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asthmark · 4 years

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❝ 10 things i know about you ❞ l.jn

synopsis → there are ten important things you learn about lee jeno during your time in quarantine.

request → “if you're still accepting requests, can u make a domestic roommate!jeno? 🥺🥺 thank you and have a nice dayyy”

word count → 7.1k (bruhhh)

sharing an apartment with lee jeno isn’t ideal.

it’s not that he’s a lousy roommate or that you disliked him in any way; you just didn’t know him. you had first met through a mutual friend. they knew jeno was looking for someone to split rent with and that you happened to need a place to stay. they promised you he would give you privacy and assured jeno you were excellent roommate material. with that, arrangements were made and soon enough you moved in together. of course, it was a bit awkward at first but you two eventually got used to each other’s presence. although you were never in the same room for too long and oftentimes went days without speaking, you coexisted.

for a long time, you only knew a couple things about your roommate. for example, you were aware of his strong love for cats, especially his pet calico, seol. you also knew he kept the freezer stocked with pizza rolls that he would use as energy when he stayed up all night playing video games.

what you didn’t know, however, was that you would be spending the next couple months locked in your apartment with him. on top of that, you would begin to learn more things about him—his life, his personality, his feelings.

there are ten important things you learn about lee jeno during your time in quarantine.

1. he’s a heavy sleeper.

at 10:28 in the morning you find yourself seated at the dining table in the kitchen, spooning froot loops into your mouth. as you stuff your face, you scroll through your phone for entertainment. you decide to open instagram first but you quickly find that to be a mistake. as soon as you open the app a picture of lucas and who you thought was his ex-girlfriend greets you. if that was bad, the caption hits you like a ton of bricks.

@lucas_xx444: should have never left you

in only five words, lucas has completely erased the months you spent dating. it meant nothing to him. sure, things hadn’t ended things the best way but going right back to his toxic ex and even admitting to missing her—now that was a new low. was this his way of getting back at you? his way of making you hurt just like he had throughout your entire relationship? the thought alone leaves you feeling sick.

you decide you’ve already had enough social media for one morning so you decide to check your messages instead. your friends usually left a couple of them overnight. to your surprise, you find that your main group chat has accumulated 241 messages.

[10:48 am] you: good morning i see u guys have been vry chatty

[10:49 am] yeji: ur finally awake!

[10:50 am] yuna: we thought u died lol

[10:50 am] lia: YUNA

[10:50 am] lia: NO

[10:51 am] ryujin: the timing for that joke could not be worse

[10:52 am] yuna: humor is my coping mechanism leave me alone

[10:52 am] you: ??? what happened

[10:53 am] chaeryeong: we left msgs for a reason dummy read them!!

[10:53 am] you: umm there’s over 200 and im not abouta read all that

[10:54 am] yuna: well then lemme break it down

[10:54 am] yuna: the world is ending :)

[10:55 am] you: welp it was about time

[10:55 am] lia: why r u guys like this

[10:56 am] yeji: there’s been a covid-19 outbreak and it’s spreading like wildfire so the government issued a stay at home order :/

[10:57 am] you: omg WHAT

[10:57 am] ryujin: ikr it’s crazy we literally can’t go anywhere

[10:57 am] chaeryeong: and we can’t get boba today either ;( i was so looking forward to that

[10:58 am] ryujin: let’s pls take a moment of silence for all the current and future boba dates that will have to be cancelled

[10:59 am] yuna: no way am i gonna let some wannabe flu make me go boba-less i’m still going out >:(

[10:59 am] lia: ...ur joking right

[10:59 am] yeji: what color casket do u want yuna?

before the groupchat can distract you any further, you place your phone down on the table. you sit back in your chair and let the newly revealed information sink in.

you were stuck inside.

you sigh before standing to clean your dishes. as you’re scrubbing away at your bowl, you feel something brush against your leg. you smile, not even having to look down to know it was seol. the cat would often wander into your room or sleep next to you when you watched tv on the couch. in fact, you were pretty sure you spent more time with seol than his owner.

you gaze at jeno’s room. as always, the door is shut. you wonder if you should let him know what was happening. you two usually kept your distance but you figured that the circumstance you found yourself in was an exception. you quickly dry your hand and shuffle towards his room.

you knock once, quite softly. you assume he’s asleep so you try again, this time a little harder. still, no avail. the third time you put even more force into it. by this time, seol has found his way beside you and claws at the door.

“jeno?” you knock a fourth time. “jeno! lee jeno!”

after more shouting accompanied by incessant meowing, you hear some muffled movement. moments later the door knob twists open and there stands your roommate with disheveled hair and a robe that had obviously just been thrown on his body. seol has taken the open crack in the door as an invitation inside the bedroom.

jeno blinks a couple times as he watches the feline get himself comfortable on his bed. he turns back to you, looking slightly disoriented. you’re not sure if he’s half asleep or your sudden presence has thrown him for a loop. his voice comes out raspy when he asks, “was he, um, bothering you or something?”

you shake your head, vigorously. “that’s not why i came. it’s just that my friends told me that there’s been some kind of virus outbreak and we’re supposed to stay home. so, i thought i’d let you know.”

his face softens. “oh, cool.” suddenly, the look changes. “not the virus thing! that’s totally not cool. i meant, it’s cool that you let me know and stuff. you just saved me a huge freak out so, uh, thank you.”

you smile and nod. “no problem.”

jeno’s eyes linger as you retreat back into your room down the hall. the sound of his door shutting is heard only once you’re out of his eyesight.

2. he can cook better than you.

most of the time, you would go out to eat dinner with your friends in the evenings or at least stop by a drive thru. obviously, this was no longer possible in the midst of a pandemic. you found that to be incredibly frustrating as you sat on your bed, stomach empty. no matter how badly you wished to fix it, your laziness had gotten the best of you. apart from that, you already knew how unlucky you were when it came to cooking—the memory of burning noodles at lia’s house one night had been permanently seared into your brain.

you almost believe your mind is playing tricks on you when you catch a whiff of pasta in the air. for a moment you think it’s your next door neighbor, taeyong, cooking again. you knew he was quite the chef. but, the smell is getting stronger by the second and you decide it must be in your apartment.

you wander into the kitchen, only to find jeno standing over the stove. he’s stirring red sauce in a pot when he notices you watching him.

“oh, hey,” he greets with a polite wave.

you can only stare at the rest of the kitchen—pots, pans, and ingredients all over the place—in utter awe.

he chuckles, awkwardly. “yeah, sorry about the mess. i’ve been told i’m a decent cook but i can never seem to get the tidiness down.”

“no, it’s not that. this just all seems so... professional.” you sniff the air once more. “smells amazing, too.”

he smiles, sheepishly. “thanks. are you a fan of spaghetti?”

you nod.

“good. i wanted to make something you’d like.”

“you really didn’t have to,” you say, leaning against the fridge. “i mean, i’ve never done anything for you.”

he uncovers a pot to check on the pasta. you watch as hot steam rises out of it. “what about this morning?”

you can’t help but laugh. “that most certainly does not count. you’re making an entire meal. that takes a lot of effort.”

he waves a hand, dismissively. “i used to cook a lot with my old roommate, doyoung. the guy was an asian gordon ramsey, i swear. so, yeah, this is nothing too crazy. and i really do enjoy it.”

“well, i’m still gonna repay you.” you fold your arms.

he looks away from his dish to raise a brow. “is that so?”

you nod in confirmation. “definitely.”

“tell you what, if you wash the mountain of dishes that are gonna be left over, we’ll be even.”

you stare at the sink that’s already overflowing with dirty kitchen tools. that wasn’t even half of it. “uh, sure, sounds good.”

he laughs at hearing the uncertainty in your voice. “that’s the spirit.”

3. he’s allergic to cats.

the familiar sound of soft purring is what pulls you attention away from the movie playing on your laptop. already knowing exactly who it is, you launch yourself off your bed to allow your furry guest inside.

“hey seol. what’ve you been up to?”

the calico meows, almost as if he were responding to your question. you close your door and go back to your original position. you notice seol sitting directly in front of your bed, looking up at you with wide eyes.

“come on up.” you pat your sheets, invitingly.

he obeys and stretches before laying down beside you.

“have you ever watched ‘avengers’?” you ask, eyes going back to the explosive fight scene on the screen.

this time, seol doesn’t even bother humoring you with a meow. he stays silent with his head tucked into his paws.

you scratch his head and his tail wiggles. “i’ve gotta stop asking you questions.”

both you and seol’s heads snap towards the door when you hear a knock.

“come in!” you call out.

jeno swings open the door. his eyes briefly scan the room before landing on the furball on your bed. the unmistakable look of adoration shines in his eyes when he sees how lovingly you caress him.

“seol! what are you doing in here? bothering y/n?” the cat jumps off your bed and towards his owner standing in your doorway. jeno scoops him into his arms and faces you. “i’m so sorry. he saw me running a bath for him and bolted.”

“it’s all good. he’s a great movie buddy. besides, i could always use the company.”

jeno curiously glances at your computer screen. “is that ‘avengers’?”

“yep. i’ve seen it like a dozen times.”

“same here.“ he pauses. “hey, if you ever need a movie buddy—like you know, one that talks—just let me know.”

your face lights up. “i’m gonna hold you to that.”

”i hope so. well, if you’ll excuse me, i’ve gotta give this guy a bath.”

seol yowls as if he understands the meaning behind the words and attempts to escape jeno’s grip.

“here we go again,” he mumbles under his breath.

you snicker at the sight. “looks like you could use some help.”

“oh, no. it’s fine. he can just be a little bratty someti—seol!”

in the blink of an eye, the feline has successfully hopped out of his arms and made a run for it.

jeno gives you an exasperated look before rushing off to catch his runway pet. you find yourself caught up in the excitement so you follow him, the two of you now in pursuit of the calico. you’re sure the image of you both chasing the fluffy animal around the apartment looks like something straight out of a comedy. even you and jeno can’t contain your laughter when he finally catches seol only for him to slip out of his hold a second later. this exact situation repeats itself a couple times before you finally get lucky.

“i got him!” you screech. “jeno! oh my god! what do i do?”

“bathroom, bathroom, bathroom!” he chants in response.

you head in that direction with jeno trailing behind you, ready to catch seol if he somehow manages to get out of your death grip. you bend over the bathtub, slowly lowering the cat into the water. it’s clear he doesn’t have a problem with making a fuss as he wails and flails his limbs around.

after a while, he finally calms down enough that you can lather him in shampoo. jeno insists on scrubbing him, arguing that you had already done way too much. you sit back on your heels, observing the way the seol leans into his delicate touches.

“looks like he likes it now.”

“he likes to make a big deal but he ends up enjoying it every—“ jeno cuts himself off with a sneeze.

“tissue?” you offer.

he shakes his head. “that’s okay, thanks. i’m used to it. i’m just surprised my allergies haven’t acted up ‘til now.”

“allergies?” you echo.

“yeah, i’m allergic to—“ another sneeze. “cats.”

your eyes widen. “really? and you still have seol?”

“i could never get rid of him. he’s too good of a boy. isn’t—“ sneeze. “that right?” he tickles seol under his chin.

“wow. you must really love him.”

“so much.”

“he’s lucky to have you.”

“what about you? you get both of us. doesn’t that make you the luckiest?”

you snort. “i guess it does.”

4. he makes a good shopping buddy.

“i have officially cooked everything we have.”

“i can order some takeout, if you want?”

he juts his lower lip out and gives you puppy eyes. “but i like to cook for you.”

you laugh at his expression. “oh god, you look like that one pouty emoji people use when they try to be cute.”

he sits up. “did it work?”

you nod and pinch his cheek.

he yelps. “ah, stop! you’re acting like my grandma!” he manages to get out of your grasp. he rubs his face, soothing the spots you had squeezed. “seriously, though, we really do need to stock up on food.”

“i’ve already been looking into it.” you show him the screen of your phone. “says here you can still go shopping as long as you wear a mask and try to stay six feet away from other shoppers.”

he cringes. “i don’t know if i like the idea of being so close to so many people.”

“i can go by myself, then,” you suggest with a shrug.

he doesn’t hesitate to deny you. “no way are you going alone.” his possessive tone has you staring at him curiously so he adds, “you know, in case you can’t reach something on the top shelf.”

the teasing comment paired with his innocent smile makes you gasp in disbelief. “lee jeno! that’s low! and to think i almost thought you were worried about me.”

“who said i wasn’t?” he smiles at you again before standing up. “i’m going to find us some masks and then we can head out.”

once you arrive at your local grocery store, you find it to be packed. everyone seems to be in a hurry, grabbing things left and right.

“wow, it’s already gotten crazy,” jeno mumbles, stopping to stare at the flood of people that rush by.

you don’t hesitate to scold him. “well, don’t just stand there! we gotta get our stuff before there’s nothing left!”

without another word you slip into the frenzy of people. jeno struggles to stay behind you. after almost losing sight of you a couple times, he walks a little faster to catch up and places his arm firmly around your waist once he does. you look up at him, your mask covering your slightly agape mouth.

being the gentleman he is, he apologizes. “sorry but i don’t want us to get separated.”

you can only nod and mumble, “good idea.”

jeno pushes the shopping cart with his right hand and holds your figure with his left. once in a while, you’ll break apart from each other to grab an item you need but once it’s in the cart, he’ll make sure you end up in the same position. after an hour or so, you’ve grabbed enough and you decide it’s time to pay.

despite the mask she has on, you can tell the middle-aged woman behind the cash register has a big smile on her face once she catches sight of you and your roommate.

“well, just look at you two.” she sighs. “how cute.”

“oh.” you glance at her then jeno then her again. “oh, no. it’s not like that.”

you attempt to move yourself away from jeno only to find his grip to be so incredibly strong that you almost begin to think he’s trying to hold you in place. once you finally detach yourself from him, you begin loading your groceries onto the counter for the employee to scan. she does so, but not before giving you a displeased look.

“oh really? he holds you like that because you aren’t together?”

jeno assists her in placing the scanned items in bags. “i didn’t want to lose her.”

she pauses scanning a can of tuna to stare him down. “darling, that sounds like a line from a cheesy hallmark rom-com.”

you can’t help but chuckle. “what he means is that there’s a lot of people here and we didn’t want to get separated.”

jeno adds, “desperate times calls for desperate measures.”

the woman adjusts her glasses. “well, you do certainly seem desperate to have her close to you.”

jeno doesn’t say a word as he continues bagging but his smile reaches his eyes.

5. he works out.

why did the pandemic have to hit in the middle of summer?

you often asked yourself this, complaining about how inconvenient it was. especially on the days that made your apartment feel like it was on fire. the days that required a thin tank top and shorts. even then, you found yourself to be drenched in sweat.

you sprawled your arms and legs farther on the sofa, the leather material proving to be very uncomfortable. it was either that or your bed with the warm cotton sheets that stuck to your body. just thinking about it brings you discomfort. the only relief you could think of was a cold shower. you would have already taken one if jeno hadn’t been hogging the one bathroom in the apartment.

“jeno!” you yell.

silence; other than the sound of the water running.

“lee jeno!”

the water stops, temporarily for him to shout back an answer. “what?!”

you wipe at the sweat that has accumulated on the bridge of your nose. “hurry up! i’m melting!”

the water starts back up again and you groan. hoping to distract yourself, you pull out your phone. the group chat with your friends is surprisingly silent so you go to instagram for some entertainment. this time, your ex-boyfriend’s post isn’t the first thing you see. it takes you some scrolling but you do end up seeing another one of his pictures.

it’s simply two intertwined hands with a black and white filter. you identify the one on the left as his and although you aren’t as familiar with the one on the right, it doesn’t take a genius to figure out who it belongs to. contrary to the last, this photo has no cheesy words for a caption, just a red heart.

but, your stomach doesn’t drop. you don’t feel hurt, either. obviously, you still don’t enjoy seeing him just because of all the awful memories that came with it but other than that, you feel unaffected by the image.

in fact, you feel so confident in yourself that you block him.

you’re surprised you hadn’t done it sooner. you had known you didn’t need him in your life any longer so why keep in contact? you feel like a huge weight has been lifted off your shoulders when you press the red button that would keep him and his girlfriend out of your life. you knew with your whole heart that you didn’t need to see either of them.

before, a bit if you had felt the need to keep an eye on him. to see how he was handling the breakup and torture yourself with the fact that he didn’t seem to care. now, you could say you truly didn’t either. you didn’t need him or his stupid pictures. you had other, better things.

your friends.

your cat (yes, you considered seol to be yours).

your roommate.

you had to admit, jeno was the best thing on that list. quarantine had brought you and him significantly closer and you were over the moon about it. he was so wonderful that you kicked yourself for having lived with him for so long without ever really getting to know him. but it was easy to say you two were making up for lost time seeing as you spent every waking moment together. the record long showers jeno took being an exception, of course.

the moment the door to the bathroom opens, you rush into your room and quickly grab an oversized t-shirt and loose pajama pants to change into after your shower. you nearly drop them when you’re met with jeno’s soaking figure in the hallway.

his hair is damp and you can clearly see how long it had become. his skin looks healthy and moisturized, lotion among other skin care products had probably been applied. what really has you in a shock is the fact that the towel barely hangs below his waist. the droplets of water that fall from his hair and down his neck trail down his chest and toned torso towards the only area he has bothered to cover up. his bulky arms are also slightly wet, his veins popping noticeably. he shakes his head in an attempt to rid his hair of any water. then he runs his fingers through it, his muscles flexing ever so slightly as he does so.

“dude!” you exclaim, without a second thought. “you’re ripped!”

he smiles, his round cheeks growing at the unexpected praise. the way he could have such a rugged body but soft-featured face puzzled you to no extent. “thank you. i lift sometimes.”

“sometimes?” you repeat. “don’t be so humble! you’re basically hercules!”

he clicks his tongue. “ah, c’mon. i’m just an athletic person.”

you keep admiring his physique. “clearly.”

“oh god,” he groans, obviously flustered. “you’re looking at me like you’re gonna eat me or something.”

you hold yourself back from making a less than appropriate innuendo. “no comment.”

his eyebrows shoot up in disbelief. “quarantine is really making you go crazy.”

you point a finger at him. “you try being stuck inside with your hot roommate!”

“trust me, y/n, i know all about hot roommates.”

you tilt your head, acting purposefully oblivious. “are you talking about doyoung?”

“what? no i—“ he sighs. “you know what, just take your shower.”

6. you can’t say no to him.

jeno ruffles his black locks with his hand and frowns.

you give him a disappointed look. “knock it off, you’re gonna get dandruff in your soup.”

he ignores your comment. “i look like a hobo.”

you pause, spoon halfway to your mouth. “this i know.”

“y/n, this is serious!”

“okay, okay. what’s the issue?”

“i already told you! i’m a bum!”

“you? a bum?” you pause to think about it. “i mean, mentally? maybe. but physically? no.”

“my hair, though. it’s so long.” he grabs a strand of it and pulls it to emphasize his point.

you shrug. “if having lots of hair is the standard for being a bum, i think most of the population is.”

“i want to cut it,” he announces.

“you should,” you say, pointing your spoon at him. “wanna know why? because if you mess up, no one will ever know. other than me, of course. but if you pay me enough i’ll let you forget it.”

he smiles at the joke for a moment before he leans forward and his face goes serious. “will you help me?”

“what? no way. i’ll mess up. and it’s only funny if you do it.”

he pouts. “please?”

you stir your soup around. “just watch some youtube videos. after three, you’re automatically a professional.”

“i want you.”

the statement has your neck snapping up from your bowl to him. the smug grin on his face lets you know that he was well aware of the double meaning behind his words. it was clear he was trying to fluster you enough to get a yes.

“you think you’re flirty enough to straight up brainwash me into doing stuff?”

“well, i wanted to say that to you anyway but... kind of?”

you feel a smile creep onto your lips at hearing the genuine tone in his voice. you down your last few spoonfuls of soup and quickly stand up. jeno looks up at you, eyes hopeful.

“finish your dinner. get the scissors. meet me in the bathroom.”

not even ten minutes later, jeno practically dances into the bathroom, a pair of red craft scissors in his hand. he sits on top of the toilet lid, figuring that’d be the easiest way for you to reach him. you walk in moments later.

“i’m pretty sure we’re not supposed to be using these types of scissors for hair,” he mumbles as he hands you the sharp utensil.

you twirl them in your hand. “oh, definitely not. do you want to wait then?”

he shakes his head, his shaggy bangs swaying with the movement.

“alright, let’s get this going then.” you thread your hands through his thick locks to collect some of it in between two of your fingers. you bring the scissors forward and snip the small amount just to test the waters.

you slowly begin to get more comfortable and once you feel like you’re in your element, things begin to speed up. you move and cut faster but with efficiency. you do the spots on the back of his head and work your way forward. when it finally comes time to touch up his bangs, your small bathroom proves to be an inadequate spot to be doing this.

you end up standing balanced inches above jeno’s thighs that he’s pressed together tightly in an attempt to give you more room. you’re constantly readjusting your stance and when he notices, his hands go to your hips. you know he’s just trying to help you stay upright so you do a decent job but you still inhale sharply at the feeling of his hands on you.

not long after, you’re standing next to jeno as he inspects himself in the mirror. his fingers flick his newly shortened bangs around.

“not bad.” he tilts his head in a new angle and nods. “looks super good to me.”

you tuck the scissors into your back pocket with a relieved sigh. “oh thank god. i didn’t want to tell you before we started but i only watched two youtube tutorials on trimming hair.”

he runs a hand through his hair with a chuckle. “now that’s truly worthy of praise. and a tip.”

you raise a brow. “oh yeah? what’s th—“

he cuts you off by pressing a chaste kiss to your forehead. he pulls back and drags his thumb over the skin that has come into contact with his lips. “thanks again.” with that, he leaves you standing in the bathroom, eyes wide and face warm.

7. he has six best friends.

“can i borrow your laptop?” asks jeno, from outside your door, nearly breathless.

you look up from your book. “uh yeah, sure.”

he rushes in your room and takes the item off of your dresser. “do you happen to have zoom on it?”

you shake your head and he groans. without another word, he disappears, running off into the living room. you hear his frustrated sighs as the minutes pass and he attempts to download the application. you finally decide to go check it out once it becomes too much to bear.

“it sounds like you’re in pain over here,” you comment.

he runs a hand through his hair. “i’m supposed to meet with my friends through a zoom call but it’s so complicated.”

you put a hand on your hip. “bet you five bucks i’ll be able to get it in five minutes.”

“are you kidding? i might be technologically challenged but i’m not stupid. i know you can do it fast, just help me out already, would you?”

“alright, grandpa.”

you type and click away at the screen, jeno watching you do so, entranced but equally as lost.

“well, i was wrong,” you say after a couple moments, leaning back in your chair.

“you couldn’t get it?” asks jeno, worriedly.

