#I love spring so much. fall is my fav but spring is definitely next

[moonchild-in-blue]

🌼🌸 Happy Spring Equinox lovely people 🌸🌼

Let's have a cosy spring poll to kick off the season 😚💐

[liquorisce]

Do you have any eremika age gap au recs?? It’s my favorite trope and there’s nearly not enough fics out there😭😭😭

*rubs hands* I took my time with this because I am not the most avid fic reader unfortunately, but I do have a few recs and some more on my tbr. I think what you're looking for is not just an age difference but where the age gap is the focus? i've marked those in pink. definitely check the tags on these before proceeding!!

gonna start with mine just for completeness, and also because i love it *blush*

boy next door: For sixteen years, Mikasa has watched the boy next door. First: through the eyes of a child, hand in his during family trips, his hand on her first bike when she learned how to ride. Then: through the eyes of a teenager, peeking behind her blinds into his room on hot summer months when he didn't wear a shirt, eyes lingering on his lips when he pulled away his cigarette. Now, she is so much older, but he is older still, and the gap between them feels ever widening. But her desire to close it only feels more desperate.

i'm certain you've checked out @herblacktights 's ao3, but here are my favs of hers with that age gap sauce:

degausser: After a deadly flu pandemic that devastates Paradis Island and the rest of the world, Eren is all Mikasa has. After she turns sixteen, that gets complicated. -> the plot is entirely the age gap, lol!

comfort me: “Mikasa,” Eren drawled, fake scolding edging into his voice as he held the basement door open and led her outside. “Does Aunt Carla know what a bad girl you are?” For a moment, she looked stunned. A sliver of a second, a wink of an eye. Looking every inch the little girl he watched grow up, who he knew deserved better than him. But before it could take root in her and make him regret what he said, Mikasa gave him a terrible, sweet smile. “Aunt Carla says I deserve to do whatever I want after the year I’ve had,” she said and from the way that she was looking at him, he should’ve known it was a threat. cw: mild daddy kink!

love dog : this one is a bit different! teacher mikasa x student eren, and mikasa is the older one. cw: it doesn't exactly have a super happy ending. but it is one of my favs from hannah!!

Butterfly effect by @sunlightandsuffering : Sugar baby AU - older hobo eren x younger mikasa. how can i say this... it's the OG, the most delicious, lys-brand chaotic eremika but age gap flavour! i love it, i'm sure if you've been around this block you've read it lol, but it's simply amazing, read it again!!

You, me and our sins by @loneghostss : Eren is married and Mikasa has a boyfriend. But the fact that they both have someone doesn't stop them from sinfully falling in love with each other. (it is about eremika having an affair with each other and it is so sensual and hot, age gap is not central here but it definitely brings heat!!) you could also check out lost saints by the same author, there's also some age difference and great smut.

@dead-dolphins is a connoisseur of the age gap trope, defs check out all the aus on her pinned post!! ro is a master of drama and worldbuilding so her fics are always a treat. she's got some on ao3 that are all about that sweet age gap <3

chemical hype boy : idol mikasa x actor eren!! and eren is definitely playing into the older established actor mold!

i apologise if you feel something: Goth mikasa gets involved with older Eren, lead vocalist of a metal band.

the promised princess: a medieval fantasy au inspired by got. age difference is not the central theme, but it's a stellar fic regardless.

straight/edge by @sinigangsta-ao3: Mikasa Ackerman is prim, proper, and perfect. As the golden child of the Ackerman family, her academic achievements set her up for a bright future and atone for her older brother’s past mistakes. When the spring semester of her junior year arrives, she crosses paths with a local boy toward whom she’d typically never give the time of day — and they begin a whirlwind relationship that unlocks parts of herself that she didn’t know she kept hidden. this fic is more about the good girl x bad boy trope but with that delicious 3-4 year age gap sauce!! cw: NOT a hea

devilish lovers by softwinter: “I wanna be your friend, Mikasa,” he told her one day when she got home from school not able to feign a less distressed expression on her face, too many sixteen-year-old problems going on in her life. He had the habit of commenting that she was always sad, that he didn’t like how that transpired on her gray eyes.

“I thought you wanted to be my daddy,” something flashed in his eyes right then, like she’d said something forbidden, a kind of thing that could make her a bad girl in his eyes. cw: step dad kink!! definitely check the tags before proceeding.

heaven knows by @joannaofarkham: priest au where priest eren is mikasa's teacher in a catholic school. it is unfinished but the first chapter reads pretty well standalone!

eternally yours by @cxcassii: reincarnation au + age gap. It's been 2,000 years since Eren Jaeger was a titan shifter and unleashed the blood drenched madness of the rumbling upon the world. Now, in the year 2023, he's a twenty-four year old who lives with his best friend Armin. He goes about his days working as a pharmacy technician all while attempting to cope and come to terms with the loss of the loved ones he still remembers with clarity from his previous life. The atrocious sins of his past life he can never ever truly atone for. But most of all, there's one person he simply can't forget: His former love of his life, Mikasa. It's when he's not actively searching for her that they cross paths once again, and their love will once again be on trial when Eren learns that Mikasa not only doesn't remember their past life together, but is also seventeen years old. this one is still on my tbr but whatever i've read so far looks extremely delicious!!!

enjoy!! if anyone wants to add more please feel free to reblog and improve this list!! <3

[pascalpanic]

Begin Again (Marcus Pike x f!Reader)

Inspo: Begin Again by Adam Melchor

Summary: Dating apps never pair you with the right people. Until you come across the profile of a handsome, pancake loving FBI agent named Marcus.

W/C: 4.8k

Warnings: lots of talk of food, language, late night deep conversations, some sadness at the end but nothing intense? reader has a pet cat, is that worth a warning? idk

A/N: HI GUYS this is my first full length Marcus Pike fic! I really hope you like it!! thank you so much to @theteddylupinexperience and @sanchosammy for being my best editors and proofreaders and idea givers!!!

note: PLS listen to the song before/after/while reading! it’s one of my favs and it really goes along with the story

Over the course of your adult years, you’ve become convinced that dating apps are complete and utter bullshit. The algorithms never work right, never pair you or any of your friends with anyone worth seeing in person. Maybe that’s just the problem; maybe it’s not the apps but the people. Whatever the answer is, whatever reason you’ve never found success in the endless swiping, you’re through with it.

That was before last week. The rainy Tuesday night left you in your apartment, alone, to succumb to the cold spring dreariness. Over a cup of hot tea, you’d downloaded the app again. Might as well try, right? You have nothing to lose. If worst comes to worst, catfishing an annoying guy is always a blast. The good news is that this app requires you as the woman to make the first move. That’s kind of a downside- you never know how to start conversations- but at least you can’t get unsolicited dick pics right off the bats. Life is full of tradeoffs, you suppose.

You begin again. The app becomes your favorite pastime. Bored at work or home? Dating app it is. Left. Left. Left. Boring man after boring man. One labeled himself super-straight: absolutely fucking not. One holding a fish: nope. A man who describes himself as a gym rat: not your type. It’s a boring way to spend your lunch break, you’re aware, but the entertainment value is fun if nothing else. There are a lot of strange men out there.

After a few days, your luck seems to turn around as the photo of a man with brown hair and warm brown eyes pops up on your screen. He has a scruffy beard and wavy hair, and the way his smile tugs at the corner of his lips makes your heart flutter. He’s really cute, you have to admit. You read the bio next.

Marcus, 35

❗️ Washington, D.C.

Got forced into making this, but optimistic. Lover of art, dogs, and time to relax. Always down for breakfast for dinner and cuddling. Looking for someone with a sense of independence, love of travel, and a sleep schedule equally fucked up as mine. Must love pancakes.

Must love pancakes. That’s absolutely adorable. You immediately think of your cat, named Pancake, and you laugh and swipe right, hoping the man already thought the same of you. Your eyes widen with excitement and you almost laugh out loud from your giddy state when you see the little logo indicating it’s a match.

The first message you send him has to be perfect. You ponder your options for a minute, frowning and furrowing your brow as you think. You don’t want to come on too strong; you’re not trying to sound like you want a hookup. A simple one-word greeting wouldn’t be enough.

You could comment on something from his bio, you realize as you read it again and again. Maybe ask him about his dog? No, that’s too awkward. You want it to be about him, something that can draw him in. Talk about traveling? No, you don’t want to sound like you’re bragging about the places you’ve gone in your life.

Pancakes. Pancakes are good. You love pancakes. You think for a second more, debating what to say, before inspiration strikes and you send off the message before you can stop yourself.

-

Marcus Pike has essentially felt the same as you. He’s a somewhat charming man. He’s had his fair share of relationships, but they never quite work out. His ex-wife, now long gone and blocked from his phone, was an absolute failure of a relationship. He’d gotten close to what felt like true love with Teresa, another FBI agent, but she flaked at the last second.

Maybe the constant here was that he met them in person. When Marcus falls, he falls hard and fast, down an endless spiral of emotions with no escape. Maybe if he met someone online, it would be different. His best friends had all encouraged it, and on a night out not long after Teresa left him, Pike set up his own profile. He liked that the app didn’t require him to make the first move. It’s refreshing.

Marcus had seen your profile hours ago, on a mindless phone break from his work. He’d swiped right too, stunned by your smile and the lovelines you radiated even through the phone. He crossed his fingers for a good part of the day, hoping you’d swipe right on him too.

His day is busy, leaving him no time to fiddle with his phone and distract himself. He eats in the cafeteria, checking up on his phone. After lunch, he’s walking back to his office when his heart flutters as he sees the dating app indicates he’s had a match. He looks at it and swallows hard before stopping, moving to the side of the hallway to allow others to pass. He’s breathing hard, and his heart speeds up when he sees that you are the one that matched with him.

He knows how this app works. He has to wait now, to let you make the first move. He can’t even write a message until you send one. So he pockets his phone again and continues on his walk.

He’s determined on his walk, rushing back to his desk so he can sit and be thoroughly enthralled in waiting for or receiving your response. His phone buzzes several times with notifications, one of which he prays is you. When he finally sits, he opens the app ceremoniously and has to hold back a genuine laugh when he sees your first message.

Blueberry or chocolate chip?

Marcus shoots back a text nearly immediately. Sorry, what?

Your bio. “Must love pancakes”. Blueberry or chocolate chip?

Marcus is absolutely beaming as he leans back in his chair, crossing his legs. Blueberry. Always. I hope that’s the right answer :)

Unfortunately, it’s not, but you’re cute so I’ll let it slide

You called him cute. It makes Marcus’s heart flutter. Come on. There’s nothing like the warm blueberry popping in your mouth.

There is. It’s when the chocolate chips are all melty and creamy.

God, Marcus is already painfully into you. You know what… at least you love pancakes. I’ll let it slide. You got a favorite place?

Anywhere I can get ‘em. You seem like quite the connoisseur, do you have one place in mind?

Jane slams down a stack of files on Marcus’s desk. “Paperwork overflow, Pike. Can you get these done tonight?”

Marcus is the fastest in the office with paperwork, which often leads to him being the one that flies through the files in the place of the people who actually filed it. He nods. What else is there to do? “Sure.”

Jane claps him on the shoulder and wanders off. Marcus watches him in slight annoyance. The best place in D.C. is definitely Sandy’s. Hey I gotta go, text ya later?

I’d love that :)

-

It didn’t take long for your texting to move from the dating app to actual texting. It happened within the same day, in fact.

Marcus messaged you some hours after the initial conversation. Your phone buzzed while you were doing yoga in your apartment, your cat curled into a ball beneath your stomach as you held a downward dog. You nearly collapsed on top of Pancake as you fumbled to sit cross-legged on the end of your yoga mat.

The message from Marcus is bright on the top of your screen. Hi. Sorry that took so long. Work stuff.

Smiling, you take a swig from your water bottle and lean back against your couch. Not a problem. Understandable. What do you do for a living? It’s a loaded question in D.C.; they could range anywhere from politicians to their rich sons to artists and athletes.

I work for the FBI, actually.

Your eyes light up in excitement. That’s the coolest shit I’ve heard. What do you do? Are you an agent?

The man’s responses don’t take long at all. He must be waiting in the chat to respond. The idea makes your heart flutter. Yep, I’m an agent. I work in international art crimes.

You certainly didn’t expect that for an answer. Wow, okay, that’s even cooler than I thought. I was about to call you Agent Pancake but I think my girl would be disheartened...

Snapping a photo of the way Pancake is nuzzling into your side, meowing for snuggles, you have to laugh as you send the photo his way. Funny you love pancakes so much. This little muppet is named Pancake.

Marcus responds with a barrage of heart-eyes emojis, which makes you laugh aloud and scoop Pancake into your lap, stroking her strawberry-blonde fluff. She’s an absolute angel. Like her mother, I’m presuming.

Your cheeks flood with warmth and you can feel the tips of your ears turning hot too. You’ve never even met me, Agent…? You trail off the text, asking for his last name.

Pike.

Agent Marcus Pike. What a nice sounding name. It sounds official and strong and you really like it. Cute last name. Might steal it from ya someday ;)

You don’t normally flirt this shamelessly, but he’s so goddamn cute and funny. You cross your fingers behind your back that this isn’t just a facade, that this is Marcus himself texting like he would to anyone else. You got a phone number?

As you laugh, Pancake paws at your chest to grab your attention, nails nearly digging into the stretchy fabric of your yoga tank top. “Watch it,” you scold her softly and remove her paw from your chest, picking her up and giving her a kiss on the head. Sure do. You want it?

Yes please.

You send your number his way and moments later, your phone pings with a text from an unlabeled number.

Maybe: Pike: hey, it’s Pike :)

You: hey… dammit, I really want to call you Agent Pancakes, but I think my fluffy little heathen would be offended. I don’t know what to save you in my phone as...

Agent Pancakes: Save me as whatever, I suppose. Not my problem, right?

-

The texts became more frequent. Over the course of three weeks, you’d stay up late talking like teenagers, knowing you need to go to bed but unable to bring yourself to do it.

You learned that his middle name was Mauricio, that his mother wanted him to have at least something a little more Latino in his name. You told him the story of how you’d adopted Pancake as a kitten from a shelter and she woke you up one morning with her claws entwined in a snarl of your hair. He told you about his ex-wife and ex-fiancée, Teresa, and you responded that he deserved something better than that. You can already tell that he’s a good man.

At the end of three weeks, you shot Marcus a text. Things seemed to be going pretty well.

You: Hey, you want to do a video call sometime soon?

Agent Pancakes: I’d love that! I’m free tonight if you are.

You: Always free. Shouldn’t you know that?? Doesn’t the FBI spy on us through our phones and whatever?

