#I think my mom just judged the show by the art style and nothing else…

[flower-boi16]

My mom just banned me from watching Hilda because its “a show for five year old babies” and she “wants me to find shows for my age demographic and doesnt want me watching this anymore”…. …..yaaaay

[your-brilliant-lady-m]

Part 5 - Basic Concepts of Miraculous Ladybug: Guardians

Helloooo! Did you think I was done? No!

My PhD thesis chapters were approved last week, so have some celebratory meta. I haven't seen the latest Season 4 episodes, so do forgive me for not being up to date.

Welcome to the next part of my analysis of the basic concepts of Miraculous Ladybug. Today we are talking about Master Fu, Order of the Guardians and how little everything here makes sense. I highly recommend reading previous parts to fully understand this one, but I'll try to quote most parts of earlier posts.

Order of the Guardians

Order is an international and ancient organisation (New York Special showed us the guardian from North America and he was dressed like Su Han). Presumably, Miraculous jewels were created by these people. Guardians are responsible for the preservation of jewels and knowledge about them. They also distribute Miraculouses to worthy people around the world to combat mostly magical threats, but sometimes jewels are used against normal threats too. It's implied that Master Fu used Miraculouses during WW2 when he was in Paris. Perhaps he performed some spywork with Marianne, but the magical nature of his interferences was discovered and he was forced to flee, before returning to France many decades later.

Why does the Order need so many people to take care of a 3 Miracle Boxes? If its only purpose is to preserve knowledge, keep magical secrets and distribute Miraculous jewels then wouldn't it be more logical to have Master-Apprentice system? It's much easier to keep magic knowledge a secret and train a few people in martial arts than doing the same in the self-sufficient temple full of people, keeping in mind that a good part of them are teenagers and children, who are bad at keeping secrets. Also a single person can travel around the world much easier to give out Miraculouses. Imagine that we have a few active guardians traveling the world with Boxes. What do other people at the temple do in the meantime? They teach the next generation about the powers of each Miraculous and Mirakung Fu, but besides that?

Master-Apprentice system gives us more personal conflict between Fu and his mentor and makes his relationship with Marinette and Adrien more nuanced. In this scenario Fu accidentally caused the death of his Master at 14 because he wasn't careful. It makes sense for him to take on only 1 or 2 students if this is how things were done with Miraculous Guardians. This Wang Fu is very cautious and protective, he spent the majority of his life afraid of hurting someone else and never took an apprentice as a result. But now he is ready to try again, since he is not getting any younger and he likes these 2 kids. He wants them to succeed. Maybe Master Fu, becomes the father figure for Adrien in this situation and a guide for Marinette. Just think about it. This way writers avoid the need to develop all these extra characters (Su Han) and traditions related to the Order. All inconsistencies I mentioned before and later in this post are gone now! Hell, even memory loss and the changing of the Miracle Box shape could make more sense. We also raise the stakes post-amnesia, if it happens of course (the whole Season 3 finale didn't make sense, so stay tuned for my next meta). Marinette and Adrien are on their own now, there's no one who can give them answers. It's very fun scenario, which has potential to be brilliant. Any thoughts on that?

The existence of Order of the Guardians is not quite a secret, at least it wasn't in XIX century China. Master Fu in "Feast" says that guardianship was considered "a great honor". It implies that people who lived close to the temple of the Order knew about Miraculouses and what exactly guardians did for the greater good.

The existence of other Miracle Boxes around the world makes sense from a real-life perspective. Writers have the ability to create many stories set in the same universe and use them for merchandise and an almost unlimited amount of content. Judging by the unholy amount of specials in production, this is exactly what the creators are going to do. It probably won't go down well, but who knows?

However, it doesn't work in our main story. The main conflict is Paris-centred. Gabriel's motivations revolve around Emilie's resurrection and Season 4 gives us more reasons to suspect that Adrien's mom wasn't as wonderful as everyone says. Hawkmoth still remains the main villain of the show and most likely it's going to stay that way. There's no point in moving the main story to different places for the sake of introducing more Miracle Boxes from around the world. Ladybug and Chat Noir aren't needed to fight something halfway across the world unless Hawkmoth also changes locations.

LB and CN are centrepieces of this franchise. They brought success and money to ZAG. Creators constantly need to remind the audience that this new piece of media with new characters who will never be mentioned again is connected to Miraculous Tales of Ladybug and Chat Noir. Writers have to come up with reasons to include our heroic duo into the story even if makes no sense.

New York Special had to introduce American Heroes whose names rarely come up in the fandom because people stopped caring about them or their stories shortly after the release of the Special. I barely saw any content dedicated to them. In order to bring LB and CN into the story, you have to include Hawkmoth too. Gabriel suddenly needs to get his hands on the Eagle Miraculous and goes to USA. Marinette and Adrien suddenly have a class trip to New York. Unfortunately, their presence in this story is required only to expand the world of Miraculous and attract fans of the show, so that they could keep an eye on new content related to newly introduced characters.

In the end, it's not their story. Events of the special don't affect main story of the show and the development of the love square is merely an illusion, because Adrien and Marinette are no closer than before. In season 4 LB and CN are growing apart and their test of trust in NY Special doesn't matter. Perhaps, some people don't see it that way and it's their right, but I find it hard to see NYS as a valid contribution to canon. I mean, even people in large portion of the fandom state in the tags on AO3 that "specials are not canon", "specials didn't happen" or "ignores both specials". It speaks volumes about continuity and preferences of your fandom.

Shanghai Special didn't give us more information about the Order, which is located in China, history of Miraculous jewels. We still don't know much about how Gabriel and Emilie found Peacock and Butterfly. Maybe, Marinette's family had connections to Miraculous jewels. Maybe, Adrien does some snooping and discovers research his parents made while Gabriel is away. All of these are relevant to the main story. However, we got something much different in the end.

Marinette chases Adrien across the globe and they make new friends. Fey becomes Ladydragon and now has a direct contact with Marinette through her uncle. Gabriel's desire to get his hands on the Prodigious comes out of nowhere. Apparently, he had been planning this trip for years, presumably even before Adrien was born. It probably happened at the same time as Agrestes found 2 Miraculouses. He bought bracelet-key (which is also a Miraculous apparently, but its Kwami is a Guardian of the Prodigious and they existed separately for a very long time - and let us not dwell on this mess) from some shady mafia boss, who can easily find out just who Gabriel really is (fashion designer billionaire) and use this information to blackmail him. This Special didn't answer important questions, but it gave us a new superhero character.

The real question is whether Miraculous as a project will survive long enough for writers to create content for every minor character they introduced in all specials. This is only a beginning after all.

Miraculous is not a global show and it can't be globalised in a way that makes sense, at least with Ladybug and Chat Noir in the centre of action. Case closed.

Mirakung Fu

I liked the idea of Mirakung Fu introduced in "Furious Fu". It makes sense and things rarely do in this show. Miraculous grants its holder superhuman strength, stamina, endurance and ability to fight. This means that essentially transformed heroes are guided by magic in combat. There's nothing personal in the way Miraculous holders fight. You can predict their moves and learn how to fight this magic guidance, which is what Su Han does.

However, if the holder has any special training, skills or knows any martial art in their civilian life then they become more dangerous opponents during transformation because now their fighting is a mix of magical moves and their personal knowledge, tricks and style. Therefore, Adrien and Kagami as skilful fencers have more chances of winning against someone who knows Mirakung Fu than Marinette, for example.

