab his attention. His face lit up when he saw you and he pointed enthusiastically.

“There she is! Looking all hot and sweaty like the rest of you, good look Y/N/N,” he nodded and you stuck your tongue out at him.

“Alright alright, so we’re gonna do something a little different right now. As some of you might know it’s Y/N and Jared’s anniversary tomorrow and he wanted me to organise a little something special.”

The crowd screamed loudly and clapped in celebration, and you were starting to wonder where this was headed. Was Jared really going to make you celebrate this without him? Almost like he read your mind he answered for you.

“He’ll be out any second but maybe we should we just start, whadda you say Rob?”

He nodded and the band started playing. You looked at them in confusion as you realized the song that was playing, that Jensen was preparing to sing. It wasn’t a Louden Swain song you’d ever heard before, nor a rock song which seemed to be the popular choice of the night. It was your favourite, the one you had danced to the night you met Jared at the bar you recalled. You looked at Lacey in confusion, and your heart skipped a beat as she looked at you with a soft smile and glistening eyes.

“Lace, what the-“

“Just shut up and listen Y/N,” she told you, turning you back to the stage and wrapping her arm around your shoulders.

You relented, still confused but loving the song and swaying to the music, unable to help yourself singing along to the first verse. As the chorus swelled the fans around you got into it as well, holding their phones in the air and swaying them above their heads.

And this will be The one moment that matters And this will be The one thing we remember And this will be The reason to have been here And this will be The one moment that matters at all

As the second verse began, you gasped as an image of yourself and Jared was suddenly projected onto the wall behind the band and fans started screaming around you. Jensen continued to sing and glanced above to see, grinning as he turned back to you to watch your reaction. It was your favourite picture, one taken at the zoo just a few months prior, and your heart started pumping faster at the sight. You barely heard the people around you as you continued to watch the pictures change with each line of the song, each one a different picture of you and Jared doing something together. Feeding each other lasagna, hiding behind a wall ready with a bucket of water to tip on Jensen’s head, piggybacking around set. You turned to Lacey again and she was watching you, tears now falling freely and hugging your side tightly.

“Is this…“

You didn’t finish, and she didn’t answer. She gave you a kiss on the cheek before taking your hand and leading you to the front of the stage in a skip. You followed behind in a daze, still watching the pictures and trying not to trip over anyone in the process. Thankfully you had parked yourselves not too far from the front, but as the moments went on you realized this wasn’t by accident.

And this will be The one moment that matters And this will be The one thing we remember And this will be The reason to have been here And this will be The one moment that matters at all

So won't you stay here with me And we'll build until we've blistered our hands So won't you stay here with me We'll build us some temples We'll build us some castles We'll build us some monuments And burn them all right down

Just then Jared appeared on the stage, dressed to the nines in a suit and tie holding a bunch of roses. You had to hold onto Lacey for fear of your legs giving out, as he walked towards you with purpose. He looked nervous but elated as he strode toward you, the band still playing to your deaf ears at that point. There was literally only one thing you could focus on right at that one moment and that was the man coming toward you. As he reached the front he held out his hand and Lacey made to lift you up. You took your shaky hand and placed it in his, allowing them to get you onto the stage without any effort on your part. Jared took both your hands in his and looked into your eyes contentedly, and as the last chorus started he knelt down onto one knee.

You were the only people in the room at that point, though Lacey would later tell you the noise was deafening. He didn’t say anything as he looked at you from the ground, pulling a ring box from his pocket and opening it to reveal a beautiful opal ring you’d seen and admired several months prior. Never one for tradition, you had commented in passing that you’d happily wear that ring the rest of your life and Jared wisely took the hint. You both just looked into each other’s eyes and had a silent conversation. After a few seconds he mouthed 2 simple words to you, words he knew you couldn’t misread.

“Will you?” he asked, his eyes started to brim with tears.

You at this point however were a sobbing mess. You couldn’t stop the tears flowing and within less than a second you started laughing and nodding furiously. He smiled madly at you as he slipped the ring onto your finger and leapt up to embrace you. You leaned in to kiss him, trying to keep it PG but realizing you were probably failing miserably as loud whooping came from the crowd.

You looked around to find your friends. Jensen had finished singing, leaving the rest of the song with Rob, and had brought Lacey onto the stage while you’d been distracted, watching from a few metres back to give you your privacy. Well, as much as you could get on a stage in front of a few hundred fans and cameras. At your invitation they raced forward and you all hugged as Rob finished the song, none of you caring that the World was watching right at that moment… that one moment.

This will be The one moment that matters And this will be

The one moment that matters at all

CHAPTER 8 HERE

BONUS CHAPTER: In Sickness & In Health HERE

“Everything” Tag List - @angelsandwinchesters , @grace-for-sale, @growningupgeek, @nanie5, @iamnotsaneatall

“The One Moment” Tag List - @pansexualmoose, @winchester-writes, @winchester-lover999, @fandomoniumflurry, @oneshoeshort, @ellen-reincarnated1967, @the–real-wombat, @demonic-meatball, @waywardlodging, @lelifesaver, @imaginationisgrowth

If you asked and I forgot to tag you I’m so immensely sorry, don’t be scared to send me an Ask!

[canaryatlaw]