Agent Pancakes: well, I do work in art crimes. Even if we did, it would be a totally different thing

You: Good.

An hour later, you fidget with your hands as you sit on your couch, the laptop propped up across from you and ringing for a video chat. Marcus’s profile picture bobs on the screen as you wait for him to pick up.

Marcus’s face and apartment fills your screen, and you automatically grin. “Hi,” you giggle and wave, absolutely enraptured by how cute his real smile is, not the forced one in the photos.

“Hey. Nice to kind of-finally meet you,” he tells you and waves back. The wall of his apartment is nothing exciting, but his facial expressions already have you falling. Those big brown eyes compliment natural but ridiculously pink lips, and his brown hair is neatly done. It looks like he’s wearing a tie and a dress shirt; probably his work gear, you suppose.

“You too!” You tell him, unable to stop smiling. “You shaved.”

-

Marcus’s heart jumps out of his chest when he sees you ringing him. He barely has time to flop on the couch and turn it on, propping up the camera across from him.

God, you’re so gorgeous. Your giggle is infectious, making Marcus laugh softly at god knows what. Your grin is equally as contagious, making him smile back. He rubs his jaw in response. “Yeah, yeah. I tend to keep it clean there. Stubble takes too much maintenance, and I have this little patch where it never quite grows,” he tells you as he juts his chin to the camera, touching the spot where his beard can’t grow.

“I like it either way,” you assure him, shrugging a little. “How was your day, Agent Pancakes?” Your voice is the most beautiful thing he’s ever heard, even with the granulated audio over this shitty app. Agent Pancakes makes his heart flutter. “No, not you!” You groan as Pancake climbs onto your lap. “Hi. Your twin wants to say hi.”

Marcus’s smile widens. “Oh my god, hello cutie pie,” he chuckles, launching into baby talk. “What a pretty girl. You make a good Pancake.”

You smile and rub her fur, grinning. “She’s my baby,” you chuckle and set her aside. “Yeah. I’m busy. Leave me alone.” Pancake meows in protest. “Shut up, I’m on a date,” you whine.

Marcus’s ears perk up. “This is a date?”

Your eyes widen as you turn back to him. “I… yeah?” You ask, wincing a little.

He grins back at you. “I like it. And I’m really in love with the idea of seeing your face when you talk.”

“I like your voice,” you flirt back, but you mean it. “It’s so pretty. Do you sing?” You ask mindlessly, studying the way his brow furrows and his eyes convey exactly what he’s thinking.

He chuckles softly. “I used to. I haven’t in a long long time.”

“You’ll have to sing for me sometime.”

When he shakes his head, his neatly gelled hair tries to break free. A strand does, falling in his face. “You don’t wanna hear it, I promise.” He removes his tie, and you can’t help but watch the movement. It’s incredibly sexy.

A mischievous smile makes you bite the inside of your cheek. “No, I really do, I really think I do.”

Marcus rolls his eyes. “Only if you try the pancakes at Sandy’s sometime. I promise you, they’re the best pancakes in the District. I’ve never had the chocolate chip pancakes, but if they’re anywhere near as good as the blueberry, they’re fantastic. And they’re open 24 hours. I go there a lot for late night case work.”

You smile at that, getting cozy on your couch and hugging your blanket. “That does sound nice. I love a good all day breakfast,” you say with raised eyebrows, the teasing in your voice. “Okay, human Pancakes. How was your day?” You ask him again, intent on hearing his answer. Not only is his job fascinating, but he’s adorable when he explains things.

Marcus frowns, and that makes you instinctively frown too. “Well, it’s been good. We’re tracking a huge smuggling ring right now, but since we’ve pinpointed a stock house for them, I might have to travel for a while.”

You frown. You’d been hoping you could have a real date soon, at least. “How long is a while?” You ask him curiously, sipping from your water bottle that sits next to you.

“Couple weeks. No less than a month, probably. I’d… well, I might have to go undercover, which means we couldn’t talk for a while.” His eyes are apologetic, showing that he hates this news as much as you do. “And… I’d leave maybe tomorrow or the day after.”

Your heart sinks. “So soon,” you say with a sad smile, a desperate and lonely chuckle. “Well, if you want to come home to me, I’ll be here.”

Marcus’s smile perks up just slightly. “You would be the best thing in the world to come home to. And I’ll have the scruff back by then.”

“Yes!” You exclaim and laugh, pumping a fist in the air. “I think you’re really cute anyway, but I really love the scruff,” you shrug shyly.

“Maybe I’ll grow it out just for you.”

-

The adrenaline from his first technical-date with you prevents Marcus from sleeping. The call lasted hours, the two of you covering almost everything important in your lives. You talked about your favorite television programs and politics, your parents and your favorite pizza toppings. Talking with him was like nothing you’d ever experience, a connection you’d never thought a dating app could offer.

After several hours, during a lull in the conversation, Marcus suggested the two of you log off. It was around 11 P.M. now, and, even though Marcus has a sleep schedule like a raccoon, he figured you should sleep. He blew you a kiss through the camera, which you pretended to hold to your chest and grin at him.

But now it’s an hour later, just past midnight, and Marcus is antsy. He doesn’t sleep much anyway, but your face is running through his mind like it owns the place, and at this point, maybe you do. Marcus sits up in bed and sighs. He knows the proper remedy for this: Sandy’s. Throwing on a rare pair of jeans and a leather jacket over the white v-neck he wears, he slips on his shoes and makes his way to the tiny, 24-hour diner.

-

The adrenaline is coursing through your veins too. You text any of your friends that will listen, rambling about how beautiful Marcus’s face is and how wonderful it was to finally hear his voice. You pace your apartment, petting Pancake as you pass her perch on the arm of your couch. You try to do a little yoga to calm down but you can’t stop smiling. Marcus occupies too much room in your brain to try to think about anything else.

When it’s just after midnight, hunger strikes. You realize you never ate dinner, too preoccupied with talking to the handsome man to even consider microwaving something from your fridge. Talking with Marcus has instilled you with a love for pancakes, and you think to yourself that maybe Sandy’s would be worth a shot. It’s open late.

So you toss on a jacket and pick up your purse, slinging it over your shoulder and leaving your apartment. You toss the book you’ve been reading into your bag, planning to read it while you sit and eat. Pancake gives a sleepy meow of protest but you just smile and lock the door behind you.

The diner is just as small as Marcus described it to you: just a short line of booths along the windows and a smattering of tables in the middle. There’s a colorful, warm-toned tile floor that juxtaposes the warm green of the walls and the smell of fresh coffee and pancakes wafting through the air. Quiet classic swing music filling the atmosphere. You can see why he likes it: it automatically makes you smile.

You sit in one of the booths, facing away from the door, and the kind waitress takes your order: chocolate chip pancakes and an English breakfast tea. The air conditioning is blasting, making you chilly. You tighten your jacket around yourself and sip the tea when it arrives, adding cream and sugar.

Cracking open the book, you cross your legs and lose yourself in the book. The restaurant has a calming aura, and you can feel the tea warming you from the inside. It’s fitting that Marcus loves this place, you think to yourself.

When the pancakes come not long after, you take a bite and almost groan in happiness. It’s absolutely delicious: Marcus was most definitely right. Disappointingly, you have to go to the bathroom about three bites in.

Even the bathrooms are cute, you discover. When you return, someone else sits a booth away,  another lone diner at this godforsaken hour of night, facing the door. You can see the back of what appears to be a man’s head, neatly trimmed brown hair and a brown leather jacket over their neck and shoulders. Sitting back down, your back to the other customer’s, you return to your book and continue to eat your chocolate chip pancakes.

The customer and waitress are talking, but you don’t pay much attention, too enraptured by your book. It’s quiet again after the man puts in his order, and you enjoy the soft jazz music that makes you tap your foot in time against the tile.

There’s a buzzing and the melodic sound of a phone’s ringtone; one of the defaults that a phone provides. Your heart skips a beat as you hear the man pick up. “Agent Pike.”

That can’t be your Agent Pike, can it? You turn and listen and realize it’s definitely him, from his voice and the way he holds himself and the stack of- of course, blueberry pancakes and a hot coffee set in front of him.

“Yeah. Yeah. Okay. Sounds good. Let me write that down.” Marcus types something into his phone. “See you then. At the office? Good. Alright, see you.” He hangs up.

Standing, you tuck your book back in your purse and put the bag over your shoulder. With one hand, you grab your plate of pancakes, and the other grabs your tea. You set them down across from him and slide into the booth, grinning. “Huh. Agent Pancakes, here, in the middle of the night. How unusual.”

Marcus’s tired face lights up in excitement. “What?” He laughs, his eyes scanning your face. “Why are you here?”

You shrug and take a bite of his pancakes, sighing. “Had to see if they were worth the hype. I couldn’t sleep, you got me so excited.” The blueberry pancakes are absolutely fantastic, just as good if not better than the chocolate chip ones on your plate. “Damn, you were right.”

“Hey,” he laughs and pulls his plate closer to his chest. “Don’t touch my pancakes.”

You make pleading pouty eyes, frowning a little. “Can’t we share?” You tease. It already feels like you’ve known him for years, even though this is your first time seeing him in person.

Marcus sighs. “I suppose,” he says and rolls his eyes in sarcasm, pushing his plate back out so you can access it.

-

Marcus is beyond stunned, absolutely enraptured in how beautiful you are in person. If he thought he fell on that video call earlier, he’s now reached the very bottom of that cliff, the impact of your everything stealing the air from his lungs. God, he wants nothing more than to kiss you right now, on those lips coated in blueberry juice and maple syrup.

The two of you spend quite some time so there, just talking and continuing the conversation where it left off before. The waitress refills Marcus’s coffee twice and your tea once. “So who called you when you were sitting alone?” You ask him as you bring the white porcelain mug to your lips, sipping at the creamy tea.

He sighs. “Guy I work with, his name’s Patrick. He’s a douchebag, I can’t lie,” he says with a chuckle, and his heart flutters at the way you give a soft laugh back. “Just telling me the details. I leave in about 6 hours. I’ll be in Singapore for a couple of weeks.”

“Singapore?” You exclaim, eyes wide as your fork clanks against your plate. “You better be able to contact me.”

He shakes his head. “I told you, I’m going undercover. I can’t.” He sighs, and he dares to reach out and touch you, to reassure you that he’s there and himself that you’re real, that you’re right there. “Will you wait for me?”

Your heart melts, from an already slush-covered river to a rushing rapids. “Of course, Marcus.” It makes his heart skip a beat. You’ve called him lots of nicknames, but never his real name. Something is painfully intimate about it. “I like you a lot; why wouldn’t I?” You ask, shrugging as if it’s the simplest thing. “Distance makes the heart grow fonder.”

When you finish your meals, Marcus picks up both tabs, despite your protesting. “Can I walk you to your place?” He asks as you both stand and adjust your jackets.

You nod and take his hand. The lights of the city are seemingly extra dim tonight, leaving the street lights to illuminate your beautiful face as the two of you stroll along. You have all the time in the world, don’t you? It’s 1:30 in the morning. You’re both already evading sleep desperately. A little more time together can’t hurt.

His hand never leaves yours, his fingers lacing through your knuckles. You chat quietly, as if you could wake the sleeping city from the peaceful blue drone of a weeknight morning into its daily splendor of horns and hordes of speedy pedestrians.

Marcus bumps your shoulder with his, making you stumble a little to the side and laugh as you look up at his gorgeous face. His face reflects the love you’re both feeling, almost giving the city around you a pink glaze of warmth from the rose-colored glasses you must have placed over his eyes.

The walk draws to an end, as you stand at the entrance to your apartment building. Marcus’s body looks so soft and inviting, and you dare to wrap your arms around his neck and hug him to your chest. “I don’t want you to go, Agent Pancakes,” you murmur into the soft skin of his neck, which is starting to get a shadow of stubble.

Marcus kisses the top of your head. He doesn’t move either, prolonging this time you have together before he can’t see you. “I don’t want to go. I’ve never wanted to stay here more than I do now, but I have to.” His arms wrap around your waist, strong and safe.

Lifting your head, you look up at him, your noses practically touching from the proximity you share. The world feels like a bubble around you two, like some impenetrable one-way material that makes it so if Marcus leaves now, he can never come back. “Well, it’s gonna be a long time, a month or two,” you say with a sad smile. “We’ll have to begin again.”

Marcus shakes his head, his brown eyes almost welling with tears. “There’s no one else I’d want to begin again with.” With that, he looks in your eyes, the question hanging there. Wait for me?

Always, you respond silently by pressing your lips to his, kissing him slowly in the orange glow of your apartment building’s entrance. He kisses back, his lips tasting of coffee and maple and blueberry, yours tasting like chocolate and tea.

You squeeze your arms tighter around him, getting on your tiptoes to be as physically close as you can to him. He has one hand on either side of your rib cage, holding you there as he kisses back with all of the passion and love he has.

It can’t last too long or he’ll never leave. He won’t be able to. He breaks away after a few moments, his lips close to yours. He presses your foreheads together, arms encircling you again. “I have to go. I have to be at the office in an hour.”

You lift your head and your brow furrows in confusion. “Then why did you take so long to walk and eat with me?” You laugh quietly.

Marcus shrugs. “Didn’t want to leave you yet,” he admits, his eyes trained on yours. He gives you one last painfully gentle kiss. “I’ll miss you.”

“I’ll miss you more,” you say with a sad smile. “You’ve been my distraction lately. Whenever I’m bored, I text you.”

He sighs, the confession increasing his frown. “I’ll be in an entirely new place, without you.”

“But I’ll be here, in my same old life without you in it.”

The words punch a hole through Marcus’s heart. It’s true; he’ll have new distractions, new things to do. You’ll be here with a Marcus Pike-shaped hole in your heart. He kisses your forehead, the wheels turning in his head. “If you get a call in the next few weeks from an unknown number, be sure to answer it, okay?”

You nod and smile softly. “You need to go. Go.”

He nods and his hand squeezes yours. “I can’t wait to begin again with you.” With that, Marcus Pike, Agent Pancakes, whatever you want to call him, the man you’re highly suspecting might be your soulmate, walks off into the slightly chilly D.C. night.

-

taglist:

@remmysbounty @mishasminion360 @blo0dangel @binarydanvvers  @sleep-tight1 @apascalrascal @randomness501 @spideysimpossiblegirl @notabotiswear @pedro-pastel @sanchosammy @lv7867 @greeneyedblondie44 @hunnambabe @astoryisaloveaffair @emesispo @pedritobalmando @magikfanatic

[wheeler-beretta-harwood]

Getting to Know My Sweet Tits Even Better 20 Question Style

Favorite color?

Favorite School Subject?

Favorite (non wrestling) Show?

Favorite Song?