“no, it’s not that.” you click something on the screen and the app opens. “turns out i could do it in three.”

he rolls his eyes and shoos you out of the chair. he sits down and enters the code and password for the zoom meeting. it takes a minute, but he finally connects. you count six other people in the call. they all immediately cheer at seeing jeno and you hear them excitedly exclaim his name.

“hey guys,” he says, a smile already reaching his eyes. “it’s so good to see your faces.”

they all nod to agree. you get a good look at each one of them and realize they’re all boys. your eyes read over each of their display names.

mark me in ur heart

hyuckie~~~

moomin enthusiast

nananananana

chnele

lil huddy

“nice name, jeno,” ‘moomin enthusiast’ guy comments, snickering slightly. “glad to see you finally came to terms with it.”

‘jenojam’, his name reads. the rest of the group laughs, also teasing him about it. you assume it’s some kind of inside joke.

the self proclaimed ‘lil huddy’ furrows his eyebrows. “wait, did you choose that name yourself?”

jeno simply nods in response.

he glares into the camera. “donghyuck, you told me i had to put this as my name or else it wouldn’t let me connect!”

donghyuck—or ‘hyuckie~~~’, you presume—shrugs. “oops. guess i was wrong.”

you laugh at the humorous exchange. it seems like the sound has drawn some attention to you when ‘nananananana’ speaks up, eyes trained on you.

“um jeno? don’t you want to introduce your guest?”

jeno beams, dragging you closer into the frame. “i’m sure you all know about my roommate. say hi, y/n.”

you do so, waving and smiling politely at the group.

“you know, even though we used to always hang at jeno’s, i don’t think we’ve ever actually seen your face,” ‘chnele’ says, tilting his head.

you agree. “me neither. i’ve mostly just heard you guys.”

the ‘mark me in your heart’ boy sheepishly rubs his neck. “sorry. we tend to be a little loud.”

‘chnele’ lets out a high pitched screech of a laugh. “only a little?”

“i recognize that laugh!” you blurt. “i would hear it all the time!”

”that’s our little dolphin,” coos ‘hyuckie~~~’.

“oh god, stop. i hate that stupid nickname.”

“it’s well deserved.”

“i think you should apologize to y/n for being a nightmare to her eardrums.”

“and ours, for that matter.”

“what about all your little freestyles? i’ve had to sit through hundreds of them and i never got an apology!”

“because they’re not bad! could you do any better?”

“you’re a soundcloud rapper, i think anyone could.”

jeno turns to you as the bickering on screen gets louder and louder. “this is gonna be a long call.”

once the group has moved on from roasting the life out of each other, you’re able to engage in some good-natured conversation. jeno teaches you the names and the other basics about the group. some points that stand out about the group is that mark is the oldest, renjun specializes in contemporary dance, jaemin inhales six cups of coffee on the daily, and chenle is insanely rich.

“what about jeno?” you ask them. “anything i should know about him?”

“he’s allergic to cats but the idiot still adopted—“

“she already knows about that, renjun,” jeno chuckles.

“oh. well. that’s pretty much the only interesting thing about him.”

jisung pipes up. “oh wait! he works out religiously too!”

you and jeno share a look. you burst into laughter and he simply glances away, slightly embarrassed. “oh yeah, i know that all too well.”

“and what about the unhealthy cooking obsession?”

you nod at mark’s question. “that too. he cooks dinner almost every night around here.”

renjun purses his lips. “he already cooks for you? wow. he must really like you.”

“you think?” jaemin asks. “didn’t you read any of the messages in the group chat? he’s practically in love with her. his words, not mi—“

“okay! i think it’s time for us to go! bye guys!” jeno doesn’t even give you a chance to say your own goodbye before he’s clicking the ‘end call’ button in the bottom right corner.

you give him a confused look. “what was that all about?”

“they’re crazy.” he laughs. “well, if you need me i’ll be in my room screaming into my pillow for the next couple hours.” he dashes off leaving you standing alone, trying to comprehend what had happened.

8. he‘s a great listener.

jeno has officially replaced seol as your movie buddy, not that you have a problem with it. you thought it was nice to have someone you could actually converse with but of course, you make sure seol still sits in.

“what i’m saying is that iron man just wants to protect his team.”

“well, if they sign the accords, they basically surrender themselves to the government.”

“and?”

“you don’t see a problem with that? see, captain america knows what he’s doing. he’s literally an avenger—“

“so is iron man!”

“let me finish! so, he’s an avenger, right? he has the best judgment because he’s saved the world countless times. he knows how to operate his team and do the right thing.”

“okay but there’s casualties. and that’s what iron man is trying to fix.”

“how do you save the world and not have casualties?”

“you just—“ your phone rings mid argument and you raise your finger towards jeno. “this isn’t over.” you put the phone to your ear, not bothering to check the caller id. “hello?”

“sweetheart?”

you feel a chill go up your spine. was it him? no, it couldn’t be. you had blocked his number shortly after you did so on all your social media.

“baby, don’t be so shy. i know you’re there.”

you can’t hold back. “please don’t call me that.”

he chuckles, breathlessly. “oh, c’mon. you used to love it. you still do.”

“no, i don’t. actually, i don’t want to hear your stupid pet names or stupid voice or see any of your stupid posts. just go bother your girlfriend and leave me alone.”

you notice jeno perk up beside you out of the corner of your eye. he must have been caught off guard by your irritated tone.

as always, lucas is unaffected by you. “i’m being nice and giving you a second chance. i even called you behind soyeon’s back.”

“is that something i’m supposed to reward you for?” you scoff. “congratulations, you’re now awful, toxic, and a cheater.”

he growls. the sound was familiar. in your relationship, if you heard it you knew he was going to snap at you until he had the satisfaction of making you cry. “i know you miss me so don’t say things you’re going to regret later. because even when you’re back in my arms, i won’t let you forget it.”

the thought of being back with him made you feel icky. but the fact that he sincerely thought you would crawl back to him set your entire body on fire. “are you joking? i was always aware of the fact that you treated me like the dirt you walked on but do you seriously think that lowly of me?”

you’re rendered speechless and apparently, so is he because the other line stays silent.

“i wouldn’t go back to you if you were the last person on earth,” you spit. “you treated me horribly, wong yukhei. i won’t ever forget it. move on. i have.”

you glance at jeno, his expression more serious than you’ve ever seen it. his eyebrows are furrowed and his eyes are trained on your cellphone. the glare he gives the device is so strong you wouldn’t be surprised if even lucas could feel it, wherever he was.

you hang up and block the number, wishing to never talk to him again. you toss your phone onto the sofa with an exasperated sigh. you find jeno’s gaze to still be focused intensely on it.

“if you gave lucas that look, i’m pretty sure he’d cry.”

he breaks his concentration, eyes going to you instead. his entire face softens. “all i’m going to say is he better pray we never cross paths.”

“well, if you happen to, call me up. i wouldn’t mind helping you beat the crap out of him.”

jeno chuckles for a second then lowers his voice to a whisper. “he was really bad to you, huh?”

you nod. “he messed me up. i hate to admit it ‘cause i know i was stupid to stay with him for as long as i did.”

your roommate shakes his head. “don’t say that. it’s not your fault he messed up the best thing that would ever happen to him.”

“i thought i was the problem for so long, jeno. i was so blinded by love. then, i realized there was no way he truly cared for me when he treated me like i had no heart to be broken.”

jeno scoots towards you and rubs soothing circles into your arm. “you have such a big heart. and i can’t tell you how sorry i am that he took advantage of that. i’m sorry that you were stuck with someone so insecure and ignorant. please, don’t think about him anymore.”

you hold in your tears. you refused to cry over someone like lucas. “i know. i try so hard not to.”

jeno holds your head into his chest. his arms are placed securely on your back. “oh, baby.”

when jeno uses this pet name on you, it feels so completely different from lucas. you could tell me meant it. he wasn’t using it to make you stay a little longer, to assure you he loved you. strangely enough, you do not need to be convinced of that. you feel like you have known it for a long time.

9. he likes to be the big spoon.

you’re not sure how he’s done it but you end up falling asleep in jeno’s arms. you assume it had been so long since you had been cradled and rocked so delicately that the foreign yet extremely delightful sensation knocked you right out. even seol is deep in sleep, laying down peacefully at your feet.

you relish in the feeling of jeno pressed right into your back. he fits so perfectly against you that it reminds you of a puzzle piece. to be exact, the moment when you connect the last two pieces and the full picture becomes complete. that was how you felt—complete.

with jeno’s soft breaths tickling the back of your neck and his soft snores filling your ear, you know there’s nowhere else you’d rather be. his arm that is wrapped around you makes sure you can’t escape his embrace. you are positive that even if you had the liberty of doing so, you would stay exactly where you were.

you lean farther back into your pillow, closing your eyes. you let every thought fade away as you try to fall back asleep as soon as possible. you wanted the moment you found yourself in to last as long as possible.

10. he has feelings for you.

jeno mumbles sweet nothings into your ear as he toys with your hair.

it just seemed right to him. like something he was meant to do with you. he had seen these types of things in films and shows before. it was intimate and touching, the scenes were always meant to tug at the audience’s heart strings and show how in love the two characters were. perhaps, even though you lay asleep in his arms, he wants you to finally know.

“honestly, being inside with you all the time is kind of the best. i know the whole virus situation is less than ideal but being able to spend so much time with you... that’s all i could ask for.” he pauses. “isn’t it so crazy how before this we were all weird and awkward around each other? well, i guess we still kind of are. that’s mostly my fault so... sorry. i just don’t know how to act around you sometimes. we’re barely getting close and i’m already this attached to you. as jisung would so kindly say, ‘i’m simping’.” he chuckles to himself. “all jokes aside, i really do like you. ever since you moved in here all cute and nervous, you’ve taken your own little place in my heart, as cheesy as it sounds. and these past few weeks, you just keep on taking up more and more room in there. not that i have a problem with it. i just...” he stops as if he doesn’t know how else to express his feelings. “really, really like you.”

“thanks.”

you feel him jolt then abruptly stop stroking your hair. there’s silence until he asks, “you don’t happen to be a sleep talker, do you?”

you shake your head.

“and did you hear like, a lot of what i said?”

“only the important stuff. like how awkward you are and how much you like me.”

“o-oh.”

“but don’t worry. it’s mutual.”

you feel his relieved breath hit the skin of your neck. “that’s the best thing i’ve heard all day.”

you tilt your head back and stare at him, confused. “what, did you seriously think i wasn’t into you?”

he shrugs. “i was too busy simping, i guess.”

you can’t contain your laughter at the use of the slang. “park jisung would not be proud.”

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endless-symphonia · 3 years

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Noriaki Kakyoin Analysis + Appreciation Post

Warning: Unmarked spoilers ahead, read at your own risk!

Heya, it’s your girl here. Kakyoin’s been my favourite JJBA character for a while and I was thinking about him this morning, so I figured I should write something on him to spread my love and complete admiration for this man. This might be a pretty long post since I plan to write a detailed breakdown on him and how he was portrayed in the story but either way I hope you Kakyoin kinnies enjoy this one. :)

Appearance

Kakyoin is definitely one of the most attractive men I have ever seen. His features are absolutely dazzling and don’t fail to amaze me. My favourite is probably his lustrous purple eyes and cherry red locks, both of which are natural. His looks are absolutely stunning and add more reason as to why I fell for this man.

His overall bodily structure is generally more feminine then masculine, having a slim waistline, large chest and hips and slender legs. I often like imagining an alternate universe where Kakyoin is portrayed as female.

The way he communicates is also generally more effeminate then masculine. It has been said that Kakyoin utilises ‘gendered language’ and utilises a softer Japanese dialect and speech patterns more typically associated with women, which is commonly referred to as ‘onna kotoba’ (女言葉, “women’s words”).

Analysis

Kakyoin was a quiet, introverted individual who usually kept to himself, though this is obviously prior to him meeting Jotaro and the rest of the Crusaders, which is when he began opening up to others after experiencing love and friendship for the first time. Kakyoin generally maintains a polite and formal behavior, which fits his status as an honor student.

Kakyoin believed only respectable individuals were able to become friends of him, with the Crusaders being the only group he attached himself to. Having distanced himself from people his whole life for being ‘different,’ Kakyoin was truly able to experience true joy with the Crusaders, and those 50 days proved to be the happiest days of his life.

Despite being in isolation his whole life, Kakyoin was able to build a strong bond with the Crusaders, most particularly Jotaro. We are able to see that friendship is something that Kakyoin values very much. Having looked back on his past actions, Kakyoin vowed to change into someone who could protect the people he cared for and become someone who people could look up to.

Kakyoin was a kind soul, willing to put others before himself. He was willing to do all he could to protect his friends whom he loved so dearly. In Chapter 55 of Stardust Crusaders (episode 19 in the anime), Kakyoin was faced with Death 13, and from there we were able to see that Kakyoin was willing to go as far as make a fool of himself just to protect his friends from harm.

Later on, in Chapter 254 of SC (episode 46 in the anime), Kakyoin loses his life at the hands of DIO, and during his final moments, he chose to use the last embers of his strength to inform his friends of DIO’s stand ability to prevent them from being killed, with him eventually dying due to blood loss, not knowing whether or not his friends would survive. Personally I believe that though his death was heartbreaking, Kakyoin had really played his part as a member of the Crusaders well. Throughout the duration of the series he remained a strong and confident figure even in moments of despair.

It has always amazed me how much Kakyoin grew as a character as the story progressed. He was such an important part of the Crusaders and I can’t imagine the group without him. Kakyoin deserved so much more then what he was given, and he definitely deserved to see another day instead of spending his last few breaths dying at the hands of DIO.

When Kakyoin first appears, he is under control by DIO’s flesh bud, and after being saved from death by Jotaro, he begins to see everything in a new light, after which he joins the Crusaders on their journey to Egypt, remaining a loyal, kind and compassionate friend throughout the journey.

During his first fight with Tower of Grey, we already see that Kakyoin is a confident and merciless fighter. Kakyoin is shown to be violent and ruthless when faced with enemy Stand users, shown when he remorselessly kills all of his opponents (with the exception of Mannish Boy), his reasoning being that they are evil beyond redemption. We also see that he is the most quick-thinking out of the entire group, shown when he effectively takes out both Tower of Grey and later on, Death 13.

Kakyoin is a righteous though blunt individual, being extremely loyal to his companions and ruthless to his opponents. Kakyoin has also displayed himself to be manipulatively charismatic around opponents, shown with his fight with Jotaro. He can also be quite cold and prideful, and is also noted to be stern and blunt.

Kakyoin states his reasons for joining the Crusaders is due to fighting evil, but also as a way of thanking Jotaro for saving his life. From this we see Kakyoin is a fearless individual, being able to stand strong even in the most dire of situations, even when DIO’s stand, The World had willingly punched through his abdomen.

Appreciation Post

Kakyoin is definitely a character that deserved way more than what he was given. I would have loved to see what Araki would do with him if he had survived his fight with DIO. A fair amount of people I’ve met appreciate Kakyoin, but personally I think that appreciation isn’t enough. Part 3 really wouldn’t be the same without him, and Kakyoin deserves to be more widely recognised for his actions.

A lot of people have claimed that they see themselves in Kakyoin, and I have to admit that I myself do too. A lot of aspects surrounding Kakyoin are things I have personally experienced and relate to, and that’s one of the many reasons why I love him and think he’s amazing.

Kakyoin is the kindest soul I have ever come across. He was willing to throw his life away just to protect someone he barely even knew, and went on that journey to Egypt with the people he loved the most. With the people who truly accepted him for who he was. He died without any regrets, and during those last moments he didn’t think of himself, or about his life back at home. Instead, he thought about the people he went on this journey with and swore to protect, and that’s something I truly find respectable and admirable.

Kakyoin spent so many years wondering the meaning of his life. He spent so long refusing to reach out to anyone, living his life in isolation. It’s satisfying to think that during his final days he finally found the meaning to his life, and it melts my heart to know that along with that discovery he found happiness.

All he ever wanted was to make his friends happy. All he ever wanted was to make them proud, and he did. He fought with all he had, not knowing whether or not he would survive. But he knew that important people were waiting for him to return, and that’s what pushed him forward. He fought for his friends harder than anyone would have ever fought for anything.

17 years of loneliness and 50 days of friendship. And if you were to ask him, ‘Was it worth it?’

I'm pretty sure he’d say yes.

- izzy

#jojo’s bizarre adventure #jjba #noriaki kakyoin #stardust Crusaders #jojo #jjba part 3 #JoJo part 3

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highly-flammable · 4 years

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Reacting to Legacies 3x03 (SPOILERS):

1. So ARE we FINALLY getting to some proper firstborn Mikaelson witch breakdowns?

2. Oh well, apparently no. They'll just try to wave it off as some one time thing probably.

3. So Hope and Landon are on a break. Okay. TBH watching them sass each other is interesting.

4. The guidance counselor is pretty much a compulsion monster, is that it? Well, I do like his wardrobe.

5. Alyssa's concern for MG is so fake I can't.

6. Nobody other than Jed read for Stefan? THE DISRESPECT.

7. Lizzie playing Caroline makes total sense but them asking Josie to play the lead without even an audition looks a bit bad TBH. Like, give the other interested people a chance, at least.

8. I find it a bit repetitive how there are mind-controlling monsters popping out again and again.

9. So MG is basically going through a phase similar to what Cami was going through when Klaus used to compel her at the beginning of TO. Considering Quincy's fondness for Cami, he must have liked playing that.

10. I understand that Landon is supposed to be a capable songwriter in-universe but it takes more than that to write and direct a musical and it's very weird that they didn't even find a guest star to pose as a Drama or English teacher who is guiding him or something. WHERE ARE ALL THE TEACHERS?

11. I kinda feel like some of the lead characters in this show are colour-coded. I see Hope and Landon in red and blue a lot (the two gowns we have seen Hope wearing also fall into this pattern) and Josie wears yellow in like, every other episode. If I recall correctly, Lizzie wears a lot of white, too. I wonder what the reasoning behind these choices are.

12. Well, I liked Hope and Landon's relationship in S1, I have no idea what was going on with it in S2, and I still don't know what to think about it.

13. Lizzie casts herself in Caroline's role and then chokes at rehearsal. Not totally unrealistic but still feels a bit forced to me. Would have been better if Landon cast her because she's Caroline's daughter and Lizzie was a bit apprehensive in the first place because she didn't want to mess up the role.

14. I appreciate the show taking a moment to talk about Lizzie's bipolar disorder though. It's been a while.

15. "Bonnie just disappears for long periods of time"? Dude, she's still super important and you're putting her in the play. Right? RIGHT?!

16. Landon, THANK YOU for pointing out how weird Caroline and Alaric's relationship was. The guy deadass got engaged to her and had a pissing contest over her with Stefan, that will never not gross me out.

17. So the monster is mind controlling Landon to put Klaus into the play. Saw this coming IG.

18. Hope is painting again, like her dad used to do when he felt things were going out of control. I've been rewatching TO and this is making me so emotional. I MISS KLAUS AND HIS SHENANIGANS. And not a single character on Legacies comes close to Klaus, Elijah and Hayley for me. (Sorry if this hurts anyone's feelings but Legacies really is a downgrade from TVD and TO)

19. Ugh, why would he use the contents of the letter as lyrics? Dude, is it because you're mind-controlled? No, I don't like this. Klaus loved Hope to the ends of the earth and wanted everyone to know but Hope wants to keep things private, and her wishes should have been respected.

20. So apparently Landon tries not to put Klaus' villainous antics into the show. Well, okay, it's definitely a copout but since he is Hope's boyfriend, makes sense. But I don't understand why the musical HAS TO BE about the Salvatore school. The accreditation excuse is lazy, writers! Also, Landon, my dude, Klaus was a major donor of the school. Put that in instead of the other things, stop pissing off your girlfriend FFS. Even if you're mind-controlled 🤦🏻‍♀️

21. I do find it funny how Landon is all gaga over Klaus' use of language though. The guy really did have the best lines, didn't he? (Tied with Elijah, I suppose, for me)

22. The other singers of the first song are really good so Kaylee sounds a bit rusty in comparison. Also, she reminds me too much of Dark!Josie with the hair and makeup. From a distance, she can be mistaken for Nina though.

23. I love that the backstage activities are being shown.

24. I'm digging Jed as Stefan and I really like his singing voice. And the Hero Hair wig cracked me up. Kaleb is obviously good at singing at it's nice to hear more from him. I also like how Chris Lee didn't try to exactly emulate Ian and played Damon how someone who has only heard about him might play him.

25. Is Hope painting herself before the pit or something? Or is this supposed to symbolize her despair at her parents' loss? ALSO, I WANT SOMEONE TO MENTION HAYLEY :( Why is Hayley so ignored?!

26. The same person probably wrote MG's notes and Caroline's letter IRL and therefore, in-universe, MG has Caroline's handwriting and it's funny to me.

27. Jenny sings well, I like it. I don't understand the song though, was Caroline actually ever feeling this insecure? I feel like the song became a lot more about Lizzie than her mother. (It's been forever since I watched TVD, if anyone has yet to guess, I prefer watching TO)

28. The doppelganger thing cracked me up.

29. Wait why did the monster attack Josie?! Ohhhh he's forcing Landon to improvise and put Klaus' song at the end. Well, I guess it makes it seem a bit less like Landon's fault. But would Hope know that?

30. It's hilarious how they lowkey make a call back to Nina leaving TVD and them having to put Elena in a sleep spell though.

31. Landon having a hissy fit is funny to me. Aria needs more comedic scenes.

32. Wait, where did Jade come from? Has she been in the school all these weeks?

33. While the scene seems a bit shabby to me, Klaus talking to Hope reminds me of their scene from TO 4X03. I needed more of Summer Fontana and Joseph Morgan together. Also, the donation did get mentioned, YASSSS. Man did some horrific things but he did fund the school so maybe a little less badmouthing in the presence of his daughter now that you know the story, eh, students?

34. The fact that the guidance counselor actually wore a leather jacket and a henley is cracking me up. It's really bizarre.

35. "Terrible painter" XD Klaus would have eaten you for saying that if he were alive.

36. Um, Hope, wouldn't you ask your family if you are doing enough to make your father proud, instead of this random bloke who supposedly met him once?! Maybe call Freya or Rebekah.

37. Why is this monster being nice to Hope? Doesn't it try to break people up or something? You'd think he'd try to piss her off even more and ruin her relationship with Landon.

38. Stefan was trying to be more like Damon by sacrificing himself? Um, what?

39. Well, this musical at least gave Stefan and Caroline a goodbye scene. I wonder how much the twins remember Stefan, must have been a bit emotional for Lizzie to play that. Jenny's singing was gooood, really liked it.

40. JED WAS GONNA KISS LIZZIE AND I WANTED IT TO HAPPEN. But a forehead kiss does work.

41. Hope's playing Elena now? What?

42. Ngl I want Hope and Jed to be friends. She needs more of a connection to her wolf side. Both of her parents wanted her to be surrounded by wolves and she's barely interacting with the wolves in this show, which always makes me sad.