So today was okay. Better than yesterday I suppose. The morning was just kind of.....weird. I was out of it for like, a while, but we'll get there. Got up at 7 to my alarm, ate breakfast (still no milk, so oatmeal, eggos, and probably a cookie again). Got on the bus, got to work and didn't set off the metal detector for like, the third time ever haha though it might have something to do with the bitchy sheriff not working it at that time. So I get to my office and look for my supervisor or any of the calendar attorneys but I can't find them, so I just go to my office and resume working on my timeline for TPR. Sometime around then I realized I left my lunchbox on my kitchen table. Whoops. So I worked for a little and then people show up and I was informed there was a team meeting that morning that I accidentally didn't get notified about haha but I can obviously come to them from now on. The paralegal on our calendar is this super nice guy and he brought me a tamale because he brought them for the meeting and I wasn't really able to eat it but I still very much appreciated it. Sometime around here is where things get trippy. I start with the getting cold and not being able to focus so I put my coat on and set my alarm for some amount of time I can't recall to try and get my powernap in. I think I woke up before the alarm but still felt out of it. I tried to work on my stuff but it was like, incredibly difficult to actually do because I was constantly typing stuff wrong and having to redo it. I remember it turning 12 pm and thinking I need to go get food if I want to have a lunch, but then I just didn't....and I don't really know what happened for the next hour because my next memory is my phone ringing at 1 pm and having my supervisor tell me we'd leave for the client interview at 1:30. So I was pretty alert at that point, and worked for a bit before heading out. This was actually my first child interview, and there's like a form with questions and shit you're supposed to ask but like, obviously a lot of placements are different so not everyone is gonna apply. This was kind of an odd one because she's only been in the placement a little over a week, so there's only so much she can say about it. So we get there and she's this adorable smiling 5 year old girl that you would never knew was removed from her mother's custody two weeks ago. It was immediately obvious that she was very strongly bonded to the foster parent, saying she was her "Titi", and that her "grandma" (FP's mom) lived upstairs and her sister and sisters son (FP's daughter and grandson) live downstairs. She's been in this house since May 2nd but it became quite clear she had decided she wanted to stay here. So we do the interviewing, and she's a 5 year old so she can't stay in one place, and she answers questions with things like "there are no rules here!!" when asked about discipline haha but I didn't think it was that bad, we got the important info. When we brought up her mom, who hasn't visited since she was placed there, and she said she would like to see her mom, but made it very clear that she still wanted to stay in the foster home forever. According to the foster parent, she hadn't mentioned her mother or anyone from her life "before" since coming to live there. After we had our answers we did a little tour of the house, and then I kind of ended up entertaining her while my supervisor spoke with the foster parent. So she showed me her toys, then went on the iPad and showed me what she was watching- scenes from Supergirl. She had on the one from 2x01 where Kara and Clark both save the space shuttle from crashing together and like this scene made me cry when I watched it on tv so I'm like dammit Rachel keep it together this is not the place lol but I managed to contain myself. And she was saying how much she liked Supergirl, so I asked her if she knew who Wonder Woman was, and she said no so I showed her the most recent trailer and she was awe-struck. She loved it so much and kept saying she can't wait that long for the movie to come out (I figured the trailer isn't all that graphically violent, and I mean, not for nothing but this kid has probably seen a lot worse). She really liked seeing Diana as a little girl and at one point where little Diana was walking with her mother she said "oh, she's going somewhere with her mom, that's so sweet" and she like, wiped her eye. I don't think she actually like, teared up, but it definitely stuck out to me that she would make that kind of comment- that that would be something she would envy after her own experience with her mother (if you missed last night's post, the cliff notes version of this case was mom is a heroin addict who was living with a convicted sex offender, they were living in what was essentially an abandoned building with no hear and holes in the floor, and there were claims of physical abuse and the mom constantly referring to her daughter as "that little bitch" and other such things, so yeah). I'm glad I got to interact with her in a more relaxed environment though, she was always very sweet and happy, insisting she doesn't get scared or sad, or anything negative. She hasn't been to any school but when I said to type in Wonder Woman her finger hovered over the W and she asked if that was the letter it started with, which I thought was fairly bright for someone who hasn't been to school at all and apparently doesn't even like, know her numbers. But yeah, that was about it for the visit. Hopefully this won't be the last I see of the case and I'll get to see her again further down the line. So on the car ride back we talked about what we thought, my boss said she thought how much she clung to the foster parent so quickly was definitely an abandonment issue, and lord knows that will only get worse if this placement doesn't work out long term (because tbh in all likelihood she's not going home). The foster parent said she was open to adopting though, so I really hope she gets one of the rare happy endings that come out of our court building. Got back and it was like 3:45, so I typed up the interview with all the information and started doing some other stuff before heading out around 5. Bus was slower than usual because it was rainy and traffic wasn't great, and I didn't end up getting off it until 6:35 which wasn't great because I had PT at 7. Thankfully it's only 2 blocks over so I just ran in and changed, ate like two cookies (I mean, I had to eat something, it might as well be cookies) and ran back out again. It hadn't really been raining when I got off the bus but when I went to walk over at 6:50 it had started enough to use an umbrella. PT was fine, I was working with a different person partially because my schedule changed and partially because my normal guy is in Europe right now lol. He was nice though and we had some good conversations, and I definitely feel like I'm getting better with the exercises. I'm gonna end up going tomorrow again because it was the only place I could fit it into my schedule, and the appointment is at 6 so I'll have to uber home to make it but oh well. By the time I left PT, the rain had increased to torrential downpour levels. Like I can't remember the last time I was stuck in rain this bad. I wanted to pick up milk for my damn Cocoa krispies, so I stopped in the little produce store that was right on my route home and grabbed some of that. It was cute, seemed to have some Mexican products and candy and such. So I take my half gallon of milk (no bag, because bags now cost 7 cents in Chicago), my purse, and my umbrella and head out into the rain. And I'm just getting soaked. I'm wearing sneakers and leggings because I was in PT of course, so my sneakers end up getting totally soaked through, and my leggings did as well up to my knees. All I could think was all the people passing me were probably thinking "who's the schmuck that decided they needed to run out and get milk in the middle of a torrential downpour???? 😂😂 me, apparently. I was very thankful when I made it home and immediately ditched my shoes, socks, and leggings for dry clothing. Glad that was over. I watched Arrow, since I'm still hanging in there for the season finale with Katrina and Katie, and the episode was pretty meh. I wasn't terribly into the whole Oliver and Thea dealing with the fact that their dad did bad things storyline cuz like, wasn't the entire basis of the list making up for the sins he's committed? Like to me that only adds to the reasons Oliver became the green arrow. And I'm sorry but I have to bitch about the Rene child custody plotline because it was SO ridiculously inaccurate I actually wanted to scream at my tv screen. Their entire premise was total bullshit. He doesn't want to go because it's a hearing and he'll have to testify? Well no shit Sherlock, did you think they were just gonna hand her over to you because you showed up? And then he wouldn't do it because it would traumatize Zoe- ummmmmmm, here's the thing- the kids aren't in the damn courtroom for any of that. Like, ever, especially not at that age. I know judges that will do pretty much whatever is humanly possible to stop a kid from having to take the stand or watch a parent testify. Like that entire thing was 100% bullshit and I was so done with it. Meh. I already sent Guggenheim a somewhat passive more aggressive ask about it but I doubt he'll answer whether they actually did any research because their entire thing was bs, lol. Anyway. I finished watching that around 9:20, at which point I switched over to designated survivor which was on currently. I can't say I was into this week's episode as much as I have been with the others lately. It wasn't bad, it just wasn't like totally amazing. And I mean, every show is gonna have episodes like that. I thought the UN plot was interesting if a bit odd, and then of course the whole al-sakar thing when it was a question of lying to the people and a potential national security issue, like that is a super interesting question to be asking so I applaud them for that. After that I just turned the news on and then watched a little bit for friends before getting in the shower. I got new shampoo and conditioner in the mail today because I saw this brand in a Facebook ad (I'm a total sucker, I know) that like makes custom formula shampoos based on the type of your hair and the things you're looking for in a shampoo and conditioner, and they mix it up and send it to you. So I used that for the first time and I guess we'll see how it works out. I have color protection as one of my goals obviously, and it doesn't have any sulfate a so that's a good sign, but the instructions were also like "use daily" and I was like lol I've literally been washing my hair once a week for months now, washing it daily is not gonna help my color. I'll have to test that though after I dye my hair, which I need to do soon. OKAY, I think that's all I had to say so I will now retire to bed. Goodnight my lovely friends. Be blessed.

[sleepymarmot]

DS9 season 2 liveblog

[Season index: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 PS]

The Homecoming

They're opening the season with a three-parter about Bajoran-Cardassian problems, and Dukat will show up right in the first episode? The writers are not wasting time...

Sisko's unusually cheerful.

Again, I'm amazed at this new heroic O'Brien who is so unlike the background character I've watched press buttons for years.

One does not simply walk into a Cardassian camp! Unless you're these two.

This is completely crazy! What'll stop the Cardassians from destroying their ship?