Memory loss

At the end of season 3, we find out several things:

apparently, now Miracle Box can change appearance to suit its guardian;

when Guardian passes down the Miracle Box to someone else, they lose memories not only about everything related to Miraculous, but also about pretty much everything in their life (Fu doesn't recognise Marianne, instead he experiences the love at first sight)

Master Fu trains Marinette to be the proper holder and next Guardian off-screen. He says that her training as the holder is complete in "Feast" and wants her to become the next Guardian. Fu told her lots of things, and yet, he never mentioned the fact that he would lose his memory after relinquishing the box, nor the fact that Marinette would lose her memory afterwards. She finds out about this from Wayzz after the battle with Miracle Queen and the letter that Master Fu gave her. That's not proper training! How on Earth do you forget to mention this memory loss? How?

Master Fu's amnesia is a convenient plot device that removes him from the narrative almost completely. That's mostly all there is to it. Why? Because it doesn't make sense.

Fu was around 7 or 8 when he started his training. The disaster at the temple happened when he was 14. He stated that his training was never complete, which means that he never passed any magical ritual, never swore an oath or was bound by some kind of spell that made him subjected to the rule of memory loss.

Miracle Boxes belonged to the order, not Fu. Their design reflected their country of origin because these Miraculous were made and kept in China. They were just standing there on the shelves not magically bound to anyone in particular. When Feast attacked, monks just tossed Wang Fu the miracle box and grimoire. No one at the temple lost their memory after Fu took the box with him (Su Han is the proof). Su Han not only remembers Fu and his mistake but everything that happened that fateful day as well. In "Furious Fu" Marinette explains Su Han that Master Fu lost his memory in the very first conversation they have. However, after Ladybug and Chat Noir fight Su Han on the roof and escape with the Miracle Box, the latter searches for Fu and attempts to take his staff from him. In this scene, Su Han acts like Fu knows very well what is going on and who he is.

Su Han should be aware of the memory loss rule as the Celestial Guardian. He remarks on the different shape of the Mother Miracle Box and calls her "incorrect", which means that Su Han should have been able to easily tell that previous Guardian lost his memory and the Miracle Box is now bound to someone else. But he doesn't say anything. Moreover, since Su Han is supposed to know about amnesia, he seemed awfully chill about forcing this 14-year-old girl in front of him to give up the box and her memories. Hell, Chat Noir wasn't on board with this. But we get zero reaction from Su Han.

During the first conversation between Marinette and Su Han, he doesn't ignore what she is trying to say, instead he actively comments on every word. Even if Su Han didn't listen when Marinette told him about Fu's memory loss, than he still should be able to understand that Fu doesn't recognise him, because of common sense and the "incorrect" shape of the box. But nothing of the sort happens. Because writers apparently forgot that "memory loss" is supposed to be known to everyone in the Order. On-screen it looks like Su Han is not aware of the "amnesia rule".

"Furious Fu" makes the concept of memory loss a plothole no matter how you look at it. Just like "Timetagger" and "Chat Blanc", as well as "Kwamibuster" this episode is not consistent within itself. It does not surprise me, however.

Grimoire and Guardian Staffs

Let's talk about the Miraculous Grimoire. Good things first.

There are no illustrations of Miraculouses in camouflage. Kwami can't read its contents, only guardians can. Certain elements are written in riddles as an additional precaution. The book contains only the information people have learned so far, which means that Miraculouses have more unexplored potential ("Mr. Pigeon 72"). It describes powers of each Miraculous, provides information about weapons, has instructions for potions that don't make sense (see previous parts).

Unfortunately, everything is about to go downhill from here.

Guardians are taught how to read the writing in this book. They can read it just like people learn to read texts in a different language. This means that one can read Grimoire like any other book (you don't need to consult some guide to decode each letter or word). Master Fu proclaimed Marinette an almost fully trained Guardian. He should have taught her how to read the Grimoire then (he doesn't know the code very well, but he knew enough to understand the general meaning and content of the book according to "Collector"). He didn't. We don't know why. He shows her powers of every Miraculous but doesn't teach her the code.

Master Fu knows that Grimoire now belongs to Gabriel Agreste. He knows that it's dangerous for someone else to have it. If they knew how to read the Grimoire, they could discover all secrets of Miraculouses and harm Ladybug, Chat Noir and other heroes. It's very important to keep the information about the code top secret because Fu is not the only one with the source material.

What does he do then? Master Fu proceeds to write a French translation of Grimoire for Marinette, a translation that he doesn't even need. He carries it with him at all times on a tablet (without any precautions) just like the Miracle box after "Feast". Naturally, it means that in "Miracle Queen", Gabriel and Nathalie easily managed to get their hands on the tablet and Miracle Box. It allows the plot to happen, sure. But it doesn't make any sense.

"Furious Fu" created another curious plot hole. It will probably be ignored, of course. Su Han has a staff with a magical compass that allows him to find any Miracle box, but not the Miraculous jewels for some reason. How does the staff work? Can it locate the box without the Miraculous? If yes, then it seems useless. What's the point in the ability to locate an empty box? If it can locate the box only with the Miraculous jewels inside, it implies that the staff can track the location of every Miraculous too. So, Su Han could just locate the Butterfly and Peacock without any problem. But he talks about reassigning Ladybug and Black Cat to adults and defeating Hawkmoth like locating the Butterfly is not possible. This situation makes the Guardian Staff a simple plot device that creates plot holes and its only purpose is to explain how Su Han found Marinette.

Also, I have a few more words to say about this. Master Fu had a Guardian Staff that was never mentioned before. I wonder why? That's because the staff didn't exist before "Furious Fu" was written. Writers just went: "Do you know what would be cool? If Fu's cane was really a secret Guardian Staff with a compass all along that he decided to keep even after he lost his memory? It would make people wonder whether Master Fu is faking amnesia, and everyone will definitely call him an awful mentor after this even though we kind of tried to make him a good and responsible person."

Fu didn't give it to Marinette and didn't mention it to her. Why? When he gave up his memory, he should have written about this in his letter at least. Why did he decide to keep it? He can't use it anyway now.

Please note how in the flashbacks Fu didn't take any staff with him when he escaped the temple. Su Han seemed to know how Fu's staff looked like. It means that Master Fu didn't make this staff himself, because it belonged to the Order.

Su Han wasn't even surprised that Marinette didn't have the staff as the current Guardian. Was she not supposed to have it? He never questioned the fact that the former Guardian without memories has the staff. Su Han actually returns this staff to Fu after he is deakumatized and Fu acts like they have never met before. Why did Su Han gave the staff back when he knows what it is and to whom it should belong (to him or to Marinette as the current Guardian)? The staff is useless in the hands of the civilian. Does Marianne know about its secret? We'll probably never find out, unfortunately.

Guardian Staff of Master Fu has a compass too and therefore this also makes it a plot device, just like Su Han's staff.

[organic-guacamole]

showtime

episode 211 let's go

ok first of all, this is the second to last episode guys... I don't even wanna think about how much pain I'll be in after next week's episode

mr mazzara doing the recap-

this is so weird to me and I don't know why

WHY DIDN'T YALL JUST ASK BENJAMIN FOR HELP, THATS LITERALLY HIS THING

is Nini giving out the cards a callback to season 1 when Natalie Bagley said that Nini gave her a card or something on opening night of another musical?