Favorite Book?

Favorite Meal?

Favorite Animal?

Favorite Holiday?

Favorite Celebrity Crush (no wrestlers?)

Favorite Movie?

Indoor or Outdoors?

City or Countryside?

Video or Bored Games

More Money or More Time

Summer or Winter

Where do you see yourself in 10 years?

Do you still watch cartoons?

As a kid What did you want to be when you grew up?

What is one item in your bucket list?

What does your dream house look like ?

So many questions! So, here is what my boring ass has to say:

Favorite color: Any shade of green: forest green and mint green are my favorites.

Favorite School Subject: It is kind of obvious, because these are things I still enjoy and use today: English, and Art. They were the most fun to me. I've actually studied English to become a high school teacher (I am not working as teacher, because anxiety got the best of me, and told me I'd be horrible at teaching kids)

Favorite show: Girl, I am telling you, if you haven't watched yet, you NEED to see Doctor Who! And if you are watching, tell me your fav Doctor. I need to know if we have the same taste there, too!

Favorite Song: Phew, that's tough. Right now, it probably is "Weight of the World" by Citizen Soldier.

Favorite Book: I have actually put this in my Cash fic. It's RUMO by Walter Moers (German author, which is surprising because I am usually not a fan of German literature). Moers created a fictional continent called Zamonia, where all different kinds of creatures live. This place is loco in the best kind of way. And I HIGHLY recommend checking out some of his works (''City of Dreaming Books'' might be a good start, it's the one that got me hooked)

Favorite Meal: I am a sucker for fish. I love salmon or something with shrimp. I also love any kind of salad

Favorite Animal: Dogs. I just love dogs. I talk to every dog I meet. They're just so loving and sweet.

Favorite Holiday: any holiday I don't have to go to work. Honestly, I think it would be Halloween, but it is not really celebrated here in Germany. At least not where I live.

Celebrity Crush: Chris Evans.

Favorite Movie: It's either Edward Scissorhands (first movie that made me cry because as a teen, I felt like Edward), or V for Vendetta. Also the LOTR movies, I'll never get sick of them.

Indoor or outdoors: Both? I honestly used to be more outdoors, and I love the forest. But indoors is pretty cool too. So both.

City or countryside: In my head, I'd like to live in a small village (which is the case in reality), but close to a big city, because then it would be easy to go to concerts or have a nice shopping spree. The next bigger city to where I live is still small (like 250.000 people live there) and I have to drive 100 miles to get there. So yeah, countryside close to a big city.

Video or board games: I don't play much. I enjoy Monopoly, but no one wants to play because you never see the end of it. And it can ruin friendships

More Money or more time: Call me a material bitch, but definitely more money. My family never had a lot of money, and we were always struggling, so I can only imagine how nice it can be growing up without having to worry if you can buy enough food to make it until the end of the month

Summer or winter: tough one, sweet tits, because I am a spring and fall girl. But if you make me choose: winter. If there is one thing I can't stand, it's the fucking heat. I'd rather freeze to death than melt and burn.

Where do you see yourself in 10 years: Careerwise? In the position of my manager. He will retire in about 10 years, and I try my best to get his job after that. I am not sure if it will work out, as the boss who owns the company is not very fond of me, but I'm working hard to show that I am capable of much more than I am doing right now. Personally? In a happy relationship. I've been single for years, and I'm the only one to blame. When I'm not interested, a guy can do whatever he wants, it's not gonna change. If I am interested, I automatically think he's too good for me, so even if he wants me, still not a chance. I'll try to work on that.

Do you still watch cartoons?: YES! I still have a soft spot for early Spongebob and I quote things almost on a daily basis. I'm also obsessed with Crayon Shin Chan.

What I wanted to be as a kid: A vet, until I realized I have to put animals to sleep. Could not do that.

What is one item in your bucket list? Visiting Chicago. I am in love with this place.

What does your dream house look like? I don't know? I love Gothic houses, cottages, and modern houses. BUT I'd love to have a pool.

[lostinthewiind]

Can I request a Tsukishima Kei x reader where they make up after an argument please 💜 also are there any prompt lists that you like and we can look through? If no, that’s cool too!

Make-Ups Instead of Break-Ups

A/N: I’ve never really used any prompt lists before, so I don’t have any ones in particular that I can direct you to, unfortunately. However, I’ll write pretty much anything so if you find a prompt from some random list and want me to write it, just send it my way! If anyone is unsure, just shoot me a private message or an anon ask and I’ll try my best to answer ASAP! (Btw, thanks for requesting! Tsukki is one of my fav Haikyuu characters and I just LOVE writing for him)

Characters: Tsukishima Kei

Rating: PG

Warnings: some arguing, in case that isn’t your jam, but other than that it’s pretty family-friendly 

Biting your tongue, you drew in a few deep breaths from your nose, trying your hardest not to let any of the harsh words that you’d surely regret later spring forth from your mouth. 

Across from you, standing with his arms crossed and an irritatingly smug look plastered across his face, Tsukki waited for you to either give in to your anger or storm off; those were the only two ways you knew how to handle arguments with him, even though neither one of them ever seemed to do you any good.

Even though this disagreement had sprouted from something as simple as Tsukki being late without sending you a courtesy text or call to let you know, your current boiling blood originated more from the series of things you had been bottling up inside for the past month or so.

At first, you had thought it was nothing more than a run-of-the-mill rough patch, but as time went on and things gradually got worse, you actually started to believe that your relationship had run its course. Ignored texts, missed phone calls, dry conversations, and the like had you ready to burst at the seam, and today, that seam had finally gave way.

“I just don’t understand why it’s so hard for you to be considerate,” you said in an attempt to remain composed but still convey how you were really feeling. You knew that if you never brought up the issues, Tsukki wouldn’t either, and then things would just be left to simmer and eventually, boil over. So, the confrontation was left up to you.

“Practice ran long.” He huffed. “I don’t know what you expect me to do about that.”

You shook your head, your irritation growing as he seemingly refused to acknowledge the point you were trying to make. “I never said I was mad about practice running long. I understand that things happen. What I’m trying to tell you is that it would be nice for you to let me know so that I’m not standing around waiting for thirty minutes, thinking you stood me up.”

“I don’t understand why it’s such a big deal.” He threw his hands into the air for effect.

You rolled your eyes. “It’s a big deal because if you had told me you were running late instead of just leaving me in the dark, we wouldn’t be arguing right now.”

“We wouldn’t be arguing right now if you didn’t insisit on overreacting about every little thing.”

And there it was. The words that finally pushed you over the edge. The breaking point. 

“Do you even want to be with me anymore?!” you shouted, definitely louder than you had intended. “Because it certainly doesn’t seem like it, and if that’s the case then please just be honest with me because I can’t keep doing this.”

For the first time since you had met him, Tsukki was speechless. No snarky remark, no annoying facial expression, no nonchalant shrug. Nothing. The tall blonde boy was completely taken aback by your sudden outburst.

This time, it was your turn to cross your arms over your chest and wait for a response. When none came, you scoffed.

“You don’t even care enough to say something when I’m talking about breaking up?” You were actually shocked. Sure, Tsukki was bad with emotions on the best of days, but this was a whole new low that you hadn’t been expecting. “Nothing?”

You watched the anger wash away from your boyfriend’s face, his shoulders slumping and his eyes softening. But still, he didn’t say a word; because he didn’t want to or he didn’t know what to say, you weren’t sure . . . but in that moment, his silence spoke volumes.

“Then I guess that’s it.” The words physically hurt to say, but you knew it needed to be done. 

Then, without warning, Tsukki turned and walked out of your room. You felt your heart shred to pieces as you watched his retreating figure, and when he turned the corner and disappeared out of sight, your stomach began to twist itself into tight, uncomfortable knots. 

You waited until you heard the front door open and close before you allowed yourself to cry, but it never happened. When you heard the faint sound of rummaging in the other room, your curiosity got the better of you. Slowly, you ventured into the living room where Tsukki had dropped his volleyball bag upon arriving. Leaning against the wall, you watched him dig through the bag frantically. 

“What are you doing?” you asked. Completely dumbfounded at the way he seemed totally unaffected by your words.

Finally, he stilled, his hand clamped around whatever it was he had been looking for. You watched his chest rise and fall as he drew in deep breaths, and when he turned to face you, you were surprised to see tears in his eyes.

Standing to his full height, which towered above you, he approached you carefully, almost like you were a stray dog, and he held out a small, wrapped box toward you. 

Your eyes shifted from him to the box, unsure of what was happening.

“This is for you,” he said, and when you still looked puzzled, he elaborated. “For your birthday next month. I didn’t know what to get you, so I’ve been asking the guys for help . . . which was probably a horrible idea, now that I think about it. Practice didn’t run late today. I was picking this up. I’m sorry I lied. I’m sorry I didn’t tell you I was going to be late.”

Suddenly, you felt like the biggest idiot in the entire world. Even though you felt like you didn’t deserve any sort of gift at all, you took the box from Tsukki’s hand because every second that you didn’t, he looked more and more worried you were going to completely reject him.

“What about all the other times?” you inquired, hoping he had an explanations for that as well. “You’ve been so distant.”

“Yeah . . . I was hoping you hadn’t noticed any of that. I’ve been trying to figure out what to do for your birthday without being too obvious about it and I think I got a little too inside my own head.” He nervously scratched the back of his neck. “I was worried if I opened my mouth, I would let something slip. I felt like I was going to be like Hinata and just say whatever I was thinking . . . it was a horrible feeling.”

You chuckled softly at that. “Why didn’t you just ask me what I wanted for my birthday? Seems that would have saved us a lot of trouble.”

“Nishinoya said girls like to be surprised,” he answered. “Apparently it’s more . . . romantic.”

You quirked an eyebrow up at him and smirked. “And you listened to him?”

He hung his head. “Not my proudest moment.”

“Why didn’t you just tell me all of this before? Why wait until I was ready to end it all?”

Tsukki shrugged. “. . . stubborn . . .” he muttered, barely even audible. 

“What was that?” You leaned in closer.

“I’m stubborn!” He admitted, the tears gone from his eyes now and his expression one of humiliated acknowledgement. “I’m a hard-headed jerk who messed up!”

You smiled warmly before handing the box back to Tsukki. His eyes widened at the gesture, convinced you were rejecting him and the gift. 

“Give it to me on my actual birthday,” you told him before he could spiral too much. “And next time, just talk to me instead of being all shady.”

Tsukki’s mood lifted as he took the box back into his hands once again. “Does this mean . . .?” His eyes were filled with hope; a wondrous look that you rarely saw on his face. You almost wanted to pull out your phone and take a photo.

“Since you came prepared with a gift and a solid explanation, I forgive you.” You wrapped your arms around his torso and hugged him tight. “But if you ever go silent on me again or forget to tell me when you’re running late, I will shove my foot so far up-”

Tsukki quickly hugged you back, pressing your face into his t-shirt and promptly shushing you before you could get the rest of your threat out. “I promise I’ll do better,” he whispered before pressing a chaste kiss to the top of your head. “And I promise I’ll never listen to the guys ever again.”

[kyotakumrau]

2020.12.21 The World You Live In at Zepp Tokyo, 2nd event report

Fujieda again started with greetings, introduced himself and Takabayashi and then asked for applause for the band members.

And we got quite a surprise!

Kaoru and Toshiya came on stage!

Thus making Tokyo the only place where band members changed for each slot/session. As much as I'd love to see Kyo again I was happy as my friend only went to Tokyo and she's Toshiya's fan😊

F: please introduce yourself.

Kaoru: you already did lol. I'm Kaoru.

T: I'm Toshiya.

F: the last video you just watched was different from other sessions. The trailer for the concert film screenings that will start from February. It's something only you know right now. As you can imagine from the title it will be something similar to this, with the band members coming for the talk after.

K talked a bit about the situation as well.

T: it's still difficult to hold concerts, but this is something we can do. So I hope you will look forward to it.

Next F started the 'merch items introduction corner', he passed the items to the members.

K: I was watching the 1st slot and we talked about them in Osaka, too. (he talked more about the items and what members said)

F: yes, everything can fit in the pouch so it's a very useful item. You can buy all merch items and put then in the pouch and take home like that. Let's look at Toshiya's big pick key chains (he pronunced that very carefully😂)

They talked about members signs and company logos when suddenly K requested to have to lights in the venue set brighter so he could see everyone.

After that F announced they wil start with questions from the fans, passed the part of papers to others, but K gave his to F saying it's better if he chooses.

T: ok, I have a good one! 'It was Die's birthday yesterday, did you send him a birthday message? And are there any memorable presents you've received in the past?'

T: I got a bicycle. I was really happy at first, but then it was stolen from the parking area.

F: when was it?

T (I didn't catch it but from the context it must have been quite early on in their career)

F: during the tour?

T: yeah, we were always giving each other something for our birthdays, every year, but as years passed it got more difficult to choose something good and we then just stopped.

F: how about you, K?

K: I got a Mickey Mouse, about this size (he showed us with his hand, about 1m tall).

F: 'how do you deal with feeling tired?'

K: I go for a massage.

F: only during the tour?

K: anytime.

F: when the most? When writing songs?

K (laughing): but we're always writing songs

T: for me it's sauna.

F: do you often go when just staying at home?

T: for example after the gym

Ta: 'what did you eat most often during the stay at home period?'

K: ...what did I eat, what about you, Tooru?

Ta: sausages.

The whole venue kinda rotfled 🤣🤣🤣

F: that's cute😆

Ta: it's something I can usually only eat at home.

K: ...something I was really into...(still thinking)....(thinking)

F: for me it was Jiro-ken ramen.

T: at home?! So you weren't really staying at home?

F: I gained some weight after the overseas tour. I started to diet then, and one day a week, a cheat day, I could eat whatever I wanted. My cheat choice was Jiro, either at the restaurants or to take away.

K: ...what was it for me...

F: maybe nabe you talked about before? (in Osaka)

K wasn't impressed 😆

T: canned mackerel for me.

F: for when you drink etc? No, just like that?

They all laughed here a bit.

Suddenly K jumped in with a new topic.

K: in Osaka you talked about the theme behind Kyo's outfit, you said it was pink but he pointed his green hair as the main point.

F: that was difficult.

K: tbh I also thought the main idea was pink (he also talked about Kyo's use of Kansai dialect)

T: 'what were you able to do after becoming an adult?'

F: there's a lot of food people start eating when they grow up.

T: food topic again? 😆

F: for example for me it was raisins.

T: as I get older I can drink more. When we just debuted I couldn't drink at all.

F: drinking wine?

T: おっさんだから・'cause I'm an old guy.

K started talking about the food he couldn't handle when he was small but the next question kinda made me forget it 😅

' 'wet cat food is actually quite good, have you ever tried?'