43. So this monster can also do little spells and move physical objects eh? Whatever, this is random.

44. And this monster brings people back together? Why?

45. So when Hope is singing, is she doing it as Elena or Hope? She came on stage as Elena, but I thought the song is about Hope. So WHAT IS IT?

46. Oh Damon's on stage, so Hope is singing as Elena and it's a call back to the graveyard scene from the TVD finale.

47. Danielle sings pretty well. It's good she decided to perform this time.

48. Okay, that lifting up scene was adorable. I feel like Hope and Landon are at their cutest when they're a bit spontaneous. But she's Elena on stage and it lowkey looks like Landon crashed her romantic scene with Damon to kiss her so I'm cackling.

49. How much older is Jade supposed to be than Josie?

50. So is Josie going to leave the school for a while and that's why Ethan will be back in the picture?

51. Jade used to babysit Josie? Okay, it is hella awkward.

52. Josie why, don't do this, yikes. Kissing her once doesn't make it non-creepy.

53. The Sheriff feels kinda shoehorned to me. Also, I don't care for Matt Davis or his character.

54. So Candice did the voiceover for Caroline's letter. That's nice for the show. I still don't understand why the letter showed up in Hope's fireplace though LOL.

55. This episode should have spent more time exploring the aftermath of the loss of Rafael. The abrupt shift from the last episode wasn't nice.

56. Yeah, kids, talk out your problems, thanks.

57. I feel like Klaus is too much of a controversial figure that Hope's conflict about her father's reputation would be resolved in one day. This is feeling undercooked. Speaking of, when is one of Klaus' or Hayley's enemies coming after Hope, because she did inherit all of them. Would make for better storytelling than this monster of the week nonsense. And yeah, still no mention of Hayley, I hate this.

58. The monster's characterization was really odd to me and I am so tired of this format SMH.

59. So they toyed with MG for weeks to get a vampire for the spell? That sounds like too much effort. There are tons of vampires from Klaus and Rebekah's bloodline, they couldn't find another? Also, I wonder who is the wolf that they will use.

Well, I felt like this episode was mostly okay, but not that well-cooked or epic or whatever. What is horrific is that they didn't show Bonnie, though. They could have at least gotten a female black guest character who is one of the witch students or something. This is very offensive.

Also, I don't think it makes sense for the show to do any more musicals in the future. This ain't Riverdale.

#legacies #legacies cw #hope mikaelson #landon kirby #lizzie saltzman #josie saltzman #kaleb #jed #milton greasley #alyssa chang #jade #klaus mikaelson #hayley marshall #elena gilbert #damon salvatore #stefan salvatore #bonnie bennett #caroline forbes #cami o'connell

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knickynoo · 4 years

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Doc & Marty Friendship Mega-Post

As anyone who sees my posts knows, one of my favorite things to explore in regards to Back to the Future is Doc & Marty's friendship. There are plenty of examples of great dynamic duos in TV and movies, but these two are by far my #1. I know I’ve said it (many) times before, but I’ll say it again: their friendship is beautiful for so many reasons. So, I decided to put together a huge list compiling my absolute favorite things and moments about these two time-traveling best buds.

(Absolutely gonna need to put this under a cut. Going full-ramble, people.)

THE BED & THE AMP. Listen, I can’t even estimate how many times I’ve seen the first movie, and I never knew that there were two beds in the lab until like, 3 months ago? But it is such a good detail, and definitely one of my favorites. It makes sense too, because obviously there are probably nights Marty is helping out with a project & it gets super late so he just crashes there. But I can also imagine that Doc fully realizes that with Marty’s dysfunctional home life, his friend is gonna need a break from it all every so often. And the amp? Look, I don’t care how it came about. Maybe Marty asked Doc if they could build one. Maybe Doc decided completely on his own to just spend weeks putting the thing together. Either way, it is wonderful. Without any dialogue or backstory needed, these things tell us that Doc’s lab is a safe-haven for Marty. There’s a key right under the mat so he can come and go as he pleases, a bed for him, and a gigantic amp that he can play his music on without fear of being told he’s too loud.

The whole “If you put your mind to it, you can accomplish anything,” line. I made a whole post about it, so I won’t go into my thoughts again, but yeah, it gives me feelings. (see post here)

How absolutely thrilled Doc and Marty are to see each other in the twin pines mall scene. (It is honestly one of my favorite moments in the entire trilogy, even though it’s almost a blink and you’ll miss it kind of situation.) In like 5 seconds, there are several things happening in rapid succession that wonderfully establishes their relationship. The warmth in the way Doc says, “Marty!”. The fact that they both immediately reach out to the other for physical contact. The smiles on their faces. This is not just a scientist and his assistant, people. These two need each other and bring genuine joy to the other’s life. I mean, look at them.

And this whole little scene is even more significant when you take into account the McFly dinner scene that we got directly prior to this. (See my breakdown of that scene here-it was one of my favorites to write) You see Marty go from this still, quiet, solemn shell of himself at dinner to smiling and asking questions and moving all around in excitement and it is FANTASTIC.

This line:

There’s just something kind of warm and familiar about it? The way that Doc says it almost as soon as Marty starts to ask a question & the way he reaches out to briefly grab Marty’s vest in order to further get his attention just seems to convey that this is something Doc is really used to. Like he knows that when Marty is curious about something and excited that a barrage of questions is soon to follow, so Doc’s in the habit of quickly reeling his friend’s focus back in when they have a specific task to accomplish. I don’t know, I just like it a lot.

The fact that Doc doesn’t “dumb” anything down. He rattles off all his scientific jargon, knowing that Marty has the capacity to follow along as best he can and ask questions if he needs clarification (in which case Doc will completely break it down with models or drawings because he’s all about helping Marty to understand). Unlike Strickland, Doc does not see a slacker. He knows Marty just needs to be engaged and that once he is, he’s totally into all this science stuff.

Marty & ‘55 Doc being so comfortable with each other after only a few days. Because Marty of course has to adjust to this younger version of his friend and Doc obviously just met Marty when he showed up at his house, yet there they are...already totally in tune to each other and being the best of buddies.

THE GOODBYE SCENES. See my ramblings here & here. For real though, Marty pulling Doc into that hug & looking absolutely broken with grief is probably one of my favorite movie scenes. Like, of all the movies I’ve seen. Yeah.

Doc traveling back and forth through time to try to pinpoint what went wrong with Marty’s kids so that he can stop it all from happening.

The scene on the roof of Biff’s hotel when Doc is there with the DeLorean as Marty steps off the ledge? And “Nice shot, Doc!” A+

The whole letter-reading scene in part iii. The way that Marty is wandering all over the lab in the background, touching everything and clearly trying to distract himself from the reality that he’s never going to see Doc again once he gets back to 1985. And when Doc is hyped out of his mind to end up as a blacksmith & Marty goes, “Pretty heavy, huh?” trying to smile but it vanishes instantly & there’s that look on his face that so clearly says he is miserable about this whole situation. And then. AND THEN.

THE ENDING OF DOC’S LETTER from part III. “You’ve been a good, kind, and loyal friend to me, and you made a real difference in my life. I will always treasure our relationship and think on you with fond memories, warm feelings, and a special place in my heart.” !!!!!! Honestly, sometimes I just think about the impact Marty must have had on Doc. Really though. Here’s this guy who’s spent most of his life in solitude. He’s super into science & shunned by the community for being a “nutcase” just because he’s a little different and quirky. So he throws himself into his projects, has only his dogs for companionship, and talks to pictures. Then here comes this kid one day who actually takes the time to SEE DOC and appreciate who he is. Who not only accepts him completely, but thinks he’s cool and totally best friend material. Imagine what it was like for Doc to connect with someone after so many years spent alone and looked down on.

The look of awe on Marty’s face during the scene with the telescope, as he realizes how smitten Doc is with Clara. He gives this great expression with his head sort of tilted and there’s this disbelief and wonder in his eyes as he takes in the fact that he’s seeing his best friend in love for the first time.

Just...all the times they risk everything to save the other’s life.

The ease with which they show affection to each other. It’s so natural and refreshing to see. They’re open and honest about their feelings, allow themselves to get emotional, and are totally comfortable with physical closeness in the form of a supportive hand on the arm or a hug.

** I of course have to acknowledge the completely baffling lack of a hug in the parking lot scene at the end of the first movie because...honestly, who was responsible for that? I would like a word with them. You’re telling me that after running all the way to the mall, scared out of his mind at the thought of Doc dying all over again, then the way that Marty just collapses and starts sobbing that he wouldn’t immediately grab Doc after seeing that he’s alive??? I tell myself that when the scene cuts after Doc delivers his line about the letter that there was a hug there**

So, um....yeah. I could go on I’m sure, but these are the main things that came to me when I started thinking about why it is that I enjoy these guys so much. It all goes back to the same theme I’ve mentioned in several posts. There is so much heart to these films, and a lot of it comes from the friendship between Doc and Marty. They’re both misfits in their own way. Doc is isolated from the community and Marty is living in a house devoid of support and healthy role models. They fill in gaps and are a source of safety and love in the other’s life. And I appreciate so much how these funny & exciting time travel movies are able to include such a complex, beautiful friendship between a 17 year old kid and an old scientist.

#ugh i finally did it #this took me weeks #i slowly compiled all the moments that stood out #please ramble about Doc & Marty with me #PLEASE #back to the future #bttf #marty mcfly #doc brown #nikki rambles

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zeltricstudio · 3 years

Text

'MARY'S GAME'

WICKET

APRIL 2011

“Mary loves hide-and-seek! It is her all time favorite game and she is REALLY good at it! In fact, she is the best seeker ever. If you think you could survive her gaze, then give this game a try!” Will read, as he and the rest of their group walked the old train tracks.

The group consisted of 4, 20-year old. Jane is the smallest person in their group, dressed in a casual jeans and shirt, with a warm jacket over. Alex is the second tallest, wearing the same as Jane except without a jacket. Next was Will, who is slightly taller than Alex, dressed in grey sweats, a grey hoodie and wearing glasses. Last was Thomas, who was the tallest of the group and was dressed in black shorts and a generic band shirt. The small group spent most of their free time exploring places around Wicket, hiking the trails. They loved hearing urban tales and going to explore for themselves, and sometimes participating in these challenges.

“So how exactly does this game work?” Alex asked

“Apparently we go to this specific abandoned house and at 10:00 pm, we turn this box and the game starts” Will replied, both paying attention to the track and reading a small piece of paper.

“It’s a scam. There are people who are going to jump us” Thomas replied

“You never know” Jane replied, trying to sound hopeful as she was balancing on the tracks

“Where did you even find out about this?” Alex asked Will

“At a garage sale. Some creepy old dude was insistent on giving it to me.” Will replied

“Really? He just gave it to you? For how much” Thomas asked in disbelief

“Nothing. In fact, he probably would’ve paid me” Will said

“He’s a creep. I bet he’ll be there, ready to kill you and do god knows what with your body” Alex joked

“Don’t say that” Jane said, giving a stern look to Alex

“Whatever” Alex replied

“So who is this Mary?”

“According to this article about the legend, Mary was your typical little girl. Black hair, dressed in all white. While she appeared to be innocent, she was a demon. She would kill animals, ruin the crops and just make life hard for her parents” Will explained

“How generic can you get” Thomas joked

“Yeah. Anyways, one day, the parents decided to abandon her in the forest and leave her” Will continued

“Her dad gave her a small box, the one we have, that was pretty much a 60 second timer. Her dad disguised the abandonment as hide-and-seek and said after 60 seconds, she would go and find him. No matter where he took her, or how far out she would always return. Eventually the dad was desperate to get rid of her and when he took her to this house we’re going to, he killed her”

“Fuck, that took a turn” Jane said, in shock

“I saw that coming” Alex scoffed “It was obvious”

“Well not all of us are child killers” jane retorted

“I take pride in my work” Alex retorted

“Please continue” Thomas said, ignoring Alex and Jane’s bickering

“The dad stabbed her 10 times in the back and threw her into the ocean. He drove back home. Later that night, the dad heard the familiar sound of the timer ticking and after 1 minute, her heard her laugh. Before the dad could comprehend what happened, he died” Will finished

“How?” Jane asked

“No idea, no body was ever found. Not even signs of a struggle” Will said

“What about the mother? Surely she should’ve heard something at least” Thomas asked

“She heard nothing either” Will said

“I’m calling bullshit” Alex said

“On what part?” Will asked

“All of it. That is one of those generic horror stories you see on the internet” Alex replied. “Guess we got to share it with 10 people or else we die” Alex mockingly said

“Yeah, I have to agree it does sound a bit empty” Jane said, agreeing with Alex

“I didn’t write this” Will said in defense

“Well one of two things will happen. We wasted a night listening to a ticking box or we play hide-and-seek with a little girl” Thomas said

“Explain that one to the cops” Alex said

Jane and Will laughed as the group continued walking down the tracks. After about another 20 minutes of walking, they finally reached the house.

“This isn’t a house; this is a mansion!” Alex said in astonishment

The house they saw was giant in scale. It was easily 3 stories and went deeper into the woods than they could see from the front. Unfortunately, the mansion was in dire need of repair. The once fresh coat of paint was now a dirty grey, with the wood peeling and rotting. The windows were either stained or broken and the plants began slowly taking over the house, with one side of the house and the roof covered in vines. The fence surrounding the house was slowly decaying, with it rotting and falling apart. The mail box that would usually be at the front is gone, possibly due to someone destroying it.

“I’m telling you guys, we’re going to get fucking jumped” Will said, voicing his concerns

“It’s okay to be scared, would you like to cuddle?” Alex joking replied

“Fuck you” Will said angrily, but couldn’t mask his scared voice

“Look, if anyone tries anything I’ll stab them” Jane said, trying to comfort Will

“Thanks Jane” Will said, still nervous

“It is 5:30, we got some time to kill” Thomas said, checking his watch

“Well, we better get settled in and make sure the house isn’t crawling with insects” Alex replied

“Good idea, let’s go” Thomas said and lead the group inside.

The inside of the mansion was just as bad. There was not enough natural sunlight so the group had to use flashlights to illuminate the area. The house was 3 stories. On the bottom was a staircase and the surrounding areas had a kitchen, living room and dining room, as well as a library. The couch and chairs were dirty and stained, the walls were peeling and they group could see spectacles of dust flowing through as they shone their lights.

“Let’s split up” Will joking said and the rest of the group chuckled.

“Let’s take it one room at a time” Thomas said and lead the way.

Right now the house wasn’t that scary. It was unsettling, but not scary. On the first floor there was nothing really to note, it was just ruined furniture. The only items in the house were basic household items, such as furniture and kitchen items. Any picture frames, trinkets, items and the works were removed and the house was very bare bones. As the group continued upstairs, they walked past multiple bedrooms that were also empty except for stripped beds and empty closets. Finally the group went to the very top of the house where the attic was. The attic was, unsurprisingly empty except for odd pieces of items, like a dismantled bookcase, a rocking chair and empty clothing racks.

“This house is just bursting with life” Alex said out loud

“I think it’s fascinating” Will replied

“Fascinating? How” Jane asked

“Like, I don’t know. It’s hard to explain” Will said

“So, what now?” Jane asked

“I guess we should just bunker down and wait” Thomas said, not entirely sure what else to do.

As the group sat down in the living and lit some candles, they each began doing their own thing. Will and Jane were reading books and Thomas and Alex were outside, smoking. Soon it was 9:55 and the group prepared to begin the game.

“Okay so, the way it works according to these instructions is that after 10:00, we are all have to be touching the box. One of us turns the crank and we have exactly 60 seconds to get to hiding. Mary will announce herself and the game begins. We have to survive until 10:00 am” Will said and put the instructions away

“That’s it?” Alex asked

“Yep” Will replied

“What happens if we get spotted?” Jane asked

“You get murdered, obviously” Alex said, sarcastically

“Shut up” Jane replied

“Where can we go?” Thomas asked

“It doesn’t say where we can’t go” Will said

“Sweet, I’m hiding in the floorboards” Alex joked

“I’ll join you” Will joined in

“Okay it is 10:00 now” Thomas announced

All 4 of them put one hand on the box. The box itself wasn’t anything unique. It was small and brown, with a lid you could lift and close. The crank was also a small gold handle. With both hands, Will began turning the crank. After a few turns, Will felt a small resistance and let go. The ticking began.

“Okay, so we hide now?” Thomas asked

“I guess” Jane replied, looking around to see if anything happened.

“Okay if nothing happens after a while let’s all regroup and call it a night” Thomas said

“Yeah”, “Sure” “Definitely” Jane, Will and Alex said and the group began moving. Will and Alex went together to the top floor and Jane and Thomas stayed on the bottom floor. Alex and Will then separated and went to hiding. Alex went into an old room and hid in the window curtains. Will went to the far end room and hid underneath a bed. Thomas went into the kitchen and hid in the pantry as Jane went to the living room and hid behind the couch. After they stopped moving, the only sound that was present was the ticking, which began to get louder and louder. As Alex was waiting, he began to notice a thick fog slowly began creeping in. “What the…” he whispered to himself. The ticking got louder and louder and when it finally ended, a voice was heard to everyone, loud and clear.

“Ready or not, here I come!” a female voice was said as it echoed across the entire house.

The mansion was suddenly silent. No one dared to move or make a noise, in fear of what just happened. Alex walked out of his hiding spot and looked out the hall, before going to where Will was.

“Will?” Alex asked and moved down to see Will

“Quiet!” Will hushed, extremely scared

“Did you hear that too?” Alex asked, slightly scared now

“Of course I did!” Will asked, his voice breaking

“Fuck it, I’m staying with you” Alex said and moved to the other side and joined Will

“Dude, fuck off this is my spot” Will said in protest

“The buddy system” Alex replied and got settled in.

The two lied still and didn’t move, staring at the doorway. After what felt like an entirety they saw a pair of feet walk across. The feet was bare and only showed the ankles, as the rest was covered by a white dress. Will had to cover his mouth to stop himself from screaming as Alex was in awe.

“Is that?!” Will asked in a hushed tone

“No fucking way, someone is fucking with us” Alex said with confidence but was also terrified.

Downstairs, Thomas and Jane also heard a female say the phrase and Jane peaked up, looking around but seeing nothing. As she was looking, she felt a tap on her shoulder and her heart instantly stopped

“FUCK” Jane screamed, but stopped when she saw who it was

“DON’T DO THAT!” Jane screamed in a whispered, as she slapped Thomas’ arm.

“Sorry” Thomas replied and settled next to Jane

“Was that you? Be honest” Jane said extremely angry

“I promise that wasn’t me” Thomas said with complete honestly. “Plus, I couldn’t even get my voice that high” he added on

The two continued peaking over the couch and waited, hoping to catch sight of whatever said that. Jane secretly hoped it was Alex fucking with them, but even she knew there was no way he could do that. Suddenly the two heard the staircase creak and they saw her Mary. Except this time, Mary wasn’t a girl. She was extremely tall, probably taller than Thomas. Her black hair was completely draped over her face and her white dress was covered in patches of blood. She was also completely drenched from head to toe, with her dress clinging tightly to her body, making her appear extremely skinny and thin. The way Mary walked made it so her top half didn’t rock or sway, she was extremely still. Mary continued down the stairs and went into the kitchen. Thomas looked back at Jane with the most terrified expression he could muster. The two continued subtly peaking at Mary as she walked around the kitchen, checking the pantry and under the table before leaving and going out of sight. Thomas prepared to get up.

“What are you doing?!” Jane shouted in a harsh whisper

“Keeping an eye on her” Thomas said, not sure why he was moving

“Are you fucking insane? We need to leave” Jane said, trying to pull him back

“I’ll just do a quick peak” Thomas replied and began getting up

As Thomas slowly stood up, he was no longer covered by the couch. Before he could walk, he felt Jane pull on his arm. Thomas looked at Jane as she pleaded with him to stop but he continued walking and Jane let go, knowing she couldn’t stop him. When Thomas turned back, he saw Jane standing still. Thomas froze up and waited, wondering if he should move or stay still. Suddenly Mary turned and sprinted at Thomas with incredible speed. Thomas was instantly tackled and Mary began stabbing him with a cleaver.

“AHHHHHHH” Thomas screamed out in pain and tried stopping Mary, but she was incredibly stronger than Thomas was. Thomas’ screams soon turned to gargling and then nothing as Mary hacked into him 10 times, before stopping. Jane could only watch in horror as her friend stopped moving. Mary stood up and then continued walking. Alex and Will heard the scream and debated what to do.

“He’s fucking with. They both have to be” Alex whispered to Will

“You know Thomas, he wouldn’t pull that kind of shit. Plus did you not hear that voice” Will replied. “We got to check on them” Will said and began moving.

“Are you insane?!” Alex said, not moving from his spot. “It’s not Mary, it’s probably some crazy axe, serial killer” Alex replied, trying to make a rational point.

“I’m just going to peak, okay” Will said as he continued walking.

“Get the fuck back here!” Alex angrily said, but Will continued walking.

As Will stepped out of the room, he noticed several wet footprints that continued down the hallway. Will followed them, but was making sure he was quiet as the mansion began creaking. Will peaked over the railing and moved down the stairs until he could just see the view of the living room.

“Hello?” Will whispered loudly, but he heard no response. Will repeated a few more times, but nothing, so he returned. Jane was almost tempted to reply, but was terrified to. Will walked back to the room and stood in the doorway.

“Nothing, I called out and there was no reply” Will said to Alex

“Congratulations, now get the fuck back here” Alex said, his voice trembling

Before Will could reply, he was suddenly tackled by Mary.

“AHHHHHHHH” Will screamed in pain as Mary began hacking into him. Alex immediately left the bed and went to help his friend. Will’s screams turned to gurgles as his throat was hacked clean. Mary got 5 hits in before Alex pushed her off. Mary rolled off, but quickly got up. Alex got an up close look at Mary and was shocked as she towered over him. Alex then punched Mary in the face and she didn’t react. She stood still. Alex quickly went from worried to terrified as Mary dropped her cleaver and tilted her head. Alex was about to throw another punch when Mary ran towards him. She gripped his throat and lifted him up, before using the momentum to push forwards and slam Alex to the ground. Alex was dazed as his head contacted the ground, before Mary then lifted his head and pushed it back, stunning Alex again. With Alex now incapacitated, Mary turned and picked up her cleaver, before slicing into Will 5 more times. Mary then turned and hacked into Alex. Jane heard the commotion and was wondering if she should investigate. Part of her wanted to leave, but another part knew she had to help her friends. She slowly began walking to the stairs and as she made her way up, she heard the thuds of a body hitting the ground. Jane was now terrified, as her heart began beating extremely fast. She slowly walked up the stairs and when she got to the top, she creeped to the edge of the corner and peaked. There, Jane saw Mary hacking into Alex. Mary stopped, got up and recomposed herself, before continuing her search. Jane saw both Alex and Will, bleeding from multiple wounds. Jane gave a small yelp and Mary turned her head immediately. Jane ducked just in time, but immediately went back downstairs when she heard Mary’s footsteps coming to her.