Just as I was going to say "Why not beam the wounded right from the runabout?", they actually do so -- but just after exiting it. Is there any in-universe reason behind it, or just the ease of fiming?

Why is Dukat being so friendly? Maybe he has spies among the freed Bajorans? If so, it better not be Li Nalas himself...

Bashir you're embarrassing yourself -_-

Quark, why are you always such an ass to your brother? Is that really necessary?

Poor guy.

Oooookay?? The previous scene made me completely trust him, but now my suspicions are stronger than ever. He's replacing Kira? Seriously? That has got to be someone's plan.

Well, this episode was meaty. And it really seems like the show is finding its feet -- unlike Duet, this episode didn't remind me of the other series and feels uniquely DS9.

The Circle

Aw, Odo's being a good friend! I don't remember him ever becoming so agitated before.

Vedek Winn as guest star? *grinds teeth in advance*

what a mess... I don't know if it's funny or sad. What a contrast to Data's friendly, nice and organized goodbye party :D 

"These are my... these are my friends" 

Do the Prophets really need to show her this sexy crap? Also, I'm too faceblind, is the guy in the vision the freedom fighter or the priest?

Odo and Quark!

I don't understand, which of these two is trying to convince the other to support them? And I don't like how blatantly evil they act.

AUGHHHH NOT A STUPID STARFLEET ADMIRAL AND THE PRIME DIRECTIVE!!!!! NO!!!!!!!!! GET THIS CRAP AWAY FROM ME!

(Seriously though, you say "Prime Directive", I hear "stupid bureaucratic crap that gets in the way of doing the obviously right thing". Either retire it or write it better, dammit!)

The Siege

Okay, I might change my mind by the end of the episode, but this might be the strongest of the multi-episode stories so far.

Aww Nog

"The Cardies" haha

Ugh, don't do the "wife asks husband not to be a hero" thing

The freedom fighter becomes a leader for real!

Sisko and Bashir turn and walk away in sync lol

"Is that a spider or a dog?"

Please stop ruining your engaging story with scenes about cartoonish villains...

I've... actually completely forgotten that O'Brien had been in the Cardassian war until this very moment. That's probably why he has been so opinionated, not just because of Picard. 

That's it? Kinda underwhelming.

Ugh, killing Li Nalas? I didn't expect this show to cling so hard to status quo...

The first episode was the most impactful, but the entire story is still very impressive, epic and engaging!

Invasive Procedures

End of previous episode: Everyone happily returns after evacuation! Beginning of this episode: The station has been evacuated

Quark and Odo: *bicker* O'Brien: Ughhhh get a room already

Previous episodes: main characters defeat the forces of the entire Bajor This episode: DS9 is easily hijiacked by a handful of mercs & amateurs

That's an impressive "As you know" speech, Dax

When will poor Jadzia get an episode that's not about her being victimized and quietly accepting death?

Yes, I get it, the entire thing is just a plot device to show us Dax without Jadzia (and hopefully, Jadzia without Dax, if she'll be awake for it?), get on with it please

I hope the second half of the episode is about Dax working against the antagonist literally from the inside

Well, it's pretty disappointing that Dax by themself has so little personality and moral compass. I guess Sisko was all this time really friends with just Curzon and Jadzia, not Dax. Honestly, it's easier to forgive Quark (who sort of redeemed himself with an amusing scene) than Dax after this episode.

I was planning to go to bed after this one, but hell, I need to wash down this nonsense

Cardassians

I see Bashir has gained a lot of confidence since Past Prologue

"I am no more a spy than you are--" "A doctor"

I guess not everyone is fine with strangers touching them haha

"To us, he isn't even one of them any more" uh.....

"They won't hurt you. They're humans, they're not Cardassians" jfc...

"Don't apologize. It's been the high point of my day. DON'T DO IT AGAIN." 

(Sisko seems to chew out Bashir more often than others. Is Bashir just the most undisciplined?)

Oh, here we go, O'Brien's anti-Cardassian racism again, makes sense for it to be in this episode

Poor Keiko, she's trying so hard

Miles is getting over himself! I'm proud of him

Bashir is learning to yell at people! Two episodes in a row now.

Um, Miles, I don't think it's a great idea to tell these things to the boy's father...

Dukat's neck scared me. is that normal

GOD IT'S EVEN WEIRDER FROM THE FRONT why am I so bothered by this lmao. honestly was their casting requirement "not only be able to look ominous without actually doing anything, but to have an extremely long neck so we could sculpt interesting things around it"? i'm sorry i'm gonna shut up about this now

Garak if you hold that satisfied smile for some time more you're going to turn into a child-drawn picture of a sun

I love that Dukat doesn't even bother to finish the conversation, he just turns around and leaves without a word the moment it becomes clear that he lost

Ugh, poor boy... What a choice. Abusive family he loves and considers his own or the planet of strangers from an unfamiliar culture he hates, both claiming to love him and expecting him to identify with them? Even if they didn't tell who took him in the end -- he gets a bad deal either way.

it's much more easier to take Garak seriously when he's not dressed like a grandma who stopped giving a fuck 20 years ago. that's probably why he does dress like this, though... but shouldn't that hurt his reputation as a tailor?

This episode was awesome! Exploration of social issues, family drama, political intrigue -- all tightly wound together and making perfect sense. So far the Cardassian stories are the highlight of the show, I hope it's going to stay this way.

It's really weird how Bashir changed between seasons. He hasn't gotten a lot of screentime apart from this episode, but he seems less naive, awkward and bouncy, he's grown more confident, and the crush on Jadzia has disappeared without a trace. Tbh I'm kind of disappointed -- I was expecting a smoother character arc that would let him grow before our eyes and phase out his immature traits one by one. Same goes for his relationship with Garak -- we've only seen their meeting and now they act like besties, how did they get here?

No, wait, let me get back to the plot of the episode. So Dukat had a politician's child kindapped just in case that politician becomes his opponent at some indefinite point in the future, so that he could go through another complicated scheme to humiliate him? Had he absolutely nothing better to do?!! Did he arrange something like this for everyone who could ever possibly cross him?

Melora

Um, Julian, that sounded a bit too much like Geordi's style of creepy almost-stalking...

Wait, Melora is Grace Holloway? :D I didn't recognize her until the familiar name appeared on screen.

She complains about being treated differently and about following the same rules as everyone else in the same breath. Did the writers make her hypocritical on purpose?

Why is he doing this? Is he actually interested in her as a woman? Does he want to help her acclimatize? Or to put her in her place?

Okay, the low gravity scene is pretty cute even if it doesn't make much sense

Daphne Ashbrook in all your fandoms, kissing all of your pretty Doctors

so far it seems like in season 2 the good episodes are better than in season 1, but the mediocre ones are worse

god, the writing and design are so bad, I don't want to list everything that doesn't make sense to me, let's just move on

Rules of Acquisition

I was tired but the plot twist woke me up!!

Dax is so sweet

Poor Pel :( Shitty Ferengi values win again I guess 

Well, I'm glad he took a stand after all. And that they kissed. HELP I'M HAVING FEELINGS ABOUT FERENGI ROMANCE

Necessary Evil

Aw, Sisko called Rom "a family friend"

...so do Odo and Sisko perform the bad cop-good cop routine often?

yoo a flashback! I was wondering how Dukat was going to fit into this

"Cardassian neck trick" I... think I've already said enough on the subject lol

First meetings!

