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nameofallteams · 18 days

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399 Slam Dunk Basketball Team Names To Elevate Your Game 🏀

Basketball is not just a sport; it’s a culture, a way of life, and an opportunity to bond with friends, coworkers, and even strangers over a love for the game. One of the most exciting parts of forming a basketball team—whether it’s for a local league, a company event, or just a casual game—is picking the perfect team name. A great basketball team name can embody your team’s personality, make a statement, and intimidate your opponents. Whether you want something funny, intimidating, or completely original, here’s a list of 399 slam-dunk basketball team names to inspire your squad and elevate your game. Funny Basketball Team Names Humor is a great way to create a relaxed and fun environment on the court. A clever, funny team name will get people talking and help build camaraderie. - Dunkin' Donuts - Hoop Dreams and Nightmares - The Ball Hoggers - Dribblers Anonymous - Alley-Oops Anonymous - Swish Kebabs - The Dunkin’ Dudes - Air Ballers - The Rim Jobs - Basket Cases - Net Results - Bricklayers United - The Foul Trouble Crew - Court Jesters - Hoops I Did It Again - Dunkaroos - Jump Shots and Laughs - No Love No Layups - Slam Drunk - The Travel Agents Cool & Creative Basketball Team Names These names are for those who want to strike the right balance between creativity and coolness, making your team stand out. - Net Rippers - Court Kings - Swaggy Shooters - Full Court Press - Sky Walkers - The Paint Predators - Rim Rockers - Three-Point Titans - The Fast Breakers - Dunk Dynasty - The High Flyers - Buzzer Beaters - Above The Rim - Ballistic - Cross Over Crew - Net Raiders - The And-Ones - Half Court Heroes - The Rebound Rebels - Drive & Dish Badass & Intimidating Team Names Sometimes you want to put a little fear into the hearts of your opponents. These intimidating names will make your team seem like a force to be reckoned with. - The Slam Squad - Thunder Dunkers - The Court Crushers - Fear The Gear - The Fastbreak Fiends - Full Metal Nets - Alley-Oop Assassins - The Backboard Breakers - The Rebound Reapers - The Dunk Demons - The Basket Brawlers - Air Strike Squad - The Full Court Pressers - Iron Nets - Raging Dunkers - The Rim Wreckers - The Block Party - Dunking Dominators - The Thunder Slams - The Court Crushers Unique Basketball Team Names If you're after something no other team has thought of, these names will help set your team apart. - Board to Death - Hoopin’ Hollers - Net Warriors - Cross-Court Kings - Dunking Divas - On the Rebound - The Pivot Posse - Passing Perfectionists - Bounce Back Squad - Hoopsters United - Court Stormers - The Fast Break Five - The Floater Flyers - Post Up Players - The Layup Legends - The Pick Pockets - The Stepback Stars - Pivot Players - Triple-Double Trouble - The Paint Masters Names Inspired by Famous Players & Teams These names pay homage to legendary players and teams, giving your team a sense of historical significance. - Jordanaires - LeBron’s Legion - Shaq Attack - Kobe's Court - Magic's Men - Pippen Ain’t Easy - Curry’s Kids - Durant’s Dynasty - The Bird Watchers - The Dream Team - Nash Bashers - King James’ Court - Wade’s Warriors - Rodman’s Rebounders - Russell Hustlers - Giannis' Gang - The Big Fundamentalists (Duncan) - Splash Brothers - The Stockton Shockers - Melo's Marshals Themed Team Names (Movies, Pop Culture, and Beyond) For fans of pop culture, naming your team after your favorite movie or TV series adds a fun twist. - Space Jam Squad - The Mighty Hoopers - Toon Squad - The Avengers of the Court - Game of Zones - Hoosiers Heroes - Space Jam Dunkers - The Basketball Jedi - Slam Trek - The Hoop Avengers - Hoopton Abbey - The Dunkfather - Fast & Furious Breakers - Dribble & Dragons - The Dark Knight Dunkers - Back to the Basket - Rebound Royale - The Marvelous Shooters - Breaking Backboards - Mad Hoopers Women’s Basketball Team Names Empower your women's basketball team with these awesome, bold names! - Lady Ballers - The Dunk Divas - She Shoots, She Scores - Net Queens - Ballerinas - The Rebound Queens - Dunkin’ Dames - Swish Sisters - Lady Dunkers - Air Angels - The Hoopsterettes - Fast Break Femmes - Shooting Stars - Net Chicks - Femme Fatales of the Court - The Shot Callers - Layup Ladies - The Hooptastics - The Post Players - Dunking Divas Youth Basketball Team Names For younger players, fun, motivational names that capture energy and enthusiasm are perfect. - Tiny Dunkers - Hoops Heroes - Little Ballers - The Jump Shooters - Mini Hoopers - The Little Giants - Rising Stars - The Junior Dunkers - Future All-Stars - Swish Squad - Court Kings and Queens - High Hopes Hoopers - Jump Shot Juniors - Basket Blasters - The Net Ninjas - Dunking Dreamers - Fast Break Kids - Rookie Rebounders - Young Guns - Hoop Hounds Corporate Basketball Team Names For company leagues and office teams, blending work-related themes into your basketball team name can be a fun way to keep the competitive spirit alive. - Net Worth - The MVPs (Most Valuable Professionals) - Boardroom Dunkers - Excel-erators - Courtroom Crushers - The Layup Lawyers - Full Court Accountants - Office Dribblers - Rebound Recruiters - The Marketing Dunkers - Break Room Ballers - Hoop Troop - The Productivity Dunkers - HR Dunk Squad - Slam Dunk Analysts - Email Layups - Corporate Climbers - The Out-of-Office Dunkers - Executive Ballers - The Meeting Room Dunkers Classic Basketball Team Names These names are timeless and always popular, capturing the spirit of basketball while remaining simple and effective. - Hoopsters - The Dunk Squad - Net Burners - The Jump Shooters - Court Rulers - The Layup Legends - The Dribblers - Dunk Masters - Buzzer Beaters - Alley-Oops - The Crossovers - Free Throw Pros - The Fast Breakers - The Rebounders - Dunk City - The Ball Busters - Jump Shot Kings - Rim Rockers - The 3-Point Shooters Additional Unique & Fun Basketball Team Names Still haven’t found the perfect name? Here are even more options to consider. - Court Warriors - Sky High Dunkers - Triple Threat - Hustle & Heart - Court Enforcers - The Inbounders - Full Court Pressers - Half-Court Hustlers - The Zone Defenders - The Pick-and-Rollers - Swish Machine - Fast Break Specialists - Out of Bounds Crew - The Benchwarmers - The Crossover Kings - Hoop Hustlers - The Ball Busters - Court Cravers - Post Play Pros - The Offense Orchestrators Creative Team Names for Pick-Up Games Sometimes a spontaneous name for pick-up games is needed, and you want something quick but fun! - Pickup Dunkers - Half Court Hustle - The Short Shorts - Streetball Stars - Swishers and Dishers - Courtside Kings - 3-and-D Squad - City Dunkers - The Asphalt - Court Crushers - Hoop Hounds - The Parking Lot Pros - Recess Dunkers - Streetball Soldiers - Off The Glass - Layup Legends - Pickup Pros - The Net Nets - Hoops on Fire - Baller Blockers - Playground Powerhouses - Pick and Pop Crew - The Hustle Squad - Blacktop Ballers - The Short-Handed Shooters - Backyard Ballers - Ball is Life Crew - Pick-Up Game Pros Basketball Team Names Inspired by City/Location Representing a city or a specific place can bring a lot of pride to your team. These names can give your squad a sense of identity and community spirit. - The Harlem Hoopsters - Venice Beach Ballers - Bronx Bouncers - Chicago Sky Walkers - Miami Heatwave - Brooklyn Buckets - Dallas Dunkers - New York Dribblers - Las Vegas Ballers - The LA Fast Breakers - Boston Blockers - Philadelphia 3-Pointers - Atlanta Air Walkers - Houston Hoopstars - Detroit Dunkmasters - Oakland Rebounders - Seattle Slam - Denver Dunkaroos - Toronto Hoops Heroes - San Francisco Swishers Punny Basketball Team Names A clever play on words can go a long way. If you want something humorous but with a witty edge, these pun-based team names are a slam dunk. - Nothing But Net Income - Air Apparent - Swishin’ Impossible - Rebound Rover - Let’s Get Technical - Pippen Ain't Easy - Slammin’ Salmon - Hoop There It Is! - The Jumpshot Jugglers - The Dunkin’ Dandies - Rebound and Snap - The Alley Whoops - Ball of Duty - Jumpshot Junkies - The Swish Army - Slammin' & Jammin' - Space Jammed - Backcourt Brawlers - Hoops I Did It Again - Brick Squad Dynamic & Fast-Paced Basketball Team Names For those teams that want to emphasize their fast-paced, up-tempo style of play, these names will reflect that energy and excitement. - The Turbo Dunkers - Lightning Layups - Fastbreak Fiends - Quick Release Crew - Rapid Rebounders - The Blitz Ballers - Flash Dribblers - The Shot Clock Shockers - Speedy Dunkmasters - Quick Hands, Quick Hoops - Full Throttle Hoops - High-Speed Hoopers - Fast and Furious Dunkers - Swish and Sprint - The Turbo Treys - No Time to Dribble - Hustle and Flow Hoopers - Swift Shooters - Speedball Dunkers Basketball Team Names for 3-on-3 Teams The smaller teams in 3-on-3 basketball games demand their own special identity. These names are perfect for 3-player teams looking to dominate on a smaller court. - Triple Threats - The 3-Point Bandits - Trio of Terror - The Triangle Offense - Triple Double Trouble - Three The Hard Way - Triple Swish - The Treblemakers - Three’s Company - The 3-Pointer Posse - Tri-Dunk Team - The Fast Three - Dunking Trio - Three-Peat Treat - Tri Hoops Terror - Triple Jumpers - Third Time’s the Charm - Three on the Key - Three-Point Titans 5-on-5 Team Names For the traditional 5-on-5 basketball format, these names bring together teamwork and the essence of classic basketball. - Fab Five - Fast Break Fives - The Starting Five - Five Alive - Full Court Fab Five - The High Five Dunkers - Five Guys No Fries - Five on Fire - The Famous Five - High Five Hoopsters - Five-A-Side Slammers - Fantastic Five - Five Fingers of Fury - The Power Five - Five-for-Five Dunkers - Starting Lineup Legends - First Five Finishers - The Furious Five - Five-Man Show Defense-Oriented Basketball Team Names If your team prides itself on being defensive stalwarts, these names will give your opponents a heads-up about your skills. - Block Party - The Lockdown Defenders - No Easy Buckets - Full Court Pressure - The Paint Protectors - Rim Rejectors - Shot Blockers - The Rebound Renegades - Brickhouse Defense - Defense Wins Games - Hands Up Defense - The Steal Squad - Court Invaders - Paint Patrol - The Rejection Crew - Zone Enforcers - The Defensive Dynamos - Backcourt Blockers - The Pickpocket Players - Perimeter Protectors Basketball Team Names for Tournament Play For tournament teams, you need a name that’s not only memorable but strikes fear into your competitors. - The Bracket Busters - The Tournament Titans - Slam Dunk Champs - Last Team Standing - The Final Four - Elite Eight Dunkers - March Madness Ballers - Championship Hoopsters - The Hoops Champions - Trophy Seekers - The Tournament Dunkers - Top Seeders - The Knockout Kings - Racket Wreckers - The Court Conquerors - Tournament Terrors - The Balling Brackets - Slammed and Sealed - Big Bracket Dunkers - The Finalists All-Time Creative Basketball Team Names Lastly, if you're looking for something truly out-of-the-box, these names push the creative boundaries. - Dunking Dragons - Air Traffic Controllers - Hoop Hooligans - The Net Navigators - Jump Shot Jackals - Above the Rim Wreckers - Dribble and Dashers - Swish Squad Supreme - Sky-High Dunkers - Backcourt Bruisers - The Full Court Funk - Slam Surgeons - Hoop Troopers - Dunk 'Til Dawn - The Hardwood Hustlers Conclusion Choosing the right basketball team name can inspire your team, create unity, and send a message to your opponents. Whether you want a name that’s funny, intimidating, or creative, this list of 399 slam-dunk basketball team names should help you find the perfect one to elevate your game. So, gather your squad, hit the court, and let your team name shine just as bright as your game! What’s your favorite basketball team name from the list? Feel free to share your own creative ideas in the comments below! Read Also Read the full article