Jane ran downstairs and headed straight for the front door, opening it with excessive force and ran out as the footsteps of Mary were right on her trail. As Jane ran into the thick fog, she was immediately lost. Jane kept moving, her heart beating and not willing to stop in case Mary caught up. Jane kept sprinting, hoping to find the train tracks. After a minutes, the footsteps stopped. Jane kept running and to her horror, she saw the broken mailbox. Jane then turned and went the opposite way and after a minutes, she saw that broken mailbox once more. Jane quickly turns around, not being able to see past the fog. As Jane stands still, scared that she can’t escape, she is struck by the cleaver.

“AHHHHHH!” Jane screams as she falls to the ground. Jane continues crawling but is struck by Mary more times. After the 6thstrike, Jane stops screaming as her lungs are filling with blood. Mary lands the final strike on her head and Jane stops moving. Mary removes the cleaver and stands back-up, before going back inside the house.

The fog is lifted and the bodies of the group are now gone. The only thing that remains in the mansion is the wooden box and the instructions Will put into his pockets. The next day, the old man who sold the box to Will enters the mansion and picks up the box and note, before stuffing it back into his backpack and heads home. The next day, the old man sits the box on a table filled with other random items and continues talking to people who are looking around.

#TheHorrorsofSunshine #THoS #ZeltricStudios #HorrorStory

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jetsetlife138 · 4 years

Note

DarkBeej continuation? ;3c moved to another prompt list this time! :D 5. "So tell me when you're gonna let me in." 55. "Don't you ever do that again." 61. "Is this too fast for you? Too fucking bad."

Paring: Dark!Beetlejuice x Fem!Reader

Rating: Explicit

Warnings: Emotional Manipulation, Threats of Physical Abuse, Dub-Con, Stockholm Syndrome, Psychological Trauma

I hate Tumblr’s formatting. It always fucks with me. Sorry for any issues. Please enjoy! xoxoxo

“Are you hungry?” Beetlejuice asked as he magically summoned his clothes back onto his body after your intimate shower together.

“Um, yeah, actually,” you replied, only now remembering that you had hardly eaten at all since you had gotten there.

“Well, let’s go into the kitchen and see what I can come up with,” Beetlejuice insisted, taking you by the hand and leading you out of the bathroom and through the dark hallway.

A paranoid thought clawed through your mind at that moment, and you couldn’t help but ask in terror, “You’re not going to poison me and kill me… are you?”

Beetlejuice halted immediately to stare directly at you. His eyes appeared to glow brightly in the darkness, reminding you that he wasn’t human, which made your stomach churn in fear. “Babe, you know I would never do that, right?” he insisted, caressing your cheek gently.

“It’s just… and please don’t get upset… you’ve hurt me quite a bit since I’ve arrived and I don’t know if you’re going to do it again. Please, Beetlejuice… don’t tie me up again” you pleaded, losing control over your emotions.

Beetlejuice’s heart shattered at the desperation in your voice. “Don’t you understand that I had to do that? I’ve explained this already. Weren’t you listening? I had to show you how deeply my love runs for you. I couldn’t show you that by simply telling you. You had to feel it for yourself. You had to experience every emotional cut, every stab, every bite, and every other painful encounter that I have felt for you. But now that you have, we can move on and you can understand. Unless, of course… you don’t?”

His question was a challenge, which you picked up on immediately. It was clear that you were pushing Beetlejuice too far with your honesty and you had to do something that would convince him once again that you understood his actions, as barbaric as they were.

With an animalistic impulse and a burst of strength, you shoved Beetlejuice up against the wall in the dark hallway before pressing yourself against him. Gripping the back of his neck tightly, you shoved your mouth against his, devouring him hungrily.

Beetlejuice hesitated for a moment, not fully understanding what was happening, but it didn’t take long for him to melt into the kiss and plunge his tongue into your mouth and explore it greedily.

The kiss was hot, heavy, and uncoordinated, but it was just what Beetlejuice needed. It was all passion and he held onto your hips, pulling you even closer. Absentmindedly, you began to grind your hips into Beetlejuice’s, the friction causing Beetlejuice to moan into the kiss.

Much to your bewilderment, you had started to lose yourself in the intimate encounter, even slightly enjoying the way Beetlejuice’s form fit against your own. When it dawned on you that you were letting your control slip away, you pulled back slowly, breathing heavily, wishing that you could see Beetlejuice’s expression in the darkness.

“Oh wow, gorgeous. That was… um… unexpected,” Beetlejuice sputtered. “I adore you, babe,” he concluded, lifting your hand to kiss the back of it tenderly. “Come on, let’s get you something to eat.”

Though you were grateful to have found a way to distract Beetlejuice from his flaring temper, it made you nervous. It was obvious that you had to use sex and affection as a weapon, but you knew that you couldn’t overdo it or Beetlejuice would notice. He wasn’t a dumb guy, but he was clouded with obsession, and you knew that you could use that to your advantage if you played your cards right. The only problem was remembering that it was an act and that you weren’t actually falling for the psychotic son of a bitch that kidnapped you and had put you through hell.

Beetlejuice had escorted you to the table nestled in the corner of the severely outdated kitchen as he started to raid the cabinets for something to eat. “As I’m sure you can imagine… I don’t eat. But there’s gotta be something in here that will hold you over.” Picking up a box from the cupboard, he inspected it with a grimace. “How does Mac n’ cheese sound?”

“That sounds perfect,” you assured him.

“Excellent! Obviously, I think it goes without saying that I’m not the best cook. I had to possess a guy to get this stuff, but it seemed pretty basic enough that even I could make it. I guess we’ll find out!.”

You were consistently confused when it came to Beetlejuice’s demeanor. It was almost as if he was suddenly normal and not a dead psychotic ghoul. There were no mood swings, no threats, and no gore obsession. If you didn’t know any better, you would think that you and Beetlejuice were actually friends. It was a very odd situation and you had to constantly remind yourself of what Beetlejuice was capable of.

As Beetlejuice started to prepare the food, the silence became uncomfortable and he decided to initiate conversation. “So, is there anything you want to talk about?”

You were hesitant to reply. “Uh, no, I’m fine. I don’t mind sitting here quietly.” Your attempt to sway him from further discussion didn’t go over well.

Beetlejuice turned to give you a disapproving stare. “Come on, hot stuff. You don’t have anything you wanna talk about? No typical breather concerns or questions about your new home or our future or anything? I seem to recall you being very chatty when you first arrived. So tell me when you’re gonna let me in, babe. Obviously, at first, you weren’t ready or willing to hear me out. It seems like you are now, so go ahead. Fire away.”

You considered his proposal for a minute. The first question you wanted to ask was where the exit was, but that obviously wouldn’t go over well. Ultimately, you had decided to start out with something simple that would help your connection to Beetlejuice. “I guess I’m curious about you. I really don’t know much about you. How did you end up here? What happened to you?”

“Ahh,” Beetlejuice acknowledged with approval. “Now we’re getting somewhere. It’s a long story, but I guess you should know.” He turned his attention back to the boiling pot of water as he thought back on his past..

“I had everything in life - or so it would seem. My life was pretty fulfilling. I spent a good amount of time traveling, graduated from Harvard Business School, attended Julliard, and ultimately ended up as an overpaid corporate lackey. But none of that mattered. Not after I met her.”

Unable to stop yourself, you swallowed hard as you failed to hold back your grimace. Luckily, he didn’t notice anything. “I couldn’t sleep, I wasn’t eating, and I fell into a depression because I couldn’t have her. She didn’t want me. So, I took her.”

You were grateful that Beetlejuice was currently focused on preparing your meal and wasn’t facing you to notice your appalled expression.

“You remind me of her in that way. You didn’t want me at first either. Remember how badly you treated me?” he asked, turning briefly to raise his eyebrows at you.

“I do. I’m really sorry about that, Beetlejuice. I didn’t mean to hurt you.”

The ghoul chuckled and turned back to the hot stove. “That’s alright, babe. We’re past that now. You’re mine, and you’ll never leave me again.”

The way he said it so matter-of-factly sent a shiver down your spine. It was difficult to understand how Beetlejuice became so fucked up if he had supposedly lived such a charmed life. He probably didn’t even know that he was crazy, and you weren’t about to be the one to tell him that. No, you had to bide your time and play your part, which you thought that you had been doing pretty convincingly so far.

“Anyway, our relationship was doomed from the start and eventually I ended it all,” he finished vaguely, leaving you to wonder what that poor girl’s eventual demise was. The thought of it left knots in your stomach.

“And the rest is history!” Beetlejuice finished happily, pulling you from your thoughts. “I have you now. Something about your very existence drew me to you, and I don’t think that it’s a coincidence. We were meant to be together and I’m so glad that you’re finally here with me.”

The food was done at that point and ready to eat. Beetlejuice had placed an ample amount into a bowl for you, beaming at his accomplishment. “I hope you like it,” he said with a grin as he placed the food down in front of you.

For something as plain as macaroni and cheese, your stomach growled loudly at the appetizing smell of it and you were unable to stop yourself from digging in greedily, relishing as the food hit your empty stomach.

“Do you like it?” Beetlejuice asked earnestly.

After swallowing a large mouthful, you replied, “Very much, thank you, Beetlejuice. This is great.”

Beetlejuice grinned widely, happy that he was able to please his lover.

He allowed you to finish eating in silence as he watched you practically inhale the food. When you were finished Beetlejuice had cleared your bowl and held out his hand to you.

“Come on, let’s watch some t.v.,” he insisted as you took his hand, surprised that there was a working television in the decrepit house.

The two of you wandered into another room, which was pretty sparse apart from a big couch and a small t.v. As the two of you settled on the sofa, Beetlejuice managed to maneuver you like a ragdoll so that you were curled up against his body. Shifting uncomfortably, you were not at all enjoying the direct contact, but you knew that you had to suppress the unpleasant feeling.

“What do you wanna watch?” Beetlejuice asked, enjoying the way your chest rose and fell against him with each breath.

“Um, I’m not picky, whatever you want,” you insisted. Beetlejuice gave you a disapproving look to which you feigned a smile and reached up to press your lips lightly to his in hopes of convincing him that you were content sitting there snuggling with him.

It had worked just as you had hoped. Beetlejuice smiled in return and flipped through the channels until he settled on a The Exorcist. “You know… I’ve seen this at least a hundred and sixty-seven times, and it just gets funnier every time I see it.”

Humming in acknowledgement, you had a hard time understanding what was so funny about a terrifying movie about demonic posession, but it must have somehow appealed to his sick sense of humor.

As the two of you watched, Beetlejuice kept looking from the t.v. to your face to read your expression, probably making sure that you were enjoying yourself. Eventually, he relaxed a bit and allowed his head to rest on the back of the couch. After about an hour or so later, you could hear him breathing heavily, which soon turned into a full-on snore.

Glancing up at him, you whispered, “Beetlejuice? Are you awake?” Shockingly, you received no response.

As carefully as you could, you unwrapped yourself from Beetlejuice’s clutches. It was surprising that he had continued to sleep soundly even after you had slipped out from underneath his heavy arms. Now was as good a time as any to explore your surroundings in hopes of finding a way out.

Beginning in the room you were currently in, you looked for any signs of a door, but just like every other room so far, there were no doors that led outside - nor any windows for that matter. The only thing you could find was a small vent towards the ceiling. It was barely big enough to fit your head through, so you knew that there was no point in investigating further since you couldn’t fit through it yourself.

Continuing your search, you inspected the kitchen to no avail. Even after searching the closets and cupboards to see if there was a hidden doorway, there was nothing remotely close to an exit.

Next, you began walking down the main hallway and inspected the rooms that were now unlocked, but much to your disappointment, they were only closets and other storage spaces. For every room you had checked, you had come up empty-handed.

Feeling discouraged, you sauntered back into the living room and sat down on the other end of the couch next to Beetlejuice. The light of the t.v. flickered across the room while you lay your head back on the couch, absentmindedly following the lines and patterns on the ceiling. You had to wonder how this place could have been built without any entrance or windows. There was no way. It couldn’t be done. You had to have gotten in there somehow.

On top of that, who in their right mind would create such a depressing place? Though, you had to give Beetlejuice credit for finding the perfect hideout to stash away a kidnapping victim.

Lost in your thoughts, you continued to follow the patterns in the ceiling to calm yourself before Beetlejuice’s voice pulled you back to the present.

“Babe?” You bolted upright to see Beetlejuice staring at you with half-lidded eyes. “What are you doing?” he asked tiredly with a hint of suspicion in his voice.

“Nothing,” you answered too quickly. “I got up to--”

“Don’t you ever do that again,” he snapped, the harshness of his voice making you flinch. “I-I was just…” you stuttered, trying to come up with a good excuse. “You fell asleep and I wanted to give you more room to spread out. I didn’t want to go far, so I just stayed here while you slept. I didn’t think that would upset you. I’m sorry.”

Beetlejuice narrowed his eyes at you, making you want to melt under his heated gaze. “I don’t ever need space from you. In fact, let’s go lay down. We’ll have more in the bed.”

Begrudgingly, you stood up and shuffled over to Beetlejuice as he got up from the couch. You really didn’t want to go back into the bedroom, but you knew that there was no point in arguing with him.

At some point, Beetlejuice had changed the sheets and you were grateful for the fresh smell of detergent as you lay down on the soft surface that you had come to know so well during your time there.

Turning back to your captor, your eyes widened at the sight of Beetlejuice’s bare torso. He smirked, knowing that this wasn’t what you were expecting.

“Beetlejuice?” you asked quietly, your voice hoarse with anxiety.

Not bothering to give you a response, he instead crawled on top of you and pulled himself up so that his face was directly above yours, so close that your noses practically touched. Beetlejuice stayed there for a moment, searching your eyes with his own before he started to lean in.

Instinctively, you turned your head away, exposing your neck to the ghost, which he took advantage of and edged forward to delicately brush his lips over the soft skin of your throat.

Beetlejuice had looked up at you after he kissed your neck to see what your reaction would be. You had refused to meet his gaze, which didn’t bother him at all because he knew that you were enjoying what he was doing to you, whether you wanted to admit it or not.

He continued to plant soft kisses on his lover’s neck as his hands went from stroking your chest, to running through your hair. He became more forceful with his kisses until he switched to nipping and sucking, leaving marks on you to claim you as his own. Beetlejuice was marking his property and he could feel your body shudder beneath him at the sensation.

Beetlejuice slowly and sensually made his way back up your throat until his lips found yours again and he sucked on your bottom lip. It surprised him that you didn’t resist, but he was too pleased to be overly suspicious about it.

An internal battle was coursing through your mind. Obviously, you were disgusted, but if you had to choose between Beetlejuice cutting you open, or kissing you, the latter was the better option.

If you wanted to get Beetlejuice to trust you enough to let you have more freedom, you couldn’t keep fighting him. You hated it, but you would have to accept whatever Beetlejuice was doing to you. Not only that, but you would have to pretend to enjoy it. You weren’t sure if you could, but you had to try.

Once he was finished teasing your bottom lip, Beetlejuice wanted to see how far you were willing to let him go, so he pressed his lips softly to yours, not waiting long before forcing his tongue into his lover’s mouth with little resistance. Beetlejuice sighed into the kiss, relishing in the taste of your saliva, wishing that he could have that flavor on his tongue forever.

When your lips parted from one another, Beetlejuice pressed his mouth to your ear and whispered darkly, “You taste so fucking good. I want more of you.”

He noticed how you swallowed hard at his remark. He smirked and slowly pulled away, removing himself from on top of you, placing his hands on your shorts and panties before tugging on them. Beetlejuice paused, noticing your apprehension and grumbled, “Is this too fast for you? Too fucking bad,” he barked, not waiting for a response. “I love you so much. I would do anything for you. I want you to feel how much I love you.”

He continued to pull your shorts down until they slipped off of your legs, soon joined by your top, leaving you bare before Beetlejuice’s hungry eyes. He didn’t waste any time in kneeling back onto the bed as his mouth watered and lingered over your hot core. “Just relax, babe. I’m going to make you feel so good,” he promised as he eagerly parted your legs and pressed the tip of his index finger on your bundle of nerves.

Loathing the situation you were in, you knew that you had to persuade Beetlejuice that this was something that you wanted, too. You didn’t know if you could do it, but you had to be as convincing as possible.

When Beetlejuice started to rub small circles against your clit, you forced out a pleasured groan, causing Beetlejuice to halt his movements for a moment. You met his widened eyes with your own needy ones as Beetlejuice’s mouth hung open in surprise. “Did you just… Do you like this, baby?” He asked, anxious for a response.

Biting your lip, you hoped that it looked more seductive than you felt. “Mmnh, yes. Please… don’t stop,” you begged, your voice trembling slightly.

Beetlejuice released a breath that he didn’t realize he was holding. He couldn’t help the grin that spread across his face as he let your words wash over him. He had waited so long to hear you speak to him like that. He wasn’t about to waste another moment in case you changed your mind.

Sliding his finger down to your hole, he slipped in a thick digit while he leaned down to wrap his lips around your clit, sucking in lightly, swirling his tongue all around. “Oh god… fuck,” you groaned as you let your head sink into the pillows, closing your eyes tightly, trying to force yourself to enjoy this.

Beetlejuice hummed happily as he inserted a second finger, pumping in and out of your sex with vigor. Lapping up your juices greedily, Beetlejuice continued to eat you out like he was starved, earning soft curses and moans of approval, which only aroused him further. He tried to memorize the taste of you, delighting in the sweet and tanginess of your slick as he added a third finger, earning a choked sob from you.

“Mmnh, Beetlejuice. Oh god, I-I’m close,” you warned as your climax was drawing near.

Beetlejuice pulled himself off of you, earning a desperate look from you. “Not yet, babe. I’m not done with you yet.”

Surprisingly, you were actually disappointed when Beetlejuice stopped eating you out. You tried to tell yourself that it was just because he was really good at it, and that your acting skills were better than you thought, but a part of you wondered otherwise.

“I can’t tell you how long I’ve waited for this,” he commented soothingly as he pulled his length out of his striped pants, giving it a few pumps and smearing the pre cum over his length.

This moment was inevitable. You knew that. You were trapped and Beetlejuice had absolutely no intention of letting you out of there without some establishment of trust. Otherwise, you were probably going to die there.

Beetlejuice’s body quivered as he continued preparing his length, knowing that he was about to stretch and fill you to completion.

The ghoul crawled onto the bed and straddled you once more before bending forward and pulling you towards him harshly into a sloppy and needy kiss, to which you not only accepted but reciprocated in return. Beetlejuice was in Heaven, and he never wanted it to end.

He pulled back and gazed hungrily at you. “I love you so fucking much,” he whimpered as he positioned himself above you, taking his large cock into his hand once more as he gave himself more stimulating strokes. His eyes met yours as he asked barely above a whisper, “Do you love me?”

You knew you had to reply quickly, but you weren’t ready to utter those words, even if it was a lie. Beetlejuice would see right through that and his suspicions would make for a bad situation, which you wanted to avoid, especially considering the position that you were in.

Taking a deep breath, you finally answered. “I could love you… someday.”

Beetlejuice let the words register in his mind. No, you didn’t love him… yet. He knew deep down that it was probably too soon for that. You still barely knew him, but the fact that you were open enough to admit that you could someday love him was enough and he accepted it.

He smiled widely as he lined up his cock to your weeping entrance before pushing in at a torturously slow pace. As you were painfully and somewhat satisfyingly stretched, you emitted a satisfied moan. “Fuck, babe,” he groaned as he bottomed out, pausing to allow you to adjust to his girth.

A small whimper spilled from your lips as his length became sheathed inside of you. You couldn’t deny how good it felt, even if it was with someone you despised. He seemed to fit inside of you perfectly -- like he was made for you.

The ghoul started to lift himself once he felt like you had become more adjusted before he shifted back in, relishing in the feeling of being inside of you. Before long, he had built a steady rhythm, concentrating on the sinful sounds spilling from your mouth as you moaned with pleasure. It calmed Beetlejuice knowing that he was the one who was making those sounds come from your lips.

Alternating his angle slightly, you cried out when Beetlejuice’s shaft hit your g-spot, grazing against it just right. His own sock started to throb painfully, but he refused to come, instead, picking up speed now that he had found that perfect spot inside of you.

“Fuck, babe. You’re so- mnf- you’re so fucking perfect.”

It was clear that you weren’t going to last much longer with the increased friction that Beetlejuice was causing with his desperate speed. You were lost in your own pleasure as Beetlejuice continued to pound into you. “Oh my fucking god,” you whined softly, not wanting Beetlejuice to hear the effect that he had on you, despite the fact that you had been pretty vocal this whole time.

Fortunately for Beetlejuice, he had heard your cries of pleasure, which only spurred him further to bring you to completion. He rolled his hips and increased his speed, causing you to moan shamelessly loudly at the increased friction. “Cum for me, baby. Come on. Show me what you look like when you’re all fucked out,” he demanded, breathing heavily.

“Beetlejuice… fuck,” you choked out as the familiar feeling winding tightly in your lower half. “I-I’m gonna-” and before you could finish your sentence, the coil snapped, causing you to spasm harsly, the force of it practically paralyzing you with bliss.

Beetlejuice lost himself shortly after, his cum filling you to the brim as he nearly blacked out from how good it felt. Coming to shortly after, he continued to thrust in and out until he was completely spent, still sheathing himself inside of your heat, not wanting the experience to end.

After he caught his breath and he could feel your trembling body calm a bit, he removed himself from inside of you and fell forward on the bed beside you.

As you panted heavily, you absentmindedly moaned as Beetlejuice leaned over to lick the sweat that had accumulated on your face, which you immediately regretted as Beetlejuice hummed happily in assurance. He then wrapped his arms around you tightly, still catching his breath. “That was perfect,” he muttered as he planted soft kisses on your cheek.

Unsure of what to say, you just stared at the ceiling. The sex had actually been somewhat enjoyable, which frightened you. It was imperative to recognize the sadist that Beetlejuice was rather than the sexual bliss that he could make you feel. Though you felt repulsed, you knew that it would be worth it once you were able to get out of there and be free from Beetlejuice.

It was only a matter of time.