First meetingS!

I was distracted for some reason and didn't appreciate this episode enough :/ But it was very good!

Second Sight

Yikes Sisko don't embarrass yourself

"She's a married woman" "That would have never stopped Curzon" ew

ah I've missed the starship uniforms

what a boring episode. can we stop with the love interests of the week, please? I don't understand why the writers are suddenly forcing them so hard this season, and watching three of these in one day has turned my brain into soup. okay, Rules of Acquisition worked, but Melora and this episode were terrible!

(only pros: gorgeous woman, gorgeous dress)

Sanctuary

What was even the point of the universal translator not working for a while? This had nothing to do with the story, and the only thing it did was to remind the viewer how implausible the entire concept is.

Second mention of the Dominion -- I guess we'll meet them in the season finale?

Yep, I'd be surprised if the promised land didn't turn out to be Bajor

Bajoran Leia!

Wait, why is famine a problem? Why can't the Federation just provide Bajor with replicators? Prime Directive again? I mean, they almost seem to want me to ask this question by cutting right to refugees in front of a food replicator.

Why are they so attached to the idea it MUST be Bajor? Ugh, I hate these stories.

Rivals

Are you implying that El-Aurians have supernatural abilities and all this time people confided in Guinan not because she's charming and wise but because she mind-controlled them? 

Julian is a NERD and Miles is regretting all of his life choices that led to this point

(Gosh, I didn't realize how much I've missed scenes where the main characters just hang out together off-duty)

8 minutes into the episode and I still have no idea what it's about

Are you saying that O'Brien and Bashir's tennis rivalry is legitimately the B-plot because I'm really into it

"Not in this space-time continuum you won't"

oh my goooood

wait a sec, the listener is only figuring it out NOW?! h o w

finally, a really fun silly episode!

The Alternate

Wait, so when Odo is in humanoid form, does he see and hear like us, or "percieve" like in liquid form? Does he have 360 degree vision?

Put it back! This is either a defense mechanism or the environment needs this column to function for some reason; beam it back down

So Bashir's crush on Dax isn't dead? We haven't seen it for so long, I thought it was over. But why is he monologuing? that's just bad writing.

plot twist! D:

god, this doctor is so creepy with his Measure of the Man reenaction

poor Odo is literally having a meltdown :(

Armageddon Game

Another O'Brien and Bashir episode, nice!

Poor Keiko

Bashir's speech about wife and children at home is weirdly sexist, especially since the previous episode re-established his interest in Dax, and his previous romantic involvement this season was a fellow Stafleet officer too -- he should have the opposite problem (which was already discussed in "Melora")!

aw Quark, you don't have to hide behind the Rules of Acquisition to admit you care

Whispers

Everyone around seemed to be acting like he smells bad, does this mean that's actually true?

"It's not doctors I have a problem with, it's--" "You, Julian"

jfc Miles, she's your wife, you should try to talk at least to her

Quark can't name a rule of acquisition by number? alright, for the first time in the episode I believe someone is fake

O'Brien is a badass

Are they absolutely sure the dead one is the clone and the real one takes his place, not the other way around? That was an awfully convenient excuse to shoot a Starfleet officer point blank without anyone asking questions... 

Poor communication kills. At first it seems like something is wrong with O'Brien, but since people refuse to talk to him about it, he becomes convinced literally everyone else is conspiring against him -- and turns out, no, the problem was with him after all! And then they kill him off for no reason just to maintain status quo and avoid the Thomas Riker situation. They could have told him at literally any point instead of being so stupidly vague, but no, gotta keep the plot moving for 45 minutes! Before they found the real O'Brien they could have arrested the clone and told him everything, I'm sure O'Brien would understand; and after they rescued the real one, they could have just transmitted the image, if they're so averse to words. And after acting so stupid, as a final insult the other characters keep talking over their poor dying friend in third person like complete jerks. The episode is great... until that ending. Which just doubles my frustration, because it's one thing when a story is mediocre to begin with, but it really sucks when a wonderful episode is ruined by shitty conclusion.

Paradise

Yes, yes, I get it, this woman would do anything to keep this way of life and probably sabotaged the technology in the first place

What's wrong with replicated food? I hate this stupid trope

did she send the runabout away too?

what the FUCK

look, it might be useful social commentary to depict these rhetoric and tactics, but watching it is still torturous

it adds another level of creepiness that all this shit is done to a black protagonist -- was it intentional?

she's a more proficient torturer than the guy from Chain of Command

this woman is one of the most horrifying antagonists in all Star Trek. she actually believes all this shit

the engineer is supporting her? they all want to stay? for fuck's sake. she made them all see five lights

well. if the writers wanted to upset me, they succeeded

Shadowplay

"How fascinating" :D

"Women don't react to me in that manner" What about Lwaxana, then?

"After seven lifetimes, the impersonal questions aren't much fun anymore"

Yeah, why does a 15 year old need a job?!

The local guy is surprised at Odo beaming up and back down, like he's never seen anything like this before, and two minutes later says he has scanned for transporter activity

I like how the Prime Directive isn't even mentioned :D Or is it a human colony? But isn't this the Gamma Quadrant?

"You want me to spy on Quark for you?" so excited, bless him :D

backstory for that one time Miles played cello on TNG!

I'm glad these villagers are not as conservative and stubborn as people from the previous episode

I am reminded how much more modern DS9's storytelling is than TNG's every time they namedrop the Dominion -- like Doctor Who did ten years later with Bad Wolf, Torchwood etc

I knew he'd transform for the little girl eventually :') Odo reminded me of Data more than usual this time because of the friendship with a child and the episode's general similarity to Thine Own Self. But while Data gets along with kids partially thanks to his own childish (in a good way) qualities, Odo is more like a grumpy but caring grandpa -- I'd even say there's some First Doctor vibe. 

(I'm a bit disappointed the episode didn't follow up on that promise of "Bashir practicing his purely theoretical spying skillz on Quark for Kira", because that sounds absolutely hilarious)

Playing God

Fun-loving cool senpai Jadzia is amazing

Interesting that Jadzia doesn't identify with Curzon at all in this case, despite presumably remembering their interaction from his point of view too

I didn't really understand how they solved the problem but I don't care

This is my favourite Jadzia episode so far. She finally got to show agency, have some fun, show off her professional skills, and explore her own identity (instead of standing around silently while other people explore it). And I love how other characters' scenes are vivid despite shortness: Quark playing tongo with Jadzia and giving well-intentioned if unhelpful advice to the initiate; Bashir's friendship with Jadzia and O'Brien; O'Brien calling across the border about his pest problem; Odo, Kira and Sisko's different approaches to the ethical dilemma.

Profit and Loss

Yesss! Cardassians!

Ooh Quark has romantic history with the pretty Cardassian woman?! This is getting better and better

A scene between Garak and Quark! is it my birthday?