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spicy-dunkaroo · 3 years

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Taking Power Back (One-Shot)

♫Now Playing: “Taking Power Back” by Spicy Dunkaroo…♪

❀ Word Count: 5k

❀ Rating: Mature, 18+, Minors Do Not Interact (please)

❀ Genre: One Shot (Not sure how to explain this haha)

❀ Summary: (Writing Prompt) Mora’s job was to take away the powers of supervillains as they’re admitted to jail. For a few years, she’d been reselling these powers to interested bidders on the side - no questions asked. Today, a prisoner showed up with a power so unusual, she decided to take it for herself.

❀ Warning(s): Please read!! Dark Content ☠, Mentions of Murder, Attempted Murder, Implied Childhood Abuse, Implied Bullying, Swearing, etc.

❀ Author's Note: Hello everyone!! This will be my first story/one-shot of hopefully many other more positive ones lol. Credit for the prompt goes to u/totoropengyou on reddit for the writing prompt!! Just want to warn you all once more if you skipped over the warnings, this is a dystopian world that's fucked up. Please read with caution.

☟❀❀❀❀❀❀❀❀❀❀❀❀❀❀❀❀❀❀❀❀❀❀❀❀❀☟

Everyday seems the same as the one before it. Same coworkers at the same job, not to mention the same shitty work Mora has to do to get paid.

Her job is to extract the powers of crooked criminals that somehow ended up in the nation's most secure penitentiary. Why? Well, if it weren’t for her, most of these monsters would have probably destroyed the government and Gods know what else.

Somedays, Mora finds it easier to sleep at night when she doesn’t think of the ‘what-if’s’ of not taking on the government position, if she screwed up, and what if she was any less moral than she already was.

That’s not to say that she was any sort of ‘holier than thou’ being that had mankind's well-being as top priority. The job doesn’t pay her enough to be so kind to the shitty world she’s lived in for the last 19 years. There probably isn’t enough money in the world for Mora to change her ways now, now when the temptation has become that much sweeter.

Sure, maybe she could be helping the world out by not selling the quirks to the highest bidder every Friday night. But in all honesty, who gives a damn? Yes, the government would and probably would punish her to the highest degree, and most citizens wouldn’t be too pleased. Why be mad at her though? It’s the buyer's fault for throwing hundreds of millions of dollars for just one of the many powers she extracts from those crooks everyday. Most of them aren’t too bad, they at least seem nice with the weekly gift baskets and extravagant gifts they throw her way in hopes of getting a nifty power before it’s on the floor the following Friday night.

Then again, you’d never expect those who were begging to be in Mora’s favor to be in the positions they are.

If it’s any consolation, most of those bidders can’t even infuse the power within their own bodies without risky surgery and the high chance of dying.

See, nearly 70% of all humans born in this ‘age of power’ are gifted with one of the four types of abilities. There’s fight, flight, freeze, and then there’s the unknown fourth type, probably the most rare of them all, mutants. As they are listed, 43% of these humans have the fight type, 32% have the flight, 20% have freeze, and less than 5% have the mutation type. Despite this, research says that you have a good chance of walking past a human with the mutation type of power at least once in your life without knowing it. Since there have always seemed to be so few ‘mutants’ as they call them, there's not much information on the different variations of the ability outside of that they don’t fit in the category of the other three.

Lucky for Mora, she happens to be one of the very few with the mutation power. Her’s happened to be perfect for her government assignment as well as for her side business.

The government took it upon themselves to name this “company” Vera. Mora wasn’t too sure why this was outside of the Latin meaning of the word (truth), like some sort of ‘holier than thou’ complex she presumed.

Though there have been struggles with her ability. Since there has been little research done, nobody knew how to teach her to hone her skill. Not her teachers, advisor, biological parents, or her other parents in the past. Despite this, Mora feels that she has a pretty good idea how her power works now.

Did she ever dream about extracting a part of most humans' identity as her ‘ideal job’? Of course not, when she was growing up she dreamed about being a rockstar, firefighter, or a damn teacher, anything but the hell she’s had to live through day in and day out.

Since she was assigned her power type, she moved from one home to another, left one school after the next, and was always called a mutant. Although she wasn’t sure exactly when the government began to really lock their sights on her, she was heavily reminded of the fucked up world she lived in once she graduated high school. There were only ever two options for her. Look out for everyone else, or look out for herself.

When you’re asked if you’d be willing to become a human lab rat or work as an official government officer, just about anybody wouldn’t have thought twice about that choice. Though there are a few poor motherfuckers that wanted what was best for humanity. To that Mora thanks them for giving her the ability to have a choice. Besides that, screw humanity. The criminals on the street aren’t the monsters you’re told live in the darkness, the ones in your closet, or the ones hiding under your bed. No, sometimes those monsters are a lot closer to you, and they’re not there to protect you.

It’s a real dog-eat-dog world on both sides of the door. So look out for yourself, that’s the only way you can survive. Despite learning this throughout her whole life, Mora lived by the only saying she could remember from her time with her father.

‘Don’t let anything in this world tear you down. It’ll be tough, sure, but you deserve to pursue your happiness as much as anyone else because you’re a fighter- a winner! Never let anyone make you feel like anything less than the champion you are.’

Though she never understood what her father meant when she first heard it, now it’s one of the only few thoughts that seem to brighten her day as she looks back on her more fond memories of growing up.

Even now, as Mora sits in the holding room, it appears to be the only thought that can take her out of the mindfuck that was currently her train of thought as she regretfully remembered her last patient.

If Mora had the freedom her fellow peers had back in high school, she always thought she might have wanted to go to college to become a doctor. These happier possibilities help Mora to separate herself from her gruesome work. So regarding these scum of the earth beings as ‘patients’ helps to block off the blood-curdling screams that echoed in the walls many hours after they were moved to their prison cells.

As Mora begins to think of her perfect life, a knock is heard at the door, quickly followed by the door swiftly

“You okay in there Spe?”

“Oh, it’s just you Timentes. You scared me for a second there, also, please stop with the formalities. You know how much I hate my birth-given name. At least call me Griseo if you have to.”

“You know the rules, officially I can’t call you by your revised name, at least in front of others that is.”

“Then could you at least call me Mora in private?”

As she says this, Mora pats a spot before her at the small table, deciding to sit herself in the patients chair as she sees what they always saw before she conducted her ‘surgeries’ on them.

“Fine, fine, but only because you’re the most tolerable person in this hell hole.”

“Damn right I am! Ain’t nobody gonna take that title away from me haHA!”

“You worry me sometimes, Moralis.”

“Aww, is that your secret way of telling me you’re thinking about me? I’m touched, really, but I don’t think I can say the same about you, no offense.”

Timentes dramatically gasps as he places his right hand onto his bullet-proof gear, leaning back as he begins to speak once more.

“Offense completely taken. And here I was about to ask you out.”

“And by ‘ask me out’ you really mean make some instant ramen as we binge watch another anime this weekend? Because you know I can’t say no to that.”

“Which is why I always ask. You know you love our marathon nights! We- we might as well be a married couple with how often you stay the night.”

As Timentes says this, Mora notices the sudden change in demeanor, his cheeks becoming a brighter shade of pink of his stubbly face, the way his blue eyes dart away from her direction, and how she can clearly see how awkwardly cute his eyebrow quirks at his own words.

“I don’t think we fight enough to move that fast.”

‘If he won’t get the balls to actually ask me out, clearly we aren’t meant to be.’

Despite thinking this, Mora knew the real reason she was writing off her adorably shy co-worker. Mora knew she had to keep everyone at arm's length, regardless of her happiness in order to make it out of this world alive.

Mora rolls her eyes as she decides to change the topic.

“So...What did you come in here for? I know I’m a nice piece of eye candy, but you can’t let my womanly charms distract you from work. There’s only so many times I can cover for your ass.”

“R-Right...The next inmate will be coming in soon.”

“Okay? What’s wrong with him? Is he deranged? Violent? Or did he murder his family? Usually you don’t come to tell me about them in person either way.”

“The thing is… From what I’ve heard through the grapevine, this guy is something else.”

“Could you elaborate?”

“Well that’s the thing, I think it’s something about his power that nobody can figure out. We had to pull out all the stops just to restrain him. Who knows if he’s deranged or violent, apparently he took out 8 officers before he was apprehended.”

“Well, how’d they end up arresting this guy?”

“That’s the weirdest part, they didn’t.”

“They didn’t?”

“Well- they did but only after he surrendered.”

“You mean to tell me that this guy had more than enough man-power to escape, and yet after he was done screwing around he just- gave himself up?”

“Exactly.”

“So you’re telling me to be on high alert because you guys don’t know this guy's deal?”

“Yep. Everybody here knows how strong you are. But- you know the guys and I care about you, don’t you?”

“Yea yea, more like you’re worried this guy might catch my eye.”

“I’m being serious Mora… He's code 10.”

Despite feeling her nerves begin to creep up, Mora attempts to keep her composure as she blows Timentes off.

“I’m sure he’s not-”

Before she can finish her sentence, she hears a sudden thud, making her jump in her seat as she looks back over at the man before her.

“You and I both know there are no other inmates that are code 10. Hell, there hasn’t been a code 10 in years!”

Mora crosses her arms in disgust as she turns her head away without an answer.

“Oh Gods- Mora, I’m so sorry I just- I’m just worried about you-”

“Leave.”

“W-What? Lo-look I know I screwed up but-”

“I said leave. Go before you piss me off.”