#beetlejuice #betelguese #musicaljuice #beetlejuice the musical #beetlejuice the movie #beej #soft beej #beetlejuicexreader #beetlejuice x fem!reader #beetlejuice x reader #adult themes #dark elements #mature themes

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lavenderek · 4 years

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I love when you fix twilight. It's obviously not fix-able completely, but you make it way better. What do you think about how she calls her parents by their first names?.

i think bella’s relationships with her parents are super weird and sometimes even unhealthy.

some of the things i’m gonna say, i’ve already said before, and they are VERY VERY LONG, but i’m gonna say them again anyway and i’ve watched jenny nicholson videos for like three days straight, so i’m gonna do it in.... a numbered list!!!!

seriously it’s super long don’t open the readmore unless you want to look at a super long post

1. bella calls them by their first names, but only in internal narration.

most teenagers don’t call their parents by their first names, so this is odd and distances the reader from her. i’m not sure if it’s supposed to humanize her parents?

her parents would be humanized if they were acknowledged by the role they’re supposed to be playing in bella’s life; most of her readers would be seeing her as The Typical Teenage Girl, so having her parents be seen as entities separate from her who operate as peers instead of parents is bizarre.

furthermore, she never does this in dialogue. she only does it in internal narration.

so is this supposed to make her seem more mature and independent? bella isn’t independent; she’s provided with all her needs by her father, including emotional needs. when edward leaves her in the second book, her father takes care of her and ultimately considers having her go back to live with her mother again, because clearly bella is in need of some parental support. put a pin in maturity, i’ll get back to that in a second.

if it’s not to make her seem more mature, then it’s just a weird stylistic choice so that the reader knows her parents’ names, which - why? i’m sure when chief swan is talking to his friend and his friend calls him charlie, we will understand through context clues that his name is charlie. also, us knowing her parents’ names doesn’t add anything to the story. bella treats every side character as an obstacle in her life, so we gain nothing from knowing her dad’s name.

it makes sense for her to call her stepfather phil, but she should call her parents mom and dad.

2. bella is “super mature”

ouch! i pricked my finger on the pin i put in maturity. yowie!

we hear a lot about how mature bella is. she condescendingly tells us that her mother is stupid and describes her father’s inability to feed himself. is this true?

her mother got married and has begun a life with her new husband. her father is a grown-ass man who has kept himself alive for what, forty years? they never do anything particularly immature except one time stephenie meyer has her dad accidentally microwave a can of soup at some point (has he never had soup? in the whole decade since he and renee got divorced, has he been soupless the entire time?). i don’t know that fucking up a can of soup is immature so much as a mistake, but go off i guess.

so maybe she’s not more mature than her parents, but surely she is just mature in her own right. let’s see all the mature decisions bella makes just in the two years we are present for.

bella gets a head injury in a car accident. she resists the advice she receives from a medical professional to rest, and plans on not telling her mother about it. she’s even pissed at her dad when he tells her mom.

bella meets edward and senses from the jump that he’s lying to her. he gives her mixed signals that make her uncomfortable. he and many people in his life talk often about how he could kill her, how much he wants to kill her, but that he is holding back. she decides that she is safe based on her own feelings (she is objectively incorrect about this, by the way, regardless of how her story ends) and chooses to date him anyway.

bella catches the attention of a man who wants to kill her specifically. she does not tell her father. instead, she insults him and runs away from home. she then runs away from the people who are assigned to protect her, because she believes she knows better than they do.

edward breaks up with bella. i think most people after the ending of a relationship would go to their room and cry and process those feelings of sadness and abandonment. but bella’s not like other girls. she’s mature and has deep emotions. she refuses to accept the breakup and spends hours wandering around in the woods, forcing everyone in her town to go around in the night looking for her. okay.

she gets a part-time job at some point. but so does her classmate mike, and also 55% of teenagers in her age range (when the book is set, which is in the mid-to-late 90′s).

oh, but wait, then she withdraws all her savings and uses them to purchase and fix up a motorcycle - a thing she is specifically not allowed to do - in order to spite her ex boyfriend. at this point she has abandoned her plans to become a vampire, so there’s no reason to assume she won’t be going to college in a couple years. with what savings will she be paying the tuition? i’m sure her school counselor will understand when she explains that she spent it all on a motorcycle.

we are told bella is very mature and stephenie meyer clearly expects us to draw this conclusion based on how bella does her chores without being asked; but when it comes to major decisions about her safety, her future, and the effect she has on others, she repeatedly makes selfish and childish decisions. she hurts her parents, her friends, and herself, a lot. she does all of this based on her own intuition.

and actually, a lot of it tracks with her being a teenager. teenagers are not adults. they biologically do not yet have the full capacity for decision-making. that’s why they’re not adults. bella is not more mature than her parents and her belief that she is is demonstrably dangerous. she really needs more discipline in her life.

3. bella and her mom

bella is very sad in the beginning of the book. she loves her mom and sees her mom as her best friend.

she demonstrates her closeness by:

lying to her mom that she wants to live with her dad, because she believes renee will be happier without bella, her supposed best friend. renee does not notice that bella has lied or question this decision.

putting off emailing or calling her mom for several days, which makes renee angry. when she finally does, she basically just lists the things she’s done and logs off.

refusing to share information with her, including that she was injured in a car accident, because she believes renee will be upset. her dad calls renee anyway, and bella is angry and is incredibly reluctant to call her back and talk to her.

ignoring her emails for months when she’s sad over her breakup.

visiting her exactly one time in the whole two years spanned in the books. her mom is also never invited to come visit bella in forks.

renee’s absence from bella’s life actually works for the plot, as she can’t interfere with bella’s duplicity, while leaving the option to add an element of guilt from afar. but it doesn’t make sense as a character decision.

i think it would make way more sense if bella and her mother aren’t close. bella wants her mom to show interest in her life. she suggested moving in with her dad in the hopes that her mom would be like, “no, honey, stay, i’ll miss you if you go,” but renee doesn’t even question it, she just books her a ticket.

bella checks her email immediately when she arrives, and hasn’t heard from her mom, so she sends her an email herself, to which she gets a response like, two days later.

bella calls her mom and gets her answering machine. renee is on her honeymoon and she and her new husband are in the process of moving to another state, so bella reasons that her mom is just busy; but she is also dealing with the knowledge that she’s just not a priority for her mom.

yeah, this is very sad and makes renee seem like an asshole, but maybe she is an asshole in this version. it would neatly remove renee from the plot, it would explain why bella is so bummed about living with her dad, and it would lay the groundwork for why bella is so gutted when she perceives edward breaking up with her as being abandoned. bella believes she is not worth staying for.

4. bella and her dad

i don’t even know where to start with bella and her dad. he seems great to me.

he is the chief of police.

he knows and is respected by everyone in town.

he has friends and hobbies.

as i said before, he has fed and clothed himself his whole life - at the very least in the decade since his divorce.

...so he seems like a reasonable person and member of the community.

he treats bella with respect and offers her privacy, but he is always available when she needs help.

he notices and tries to intervene when she’s struggling.

he has an amicable relationship with his ex-wife and they communicate about their daughter regularly.

he bought bella a truck and put chains on the tires so that it would be safe for her even when it’s cold and wet out.

...so he’s clearly an involved and caring father.

bella goes through a serious depressive episode in new moon after her breakup with edward, and her dad responds to every bit of it.

he wants to find out why she is upset.

he is aware of how she’s doing in school and whether or not she’s seeing her friends.

when bella has night terrors, he jumps out of bed to comfort her.

when jacob deliberately lashes out at her and triggers another depressive episode, he immediately steps in and calls jake’s dad.

he is told bella is at fault, but he takes bella’s side and chooses to believe her side of the story.

throughout her depression, he never once judges her for it.

after what he perceives to be edward hurting bella and being a bad boyfriend (which - he is observably not wrong about that), bella’s dad is openly against bella dating him again.

...so he cares for and advocates for bella’s emotional state.

if bella expresses gratitude or appreciation for any of these things, it’s sort of bitter and backhanded, like “at least charlie leaves me alone.” he fucked up trying to make dinner one time, to which she responds by refusing to let him cook ever again. bella dates edward twice before eclipse, and both times she went missing and then came back injured; so chief swan tells her he doesn’t think she should be dating edward again, at which point she puts down ultimatums and threatens to leave. bella ignores his rules and requests, keeps secrets from him, and runs away from home a few times because she believes she knows better than he does.

no matter how many times charlie proves himself, it never changes bella’s opinion of him. there’s no arc there. bella arrives thinking her father is incompetent, and she leaves thinking her father is incompetent.

making bella disrespect her father does benefit the narrative by enabling her to be secretive and makes her feel even more isolated in her experiences. it also makes stephanie have to write about less characters. but bella being secretive and isolated just results in her being stuck in the same situation for like 75% of each book. i think it would make sense for her to want to fix things, even just a little bit.

there’s no reason for her to disrespect charlie, so her unfounded feelings of disdain toward him are confusing and just make her look like a dick; and furthermore, not giving him a character arc just makes him a boring obstacle. he might as well just be a door that gets stuck shut whenever it rains.

i think it would be a better idea, for character development, for bella to grow closer to her father over the course of her stay with him. i would like, at least two of the times bella disobeys him, for her to ultimately conclude that he was right and she shouldn’t have done the thing. i would like her to eventually open up to him about some things.

she doesn’t have to share that the cullens are vampires, but of all the people in her life, who has experience with having a romantic partner with whom he envisioned a future break up with and leave them? it would make sense for her to confide in him - or at the very least, seek comfort from him.

bella trusting her father’s judgment and showing caution dating edward again after the events of new moon would also be better for the story, and i have more thoughts about that but that’s for another post.

and probably biggest of all, your only tenuous link to emotional acceptance and fulfillment should not be your romantic partner. that’s so weird and unhealthy. bella is a teenager who, in general throughout the books, feels unmoored and stressed out. she needs someone sturdy and reliable who she can trust to protect her, even if it’s only emotionally. this would also give bella someone to bounce her thoughts and feelings off of and reduce the monotony of the narration a little bit.

her father is an excellent choice for that. he repeatedly demonstrates that he is in her corner, and her corner alone. (i also think vampires should be just a little bit easier to kill, so that chief swan can protect her just a tiny bit.)

5. why

stephenie meyer has children herself and it’s so weird to me that she would write a teenager deliberately disobeying and lying to her parents and consequently placing herself and many other people in grave danger, and framing it as a good thing. she makes it clear that bella was correct in doing this.

bella’s not the only one, either. edward allegedly sees carlisle as his father figure, but A. this was not consensual, and he is frequently unhappy that carlisle bit him and made him a vampire; and B. he often disregards or gets angry about carlisle’s advice.

wouldn’t stephenie meyer want to know if her son was hurting, or in danger? wouldn’t she want her son to respect her? wouldn’t she want to be able to share her wisdom and help her son make safe choices?

she does make it clear in interviews that this is pretend and she doesn’t believe readers should be seeing her characters as role models; but she made her characters teenagers on purpose, and it strikes me as kind of irresponsible to act as if she assumes her young readers won’t try to identify with them.

bella’s relationships with her parents are boring and unusual, and the older i get the more frustrating they are. they stifle the characters and make the plot repetitive and tiresome. these are relatively small changes that i think would benefit the story overall. and that’s my opinion, thanks guys

#haters #who is this even #twiligt #Anonymous #talking out of my ass

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make-it-mavis · 4 years

Text

Homesick (Entry #18)

(cw: vomiting) ----------

01/06/88 2:55 AM Hey.

Y’know what’s weird?

This is getting harder and easier at the same time.

I stayed at the edge of the forest until the arcade opened. It felt safer that way. If anyone wanted to sneak into our game and snuff me out, they’d have a tough time getting past the Surge Protector within working hours. Even still, there was the thought, how was I to know someone hadn’t somehow dodged all my booby traps, and was already waiting for me at my den?

Being paranoid sucks. I would not recommend it.

Once the quarters started rolling in, the thundering dull roar of gameplay eventually grounded me enough to breach the tree line. I bolted through the trees and reached my den, which was blessedly free of murderers, for the time being. I tore down all the curtains so no one could hide behind them, and I kept my back to a tree while I gave another real, more involved shot at using my brush.

I tried to make a pie, but just got cherry slime. I made way too many apples, oranges, and bananas. I made red strings, orange streamers, yellow confetti, red sequins, orange beads, yellow ribbons, always with the red, orange, yellow, red, orange, freakin’ yellow.

Everything about it made me sick. I felt betrayed. This was the one thing that I was supposed to be able to control, one of the few good things the Devs gave me. Now, rubbing handfuls of salt into the gaping wounds I was already nursing, they took it away, for what I preferred to think of as no reason at all. I’d find a reason if I let myself think about it, and it would not be good. The last thing I needed was more ‘not good’ things.

I’m a strong sprite, there’s no doubt about that. But that aforementioned weight on my shoulders was starting to really bear down, slowly carving hairline fractures in my bones. I wasn’t broken, yet. But I was sure as hell breaking, and there was crit all I could do to stop it. You know me, though. I’m not one to resign to fate, or whatever you’d call it. I’m a kicker and a screamer.

So, I kicked and screamed.

Threw my brush, flipped my bed, ripped my papers down, shattered my mirror, pulled out clumps of hair and just screamed, just like in Fix-it’s apartment. I wanted to purge all the panic, rage, and desperation, and I wanted it to be easy.

That method usually works. Unsurprisingly, it didn’t this time. It didn’t really have time to. It actually… almost made things a lot worse, I guess.

I was so loud, the gamer at controls heard me.

After I’d been screaming for a couple minutes, I had the absolute pixels scared out of me by deafening beats on the side of our cabinet, courtesy of Litwak. It sure shut me up, I can tell you that. I fell right on my ass and held my breath.

Way off, I heard Litwak say, “And… all better! Some of these older games can really start singin’ sometimes. Lemme know if there’s an encore, huh?”

Then, some kid’s voice giggled, “Thanks, Mr. Litwak!”

I got us smacked. Maybe that should have bothered me more than it did -- after all, that could only have added to my ‘danger to the game’ allegations. The Nicelanders would definitely go around saying that I’d gotten an Out of Order sign all ready to be taped to the screen after that. But there was hardly anything I could do anymore that wouldn’t have been incriminating in their eyes.

No, what bothered me was what he said. About how we were one of the ‘old games.’ I guess we’re the old games by default, now, with this wave of shiny newcomers being plugged in. But the way he said it just really made me think of how unfair it all is. All the first-generation Litwak’s Family Fun Centre games bust their bits for years to keep the quarters flowing, but hey, none of that matters once something new comes along. Like Roadblasters. I remembered all the grief I’d seen you go through once that flashy eyesore started leeching your ‘loyal fans’ -- and the very same giant wastoid who plugged it in now had the nerve to call games like mine, and by extension, yours, ‘these older games’? My gut burned with so much spite, I wanted to go break through the screen and rip out his moustache.

Instead, I threw up in my laundry barrell. Somehow, less satisfying.

Once most of the chaos in my head had settled to more flexible levels, and after I’d been dry-heaving my feelings for a solid five minutes, I had a decision to make. The longer I stayed in my den, all alone, the more dread crept back into me. I wanted so badly to be able to be on my own, where no one could see how hard I was having to fight to keep it together, but that was just impossible. I couldn’t turn my back to the darkness. I could barely close my eyes. It felt like the worst kind of pathetic, like a scared little kid needing to sleep with the lights on. But there was no negotiating it -- I needed company. Real bad.

It didn’t take long for me to decide where to go. I was, by no means, in love with the idea, but I didn’t have much of a choice. After all, now that I was no longer speaking to Fix-it, there was only one other non-Nicelander left. Whether or not he’d kick me out on sight remained to be seen.

I stuffed my bag full of notebooks, slung my guitar over my shoulder, and wrapped a few things from my hoard (including a bucket) in a big makeshift blanket-sack, along with as many pillows as I could fit in. All the pillows in the world would not save me from those bricks, but one has to try.

I also found your scarf and goggles. You know. The burned ones.

I’d kept them, of course, but I’d just been… ignoring them. They felt like the most pressing question of my life, and I hadn’t wanted to face them again until I had answers. But, suddenly, that changed. I don’t know how to describe why, right now. All I know is, when I wore them around my neck, it felt... right. In the most terrible way.

I almost never take them off, now.

Anyway, once all had been gathered, I grabbed the knot of the sack, and like the dull, flightless bird I’d become, I started trudging towards the most awkward series of sleepovers in my life.

Also known as the dump.

I didn’t bother waiting for the arcade to close, or even for the game to end, before crossing the map. The gamers seeing me wouldn’t do any damage -- quite the opposite, really. They love me in short spurts. That is, they love the idea of me.

Once I stepped into the light of the screen, they had their usual little freak out.

“Woah, hey, what’s that!?”

“Get it, get it!”

I paused. Being on my way to cross behind the building, I was out of their playing range, but it’s not like they could tell, with their crummy depth perception. They puppeted Fix-it over, ‘til his long shadow almost touched my feet, and he looked over his shoulder as much as he could, straining to smile. The gamers mashed the fix button and bounced him around. Bing bing bing bing bing.

“I can’t get it--”

“Jump on it!”

“I am jumping on it! It’s like, in the background, or something.”

“Oh my god, look at Felix’s face. He’s looking at it. What the hell is it?!”

“Looks kinda like a little pink Felix?”

Always and forever with the Dev-damned pink. Not to dig on pink, but it’s so obviously salmon. What’s the point of being 16-bit if the colorblind gamers only see in 8?

I kept moving. The scene felt too familiar, you know. They kept up their insistent twittering ‘til I emerged on the other side of the building. I heard Fix-it hopping around in the foreground again, but I didn’t stop to look. I just carried on to the dump. I’d done the game enough of a favor -- after all, even after I’d left the light of the screen, the gamers were still in a tizzy, jamming in quarters to try to figure out how to get me back.

“I’ve sank a fortune into this game, and I’ve never seen that before.”

“Was it some kind of Easter Egg, you think? How did I unlock it?!”

And so on.

I climbed up the bricks, and I make a point of saying ‘climbed’ here, because the old pile has really grown over the past five years, and I never really thought about it too much until I couldn’t fly anymore. The wrecker’s beloved stump sat flat against the ground, once, but now it’s easily higher than two of me. I set my stuff down a little ways behind it, looked up to see both Fix-it and Wreck-it giving me the side-eyes through gameplay, and pushed together a brick pile big enough to duck behind and gain some semblance of privacy.

I honestly don’t remember how I spent the rest of that day, until closing. I can’t have done anything too interesting. Waited, stewed, debated, panicked, threw up, waited some more. Something like that.

Waited, waited, waited.

#fanfiction #fanfic #wreck it ralph #fix it felix #make it mavis #original character #homesick #turbo

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isrustandstardust · 4 years

Text

1. What’s been the best day of your life so far and why?

Hard to decide, I had so many great days.

2. Describe your first kiss, who was it with, what was it like, where was it etc?

It was with my best friend at the time, in my parents garden. It was early morning after a night spent talking, her lips were really soft.

3. What’s your biggest regret? I know we all say we don’t regret things but obviously it’s how we learn, from our mistakes. So what’s something from your past you wished you could have changed?

I could have handled a break up better. I ended up hurting someone I cared for.

4. When was the last time you laughed so hard that tears fell from your face and what was it at?

With my husband, yesterday night. We were actually making fun of someone we know.

5. What is the craziest thing that you have ever done?

Moving in with a guy I barely knew in a city 400km away from all my family and friends.

6. What’s the most embarrassing thing that’s ever happened to you?

Nothing comes to mind rn.

7. Do you have any scars and if so, how did you get them?

I have my arms covered in scars. All of them are from self harming.

8. Where would you like to be in 10 years?

In another house, maybe abroad.

9. What are your views on drugs and alcohol?

I’m for the free of choice. I’ve tried drugs only a few times and not drinking atm.

10. What are your views on religion?

Brainwashing shit.

11. Have you ever thought about ending your own life? If so, why?

Yes, more than once. I tried, twice, when I was 21 and going through a lot. The second time I almost succeeded and woke up in the hospital after being unconscious and intubated for a week.

12. Write 5 facts people might not know about you.

- I am bipolar, borderline and have a schizoafective disorder.

- I dream about Satan and the end of the world on daily basis.

- When I was little I used look for little animals to bury and exhume after a while to see how decomposition works.

- I’ve been into witchcraft and rituals since I was 16.

- I write backwards like Leonardo Da Vinci.

13. What’s your zodiac sign and do you think it fits your personality?

I’m a Scorpio and it fits perfectly.

14. Pinpoint a moment you felt the most satisfied with your life.

When my storyboard teacher remembered me from my online test because it was a perfect score.

15. Discuss your first love.

We were young and trying too hard.

16. Put your ipod on shuffle and write 5 songs that pop up. Explain why each song is on there.

- Don’t mess with me - Brody Dalle. It’s from the soundtrack of a game I love.

- Distance - 4bidden. It relaxes me.

- As the rain comes down - 0K(ill)’s. Because I’m working on their new videoclip.

- 8-MQ 16.10.2001 - 0K(ill)’s. Because it’s inspired by an Italian female serial killer. The title is composed by her initials and date of death.

- Rock and Roll - Gary Glitter. It makes me want to misbehave.

17. Name somewhere you’d like to move or visit.

Iceland.

18. What’s your earliest memory?

My dad taking me to Collodi.

19. What are your views on mainstream music?

It’s heartless and all about making money.

20. What are your highs and lows of this past year?

High: starting officially my character designer career. Low: my mother in law and old dog passing away in less than a month.

21. What are your strongest beliefs?

I believe in being direct and honest. Do no harm but take no shit.

22. Who are you closest to in your family?

My dad maybe.

23. How important do you think education is?

It’s fundamental.

24. What’s one of your favorite shows?

My 600lbs life XD

25. How have you changed in the past 2 years?

I’m more secure of myself and my capabilities.

26. Name 5 people who are famous who you find attractive.

- Tom Hiddleston.

- Mads Mikkelsen.

- Hugh Dancy.

- Michael Fassbender.

- Matthew Good.

27. Name your favorite movie and what it’s about.

3 Iron, in the mood for love. Because they’re sad but huntingly beautiful.

Stoker because psycho killers turn me on.

The fountain because is eternal and heartbreaking.

28. Who is someone who fascinates you and why?

I am fascinated by fictional characters. Like Hannibal Lecter. Yeah, again psycho killers.

29. What kind of person attracts you?

Intelligent people.

30. What’s a problem that you have recently had or are currently having?

My body is giving up on me xD

31. Name something that you miss.

The lake.

32. Share 5 goals you want completed in the next 30 days.

- Doing at least 15 designs.

- Double up my workout time.

- Completing my very first song.

- Take that online course I’ve been postponing for lack of time.

- Get a hold of a camera and go shooting.

33. What’s been the highlight of your month and the lowest point?

Highlight: doing a shit ton of sales on my shop. Lowest point: I don’t recall one, it’s been a pretty good month so far.

34. What’s something that you’ve done in the past that you would never do again?

Being the side chick.

35. What is you’re biggest insecurity & why?

Not being good enough. It can be traced back to my mom being a terrible mother.

36. What were the last 3 songs you listened to and what did they mean to you?

- Natacha Atlas - GAFSA. Because it’s in the soundtrack of 3Iron.