F: I have a cat and sometimes when I give my cat wet food some will get on my fingers. I'd just lick it. You know some of it, the mackerel or tuna, it looks so good.

T: please send me a video when you eat cat food next time.

😂

(but to be fair most of canned cat food in Japan is 100% fish🤷‍♀️)

K: 'when you can tour again what local specialities do you want to eat?'

F: motsunabe in Fukuoka

T: miso type?

F: of course (if not Shinya would kill him)

K: what did you eat in Sendai?

F: bento

K: in Nagoya?

F: nothing special

T: we had normal bento, but it was miso katsu (Nagoya's style cutlet)

F: but if it's not in a restaurant it's not the same. Anything you want to eat, T?

T: Beki soba from Niigata.

F: have you tried it before?

T: when we went there on a tour, I really like soba.

They talked but more about food, tare katsu, okonomiyaki from Hiro and Jiro again.

T: is Jiro really that good?

F: 😍

K: I've tried it before, but it's (just) okay.

F: it's all about how the noodles taste (type of flour etc)

(more food talk, choosing between salt and tare options)

K: 'what's your favorite onigiri (rice ball)?'

F: how about you, K?

K: I don't eat onigiri.

T: Me also, but if I have to choose it's sujiko/salted salmon roe.

K (about not eating onigiri much): right, you only eat soba.

T then told us the story how much he loved salmon roe even as a child. When he was quite small he went shopping to the local supermarket with his grandmother. When he saw salmon roe in the shop he just started eating it directly from the shelf/container. Of course when his grandmother and supermarket staff found out it got very noisy, but because he was so young it was forgiven.

(back to onigiri topic)

Ta: salmon for me.

F: oh that is nice, I love the most tamago-kake-gohan rice ball (TKG is a very simple, traditional Japanese breakfast dish - just rice with a raw egg eaten with soy sauce, sometimes other toppings), the Newdays chain is selling them

K: the chain operates only in this area, no?

F explained that there are Newdays in other places too, fe Sendai. He also really got into explaining all pros incl the tasty gooey filling inside of the rice ball.

K (imitating F) oh that's nice 😂

F: 'it got so cold recently, what's your favourite season?'

T: spring or fall, I don't hate winter but I definitely don't like summer.

K: fall. (he said as this year wasn't too cold he could go out a bit during breaks)

F: so 2~3 weeks ago was your fav time.

K: here in Tokyo at least.

F: 'as we're staying home much more now do you have a recommended tv series or a channel?' (not just a movie)

K: Cobra kai.

F: ah, you tweeted about it.

K: it will be on Netflix next month, the 3rd season.

K talked about The Karate Kid (Japanese title 'Best Kid').

F: I don't know it.

Ta: me too.

K (shocked): you're serious???

T: I know, of course.

F: 'Best Kid'? 'Best Fit?'

T: just stop it🙃

F: how about your recommendation, T?

T: The BOYS on Prime.

K: I haven't seen it, but it seems interesting.

T: it is! I also like BOSCH. I'm just watching like after work and so on.

After that K talked about how cinema with the capacity reduced by half was nice because you could put your bag on the seat next to you etc, but recently came back to the full house (Demon Slayer did that...)

F: 'how do you feel being in front of people first time in a while?'

T: I'm sorry it has to be done this way

F: don't say that😆

(missed K's reply)

T: it's tiring to be in front of people.

F: but we do it in an interesting way.

T: yeah.

T: 'what's your favourite game? Even including older ones like famicon?'

K: games?

T: Spelunker on Amicon😆

T/K in agreement: where you die so quickly

K: PS5 is so popular, I didn't win.

F: it seems Kyo won once but the information he submitted had a mistake.

K: I applied for Sony's lottery and Big Camera's.

F: you don't want PS5, T?

T: recently I don't play.

K: what about the... what was it Tsushima?

They all reacted with 'ah'

F: what kind of game is it?

K: don't ask me😅 but it looks interesting.

T: it seems to be very popular abroad.

F: 'what's your favourite way to eat ozoni?'

(A new year soup with rice cakes)

Ta: the soy sauce based soup, with grilled mochi.

F: but what ingredients do you add?

K: isn't that way too detailed??

Ta (tries): spring onion etc

K listed grilled mochi, spinach, carrot etc. Then he told us about his family tradition to properly make rice cakes for New year, pounding was so loud even if you wanted to watch tv, you couldn't. But then they had enough for a month.

T: soy sauce style.

F: with miso or?

T: I said soy sauce.

F: what ingredients?

T: rice cakes, spinach, and what is that... (he started to make circles with his hand) ...?

F: naruto?

T (yeah that/nods)

F: in my family we do soy sauce, rice cakes, carrot, fish cakes etc.

K (ignoring F comment that they should finish now, in a teasing way): what about osechi, which dishes do you like?

F: konbu maki or kurikinton.

K: how about you, T?

T: that egg dish that is kinda like this (he gestured the shape again)?

Ta: tatemaki?

F: datemaki!

T: I think it's datemaki.

K: I like that beef roll with carrot and green beans inside (its 牛肉の八幡巻き)

F (making very dreamy face): Aaaaaaah that😍 green beans are so good.

F: ok, thank you all.

K: what about Tooru (Ta)?

F: it's time, sorry.

Last comments.

Toshiya: thank you all for gathering here despite the COVID situation. It's difficult to do concerts now so we tried doing film screenings. In difficult times like this it's not only about the band members, there's our staff and also the venues. I'd love to play concerts again, please wait for us.

Kaoru: it is a difficult situation to share my personal opinion... if we can't do the concerts in a way everyone can enjoy... enjoy, it will affect our relationship of mutual trust. I think this (COVID) situation will continue for some time still, so I think it's better to go with the film screening events. But we will keep checking the situation. Please stay healthy and I hope all of you will come to watch it.

[ryuunosenshi]

@astralarias tagged anyone who wanted to do this so why the hell not? ^^

— Personal

Name: I have a name, yes xD (not comfortable just stating my actual name online, sorry)

Nickname: Ryuu

Birthday: March 27th

Age: 27

Zodiac: Aries

Nationality: Dutch

Languages: Dutch, English and some Japanese, German and French but with the last 3 I’m not good at speaking it, mostly just understanding it.

Gender: Genderqueer 

Sexuality: Autochorissexual, but I fall in love faster than the speed of light xD

Height: 5’4 / 165cm

Meaning behind URL: inspired by one of my favorite Sentai villains, MugenRyuu Long.

— Favs

Favourite animals: Cats, (fruit)bats, manta rays, bees

Favourite books: Lord Of The Rings, The Hobbit, any Jules Verne book

Favourite colour: (Royal) purple, dark reds and blues

Favourite fictional characters: too many to list them all but just to name a few; Trahearne, Canach, Almorra Soulkeeper, Eomer, Pippin, Nada, Kiriya, Ultraman Zero, Momotaros

Favourite flower: Lavender and dahlias

Favourite scent: Lavender, fresh honeycomb and my cat Eiji’s warm, soft belly xD

Favourite season: Spring

— Random

Average hours of sleep: Usually about 6 but I’d like it to be more

Cats or dogs: I love both but definitely prefer cats, especially when it comes to having them as pets.

Coffee, tea or hot chocolate: Out of these three; coffee, but I usually prefer coffee-flavored things and I don’t often actually drink it.

Current time: 15:10

Dream trip: Iceland, the Alps, Japan, New Zealand

Dream job: Wildlife photographer, beekeeper

Hobbies: gaming, photography, reading about science/astronomy

Last movie watched: Can’t remember.

Last tv-show watched: Ultraman Z

Last song listened to: Goo Goo Dolls - Acoustic #3

Number of blankets you sleep with: four. I’m actually surprised I still sleep with the same number of blankets as in winter, this new apartment is so much better at keeping the heat out than the old one xD

Things you’re looking forward to: Dragon Bash!!!! Also to Tyria Pride this weekend and the first anniversary of my Guild next month ^^

Random fact(s): (I’m always so bad at these ‘random’ things xD) but.. I still haven’t finished unpacking despite it being 3 months since I moved, does that count as random enough???

Tagging anyone who feels like doing this ^^

[mackies-thoughts]

Life in Music

Music has always been a major part of my life, so naturally my life can be defined by what music I was listening to at the time. I will listen to my music on shuffle and say “Oh, I remember listening to this in [insert random moment in time here]”. Thus a definitive list of my life in music is born!

Fall 2018

Shawn Mendes album (I listened to this on repeat while suffering through my online algebra assignments)

Youngblood - 5SOS album (I listened to this for the first time packing for winter break!)

Oye Como Va - Tito Puente (this was discovered during my World Music class and my roommate and I would listen to it over and over again)

Duck Tails theme song (again, my roommate and I have weird taste in music I guess)

Killer Queen - 5SOS

Polaroid - Jonas Blue, Liam Payne & Lennon Stella

Fine - Spencer Sutherland (I would listen to this song on repeat at least 15 times in a row)

Shotgun - George Ezra (My dad got me into this song)

Still New York - MAX and Joey Bada$$

8 Letters (album) - Why Don’t We (the beginning of a lovely obsession)

Happier - Marshmello (DO NOT watch this music video, whatever you do)

Have It All - Jason Mraz (This is a super specific memory but I was listening to this walking to Centennial Hall and it put me in such a good mood which algebra class ruined immediately)

LANY (album) - LANY

Spring 2019

Dan and Shay - all albums (but I like the Obsessed album the best I think)

Unbelievable - Why Don’t We (the best WDW song to date, I will fight people on this)

Don’t Change - Why Don’t We

Phases - PRETTYMUCH (I remember many cold mornings at 7 am walking to Chemistry and listening to this on repeat)

If I Can’t Have You - Shawn Mendes (I remember driving to surprise our best friend at his college graduation and blasting this song with the windows down, such a fun day!)

Look What God Gave Her - Thomas Rhett (I have a specific memory of driving to Walmart with my roommate and choosing this song to listen to)

Someone to You - BANNERS (this song was used in After and I saw that with my roommate and another friend during Block Party weekend)

NIKES - Jake Miller

Here With Me - Marshmello feat. CHVRCHES (I listened to this one so much that my roommate actually banned me from listening to it around her because she was so sick of it)

Love Me Less - MAX & Quinn XCII

Who Do You Love - The Chainsmokers & 5SOS

I Don’t Belong In This Club - Why Don’t We & Macklemore (pretty sure there’s a video of me singing this song very poorly 😂)

comethru - Jeremy Zucker (feat. Bea Miller)

Cody Simpson - all new albums (this obsession started after I saw him in Anastasia on a trip to New York and I’m now in love, he has such a summer vibe in all of his newer music)

Fall 2019 (aka worst semester everrr)

Kill My Mind - Louis Tomlinson (anxiously waiting for Walls to release!!)

Yellow Hearts - Ant Saunders (courtesy of TikTok)

Fine Line (album) - Harry Styles (my roommate became obsessed with Watermelon Suger so I thought she would become obsessed like me - thought wrong; the video for Adore You dropped and I watched it while getting ready one morning to which my roommate said “What the heck are you watching?”)

Ophelia - The Lumineers (TikTok again, I might be obsessed)

5SOS - Sounds Good Feels Good album and Teeth (this semester made me feel angsty and SGFG definitely helps with that)

Colors (EP) - Jacob Whitesides (I may have cried out of pride listening to this the first time which was as soon as it was released)

What Am I - Why Don’t We (changed my mind, this is the best WDW song)

Next to Normal soundtrack (watched a bootleg of this on YouTube and cried)

Flicker (album) - Niall Horan (I’m a bad fan but I just now listened to this album...oops. It was on repeat studying in the library for finals with my roommate)

Put a Little Love on Me - Niall Horan

Nice to Meet Ya - Niall Horan (this song excited me because he speaks French and the only class I enjoyed this semester was French so)

Suburban Girl - Lostboycrow (I jam hard to this song, I was listening to a chill playlist while doing laundry and that’s how I discovered this song)

10,000 Hours - Dan and Shay (I also listened to this one on repeat as soon as it came out, along with Kill My Mind)

Mother - Charlie Puth (I saw this king in concert and he will forever be one of my favs)

Things That We Drink To - Morgan Wallen (I discovered him on a band bus ride back from Shippensburg University and I fell in love with this Australian country singer)

Aaand during winter break I have been listening to High School Musical: The Musical: The Series which I was ready to hate but I’m actually in love with!

Spring 2020 - aka Corona Virus University

Goldfish Crackers - Good Revere (best TikTok dance everrrr, my roommate and I are obsessed with it and we do it together a lot, even if it is just over FaceTime)

Heartbreak Weather (album) - Niall Horan (so so amazing, I could listen to it over and over for the rest of my life which may or not be happening)

CALM (album) - 5 Seconds of Summer (again, great album and have it on repeat)

Common Sense - Joshua Basset (cute, cute song from a cute, cute boy)

IDK You Yet - Alexander 23 (another really cute song)

Starry - (this is a musical based on the life of Vincent Van Gogh, sounds a little bizarre but I promise it’s incredible! Dillon Klena is part of the team now although he didn’t sing on the actual recording)

Whistler - Kathryn Gallagher (she’s part of the Jagged Little Pill company on Broadway and she’s so good!)

Jasper Avenue - CaRter (vibeeees)

Little Women Soundtrack - (all instrumental and I’ve written many an English paper/Genetics paper to it)

Intentions - Justin Bieber feat. Quavo (I only know a few words but that doesn’t stop me from vibing as hard as I possibly can!)

Sunday Best - Surfaces (another TikTok song but it is so so good and gets stuck in my head. Bonus is that I can do the dance!)

Winter Hurts (EP) - Jacob Whitesides (another banging album from my dude! Go check it out if you haven’t already!)

Beautiful Soul - Jesse McCartney (this has always been my favorite song but it now has so much more meaning to me because it was Corey La Barrie’s favorite too. Rest in Paradise bud<3)

Hedwig and the Angry Inch album (specifically the Riverdale cast album, some may say it’s cringey but I loved it! - “Here’s to Ronnie...”)

Fall 2020

Fallin’ - Why Don’t We (such an amazing group of guys that are finally producing music that is 100% them! I’m really looking forward to seeing the rest of their album because if it is anything like this then it is about to break the charts)

Julie and the Phantoms Cast Album (OH MY GOSH I need to make a post with all of my JATP thoughts because this show has so many layers that make it absolutely incredible. There are no skips on the album AT ALL)

Hold Me Down - Jacob Whitesides (This is his best song by far and I streamed it for about 24 hours straight so my boy could rack up his streams on Spotify 😌)

mama’s boy - LANY (another amazing album by them! My favorite differs from day to day but currently it is (what i wish just one person would say to me))

Lotus Inn - Why Don’t We (This is such a feel-good song and honestly I’ve listened to it so many times and am still not tired of it at all. The music video is incredible and it was another of Corey’s favorite songs <3)

evermore - Taylor Swift (holy cow, this girl is amazing! My favorite is happiness, tolerate it, and gold rush!)