Without another word between the two, Timentes stands up, hearing the metal chair scrape against the dull concrete floor, quietly turning to open the door behind him, the metal eye-sore loudly scratches against the frame and floor as it screeches open, and soon after slams back into its frame.

Mora can feel the tears begin to trickle down her cheeks as she refuses to look forward again. The memories of her past begin to flood in slideshow form as she feels a panic attack start up.

‘Damnit- Keep it together Griseo!’

As she thinks this, she wipes away the few tears that escaped her lids.

In the little time Mora had in isolation, juxtaposed to every other day, she’s able to calm herself down as she regains her composure once more.

Before she has a moment to breathe, the signaling of five knocks at the door are heard through the metal barrier as she is quick to stand up and move back over to her chair. She coughs in an attempt to drown out the dejected tone in her throat that was previously gripping at her vocal chords.

“C-Come in.”

Hearing this, three men step into the muted turquoise walls of Mora’s ‘office space’.

Two are wearing the familiar dark uniform, while one appears to be restrained in a black straight jacket.

Outside of the workers uniforms, most of their gear and restraints are color coordinated based on the risk factor code. Usually Mora only ever saw the white, orange, even the occasional red, but the most heavy duty of all was always.

‘Black? Timentes really wasn’t kidding when he said this guy was code 10.’

Mora begins to feel on edge as she stares at the man who appeared…average. The man stood at 6ft as he was seated in his chair, umber bangs seemed to be askew but still were able to hide his eyes completely. Minus a blistering red scar on his neck, the man before Mora looked like any other law abiding citizen. Although, based on the look of it, the scar appeared to be fresh.

As the two officers restrained the man further into his chair, Mora props her foot on the top of the table between them, waiting for the sound of locks to cease in its continuous echo.

Once the officers were finished, Mora waved them away dismissively, speaking up once she heard one of the two grip at the handle.

“Stand by and guard the door for me? I’m sure this won’t take long.”

As Mora looks back, the men both nod as they exit the suffocating room, leaving her with her newest patient.

Grabbing the clipboard that was left by one of the officers, Mora glances over at her patients health information, zeroing in toward the bottom of the page that listed his allergies, blood type, and ability type.

“Allergic to: None. Blood Type: AB-, let’s hope you don’t lose too much blood then.”

As Mora reads the final section, she notices there are many unprofessional scribbles with many question marks behind the possibility of what this man’s ability type was.

“So tell me, since you have nothing better to do, what is your power categorized as?”

Mora looks back up toward her patient as she waits for a response. After a moment if awkward silence fills the room, she speaks up once more.

“Here, I’ll tell you mine if you tell me yours, okay?”

Without a verbal or physical sign of agreement, Mora quickly gives in, but not before she has a bit of fun with him.

“I’ll give you a hint, it’s the reason why I have no chance at another job. Why I’ll be stuck under these assholes' thumbs till the day I die. Why I always hate it when my patients don’t cooperate. It just makes my job so much harder. Think that gives you an idea?”

There’s another moment of silence as Mora flimsily flips through the other pages of paperwork she’ll have to fill out after the surgery.

“Here, I’ll give you one more hint, but if you don’t answer this time, we’ll, you’ll feel soon enough how painful I can really make it.”

Mora sighs as she continues on once more.

“Kids used to call me ‘mutant’ back in school. I was always looked down upon because nobody knew who or what I was- no, more like they didn’t know how to scare me because I knew what they were capable of, while they were afraid of what I was- what I am.”

Hearing this, the man before her finally reacts, slowly moving his head up, for the first time looking Mora dead in the eyes.

She would be lying if she didn’t say that his stare didn’t scare her. It felt like he was carving her up with just his eyes as his mouth began to stretch into what appeared to be a smirk.

“So we’re the same then?”

Mora was taken aback by his sudden answer, noticing his voice was hoarse as he spoke. It takes her a moment to sort through her thoughts as she walks over toward the door, knocking twice.

In a matter of moments the red blinking light on the camera pointed at the man cease, signaling that nobody was watching them now. Mora walks back over toward the table, moving closer toward the man as she drops the volume of her voice to a whisper.

“So you’re a mutant type? No wonder those guys couldn’t handle you back there. Dumbasses don’t even know how to hold a gun half the time, much less deal with people unlike themselves.”

The man turns his head eerily as he looks back at Mora, seeming to drop his guard for a moment. This causes Mora to relax as she responds once more.

“I’m sure those guys haven’t been treating you well, are you thirsty?”

Nodding, the man smacks his lips at the lack of hydration. Walking back over to her side of the table, Mora grabs her bottle of water that sat by the legs of her cold chair. Once she grabs the half filled bottle, she walks back over toward the man as he appears to be pleading with his eyes in hopes of quenching his thirst.

“Now, since you’re restrained, I’m going to have to pour it into your mouth. If you want me to do that, I’m going to need you to promise that you won’t bite my finger or something, alright?”

The man shakes his head in response, this time appearing more eager than when he was brought in as he watched Mora’s fingers twist the cap off, titling the bottle toward him as he begins to open his mouth.

“Just to make sure, you aren’t going to bite me if I give you a drink?”

Looking back at the man once more, he shakes his head just as eagerly, giving Mora the scariest idea of ‘puppy-dog eyes’ she might have ever wished she could have unseen.

“Okay, I’ll try to be slow but let me know if it’s too much.”

Mora then places the top of the bottle onto the man's lip, beginning to pour the water into his mouth.

Despite her beliefs and her attitude toward those she called her ‘patients’, she couldn’t help but feel sympathy for the bastard. Mora is a lot of terrible terrible things, but knew she wasn’t some sort of cold monster that found satisfaction in others' pain. Especially since they had one thing in common, getting fucked over by the world because of who they were. The least she could do was show empathy for someone who seemed to have it worse than herself.

Before long, the man gulps down the remaining water, releasing the top from his mouth as Mora cautiously moves it away from him. Mora speak quietly once more as she twists the lid back on to the plastic bottle.

“Good, thank you for not trying to hurt me. You’d have no idea how many of these inmates would leap at the chance to do just that. It’s- it’s fucked up. Now… Since I feel safe enough to trust you, I think I should tell you something about why you’re in here with me…”

Mora looks away from the man as she feels guilt in what she knew she had to do. In the past, all she did was touch the patient and take away their power as she tried to block out their strained shrieks that made her ears bleed.

Now, because she extended an olive branch to this stranger, it made everything moving forward begin to feel all the more gut-wrenching. Despite this nauseating feeling that began to crawl up her throat, she felt it would be best to tell him the process, doctor to patient.

“I have to remove your ability from your body.”

As Mora says this, she works up the strength to push away her feelings of guilt by staring the man in the eyes as she broke the news.

“It’s an excruciatingly painful process and there is a 20% chance you could die before the procedure is complete.”

Mora could feel her strength begin to evaporate before her very eyes as she felt the bile crawl up her throat once more.

“In the event that that happens, I will still continue to extract your power from your body as emergency services attempt to revive you.”

‘Gods, I’m gonna fucking puke.’

“A-And I know you don’t have any choice in this, but- I’ll try to make it as painless as possible, and hopefully you won’t die.”

As she spoke, Mora can feel the tears begin to form in her eyes as her vision begins to blur. Before now, she was able to block off the painful wails of her past patients, feeling some pass on as she was forced to continue on with the procedure, Gods- somehow she was able to sleep at night before now.

She never thought too much about her power until now, but somehow, Mora became the grim reaper, selling strangers' souls to the highest bidder. The more she thought about it, the more she began to feel disgusted in herself for not realizing this for years! Maybe it was for her own sanity, or it was so she wouldn’t become a lab rat, but for some damn reason, she couldn’t forgive herself for acting so selfishly.

“I’m so sorry.”

Mora was at a loss for words as she felt a few tears begin to cascade down her cheeks as she forced her gaze at the man.

The pair sat in silence for what felt like hours, Mora eventually dropping her head in shame for what she had done and would have to do. Before long, the man speaks up.

“It’s not your fault. I deserve this. So please, don’t cry.”

Her breath is caught in her throat as she looks back up at the man. There was no reason for him to talk to comfort her when he was the one about to suffer. It wasn’t fair, none of this was fair for either of them. Before Mora can speak up in retaliation, the man speaks up once more.

“Before you take it away, could you do one thing?”

Mora nods energetically as she wipes her cheeks with the back of her hand, wiping her eyes with her knuckle in an attempt to give him her full attention.

“Whatever happens to me, could you please tell my family that everything they’ll need is in the basement?”

“I-I can!”

“Good good. I’m ready.”

In utter shock, Mora takes a moment before she stands up from her chair, clenching her fists in anger as she trudges toward the man.

Before Mora has a chance to rethink her decision, she places her hand on the man’s shiny bald head, forcing the breath she held to release as she began the surgery. As she does this, Mora can see the man attempting to restrain his howls of agony in the indescribable torture he must be feeling.

“I’m so sorry!”

As Mora says this, the man looks up at her, exhaling his last words as the process is nearly complete.

“Bring back peace.”

Mora’s bottom lip begins to quiver in guilt as she nods in response, not understanding the weight of the man's words.

After the procedure, Mora left early, deciding to get a breath of fresh air as she put it. Taking long strides in the direction of her home, she began to think back on the man’s words.

‘The hell did he mean by “Bring back peace”? Was he some sort of hippy that got into trouble? If that were the case then why was he a code 10?’

Mora’s thoughts continued to consume her attention as she failed to notice the looming shadow that didn’t seem to be too far behind her as it continued to stalk its prey.

‘Maybe he was a scapegoat? They didn’t really give me much information on his charges so he could have been some sort of cult leader for all we know. That- there was no way that could be it… So then, why-’

Suddenly, Mora was pulled from her thoughts as she felt a tug by her side. Before she had a chance to figure out what was happening, she felt her body being pulled away from the desolate streets and into a damp alleyway- pushed against what felt like a dirty brick wall as she felt a bit of her shirt tear.

In a mere few seconds, Mora went from walking home to suddenly being trapped in an alleyway between a brick wall and from what she could tell was a pistol as all she could see was the underside of the gun that was held against her forehead.

“Listen here bitch. If you so much as yell, I’m putting this entire magazine in your skull, ya got that?”

Without seeing another way out of this endeavor, Mora nodded as she looked toward the perpetrator, only able to recognize a scar that started at his top lip, continuing diagonally across, and ending a few centimeters away from his bottom lip. The assailant continued speaking as she felt her heart beating a mile a minute.

“Nobody has to get hurt, just reach into your purse there and give me all your money and I’ll be on my way, alright?”

Mora nods once more as she feels the metal cylinder against her temple shift in its position on her. Between this and the brick wall behind her, she’d never felt more suffocated now than all those years she spent in that stupid cell she currently wished she never left in the first place.

As she agrees to this, she slowly moves her purse straps from their comfy place on her shoulder, now sitting in her hands as she shakily reaches in to pull out her wallet.

‘Where the fuck is it?! Of all times, NOW I had to stuff it away somewhere else!? I’m so fucking dead…’

With weighted breath, she begins to speak as she continues to scrummage through her messy bag.