- Morcheeba - Over and over again. I find I’d perfectly fitting.

- Portishead - Wandering star. Because it remembers me of someone from my past.

37. Do you have a toy that’s really special to you and if so what is it, how did you get it etc?

I had a plush of a rhino called Mr. Turkelton [Scrubs reference] that was so dear to me. It’s with my ex, we bought it together and he kept it. Still miss him tho.

38. Have you lost anyone close to you to death?

My mother in law. She was more of a mom to me than my own mother.

39. What is your purpose in life?

Being happy and create beautiful things.

40. When was the last time you cried and what was it over?

I do not remember, but I guess it was during my mil’s funeral.

41. If you got to spend an entire day with your favourite celebrity what would you guys do?

I would love to spend a day with the Mass Effect’s cast playing the game!

42. If you could only listen to one artist for the rest of your life, who would you choose and why?

Tool. Because I’m a masochist.

43. What are 3 traits that you like about yourself and what are three that you dislike about yourself? Personality wise.

Likes:

- Being open minded.

- Being stubborn.

- Being so will powered.

Dislikes:

- Being insecure.

- Being so unable to handle rage that I keep extremely calm until the moment I explode and get cruel and violent.

- Being unable to let go of things that enrage me.

44. Can you cook? If so what are your favorite dishes to make?

I’m pretty good at it. I love to make fresh pasta.

45. What was the last decision you regretted making?

Drinking that glass of milk, now my stomach hurts.

46. Who’s opinion of yourself do you value the most?

Mine. And then my husband’s. I don’t care of no one else’s opinion.

47. What’s the nastiest thing you’ve ever said to another human being and what drove you to say it?

I demolished a guy who was in love with me telling him exactly what I knew it would break him. I did it because he tried to act like I was his property and then got aggressive when I didn’t act accordingly.

48. What’s the nastiest thing anyone has ever said to YOU? Or something that’s hurt you above anything else and why?

Nasty things don’t get to me, I don’t listen to what people say, especially when it comes from someone I don’t care for or I despise. The things that hurt me the most was saying goodbye to someone I was not ready to let go.

49. You can ask your favourite celebrity 3 questions and she’s taken a magical truth pill so she will 100% answer honestly, what do you ask?

Maybe some technical stuff, Idk. I have no ‘favorite celebrity ‘ so...

50. What mark would you want to leave on this world after you are gone?

I don’t care about leaving a mark in a dying world tbh.

51. What makes you most angry?

Liars, incoherent people, delusional people, copycats.

52. Who do you think is a really underrated artist and what do you love about them?

There are a lot of really underrated artists out there trying their very best and being bashed by online algorithms. Support the artists you like!

53. What are the main qualities you look for when thinking about a significant other?

Intelligence, honesty and having moral values.

54. What’s the most romantic thing anyone has ever done for you?

The first that comes to mind is waiting at home for me to return with a hot bath ready and a bed full of rose petals. It’s a cliche,Iknow. But I was young and in love.

55. What is one of your favorite memories?

I have so many, but thinking about the past makes me feel bittersweet.

56. What do you do when you really want to impress someone?

I just act normal, if they’re impressed, good. If not, it’s ok.

57. What are your 3 favourite animals and why?

- Snakes: They’re so fascinating.

- Crows: they’re extremely intelligent.

- Sharks: natural born predators.

58. What’s the nicest present you’ve ever received?

A trip to Paris and a trip to Disneyland.

59. People always go around saying ‘oh I’m their biggest fan’, but what does being a truly big fan of someone mean to you?

Idk, I just like people. I don’t obsess over them.

I obsess over things I like, but not over some individual I don’t know.

60. Have you ever wanted to change anything about your life? If so, what?

I want more money XD

61. What is something you feel like you are really good at?

Drawing. Hopefully making music, but it’s way to early to say.

62. What is something you feel like you can get better at?

Drawing, there’s always room for improving.

63. What is something you feel like you are really bad at?

Hiding when I despise someone. And bowling.

64. If you were given $3,000,000 to put towards 3 charities/foundations ($1 mil each obvs), what would you choose and why?

Wildlife protection, animal shelters, planet’s preservation.

65. What’s one thing someone has done for you that was really small but made a huge impact?

My roommates came back from Xmas holidays one day earlier to have dinner with me because I was alone. And another brought me Xmas dinner a few days before.

66. What do you do when you can’t sleep?

I work :/

67. What’s something that’s on your bucket list?

Make a nice home studio.

68. If you could change 3 things within your government, what would they be and why?

I would actually change the opponent party. They’re dreadful.

69. What’s your favourite holiday and why?

Xmas, because it feels like happiness.

70. What’s the kindest thing a stranger has ever done for you? Even if it’s TINY like holding a door open for you, something that you rememer even though they were a complete stranger.

A stranger helped me when my nose was bleeding like crazy and I was alone in a mall. He also bought me an orange juice.

71. Who’s your favorite cartoon character?

Motoko Kusanagi.

72. What’s the first song that comes to your mind while reading this and why?

Reptile - NIN. Don’t know why.

73. Put the 7 deadly sins in order of the one you commit the most to the least.

Wrath - Lust - Pride - Sloth - Greed - Gluttony - Envy.

74. What would you like to be the first dance song at your wedding?

I’m already married and we danced over Christian Woman by Type 0 Negative XD

75. Have you ever been told you look like a famous person, if so, who?

Someone told me I look like Butterfly from Death Proof and like Amy Lee from Evancescence.

I really don’t see it.

76. What’s one thing you can not live without?

Art. And music.

77. What is the most selfless thing you have ever done for someone?

Going away.

78. Do you hate someone.

No, I dislike a lot of people, I think the world would be better off if some of them would die, it I do not hate them.

79. What are 3 things that have happened in your life that you’ve never forgotten? Big or small, just things you know you won’t ever forget and still seem crystal clear now.

- Almost dying.

- Getting married.

- Signing for my very first house.

80. What comes first to you out of friendships and relationships, and why?

They’re equally important.

81. What’s your favourite children’s tv show/movie?

Muppets: a Christmas Carol.

82. What song makes you cry the most?

Together we will live forever - Clint Mansell.

83. What’s the funniest film you’ve ever seen?

Operation Petticoat.

84. What’s something crazy that you’ve always wanted to do?

Trying human flesh.

85. Has anything ever happened to you that you just can’t forgive?

A lot. Just, a lot.

86. What’s your biggest fear?

Being abandoned.

87. What is your favorite food?

Red meat, pistachio ice cream.

88. Least favorite food? Why?

Celery.

89. Have you ever felt ashamed about something? If so what was it & why?

Not that I recall of.

90. Do you keep a journal? If so what mostly goes in it? Random thoughts, feelings, stories?

I always keep a journal, I write in it pretty much everything, dreams, feelings, ideas, thoughts.

91. When was the last time you said something nice to someone & what made you do it?

This morning to my husband, because he deserves it.

92. How do you feel when someone says something mean/disrespectful towards your fave celeb?

Couldn’t care less? Everyone is entitled to his own opinion, even if it’s a shitty one.

93. What’s the saddest story/one that’s touched you the most that you’ve ever heard on the news?

Milena Quaglini’s.

94. If you were told you were going to have 3 daughters, what would you want to name them?

Violante, Lavinia and Artemisia.

95. Do you have a middle name and if so, what is it?

I have two. Valeria and Maria.

96. How did your name get chosen? What’s the story behind it?

My dad found it in a sci-fi book back when he was a teenager. It was the name of the first baby girl born on the moon.

97. What’s the craziest thing you’ve done for each of your faves e.g. waiting in line for hours, getting up early to see them on tv etc?

I watched a streaming reunion in the middle of the night on N7 day.

98. Are you a virgin?

No.

99. What are the stories behind your tattoos/piercings and if you don’t have any, would you like any?

I have wings because I’ve always been obsessed with winged figures and angels.

I have a lot of movies/books quotes because they all means something to me.

I have cherry petals because of Hagakure.

The snowflake is the reminder of a very important person.

The moth is for my self destructive tendencies.

The witch is a homage to me.

The strawberry is a silly Adventure Time reference.

The snake is a biblical reference to both Lilith and Satan.

The Santa Muerte and the black goat are both linked to my beliefs.

100. Do you want to say something to the world?

Stop being stupid, stop making stupid people famous, open a book.

#survey #me #about me #books #tattoos #ink #music

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sketchy-saram · 5 years

Text

Night on the Ship

Just a little writing piece I wrote the other night thinking about Felix. It’s mostly written from the perspective of Wren, who some might know is Felix’s sister, but it’s very much about Felix too. xD Hope you enjoy, I’m very rusty as usual~ (May reblog later with art, but I left my freakin’ apple pencil at home, so this is what you get for now.)

((Advieh is referenced, but by male pronouns--at this point, Felix had only met them once, before they were known to be NB.))

Wren knew her family was different from other families. They sailed around the world in a pirate ship, for one thing. Not a lot of other families she knew did that. At least if they did, they were trying to get somewhere specific, like a new country, or a new home. Her family lived on the ship. Sometimes they would dock for a while--a week, a few weeks, or even a couple of months--but in the end, they didn’t stay any of those places. Their ‘home’ was more likely to be the wildly-rocking hull of an ocean-battered ship than it was a bed on solid land.

It wasn’t better or worse than other people’s families, of course. Just...different. After all, Wren enjoyed getting to see new places. Sometimes the food wasn’t something she liked, or the smells took some getting used to, but it really was exciting to see just how similar-yet-different the people were. Her favorite part was definitely the fashion--she had a secret sketchbook hidden under the floorboards where she would sketch all the different clothes they came across.

So anyway, all in all, she had seen more of the world than any other kid she had met, and she would be lying if she said that didn’t fill her with a bit of pride.

Her family was different in other ways as well. She knew that she and her brother were adopted, even though she didn’t remember anything about her other parents. For her, ‘mom’ and ‘dad’ had always been the ones she had now; their faces might not look like hers, but that was only a minor detail. But her brother Felix was her brother through and through, which would have made him the most ‘normal’ thing about her life…

If only Felix himself wasn’t also pretty strange.

For one, he knew how to do magic, which...well, it mustn't be all that rare of a skill, as their mom could do it too (and their dad, although he could only light a fire, but he was very proud of that,) but Wren couldn’t seem to summon any magic at all, so to her it was rather unusual.

For another, although he was seventeen now, Felix never seemed to act the way anyone thought he should act. The crew would always joke around with him as if he were an adult, elbowing him and joshing with him about adult things that ‘she would understand when she was older’. Her brother would good-naturedly agree and laugh along, but as far as Wren could tell, he didn’t do any of the things they were referring to. He hardly ever drank, and only smoked sometimes--Wren didn’t like that, so she thought that was why he didn’t--and he spent most of his time on the ship with the rest of them. When they docked, all the sailors would go out into the town, ‘to celebrate’. Every time they invited Felix, and although he often went with them, he was always back in time for bed.

Felix was there now, in his bunk below Wren’s, although she was nowhere near sleep; probably why she was thinking about such things. Although it was dark, the lights from the lamps reflected in and cast shadows on the wooden walls. They weren’t scary, but very familiar--this had been her evenings as long as she could remember. Almost all twelve of her years.

“Hey, Felix. Are you awake?” She said it softly; so softly it was barely a whisper above the gentle ‘whoosh’ of the waves slapping the dock outside.

There was a minute, and then:

“Yeah. Why are you awake?”

“Can’t sleep.” Immediately comforted by his voice below, Wren wiggled under her blanket and let her head hang over the edge of the sturdy rope hammock. Her braid, which was becoming very long now, hung halfway off as well. Felix chuckled.

“You almost hit me with that thing.”

He was, Wren thought, supposed to be quite handsome. Though she seldom had other girls to play with, now that she was twelve, she found herself beset by ‘friends’--that was, other girls who merely wanted to get closer to Felix. They constantly talked about how good-looking he was, as if that had anything to do with her. Ha! As far as brothers went, Felix was pretty good, but he was still annoying sometimes. She didn’t see the attraction.

“Why don’t you ever stay out at night when we dock?”

“That’s a strange question for the middle of the night.”

Wren shrugged, as best as she was able from her position. “I was thinking about it s’all.”

“There’s no reason to stay out, I guess.”

That seemed like a perfectly reasonable answer, but she couldn’t help thinking about what the other sailors said; about what her brother’s admirers said.

“Do you think you’re ever going to get married, like mom and dad?”

Another quiet laugh.

“Your brain is busy tonight.” She thought maybe he wouldn’t answer; the cabin was quiet for a long moment. Then she heard him roll over and sigh.

“I don’t know. Maybe? Does this question have anything to do with the first?”

Wren felt the first inklings of embarrassment, but shrugged them off. This was Felix, after all. He always said they were the most important things to each other. She deserved to know.

“Maybe. The men sometimes joke about staying with women. Or other men. They stay with them off the ship. Don’t you ever, uhm...want to stay with anyone?”

This time there was no laugh, and when Wren craned her head, squinting in the dark, she thought her brother might actually look...a bit embarrassed? His ruddy cheeks were pink; even his scar looked flushed.

“Gods Wren,” he mumbled, and ran a hand through his long, messy hair. “Ugh. I need a trim.”

“Mom will do it for you.”

There was more silence.

“Do you have someone you like? You know...like-like?”

With a creak of old wood, Felix’s feet touched the floor, and Wren had to duck back as her brother’s head was suddenly up by hers. He stood leaned against the timbers holding up their hammocks, and his warm whiskey-colored eyes shone a bit in the light.

“Do you have someone you like, Wren?” He said it softly, but still, the idea had her blushing furiously, and she pulled her blanket up instinctively, as if to physically block out the question.

“Me?! No! Of course not! That’s gross!”

Her voice was still a whisper, although it was a vehement one. If anyone, especially their parents, heard such a thing, she probably would die of embarrassment. Felix smiled again at that, and gave her braid a tug.

“Then why all the questions, truly?”

Wren thought about it. She thought about it hard. She was tempted to shrug; to say it was nothing; to roll over and try again to count holes in the ceiling until she finally fell asleep. (She already knew there were 55 above her bunk, but the counting usually helped.) But for some reason, being up so late, just the two of them awake...it felt like the best time to talk like this.

“You don’t want to be here, do you?”

Felix blinked, nonplussed.

“I can tell, you know. You sometimes look far away, like you’re thinking of some other place. When mom and dad say where we’re going next, you always look sad, just for a second. Do you want to go away from us? Is there somewhere else you want to be?”

He continued to play with her braid, but it seemed like an unconscious gesture. Maybe he felt it too; the weirdly candid mood that the quiet nighttime laid before them.

“I...don’t want to leave you. Don’t you worry about that. I’d never leave you behind.”

Some part of Wren relaxed, just a bit.

“I guess...mm. I don’t have a place I want to be, per say. But…” now he looked sheepish, and he rubbed the back of his neck. “I do have someone I, uh...wanted to see again. Maybe. Someday.”

That was a surprise. Suddenly alert, feeling more awake, Wren sat up as quickly as she dared while trying not to smack her head.

“You do?” Her brain raced, trying to think of who her brother might have met that he was so eager to reunite with. “Who? I had no idea! You never said anything!”

“Quiet,” he hissed, putting a hand over her mouth. He removed it again almost as quickly when she licked it. “Ew!”

“Tell me who,” she demanded, and he grimaced, obviously regretting his decision to tell her, but the curiosity was too strong.

“Just...someone I met a long time ago. Back in Vesuvia. I, uh...I just wonder about him. I wonder what he’s up to. It’s not...Not that big of a thing.”

But Wren wondered if that was the truth. Clearly wanting to end this line of questioning, Felix wiped his slobbery hand on his pants and ducked back down, laying back in his hammock to the sound of creaking timbers.

“Do you think about him a lot?”

“...Here and there.”

“Why?”

A small sigh. “Because he seemed lonely.”

Lonely. Sometimes, Wren thought her brother might be lonely. It didn’t make sense to be lonely when he was surrounded by people, but that was what it seemed like. Being lonely wasn’t something that Wren liked. She splayed out again, a foot dangling off the side of her hammock, and tried to imagine if her parents weren’t there. That hurt. She tried to imagine further--if Felix wasn’t there--but that one was unimaginable.

The ship gently swayed; they gently swayed with it.

“Do you think he misses you too?”

“I doubt it.”

She felt a flutter of indignation, but by this point sleep had begun to creep up on her, and her eyes closed against her will.

“I don’t think that’s true at all. I would miss you if you were gone...”

The silences between their conversation grew longer and longer, and while she waited for a reply, Wren slipped into sleep.

Felix, however, was still awake, arms behind his head, looking out the small porthole in their cabin. He couldn’t stop the wistful smile as he thought about the boy from years ago, whose red hair never seemed far from his mind. What would he look like now? Was he still reading books about running a Kingdom? Or was he actually running Vesuvia at this point? Was he remembering how to have fun?

How silly to have such a fascination with someone he only met for one day so long ago, he thought, but the smile stayed even as he closed his eyes. What was it he said? He liked croissants. Felix had never tried his hand at baking, but how hard could it be? Maybe he could learn to make those. He would ask his mom tomorrow, he thought...maybe when she was cutting his hair…

Then both siblings were lost to dreams...dreams that were not so different from the dreams of other people. They dreamed about those they cared about most.

And they dreamed about home.

#Felix #Felix Devorak #Wren #Wren Devorak #fanbabies #Celeste and Julian #celeste and julian kiddos #writing #fiction #my ocs #my writing #backstory #Advieh #happy thursday #the arcana next generation

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dcnativegal · 4 years

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Day 55 of Pandemic, & I’m sick

Monday, May 4, 2020. Day 55 of the global pandemic (declared by World Health Organization on March 11th.) We as a planet hit 3,500,000 cases today, and 250,000 deaths. There are many more than that, but the planet doesn’t have enough tests. But then, there was this announcement:

So obviously we’re in good hands. [Sarcasm alert.]

The entire planet has slowed down, such that seismologists can detect the quieting of the earth: less shuddering of industry, cars, construction. Check out the drop in electricity usage:

Here’s a bit of perspective from Instagram:

The Lesbians of Paisley have been fertile ground for viruses. Valerie is nearly recovered from the viral pneumonia she was diagnosed with on March 26 at the emergency room at Lake District Hospital. She’d begun to feel feverish and achy, with violent coughing on March 15th, 2 days after what turned into my last day in my office at the hospital’s primary care clinic, and a day and a half after we’d dined with our friends Toni, Al, Bonnie and Bruce in person, sans masks. We began 100% isolation from the outside world the minute she felt sick. She recounted the ER adventure to a friend thusly: We drove in and they have organized a system that resembles getting on a [military] base after 9-11. We sat in the pickup at the checkpoint until a somebody in protective attire had taken my temp and saturation levels and asked a bunch of questions. Then they slapped a red sticker on the dash, told us to park in the ER lot and "don't get out of the pickup." Five hours later I had donated blood and been CAT scanned. I had two pneumonia shots that were current and two flu shots, also current. They checked the blood against 14 different virus strains and came up blank. The chest showed white lungs and my saturation levels were iffy. So they used one of the tests they had been sent, gave me antibiotics (just in case) and sent me home. Took me three days to sleep off all that fun.”

Me and Griffey the poodle waited in the pickup for her. At every sound, he got up from the passenger’s seat and looked at the ER entrance where she’d disappeared. No Valerie? Back to sleep. I walked him 3 times. Hope, her RN daughter, told us that her flow through the ER was great practice in maintaining distance and perfect hygienic process through the CT scan, taking blood, even pushing her food on a tray to her. Lake Health District Hospital is prepared, and still, technically speaking, zero cases in the county.

I was so anxious about her health, her ability to breathe, that I gave up all thought of working from home. I listened to her breathing and coughing, brought her tea, and finally, asked her to write out her last will and testament. She did, and put it away. I figured, her kids are wonderful and won’t fight about stuff but, better for her to express her wishes, even if the paper wouldn’t be legally binding.

Apparently, I get the FrankenDodge (the pickup which has hit one too many deer and who’s grill is sewn together by wire). I’ll take it but I’d much rather have her.

We waited 10 days for the nasal swab results. While we waited, she got better. Never had that cytokine storm, nor that respiratory crash. Storms and crashes; pretty apt words for the medical horror of end stage COVID-19. Once her test came back negative, despite the warning of her PCP who says that nasal swabs miss between 30 and 47% of positive cases, I was able to go to town on the 10th of April, get some software downloaded onto the computer so I could work from home, and hit Safeway while wearing a mask. I also dropped off one of Valerie’s homemade masks to a friend, along with some toilet paper illustrated with Trump’s kissy face. The moment of levity was greatly appreciated.

I started feeling lousy six days after my jaunt to Lakeview (April 16th). Cough and release of gook high up in my chest. Headache. No fever. Who knows if I have COVID-19. We listen to a British gentleman, Dr. Campbell, daily, as he reviews what’s going on globally, and he interviewed a woman who had exactly my illness course, before she moved on to fever and gastrointestinal symptoms. She never got tested. Too much hassle. Which is so ridiculous, criminal really, and in the USA, a direct result of American hubris and incompetence. Fine. Anyone with any symptoms of any illness is isolated until we have a vaccine and treatment, is my prediction. I’m still feeling shitty, though better. Started taking antibiotics just in case and in the hopes of recovering SOMEDAY.

My son Jonah and his girlfriend June escaped just in time the terrible plight of New York’s COVID19 deluge of infections and hospitalizations. They’ve been in Baltimore at June’s mother’s beautiful home. He spent his 26th birthday in the basement because they were still in quarantine. See adorable picture, below. Now they’re allowed upstairs, enjoying the quiet. Apparently, writing and directing music videos is not an essential service during a pandemic, but he’s writing pitches and living off the most recent lucrative gig with Kesha, thank goodness.

One of the most moving things that is happening in the USA during this time is the 7pm clapping ritual for medical workers and first responders in New York City, in all the boroughs:

There’s a firefighter in DC who’s going to hospitals and nursing homes to play the bagpipe.

That’s where my daughter Clara lives, in DC, but right now she’s staying with a friend in Laurel, MD, since her group house dynamics are stressful and had a symptomatic guest at last report. She’s working from home to make sure the Latinx school children are getting the tutoring they need now more than ever. We worry about her husband Jose and his country, Guatemala, since there are COVID-19 cases down there, and refugees seeking asylum are being dumped there, with and without the virus. Over 700 cases in Guatemala as of today. We hope he will get to the USA this year. However, Trump referred to it as a shithole country, which doesn’t bode well.