Wonder - Shawn Mendes album (so many cute love songs and Monster with Justin Bieber is sooo good!)

Almost Maybes - Jordan Davis

Spring 2021

Every Girl I Ever Loved - Noah Schnacky

It’s Not You It’s Me - EBEN

Roses - The Band CAMINO

Greek Tragedy - The Wombats

About You Now - Sam and Sounds

Glad You Exist - Dan and Shay

Honeymoon (Demo) - The Shadowboxers

remember the mornings - Clinton Kane

CHICKEN TENDIES - Clinton Kane

Break My Heart - JC Stewart

u suck - Emily Bear

afraid to die - Jacob Whitesides

losing a friend - Jacob Whitesides

Summer 2021 (CMERA in particular)

everything sucks - vaultboy

Alaina - John Harvie

Casual - Ian McConnel

Lemon Drop - Raynes

Big Kids (Bergie Remix) - Lukr, Bergie

Cheers to My Teenage Years

Best Thing Ever

Fall 2021

Love Back - Why Don’t We

I Guess I’m In Love - Clinton Kane

[bribe-the-door]

If every song from hs2 was a color, what would they be?

[Track 1] Golden

so.... this is “pretty much on the nose” for what color it should be but I see it as sunset golden... except it’s the shadows of the sunset. you know how you try to take pictures on the beach at sunset and it’s all silhouettes? exactly. it’s bright and warm and golden but ALSO dark and an outline of what you’re trying to capture. your [person] is outlined in golden hues and a slight baby pink or bright orange if the sun hits the water just right on the beach... but you can’t see the faces of those in the picture.

[Track 2] Watermelon Sugar

care-free and bright pink. you’re on a beach [again.... sorry] and you’re sleepy in the sun. you have a pink drink in hand [a strawberry daiquiri maybe?] and are dulling the sunlight by way of huge sunglasses because the ocean in front of you is insanely bright blue like the ‘electric blue’ Crayola marker. it’s a song that feels drunk and dizzy and tastes sweet even on the darkest and moody of days. fight me on this. this is my happy song. it is laced with vodka or tequila and only to be thought of as a sunset song. NEXT PLEASE

[Track 3] Adore You

this one is all earth  tones... a mossy green, a deep inland lake blue, some rich soil brown, all things to make up a spring-time island. there are slivers of grey and deep heather gray and an occasional metallic gold of sea life below the waters, but also hues of deep red-brown and turquoise (easily confused with black or gray under the ripples of water). it’s grainy like a vintage-film reel and smells of old books.

[Track 4] Lights Up

lights up? it’s dark, y’all. all of the colors are muted and murky, kind of like you’re drunk and trying to make out what is in front of you. it’s a deep green again, a very deep yellow or beige, despite the boldness of the sounds heard. it’s as if you’re trying to fight your way out of murky lake water and as the harmonies grow to be stronger, you’re reaching closer to the top [of the lake/pond/ocean/water]. you can finally take a deep breath of clear air once you come to the top... and it’s a clear pale blue. you made it, babe.

[Track 5] Cherry

this song screams early fall morning to me. it’s foggy, there is a hue over a big field of grey and a slight pink, but it’s too early to tell. soft colors; lilac, an olive green, so many hues of pink and white and the slightest tinge of ice blue. kind of like the most stereotypical farm/field-based Nicholas Sparks movie you can think of, but made it slow-motion and sad and also probably post-rainstorm. there is most definitely a cherry blossom tree in the background and also a small white farmhouse, too.

[Track 6] Falling

periwinkle. violet. a tiny bit of a mustard yellow. the cool hues outweigh the bright character of the yellow without fail but the yellow tries to peak out every so often, clearly outweighed by the darkness of blues and purples. it feels like the morning dew and sticks to you like the humidity of a late summer night before a storm rolls in. you feel clouded by the weight of the world but see an ounce of hope in the peaks of the harmonies, that goddamn yellow peeking though again.

[Track 7] To Be So Lonely

baby blue ONLY for the “little boy” mention. i will not take notes on this. also... this song screams groovy and crunchy colors like burnt orange and a vivid gold color, and also a nice cheery blue. kind of the sky blue you see in cartoons but also a navy blue, too. this isn’t color related but the diversity in instrumentals here is incredible, this song feels like a goddam rainbow, but muted. like a jewel-toned rainbow with some glitter. only because of the use of the phrase “an arrogant son of a bitch”. case closed.

[Track 8] She

smokey and deep red embers of a flame, somehow kept alive by a force unknown. there is a deep purple vibe to this song, too, almost confused by a black or the complete absence of color in the dark of night. there isn’t a single bright thing of this song, save for maybe a spark or fleeting ember from the fire in a blazing orange or yellow. maybe even a white [if things are hot enough]. this song is pink in nature but red in execution, only shown in the light with a deep hue of maroon and gold.

[Track 9] Sunflower Vol. 6

YELLOW! YELLOW! YELLOW! is this even an arguable POINT! it is yellow and orange and bright pink and all things HAPPY because sunflowers are warm and remind me of summer when things are okay and fine and LOVELY. also there is definitely a hint of bright green and blue and a little bit of rainbow sparkle.... but only a little. kind of like only around 1:28-:1:35... you know? it’s sparkly. get out of here if you say it’s not. the “boop boops” are also translucent like bubbles and that’s a FACT

[Track 10] Canyon Moon

transition of afternoon sun to a sunset... like dusk, but a color. oranges and yellows and the preparation that goes into a bonfire. also the golden perfection of a perfectly toasted marshmallow? crisp like the evening breeze... teal and purple with darkness but kept warm by the flames of the lasting embers of the flames in front of you.

[Track 11] Treat People With Kindness (THIS IS MY FAV)

it’s rainbow. don’t even try to fight me on this. this song can only be described as confetti cannons going off at all times. i wish i had more to say but i had too much fun jamming out to this song!!!!! it’s absolute madness!!!! I LOVE THIS SO MUCH!!!! IT’S SO BRIGHT AND NEON AND HAPPY AND I LOVE IT!!!!!!

[Track 12] Fine Line

this one starts as a very, very dark green. it stays that hue for a while but slowly transitions into a brighter blue-green as the song progresses. little glimpses into the future of the melody show itself with golden and pink rays but they’re drowned out by the green-blue until the peak of the song when things transition into “we’ll be alright” over and over and over. it’s like a sunrise after fighting your way through the foliage of a dark night and not sure where you’ll end up. but you make it though it all and finally find the sun... golden and shadowy like this album started as. the change between dark and like are so obvious during this song.

[eyesfixedonthesun22]

First Impressions

Summary: With the multiverse now in play, we visit an alternate universe where Steve Rogers is America’s first bisexual contestant on the ever popular and never lacking dating show, The Bachelor. Nick Fury is your illustrious host through the shocking announcement, contestant biographies, and the first night in the mansion. Only one question remains; who will get the first impression rose on what is promised to be the most dramatic season ever!? Pairing: Steve x Avengers Warning(s): Language. Kissing. A hell of a lot of cringe and bachelor/bachelorette tropes. Word Count: 3,238 Beta: The darling sweetheart @supersoldiersruined-me Notes: This is my entry to @revengingbarnes 10K writing challenge. My prompt was a Bachelor AU. Thank you so much for hosting this, Fatima! This prompt was honestly a challenge for me. I wasn’t sure which point of view and formatting I wanted. It’s certainly unlike anything I’ve ever written. Please no one hate me if I made your fav annoying. I just wanted to fit in as many bachelor personality tropes. The fic isn’t an actual representation of my thoughts on each character. 

Live Studio Audience: Intro

“Good evening and welcome to this exciting season of The Bachelor. I’m Nick Fury, your host for tonight.” The studio audience erupts into choreographed uproar. “Looks like Bachelor Nation is out in full force tonight. Are you all ready for what I promise is our most dramatic season ever?”

Nick commands the stage with a casual grace that only comes from years of hosting. “Last season you all watched as the beautiful bombshell Peggy Carter embarked on her quest for love; which she found with her now fiance. While we wish her the best of luck with her engagement, we couldn’t help be as heartbroken as you all were when a particular fan favorite was booted just before hometown dates. Let’s take a look at this season’s Bachelor!”

Broadcast: Steve’s Bio

“My name is Steve Rogers. I’m twenty-six years old. Born and raised in Brooklyn. You may know me from Peggy Carter’s season of The Bachelorette.”

The audience is treated with a montage of Steve at home in Brooklyn. He walks down the street to a corner bodega on a spring day; smiling and greeting the owner at the counter like they’re old friends. The old tabby cat sat on the counter near the register curls into his hand as he scratches behind her ears.

“A little known fact about me is that I really love cooking.” The next shot is him cooking a large family style meal in a stunning modern kitchen. The black hexagon tiles frame the close up of the saute pan as he flips the food; clearly practiced. The camera zooms in once more for a close up shot of Steve’s large calloused hands making deft work of chiffonading the basal to top his culinary masterpiece. As far as lusting goes, the depiction of Steve as the bachelor is a lot less macho and hits more boy-next-door.

“Things didn’t quite work out with Peggy and I. While we’re kindred souls, I think it just wasn’t the right time.” Steve’s no longer shown at home in his cozy apartment but in a carefully crafted video confessional booth.

The audience hears the producer’s voice off screen, “Do you think you’re over her? Are you ready for love?”

“Definitely. I learned a lot from Peggy. I learned who I am and what I need from a relationship. I’m ready for the whole damn thing. I want a partner, I want kids. I like pretty pedestrian, domestic things.” He looks down at his lap, almost as if he’s embarrassed. “I like ceremony. I wanna carve pumpkins and do the tree at christmas; all that.”

“Anything else you’d like to add to your intro?” The producers prompt. Steve’s broad shoulders straighten and take up much of the booth; his body tense with nervous energy which he masks with a radiant smile. He takes a deep breath before looking the camera dead in the eye.

“I’m Steve Rogers… and I’m the first bisexual Bachelor.”

Live Studio Audience:

The audience goes wild; homemade signs wave, men and women alike scream their delight. Nick Fury stands in the small center stage waiting for the crowds applause to dissipate.

“So needless to say, this season will be unlike anything you’ve ever seen before.” He smirks at the camera knowingly. “Before we jump back into tonight’s episode, would you guys like to hear from America’s sweetheart himself?” More incoherent cheering. “Let’s bring him on out!”

Steve appears from behind the crimson velvet curtain waving sheepishly. They’ve slicked back his locks doing nothing to detract from the classic bachelor look. He unbuttons the slim navy suit jacket as Fury gestures for him to sit on the small interview couch.

“Welcome, Steve. How ya feeling tonight?”

“Not gonna lie, Nick. I feel super nervous.” He fidgets in the seat a bit; rubbing the flats of his palms on the tops of his thighs. “Being the bachelor is one thing. Being the first bisexual bachelor is another.”

“Well I’m not sure about you guys, but I thought it was about time!” Nick’s enthusiasm draws more cheering from the crowd. “We got to know you on Peggy’s season and America just fell in love with you. You’re such a great guy; so genuine and compassionate.”

“Thank you, really, thank you. I honestly was terrified to be the first bisexual man on the show. Being the bachelor has always traditionally been typecast as a very specific type of man; one that I didn’t really see myself fitting into. So to be given this opportunity to find love and to have the support that I’ve gotten since the announcement has been beyond my wildest dreams.”

“You ready to jump into your season?”

“As ready as I’ll ever be.”

“While Steve may be our first bisexual bachelor, you can expect not much to change on the show. Each week contestants will be eliminated at a traditional rose ceremony. We’ll still have the first impression rose, hometown dates, and the always anticipated fantasy suits!”

Fury eyes Steve hoping to make him squirm a bit. Steve manages to make his sinful blush look composed while he chuckles.

“Without further ado let’s meet the delightful men and women vying for a spot in Steve’s heart.”

Broadcast: Contestant Bios

“My name? Tony Stark. Don’t worry about having your little design guys whip me a tagline; I’m certain no one needs it. Household name n’ all.” A smirking brunette stares directly into the camera and winks. He’s wearing rose tinted sunglasses despite the dimmed lighting of the interview space. “So what do you wanna know?”

The producers sigh before proceeding. “Tell us a bit about yourself.”

The camera stays in the testimonial booth but now a blonde women occupies the seat. Unlike the previous occupant she isn’t slouching but sits with excellent posture and poise.

“My name is Sharon McCarter. I’m an agent for the Strategic Homeland Intervention, Enforcement, and Logistics Division. I need someone who’s ready for a fast paced lifestyle. My job keeps me on my toes.”

“What did you think when Steve was announced as the bachelor? What did you think of him being bisexual?”

“Honestly?” Sharon pauses a bit buffudled. “He seems a bit more clean cut then the guys I usually go for.” She looks at the camera with a hesitant smile.

“What would you say your passion is?”

“Fitness. Fitness and health, for sure.” The booth is now overwhelmed with an exceptionally huge man. His long blonde hair falls to his shoulders with delicate braids mixed into his locks. “I’m Thor Odinson. I own and operate Odinsons Gym with my brother Loki.”

“How would you describe yourself as a partner. What could Steve expect?”

Thor continues in his deep voice. It carries subtle hint of an accent not from the states, “Steve could expect the rough sexiness of a pirate mixed with the pure innocence of an angel; the perfect boyfriend if you ask me.”

“What kind of partner do you hope to be for Steve?”

“An attentive one. I’m a scientist by profession.” The tagline on the screen says that the brunette with the tossed curls currently answering his interview questions is Bruce Banner. “A good part of my job is being detail oriented and focused. I’d like to think I bring that same level of attentiveness and sensitivity to my partner.”

Live Studio Audience:

“Welcome back, Bachelor Nation! It looks like Steve has a great batch of men and women who couldn’t be more excited to get their journey started. Let’s see how Steve get’s along navigating his first night in Bachelor Mansion.

Show Footage:

The camera pans across a gorgeous california night sky and comes to land on Steve standing in front of Bachelor Mansion. They have him perfectly centered between two backlit trees with the ornate floral fountain babbling as a soundtrack. He fidgets with his plain black tie waiting for the first limo to pull up. He stares into the camera and mouths a very endearing “What do I do with my hands!”

From that moment on, it’s a parade of individuals dressed to the nines. The women stun in their gleaming and silky ball gowns. The men glow in their crisp suits. Each give their cheesy one liners to Steve before heading into the mansion.