“I-I- heh, you’re not gonna believe this. I- uh, I can’t find my wallet.”

“You tryna fucking pull a fast one on me lady?!”

“N-No I swear I’m not, I-I think I left it at work.”

“Bullshit. If you don’t get your money out in three fucking seconds, there’s gonna be a bullet between your eyes.”

Mora began to panic as she knew exactly where she left her wallet in the locker room that morning.

The assailant began to count down, each second seeming to further paralyze the woman in fear as she couldn’t see any other way to escape her fate.

‘Is there really no way out of this? Is this where I die? Goddamnit-’

“One.”

Mora hears a shot fired from the man's gun, the ringing in her ears proving his threats were legitimate but- something was off.

As she looked up toward the gun, she could see the smoke from the firing at the front of the cylinder dissipate, but Mora didn’t feel...anything. No pain, no blood trickling down her face, nothing! She wasn’t sure what had happened but as she shakily reached up to feel the point of impact, she was met with a cool metal feeling. The thief standing before her stumbled back as he saw the chamber appeared to have exploded rather than fire off at its intended target.

“W-What the- D-Don’t think you’re off the hook just because you have a freeze type bitch! I-I’ll fucking kill you myself!”

Confused by his statement, Mora sat there stunned as she knew that this definitely wasn’t her ability at work. Suddenly, the man begins to charge at her, wrapping his hands around her neck in hopes of choking her.

Feeling her airway begin to close off, Mora instinctively reached her hand out toward the man, gripping at his arm as she attempted to remove the man’s ability in hopes of injuring him. Mora did injure him alright, just not the way she was attempting to do so as she looked to her hand and noticed it began to burn and glow a bright orange hue. In the blink of an eye, the man before her was suddenly engulfed in flames as he released her throat.

“YOU FUCKING PSYCHO!!! AHHHHG-!”

As the man frantically began to run around in circles, Mora lost strength in her legs as she slid down the brick wall, watching in both fear and amazement at what she had done. Looking down, she sat on the ground, pulling her hand toward her face as she noticed the orange hue continue to glow.

Suddenly, from the corner of her eye she saw the assailant fall to the ground, not attempting to extinguish the fire as his body laid there lifelessly. As she sees this, she notices the fire begins to burn out itself. Looking back at her hand, she notices the glow start to fade, nervously clenching it into a fist as she trembles in...excitement?

As Mora began to think that she’s lost her mind, another thought began to linger in the back of her mind.

‘I think I’ll keep this one for myself...’

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tl-notes · 3 years

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Kobayashi’s Maid Dragon S2 Episode 5 Notes

Better late than never! Hopefully I’ll catch up with these before next week’s episode hits.

私は、種族全体の目的よりも自分がやりたいことをやっているエルマに、興味がありました。

当時の私、そんな感じでしたし。

What Tohru is saying in these shots is a little different in the Japanese:

“I had an interest in Elma, who was doing what she wanted to do instead of advancing the goals of the species [her faction]. Since that’s how I was at the time, too.”

That is, for the first sentence, Tohru is saying Elma wasn’t interested in the broader dragon goals, not Tohru herself.

Then in the second sentence, instead of a wishy washy “I think that’s how it was?” Tohru says that she was like that too, hence her interest.

So it goes from like:

“I was interested more in Elma than in faction goals, because she was acting freely. I think, anyway.”

to more of a:

“I was interested in Elma because she was acting freely, not bound by faction goals. That’s what I was like too, after all.”

Not sure if it really counts as a translation note, but since I had some questions about it, here’s a few words on the Tohru/Elma disagreement scene.

Tohru thought Elma was like herself: acting not according to what dragon (or human) society asked of them, but according to their own personal set of values. Elma, by allowing herself to be placed in the position of “god” by the humans, had changed that; she locked herself into permanently being a (large, important) cog in the human society. From Tohru’s perspective, she’d lost the one person she felt kindred with, her fellow “free actor.” She doesn’t particularly care what happens to the humans, hence the 私が言いたいことはそういう話ではない (“That’s not what I’m trying to talk about”) when Elma says she’ll just stop the wars from happening: that’s all well and good, but it doesn’t solve Tohru’s issue.

Hence Kobayashi’s response: both grand (involved the fate of nations), and petty (Elma got “trapped” by food, and Tohru’s initiation of the fight was for personal reasons).

喧嘩するほど仲がいい kenka suru hodo, naka ga ii

This is one of those sayings that is often a giant pain in the butt to translate, because it’s not an odd concept in English, but for whatever reason* there is no common pithy saying for it like there is in Japanese, so it’ll almost come off less smoothly.

The idea is that, in order to “have a fight” with someone, you have to already have an established relationship that’s at a certain level of closeness.

Two strangers? Why would you even have a reason to fight, who cares. Two acquaintances? Why deal with it, just smile and nod and go on with your day. Two close friends though? You probably care enough to want to convince them of whatever it is, and/or you don’t want to have to hide your real thoughts/feelings around them like you might around, say, just random coworkers or something—meaning more chances for friction.

*My theory on this is that it comes from the same place as the “wow Japanese people are so polite” stereotype and stuff like honne/tatemae as discussed in a previous episode’s notes: in a situation where two strangers/acquaintances might get into a shouting match in the US, in Japan there’s a comparatively higher chance they just tatemae it up to prevent direct conflict and end the situation early—hence less likely to “have a fight” per se. As always this stuff is just on a continuum though.

What do you call these “clouds” left by planes as they fly? In Japanese, they’re called 飛行機雲 hikoukigumo, lit. “airplane clouds.” And they’re not a season word!

Officially, anyway.

However, they are heavily associated with summer, to the point where you if you google around to find out if they are a haiku season word, there are a whole bunch of sites to tell you no, they’re not, stop asking. That doesn’t mean they’re not a great way to tell the audience it’s summer anyway, though!

If you’re curious as to why the summer association: how long vapor trails like this remain visible depends heavily on how humid the air is. More humidity, longer trails. And Japan has very humid summers (and very dry winters!).

If you’ve heard the song Tori no Uta, the OP to Air (also animated by Kyoani), hikoukigumo is the very second word in the lyrics—no coincidence given the heavy summer theming! If you haven’t heard it, I suggest giving it a try.

“Candy shop” here is 駄菓子屋 dagashi-ya, which is a kind of store that specializes in very cheap varieties of “candy” (maybe more accurately snack foods?): dagashi. If you’re seen/read any of the series Dagashi Kashi, you’re familiar with this variety of snack.

Dagashi is so called because, back in the Edo period, quality white sugar was super expensive and not something commoners could typically eat. Cheaper brown sugar was, though, so you ended up with different terms for stuff made from each: the expensive 上菓子 jougashi and the cheap 駄菓子 dagashi.

Later, in the Showa period after WW2 when the average person was able to afford a bit more, the term stuck around but more generalized, referring to a wide variety of cheap snacks. These snacks are not necessarily always sugary, and they often have some sort of gimmick so it wasn’t “just” a piece of candy—toys attached, or games/puzzles, or requiring some interesting way to eat/drink them. If you grew up with Dunkaroos: that kinda thing.

Similar to “penny candy,” dagashi was/is cheap enough for children to afford several different varieties of with just a bit of change from their parents, and small stores specializing in them—dagashi-ya—sprung up all over the country, quickly becoming a popular spot for kids… and, not too long after, a symbol of childhood nostalgia.

They’ve been on a big downtrend in the last few decades however. The spread of convenience stores as a competitor for snack buying is often cited as one reason, while a greater variety of ways for kids to spend their playtime now (video games etc.) is another.

You’re probably aware, but of the many reasons to bow in Japan, to show humility when making a request is a big one.

Of note here is that Tohru doesn’t push Ilulu’s head down, which other characters in other shows might have done here, but just lightly reminds her: yeah okay you’re a dragon talking to a human, but you’re the one asking—act like it. She does, and her sincerity is rewarded.

The word here is ぱねぇ panee, which is a heavily abbreviated form of 半端(では/じゃ)ない hanpa nai, ~lit. “not halfway/half-done/half-assed.”

hanpa ja nai→hanpa nai→hanpa nee→panee

It’s used probably how you’d expect: describing something intense af.

(I’m mostly just bringing it up because I love super-shortened slang like this!)

The phrase for “like” here is 気に入った ki ni itta, which is basically to have an interest in something/someone, to take a liking to, to say something is a favorite, etc. When said of another person, there’s typically an air of the speaker considering themselves in a higher position. It generally isn’t “like” in a romantic sense.

Take’s “hey that’s my line,” comes from the fact he’s (in his mind) in the position of power and was judging her on whether he’d try to kick her out of the job. You can tell he was thinking of it as “I like the cut of your jib. I guess you can stay.” kind of thing.

Normally a new employee would not say this about their new boss/job, even if they did like it, though a boss/senpai could of a new employee, hence the “what?”

Notably, Ilulu used “like” earlier in the episode to refer to Tohru as well. In that case it was 好き suki, which is a more literal “like,” with the various implications that may or may not have. Personally, it strikes me as a little odd to translate them both as “like” in the same episode.

And that’s it for episode five! I’m

#maidragon #Miss Kobayashi's Dragon Maid #kobayashi-san chi no maid dragon #translation notes #anime

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silverlake-archive · 4 years

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It’s...party time!

Saturday has finally rolled around here in Silver Lake ladies and gentlefolk, and we are ready to kick off our Back To The 90s party! Prepare for a day and night of games, dancing, and partying until the early hours!

OOC: Please read the event descriptions below, as we have quite a lot going on with this event, both IC and OOC! There will be a few separate posts coming in regards to costume competition details and other things, so keep a lookout for those too!

Don’t forget to tag your event starters with #sl90s and send them to @slchat through IM as always to make sure we catch them! We’ll tag them as event starters on the starter blog, and will be taking them down once the event is over.

THIS WEEK’S BREAKDOWN OF EVENTS

FRIDAY 19th: 90s MEME HOUR

SATURDAY 20th: ***IC DISCORD CHAT EVENT***

Though we still do not have an official Discord server, this will be a onetime, IC chat event where characters can party it up in quick chat mode in both Five By Night and Los Globos and! The chat will start at 2 PM PST // 5 PM EST // 10 PM GMT so set your alarms! If you would like to participate, just add bernard black#9974 before the event starts and we will add you to the server.

MONDAY 22nd: SURPRISE PLOT DROP!

WHEEL OF FORTUNE DROPS

Feeling lucky? Put it to the test when we bring out the big Wheel of Fortune! Spin the wheel if you dare and receive a prize or plot drop for your character specifically. More details to come in another post, but go grab your lucky socks and get ready. But be warned, some outcomes may not be pleasant!

ALL WEEK LONG: EVENT STARTERS, WHEEL OF FORTUNE DROPS, COSTUME VOTING, ETC.

FRIDAY 26th:

The event officially ends. This will be the last chance to submit your votes for who your characters think should win the costume competition, after which time the votes will be tallied and the winners and runners up of the costume competition will be announced!