My sister and her husband are well, thankfully. They work fulltime from home in the company of Pepper the cat and Darcy the chocolate lab. Yuuki, 25, stays there, too, mostly in their room; they are out of work and applying for unemployment. Kohji, age 28, works from home in DC and makes more money as a web designer than I ever will after 34 years as a social worker, but who’s counting. (I remember well the admonition of a field instructor back in 1987: don’t go into social work for Power, Pay or Prestige.) His girlfriend is probably out of work; she works for a nonprofit that plants trees in DC. Probably not essential work right this very minute. Makoto, 23, is out of quarantine and looking for something to do; he’ll be a senior at the University of Delaware this fall. As far as I hear on Facebook and email, the rest of the folks with whom I share DNA are well. So that’s good. I worry about my Aunt Mary Lee who is 87. But she says not to: she’s fine and her ritzy retirement community in McLean, VA is on “lockdown.”

Psychologically, in the experience of quarantine and ‘social distancing’, there’s me, and then there are my clients.

My moods go up and down, but a little further down than usual. The terror that Valerie might die of COVID-19 has passed, but I figure I will always need therapy. I have “Facebook messenger” video chats with my therapist, Darcy of Bend, every other week now, which helps. Having ‘Generalized Anxiety Disorder’ and a tendency toward major depression, I find therapy to be a corrective. A bimonthly tune up. Without it, I naturally veer toward negativity and neurosis, and a hypervigilance that served me well when I was a child, but is exhausting, overwrought and over-thought as an adult.

Psychologically, Valerie is always fine. Seriously. She was once told as a young woman by a therapist who’d tested her with the MMPI (the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory) that she was outrageously and puzzlingly normal. Now that she’s feeling mostly well again from the pneumonia, she’s been tearing up the joint, fixing the sump pump that apparently keeps this little house from drifting down main street on the wetlands it’s built on. Digging out the leaves from our irrigation ditch, chopping and clearing the wood from our front yard.

The BEFORE picture:

The AFTER Picture.

And this happened one morning in March. Just a cattle drive past our front door.

Valerie’s planning a garden at her daughter’s place, which has a deer-proof fence and lots of sun up on the hill above us. A delivery of horse manure is scheduled, and the garden bed has been rototilled. Val’s granddaughter Jessica and her husband Alan are living up there now, working from home for their Portland-based gigs. They’re almost finished the 14-day quarantine since they moved down here. The new normal: anytime anyone leaves one locale for another, they disappear into strictest quarantine, not to leave their abode. Groceries are delivered to the doorstep. A recent day turned out to be Jess’ 25th birthday: I’d bought a canvas bag with a picture of a pug on it, like her dog Archie, and Valerie found something gluten free flour mix with fresh jam to give her. Birthday gatherings are suspect at the moment.

Here’s a lovely idea for quarantined birthday celebrations:

What a kind and generous offer.

Even in isolation, Val and I do socialize, on zoom. The one pictured below is church.

We ‘visit’ with our fellow parishioners from St. Luke’s on Sunday evenings. Then we say Compline together, from the Book of Common Prayer. My favorite prayer of all time is this one from that service.

Yes, shield the joyous. Because joy is fleeting.

Our writers’ group, Easy Writers, ‘meets’ on zoom every Monday now. I wrote this bit about my yarn for the prompt, ‘write something in your home that means a lot to you.’

I am doing a great deal of crochet and a little knitting.

Yarn is my comfort and my joy. It is the raw material I create blankets and scarves and hats with. My tools are hooks and needles made from wood and plastic and metal. My fingers are also my tools.

Some of the yarn is like cotton candy: spun mohair from a goat is said to have a ‘halo’ or ‘aura’ because of the gentle cloud of color you can see an inch or two away from the spun thread. Some yarn is like twine: you can see every string of ply. My favorite is merino wool and single ply. A unity of color that will not split. All for one and one for all, the fuzzy stuff is twisted and bound into a single string of strength…

My clients are stressed out. The pandemic adds a layer to the stress they were already experiencing. I listen and knit, from within the cocoon of the yarn room which my folks can see behind me. One of my clients wanders about with her phone in her hand while I get slightly dizzy. I like this kind of counseling since I get a glimpse of my clients’ homes. Reminds me a little bit of being a geriatric care manager. You can tell a lot about a person from their home. From my home you can tell that I have a lot of yarn, and I work multiple projects at a time because there are piles of them alongside my recliner.

One of the sad weights of being present for my clients is their level of estrangement for most if not all social connections, especially people with whom they share DNA. And every single one has what is called in the mental health world “complex PTSD” from multiple traumatic experiences. I sit with them, on the phone or via video. I hope to model for them what Carl Rogers called ‘unconditional positive regard.’ I breathe deeply to release my own distress at their sadness. We explore one tiny step toward reducing their isolation, the sense of trust. All during a pandemic where other people could be carrying a potentially deadly virus.

It’s no wonder I’m pawing mohair out of screen for my own comfort.

Sometimes I email clients links or articles on how to keep their spirits up, or about good things that are happening instead of the dire predictions they’re listening to or watching. There is much to share that is hopeful. I sent one to a client on creative ways to care for everyone and she shot back:

“I believe this is Liberal rhetoric.

Esp the paragraph below:

This current emergency provides the possibility for a new emergence—the birthing of a truly civil civilization dedicated to the well-being of all people and the living Earth. “

Oh well. We can’t have a truly civil civilization dedicated to the well-being of all people, now can we?

Sigh.

Brilliant writing is being penned right now, since the entire planet’s human inhabitants are barely one degree of separation away from this virus, which is apparently ‘barely alive’ and therefore hard to kill, as it spreads onward to make millions miserable and hundreds of thousands die.

I’m saving articles from The Atlantic, The NY Times, and the Washington Post, and following a historian named Heather Cox Richardson who writes a daily blog called Letters from an American. In a recent post she writes:

“The big news … has been the ‘protests’ of state governors’ stay-at-home orders and mandatory business closings to try to contain the novel coronavirus …These protests are a classic example of trying to control politics by controlling the national narrative. The protests are backed by the same conservative groups that are working for Trump’s reelection. …These are not spontaneous, grassroots protests. They are political operations designed to divert attention from the Trump administration’s poor response to the pandemic. Even more, though, they are designed to keep the American public divided so that we do not protest the extraordinary economic inequality the pandemic has highlighted.

These protests have diverted the national conversation by turning a national crisis into partisan division along the lines the Republican Party has developed since the 1980s... The change of subject protects not just Trump but also the ideology at the heart of his Republican Party. Since 1981, Republicans have argued that the economy depends on wealthy businessmen who know best how to arrange the economy—the makers-- and that it is vital to protect their interests. Under their policies, wealth in America has moved upward. The pandemic has highlighted how these policies have removed economic security for ordinary people. They cannot pay their bills, and they might well turn against an ideology that uses our tax dollars to bail out corporations while they must risk their lives to pay their rent.” [Emphasis mine]

I am so glad someone smarter than me can reveal the interconnections of what’s going on politically.

There is food for thought on Facebook and Instagram: in the guise of a rewrite of Mary Oliver’s Wild Geese, this poem.

Mary Oliver for Corona Times (after Wild Geese)

by Adrie Kusserow

You do not have to become totally zen, You do not have to use this isolation to make your marriage better, your body slimmer, your children more creative. You do not have to “maximize its benefits” By using this time to work even more, write the bestselling Corona Diaries, Or preach the gospel of ZOOM. You only have to let the soft animal of your body unlearn everything capitalism has taught you, (That you are nothing if not productive, That consumption equals happiness, That the most important unit is the single self. That you are at your best when you resemble an efficient machine). Tell me about your fictions, the ones you’ve been sold, the ones you sheepishly sell others, and I will tell you mine. Meanwhile the world as we know it is crumbling. Meanwhile the virus is moving over the hills, suburbs, cities, farms and trailer parks. Meanwhile The News barks at you, harsh and addicting, Until the push of the remote leaves a dead quiet behind, a loneliness that hums as the heart anchors. Meanwhile a new paradigm is composing itself in our minds, Could birth at any moment if we clear some space From the same tired hegemonies. Remember, you are allowed to be still as the white birch, Stunned by what you see, Uselessly shedding your coils of paper skins Because it gives you something to do. Meanwhile, on top of everything else you are facing, Do not let capitalism coopt this moment, laying its whistles and train tracks across your weary heart. Even if your life looks nothing like the Sabbath, Your stress boa-constricting your chest. Know that your antsy kids, your terror, your shifting moods, are no less sacred than a yoga class. Whoever you are, no matter how broken, the world still has a place for you, calls to you over and over announcing your place as legit, as forgiven, even if you fail and fail and fail again. remind yourself over and over, all the swells and storms that run through your long tired body all have their place here, now in this world. It is your birthright you be held deeply, warmly, in the family of things, not one cell left in the cold.

-Adrie Kusserow

Not one cell left out in the cold. Yes.

There is so much to be grateful for. I have a place to live, and even while paying off my bankruptcy debt, I have plenty. Enough that I can make small donations here and there. Here’s one cause I found: supporting foster children who were in college and now have no place to go. (Terrible visuals for the logo: it’s “Together We Rise.”)

Soon, the nights of below freezing temperatures will pass, and both Lesbians of Paisley will be healthy at the same time. Perhaps I’ll get my Tricycle-for-Grownups serviced and toodle around for exercise. Perhaps the Stitch & Bitch knitting/crochet gatherings will resume, maybe in a park for physical distance and social connection.

And maybe I’ve already had Covid-19, and so has Valerie. Looks like 50-70% of all the people on the planet, not quite 8 billion humans so maybe 4 to 6 billion people, need to catch this thing in order to give our species herd immunity. Or WILL catch it because we have no way to stop it, only to slow the infections so that health care is not overwhelmed. We live and Love in the Time of Coronavirus, to paraphrase Gabriel Garcia Marquez. I maybe a libtard, a snowflake, a lily-livered liberal, who’s heart bleeds. But I agree with this sentiment, found on Facebook, our American ‘commons’:

Love absurdly and abundantly, my people. And wash your hands.

#covidー19

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scenarioslovers · 5 years

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Love to kill >> Taehyung, You

It wasn’t an easy decision he had to make. Looking at the innocent figure of the girl who had given him everything he wanted, sleeping soundly and safe, he touched her checks with the back of his hand, running his slender fingers across her smooth skin.

A soft groan skipped her lips as she pushed him away, “give me more time to sleep.”

He smiled to himself as he kissed the side of her face. “Sleep soundly, lovely.”

The smile died into a stern face. Inserting the soundproofing range, he pointed the gun to her head. Without a second thought, he fired.

Poor her.

Another soul has been wasted because they were too stupid.

And well, because it also cost a lot of money inform of both cash and information.