A man named Phil, who insists that Steve call him Coulson, gives him a red, white, and blue sash emblazoned with the words America’s Sweetheart on it while wearing his own sash reading Mr. America. A women named Wanda introduces herself in a thick, sultry accent.

“Where are you from, Wanda?”

“Sakovia. I’m so excited to meet you. I look forward to teaching you about my culture and getting to know you better.”

After Wanda, the next person out of the limo is Clint. He makes a qippy one liner before sauntering into the mansion. A woman named Carol strolls confidently out of the limo nearly glowing in her crimson and gold gown. Next comes a bird. It’s not actually a bird; but rather a man in an oversized mascot type costume.

“Did you know that eagles mate for life?”

Steve stares at the camera for half a second as if questioning if the producers are serious. “I didn’t know that. Any chance I can see the eagle’s face? Or at least know his name?”

“We’ll save the pretty face for later, but the name is Sam.”

Steve takes a moment to compose himself after the bird’s introduction. The final woman exits the limo. She’s in a simple black dress that hugs her body dangerously. Her flame red hair cascades down one shoulder. Her introduction is clipped and to the point. Steve places a hand on her shoulder.

“Sorry I didn’t catch your name.”

Her face softens then. “It’s Natasha, but you can call me Nat.”

After the train of individuals Steve is looking more relaxed. He seems to have settled into his role with less nerves than when the show began. The final contestant steps out of the limo.

“Good evening, Steve. My name is James Barnes. You look so handsome tonight.”

Steve takes in the man across from him. He’s got equally broad shoulders as Steve; they’re nearly matched in height. He wears his silky brown locks at shoulder length with a dainty waterfall braid on one side. The baby blue of his pocket square matches his eyes.

“I can’t wait to get to know you, James.”

**************************************************************************************************

“Alright ladies and gentlemen, settle down. You all know who I am already,” Nick Fury is addressing all the contestants as they make themselves comfortable in the front living room at the mansion. “Steve! Why don’t you come on in here and get this cocktail party started?”

Steve enters the room gracefully. “I just want to thank you all for being here. I know that putting yourself out there in a new relationship is never easy; let alone in a situation like this one. It’s incredibly important to me that you all are your genuine selves. I wanna get to know the real you. Here’s to the start of something amazing!”

He raises his glass to a chorus of agreeing voices. There’s a half second of adjustment before Tony clasps Steve’s hand and tugs him away from the group.

“I’m gonna steal you first.”

Despite his depiction as an arrogant ass in his interview, Tony actually has a pleasant conversation with Steve. The audience is left wondering if Tony is the likeable wild card or this seasons possible obnoxious villain. Before Tony saunters off, he presses a deep kiss onto Steve’s lips.

“Had to get you first, handsome.” He winks and heads to the bar to refresh his drink.

Steve stares into the camera and states, “I guess we’re starting things off with a bang?”

**************************************************************************************************

Clint, being the critical observer, saunters over to the bar to find that Coulson is already posted up on one of the bar stools. It’s by sheer force of will that Coulson is upright as the lack of armrests and amount of alcohol he’s clearly consumed are working against him. Clint quickly surveys the situation and makes eye contact with the camera.

“How ya doin’ there Phil? Save some for us, huh?” Beneath the joke there is a hint of concern in his voice. It would appear the concern is warranted as Phil tips dangerously towards the edge of his seat before righting himself. The first stumble is corrected but the second lands him on the floor. “Whoa big guy. Can I get some help here? Producers? I think first night nerves may have lead Phil to throw back one too many.”

“No pro-hicc-ducers. I’m fine. I’m fiiiine,” Phil slurs. Despite Clint’s efforts to keep him upright he’s laying on the floor, cheek pressed firmly to the cold tile. “I just love Steve-hicc-so much. Ya know?”

“Sure you do buddy...sure you do?”

**************************************************************************************************

Steve speaks to Wanda, Bruce, and Thor in a series of rapid fire exchanges over the next couple of hours. After a warm conversation, Carol leaves Steve lounging on the plush chaise; promising that one day they’ll go stargazing together.

“No one told me these cocktail parties were so exhausting.” The camera crew chuckle. It’s endearing how much Steve utilizes them to break the tension. His unfiltered emotions only make him that much more of an approachable sweetheart. The makeup staff powder his face as Nick Fury approaches.

“We have about a half hour before the rose ceremony. Just a heads up. Any conversations you wanna have, have them now.”

Steve meanders through the expansive grounds. He’s clearly looking for something. He brushes off Thor asking for a second conversation with a polite excuse before take another turn in the winding paths.  He turns his head over his shoulder to ask the camera men which way back inside when he collides with something. Someone.

“It’s probably ill advised to get the attention of the man of your affections by knocking him on his ass, huh?” Bucky jokes. “I actually was coming to grab you for a conversation. I haven’t had a chance to talk to you all night.”

The two men are sat side by side, dress pants rolled up to their knees, while their legs swing gentle waves into the surface of the pool. Dusk has gone and night has come. They’ve been talking for some time now. They’ve both discarded their suit jackets but it’s done nothing to prevent the evening humidity from clinging their shirts to their muscles.

“I have to ask. I feel like I know you from somewhere.”

“Is that you cheesily telling me you feel like you’ve known me for one hundred years?” Steve asks in a singsong mocking tone.

“No! Punk! I’m serious though.” Bucky thinks for a moment before exclaiming, “Do you go to that bodega on the corner of Clark and Henry with Mr. O’Sullivan and his cat Maevie?”

“See I was having a great time chatting with you but now I have to send you home cause clearly you’re a stalker.”

“I knew it! You look...different?”

Steve chuckles gently. “I bulked up a bit for the show. Had to fit the ‘look’ ya know?”

“I feel like such an idiot for not talking to you sooner but I hadn’t seen you there in a long time. I usually go super late though.” Bucky looks down at his hands; there’s more to the statement than he’s letting on.

“Chatting with Mr. O’Sullivan is always a good way to pass the time when insomnia strikes.” Bucky looks up at Steve in shock. He’s ready to explain himself but Steve jumps up abruptly out of the pool. “I’ll be right back. Don’t leave.”

In Steve’s haste to stand, he’s soaked most of his dress pants all the way through. He follows the twists and turns of the gardens and seating areas. Natasha sees him approaching the bench she’s sat at with Wanda. She raises her hand to grab his attention but before she can even get his name out of her mouth his jogged past.

“He’s disappeared for nearly an hour, no one could find him, and then he’s just not gonna talk to the rest of us?” Disappointment clouds her features as she sits back down next to Wanda with a plop.

“I’m so excited to talk to him. He’s just got great energy-” Sam’s discussion with Bruce is cut off by Steve skidding into the living room; wet bare feet nearly have him knocked on his ass for the second time tonight. “There’s the man of the hour himself. Can I steal you?”

Sam stands confidently looking rather hopeful; bird costume now discarded. Steve does a double take eyeing him top to bottom. He rests both his hands on the top of Sam’s shoulders before speaking.

“I would love to have a conversation with you. There’s just one thing I have to do first.” With that Steve takes off once more. He sprints to the small side table in the entryway. On the table sits a delicate gold tray holding a single rose. He quickly snatches it before dashing back out to the pool.

“Hey now. You may be more beefed up but I’m certain your probably still capable of cracking your head open. Careful now.” Bucky tuts laughing at the breakneck pace. His laughter is quickly stifled when he sees what’s in Steve's open palm.

“James-”

“It’s Bucky. Everyone close to me calls me Bucky.”

“Bucky… coming into tonight I was terrified. I know that sounds like the typical monologue speech I have to give but I was near ready to toss my cookies out front when the limo first opened. I had no idea what to expect and had convinced myself I’d made a huge mistake putting myself out here.”

Bucky takes a single foot out of the water and tucks it beneath his body to better face Steve. The hand that isn’t holding the rose is fidgeting with a fold of fabric from his pants. Bucky reaches out and plants his palm on top of the blondes ceasing the movement. His thumb strokes small circles onto the back of Steve’s hand; it seems to allow Steve to continue with what he has to say.

“My anxiety was at an all time high and then out you came. Speaking to you tonight has been the first time since agreeing to be the bachelor that I feel like I’m doing something right. I want to thank you for putting me at ease and being your true self.”

“You’re welcome, punk.” The joking nickname sounds more affectionate than insult.

“Bucky, will you accept this rose?”

“I’d be honored.”

Steve untwines his hand to pin the crimson rose to Bucky’s lapel. His hands hesitate once the rose is in place as if debating their next action. There’s a half second pause before Steve gently tugs on Bucky’s tie drawing the brunette into a kiss.

Bucky can’t contain the wide smile despite Steve’s lips still being against his. He breaks the kiss and places a final peck on Steve’s forehead.

“I know this isn’t going to be easy for you. But anytime during this experience you never need to doubt who I am with you. I’m here to get to know you, support you, and hopefully fall in love with you. I’m with you ‘til the end of the line.”

[sasukebarmitzvah]

watching every naruto opening and discussing my opinions because im bored liveblog

original

took me a little while to warm up to it idk why maybe because its not as up tempo and its a shonen and i want to get hype but i love it now. love the part where the camera pans around team 7 fighting randos they are babies… also its so funny when sasuke holds out his hand to naruto to help him out of the lake and he jsut fist bumps him. gay boy

Haruka fucking kanata baby!!!!!!!! a fav. like we all know this. i listen to the song just regularly a lot and every time it comes on shuffle im like Oh my god its haruka kanata. read the english translation of the lyrics… sns

this one got stuck in my head for a while lol. i like seeing everyone babie and i like naruto shaking his head at the end to dry off like a dog

DDMnanannaddnnaaaaa naaaaaaaaa nda aaWE ARE FIGHTING DEAMERS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! OOLI OLI OLIOOOOoohh!!!!! very fun very good also a very good time in the show, hello tsunade

**edgy shonen opening where theres something important in front of a chain link fence**

lol skipping 6-9 bc thats the huge chunk of filler which i didnt actually watch most of

shippuden

heros come back is SO GOOD absolutely one of my favs. banger first of all. i love how its actually choreographed and naruto sakura kakashi are like moving to the beat and i love the part where the animation is like pencil sketchy and theyre running and their bodies warp bro its just cool. the part where everyone dramatically reaches for gaara is fun, also love deidaras moment. anyway i shake my ass to this song eveyrday

distance oh god oh fuck. YOU ARE MY FRIEND!!! the sasuke and naruto stuff where they are little baby at the beginning at the end we return to the same place theyre there and like about to stab each other i’m going to scream. i lvoe the song of course. hello sai! i love team 7s little spotlight moments where they get to pose to the music its so cute. why is sasuke snake jesus? DO you remember that long lost DREAM!!!!!!!!!!

BLUE BIRD YA BANGER ok the whole symbolism. when naruto falling next to sasuke rising is positioned like yin and yang lol. when naruto is falling from the sky but then sasuke comes to mind and he springs into action lol. ok random people from the fillers i dont care about. naruto fell in the lake he picks up the bird feather interspersed with a couple shots of sasuke horgh. additional reading: paper bag by fiona apple

closer is one of the ones where im like eh its ok its not my favorite and then it gets to the chorus and my dumb ass is jsut screaming YOU KNOW THE CLOSER YOU GET TO SMETHING THE TOUGHTER IT IS TO REACHIT. the funniest part where narutos moping and thinking of sasuke and then he just perks up and smiles at the camera like. gay boy. like getting to see the asuma fight scenes in this op, also it was so funny seeing him get all the screentime in this op knowing hes about to die like yeah very subtle

SHA LA LA!!!! LOVE IT i love it i love it soooo much first of all banger second of all naruto looking into the water and his reflection is sasuke. lollllll. metaphor m-e-t-a-p-h-o-r the little prechorus bit in the middle gives me chills. love sasuke walking into the purple pool like a smug motherfucker thats my boy. at the end zooming into sasukes pupil zoom out it’s narutos eye oh the poetry..

signs another one of the ones where im like eh whatever its fine but not my fav but by the chorus i am standing on the table freaking out. like fuck jiraiya but this one got me a lil. the lighting and choreography of the sasuke itachi fight bit is sooooo nice and pretty, love getting to see all the new players in the story. baby ame orphans fading to the shot of yahiko as pain.. :(

this one literally makes me cry. i get chills what the fuck. definitely one of my favs. am i a bitch? maybe. i like the song by itself but like the way the rise/general shape of the melody flows with the visuals its like oh god oh fuck. again fuck jiraiya but like the role his character serves as a link between these disparate groups of people and the way thats used in this opening… how it starts and ends with him writing and this is the arc where naruto reads tales of a gutsy ninja and he learns about how he got his name and jiraiya wrote the book and hes WRITING and im going CRAZY!! i’m starting to tear up watching it rn. the shot of konan and the pains in that moment just before they leap forward. Sayonaaaaaaara aa lksasldfkwpoeifjhnuerIELFeuiertekdjsnlfweiourbg kakashis moment is cool in this op. also love to see the girls getting fight scenes in this op cus they sure dont in the actual show LOL anyway yeah im at the part where the melodys just hitting sooo different oh my god naruto frog eyes

DIVERRRRRRR. FAV literally like naruto is drowning. hes drowning and everyone is pushing him up so he can breathe again everyone is fighting to save him and thnen he s ouf ot the water and then he sees sasuke drowning and he JUMPS BACK IN. FOR ONE PERSON EVEN THOUGH ALL THESE OTHER PEOLE were working to help him out he dives back in for SASUKE whos drowning in the eyehole of obitos mask which is cool. ok yeah this is another one where im like tearing up because THe cymbal is em….. the way The movement of the visuals is choreographed with the song is so much. nico TOUCHED the fucking walls.

this one kinda annoys me i dont know why it just wasnt my favorite. love the sasuke and naruto staring at each other intensely moment though, would this be a shippuden opening without that. also the part at the end where sakura holds up her kunai and it like slashes and covers sasuke and naruto… inch resting…

newsongs so weird i love it. like what the hell is going on. why is naruto running like hes from some weird gmod video from 2013. love the LITERAL choreography, everyone dancing to the song like this is a musical. theres just a lot of weird moments which is fun. love sai naruto and sakura making the seal together to shoot lightning. raikage leaping gracefully across the beach

i do not enjoy this one. i just dont. it just feels like we’re bootlicking which of course we are because this is the war arc and everything is a nightmare

i remember seeing the first episode with this opening and i was excited bc its like… great another naruto pining for sasuke one this is what im here for. a light banger. minato manlet monday. ohh right this was the one where gaara sees his dad again and his OH I SEE SASUKEE