We start off our festivities at Five By Night! Here is all that will take place, listed below:

Five By Night Main Bar Start off your evening by grabbing a tropical cocktail or beer at our main bar! The TV screens around our bar will be showing episodes of The Fresh Prince, Friends, Sex and the City, and even Twin Peaks!

If you get peckish, we have an entire array of nostalgic treats including Sno cones, Squeezits, Dunkaroos, some good old American Pie, and even an Easy Bake Oven DIY station! And not to mention the staple of any 90s party: pizza, pizza, and more pizza.

Board Game Mania In this room, we've got all the classics: Girl Talk, Operation, Mall Madness, Fraidy Cats, and even Do the Urkel! Come see if you’ve still got it with all the great board games you used to play.

Spin the Bottle x Seven Minutes in Heaven This one’s for those of you for whom the 90s was less childhood nostalgia and more sweet teen memories! Come join us for a good ol’ game of spin the bottle, complete with dares, shots to drink, and seven minutes in heaven for some special lucky someones! Ooh la la!

Movie Room If you want to get away from it all for a brief respite, you can come chill in our beanbag-strewn movie room, where we will be screening all your favorite 90s films, from Pretty Woman to Jurassic Park!

Video Games on the Upper Deck Thanks to a collaboration with Ready Player One, we’ve got consoles on our upper floor patio if you want to play Mario Bros, Zelda, Street Fighter, and more!

Arts ‘n’ Crafts on the Upper Deck Miss the time when you used to make arts and crafts in class, or just miss the feeling of being the chaotic kid who’d cover their hands in Elmer’s glue just to peel them off? Join us at the arts and crafts table where we’ll recreate all your favourite crafts, such as spaghetti necklaces, friendship bracelets, beaded lizard keychains, shirt bedazzling, and not to mention, all the scented markers you can sniff.

Annie Are You Ok, Karaoke Our famed karaoke rooms will be open all day and all night for anyone wanting to bust out a ballad, belter, or beloved 90s rap song! Think you can rap like MC Hammer? Belt a little Celine Dion? Take on a group Spice Girls rendition? It’s all happening here!

*FYI, if clubbing is not the scene for you, Five By Night will be keeping its doors open late into the night, until 3AM!

As soon as 10 PM rolls around, just two blocks down from Five By Night, Los Globos opens its doors and our guests will come pouring into the two-floored nightclub. We will have an array of deejays spinning the decks this night, including DJ Jude Nolan (a.k.a. DJ Rude Nolan) and DJ Ione Cora!

Expect your favorite 90s acts including but certainly not limited to: Mariah Carey, Prince, Madonna, Whitney Houston, Salt-N-Pepa, *NSYNC, The Spin Doctors, Lou Bega, MC Hammer, TLC , Bell Biv DeVoe, Spice Girls, Ace of Base, Michael Jackson, Underworld, Backstreet Boys, Alanis Morisette, Wu-Tang Clan, Tim Dog, Haddaway, Milli Vanilli, Cypress Hill, Marky Mark and the Funky Bunch, Marilyn Manson, Nirvana, Hole, Beck, Faithless, Blur, Vengaboys, Nine Inch Nails, The Prodigy, Aqua, En Vogue, Soundgarden, Vanilla Ice, Will Smith, and more!

We will be serving drinks specials on Gin and Juice, Samantha’s Cosmos, and the Jurassic Park canister special: 10 glowing test tube shots for only $10.99!

#sl90s #silverlakeevent3 #silverlakeevent

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seat-safety-switch · 5 years

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Did you know you can just open a daycare? And nobody really checks any of your claimed credentials before dropping their kid off with you? And they’ll give you money for this? I sure didn’t, but now I have an enormous army of under-ten-year-olds who will sometimes perform labour on my behalf, but more importantly, can distract the workers at the junkyard while I chuck axles over the fence to my waiting car. Plus, now I finally have an excuse to buy that short bus.

On the second week of my daycare operation, I’d already harvested all the parts I needed to fix up my ice-racing Volare from the last season of brutal door-to-door low-buck, lower-speed competition. It took a little while until I hit upon using a whole pile of them to move heavy parts at once - like ants - but eventually we had the makings of a well-oiled machine on our hands. Well, unless you count the kids that got tetanus because their parents only vaccinated them with microwaved olive oil and YouTube likes, but they weren’t going to amount to anything anyway. The way I see it, I probably saved the world from at least one MBA.

That’s when the cops came around. Now, I’m used to having the regular cops - the ones who look in my backyard, check a few serial numbers, make sure that my parole officer can still be heard from and isn’t just a friend pretending to be him with a cold through a closed bathroom door like last time - come around, but these guys were a whole different breed. Competent, I think was the word the prosecutors used. Turns out that according to provincial law, a daycare has to provide “educational enrichment,” “adult supervision,” and snacks. No matter how you sliced whether or not learning how to count teeth on a diff could be considered educational, I definitely wasn’t feeding these little shits. That’d cut into my profit margin. Be that as it may, they told me to shape up and start handing out Dunkaroos and Lunchables, or they’d be back, and take with them my triumphant little snot-nosed warriors.

Once again, I was saved by the junkyard taco truck. It turns out that there are all these little bits of tortilla that get torn off, and they would otherwise have to throw them out. We were able to load these kids up every day with delicious offal, pan scrapings and lots of gently-expired cheddar cheese for less than a buck a shot, courtesy of my new friend George, who ran the taco stand and correctly guessed that one of my spoiled suburbanite kids must be taking an after-school class to learn Spanish. Now that’s a businessman.

#plymouth #plymouth volare

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crowsvalentine · 6 years

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Crows as things my siblings have said in the last week

Matthias: “I’m a cup, cups get to be in the cabinet and hide from all the bullshit in this house”

Jesper: “Nothing wrong with a little colour and some loud ass sex”

Nina: “You’re hot so you can come with me”

Wylan: *deep breath* “I was born to be better than this” *takes shot*

Inej: “mom said I had to be nice to you but you’re strong enough to take it, you look ugly, go get a hair cut”

Kaz: “where the fuck are my dunkaroos, which one of you fuckers found them?”

#i write for soc #six of crows #crooked kingdom #kaz brekker #inej ghafa #jesper fahey #wylan van eck #matthias helvar #nina zenik #i was told to post this #i wasnt gonna but like whatever #i should do one of these every week #maybe one with just my mom

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themutantunderground · 6 years

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Let Your Heart Be Light Ch. 11

John is home on leave from the Marines and Clarice is home on winter break from grad school. While they used to date in high school, Clarice and John haven't been together in a long time... But it's Christmas time, and it seems like everything and everyone in their small, holiday-obsessed hometown is trying to get them back together. Modern Thunderblink AU!

Ao3 | FF.net

About an hour later, all three Christmas trees had been cut down, wrapped up, and packed into the back of John's truck. Nothing had been broken, no one had been cut in half, no blood had been spilled, and John hadn't lost his safety deposit, so Clarice was going to chalk it up as a nice and undramatic success.

To finish it all off, the front office was passing out rounds of free hot chocolate and a folk band had started playing at the front entrance. People were going off on horse-drawn wagon rides through the Christmas tree farm while others were dancing on the hard-packed earth near the front office's porch, where the band was playing. Norah and Riley were dancing around together, twirling and pretending to square dance with a few other kids. It was nice to see her normally reserved little sister having a good time.

Clarice took a sip on her hot chocolate and sucked in a breath of cold air through her teeth. This was nice. The past year had been filled with online grad school classes and traveling, and it was relaxing to just take a break and exist without documenting everything. For the first time since she had started her blog, she was taking a break, though she was still keeping up with the Instagram side of it.

Whipping out her phone, she opened Instagram and started a video. "Still not snowing!" she complained, turning the phone around and showing off the snowless sky. John appeared on camera for a moment then blinked and moved away. Clarice laughed. "Camera shy?"

"I didn't want to get in your way," he said, ducking his head.

"You're fine," she said and then pursed her lips. Well…he was fine. The Marines had definitely had a positive effect on his already impressive muscles. Distracted, she uploaded the video and stashed her phone back in her coat pocket.

Riley darted away from Norah and pounced on James, who happened to be sitting on the steps of the front office with his friends. She wrapped her arms around his knees, her dark eyes shining. "Dance with me!"

"Go ask John," James said, ruffling her hair and then gently pushing her forehead back. "I don't dance."

"Please…" She grabbed his jacket sleeve and tugged on his arm. "Just for a minute?"

James rolled his eyes. "You're such a brat." But he grinned and stood up swiftly, taking her by both hands and swinging her back out to the dance floor. For all his teasing, he really did love that kid. Whether she knew it or not, Riley had both Proudstar men wrapped around her pinky.

"He's a good brother," Clarice said, sipping at her hot chocolate.

John smiled and nodded, obviously proud of James. "He's all right. Guess we'll keep him."

Clarice smirked. The mere idea of John abandoning James was hilarious. He couldn't abandon anyone or anything, Once, when they had been in middle school, their class had adopted a guinea pig but John had been the one to take it home and keep it until it died of old age.

"What was that guinea pig's name?" she asked, rolling her gaze toward Marcos.

"What?" He raised an eyebrow.

"I'm supposed to be the one with pregnancy brain," Lorna said, "What're you talking about?"

"No, I just—that guinea pig from 7th grade."

"Scooter," John supplied, not looking away from his siblings.

"No, it was Lord Scooter McDuffinShorts," Marcos added, "But you hated his full name so it became just Scooter."

"Scooter was a girl," John said, "And anyone would hate that name."

"I voted for it," Marcos protested, "And so did Clarice."

"How the hell do you even remember that?" Clarice asked, turning to stare at Marcos.

He shrugged. "7th grade was a blur, but I remember arguing about that at the lunch table. I think I traded you some Dunkaroos and you voted for it."

Clarice laughed. "Oh. Yeah, that was a good trade."

"I remember the guinea pig now," Lorna said, "Or I remember it being at John's house. Didn't it freak out any time you gave it carrots?"

"She loved carrots," John said. He drained the rest of his hot chocolate and sat down next to Clarice, which instantly made her feel warmer. He blocked the wind and his thigh brushed against hers, and when he shot her a small smile, her cheeks grew hot. "You always brought her extras."

"Yeah, well, she made cute noises," Clarice said.

"Mm."

Something small and white swirled in front of her face, and she looked up. Snowflakes were beginning to drift down, finally breaking through the clouds.

"And that's our cue," Marcos said, shoving his hands against the top of the picnic table and standing up. "The car won't make it through snow."

John nodded. "Riley, James, time to go."

"Norah, come get your gloves," Clarice said, standing up as well. She held out the gloves as Norah left the makeshift dance floor and hurried over to her.

"Are we leaving?" she asked.

"Yeah, we need to go before it gets too snowy," Clarice said, pulling Norah's hat out of her pocket. She plopped it down on Norah's head. "Otherwise Marcos and Lorna will get stranded."