STEPHY AS THE ENCHANTRESS OMG YES

Ricky in the crown gives me Harry styles in that photoshoot vibes

he's so pretty.

ok but why did we never see Ricky and Ashlyn interact before? it's been like 5 seconds and I already love how they bounce off each other and it's just so natural

OH THEY REALLY DON'T HAVE ANY UNDERSTUDIES-

well that explains a lot...

so Ricky fell on top of Ashlyn and all that broke for both of them was their wrist-

insert Jake Peralta *coolcoolcoolcoolcoolcool no doubt no doubt no doubt*

of course howie was amazing as the beast, were we expecting anything less??

Ricky is so beautiful and I will not shut up about it....

let me enjoy this before the makeup crew slaps mud on his face.

Nini and Ricky talking to eachother? in a civil manner? wasn't she avoiding him just in the last episode? hm ok

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAH THEY CANT EXPRESS THEIR FEELINGS JUST LIKE ME HAHAHAHAHA THIS IS HILARIOUS, WHATS NEXT? THEY CUT EVERYONE OFF CUZ THEY CANT HANDLE EMOTIONS? ...ha

yes Kaden and Rico, my favourite east high boys 🥰

I mean....where's EJ?

THERE HE IS

EJ AND GINA IN THE BACKGROUND... doing something idek

KOURTNEY'S MOM IS BACK YAY

Howie is a shining star, ofc ofc

the smallest fOrk

can't wait to see the fork burst into song about how she deserves more than to be used to eat salad😌

the duster and the bluster.... ok😃

hi Gina!

hi- oh wow I didn't know Robbie Rotten was in this show!!!!!

the portwell look.

that my friends, is a married couple's look✋

GOSH EJ WHAT DID THEY DO TO YOU

aww Gina's so excited for this

D word?

Die?

Delicious?

Dom Toretto?

"good, clean fun all alone with someone I dig...a lot"

sir that does not sound very clean to me

SEBLOS

Seb looks so cute standing there next to pope Carlos

DID THEYEY REALLY LIGHT ANTOINE ON FIRE-

I NEED TO SEE THAT

Seb's reading Carlos better than big red read the script in episode 102, this is great development after the "fight"

Kourtney really just made the best outfit for herself and let the rest of them suffer

the way Gina immediately goes to hold on to EJ after the announcement

"tonight we're going to put the U in UTAH"

...

"hey where are you from?"

"TAH"

SEB'S SINGULAR CLAP KILLED ME-

he's officially salt lake city's resident thanos

just wity clapping because for some reason I have a feeling he doesn't know how to snap his fingers...don't ask why

Ms Jenn do you mind encouraging your leads before the show? idk just an idea

pepto bismol product placement smhsmh

those flowers are bigger that big red himself-

*bops along to the opening theme*

that whistle at the end slaps everytime

WHY IS THE AUDIENCE SO MASSIVE

I guess they're all here to see Ms Jenn go on as a fork after Nini decides to *go her own way*

wow i am so funny

so they couldn't do many group scenes cuz of covid, but this 300 person crowd is cool? nice

OO THE VIOLIN GIRL FROM EPISODE 6 IS IN THE ORCHESTRA

HOWIEEEEEE

"Mr Caswell", he said, in the loudest voice possible while backstage at a show that's about to start.

Mazzara what are you trying to pull-

I usually like Benjamin but I don't like his tone

"iS yOuR wHoLe FaMiLy HeRe?" LIKE YOU DON'T ALREADY KNOW THATS A SOFT SPOT FOR EJ

"we've had some good conversations these past few weeks"

right so what's going to happen after you graduate?

what does he think of you not going to Duke?

what did he say about you giving the sweatshirt that's been in the family for 3 generations to a girl you're not even dating?

good old Mr. M

therapist Mr. Mazzara, they all need it.

start with Ricky though.

"Michael Bowen"

dude why did you shave, now you look less like "hot lumberjack" and more "creep at the gas station"

OH-

does she not like Mike anymore?

why does it sound like jennzzara started dating and now they just sit back and talk smack about everyone in their freetime

break the fourth wall-

uhhhh im scared

why am I scared

he's scary

hehe flowers for Ricky, obviously for Ricky, ObViOuSLY

oh boy poor Michael

this man is in love, rip

why does Ms Jenn always look at people with her eyes open so wide

LILYYYY

I'm only excited because I really like the idea of lily and Ricky being friends, nothing more.

ha this guy's got jokes

a MOAT AROUND THE SCHOOL

wheeze

also he's very pretty.

"the wolves and very talented humans"

how dare he forget to mention the very talented wolves and normal humans, smh erasure

"being nice, what a concept" ted talk by Lily who still doesn't have a last name

did she just say lol out loud

same with the hug emoji last episode-

go touch some grass babes

the way he didn't say no, but said he didn't know how the east high kids would react-

not saying he does want to date her but that's an interesting thing to think about, also another thing to write an essay analysis on just to leave it in my drafts for a few months

awww lily genuinely trying to help him

sorry guys, I've been taken by the Lily charm (didn't know it existed until now but oh well)

REMEMBER WHEN I SAID I'LL NEVER SHIP PORTWELL?

just look at me now

the Lily wink I can't she's so cute-

HELP ME I'M BEING HELD HOSTAGE BY LIL-

David Attenborough?

oh nvm it's Benjamin narrating the show in a really weird British accent for some reason.

STEPHY GOT MORE LINES YAY GOOD FOR HER

also is this to show that Nini doesn't care about being the star of the show anymore? the way she's supporting everyone else even though she's a fork?

I would pay for a special of the full musical ngl

OOO THE TRANSFORMATION WAS SMOOTH

shockingly

yo where did the makeup come from

man I wish I was a theatre kid

THIS IS STEPHY'S EPISODE NOW IDC✋

my girl is starring

"needs an X-factor"

Simon Cowbell creeps in

"it's a yes from me"

and them boom, he takes Nini and mistreats her horribly and then she comes back to theatre after deciding music isn't for her👍

"I thought she just hog-tied him?"

don't ask sebby, it's better if you don't know.

imagine they spotlight the wrong person and this dude is just some random person that likes writing down stuff during shows.

Ms Jenn just let them do what they rehearsed (at some point we never saw) or else this is gonna end horribly wrong

"help"

same Carlos, same

I love how seb is just his translator rn

I thought he said "great displeasure" instead of "greatest pleasure"....help?

big red coming out from throwing up to see his girlfriend star is the cutest thing in this show.

Ash and Gina dancing is so fun

I'm imagining them practicing at night at their home, watching the movie for the 100th time and making sure their one dance together is perfect

KOURTNEY YES

HOWIE IS IN LOVE AHHHH

I LOVE HOWIE SO MUCH

SEBBY

THIS SCENE HAS SO MUCH GOING ON I CAN'T KEEP UP

THIS IS SO GOOD

HOW???

no because I'm actually crying

I'm dead serious.

we need this musical released as a special

big red is so proud and I love to see it

Natalie: "if you do not by at least 20 dollars in concessions, you do not support art"

rando in the audience: "but I pay for ad free Spotify"

Mr Mazzara clapping in the distance

Gigi, the guy you like is talking to you, complimenting you and hyping you up

YOU LUCKY LITTLE FEATHER DUSTER

aw EJ teasing her about the chocolates in a way that doesn't make her feel bad? take notes Richard

JORDAN FISHER

there is no rest of the show idc Jordan is it for me

THE WIG CAP ON RICKY OMG

they look like they're high and having "deep" conversations on the floor

THE MEAN GIRL WITH THE EYES-

@sunshine-julie-molina YOU HEAR THAT

Natalie really just be coming for them all

Howie what is happening rn

I'm scared

"did you enjoy it"

"very much"

dude wants a kiss so bad

ASHLYN OMG

NO DON'T DO IT BECAUSE OF LILY, PUT YOUR OWN TWIST ON IT

I want a Jordan autograph please

just keep swim- oh pushing...