"Personally, I find this style to be a bit too radical. But your friend seems the sort who appreciates that kind of thing" Does he know everything and everyone?! Though come to think of it, this shouldn't have surprised me at all -- even regardless of special channels Garak may use, these dissidents might be well-known to the point that their info is freely available on something like stateenemies.gov.car/wanted

I love how he casually rips an expensive dress to make his point

Passionate lover Quark is so strange to see

Odo's good at playing hard to get

lmao I've waited so long for someone to finally to hug Odo and... :D I do also love his relationship with Quark but I never expected these two things to intersect :D

so, did Garak change his mind on the fly or was he just stalling until that guy comes and can be disposed of?

alright, I amend my previous statement about one-episode love interests: Quark is allowed to have them, if all women who fall for him continue to be this awesome

Blood Oath

What, the holosuites have no sound isolation?! If so, who would ever use them for anything more... private than a recreation of a famous battle?

These Klingons have strange hair

It's so nice to see a young, human-looking woman as an equal to three old Klingons

ah bat'leth fighting, I didn't realize how I've missed it

-- and that young, human-looking woman is more of an old-fashioned honorable Klingon than the rest of them

what an outfit

I'm glad the Klingon interpreted her hesitation so favorably

*reads TVTropes* Wait, all these three are from TOS?! Damn... I could barely tell them apart. I really liked the episode, but turns out I didn't appreciate it nearly enough. Time for a little TOS rewatch?

The Maquis 1

What does the word Nor mean? Terok Nor, Bok'Nor...

The Vulcan woman looks great; nice dress.

"Jake-o" aww

Do Cardassians have a thing for showing up right in your quarters unexpectedly?

"We'll need one of your runabouts" "Where are we going?" Nice one, Sisko

"So you turn off my controls so I don't have enough light to take my photograph?" :D  

"Education is power. Joy is vulnerability" Dukat is being very quotable today?

"Of all the humans I've met you strike me as the most joyless and the least vulnerable" "I am when I'm with you"

Honestly it's as if they are writing Sisko and Dukat's interactions for me personally

I like how the Vulcan is taking Quark's courtship at face value

Wait, is Gul Evek that reasonable guy from Journey's End?

I'm starting to understand Preemptive Strike better -- so it all took place in the demilitarized zone? That makes sense. (How did I miss that?)

"I was looking forward to showing you more ways to mix business with pleasure" "Perhaps in the future. I do find you... intriguing, Quark" im screaming hooly shit I'd never have guessed that Quark of all people would be the chick magnet #1 on this station?? how did he manage to meet a woman this line would actually work on

good shit good shit

The Maquis 2

Sisko gives a show-defining speech!

"Vulcans are a species that appreciate good ears"

something tells me Dukat wasn't the one supplying weapons and the Central Command is trying to kill two birds with one stone -- oh look, this lie was so obvious that for once the characters saw through it right away too

"The Central Command wants him dead. That's reason enough for us to want him alive"

Interesting, Dukat suddenly started acting in a theatrical manner I've only seen in Garak before. Some Cardassian cultural thing?

Haha, I didn't even realize where Sisko was leading the conversation! He's excellent in this story

"With that kind of firepower, the Bajorans could have launched a full-scale assault on Cardassia" "And lost"

Damn, Dukat really has his Intimidate skill maxed out! Sisko fails the Paragon check, Dukat passes the Renegade check.

Finally we see someone explain to a Vulcan why they're being illogical instead of making some bullshit reference to emotion. I love you Quark

the only bad thing about this two-parter is that it kinda made me like the Totalitarian Lizard Man a bit too much??? how dare you. let me go back to my wholesome crushes on Bashir and Jadzia before I start stanning or something

oh, and also I hoped this episode would make the Maquis more sympathetic so I could feel better about Ro Laren leaving Stafleet for them... nnnot much.

The Wire

What a great episode!! I wasn't liveblogging at all because it was too intense. I don't even feel the need to comment on drama or character development -- the story and acting speak for themselves.

Alright, how the hell did Bashir reach Tain? How does one get the home address of the former head of secret service of a foreign empire?! And how did Bashir manage to convince Sisko to authorize this stunt and give him the runabout -- or did he steal it?

The "Elim" reveal isn't really a surprise after you've spent some time near a fandom where people tag characters by full name... 

What interests me now: is Garak going to act differently now that he's not keeping himself drugged? Will he go through withdrawal? In the final scene he pretends everything is Back To Normal, but... Or was the table-flipping scene the extent of his withdrawal symptoms?

Another disjointed thought: this is a wonderful example of a satisfying hurt/comfort story 

Star Trek has some amazingly intense dramas for two actors. The Most Toys, Chain of Command, Duet... This one is different because in order to bring the two characters together and at the same time isolate them from the rest of the world, instead of captivity it uses doctor-patient relationship. Oh, another story from a different fandom it reminds me of, now that I think of it: Scherzo.

Crossover

Lmao it's nice that even after leveling up at unstoppable determination and compassionate badassery in the previous episode, Bashir still can be a ridiculous dork 

...though it is pretty jarring that right after a high drama where he shows his capacity for patience and caring, and greatly deepens his relationship with someone, the next episode opens with the awkwardest attempt at befriending (and flirting?)

I didn't expect Garak to appear in two episodes in a row!

Why is Mirror Kira walking like this...

I started laughing at "I don't have a designation, sir" because my mind immediately went to "There's no need to call me sir, professor"

Female Cardassian guard! And Kira called herself attractive, heh.

Mirror Quark is dressed so poorly...

Okay, Mirror Kira definitely wants to fuck herself -- wait, that's actually canon? Do all evil Kiras hit on women? I wish they'd let our Kira do that too. I know it was written in the nineties, but I really don't appreciate the "evil=bi" trope

Well this was pretty weak. The only mirror character who works well, i.e. exposes the real character's darker side, is Odo. Kira looks just weak and hysterical. (Remember how I complained about her acting in the pilot?) Mirror Garak is actually less intimidating than our Garak.

The Collaborator

Can't say I'm very excited to see Vedek Bareil again. I liked him in his first episode for ideological reasons, but this romance...

Oh no, the Sydney Opera Hat is on the Promenade again? Is she planning another assassination?

"Welcome back. You're under arrest"

The episode was not engaging to watch, but I enjoyed the Grey Morality (tm).

Tribunal

These Cardassians have lost all shame, what do they think they're doing

Evek again, and I think another familiar face?

Yiiikes

Here comes the good cop

I'm glad they're not spending an entire episode on a Chain of Command remake. 

Not telling the accused what they're charged with: a deliberate ploy to mess with their mind, or do the Cardassians not even bother to think about these things anymore?

Huh, Odo had a Cardassian rank that's still valid? That's useful.

Alright, but wasn't O'Brien still declared guilty? So the scheme to discredit the Federation worked?

Also, a missing molar isn't good evidence. Maybe it means that man was just captured and processed by the Cardassians, like O'Brien. And why would a spy alter his appearance but forget about this? You'd think humans and Cardassians have different enough teeth that he'd have to get dental implants anyway. 

I found one good thing about the Cardassian "court"! The judge has fabulous hair.

The Jem'Hadar

Jake!

"I bet we'll have a great time!" "I know we will" Please don't say things like this in the opening scene of a season finale...