"And Marcos getting stranded is bad why?" James said as he walked up to them, Riley captured under one of his arms. The rest of the teenagers peeled away from the stairs and wandered over as well, tossing their cups into the trash on the way.

"Because I'd take your place in the Jeep and you could keep Marcos company," Lorna said, crossing her arms. "And we all know that'd end well."

"Can you have a Hunger Games with only two people?" Bobby asked, grinning, "And who gets to be Katniss?"

"That escalated quickly," Alison said, "And James is more of the Gale type. Marcos would be Peeta."

"Hey, now," Marcos said, shooting her a frown.

James set Riley down on the bench of the picket table and absently pulled her hat further down over her ears. She stretched out a hand, trying to catch a snowflake, and then jumped onto John's back, looping her arms around his neck.

Unfazed, he adjusted so he was supporting her legs. "Everyone ready?"

After a half-hearted chorus of yeah's, they headed off for the parking lot. Other people were starting to leave as well, hoping to get ahead of the snow. Clarice pulled out her phone and looked up the weather while they walked. What had been predicted to be a small snow shower had become more serious since they had left Westchester. It looked as if it was going to snow harder and longer than the weather people had first thought.

"Hey, look at this," she said, holding the phone out to John. Riley took the phone and held it down so John could see the screen.

"That's not great," he mumbled.

Riley pulled the phone up and studied the screen. "What's wrong with it?"

"Nothing," Clarice said, reaching for the phone.

Riley relinquished it with a frown. She gently knocked her gloved knuckles against John's shoulder. "Why isn't it great?"

"It's just going to be more snow than we thought," John said, "Don't worry about it."

It said something about Riley's trust in John that her frown melted almost immediately. Apparently if John said it would be okay, it would be.

Clarice just hoped he was right.

#thunderblink #eclaris #john proudstar #clarice fong #marcos diaz #lorna dane #james proudstar #alison blaire

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bpdjennamaroney · 7 years

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I still can’t believe I had a weekend that good. If I could replicate any part of my life, it would be the weekend in Montreal and Vermont.

I mean, there was a bit of friend drama, since the only one of us who can’t be described as “too much” is Dwayne, Caroline and Quinn clashed a bit but I won’t really get into that.

But other than that it was amazing. The first day in Montreal we got there at like 3am and Quinn wanted to go to La Banquise for poutine but the line was SO LONG and we all (except Quinn) agreed to go back to the hotel, but then Quinn went back out to get poutine, even though the rest of us wanted to sleep. He brought back way too much poutine and we had to store it in the minifridge, which freezed it.

We went to Atwater Market first thing in the morning, before most of the shops were even open, and since none of us got a full night’s sleep (I wake up early and Quinn accidentally-on purpose woke the others up) we were tired and we wanted to go back to the hotel immediately after but we decided to go to Jean Talon because Quinn is obsessed with unpasteurized brie and Provigo because it was near Jean Talon and I wanted to smuggle Dunkaroos back into the state like the saddest 90’s kid that I am. I also like going to grocery stores in foreign countries because it demystifies the country and makes me feel less like a tourist--like, it becomes a place where people live, not just one I’m visiting.

ANyway Quinn was on a hunt for...Mucinex? But the pharmacies weren’t open, and Caroline and I were carefully curating a list of Always Sunny episodes for Dwayne. Like, going through them individually and holding a caucus for each of them. At Provigo Quinn continued his quest to find Mucinex, and he talked to the pharmacist in French for quite a while until they found something that’s Mucinex-esque. Everyone is very charmed when Quinn speaks French.

After that we *did* go back to the hotel and took naps. After naps we tried to decide where to go for lunch, and it was between Schwartz’s, where Quinn and Dwayne and I had gone last time, and Main’s, which is Schwartz’s rival where Justin Trudeau eats, but we decided to go somewhere closer instead. I forgot the name of it but everyone enjoyed it and it was less salty than Schwartz’s and had better seating.

Then we headed to Mount Royale. We made it, like, half to three quarters of the way up but it was more of a schlep than we expected (Caroline was game to walk the whole way up) and my shoes were, like, cheap sandals that were about a size too big and falling apart so Quinn suggested we rent a smart car to take us the rest of the way. It was a two-seater. We piled in. We defied the laws of physics, and also probably laws of legality, but we got to the top of the mountain. It was fucking idyllic. Could it have been that much prettier than Central Park?I think so!

Then we went all the way to the top of the lookout to see the amazing skyline. It was so cute, Canada also has buildings. How quaint. It was an amazing view though, but there were swarms of, like, mist bugs or something? What the hell were those? And then we saw a bunny in a harness! It was amazing! There was a BUNNY in a HARNESS like a dog! Someone was legit afraid of the bunny and jolted upright and ran away from it.

I don’t remember what we did afrr that, but then we went back to the hotel again to drink and watch TV. Quinn went out to do some errands. Dwayne was already a couple of shots in when they channel flipped to The Fast and the Furious, and Caroline and Dwayne we really into it. Caroline had never seen any of them before so she was excited by how bad it was, and I thought she was drunk, too, she was so excited, and Dwayne started taking shots every time they said “family” so he finished half a bottle of vodka, and then I learned that Caroline wasn’t drunk! At all! She didn’t have a single drink! And I’d been feeling bad that both of my friends were having a great drunkl time but I wasn’t feeling alcohol that night, so I was just bummed out and sober, but it turns out you can be enthusiastic and have fun without alcohol. I didn’t know.

Quinn got back and he really wanted to go to Au Pied de Cochon and Dwayne and Caroline wanted to stay in and order room service and I wanted to go but it was also late but Quinn really wanted to go so I was like, OK, I’ll go with you. I thought was a fancy French place so when Dwayne, who was 3/4 of a bottle of vodka in, decided to come with us I was like er....But Quinn was like “Nah, it’s not fancy, let’s go,” and I’m like...I generally don’t believe what Quinn says but fine.

He was right this time, it was unpretentious, and basically the waitstaff looked like the ensemble to a Broadway show, the busboys were cute twinks and the waiters had great hair. Our waiter was also charmed when Quinn started speaking French. We just let Quinn order: the special of the day which was an entire stuffed chicken with asparagus, enough for all of us and leftovers, and it was so fucking good. Quinn was worried about taking stuff (like meat) over the border but he made an exception for that.

At that point it was after midnight, so that was the end of our first day in Montreal. Vacations run on weird times where you’re napping a lot, but also doing a lot of stuff because you’re not actually getting significant sleep.

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whychlorophyll-blog · 7 years

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Thrive Global's Top 5 New Snack Picks for 2017

Following is a great article from Thrive Global - Happy Mindful Snacking:

American supermarkets are saturated with choices. If you are anything like me, you read food labels to understand the quality of ingredients because you know that what you eat makes a difference in how you feel and how you perform. I am a big proponent of eating clean, whole foods and cooking as often as I can. But it is hard in our modern day society to escape the luxury and convenience of prepackaged snacks. Instead of feeling guilty about what you fuel your body with; I present to you my favorite Top 5 new, healthy snacks on the market. I taste tested my way through Expo West Natural Products Show 2017 and discovered five different snacks that are delicious, nutritious, satisfying and unique. In no particular order, I present my Top 5 snacks that I can enjoy mindfully! (*Disclaimer, I did not receive any compensation from these brands).

1. Grandy Oats Grain-Free Coconola Coconut Granola

Grandy Oats grain-free granola is my new favorite granola on the market. Personally, I like my granola to be full of taste, texture and clean ingredients. That is exactly what Grandy Oats new grain-free Coconola Coconut Granola delivers. Instead of taking the classic oat-based granola approach, Grandy Oats switches up a breakfast classic and uses unsweetened coconut as the base, making the granola full of delicious clusters with the perfect texture and taste. When granola is full of clusters, it is not only a great addition to acai bowls and yogurt parfaits but also a great snack to pack whenever hunger attacks! Also a great homemade trail mix addition. The kicker: this granola is light on the sugar, so I can feel good about fueling myself and loved ones.

2. Health Warrior Pumpkin Seed bars

I have always been a big fan of Health Warrior and their Chia Seed bars, and now they launched a sister bar that has a lot more spice and a full flavor profile. Meet their new super-food bar: Pumpkin Seed. My favorite flavor is the Honey Cracked Pepper with Turmeric. This bar is the perfect mixture of sweet and spicy that makes it a great savory snack that people with a sweet-tooth will enjoy. Made will only super clean ingredients, you can feel good about grabbing this bar and taking it on the go for an afternoon pick me up or post-workout snack.

3. VerDay Cucumber Chlorophyll water

I’m usually not a big fan of flavored water nor was I obsessed with the coconut water craze, but Verday Chlorophyll water is something different. The cucumber essence was my favorite flavor, which was crisp, refreshing and hydrating like no other flavored water I have tried before. Each bottle of Verday has the same chlorophyll as 2 shots of wheat grass, 4 cups of spinach, and 12 cups of arugula. You know you’re getting your greens in. What are the benefits of chlorophyll? Chlorophyll is anti-inflammatory, boosts the immune system, promotes healthy skin, and is full of antioxidants. This drink has no added sugar, and it is infused only with organic lemon juice and natural cucumber flavoring. This makes this drink the perfect pre or post workout addition in order to keep you feeling hydrated, satisfied and alert.

4. Justin’s Classic Peanut Butter + Banana Chips

Justin’s! Who doesn’t know and already love at least one of Justin’s products? Whither it is the grab-and-go pouch of almond butter or their delicious peanut butter cups, they never disappoint with their natural, nut-based products. Justin’s has done it again with their new fun snack pack on the market. It is a healthy spin on the old-school Dunkaroos. My favorite variety was the banana chips paired with a tablespoon of peanut butter to create the perfect portable snack. In every scoop you get a dose of protein with a satisfying crunchy banana chip that leaves your taste buds, belly and hands snack-happy. It is also a great way to practice portion control because once the pack is complete, you will be too.

5. Vegan Rob’s Brussel Sprout Puffs

Pirate’s Booty and Cheese puffs have nothing on the new modern and cleaner, gluten-free and vegan snack: Vegan Rob’s Puffs. My favorite flavors are the Brussel Sprout Puffs made with ingredients you can actually pronounce and that leave you stomachache free. These puffs are made from whole grain sorghum flour, rice bran and infused with Brussel sprout powder and nutritional yeast to satisfy the perfect pho-cheese craving. Vegan Rob’s are a great snack choice for adults and children alike. There is the perfect amount of crunch that satisfies while supporting mindful munching.

Try these new products out for yourself and let me know what you think! I know I am inspired by these top picks because they use minimal additives and ingredients without loosing out on taste. Eating healthy packaged foods doesn’t have to taste like cardboard. It can be nutritious, delicious and playful! Now when I forget to pack a snack from home, I can be excited to have fun and healthier options in the supermarket. It is also enjoyable to add some variety into my typical rotation of a mixed nut jar or apple with peanut butter snack options. Making mindful food choices helps me prioritize my wellbeing while I am on the go so that I stay fueled and focused and have energy for the things I care about.