Gina is literally a giant next to him and I live for it

am I about to cry for the 3rd time in this episode?

yes.

Ricky's leg kicks under the table makes me so happy aw

the portwell glances will kill me.

ah yes, mashed potato snow

Mr. M.... I'm not a theatre kid but even I know you can't have your phone on backstage.

Howie please just do it

CHIP'S BIG LINE I CANT

I LITERALLY HAD TO PAUSE IT AMD SCREAM INTO MY MASK FOR A SOLID 2 MINUTES (I'm not at home rn) HES SO CUTE

oh ok bye Jordan

oo tea

NOT HIM BEING STARSTRUCK BECAUSE HE'S MEETING HIS FUTURE BROTHER IN LAW-

"we're all just glad Gigi has a big brother figure in her life"

excuse me for a few thousand hours while I laugh hysterically

THE CAMERA ZOOM ON EJS FACE AND EVERYTHING-

STOP EJ LOOKS LIKE HE'S GONNA CRY BUT I CAN'T TAKE HIM SERIOUSLY WITH THE STAGE MAKE-UP

someone else said this already but I think it's hilarious that they had to bring in 2 guest characters to create some portwell angst

omg this really is Cici's episode, found family is their thing

elevator music lol

I'm gonna bet that big red took the harness for his surprise for Ashlyn without realising what it was

did Ms. Jenn just....tell her most mentally unstable student....to commit suicide....on a disney show...was that....I'm very....well....what the actual-

oh and there she goes running off instead of trying to make it right

oh wow Nini's the hero, she's gonna save the show 🤩

😐

the judge is doing a sudoku

honestly if I went to the hsm show as well, I'd come prepared for this one too

Lily why are you looking like that-

I WAS JUST STARTING TO LIKE YOU DON'T MESS THIS UP

wow ok, there goes that.

omg

what if Howie was acting weird because he knew what Lily did and wanted to tell Kourtbut Lily threatened him so he was scared to-

anyways see y'all clowns next week when we all simultaneously lose all motivation for the week without Fridays to look forward to.

[soulwillower]

rude boy III • richie tozier

(richie tozier x reader smut)

part 3 of this series!

requested: this has been requested a lot and i dont have enough space to put them all! sorry it took so long!!

warnings: swearing, fluff, smut, bit of angst, a tiny bit of rough sex, but then soft sex, theres lots of crying in this lol but its not v angsty, oral (fem receiving), dirty talk, some praise kink, and richie has a hair pulling kink, kinda vanilla tho, unprotected sex, unedited

[losers + reader are aged up 18+ in this.]

5.6k words, oh man sorry

also: i was listening to peach by kevin abstract as i write the car scene :’)

♡

it was one of those days that just didn't stop. one thing after another, from your car breaking down last night to customers calling you sloppy and leaving no tip. the sun rays that shine on your back are warm and cast a long shadow out onto the field in front of you and the breeze makes you sniffle a bit. you'd dropped a whole tray of food on yourself right at the end of your shift, and syrup is drying your hair and dripping down your uniform - you feel like shit.

tears leak slowly from your eyes, feeling sorry for yourself and wondering what you're going to do for the night - you could probably call one of your neighbors, or maybe mike, but you'd left your keys inside your house and nobody was home, so you're stranded without access to your house or a car.

you laugh a bit, in disbelief at the day you've had.

"the fuck are you doing down there, y/l/n? thought you got off thirty minutes ago." a nasally, judging, and pretentious voice calls from a few feet behind you, and you try not to outwardly groan as you quickly wipe away your tears. you sigh in defeat, knowing the tears probably won't dry up in time, and you turn to look at richie.

he's standing with his hoodie in his arm, bathed in golden light and barely more than a silhouette from where he's standing against the dying sun. you really hate how ethereal he looks.

"richie, can you lay off for tonight?" you spit, turning around quickly so he doesn't see your puffy face. "just leave, i don't want to see you right now."

and it's only half true. because recently, you'd actually found solace in richie's company. yes, you still argued, but the fire that surrounds your words are now driven by something more akin to fondness rather than the original animosity. it was freaking you out, but when richie would leave a milkshake with extra whipped cream on the counter for you when he clocked out, or when he stuck his tongue out at rude customers when they turned away, and even when he flirted with you just to be a dick, something tickled inside your chest and you even found yourself flirting back with him. and enjoying it immensely. it was sick.

you thought he'd left you alone but much to your dismay, the familiar beaten red converse high tops smack next to you on the pavement as richie folds his lanky body in two, sitting down only a few inches from you on the sidewalk facing the field.

"what's on your mind?" he says after a few awkward moments and you spare a glance at him. his eyes are taking in your red and puffy face, but his features are concerned. you feel that chest tickle again.

"lots of things. what are you doing?" you say suspiciously, hugging yourself and wiping away stray tears as they fall. you wish you could get up and leave, but it's too far to walk home and it's about to get dark. richie shrugs, playing with his fingers as they sit atop his legs, his knee bouncing incessantly. it irritates you, but you don’t say anything 

"where's your car, y/l/n? drive it into a lake or something?" he says instead, completely disregarding your previous question and making you roll your eyes. "shut up, richie. god. i just- my car broke down and-" and your voice breaks and you shove your face into your hands to hide your embarrassment from the boy next to you.

"woah, it's just a car. damn, what's wrong?" richie says and you shake your head as its buried between your hands. "i've j- i have a lot on my mind. can you leave?" you say, pulling your face from your hands to look at him, knowing you look like a mess. it's not like he hasn't seen you cry before, but that was much different than now and you're even more embarrassed that he's seeing you so vulnerable.

"not to be rude, but i'm not going to leave, toots. we don't have to talk, but i really don't think you should be alone." he shrugs, saying it casually as if it wasn't completely out of character for the two of you to hang out. you try not to consider it too much, instead stretching your legs out and gesturing to your skirt. "i spilled earlier." you say weakly but with a lilt of humor in your voice. richie chuckles, nudging your shoulder with his own. "you can shower and wash it when you get home, though."

you sigh, shaking your head as tears fill your vision again. you laugh wetly, "i forgot my keys at home. nobody's there, so i'm..." you sigh, "i'm locked out." the tips of your shoes drag on top of the cement as you laugh regretfully, staring up at the field in front of you and at the groundhog that runs across the ground in the afternoon air.

richie doesn't even laugh like he should have.

"let me take you for a ride." richie says after a few moments, making you turn and look at him. he's looking at you earnestly, head tilted slightly as his curls blow in the breeze. the golden light hits his face in a way that sharpens the angles of his cheekbones and makes him look much more serious than usual. his eyes glow in that same light and he seems so genuine for the first time in his rotten existence that you can't help but whisper, "okay."

it's quiet for a few moments and neither of you move so much as a muscle. the breeze is calm and for some reason, you're much less on edge than you think you should be. richie rises next to you, brushing off his black pants with his palms.