Aw poor Sisko :D

"Guess" "He said yes" "Guess again"

Aw Quark needs a hug

Aww kids

Aww Odo cares about Quark

"If the Dominion comes through the wormhole, the first battle will be fought here, and I intend to be ready for them." Well. That's a chilling line to end the season on.

As much as I like it when the Federation arrogance is called out, Quark's speech just doesn't work. "The way I see it, humans used to be a lot like Ferengi. Greedy, acquisitive, interested only in profit. We're a constant reminder of a part of your past you'd like to forget." Well, yeah! That was basically the original concept for their species! "Humans used to be a lot worse than the Ferengi" -- so what? 24th century humans are disgusted by the atrocities of their ancestors, so why can't they also be disgusted by the exact same things perpetuated by their contemporaries? Domestic abuse and sexism are wrong, no matter who does it. Note how this entire speech sidesteps the violent misogyny, aka the Ferengi's most obvious appaling trait. This is like saying "Don't judge the Cardassian state for being totalitarian! That's just their culture, you don't understand!"

General impressions

Bashir and Jadzia finally got some character development!

I live for Cardassian episodes. It's fascinating to see a dystopia in the universe that started as a utopia, and see how characters from both sides deal with each other. 

(Random thought: I want an AU episode like "Crossover" where another universe/timeline's Cardassia is a free state, and for a Cardassian viewpoint character our world is a nightmare scenario just like the Mirror Universe is for our heroes.)

I don't loathe Winn as much as I did in the first season finale. That makes her kind of underwhelming as a recurring antagonist. On the other hand, that might be a good thing, because getting so angry repeatedly couldn't have been good for my health. But because they're represented mainly by the hateful-but-not-enough Winn and the bland Bareil, the Bajoran affairs are usually not as gripping as the Cardassian. I hope to see more of their secular politics next season.

First season was very even; second has two irredeemably clumsy stories (Melora and Second Sight), but a growing number of outstanding ones, too. 

First season was already an improvement over TNG in terms of serialization, and this one is better. Both multi-part stories are brilliant, too. I hope this trend continues. 

A noticeable weakness in the first season was the mundanity of the Gamma Quadrant. No sense of wonder, no noticeably stranger aliens. The introduction of the Dominion and their overwhelming threat partially rectified that problem, bringing back some of the feeling from "Q Who". Yes, setting foot in a far corner of the galaxy should be awesome in both senses of the word, and lead the previously unimaginable dangers right back to your home.

The costume design has visibly improved in this season!

[downtomyunderoos]

camping trip day 1

// akihiko sanada (downtomyunderoos) & kanji tatsumi (needlepunk)

1. Kanji --

         “Hmm…still no sign of any bears. We might not actually find any until tomorrow, but hey. It’s only day 1, right? It’s ta be expected, don’cha think?” With the camp site all set up way high in the mountains, Kanji and Akihiko were determined to find those bears even if it took them all weekend!

2. Akihiko --

Watching where he trekked, Akihiko said from behind, “Ever searched for something and ended up finding it when you weren’t? Maybe that’ll be our luck.”

Every so often twigs crunched beneath his soles. Hopefully the bears didn’t hear. “I wasn’t expecting to find a penguin animal cracker in my laundry, after all.”

He almost chuckled…

Until an ominous theory crossed his mind.

“There better not be any bears in the tent.”

3. Kanji --

        “That’d be a bit silly, don’cha think? I mean…why would the bears be in our tent?”Seriously, that just sounded dumb, even to Kanji. Hell, he knew an actual bear in real life, Teddie! If anything, surely he’d know enough about bears from him that there was no way any bear would just find it’s way into their…wait a minute. Teddie WOULD invite himself into their home for food! Their tent had all their food in it!

        “Hold on! What if you’re right?!” Kanji quickly looked back down the nature trail towards their campsite, far away. “There’s food down there after all! Q-quick! Let’s get back to the camp sight!”

4. Akihiko --

What if he was right?!

He and Tatsumi already hightailed it before Akihiko could further rationalize. The slope exerted them into going at a breakneck pace. Their desperation could very well force them to tumble down the nature trail like two burly boulders at a speed which can pulverize any naive animal in their path. They were natural disasters in their own right.

The two reached the campsite… Lo and behold:

A bear in the tent.

“Come out here, you coward!”

Immediately accepting this out of expectation, Akihiko approached with blood-thirsty fists!

5. Kanji --

There it was! The bear they had been searching. Man on man, Kanji had been waiting for this his entire life! He could imagine it, now! Get up and close to a bear and smothering it with love! It was going to a be a dream come true for him and- wow hold on a minute! “Akihiko-kun, NO!”

The blonde lunged forward and tackled the older emperor to the ground before he could dive into the tent after it. What was he thinking?! “Y-you’re gonna scare it away! Hold on!” Sure their food was being eaten, but it wasn’t like they had more or that they couldn’t just leave the camp grounds to get more from a conbini or something. Besides, from the sound of it, it wasn’t a full grown bear.

Quietly he stepped inside the tent on his knees and…they were adorable. Kanji let out a slight squeal, trying to not scare the little guys. “Aki! There’s two of ‘em! We got two little bear cubs in our tent!” The were shockingly docile, allowing Kanji to pick up each little cub in hand and show them off to the one waiting outside. “THEY’RE SO CUTE!”

6. Akihiko --

“Oof—!”

Man hit ground, but at least without injuries. Excuse you? Considering past exchanges with aggressive bears that left his torso gashed up, don’t blame him for being confrontational!

Bewildered, Akihiko looked up from the dirt, seeing Tatsumi’s back as the other inspected the tent. He didn’t seem to be in danger. Actually, was hecooing over two?

He grunted getting back on his feet and followed suit. He wanted to peek over his shoulder, but Tatsumi boldly returned as if he just visited Build-A-Bear.

Cubs fumbled in his grasp. Huh. So he didn’t have to fight them.

Color Akihiko genuinely amazed. “Wow… No kidding.” Keeping a respectable distance, he merely took in the sight in front of him.

Although he anticipated fighting at least one… he’d consider bear hunting a success.

7. Kanji --

There was no stopping Kanji, now! If Akihiko wasn’t going to accept the little cup to hold then he’d be more than happy to have them both. Kanji just fell back onto the ground outside their tent with the cubs both in his arms, hold them close. For wild animals, they could actually be quiet docile and friendly. Maybe they had full tummies and now just wanted to sleep it off. Either way, all the more easy for him to enjoy cuddling bear cubs! “Aki! Their fur is so soft, man! Ya gotta pet one of ‘em! Oh boy!” It was as if this was touchable happiness to him. “Man, that’s it! I’m takin’ ‘em home with us! I’m gonna be their new mommy!”

Come to think of it…where was the mother bear?

8. Akihiko --

Tatsumi, freakishly in his own world, frankly? Alarmed Akihiko. He took a proactive stance, as if any moment he’d pounce into this bubbly-ass scene to snatch the cubs and chuck them far!

“A-are you serious?! You—you can’t take them home!” What was he thinking?