Banger! nico did indeed touch the walls again. i like that this one is like visually thematically consistent thru the whole thing, i like the nighttime dimly lit atmosphere with the bursts of brighter colorful lighting, also whenever i see tsunade i freak out. narutos cute at the end

SUCH A BANGER!!! also very cool visual style, appreciate it for that like the last one, its got that pretty consistent aesthetic with the red sky and the high contrast black blocking its fun and cool to watch. did i mention the song is a bit of a banger. obito passing thru the rock is cool too bad hes an idiot

ok from this one there were two lines i remember always seeing in the english sub that made me freak out. and one of them was like “this red hot love burning my heart” and it was over kakashi and obito fighting like damn OK. also the “i put the candle out with my finger” thing sticks in my head idk why. hate that we have the narutos big meaty claws i mean manly hands moment though. omg its hashirama and madara and then it CUTS TO SASUKE AND NARUTO IN THE SAME POSE LOL OK…

SILHOUETTE IS a banger… not as much so as some of the others but its a lot of fun. very colorful op, we got some naruto pining for sasuke, classic. also love the thing where ppl are running and they age as they do and they sort of grow into their present selves, a fun visual bit. the end where narutos like obito be nice now look at all these people behind me who think youre a meanie please be nice :(((((((((

another one with a really good visual principle ugh i love how the style of the show is integrated w the styles of more traditional printmaking its very swexy and nice to look at

LINE uugrgh i love this one, maybe a fav… naruto chasing after the light and sasuke trying so hard to snuff it out as they both reflect on their memories of each other oh god oh fuck… also i love the bits where it just has all the characters in a row like it reminds me of that one post about how in the endgame trailer they had a shot of all the female characters together to be like Girl power!! and someone was like yeah thats them showing u exactly how many women theyre going to disrespect LMAO but yeah i do love this op. also the song itself being slower w/ the triplet tempo is a nice change of pace

blood circulator hee hee… the version of this with naruto and sasuke moments is A Lot but even just the generic first version is fun. the part where narutos like knocked on his face hes sinking into the tar and hes not even trying to save himself hes just staring at sasuke, but then he sees sasuke distressed and he goes bijuu mode immediately like What did u say about my mans? there is some homoeroticism

i really hate everything about this i hate it all. sasuke is cute. thats it. ok first of all why did choji cut his hair his long hair look was so gooooooood. hinata bimboification? i mean if anything it was fun to watch these fillers just cus it was fun to watch kakashi be the hokage but really goofy and also the Crumbs tossed to the kakairus… but yeah i hate everything temari got bimbofied too like ugh please let her be a dyke :( this isnt even me talking necessarily about the opening this is me just being like i hate the naruto ending. LOL SASUKE AND NARUTOS NO HOMO BRO HIGH FIVE AT THE END LOLLLLL

ok im done

[thevintageconnection]

My Favorite Vintage Music: Part I

All graphics created with Canva

Hey, guys! Before we get into some of my favorite vintage music, I want to introduce myself and this blog!

Welcome to The Vintage Connection! I’m Morgan, a college student studying Digital Media and Spanish, who loves vintage aesthetics and content. After helping my grandma at my hometown’s historical society since I was ten, as well as growing up influenced by my grandparents’ and parents’ tastes, I developed my own interests in old music, movies, fashion, and more. 

I am often known for recommending old artists like Fleetwood Mac and Sinatra over most current popular music and am ready to share some of my vintage favorites from the 1940s and on to a wider and younger audience via this blog, The Vintage Connection! The blog introduces audiences––anywhere from vintage novices to diehard vintage fans––to my favorites, and how to incorporate history and vintage aesthetics into the modern-day. 

As an advocate for equality and activism, I also analyze the relationships between my vintage favorites and similar things today. What does it teach us in the present day? How do we feel about it now? How can we access or incorporate this content into our lives today?

The Vintage Connection is all about the various ways that we are still connected to the past, and how we can ensure that connection remains strong.

If you’re a newbie to the vintage world, or you’re a huge fan, or you are older and actually lived through some of these times, welcome! There’s room for everyone here.

Alright, let’s get into some of my favorite music from each decade, beginning with the 1940s, and how these connect to today!

While I’m not well-versed in much music from the 1940s, I couldn’t leave out some of my favorite pieces of all time!

Billie Holiday - “I’ll Be Seeing You”

What an absolutely gorgeous song to begin the list. It makes me feel a certain nostalgia for a time and a love I’ve never experienced. The piano, the trumpets, her melancholy tone, and the crackle of the old recording all produce such a calming and languid sound that makes you melt into your seat.

Édith Piaf - “La Vie en Rose”

Even though I’ve never been to Paris, I have an enormous adoration for that city. It’s at the top of my travel bucket list. This song makes me feel as if I’m strolling down the cobblestone streets of Paris at night, cafés glowing around me, while the Eiffel Tower shimmers in the distance.

Frank Sinatra - “I Fall in Love Too Easily”

I have no clue how many times I’ve listened to this song. Whenever it pops up on my playlists, I’ll repeat it over and over and over again. Sometimes when I think of it, I’ll search on YouTube for the clip of him singing it in the movie Anchors Aweigh. I had to link it for you guys so you don’t live any longer without seeing this gorgeous scene. What a beautiful soul. I have a soft spot for young Sinatra, especially in this song.

Ugh. So many favorite songs and artists from this decade! 50s music is often so dreamy. 

(Be prepared to read “dreamy” a lot from now on in this post and on the rest of my blog and other social media. It’s one of my favorite words, and I love dreamy content!)

Billie Holiday - “Blue Moon”

Here Billie appears again with another song! I have a particular fondness for the moon, and this song also makes me feel like I’m daydreaming when I listen to it, so it will always be one of my favorites.

Ella Fitzgerald - “Dream a Little Dream of Me”, “I’ve Got a Crush on You”, and “These Foolish Things (Remind Me of You)”

I meant to choose just one to share, but I love Ella too much. Her music is always so dreamy and wistful. I can listen to it when I’m doing homework, just hanging out, or doing literally anything.

Paul Anka - “Put Your Head on My Shoulder”

THE EPITOME OF DREAMINESS. This song makes you reminisce of young love, even if you’ve never experienced it. My favorite version of this track is the 1959 version, which features a young Anka. He definitely maintained a beautiful voice in the years following, and still maintains it today, but there’s just something about the original version that is so endearing and calming. Just like with Sinatra, young Anka holds a special place in my heart.

The linked video above is a live performance from 1962, a few years later than the 1959 recording, but it perfectly captures just how people––not just women––were so enamored of him.

Elvis - “Love Me Tender”, “Are You Lonesome Tonight”, “Can’t Help Falling in Love”, and “Suspicious Minds”

Okay, here I ran into the same issue as I did with Ella Fitzgerald. I tried to not list too many tracks in one decade, especially several from each artist, but I couldn’t help myself with these. And of course, some of my favorites of Elvis’ are his sad songs. I have a weird obsession with sad songs, and even have a Spotify playlist full of sad music. My love for Elvis definitely comes from my dad, who loves him so much. Thanks, dad! ♥

What a beautiful time for music. I have waaaaay too many favorites from this decade, but I managed to narrow it down to a few!

The Beatles - “Here Comes the Sun”

Do I even have to explain why I love this one? This song always gives me that euphoric feeling of that first day in spring where it’s finally sunny again, you don’t need a winter coat, and the snow is mostly melted. 

The Drifters - “This Magic Moment”

As expected from the title, this track is pure magic. The swirling instrumental at the beginning before the vocals come in, and that repeats often during much of the number, reminds me of a Disney movie. This is one of those songs that I would love to twirl around to in a 1950s a-line dress until I fell over from getting too dizzy.

Frank Sinatra - “My Way”

Sinatra appears again, this time with one of his more well-known songs. If this music doesn’t make you want to get up and scream the words, I don’t know what to tell you. This track was an original power anthem.

Etta James - “At Last”

Ah, everyone’s favorite wedding song, even to this day. I love how timeless it is. Even if you’re single this song will make you feel like you’re in love. 

Ben E. King - “Stand By Me”

To end the first part of this list here is one of my absolute favorite songs of all time. I don’t know exactly what it is about this piece, but it is one of my favorites of all time. This is another one I can play on repeat nonstop for an hour. Hearing this song always puts a smile on my face, no matter how I’m feeling.

This is a section that I will feature on most, if not all, of my posts, that connects my vintage favorites to today!

I think when people look back on old songs, they tend to focus on the popular white artists of the time and forget about the minorities who often paved the way for various styles of music. I’m always looking for different music to listen to, especially by lesser-known artists and minorities, so if you have any suggestions––and not for just songs––send them my way!

When I listen to some of these songs, especially “This Magic Moment”, I always picture a 1960s dance floor filled with dancing couples. Images like these from movies and old photographs make people of younger generations wish dating, and sometimes life in general, was still like how it used to be back in the day. I do still sometimes yearn to be at a 1950s/60s dance, wearing a gorgeous a-line dress, but I try to not hop on the bandwagon of “I was born in the wrong generation”. I think most of this wish comes from the want to experience a time without modern technology, so I can kind of understand where people are coming from. I never sympathize too much, though, as society is still full of issues today, and I could do without the extra racism, sexism, homophobia, etc. of the past.

Thankfully, all of these classics are fairly easy to find online today: on YouTube, Spotify, iTunes, Apple Music, etc. 

For convenience, here’s a link to my Spotify playlist of these songs!

If you are looking for a more comprehensive list of vintage music from the 1940s to 1960s, check out this other playlist of mine, called “Darling”, that features almost 100 vintage tracks. I add to this playlist all the time!

I absolutely adore creating playlists for different moods and situations. Follow me on Spotify (it’s on my personal account for now) and check out any of my 50+ playlists!

Stay tuned for Part II of my favorite vintage music, which will continue from the 1970s to 1980s! I’ll update the Top Vintage Favs playlist when I post Part II!

Thanks for reading!

Until next time,

Morgan 💕

Social Media Links!

Twitter: @connect_vintage

Instagram: @connect_vintage

(Personal) Spotify: Morgan Krull

[hanneswrites]

take my hand (Chapter 1)

Pairings: Gabriel/Sam Winchester

Rating: T

Word Count: 1.5k

Summary/Tags: In which Sam devotes himself to a trickster god in college & that god just happens to be Loki. 

Author’s Note: This work is simultaneously inspired by On a Pagan Path by Rosaleenban & this image, whose artist and origin I cannot seem to find, but you don’t need to have read OaPP to read this fic. If you have not read Rosaleenban's "On a Pagan Path": You definitely should, it's an absolutely stellar fic. Probably my fav SamGabe fic out there.This is basically an AU where instead of Gabriel running away when he find out Sam is Luci's vessel, he stays and grows attached to him.

Written for @gabriel-spn-bingo Square filled: Free Space.

———————————————————————————————

The first time, Loki swept him away to Milan. Sam had been alone for two days straight with all of his friends away for spring break, and Loki had shown up, offered his hand with a wink and a smile, and suddenly they were wandering sunlit cobblestone backstreets. When they finally arrived back in Sam’s dorm and Loki pushed him into bed, kissing and whispering absolutely filthy things in his ear, it was all Sam could do to wonder if this was how Loki treated all of his devotees. He woke in the morning to find empty sheets and an empty dorm room, but the basket of muffins sitting on his nightstand were still warm.

The second time, months later, Loki took him to a cabin on a weekend that Sam was particularly stressed about finals and he lost himself in a snow blanketed valley. Hot cocoa, warm blankets, and all the silence he needed to write that term paper that was giving him trouble. He wandered around the small forest behind the cabin during his breaks and watched a few of the classic movies stocked up in the cabin. There was always coffee brewing, always food in the fridge, despite Loki only popping in once throughout the whole weekend (when he was getting frustrated with his final final paper and Loki appeared just in time to sweep him off his feet and into bed). By the time he dropped him back off at Stanford, Sam had not only finished all of his papers, he felt more relaxed than he had all year.

Loki visited him once or twice a month after that, always when Sam seemed to need it the most. It was comforting - knowing that his god would be there for him, perhaps not every time he prayed for him, but unquestionably when he needed him. Which is why, a year after he had devoted himself, in body and soul, to Loki, he started asking questions. He had long grown comfortable with the god in his bed, and in his life, and so when Loki answered with a click of his tongue and a wry smile, “A kiss for an answer”, Sam gladly took him up on it. Questions ranging from: how many devotees he’d had back in the old days (vs now) to what his life was like. He told stories of old, tales of jealousy and revenge and love, and it was like getting a glimpse into another world. A world of excitement, a world of wonder, and of magic, a world that was so different from the life he was living. Sometimes, when Sam went to sleep, he liked to dream about going back with him one day - of meeting Thor and Baldur and Hel and Narfi and seeing the golden-shining halls of an Asgardian palace.

Another year passed, and Sam managed to move off campus into a small studio apartment about a mile from campus. Loki popped in almost once a week then. He told Sam about his day, complained about the other gods, and ate all of the leftover takeout in Sam’s fridge. Sam eventually invited him out to see the new Star Wars movie and after that, Loki showed up pretty much every single Friday night to see a movie or try a new takeout restaurant. And then, one fateful night, Sam suggested they try out a bar his friends had talked about, and Loki hesitated, but agreed.

The bar was sparsely lit and loud. From the moment they entered, Loki’s hand was on the small of his back, guiding him and claiming him, and Sam wondered just what it was that was making him act like this. Sam had, at that point, been wholly devoted to his god for over three years, and though it was never exactly discussed, he had never taken an interest in having anyone else in his bed, let alone in his life. Loki guided him over to a booth in the corner and left for a moment to order their drinks. Sam watched as Loki walked off; he stopped a few feet away from the bar and stared off into the crowd. Sam tried to follow his gaze, and found he was staring directly at Brady, one of his friends from university. Brady made eye contact with him and waved, heading over to the booth Sam where he was sitting. Brady smiled and patted him on the shoulder, sitting down across from him in the booth. They talked about how their shared human bio class was going until Loki returned, drinks in hand. He slid in next to him, a hand firm on Sam’s thigh as he introduced himself to Brady as an old friend. Brady grinned and Loki’s fingers tightened. They stared at each other, unblinking, and Sam knew he was missing something.

Loki tugged at his hand, motioning for him to get up, and Sam looked at him incredulously. The god huffed and leaned down, breath ghosting against Sam’s ear, “Do you trust me?” And Sam didn’t hesitate, “Of course.” They were out the door of the bar in less than a minute. Loki lead him around the corner of the building, into a dark-lit alley, and Sam’s heart was thundering in his chest. He trusted Loki. He did. He trusted his god. Loki snapped as soon as they were out of sight and a moment later they were in Sam’s apartment.  Sam wanted to ask what all that was about - what exactly had happened between Loki and Brady. His heart was still pounding as he ran through a thousand possibilities, a thousand reasons. Loki was facing away from him now and Sam could see the tension in his shoulders as he stood there, unmoving for a long moment.