"let's go, sugar." he mutters quietly, holding his hand out for you. you stare at it for two seconds before lightly grabbing it, letting him pull you up quickly.  "where are we going to go?" you ask with a sniffle, your tears finally ceasing. richie drops your hand and you follow him to a beat up chevy truck where he opens the door for you, muttering about how its 'broken' and that you'd never be able to open it yourself. it makes you roll your eyes, but you say nothing in response.

"we're going to get you that shower." he finally says as he starts the car. you look at him disdainfully, but deep down you're just relieved that you're going to be able to get clean as soon as you can.

your forehead rests against your outstretched arm laying out of the open window as your hair whips around you, richie coursing down the road into town quickly. a song you don't recognize plays on his stereo and he sings to it, not at all quietly but not too loud to be entirely obnoxious and you're shocked to hear that he's got a pretty nice voice.

it seems to calm you down, so you turn to watch him through the corner of your eyes, admiring the moment because it's going to be over too soon, and you don't want to go back to how it used to be with richie now that you have these weird feelings. 

the fighting constantly is exhausting; the sex is great, but couldn't you and richie still have that without wanting to murder each other? whatever happens, you can't show richie how you feel - it'll change everything and he'll never let you live it down. you think it might crush you.

but you can't help it that you definitely don't want to murder him currently. you watch him with a small grin.

he's driving with one hand on the wheel, eyes on the road and an easy look on his face as he sings the chorus of the song, somehow giving you butterflies. it feels almost too peaceful, absolutely nothing like the few times you've spent alone time with richie, and you're sure that he could never truly feel a shred of attraction beyond primally physical with someone like you. the thought makes you want to cry all over again -  you bite your lip, wondering if your feelings are brought on by your shitty day, by the mood of the moment, or something else entirely.  

maybe it's just him.

he turns to glance at you, as if sensing your eyes on him and the small grin he sends you as he harmonizes the last line of the song makes you blush, turning your eyes back to the scenery zipping by. you barely hear richie's soft chuckle.

when you pull up to the house, you're not very surprised to see it's massive; but when you follow him inside silently you're shocked at the warmth you feel. a woman sits with a mug and a book at the dining table. she looks like richie, but her hair is straight and in a low bun. she's beautiful.

"hi, mom." richie says, pressing a kiss to her forehead. she smiles at him, "hi, honey. how was work?" he mumbles a response and then you make eye contact with her. she smiles even warmer. "oh hi, i'm maggie." she introduces herself. you smile and wave a bit, "y/n. it's nice to meet you."

richie looks embarrassed, "she's my coworker." he explains, filling up a cup with water. maggie nods, "oh, right! i've heard a lot about you, y/n."

richie looks at the floor with red cheeks and you smile at her, nodding awkwardly as your cheeks also turn red. 

"we're going upstairs, now." he says and you feel like it's more an order to you than a statement to his mom, so you wave at maggie as he drags you towards the stairs, maggie chuckling as you leave the room.

you step into richie's room and it smells overwhelmingly like him, so much so that you feel the weird tickle in your chest and you know if you spend too much time in here it won't be good for you. 

your eyes flicker throughout the room - landing on pictures of him with maggie and who you assume must be his father, of him and his friends, and of random postcards and art prints. paintings of birds as well as other style sketches of mike and several other kids - including richie himself - hang proudly on display, and you’re fairly certain they’re not painted by him, but it warms your heart that he has them. you wonder who did them. 

there's posters, records, and a skateboard in the corner. his floor is slightly messy, an empty energy drink on the windowsill that you see has a crushed cigarette on it. you kind of fall in love with it every second longer you stay in it and you're not sure why - it's just so... richie.

"um, just to clarify, i didn't- i didn't, like, tell my mom about..." he says suddenly, and you smirk at him as he trails off while scratching his neck. you laugh, "no shit, richie. that would be gross." you say. he grins with a shrug, quickly back to his usual self. "you didn't seem to think it was very gross when we actually did it. both times."

you shove him, face red in embarrassment. "can i use your shower, douchebag?" you ask and he laughs as he walks out of his room and leads you to his bathroom. "i fucking hate you." you mutter as you follow, glaring at his shoulders as they shake silently with laughter. after he gives you a towel and some clothes to change into, he tells you he'll be in his room and you lock the door behind him.

you shower quickly, using what you assume is richie's shampoo and smiling like a lovesick idiot when you recognize the scent of strawberry. you're still grinning like that as you walk back into richie's room, hair dripping and your body slightly drowning in his clothes. "hey sexy." he says in a teasing tone, prompting you to flip him off, smile still on your lips. he's sitting on his deckchair, spinning slowly from his feet as he watches you sit on his bed. "um. thank you a lot, richie. i'm not sure what i would have done if you hadn't let me come over." you say sheepishly, looking from side to side. "where's my stuff?"

he shrugs, "put them in the wash. they'll be done soon, we can wait until someone gets back at your house. or- you know, if you need a place to stay, i can take the couch tonight."

your heart flutters, your mind barely even taking the time to be shocked anymore at how he is away from work. you'd just assumed...

and for some reason, the realization of everything that's happened makes your eyes watery again. "-hey, y/n, it's okay." he says softly as you close your eyes and shake your head, "no, no i know, it's fine, i'm just being a child." you mutter, rubbing your eyes furiously. richie laughs, "i've seen you act like a child before, sugar. this isn't one of those times."

this makes you roll your eyes and suddenly you feel better. you laugh almost bitterly, "how do you do that?" you ask quietly, more to yourself than richie. he looks at you curiously, crossing the threshold of his room to sit beside you. "do what?" he asks. you shrug one shoulder, "dunno. you're actually good at making me feel better. i almost hate you for it."

"nah, i know you could never hate me." he jests, but again you know there's a ring of truth to it. "as much as i try." you say almost too honestly, and richie gives you an odd look.

"want to hear something kind of lame?" richie asks, already looking embarrassed. you shift a bit to look at him, ignoring the feeling of him that you get from everything around you - the bed sheets under you, the air moving through the room, the soft light of the moon, the clothes you're wearing, the look he's giving you.

"everything you say is lame." you say weakly, but you don't add on, waiting for him to tell you. he shakes his head with a small laugh. "i get excited for your shifts now." richie admits, his cheeks glowing red, "like, actually get excited to see your stupid face when you clock in."

the honesty of it makes you smile immediately, heartbeat quickening. you're shocked, truly. "it's awful, sugar. you're really throwing a wrench in my playboy status." he adds, making you roll your eyes.

"what playboy status?" you ask, biting your lip to conceal a grin at his words - does he feel the same as you?

he shrugs with a limp hand wave, "you wouldn't understand. doesn't matter, not sure if i'm going to be much of a playboy anymore." he says, voice teasing but a strand of truth laced tightly in between his words. it makes you grin down at the sweats on your body. his sweats. they're soft and cozy against your body, and the shirt smells overwhelmingly like him.