#VerdayChlorophyllWater #Verday #Chlorophyll #Healthy #Beauty

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that-darn-ink · 7 years

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idk which questions to do so i’ll just pick a set

Tagged yet again

Tagged by @midnightclubx

~~~~ Rules ~~~~

1) Always post the rules

2)Answer the question given to you by the person who tagged you

3) Write your own question

4) Tag 11 people

~~~ Questions~~~

1) What’s your favorite gen in Pokemon?

5. Love the story, especially in B/W2

2) Do you have a music playlist for one of your ships? If so, name a few songs from it.

Uhh... the only thing I can think of, is Bad Romance for CT/Lasciel

3) What’s the furthest you’ve ever traveled?

idk probably New York?

4) What food/drink from the 90′s do you wish would come back?

Well we’ve already got French Toast Crunch, so idk. Maybe Dunkaroos?

5) Do you like something now that you used to despise a long time ago?

Honestly, yeah. A lot of things. I’ve changed so much over the years and become much more open-minded, so it’s hard to pinpoint any one thing.

6) When you go to 7-Eleven, what Slurpee flavor(s) do you get?

We don’t have 7-Elevens here. =(

7) What makes you #Triggered?

money #poorpeopleproblems

8) What’s the greatest evil in our modern society, and why?

Again, money. Everything revolves around it. Our government, who gets better jobs; hell, if you aren’t rich, you probably can’t even afford to stay alive if you dare to get sick or hurt.

9) Name a store you would bring back from the dead if you could.

Blockbuster!

10) Would you rather have money, or fame?

Money. All I want is to be able to pay my bills and care for my pets, without worrying.

11) “They’re eating her! And then they’re going to eat Me!…”