“Loki?” Sam breathed, dread hitting him hard in the stomach. Had he done something wrong? Had he taken this - this thing - he had with this god, this unfathomable being, too far? Had he been expecting too much? Sam shut his eyes, trying to compose himself, and when he opened them again, Loki was looking at him, boring into his soul.

“You’ve done nothing wrong.” He said, as he stepped forward. Loki took his hands, cradled them both between his own and looked him right in the eye, “Sam,” He whispered, soft and airy, “Do you trust me?”

Sam was panicking. Rightfully and truthfully panicking. Loki had never been this serious - should never have to be this serious - and something was obviously wrong, very, very wrong, but before he could even think, before he could figure out what felt off, he muttered, “ Yes.” And that was all that Loki needed. All he’d ever needed. Loki wrapped his arms around him and Sam pressed his face into Loki’s hair, his eyes fluttering closed as he took in a deep breath. Pine & sandalwood & an unmistakable tang of ozone. He felt warm and safe in his god’s arms, like he’d just wrapped himself up in his favorite comforter straight out of the dryer. There was a shift in the air as Sam felt the ground fall out from beneath him; he clung hard to Loki, and soon enough righted himself on solid ground once more. Loki held him for a moment more and then moved away, and Sam could hear his footsteps moving further away as he composed himself.

Sam’s eyes fluttered open and he was met, for a moment, with blinding sunlight reflecting off of glittering gold, and as his eyes adjusted he could make out more: startlingly tall marble pillars, golden-threaded tapestry lining the walls, a bed in the corner with fur pelts piled high, and golden-shining chests and dressers. Sam took it all in, his heart still thundering in his chest as he realized Loki was no longer with him. He stood there, alone and still in this enormous room, and prayed silently for his god to return.

There was a chuckle behind him and Sam spun around to find Loki, a small, weary smile on his face, “Here.” He handed Sam a pelt, similar to the ones he’d seen on the bed, and headed over toward the gold dresser. A tense silence settled over them as Loki searched through the top drawer, then the second, and finally pulled a white gown out of the bottom drawer. He snapped his fingers and the fabric seemed to grow, stretching down and out, and he handed that to Sam as well.

“Put them on.” Loki said, and Sam obeyed, carefully slipping off his clothes and setting into the gown. Loki placed the pelt around his shoulders and tied it off, his fingers lingering on Sam’s chest, staring at the fur.

“Loki?” Sam whispered, and the god’s eyes shot up to meet his, “What’s going on?” And Sam instantly regretted asking. Loki’s face was sullen as he cupped Sam’s cheeks and brought him down for a long, slow kiss. They broke apart, their foreheads resting against one another.

“Think of it as your own, private witness protection, Sammy.” Loki let out a soft sigh before patting him on the cheek, a slight smile tugging at his lips, “Or should I say, Sigyn.”

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

[netempty]

Hey, I got tagged by the wonderful @hymarns to answer these questions (I tag @tysegs @turningoveranewleafs @champagneauston @cafegemini and anyone else who wants to! Also feel free to ignore me and take a pass if you don’t want to)

Favourite month: September cause that’s my birthday month and I think that’s when the weather is perfect. Also school starts then and I actually like school.

Favourite number: 3, 5, 7 (most odd numbers I’m ok with but those are my favourite)

Favourite colour: blue and purple

Nickname: paigee or this super long one my grandpa used to call me paigee poo honeydew lol

Current outfit: grey bunny hug that I got on a cruise and airport pj pants that my mom and dad got me from settle that are 5 sizes too big for me

Hairstyle: most of the time it’s just my curly blonde hair but right now it’s a very messy and not very cute bun

Dream job: I mean I’m gonna go to school for accounting or finance but I do really like graphic design I just don’t think it’s 100% so we’ll keep that as a hobby and not a career :)

Lock/home screen: they don’t really match which kinda bugs me but I haven’t been able to find ones I super like, I’m planning on making my own

Favourite photo currently (no context required): I really couldn’t choose so here’s three (they all have to do with dicks???? I am in fact a 12 year old boy)

Favourite song: ivy by frank ocean (ugh I LOVE IT SO MUCH)

Num. 1 musician: frank ocean (and fav band is queen or 5sos)

Do you prefer work or laying in bed/at a desk: at a desk most of the time now that I’m homeschooled but next year when I go back I’ll most definitely go back to doing it in bed 😈

Left or right: I’m right handed (?)

Winter or summer: winter so I can stayed curled up under a blanket and occasionally go to a hockey game or two

Autumn or spring: fall! Spring is mega ugly here :/

[flakandforay]

Map of the Soul: Persona; Overview

overview: this starts the new series of bangtan as they completed the love yourself trilogy series. now, they delve deeper into the meaning of persona, discovering yourself as you start to love yourself and embrace your flaws. later on, I will talk about the upcoming next few albums that as seen from Namjoon’s Intro: Persona MV, shadow and ego are next and based on the book, ‘Jung’s Map of the Soul’; these are the next two album names of the Map of the Soul series.

do support my ko-fi if you can~

⇝ masterlist

intro: persona: the sampled beat from intro: skool luv affair has proven that the boys are exploring a more old school beat, old hip hop even and you could tell in the way that Namjoon structured his rap. also, the way he does it coupled with how long this intro is, certainly a feet to be acknowledged. he shows his diversity in rapping throughout the song as the song develops but goes back to his flow. definitely something to applaud him for as he did so well in full out rapping this intro.

boy with luv (ft. halsey): the new title track and for the first time, it’s featuring someone!!!! usually when the boys collab, they do not feature in a song but to note that they started with the collabs only later on in the love yourself: her series with steve aoki and chainsmokers for the truth untold and best of me. so, having someone to feature in a song, is definitely taking these collabs to the next level. love how the song sound a bit retro but yet modernized if you know what I mean. The featuring of halsey was subtly done in terms of the chorus only which was interesting considering most featurings would take a verse by themselves before the bridge. However, it is refreshing to see halsey being part of this in the chorus, not overpowering the boys and the boys not really overpowering them either, they worked well together.

mikrokosmos: at first listen, I was not that fond of the beat, it’s too synthesized for my own liking but I must say that whiplash sound really does get your attention. Also, the build up to Hoseok’s part and throughout the song is what gives the song its distinct points. The chorus I must say wasn’t what I expected it to be. It just wasn’t the kind of sound I was expecting but I must say it’s kind of refreshing, the whole ‘I got you, you got me’, got me thinking of toy story and the sudden ‘oh oh’ made it more british pop sound like. Also, how the raps are placed in this song, is not as obvious and I really appreciate it.

make it right: definitely my most fav song out of the whole album? Honestly the beat already getd to you right from the beginning with the synthesized trumpet kind of sound, and it’s so laidback but not to the extent of singularity. Definitely something, honestly the beat is so sexy and sensual that it could easily just be a bed song. It’ just so well done, I love how the chorus is just never right at your face, it’s actually pretty constant except for maybe a few changes in the beats but the same synth is being played throughout the song, much like the saxophone in dope of bts. Love this song. Lord knows, I love ed Sheeran for writing this song. The beat is the one.

home: this is where it hits home, mostly because of how this song is meant to be for armys, coupled with yoongi’s lyrics that he wrote in reference in ‘we are bulletproof pt.2’ made me realize the boys have always stayed the same as they are, truly they are the same boys that they are 6 years ago and id be damned if I don’t be there till the very end. also, home has the same beat that could literally be in relation to dimple and love maze, the kind of more modernized synths literally. This is the trinity.

Jamais Vu: interesting to see how they are using a phrase that is opposite from one many of us know which is déjà vu. I will talk more about this later on. But anyway, this seems to be one of the first subunit songs that we would get as based on the version 2 concept photos, well at least that’s what people were speculating but we are then proved to be boo boo the fools because well it didn’t follow exactly. So apart from this, it seems as though the next 2 albums of the series would also contain subunit songs. But anyway, love how they made use of hoseok in a way, utuilising both his rap and vocal abilities. Hoseok is commonly known to be part of the underlying vocals for many of the bangtan songs including spring day and make it right etc. also, this song has a really nice contrast especially towards the end, making use of hoseok but in a more subtle whisper, it sounds more muffled. Also the pleading in both jinkook’s voices is important to note.

dionysus: this song literally is the one that could be on par with rock songs such as fall out boy and panic at this disco, they have the same energy. I am just simply fascinated as to why this really all hype song is at the end of the album, especially considering they do not have an outro for this. It sounds as though in this song, they are definitely pushing the whole persona in which the lyrics in Dionysus mainly talk about acting like a Dionysus, drinking etc, I will explain more about this in the individual song analysis. Definitely a hype song, without a doubt, I love how it remained pretty consistent in terms of the chorus and if you think the song couldn’t get any harder well the last chorus would prove you wrong. Also, seokjin’s rock vaosl are definitely something to take note, it’s so good, it’s on par with his crystal snow and epiphany vocals.

last thoughts: definitely an interesting flow of how the songs are arranged, usually most of their songs over the years have been going to a whole end of the story kind of chapter but maybe because there is no outro so the album ends incomplete? I am still intrigued that they ended the album with Dionysus so I can’t wait to see how they transition this into their other upcoming albums.

[Photo Source] Bighit Entertainment  Credits: maxine ☕️ DO NOT REPOST ©

[marvelandponder]

OC Tag Game

I was tagged by one of my fav fabulous dorks @starbutterfly-diaz to talk about one of my OCs, but you know what? I’m gonna talk about two because I love these two together (plus I just really like talking about my ocs and don’t get a lot of chances too).

For the record, these two are from an Equestria Girls/MLP next gen, and I’ll start with the adopted AppleDash princess.

Name: Gale Primrose Apple (Formally, Gale Force in her first adopted family, and originally... Cream Puff because I just find that hilarious)

Nickname: She goes by Gale. Her girlfriend and later wife, Betty, calls her Rosie. She also answers to G, princess (her moms’ nickname for her from when she was smol), and Big Buff, Rough n’ Tough Cream Puff (well, doesn’t answer to that...).

Gender: Female

Star Sign: Aquarius 

Height: Pfft, like 6′2. She’s buff as heck despite being a girly girl.

Sexual Orientation: Gay. Too gay to cope.

Hogwarts House: I could absolutely see her in Gryffindor. She pulls crazy stunts that put her own neck on the line if it’s for the right cause (like, say, doing a triple backflip off the top of a cheerleading pyramid to win over a girl and flip off her teachers).

Nationality: Well, even if this wasn’t set in the Equestria Girls universe, she’d be American. Southern princess.

Favorite Fruit: Hm. If she said anything but apples, would she get disowned? (... probably pears)

Favorite Flower: Primrose. That’s what Applejack and Rainbow Dash brought her the day they came to meet her and take her home for the first time, and well, while they were changing her name anyway... 

Favorite Season: Knowing how much she loves Thanksgiving, probably fall. 

Favorite Scent: It’s either some ultra-specific makeup brand (she’s a makeup artist) or the way her moms’ mac and cheese smells when it’s being cooked.

Coffee, tea or hot cocoa?: Coffee. Something’s gotta get her up for morning workouts.

Average Hours of Sleep: 9ish, and she snores through all of them.

Dogs or Cats?: Dogs. Definitely dogs. 

Favorite Fictional Character: Oo, that’s tough... I’m leaning towards someone like Kim Possible. Someone who manages to be a normal, fabulous teenage girl despite being in what would normally be a guy’s role. Being as big and muscly as she is, Gale would appreciate that. 

A better answer would be someone from a romcom but I don’t watch enough to know actual characters... can I just say all of the Disney princesses?

Number of Blankets They Sleep With: 2 or 3 for maximum coziness.

Dream Trip: When she’s in her late teens, it’s to go to L.A., but she ends up living there so I don’t know what to tell you. Aside from that, she’d go anywhere if she got to take her wife. She used to think Vegas with her besties would be fun but... well, I’ll just say she doesn’t leave with fond memories.

Random Fact: Although it takes her quite some time to realize it, Gale’s polyamorous. She’s not the type to like an open relationship, but she can fall in love and be in a committed closed relationship with multiple partners at once. 

Coming out as poly was so much harder than coming out as gay (mostly because she was raised by a gay couple, but polyamorous relationships are still so... out of the public eye, let’s say).

Name: Battaglia Philharmonica

Nickname: Betty (Although Gale has quite a few nicknames for her, including Betsy and Babydoll; her adoptive mom, Octavia, also calls her Lia)

Gender: Female

Star Sign: Leo

Height: 5′5. Decently average, but smol compared to her wife Gale.

Sexual Orientation: Gayyyy. Really gay. Like, can’t-talk-to-girls gay what a mess gay.

Hogwarts House: I think Hufflepuff. She’s confident in herself, but a huge sweetie and well, kind of lets people take advantage of her if she’s not careful. 

Nationality: Equestria Girls land? Aside from that, I’m really not sure, actually. Half-Italian, half... something. It’s hard to say because her father was never in the picture (and considering how Betty happened, that’s probably a good thing).

Favorite Fruit: Strawberries, if there’s whipped cream involved.

Favorite Flower: Forget Me Nots (why yes, she was a hopeless romantic as a child...)

Favorite Season: Spring, maybe.

Favorite Scent: Aside from her wife? Who am I kidding, it’s Gale. That’s the most comforting smell to her.

Coffee, tea or hot cocoa?: Tea, but she won’t say no to hot cocoa.

Average Hours of Sleep: 7-8. Well. When she’s healthy. 

Dogs or Cats?: DOGS. For their first anniversary, Gale gets her a puppy Betty names Princess (whoops, Princess is a boy... ah well, Princess it is) and that dog is her world. And her therapy dog for her anxiety when she’s overwhelmed.

Favorite Fictional Character: Anyone Marilyn Monroe played. She has a thing for old movies because that’s all they had on in the hospital room when she was sick for a while as a kid (unidentified autoimmune disease, was stuck in Sick Kids for 2 years of her life). This inspired her acting career, at least.

Number of Blankets They Sleep With: 3 or 4. She hogs one from Gale, always.

Dream Trip: If not L.A., which, again, they eventually live in, either New York or London. What a sap.

Random Fact: If she was going to have a voice actress, it’d be Kristen Bell (Anna from Frozen, among others). Which means this is her solo song during the same story arc where Gale realizes she’s poly.

I tag pretty much everyone who wants to do this?

@adgerelli, @umbraamethyst, @apricalico, @digikate813, and plenty of people who I’ve seen tagged already