"what, you got someone in mind?" you say, half teasing but yearning to hear your name fall from his lips because you don't know if you could say it yourself. he looks at you, "depends on what she wants from me. she’s a pain in the ass, though, don’t know her very well yet."

oh. you nod, realizing that he actually was talking about someone else and feeling bitter. "well. you're an unbearable asshole, so anybody would be a fool to want you." you say, sounding a lot less joking than you intended. 

his grin falters and a look that is slightly comparable to hurt flashes across his face. he scoffs, shaking his head. 

"doesn't mean much coming from you, does it?" he says with an eye roll and your eyes widen. so much for thinking he liked you. "i was joking." you say, rolling your eyes. he crosses his arms, "if i'm as bad as you think, then that means you're a real sleaze. i mean, you practically beg for my cock every time we're alone, so what does that say about you?" he spits, clenching his jaw and looking away. 

your eyes widen, heart breaking at his words. you really dug yourself a hole this time. "why do you have to be so  fucking insolent all the time? i swear to god, i do not understand you." you say, standing up and wishing for your tears to not reappear.

this day could not get any fucking worse, could it? through your frustration, you start to make your way towards his door, not wanting a single thing that reminds you of him. "you don't understand me? god, y/n, that's so fucking hypocritical. you're so stuck up that when i was trying to do a nice thing because i fucking care ab- what are you doing?!" he hisses, eyes wide as you shove the sweats off your legs, leaving you in your underwear and his shirt.

you throw a glare at him through glossy eyes, face red with embarrassment and mostly anger, "i'm leaving. i don't need your shit, i need to go."

"and where the fuck do you think you're going?" richie says, following you as you walk towards his door.

"anywhere is better than being here with you." you spit, but his arm reaches to slam shut the door. you whirl around to find him much closer than you'd expected, his eyebrows furrowed and jaw clenched in anger. tension fills the room.

"you're just gonna walk down there and dig through my fucking laundry, half naked, in front of my parents?" richie sneers. "no. you're not going anywhere, y/n. i don't care how much of a brat you are, or how much you hate me." he snaps, his breath hitting your face.

something about his words and his tone and most likely the situation you're in makes you swallow and clench your thighs together. damn richie and his hotness, and damn you and your stupid fucking feelings. "fine." you mutter, standing your ground still.

you can almost feel the two of you both fighting against it, but suddenly your lips are on his and hes spinning you, tossing you onto the bed. 

"you're so fucking controlling. i hate it." you mutter as he crashes against you on his mattress. "really, princess? because you seem to like it when my cock is inside you." he spits back, cheeks red with anger. you gulp back a sneer, feeling yourself get wetter by the minute as he thrusts against you. 

"whatever, richie. just fuck me if you're going to fuck me, or i can leave." you say and he growls, looking pissed. he ruts against you and he's hard already. you'd make fun, but you can feel yourself slick through your underwear and his fingers are already pulling off your panties, palming himself as he kisses you harshly. 

"then be fucking good and shut up." he mutters, making you think back to the first time you hooked up. there's a fire between you two as he pulls himself out of his jeans, pumping a few times before running his tip up and down your slit, teasing you. you let out a strangled whimper, trying your hardest not to give in and show him any emotion.

and then he's pushing into you roughly, just as you remember it, and this time you wonder if he can taste your dried tears on your lips as he fucks into you hard. 

you clutch him, letting out moans and stuttering breaths as he moves his hips but then he's pulling you closer to his chest, fingers gripping the material of his shirt and suddenly you can smell him.

you smell him everywhere, all around you and it becomes overbearing and overwhelming as you realize that you can't just hide your feelings for richie anymore, especially not with the way he's holding you against him. it seems way too intimate to be just casual, and you feel the stinging behind your eyes at the realization.

 you let in a gasp as it hits you, tears for the fourth time today streaming down your cheeks. his face is buried in your neck as he fucks into you so you hold your breath, hoping you'll stop crying quicker than he'll notice.

he hits a spot inside you that makes you moan and a sob escapes with it, making richie instantly perk up, eyes wide as he sees your face.

"why are you crying?" he asks, this time with no sneer, obviously able to read that your tears are from a very raw emotion. he stills himself but stays inside you, elbows stilting him up above you as his fluffy curls frame his face.

you shake your head, your chest shaking with tremors. "keep going." you mutter, trying to rock your hips against his as you squeeze your eyes shut, hot tears streaming down your cheeks. at least you won't have to look at him. "richie, keep going."

"no, y/n, what - am i hurting you?" he asks, and he sounds so soft and nervous, a complete 180 from just a few minutes ago. he starts to pull out and you grab him, trying to make him stay, but he pulls all the way out and mutters, "baby, what's going on?"

and you let out another sob at that, not able to express how heartbreaking it is for him to call you that, for him to be so soft when you know all he wants is just a good fuck.

"please talk to me sugar, i'm gettin real nervous." he mutters and that's enough for you to look up at him through tear blurred eyes. he's gnawing on his kiss-bruised lip, looking like he might cry himself. 

you shake your head, sitting up slightly on your elbows and rubbing at your eyes as his shirt on your frame falls over your bare thighs.

"i'm sorry, i'm just - i'm just scared." you mutter, hands shaking. richie's looking at you with wide eyes, propped on his elbow above you. "scared of what?" he asks and you let out a quick, tearful and defeated sigh. "i don't want to make you hate me more. i just - i'm scared because i think i h- i think i have feelings for you. and i’m scared." you mumble it and you watch as his face contorts.

you feel sick for one moment when he looks stoic, and you think he may just do the job for you and kick you out.

but then he smiles a genuine, beautiful smile and you're once again reminded of his unique and beautiful features and you think of how stupid you've been not to see what's been in front of you all this time. the thought makes tears fall from your eyes.

"y/n, doll, i don't... i don’t think you have to be afraid." he says with a shake of his head, sounding slightly nervous himself. you look at him, your heart skipping as he looks back at you, the most serious he's ever been.

"what?" you mutter with wide eyes, trying not to get too excited. he shakes his head, looking just as nervous as you felt, his own eyes welled with unshed tears. 

"-i think about you all the time. i don't know why, i can't understand my attraction to you, but it's there. you've got me. and it sucks, because you're insufferable." he admits.

you're so relieved you could fly. something snaps in your chest and you laugh lightly, hand falling onto his cheek to rub his jaw. "what makes you so high up on your horse? you're awful. and how do you think i feel, thinking about you all the time? its disgusting, rich." you say through a watery smile. he returns that same smile and he chuckles, almost as if in disbelief.

he says nothing, instead just kisses you, which you return happily. he slips his tongue against your lip and you feel that the fire is still there - and as you part your lips and he kisses you harder, tongue slipping through your lips, you groan. 

he pulls away and kisses a trail down to your neck, his hips now rocking slowly into you and making you moan lightly. "you're so fucking beautiful." he mutters into your neck and butterflies flutter in your stomach. you're throbbing in need as he moves against you but he pulls back to smile at you softly. "do you trust me?" he asks with a grin. you lift a playful brow at him, "i know i shouldn't, but i kind of do."

and with that, he leans down so that he can kiss down your chest and rubbing his hands over your bare legs. you watch him until you realize his intention and your stomach swirls with butterflies. "richie, your parents are downstairs. we don't have time" you whisper bashfully, biting back a moan as he lifts up your shirt and kisses your bare stomach.