Yet before a discussion (or hell, argument) could take place, the bushes nearby noticeably rustled, followed by an indignant roar. Already on the alert because of Kanji “Papa Bear” Tatsumi, Akihiko’s eyes widened even more at Actual Mama Bear.

And she wasted no time gunning the guy who made his possessive declaration.

“Shit!” Akihiko sprung forward, too! “Kanji!”

( He wouldn’t dare let her mark him up, or— or worse. Despite Tatsumi’s selfishness… )

“Uorgh—!!!!”

Before the paw swiped, Akihiko landed an uppercut!

9. Kanji --

Kanji’s body tensed up, almost freezing when he heard the furious battle cry from the great beast of the woods. This hadn’t been expected at all! He had truly just expected to just find cute bear cubs and give them the love they deserved before declaring himself their new mommy! Why was it so wrong for a him to want to hug some fuzzy bears! Next he should just go to a leather bar.

In a panic, Kanji bolted with both cubs on him, one hanging onto his shoulders and the other on his leg as he started climbing up the nearest tree to escape…which really wasn’t going well. How the hell was he suppose to climb with two wild animals clinging to his body? It wasn’t his fault they loved him so much.

“A-AKI! DON’T HURT HER! IT’S NOT HER FAULT! HER CUBS JUST WANNA STAY WITH ME!” Actually they were falling asleep on him. Too much people food, probably.

10. Akihiko --

Akihiko continued warding the bear off while needing to make leaps away from rampage. He didn’t want to kill or injure her, leaving the cubs without a mother..! Hearing Tatsumi speak made Akihiko throw a desperate look over his shoulder; what was he in comparison?! Chopped liver??

“Dammit, just give them back!!”

11. Kanji --

        He could only watch in horror as Akihiko continued to struggle against the angered bear. This was indeed a difficult choice. Probably the most difficult of any in his entire life! It was either surrender the bear cubs that were so cutely clinging onto him, half asleep. Or…it was watch their precious mother be beaten to a bloody pulp…or time to abandon Akihiko and save his own skin. His knees shook as he clung to the soft, cuddling cubs in his arms.

        “I…I’M NOT DOIN’! LET’S JUST RUN AND HOPE WE CAN GET OUTTA HERE WITH ‘EM!” Kanji was already turning his tail and ready to bolt.

12. Akihiko --

“W-what?!”

His heart rate accelerated even more hearing such an uncooperative proposal, making Akihiko stumble backwards in a panic and bashing his spine into the tree Tatsumi clung to. It shuddered in retaliation while the bear charged towards him. Shit. Akihiko rose his forearms this time, but next thing he knew: something heavy plummeted on top of her!

13. Kanji --

        Oh crap! This was only getting worse the longer it dragged out. There was no opening for escape…for one of them. It was time to choose, or else it would be very likely that Kanji wouldbare witness to seeing one of his closest buddies be ripped to shreds. His teeth ground together, frustrated as his brain raced for anyway out of this with bothAki and the bears, but….

      Nothing could halt the piercing whail that left his throat as he hurled himself down from the branches of the high tree, crashing to the bear’s backside and tumbling to the side, cubs safe in his arms. “DON’T HURT HIM! Y-YOU CAN HAVE ‘EM BACK! JUST DON’T HURT AKI!” There was no hesitation, as with eyes shut tight, Kanji charged forward to the mother bear, arms stretched out and both cups being presented.

14. Akihiko --

Once Akihiko realized he had yet to endure agonizing pain, his eyes shot open and acknowledged how dynamic this scene unfolded into being. A brand new, total luck-based situation nobody could predict. Akihiko didn’t become any less frantic.

However, the bear managed pausing?! Such a straight-forward approach— was Tatsumi even thinking?!

Sprawled on the ground, Akihiko attempted, forced his body forward by merely extending his arm towards Tatsumi, as if it was what piloted the rest of him.

But Mother Bear just… took in the sight of her babies and approached his younger friend on all fours, grumbling agitations.

She stood and… took them? Then snarled as if she almost ripped off his head, but it was meant to intimidate. Cuss him out maybe.

She turned and disappeared into the woods.

With chest heaving from where he lain, Akihiko took in what just occurred and wheezed, “Kanji, what the FUCK?!”

15. Kanji --

        He was certainly going to be feeling that one in the morning, for sure. Kanji’s head was already pounding from the blow the bear had delivered to his skull. Yet still, he pulled himself up to meet Akihiko in the dirt. Guilt was setting in…or was it a concussion? Maybe both.

        “Damn…I-I’m sorry, Akihiko…I really screw up, didn’t I….?”

16. Akihiko --

“At least you noticed…”

Sarcasm. Akihiko slowly pulled his torso over so the adrenaline rush could pass easier as he sat.

“Just.. don’t do that again.”

Damn, if anything, he learned to never underestimate Tatsumi and his penchant for cute shit. Duly noted. Well, pushing that aside… (He couldn’t bring himself to berate the other like how Shinji used to with him; what had passed, passed.)

Another matter meant more to him. “How’re you holding up? Are you hurt?” What was important was that he was safe.

17. Kanji --

        He rubbed the pounding spot in his head. No blood, but not doubt it would swell up. “I…I should be okay but…I could use some ice if we have any in the cooler. We might wanna check to see how much the cubs ate, too or else we might not have enough food for the whole weekend.”

18. Akihiko --

“Yeah…” And thus Akihiko grunted to his feet. “I’ll check for ice.” There should be leftovers in the cooler that could be wrapped for Tatsumi. Jeez, after all this, he remained having to take care of him, huh. Akihiko’s arm twisted behind him to attempt rubbing his sore upper back while he moved.

Man, was the inside of the tent a mess. However, it seemed those cubs were incapable of lifting the cooler’s lid since everything inside appeared intact. Akihiko collected the amount he needed and prepared a makeshift ice pack for both of them.

“How’s the stash? Any luck?” Doubt sustained his inflection.

19. Kanji --

He felt bad. Kanji had caused quite a mess of things over his selfish desire of petting bear cubs. It was easy to say he had no control, or he couldn’t help it but that also felt like such a major cop out and not taking responsibility. He and Akihiko could have been killed all because of him.

The blonde momentarily was a zombie as he got up and crawled into the tent to inspect any damage or remaining food. Luckily…not as bad as he had thought. “We might have to have a light lunch and skip breakfast on the final day, but we should be alright for the weekend. The bears didn’t eat too much, like Teddie would have.”

He was trying to keep the mood light as he sat back down on a log by the empty campfire pit for Akihiko to dab at his head injury.

20. Akihiko --

This information caused his eyes to downcast. “I see… Maybe we really should’ve taken that bear down after all…”

Akihiko hadn’t tasted bear meat before.

21. Kanji --

Kanji forced out a small laugh at Akihiko’s banter. “Yeah, then we both would have gotten what we wanted. I could have kept the cubs and you still would haven gotten food!” He was silent for a moment until the other was finished addressing his injury, and some warps were tied around his forehead. “I’ll try and make it up to ya at some point durin’ the weekend, or buy ya food when we get back into town. I promise, Aki! I’m really sorry I got us into this sorta mess.”