Good. It’ll be a mercy killing.

~~~~~ I tag ~~~

@drunkcyclonus @kelverse @junoro @slash-the-adventurer @sylkaen

@jabbage @darknessdoubled @xxtoxiccandyxx @bubbie-no @cievar777 @kagorizero

My question:

1) If you shot an orange portal into a box and then threw it into a blue portal, what would happen? 2) What movies have you re-watched the most number of times? 3) What would you do if you couldn't use the internet or watch TV for a month? 4) If you had to swap lives with a character, who would you choose? 5) If you could time travel, what would you do? 6) If you had to eat just one thing for the rest of your life, what would you choose?

7) If you had to change your name, what would you choose?

8) Would you rather be the smartest moron or dumbest genius?

9) What is the best thing that happened to you this week? . 10) Do you swear often? 11) Do these teeth make my gums look fat?

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theconservativebrief · 6 years

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On paper, raisins seem like they’d be exactly the sort of thing nostalgia-obsessed millennials might be into — curled up on the couches of their rental apartments, watching ’90s TV reboots, absently popping raisins out of tiny red boxes into their 22- to 37-year-old mouths.

They were, after all, a common snack of childhood, the eponymous ants of Ants on a Log, the chicken nuggets of dried fruit. Millennials are a notoriously backward-looking generation, with their Polaroids and their affection for defunct cookies and technicolored unicorns — shouldn’t raisins tap into the same nostalgia for our neon, latchkey, Dunkaroo-inflected childhoods?

Certainly, that is what Sun-Maid seems to be hoping. Last year, iconic raisin brand Sun-Maid hired a new president and CEO, Harry Overly, whose job, as the Fresno Bee’s Robert Rodriguez explained it, is “to shake things up in raisin land.” Next year, the company will launch a national campaign — its first in a decade — “focused on rekindling fondness for the brand.”

The struggle is not to change people’s minds about raisins so much as to get people to think about raisins at all. Or as Overly puts it: “Raisins are not a top-of-the-mind snack.” Sun-Maid is hardly the only brand trying to tap into vague but warm feelings to reinvigorate sales.

Last year, the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association revived the famous “Beef. It’s What’s for Dinner” tagline. For this year’s Super Bowl commercials, Coke, Pepsi, and the country of Australia all made plays to conjure up the past. This summer, Planters temporarily reintroduced their beloved tubs of Cheez Balls. The trick is turning ambient fondness into actual sales.

Part of the problem, Overly said, is that raisins are very strongly associated with childhood, and then nothing else ever again. The same parents who buy raisins for their toddlers “may not buy [raisins] again unless they are making cookies for their grandkids,” he said. By his estimate, raisin consumption has dropped about 10 percent over the past five years. (He attributes this in part to Sun-Maid’s business strategy; it’s not entirely the fault of millennials not eating enough raisins.)

This isn’t the first time raisins have found themselves at a crossroads. In the 1970s and ’80s, Food & Wine recalls, the California Raisin Advisory Board (CALRAB) struggled to stir up America’s latent passion for raisins with commercials that “tried everything from branding raisins as ‘nature’s candy’ to slo-mo shots of them as sexy salad and dessert accessories.” None of it worked.

Raisins, then as now, “lacked a cool factor.” The solution turned out to be a Motown group of singing raisins. The California Raisins made their debut in a 1986 Sun-Maid commercial on behalf of the CALRAB. Sales jumped 20 percent.

[embedded content]

So far, we don’t know much about Sun-Maid’s plans for the great raisin rekindling. What we do know: The company is planning to run ads that “play on the nostalgia and trust Sun-Maid raisins represent,” and the brand is leaning into its more experimental flavors. Overly has hired a vice president of “insight and innovation” to oversee the relaunch of Sun-Maid’s “flavored sour raisin snacks.”

Unlike plain raisin-flavored raisins, the sour raisins come in watermelon and strawberry, are flavored with natural fruit juice, and are found in the grocery store snack aisle, rather than with the dried fruit.

Raisins aren’t the only snack of the recent past struggling for relevance. Cereal, too, has been on a nostalgia-fueled mission to win back consumers who might be, as one analyst put it to Kim Severson at the New York Times, “less interested in industrially processed grains as a meaningful start to their day.” For cereal, the solution might be a subtle repositioning. Cereal companies “have to embrace that people love the flavor and texture of cereal and the vintage nature, but it’s not about breakfast,” said pastry chef Christina Tosi, who also consults for Kellogg.

“Breakfast cereal is a powerful engine of nostalgia,” wrote Severson. But — outside of one particular bran — are raisins?

“Foods become comfort foods because they’re associated with childhood,” explains Rachel Herz, a neuroscientist and the author of the book Why You Eat What You Eat. But it takes more than that. Everything you happened to eat in prepubescence is not comforting. And raisins, she observes, have a few strikes against them.

One issue: smell — or rather, lack thereof. Raisins “aren’t particularly aromatic,” Herz points out. As a result, “they’re less likely to have that emotional evocation.” Nor are raisins particularly special.

“Raisins could have been in your lunchbox any day of the week, and so there isn’t anything especially wonderful associated with them,” Herz says. You could have really liked raisins — you could still really like raisins! — but they don’t necessarily inspire a deep sense of well-being. Nor do they particularly evoke a specific sense of time or place.

Raisins, in general, aren’t a social food. They are not a meal, eaten with family; they are a snack, eaten wherever, whenever, and potentially alone. Their versatility is exactly what makes them lack nostalgia. Even cereal might evoke memories of a family breakfast, or at least, watching cereal commercials about other people eating family breakfasts. Raisins don’t necessarily gesture to anything beyond themselves.

Complicating raisin matters further, if they do bring back memories, they are not always positive. Raisins, to be sure, are polarizing; perhaps the most fundamental obstacle for raisins is that they are not chocolate chips. For every millennial who feels fondly toward them, there is one still traumatized by the disappointment of a raisin-heavy trick-or-treat haul. Raisins, while high in sugar, are not candy. It is a difficult truth to accept.

You might think, as I thought, that the sugar content of otherwise-virtuous raisins might be a problem, in this anti-sugar age. A single-serve, 1.5 oz box of raisins has 25 grams of sugar. That is a lot. But MaryLeigh Bliss, the vice president of content at the millennial-focused research and marketing firm Y-Pulse, says the research shows it’s more complicated than that.

“The nostalgic foods millennials seem to be drawn to are the ones that are more indulgences,” she says. “If it tastes great and it makes them feel good emotionally, they’re okay with splurging on it.”

This is not an anti-raisin hit piece. It’s just that raisins fall into an inconvenient middle ground. Raisins, she proposes, are “healthy, but not healthy enough.” They’re not a treat, but they’re also not, at this moment, a health food. And this makes them a particularly difficult sell: millennials are particularly sensitive to products that were taught were “healthy” as kids, but about which they now have new information.

“They’ll reject them to the point where the industry will make a huge shift,” Bliss says, citing the rise of Greek yogurt — less sugary than the yogurts millennials grew up with — as an example. “Raisins fit into that category.”

It remains to be seen if sour raisins are the answer. Perhaps they will inspire memories of simpler, sweeter times, but in a new and sophisticated way. These are sour times, after all. And millennials do tend to be adventurous eaters. “I’m not sure sour is something that’s necessarily trending,” Bliss says. “But it’s a different approach.”

Original Source -> Why aren’t millennials nostalgic for raisins?

via The Conservative Brief

#IFTTT #The Conservative Brief

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spicy-dunkaroo · 3 years

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Stuck by Your Side (Part 1)

♫Now Playing: “Stuck by Your Side (Part 1)” by Spicy Dunkaroo…♪

❀Word Count: 2.5k

❀Rating: PG 13, 18+, Minors Do Not Interact (please)

❀Genre: Mythology AU!, Kelpie! Tamaki Amajiki, a pinch of Angst, very Fluffy, Maybe Smut (Still not sure yet)

❀Summary: Due to your job, you’re forced to visit a beautiful city in Scotland in order to get some reconnaissance on the locals. While on this trip, you grab a drink with a coworker and return home where you begin to notice strange things happen.

❀Warning(s): Cursing, Mentions of Alcohol use (Characters are aged up), and Mentions of Depression

❀Author's Note: Hello everyone!! This will be my first collaboration with the BNHarem server (Of hopefully many more). I hope that if you enjoy this story that you also go ahead and check out the other talented artists/writers that participated in this server collab here. I am beyond grateful to be working with so many amazing writers and artists that have helped me and inspired me to start writing!! I would also like to ask that if there are any warnings I might have missed, please do let me know. The last thing I want to do is have anyone read my story and get triggered because I didn’t properly put the warnings here.

Without further adieu, I hope you enjoy :)

☟❀❀❀❀❀❀❀❀❀❀❀❀❀❀❀❀❀❀❀❀❀❀❀❀❀☟

Birds singing, leaves crunching, and the wind singing in your ears was all you could hear as the tour guide went on with their one-sided conversation of tour around Inverness, Scotland. If it weren’t for your worrisome supervisor, you’d be in the cute little cottage that you rented for the next few weeks, probably playing on your switch or watching Tigtog videos for hours on end. But noooo, they mandated that everyone had to go on this hour-long tour of the city to “get a nice perspective of the city” or whatever the hell they were rambling on about.

Each person was assigned a partner for the tours so they didn’t have to worry about anyone getting abducted or ‘lost’. Knowing better, you visibly rolled your eyes as your partner looked around like a kid in a candy store. Apparently the woman was from the marketing department as well, her name seeming to leave your memory as you squinted in her direction.

“You forgot my name again, didn’t you?”

“Pfft- no- no way!”

“Yea? Then what is it?”

“Uh, erm...It- it starts with a H, I know that!!”

“It’s Hoshi, or if you’d like to continue with formalities, Ms. Tenmei.”

Hanging your head in shame you look away. Getting lost in your thoughts once more, Hoshi taps on your shoulder.

“Hey, no worries! I’m pretty bad with names myself. How’s camera duty going?”

Saying this, the woman grabs the camera from your grasp, turning it back on to see the pictures you had taken thus far. Whistling, Hoshi looks back at you, noticing the lack of enthusiasm that was painted across your face.

“I know this tour is the last thing either of us want to do, but the quicker you get all those pictures for the portfolio, the quicker we can get out of here and grab a drink. It’ll be my treat if you can get all of them before the end of the tour.”

Nodding your head, you grab the camera back from her, beginning to focus it on a nice view of the lake from the bridge the two of you were standing on. Before you can snap the shot, the tour-guide’s voice snaps you out of your thoughts as he begins to speak about a more interesting topic.

“It’s said that this lake has a kelpie spirit living within its waters. Although, that can be said about any lake that’s big enough to swim in.”

As most tourists begin to talk amongst themselves, you grip onto the expensive camera once more, hoping to find that perfect shot you had before the man’s shrilling voice had interrupted your train of thought.

“Mommy, what’s a kelpie?”

As the little boy spoke, you took the chance to snap the shot as a bird flew on the lake's surface, leaving a black blur on the perfect shot!

‘You’ve got to be kidding me!’

The tour guide you grew to despise butted into the pair’s conversation to answer the boys question.

“That’s a good question kiddo! It’s said that the origins of the Kelpie were originally told as warnings to women and children alike to be alert at all times when not around their loved ones. Despite this, you can ask any local in the area and most could tell you their story of encountering the supposed myth. I suppose we’ll never know till we see one for ourselves. Though, if you’re unlucky enough to encounter such a myth, there’s the chance that you won’t live to tell the tale...”

The boy trembled as he gripped his mother’s dress tighter in his clutch. Your partner begins to scoot closer to you as she whispers into your ear.

“Psst! Hey, what do you think about those ‘kelpie’ hm?”

“It sounds like some sort of folk-lore they tell all the tourists here.”

“Oh c’mon now, you’re no fun! I’d like to think they might not be as brutal as this guy says.”

Scoffing, you shake your partner’s hand from your shoulder as you look into the camera’s lens once more to take another picture.

‘I’m sure it’s all bullshit. There’s no such thing as a shape-shifting kel-‘

Thinking this, you suddenly feel your body begin to fall forward as the bridge railing suddenly let out from beneath you. Before you realize it, you open your eyes to see the water's surface only a mere foot or two from your own face, the camera hanging by your neck and grazing the lake, your body beginning to be pulled back to its upright position.

Turning around to thank whoever it was that just saved you from having to pay for the company camera, you look to see nobody behind you. Nobody seemed to even be around you as you see Hoshi following behind the group of tourists, leaving you in the dust. You begin to chase after the group as you shake off the entire encounter.

Shuffling your bag off of your shoulder you threw it into the nearby chair, slumping into the couch that was adjacent to the chair. You began to hum to yourself as you felt the effects of the beer contest you had with Hoshi who you now knew was your supervisor. Thinking to yourself you remember losing that contest the two of you set up.

‘It was nice of her to pay for us and to bring me back home even though I lost. I should thank her tomorrow and try to pay her back if I can.’

Suddenly feeling the effects of the liquid courage, you stood up a bit too quickly, reaching your hand out to the couch you were just laying on. Not sure what to do, you reached for your phone to scroll through Tigtog, that was until you began to hear something strange. From what you could tell, it sounded like a voice, though you weren’t sure if it was male or female. Curiosity began to take the lead as you stood upright once more. Looking around, you began to walk around the cottage, seeing if there was anything on that could be making that noise. Eventually you found yourself outside in what looked to be the backyard of your little cottage, swaying side to side as you tried to listen for the voice once more.

“Y/N? Are- are you there?”

Under normal circumstances, after hearing an unknown males voice you’d already be locking the backdoor behind you after racing to that door. Tonight, however, was not the case as you yelled back the best you could of a response.

“yYeaa! Wwwhooo- whoo arre yOU?”

After saying this, you suddenly began to burp, probably due to the alcohol. Despite everything you had experienced thus far, for some reason your fit of burps could not be funner to you at that very moment as the voice spoke once more.

“T-That’s not important r-right now. I just wanted to make sure you made it back home safe.”

The liquid courage that coursed through your veins decided that you wanted to find out more about this stranger and began to walk into the forest. You began to sway as you attempted to find them, calling out to them in hopes of convincing them to stay and hang out.

“OoooOh c’mON now!! Don’t be liiiike that! Wh-wherrrreeee are ya? Le-le-let’s hanggg ouT for a bit! I-I *hic* think there’s cards in the liv-livingg roooom~! We- we can play a gggame of poKER and- and see what’s in the fridge. Man, now I’m hungryyy!”

Despite your lack of sobriety at the moment, you began to hear a few leaves crunch nearby. It appeared that for some reason or another, what you lacked in logic you seemed to gain in your basic senses. This theory proved true as you sniffed the air, you noticed that there was a lake nearby.

‘Since when the hell did I know what a river smelled like?’

Before you can continue on with your train of thought, the stranger responds once more. They seemed a bit panicked as you heard a twig snap, followed by more leaves crunching beneath their feet you suspected.

“D-D-Don’t come any closer! Y-You should go back h-home, you’re not t-thinking rationally.”

Not wanting to take no for an answer, you continue to walk to the source of the sound, hearing what sounded like a cascading river growing louder. Looking through the trees, you noticed a few yards away the river you had just heard. You speak up once more as you begin to walk toward the river.

“I-I don’t want to be alone r-right now… It-it’s stupid I know, I just...I’d just like to talk, just for a little bit. Would that be okay?”

Your vision began to blur as you rushed to the river's edge. It didn’t matter now if the stranger responded or not, your world began to crash down around you as you looked at the reflection on the water's edge. Sitting on your knees, small whimpers escaped your lips out as you covered your face with your hands. Despite the literal lack of sight, your emotions consumed you as it felt that everything around you was losing the light that once shone in your hopeful eyes.

At this point, you couldn’t hear any signs of life as you gripped harder at your face, only the sound of your quiet cries for help being all that echoed through that hollow forest. Assuming the worst, you began to move your hands from your face, dropping them by your side once more as you looked at your reflection once again.

“Y-You said you wanted to talk? T-That’d be fine, just- just promise you won’t cry anymore?”

There's a beat of silence, it seemed that not even the wind could speak as your body froze. Sure, you could convince yourself that you were just hearing things, that you were just acting aloof because you were feeling lonely. If you could get yourself on the couch, you could wake up and even tell yourself that the whole experience was just a really surreal dream you had. What you couldn’t convince yourself was the half naked man that appeared to be standing a few feet behind you, his voice matching his lips as you watched them move.

‘Maybe- maybe I’m just seeing things? That-that has to be right, right?! But alcohol doesn’t cause hallucinations and I’m positive that none of my drinks were spiked. So- so...Who the hell is this!?!’

“Are- are you okay Y/N?”

Your body grew stiff as you heard your name roll off of his tongue. If you weren’t getting clearheaded before, you definitely were cold sober now. Those shy indigo eyes that seemed to stare back at your own off of the river's surface as they brought you back to your senses.

‘There is a strange, half-naked man, who somehow knows you by your name, staring at you- talking to you! He doesn’t seem very intimidating, but then again he is a stranger!! In the best case scenario, he could just be a nice guy who found someone in need. Worst case, he’s a psycho that found their next victim! I can’t keep my back turned like this, I have to do something and get the hell out of this!’

Taking a shallow breath in, you swiftly turn your entire body around, facing the stranger that now made your body shiver in fear as you looked up at him. Despite the appearance of the situation, the man seemed to be intimidated by you as he looked away.

‘He doesn’t really seem like he wants to hurt me. If anything, he’s scared of me? Maybe I can intimidate him to leave me alone? Though, I don’t think I could pull it off seeing as I’m still a bit drunk…’

“Y-Y/N?”

Looking back at the man, you notice he begins to reach his hand out toward you, slowly beginning to walk toward your crouched form. Worried for the worst, you scoot away as you respond.

“H-HEY!! D-Don’t come any c-closer! If-If you don’t I-I’ll- ACK!”

Speaking this, you only now notice that there didn’t seem to be any more ground beneath you as you felt your body begin to fall into the river.

“Y/N!”

Before you can process everything that’s happening, you close your eyes in anticipation for the cold water that was bound to drown you. The stranger grabs your wrist, holding your body up above the river, your body mere inches from being submerged in the cold water. Noticing the lack of impact, you flutter your eyes open as you look back at the man before you. Shocked, the man looks down at where he grabbed your wrists. Only now do you notice a purple hue that surrounded both your arms.

“What- what is this?!”

At a loss for words, the man can only look back between your face and where he held your wrist. Confused and scared, you rip your arm from his grip as you stand yourself back up. As you stare at the man, you look around, befuddled by whatever the hell had just happened.

While a part of you would love to ask what just happened, the more logical side of you knew that none of this was worth hanging around to find out. Dusting yourself off, the man speaks up once more as he looks away in what seemed to be guilt.

“Y-Y/N, I-I’m so so-sorry!! I-I didn’t mean to t-touch you- What have I done?!”

Not wanting to wait any longer, you began to shuffle around the man, holding your hands up in surrender as you attempted to empathize with the man. Although, you weren’t sure why he was so worried since he didn’t seem to do anything besides whatever that purple glow was moments before.

“Hey, hey! We don’t have to speak about any of this. I’ll go back and after that we won’t have to ever see each other ever again, okay?”

“Y/N, i-it’s not that simpl- h-Hey, WAIT!!”

Before he had a chance to explain, you sprinted back to your cute rental cottage that you were now wishing you never left. Looking back, you notice the man just stood there as you were almost home.

Suddenly, your body stopped moving. What was even stranger, your body seemed to freeze mid-sprint. Looking around, you noticed that somehow your head was able to move but your arms were stiff as you attempted to force your body to run once more. Just as you were about to give up, your legs moved once more, wobbling as they felt gravity work once more. Not taking any chances, you began to dash once more. Not a second later, your body rolled forward from some sort of large and heavy impact. After your body finished rolling forward, you noticed that you were sitting in the backyard of the cottage, the man sitting on his head as his body laid against the door.

“W-Who or-or What are you?”

The man sighs as he flutters his eyes open, rubbing his head as he looks up at you.

“M-My name’s T-Tamaki Amajiki, and- and I’m a kelpie…”

~End of Part 1~

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