"they won't bother us." he says dismissively and you're about to argue but he's slowly placing a thumb against your neglected clit and rubbing gently. it feels incredible and you moan right into the shell of his ear as he slowly moves his finger pad. 

he leans back with a grin and you mutter, "okay, rich. if you say so." and then you slip your shirt off and he sits back, pulling his own shirt off. "let me see all of you, baby. i finally get you all to myself." he mutters, rubbing your bare hips. his words send a different kind of shiver down your spine and you smile bashfully, unclipping your bra so that you're splayed out fully naked beneath him.

"shit, doll." he mutters, eyes raking over your heaving chest and down the swell of your stomach and hips and to your legs, his fingers softly trailing after his eyes. "how could i ever hate you?"

you sock him lightly on the shoulder and he laughs quietly, shaking his head. his curls flop on his forehead and you feel that tickle in your chest again so you pull him down to your lips, falling back onto his mattress.

he wastes no time, kissing down your stomach and looking up to you, pulling your legs and draping them over his shoulders. "you want me to taste you, baby?" he asks, mischievous glint in his eyes. you let out a stuttering breath, too aroused to roll your eyes. "please, richie." you whisper, running your fingers through his curls. 

he watches you as his tongue sticks out, licking a stripe up your pussy before swirling on your clit, making you gasp in pleasure.

the feeling is sharp and pleasant as he wraps his lips around your clit and sucks lightly, tongue running over your folds. his hands move to hold your thighs as he delves in, your moans quieting as the pleasure increases because you're worried his parents might hear. 

his mouth moves on you expertly, his tongue sliding to fuck up into you and making your hips buck, his nose brushing against your clit. you tug on his hair and he groans, sending vibrations through your body that make your toes curl.

its soft as he rubs your stomach, his tongue working you so well that within a few minutes, you know you’re already about to cum. 

reaching to cup your face, his thumb presses against your lips and you kiss it softly, making smirk in between your thighs as he kitten licks your clit and draws a gasp from your lips. "rich, oh my god, i'm so close." you sigh out, overwhelmed by how good you feel, by the pleasure coursing through you and the affection for the boy you're with.

he just holds you tighter to his face, lapping your juices up and flicking against your clit before sucking, your thighs tightening. "richie, please, i'm gonna-" and but yourself off with a high moan, hand covering your mouth as you hit your high. 

you cum on his tongue, legs shaking as you ride out the first orgasm you'd ever gotten from anyone's mouth and your fingers comb through his hair. "rich, fuck." you mutter in bliss as you come down from your high, full of affection and need.

"you liked that, huh sugar?" he says with a grin as he rises back up to kiss you. you roll your eyes with a small smile, "shut up." you say lightly. 

you're still sensitive as you pull him to line up at your entrance. he presses a soft kiss to your lips and you blush, tasting yourself on him. "you sure, baby?" he mutters, and you nod. "yes, richie. please."

and he finally pushes himself in again, this time easing in slowly and kissing you sweetly. your hands play with his curls as he fills you and you moan when he's finally buried to the hilt, still sensitive enough that you clench tightly around him. his hand snakes to pin yours above your head and he holds onto it, keeping you in his hand as he starts to pump into you. 

this time it's much slower and with much more intention as he thrusts into you, the first minute moving in very shallow thrusts until you start moving your hips against his in need.

he picks up the pace then and it makes you grasp his shoulder as he thrusts into you, hitting a new angle that makes you let out whimpers every few moments. the feeling of richie stretching you out slowly and hitting a place deep inside you that you didn't realize you needed makes you smile into his kiss. 

“look at you, sugar. fuck, you’re so pretty taking my cock like this. god.” he mutters, moaning as he fucks you. 

his hand is still holding yours. "you're so amazing." he mutters into your ear, "taking me so well, baby. so good for me." he says, kissing your ear and you whine, dragging your nails down his back in pleasure.

"all mine. i get you all for myself, huh?" he says as he thrusts into you at a passionately slow pace, your hands holding on to his shoulders as you hook your ankles around his hips. "yes, fuck, rich. all yours," you mumble, feeling your second orgasm coming on and chasing it as much as you can.

"please, you feel so good." you beg, unsure what you're asking for but knowing that richie will satisfy it. his hands fall to your hips, "i'm close, sugar." he mutters and he thrusts a bit harder, hitting a spot inside you that has you keening loudly. he chuckles, kissing you and muttering, "shh, sweetheart, we have to be quiet."

you nod, eyes closing as he thrusts into you, one hand slipping up to roll your nipple softly and making you moan his name. as he sucks a hickey on to your neck, his thrusts begin to get sloppy and you clench around him. “god, you were made for me, baby. fuck, takin’ it so well.” 

you hit your second orgasm and you softly bite into richie's shoulder, his own moan at the feeling of you clenching around him making you turn red. you feel his hips stutter and he groans as he releases inside of you. 

waves of pleasure course through your body and you shake with exhaustion, a blissful feeling coming over you as richie rides out both of your highs, chest pressed against yours and breathing your name into your neck.

he pulls out of you slowly, rubbing your stomach as he kisses you and rolls onto his mattress next to you. you stare at each other and you know you must look like a mess - your hair is still slightly damp from the water, your freshly washed skin is now sticky with sweat, and your face has tear tracks on it, and yet richie mumbles, "you're fuckin' stunning, y/l/n. it’s insane."

you turn red and chuckle, "you're pretty fucking incredible yourself, tozier." he smiles at you, pulling you closer. his fingers dance along your skin and you squirm as he mutters, "no, that's all you, toots."

his fingers, you now realize, are deliberately tickling you, and you let out a few winded laughs, swatting at his hands as the sensation of him on your skin has you giggling.

"y/n! why are you laughing so much?” he asks, but he's releasing little laughs himself, his breath hitting your skin. you can't help the screams of laughter, knowing his parents downstairs can hear you.

"stop, richie, st-stop!" you mutter as his long fingers tickle your sides. "i'm not doing anything!" he mutters through a chuckle. his eyes are soft as he stops his motions and just stares at you, a ghost of a smile on his lips.

he sighs, looking happy, "god, please be mine. i think i'll die if i can't do this with you forever."

your heart swells at the words and you blush, your hands falling onto his cheeks. "of course i will, rich." you mumble, kissing him soundly. his arms encircle your waist and he pulls you towards him, kissing you back lovingly as he pinches your ass cheek lightly. you pull back with a small giggle, "rich!"

he shrugs with a smug smirk and you wack his arm lightly, "you're a real rude boy, you know." you tease, and he shrugs, "you seem to like it." with that, he kisses you softly.

and yeah, you definitely do.

[cosplayinamerica]

Satori Tal-May Baylin (original character) : sno_italever // photo:  @greyroamer 

Cosplay is for fun and, for some, to grow their skills. It is something that is done to celebrate characters, people, and each other. I truly believe this, but it didn’t start that way.  

I started wearing costumes before I could walk, started sewing at 6 years old. My first con was when I was like 12 or 13, wearing kimono my mom made me and my twin, based off of a sewing pattern that was horribly inaccurate looking back at it. Shiny fabric from the ‘oriental’ section and all. I tried my hand at making my own costume, with significant help from my mother, the next year. Chii and Freya from Chobits for my twin and myself.

At that time, my mom mostly made our costumes, and my twin and I helped in whatever way we could. Yet, we wanted to try and compete sometime, to show of our (mom’s) work.   We did a skit. A small little thing about twins, based off the Chobits’ lore. We ended up winning best skit when we did. There were only three skits that had competed, yet I was on cloud nine. My twin and I had won something! An accomplishment; look what we did! Gotten a plaque for our skit, which was promptly put up in my mom’s sewing room. 