>> day 2

[canaryatlaw]

Alright, well today was pretty good, although right now I'm kind of ticked off that my back is killing me so much. I need to figure out how to get the x-rays for it that my doctor wanted me to get but like I don't know the first thing to do about it, like do I just call up some place that does x-rays and say I have a prescription can you x-ray me pls? Nobody taught me how to adult like this. Ugh. But anyway, besides that it was fine. Alarm went off at 7, and I laid in bed for 3 minutes entertaining the idea of sleeping for another half hour and ubering to work but I know that's a slippery slope to staying in bed all day so I made myself get up and I was off. Made it to work, and as expected I finished the last 500 pages of trial prep by 9:30. It was probably about 4,000 pages of documents to go through, most taking much longer than the hospital records at the end, and my final summary was 41 pages, so 10 pages for every 1,000 isn't too bad I think, haha. So I returned the file and emailed over the digital file, and then....I had nothing to do, lol. My supervisor was in court all morning into the afternoon, so I couldn't just go to him, and I did pop into a few offices to let people know I was free if they had anything they need me to do but nobody really took me up on it so I basically just sat around and read fan fiction all morning haha which was fairly satisfying I must say. I actually made it to the end of my inbox, save the emails of people I recently subscribed to about later chapters in fics I haven't started yet, but we'll get there soon enough. I read a lot of awesome fics I really enjoyed and I just appreciate the legends fandom and the captain canary fandom so much for bringing me so much joy when I can't write fiction for shit. So thank you, everyone who's work I read today (and I commented on everything, so you'll know if I did). But I knew the child death case was up this afternoon so I was awaiting that. After lunch, around 1:40 my supervisor finally came up from court, and a few minutes later I went to check with him about the case and he was dealing with an emergency phone call and one set of the foster parents had just arrived so he asked me to go keep them company in the lobby while he dealt with the emergency, so I went to do that, lol. They're still nice people I enjoyed talking to. I definitely kind of got put in the role of foster parent hand holder or just handler today haha which I'm fine with really because I know I'm good at it and foster parents are important, especially in a case like this where the kids have been through hell. So after not too long we got back to my supervisor's office and hung out for a bit, and we noticed an ambulance pulling up to the building. Then a few minutes later we get the information that apparently the bio mom is ill and is being transported to the hospital by ambulance. Well, this could throw a wrench in things, and it did. Everyone knows because the case is so high stakes it's gonna be a big deal on appeal and proceeding forward with one of the bio parents missing when it's their rights being terminated is definitely risking reversible error, so by that point we pretty much knew what was gonna happen. But they still ran over and had stuff to deal with from the morning. So we go downstairs and I end up in a tiny conference room off the foyer of the courtroom with the foster parents and the caseworker for probably a solid hour to entertain ourselves while they had a TC and just got a date for another case that took way too long. So we hung out and told amusing stories, haha. From what it sounds like the kids are doing alright, I'm sure the babies are perfectly happy since they were never exposed to any of this, but it has to be difficult for the older kids. My heart really breaks for the set of foster parents that formerly had the little boy and his sister and now just have his sister because he's dead. Like having to give them back and then knowing one of them was killed at the hand of their parents and get their sibling back without them.....that's gotta be a special grade of grief I don't think most people would be prepared to deal with. The little girl though very much wants to live with them forever though, and says things to her foster parents like "does the judge know I love you?" which is probably the cutest thing ever. But anyway. Eventually we made it to the courtroom and it was fairly short, my supervisor tried to hedge an argument for going forward a bit but the judge wasn't buying it. And then the next date we could get is May 16th, because that's the court system for ya. So of course being that that's after finals I don't know if I'll be around, but now at least I'd like to be because I'd like to see this case through. I feel involved now, haha, and when the foster parents left they were like "by Rachel, see you May 16th!" so know I feel like I have to be there haha and I really want to be, so hopefully that will work out. But yeah, we went back upstairs and it was like 4, so I hung out for a bit. Next week my supervisor will be on vacation so I asked him if I should report to anyone in particular and he just said whoever on the calendar needs help is fine and he'll tell them to give me work (but to not feel bad if they overload me and I have to say no, though I don't think that will be an issue) and then I heard him bragging on me to one of the other attorneys like "she can do anything! She's great at DCP packets and she's such a great writer!" so that made me smile lol. I headed out a little early because I was going to class at the kickboxing gym at 5:30. The route there has been complicated because the normal train stop I would take has the entrance by me closed and it's not like I can just walk a block down to the other end because it's actually multiple blocks over (it's one big ass train stop) so that's not gonna work. So I'm looking up alternate routes, and one of them uses the bus I take to the pink line on Tuesday, then just walk north for like 10 minutes, so that works.....except I miss it by about 30 seconds and it's pulling away as I'm running across the street to it and dammit. So I need to figure out an alternate route, and find one a out a 5 minute walk away that took me east and then just a shorter walk north, and it got me there at like 5:25 so no complaints there. Class was good, kicked my ass as always but it was good. Definitely need to keep working on those arm and leg exercises on my regular gym days, lol, because they tire out very easily. The class was called "grappling for the streets" and I was the only girl, which has been my experience in the class haha I guess it's more of a guy thing? But I like it and it fits in my schedule so it works. It went pretty well, I think I got the hang of some cool moves and it went well. We were practicing pivoting on our knees and I swear I'm gonna have bruises all over my knees tomorrow haha they're already varying shades of red and purple. But it was still good. In the last 5 minutes he said we could pair up and do love wrestling for a few and asked if anyone didn't want to do it and I was like yeah uh me haha which I think he knew so that's why he asked. But it was good. So that ended at like 6:15 and small group isn't until 7:30 and the church is right up the street. So to kill time I took the train one stop east to where the nearest Starbucks is and hung out there for a bit and finished my dinner. I decided to walk back for small group being that it really wasn't that far and it was fairly nice out, though it ended up being a bit colder than I would've liked. Small group was good, we talked about a passage in Daniel and the character of God and then the application of mercy, which I think I got some good points in on. Headed home after that, and upon getting there I turned on Arrow since I didn't get to watch it last night. The episode was pretty meh for me, more flashback plot than anything else and I long ago gave up caring about the flashback plot (though seeing Malcolm show up was interesting, I was wondering when he was gonna make an appearance). I got a bit of a kick out of Adrian's "just confess and I'll let you go" but not telling him what to confess mostly just because it drove Oliver nuts and I appreciate that lol. But yeah, mostly meh. When that was over I had to print out my appellate brief for class tomorrow, where we have to print two copies of each assignment for god knows what reason, and of course this assignment is 16 pages long. So I'm halfway through printing them when I realized I didn't add page numbers, which I need, so I have to reprint them. And then my stapler was giving me issues and I had to be super careful not to damage the paper pulling them out because I shit you not people have gotten points off their legal writing assignments because of extra staple holes for "not taking pride in their work." And then once I had them all ready to go, I realized I forgot to do the time sheet that needed to be attached, so I had to type that up, print it, pry the staples back out (because double stapling would never fly) then re-staple them again without causing too much damage to the paper. Lol, as you can probably tell I was more than a little fed up at this point. But yeah, mostly good day. Okay, bed now because it's late. Goodnight you awesome people. Stay cool.