“Sweet dreams.” He said his last words before walking out of the door. Leaving her with a pool of blood around her beautiful figure.

~~~~

“It is the third unfortunate news happening this month. A young lady, not more than 21 years old had been found dead in her room. Shoot to death.”

The news said as you were having breakfast with your roommates. One of your roommates, Kayla, rolled her eyes as she snorted.

“She was naked they said.” Shaking her head, she muffled the food in her mouth. “That’s why you should not do one night stands. Especially with strangers. They will probably rob you and then kill in the end.”

“Strangely, nothing was stolen in her house. I don’t think he was a thief.” Jenny, the blonde, said. She was the girl who liked to play innocent all the time. As if she was the angel and everyone else was the devil who meant to hurt her. “I am not sure I will ever trust anyone again. What do you think, Y/N?”

Kayla and Jenny looked at you, curious about your opinion. However, as always you just took the last bit in your plate as you stood on your feet and walked to the kitchen sink. “I have a class now. I should go.”

Jenny frowned at Kayla, frustrated. “Does she always ignore me or is it just my imagination?”

Kayla smiled, shaking her head. “She is just a little bit like this. We have to cope with that.”

“I am not coping with anything shitty.” Jenny huffed, glaring at your back as you were washing your dishes, not giving answering. “Whatever I have class too.”

Jenny pushed the chair, making sure you heard how annoyed she was as she went to her room slapping the door behind her.

Kayla sighed as she walked to your side. She slid her plates into the sink and leaned onto it so that she could look at you. “Don’t mind Jenny. She is just a little sensitive.”

You nodded as you gave Kayla a small smile. “Yeah, I know.”

“She just hopes you can share your feelings, your thoughts with her. She wants to be your friend.”

“I don’t think I will need friends.” You said as you excused yourself to the living room. You grabbed your stuff and headed out of the house, leaving Kayla alone in the kitchen. You could only imagine how disappointed she was with your small talk, but you cared less.

Friends?

You don’t need them.

They only call themselves friends and then walk away once they discover you were different or not who they hoped you to be.

Ex-con daughter. Nobody wanted to be a friend of someone whose father was in jail.

Especially girls like Jenny.

You remember exactly how girls like her treated you in high school. The memory was still clear as if it happened yesterday. Even though the wounds had healed, your hair had grown, your tears dried, they still hurt. It was painful to think about the hell you went through the past two years.

You looked forward to becoming a university student so much because people will care less about what you did. You didn’t have to make close contact with anyone, and you didn’t see the same people every day.

Friends?

No one wanted to be your friends.

Swimming in your own thoughts, you didn’t notice him until it all had happened. When you crashed directly into his shoulder tripping, you feel on your knees. Your hair fell over your face as you winced from the burning in your knees.

Bad day obviously, because you were wearing a skirt and the pain shouting into your joint told you that you were already bleeding badly.

“Are you okay?”

You didn’t look at him as you tried to stand on your own. You were too embarrassed to even look at him. Keeping your eyes on the floor, you bowed to him as you walked away.

“Are you sure, you are fine? Your knees are bleeding. Should we go to the hospital?”

He touched your arm as he tried to catch your steps. Pushing him away, you turned around and looked at him, annoyed.

But...

His eyes were wide opened with worry and surprise. You took in a deep breath as you watched him, looking around hopelessly. He was tall, taller than you. His hair was blonde, and his eyes were.... his eyes were magnificently beautiful. They were sharp on the edge and full of depth you had never seen before. With a pointed nose and sharp jaw, he was breathtakingly beautiful.

Who was he? Which major was he in? You had never seen him around the campus before.

At that moment, you knew you were in trouble. You should not have looked at him at all.

“I am fine.” You said, putting your hands in the air and turned around to walk before this strange feeling in your stomach getting stronger.

“Are you really fine?” He followed you, sidestepped in front of you as you backed away surprised. “You are bleeding.”

“I know. Don’t worry I will not sue you.” You said nonchalantly and he smiled.

Your breath caught in your chest as butterflies swam inside your stomach. The charisma he had was a big deal.

“I cannot leave you like this, with your knees bleeding.” He looked around, left and right, everywhere, until his eyes stopped at the right place.

From the way he was looking around, you figured that he was new here. He didn’t know a lot about the campus which took him to find the pharmacy.

Who was he? Did he come here to see someone?

“Wait for me here.” He said to you as he started walking towards the pharmacy. “I will be back.”

You didn’t even get the chance to protest or reject his offer as he ran to the pharmacy.

Sighing, you looked at your watch. It was already 7:55. Five more minutes and your lecture would start.

Leaning on the next tree you could find, you looked at your bloodied knees. They looked kind of bad and they hurt so much that you could barely walk.

At that moment, he came back running with a plastic bag in this hand. He looked at you with regret in his eyes.

“I am really sorry.” He said as he took out the ointment and looked at you before applying. “May I?”

Heat rushed through your cheeks as you shook your head and took the ointment from him. “Did you bring alcohol swaps?”

“No. I forgot.” He frowned as he looked back at the pharmacy.

Before he could go back, you said. “It is okay. I will just go to the bathroom and clean them first.” You sighed, looking at your watch. “It seems like I will skip my class today.”

“This is my fault.” He looked down at the ground.

“It is really fine, you...”

“V. My name is V” He smiled widely, a rectangular smile that you had never seen before. It gave off such an innocent, boyish side of him.

“I am Y/N.” You nodded in acknowledgment. “You are new here?”

“Is it obvious?”

“Very.”

He chuckled as he nodded. "I should be careful then. I am not supposed to look new here."

"Why?"

"Nothing."

You weren't the kind of person who believed in love at first sight. You never believed in love, but something about him, something about V told you that he was going to be your biggest mistake. If you had ever seen him again.

You almost gasped not believing that you actually just wished to see him again.

"You know, I can show you around here." Is it possible for someone to slap themselves in front of everyone? Because you wanted so badly to slap your mouth for saying that. The girl who swore to be all alone through the college years was offering a tour.

"Really?" His eyes widened in anticipation.

"o-of course, why not? I only had this class that I am no longer going to."

"Don't make me feel guiltier than this." His smile disappeared and his concerned face was back on. “plus it must hurt walking around with your leg like this.”

For the first time, in many years, you smiled. A smile that you had forgotten how to do. This man you had just met, he was the purest thing you had ever seen till now. If someone else was in his place, he would have left you alone in pain in the middle of the campus, calling you by names for getting in his ways. He wouldn't have stopped you three times, but just walked away from the first time you said you were fine.

He didn't do that, which made you look at him in a different way. Or at least for once, you hoped he would be different.

"Just give me a few seconds. I will be right back." You said, smiling at him before turning around and limped to the bathroom.

After you cleaned your wound and treated it, you showed V everywhere around the campus. The faculty building, the dorms, the sports zone, the cafeteria, the classes building, you almost left nothing. You even told him about every exist you had discovered.

Strangely, while showing V around, you forgot about the pain in your knees and even though you never enjoyed the company of anyone, V was a funny person to be with.

You never expected to see such a funny side of him. He was smiling and laughing at the time.

You also learned a lot about him. He was a couple of years older than you. He liked to play tennis and he studied psychology and was going to attend the university as teacher assistance starting from tomorrow.

When you asked him why he came today, he said he wanted to look around the campus and it was more than the pleasure that you had shown him around.

Time passed quickly. When the sky started to get darker only then you realized how much time you had spent with him.

At that time you invited him to the nearest coffee shop outside the campus. You looked outside at the people walking, going back home and for the first time, you felt like a person again

"It is already evening." You said, surprised.

"Really?" He looked outside of the window as he blinked. "Time with you flies quickly."

"I have to go back now. It is really nice to meet you, V." You said as you grabbed your stuff and threw your bag over your shoulder.

"Are you leaving already?"

"Didn't you get tired of me?" You chuckled. "I will see you around, I guess."

"Yeah, right." He nodded as he stood up as well. "I will see you tomorrow. And I will walk you back tonight. It is not safe for a young lady to walk alone in this darkness."

You smiled as you agreed for him to walk you.

As you reached the campus, your smile dropped when you caught Jenny staring at you surprised. By her side, Kayla was waiting concerned. What were they doing at a time like this, right now?

When you approached them, Jenny was the first to talk. "It is 7:00, where were you?"

"I thought you said the curfew was at 10:00" V leaned in and whispered in your ears. The action caught you off guards as you jumped slightly, feeling the hair at the back of your neck stand.

"It is." You looked at Kayla and then Jenny. "It is not 10:00 yet."

"Yeah, but you are normally by 2:00 in the dorms, in your room." Kayla was the one who was talking this time. She was different. She talked in a calm tune but still, you could notice how concerned she was. "We called you many times. Your food is cold and who is he?"

Both girls looked at V who took a step forward and introduced himself. "I am V. Nice to meet you."

"Is that even a real name?" Jenny frowned, her arms linked in front of her chest. "You are out there getting yourself involved with a male prostitute, but you don't even talk to me. Fine! I will not concern myself with you anymore." She spat as she turned around and walked into the building.

You, Kayla and V froze for a moment as you watched Jenny walking away, murmuring more hateful words about you and how mean and insensitive you were.

"Sorry about that" Kayla was the one who had to apologize as you were still frozen in your place, speechless. Jenny's words were so harsh. "Let's go inside, Y/N." She grabbed you by the hand as she dragged you with her.

"See you all tomorrow." V smiled, shaking his head. Gladly, he didn’t seem to be bothered by what Jenny had just said. You were too embarrassed to even look at him.

You turned your head slightly and watched him leave.

After what happened, you really wished not to see him again. You had never been so embarrassed before.

By the end of the day, after a hot shower, you felt so exhausted. You had been running through a rollercoaster of emotions that you had held in for so long. You refused to get attached to anyone, you refused to feel embarrassed or ashamed anymore, you refused to feel something and shut everyone out of your life. But this wall has been breaking slowly and you just don’t know when it started to break.

You were brushing your hair, in front of the mirror when Kayla knocked on the door and invited herself inside your room. You watched her as she sat on your bed a sigh skipped her mouth.

“I am sorry, I worried you.” You said as you put your hairbrush on the table. “I should have called you.”

“You should have called. You really worried us, especially after today’s news. Girls are dying out there.” Kayla sighed again before she took your hands in hers. “We are just glad you are okay.”

“Thank you.” You smiled, as warmth filled your chest.

“Jenny was more worried about you.” She smiled as she shook her head. “She didn’t mean to be mean.”

“I know but she’d better apologize to V. Calling him a male prostitute?” You sighed, shaking your head. You couldn’t meet him after what Jenny has said.

“Who is he, Y/N? V?”

“New TA, I think? Or a student?” You shrugged. “I showed him around today.”

“If he is a new TA, I don’t think I will be able to attend any class with him around,” Kayla said, dreamingly.

You laughed too hard, that Kayla was looking at you surprised. “What?”

“Nothing,” You kept laughing. “It is just that I agree with you.”

“I think we should talk more,” Kayla smiled as she took your hands in hers. “Don’t just separate yourself from the world.”

“Yeah.” You smiled softly. Kayla words really warmed up your heart, breaking down more bricks of the wall you were building around you.

That night you had decided to do a sleepover in one room. Even though you didn’t like the idea at first –it was Kayla’s—and Jenny ignored you throughout the night, you had so much fun.

As your walls dissolving, new people were coming into your life.

It made you both existed and scared.

10:30 PM

The girls walked into the dorm. Everyone was inside by now.

Behind one of the trees, blinded in the shadow of the darkness, he was watching everything. Watching every light turns off in the dorm as everyone went to sleep. His plan changed a little bit, but it wasn’t completely screwed.

In fact, his plan might have become better.

His phone buzzed in this hand.

Checking the caller, it was him.

“It is me.” He said, voice deep and low in the silence of the night. “You will get what you want. One week maximum. That’s all I need.”

Yes.

That’s all he needed.

The edge of his lips turned over into a sly smirk.

It was the start of another falling girl

#taehyung scenarios #v scenarios #bts scenarios #angst scenarios #mystery #kpop scenarios #kpop #bts #v #taehyung #taehyung scenario #v scenario #kpop scenario #angst #bangtan boys #thriller #angst kpop #angst v #angst taehyung

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noona-clock · 6 years

Text

Something’s Brewing❄️☕ - Part 2

Genre: Coffee Shop!AU

Pairing: Jungshin x You

By Admin B

Part 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12

It was extremely difficult for you to stay away from The Grind the next day, but you really had no choice. You spent the morning working at your internship at the city’s history museum, the afternoon cleaning your apartment, and the evening hosting your family for dinner (hence the cleaning earlier).

You didn’t even have time to work on your paper let alone get out to get some coffee and chat with your new crush.

(You were also dying to know if Seungyoon had found out any information about him yet).

You weren’t even able to visit The Grind again until a few days after, on Saturday. While you were pretty bummed about it, you couldn’t help but bounce with excitement as you walked down the sidewalk toward the shop. Saturday was their busiest day, as it was with most businesses, so both Seungyoon and Jungshin were very likely to be there.

Before you entered, you looked down at your outfit one last time. You had taken great care to look cute and chic but still casual in your wine colored peplum sweater with a black Peter Pan collar, black skinny jeans, and black patent Oxford shoes topped off with your mustard toggle pea coat.

The weather was growing steadily colder as December wore on, and while dropping temperatures usually made you somewhat depressed, you would never pass up a chance to wear a cute coat. Or a cute hat; a black knit beanie sat atop your wavy, tousled hair at the moment.

It was just one of those days where you were really diggin’ your outfit. Although you wondered if Jungshin would even recognize you since he’d only seen you in 'lazy, homework day’ attire.

Taking a deep breath, you reached for the door handle, pulling it toward you and stepping inside. The place was as busy as it usually got on a Saturday, no more and no less. You were able to catch Seungyoon’s eye immediately after arriving. He was currently taking a customer’s order at the counter, but no one else was in line so you walked right on up.

“Don’t worry, I got some dirt,” he murmured once the previous customer had departed, leaving the two of you relatively alone.

“Oooh, what?” Your heart started pounding.

Seungyoon looked around to make sure his new boss wasn’t within earshot before leaning forward just a tad.

“He has a dog named Simba, he plays the bass in a band called CNBlue, he has an MBA, and...no girlfriend.”

Your spirits rose with each fact Seungyoon spouted. He was a well-educated, dog-loving bassist who was currently unattached. If that didn’t spell out ‘DREAM MAN,’ then you had no idea what did.

“Well,” was all you could say at the moment. “You done good, Yoon.”

Seungyoon smiled proudly, looking extremely satisfied with himself as he punched your chai tea latte into the register.

“What do I owe you?” you asked, handing him a couple dollars and some change.

“...A date with your sister?”

Your eyes widened, and you actively had to stop your jaw from dropping open. “Really?”

“Yeah…” Seungyoon blushed, averting his gaze bashfully.

This was...an interesting turn of events. You never in a million years would have thought he’d had the hots for your sister, but apparently, you’d been wrong.

“I’ll see what I can do,” you replied, nodding slowly, though still in utter shock.

You turned and headed for one of your favorite armchairs by a huge window, a plush, green velvet wingback. It was rather large, perfect for curling up and staring out the window to people watch. You realized you still had to edit your paper, and now would be the perfect time to do so, but…

Another employee, Lisa, brought your drink, which made you wonder if Jungshin even was there… You hadn’t seen him yet, and looking around the shop currently yielded no better results. So you took the opportunity to whip out your phone and do some research on his band. You typed in ‘CNBlue’ into the search engine app, clicking on the first link which seemed to be their official website.

Well, well, well. They were legit enough to have an official website.

The picture at the top of the page showed there were four members, and honestly, all of them were extremely good-looking.

What the heck?! How had you never heard of them before?!

You immediately clicked on the ‘Members’ section, scrolling down until you found Jungshin’s picture.

Oh my god, he was so freaking cute.

You read his bio, though you didn’t really find out anything new. And then…

Oh, praise Jesus.

There was a link to his Instagram.

You had to stop yourself from squealing, and you clicked on it so quickly you almost dropped your phone.

His feed was filled with selfies (OK THANK YOU), pictures of him and his dog, and pictures of his bandmates. You wanted to follow him, but you also didn’t want him to know you’d been stalking him. You continued to scroll through his feed, so engrossed in the pictures you didn’t even realize someone was coming toward you until you heard a voice.

“Hey, how’s everything?”

You jumped, almost dropping your phone for the second time in less than five minutes.

“Sorry!” Jungshin chuckled. “I didn’t mean to scare you!”

“Oh, it’s okay,” You replied, blushing. “I was distracted.” You turned your phone screen off and pushed it underneath your leg as quickly as you could without looking suspicious.

“No laptop today?”

“No, not today.” Geez, your heart was still thumping from being startled. (Or was it because Jungshin was now next to and talking to you?)

“Did you get your paper done?” He leaned against the windowsill, crossing his arms over his chest.

“Yeah, basically. I just have to proofread and edit it and all that jazz.”

“You really do that?”

“...Yeah?”

“I just turned in my papers as soon as I wrote the last word. It always took me so long to actually get it done, so I never had time to edit. Plus I was just so done with it by the time I finished.”

“Yeah, I know what you mean,” You chuckled. “I really don’t mind writing papers, though.”

“I wish I was like that,” he replied. “So is there anything I can get you?”

“Ummm… No, I think I’m okay.”

“Alright, just let me know if you need anything.”

“Will do.”

Once he had left, you got your phone back out and continued looking through his Instagram and the band’s website. You found a calendar and noticed they were set to play at a local venue a week from today. You obviously had to go, but you couldn’t just show up randomly and alone. You needed someone to go with you… You took a sip of your drink before getting out of your chair and heading to the front counter.

“Hey,” you said to Seungyoon, your brow furrowed.

“What’s up?”

“So, Jungshin’s band is playing at The Roxy next Saturday. Will you go with me?”

“...I asked for a date with your sister, not with you.”

“I know that,” You replied, rolling your eyes. “But I can’t just show up without a reason. If I come with you, I’ll just say you wanted to support your boss, and you asked me to come since I’m such a frequent customer. And because we’re friends.”

Seungyoon let out a little sigh but nodded. “Okay.”

“Really?! I'll make sure my sister goes on TWO dates with you.”

Seungyoon laughed, shaking his head. “No, it's all good. We are friends. It'll be fun! Besides. I want her to decide for herself if she wants to go on a second date.”

“Okay, deal,” You smiled. “I'll buy the tickets and pick you up and everything. It'll be a friend date! You just have to ask Jungshin if his band is playing soon, so that way he won’t be surprised when you show up.”

“You are kind of a mastermind, did you know that?”

You smiled sheepishly, shrugging one shoulder. You couldn’t argue with him.

Obviously, you spent the following week choosing an outfit for the concert. You wanted to keep it casual but also stylish, and you definitely didn’t want it to look like you were trying too hard.

Finally, on Saturday afternoon, you decided on an oversized gray sweater with a floral design across the front, navy blue velvet jogger pants, and your plain white Adidas. You figured a lot of the girls there would be wearing heels, so you wanted to stand out, even if that meant you would be a good three inches shorter than most people there.

After throwing your hair up into a bun and grabbing a scarf and your purse, you set off to pick up Seungyoon. You hadn’t seen him since last Saturday, and you had some exciting news for him. Once you pulled up to his apartment complex, you sent him a text letting him know you had arrived.

You saw him hopping down the stairs, and a smile immediately came to your face. He was going to be so excited when you told him.

As soon as he was in your car and buckled up, you pulled away from his building and started off toward the venue.

“So...guess what?” you smirked.

“What?”

“My sister said yes.”

Seungyoon gasped. “Really?!”

“Yep! She wants me to give you her number.”

Seungyoon immediately reached into his pocket for his phone. After navigating to his contacts, he glanced over at You. “Okay, I'm ready.”

You chuckled before telling him your sister’s number. “Are you going to text her?”

Seungyoon was already typing.

“Oh, geez, you'll be talking to her the whole concert, won't you?”

“Probably.”

The concert started at 8, and you and Seungyoon arrived at 7:55. The place was already pretty crowded, but you were able to work your way up to about the third row. Jungshin would definitely be able to see you, but it wouldn't look like you were trying to get his attention. Well, like you, specifically, were trying to get his attention. Which you actually were, of course. But he didn’t need to know that!

When the band came out on stage, your heart leaped into your throat. Damn, he looked so good. You elbowed Seungyoon who looked up from his phone.

“What?”

“I don't stand a chance, do I?” you said, leaning in toward his ear so he could hear you over the cheers and the beginnings of CNBlue’s first song.

“What do you mean?”

“Look at him!” He looked so cool and sexy up there with his bass guitar.

“I'm a nerd! He’ll never fall for me!”

“He will!”

“Has he ever said anything about me?”

“...No.”

You whined.

“But he hasn't talked about anything personal to me,” he assured you. “Only when I asked him that stuff you wanted to know. He's really professional at work.”

Well...that did make you feel a little better…

Once you actually started paying attention to the music…you found out you really enjoyed their songs. They were super catchy and very poppy, but in an extremely good way. It was the kind of music that just made you feel good.

During the third or fourth song, Jungshin spotted the two of you. You almost looked away out of embarrassment, but he smiled and gave you The Nod. So he must not have thought you were weird for showing up! Knowing this, you were able to relax a little more and really feel the music. You would have to buy a CD if they had one because you already had some of these songs stuck in your head.

They played for about an hour and a half, but you wanted them to play for longer. By the end of the last song, you had not only fallen in love with CNBlue, but you had fallen even harder for Jungshin. You had really never had a thing for musicians before, but now you completely understood the appeal.

“Okay, they were really good,” Seungyoon stated as he and you headed toward the exit.

“How would you know? You were texting my sister basically the whole time,” you laughed, smirking a little.

“I was still listening!!”

“They were really good, though,” you agreed. “We need to stop by the merch booth to see if they have CDs.”

You cut through the crowd of people exiting and headed toward the back where the venue staff was selling t-shirts and CDs. Yes!

You got out your wallet, handing the employee ten bucks and receiving the CD in return. You turned it over to read the tracklist, getting excited when you saw some songs you recognized from tonight.

“Okay, let’s go,” you said to Seungyoon, who was yet again typing away on his phone and not paying attention to what you were saying.

“Come on, Romeo,” you chuckled, putting a hand on his back and pushing him towards the exit.

Seungyoon finally put his phone away once you were outside, a very satisfied expression overtaking his face.

“What?” you asked, narrowing your eyes at him.

“I’m taking your sister to the art museum tomorrow.”

“Was that your idea?”

“I mean...no. I asked her what she liked to do, and she said she liked to go to museums. I didn’t want to just take her out to dinner or to a movie, y’know?”

“Honestly, I would rather not talk about this.”

“Why?”

“Because it’s my sister!” You stopped walking then, turning to face him. “And I swear to God if you do anything to hurt her, physically or emotionally, I will rip you to shreds.”

Seungyoon’s eyes widened. He had never been afraid of you in the whole time he’d known you. He had never even thought to be afraid of you. But the way you were staring at him...the look in your eyes…

He was afraid of you right now.

“I understand,” he said with a solemn nod.

You smiled then. “Good.”

Just after you started walking again, you heard someone call out your name first, then Seungyoon’s name. It sounded awfully like…

Could it be?

You turned, your heart stopping when you saw Jungshin waving at you with one hand, carrying his bass guitar case in his other hand. There was a crowd of fans behind him, and you could see his three bandmates were still among them taking pictures and signing autographs.

“Oh my god,” you murmured, grabbing Seungyoon’s elbow.

“Be cool,” Seungyoon whispered, waving back at Jungshin. “This is a good sign.”

“I am mentally incapable of being cool,” you reminded him, pursing your lips a little. Jungshin was walking over to you, smiling kind of like a goofball, and it was freaking adorable.

“You’re cooler than you think you are! Look at your outfit. That is totally a cool outfit.”

“Really? You think so?”

“Yes, it is,” Seungyoon assured you before turning toward Jungshin, who was now close enough to hear you. “Don’t you think her outfit is cool?”

Your face turned bright red as Jungshin looked you up and down.

“Oh, yeah, definitely,” he agreed.

“Thanks,” you replied, unable to look either of them in the eye at the moment.

“Y’know,” Jungshin began, talking to Seungyoon. “When you asked about this, I didn’t think you’d actually show up.”

“Hey!” Seungyoon laughed, clutching at his heart to show how hurt he was by his boss’s statement. “I am a man of my word... and a really good employee.”

“And you brought... a date?”

You couldn’t help but hear the tiny note of disappointment in his question. Of course, you fully realized you had completely imagined this, but you chose to believe you hadn’t.

“Oh, no,” Seungyoon said at the same time as you said, “No, no, no, no.”

“He’s dating my sister, actually,” you added, even though it wasn’t technically true. Yet. And you figured you might as well put this out there: “I’m not dating anyone.”

“It’s true,” Seungyoon said. “She’s 100% single. Ow.”

You had just elbowed him in the ribs.

“Really? Hmm,” Jungshin hummed. And before you could analyze what exactly that meant, he spoke again. “So what did you guys think?”

“I had a really good time,” you told him, trying your best not to smile like an idiot. “I even bought a CD.”

Jungshin laughed as you held the CD up to show him proof of your statement. “You didn’t have to do that!”

“I wanted to! I really enjoyed your songs!”

“Oh yeah? Well, thank you. I’m glad you had a good time.” Jungshin smiled at you, though it was a sort of...shy smile? Were you imagining things again?

“You’ll have to let me know when you have another gig, I’d love to come.”

“Really?” he asked, eyes widening a little. “I’d love for you to come, I’ll definitely let you know.”

“Oh my gosh, I’m so rude,” you murmured quickly, realizing you hadn’t praised him for a job well done. “You did a great job!”

“Thanks,” Jungshin chuckled bashfully, stuffing his free hand in his jeans pocket.

Seungyoon was beginning to feel a bit awkward which he knew was a good thing for you. But, still, he cleared his throat, garnering Jungshin’s attention. “We, uh, should probably get going.”

As much as you wanted to stay and talk to Jungshin, you were getting a little sleepy… “Yeah, we need to head out.”

“Me too, actually. Got an early shift at the shop tomorrow.”

“I’ll see you there,” Seungyoon chuckled, though he really wasn’t looking forward to it. The ‘early shift part’ not the ‘see you there’ part.

You wanted to say the same thing (‘I’ll see you there’) but you figured that would be a little...too much. You were definitely coming in tomorrow morning, though. Jungshin just didn’t need to know that until... tomorrow morning.

“Thanks again for coming,” Jungshin said. “I really appreciate it.”

“You’re welcome, boss,” Seungyoon replied with a small salute before heading off toward your car.

Part 3

Tagging @cramelot @veryhotkpop @daelicious-jongbulge @askmalstwin @elysjin @shinrin-yokeu @lovebuginlove @lost-girl-inc to let them know this has been posted! Readers, if you would like to be added to this list, let me know! Thank you!!

-Admin B

Master list // RULES // Submit a Request! // Read About the Admin

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180abroad · 6 years

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Day 144: Going East

Today, after two and a half months in (mostly) English-speaking countries, it was finally time to dive back into continental Europe. And we'd be diving pretty deep--all the way over to Poland.

After our last British breakfast, we took a taxi out to the Inverness airport. Our flight was at 10:55, and our host had recommended leaving at 8:30 to make sure we had plenty of time.

Back when we first arrived in Scotland, we'd thought that flying out of Dublin was as easy as it could get (not counting the Burger King incident). But Inverness was on another level. Checking in, dropping off our bags, and going through security took less than 15 minutes total. That left us plenty of time to browse the airports impressively stocked whisky shop and admire the airport's three gates. Not three terminals--three gates.

Our flight was with KLM Royal Dutch Airlines and included a layover in Amsterdam. We were a little nervous about the layover because it would only be 35 minutes long. But the tickets had all been booked directly through KLM, so we figured that we could trust their judgement.

It worked out, but I’m not so sure about their judgement.

Our flight from Inverness actually left early, and we arrived in Amsterdam over ten minutes ahead of schedule. Which was a very good thing, because we were at the far end of one terminal while our next flight was at the far end of the opposite terminal. And half of the moving walkways were out of service. And we had to go through passport control.

There was a fast-track lane for short connections at passport control, but an attendant told us to go into the main line anyway. This wasn’t an Inverness or even a Dublin line–this was a major-international-hub line. After waiting in this line for about ten minutes, our mental math was raising red flags. We would have a hard time getting through the line before our flight took off, let alone getting all the way to the gate, which was still a considerable walk beyond the passport control desks.

Just as we were getting ready to ask again, another attendant came up and shouted for us to get over into the fast-track line.

Passports stamped, we speedwalked straight to the gate, bypassing several badly needed bathrooms, and only just made it to the gate at the scheduled opening time. If our plane from Inverness hadn't arrived early, we might not have made it to our gate even if we hadn't gotten stuck at passport control.

Luckily for us, our next plane was also late, so we had time to use the toilets and grab a cold beverage from a vending machine before hopping on the bus that took us to our plane. It was smaller than the plane we took from Dublin to Edinburgh, but it did have jet engines instead of turboprops–so I still count it as an upgrade.

The flight was smooth, and soon enough we were stepping out into Krakow's John Paul II Airport. We decided to get some Polish Złotys (pronounced “zwah-tes”) from the airport ATMs (or "Bankomats") before hailing a taxi from into town. We ended up withdrawing way more money than we needed--the interface had been designed to make it look like you couldn't pull out smaller amounts unless you looked closely.

As it turned out, we probably would have been better off skipping ATMs in Poland altogether.

I always imagined Eastern Europe as a very cash-based place, but that couldn't have been further from the truth--at least in Krakow. Everyone there seems to use credit cards for everything. Spending the 100zł bills that we'd gotten from the ATMs (worth about $25 US) was nearly impossible. Even at large grocery stores and tourist sites, the cashiers would just shake their heads and smile at us condescendingly as if we were simpletons trying to pay with rocks.

We eventually went looking for a bank or currency exchange that would break some of our larger bills for us and gave up after a frustratingly unsuccessful hour of searching. Two of the currency exchanges (or "kantors") practically laughed us out of the doors.

I have to admit that I got angry once or twice over this odd phenomenon. There are ATMs everywhere in Krakow. How is it possible that everyone is using them when the money they dispense is worthless?

It actually seemed like there was a shortage of small bills and coins going on. When I tried to buy 41zł worth of groceries with a 50zł note, the cashier was visibly distressed at the prospect of having to scrounge together 9zł in change. When Jessica managed to rustle up a 1zł coin from her wallet (bringing the change to a single 10zł bill), the cashier's face lit up with relief and gratitude.

All of this wouldn't have been a much smaller deal if my credit card hadn't stopped working back in Scotland. We never figured out why, but at some point my credit card's chip had gotten corrupted and slowly started working less and less reliably. By the time we reached Krakow, it had stopped working altogether. I eventually got comfortable using Android Pay at places that took it, but Jessica ended up making most of our in-person purchases for the remaining two months of the trip.

But all of that was still ahead of us in the coming hours and days. For now, we happily made our way to the airport taxi stand with cash in hand and got a ride into town.

The first thing that struck me about Poland–and I noticed it from the airplane window before we even landed–was the totally unique landscape. I’ve seen forests, farmland, and urban sprawl before, but never mixed together quite so thoroughly. On the 30-minute drive from the airport into town, we passed through dense forests, low-density farmland, and a wilderness adventure park. Even in the suburban periphery of the city, apartment blocks are separated by cornfields as well as vacant lots.

This patchwork aesthetic extends to the architecture of the old city itself. On any given street, the buildings form a mosaic that tells the long and turbulent story of Poland’s past, from the middle ages through the 21st century. Many struck me as ironically eastern European, with inward-sloping buttressed walls and steep, almost pagoda-like roofs. Others looked straight out of Renaissance Venice or Imperial Vienna. And, of course, there are the Brutalist mementos of Soviet austerity.

What holds it all together is a charmingly rough-around-the-edges spirit of making do with what you have. Concrete walls patched with plaster, plaster walls patched with plywood. Walking down an alleyway between two buildings, you might tread on tile, cement, and gravel all in the space of thirty yards.

But this is not a third-world country. Enter into one of these unassuming domiciles, and you might find a surprisingly luxurious abode.

Like ours.

Poland is not a wealthy country. But that means that a little money can go a long way. And while you may trip on a pothole or slip on a patch of sand outdoors, you can come home to a bathtub bigger than any I’ve enjoyed in the States.

The second thing I noticed about Poland are the people. They are both the most reserved and the most outgoing people I’ve met in Europe.

Professionally and in public, everyone is just a blank face in the crowd. Our taxi driver from the airport did not make a single attempt at small talk the entire ride (not that I’m complaining!), and shopkeepers have no trouble flatly declining to assist you if you ask for something they don’t want to do.

But if you engage them personally, as a friend, guest, or tour companion, you’ll have trouble getting a word in edgewise as they talk your ears off with kind enthusiasm, sincere questions, and thoughtful advice.

Obviously, this is a stereotype and doesn’t apply to everyone in Poland. But it’s exactly what Jessica–who spent a summer here in 2010–told me to expect, and it’s exactly what I’ve experienced.

Another funny quirk is that two of Poland's biggest chain stores are named after animals. The main supermarket chain is called Biedronka, which means ladybug, and the main convenience store chain is called Zabka, which means frog.

After checking into our Airbnb and stocking up on groceries, Jessica could hardly wait to take me into the old town. Rick Steves says there isn’t a better city in Europe for just wandering around in, and I can’t say I disagree.

The main market square is spectacular–like Venice’s San Marco Square and Madrid’s Puerta del Sol rolled into one.

The old Renaissance merchant hall dominates the center of the square, and St. Mary’s Basilica stands proudly overlooking its northern corner.

Technically, the church only has one tower. The taller tower on the left–the one with the crown encircling its spire–is officially a city watchtower. According to legend, a 13th-century watchman was struck silent by an enemy arrow in the middle of trumpeting an alarm. Now, every hour on the hour, a trumpeter plays the same traditional anthem almost but not quite to completion in his honor.

The curtailed call is also used by the Polish national radio broadcaster, so it is a familiar sound across the country.

After taking a peek inside the market hall and up at the nearby clock tower–the remains of an otherwise-demolished medieval city hall–we meandered up the main road to the barbican gate–one of the few remaining parts of Krakow’s medieval walls.

Unlike the many European cities that turned their medieval walls into ring roads, Krakow turned their walls into a green belt surrounding the old city center. Like many Polish names, it was unintentionally amusing to us as English speakers--Planty Park.

As we walked back down the main tourist drag, Jessica noted how much the place had changed in just the past eight years. A local café she'd wanted to take me to had been replaced by a Starbucks, and there were a lot more ethnic restaurants than she remembered seeing before. Though not all of them looked especially authentic.

Tired and thirsty, we headed back to our flat after stopping for drinks at a Zabka along the way. It was a warm night, but thankfully the windows were big and opened wide. As much as I had feared a culture shock, and our currency-related annoyances notwithstanding, our arrival in Poland had been surprisingly smooth. We were comfortable, well-fed, and excited to see what the city had to offer.

Next Post: Schindler’s Factory and St. Mary’s Basilica

Last Post: Resting Up (Markets, Museums, and More Pizza)

#180abroad #krakow #poland #travel #history #architecture #eastern europe #no cash

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