My mom humored us, let us show guests when they came over, let us dress up for trusted friends and show off our ‘work.’ My twin, my mom, and I all shared the little pictures on social media, and we got maybe 5 responses, if that. Yet, to me, I had won the Olympics. I could be successful, someone I was not, I could work on my anxiety and social phobia, and people would like me. I could be popular.  

I began crafting more on my own, though still with the heavy help of my mother and sibling. I competed yearly at this little con near us. I wanted to win, thinking it was because I wanted to grow my craft. Really, I just wanted to be famous. I got a rush from strangers telling me I looked good, or my outfit was nicely made. It went to my head, my ego grew.

This only became more problematic as I continued competing, coming to a head when I won best in show at this little con. The outfit I made, Seth Nightroad from Trinity Blood, I made exactly 60% of, since that was the ruling at the time of something you could compete in to win something.

My mom made the other 40%, or at least, I tell myself that. Looking back at it, it was probably gracious of me to say I made 50% of the costume. But you couldn’t deter me, I marched into judging like I had made it by myself. I was in my head, looking amazing and no one could stop me. I knew how to talk the talk (so I thought) and walk the walk. And when I won Best in Show, my friends and complete strangers all crowded around me to congratulate me. I was queen of the world.  

I started thinking that, because I had won best in show at this little con, I was in the big leagues. I was still a novice (now, at best I am a journeyman). I bragged, applied to be a judge for a craftmanship contest I had no business being in.

When I got selected simply because all the other judges except one had dropped out, I thought it was truly because I was qualified, not because I was the only one left within a short distance who could get to the competition in time. I knew my stitches, my craft, after all, what else did you need?   This ego continued for years. I still struggle with it. I have since stopped competing.

Cosplay was supposed to be fun, a way for me to build my confidence, work on my anxiety, increase my ability to converse and engage. Instead, I grew into a monster. I wanted to be famous, popular, and nothing else. It was a toxic environment I grew into. I am still working on finding what drives me. I have tried to fix the friendships I have lost, tried to regain respect but I also realize now the damage I caused by getting so wrapped up in the want to win. It’s a long time coming and I am working on getting out of the toxic mindset of “cosfame.” One way I have done this is making outfits of original characters.

Satori Baylin, an original character of mine and my twins, was how I started over. She was a labor of love and a way to focus on my skills and not the want to be popular. I still get a kick, that high, when people compliment me about the craftsmanship or details, but it is a costume I cannot compete in. It forces me to step back and focus on those who helped me get that far. Satori’s first gown I made almost entirely on my own. She was the first time I made armor. First time with organza. First time silk painting. First actual prop. First time really styling a wig. But even with all those firsts, I could not have gotten there alone.

Satori also sports wings and ears from a wing seller, a custom cloak that I got at ren faire, a coworker of mine made me hair fancies. She is a group project, spanning almost 5 years (10 if you count when my twin first commissioned an art piece of her for me). Satori is a labor of love, made only for me and no one else. She belongs with no fandom, she has no reference art that I could submit for craftsmanship, but she does what cosplay should do. She empowers me, allows me to grow in my craft and allow me a talking point, a safe high without falling back into the pageantry. It still comes, I still act entitled, elitist, but I am becoming able to step back. To step away. To listen to those around me. To know it is okay to buy something, wear someone else’s costume and just enjoy myself. To see I am there to just dress up and have fun, not do it solely to win.

I have a lot more growing to do. I cannot do it alone. I hope, now more than ever, that I will continue to learn, to take time to dress for myself and not for the likes. Cosplay is empowerment. Cosplay is a tool. I just must wield it the right way.

First Photo (2018)

Photo: @greyroamer Wig: @ardawigs Westly Classic and XL clip in extension classic in dark blue. Gown pattern: @fireflypath Ranger pattern (simplicity pattern 8363)

Last Photo (2020)

Photo: @karamelphotography Wings and ear fancies: @glimmerfaecreations Staff mentor: @skybulletcp Wig: @ardawigs Westly CLASSIC and extra long hair clip in dark blue. Outfit pattern by @fireflypath, the simplicity pattern fantasy ranger 8363.

[surveys-at-your-service]

Survey #455

“but you didn’t have to cut me off  /  make it like it never happened and that we were nothing”

Are you and the last person you kissed in a relationship or just friends? We're besties! :') Has anyone ever pointed out that your laugh was unusual? No. Would you get a lip piercing? I already have a vertical labret. I've considered getting spiked snakebites (they might be called devil bites?) too, though. With a vertical labret, it looks sick as FUCK. It might be a bit much too close together for me, though, idk. Nose piercing? I want my right nostril re-pierced. What are you currently waiting for? Girt to message me back. I've decided what I want out of our relationship and just want to see him. Do you have feelings for anyone? Hit me pretty hard through a lot of examination of my feelings that yeah, I do. Have you ever run over an animal? Oh my god no, I would be DESTROYED. Have you chewed gum after someone else already has? bro what the fuck When people sneeze do you say ‘bless you’? I do only out of expectation. I don't want someone to think I'm an ass or something for not saying it. When was the last time you were on a bouncy castle? A few years ago for my niece's birthday. She was scared of how loud it was and was very reluctant to get near it, so my fat ass got in there with everyone else to show her it was fine lol. I can't remember if she eventually got in. She loves them now, though. :') Have you ever went on a bouncy castle whilst drunk? No, but thanks for the idea, ha ha. Have you ever entered an art competition? Yes. What is one thing you will never do? Try hardcore drugs. What is one food that you detest? Asparagus. Did you have a rebellious phase growing up? Not really. What religion were you brought up with? Roman Catholic. Are you still that religion? GOD NO. Do you often find yourself questioning your future? That's my full-time job. How many friends do you have on Facebook? 124. What sort of music did you listen to when you were in high school? The same I listen to now. What pet names do you use with your significant other? I'm single rn, but usually, I go for "sweetie/sweetheart," "hunny," "love," "dear," stuff like that. What’s the name of the store you usually get your groceries? Wal-Mart. Have you ever seen a theatre show? Yes. What’s your favourite vegetable? Broccoli. Have you ever missed a flight? Yes. I was SO fuckin upset because it was on Sara's birthday and planned in secret, and I was supposed to wake her up. It still wound up being a big surprise to her when she walked into her room and I was chillin' at her desk, ha ha, but I still wish it coulda gone as originally planned. Do your neighbours have any pets? Have you ever met them? Yes; they have a yappy-ass dog that doesn't shut up. I haven't met them. What color is your bedroom door? White. If you were ever to become famous, would you grow annoyed at fans? This may sound very ungrateful, but I have heard A LOT of celebrities say it: it would get old, being stopped constantly in public for signatures, pictures, etc. Like yes, I still WOULD be grateful, but I'd miss just being off the radar and able to go outside carrying out chores and stuff like a normal person. Have you ever met your favourite band/singer? No. :( Are you embarrassed by any of the songs/singers/bands you like? Nah, not nowadays. Have you ever written a story? Yes, a kinda short one when I was little. Think of the last poem you wrote: What inspired you to write it? The breakup with Jason and the fact we're just strangers again. It was really short, but I like it a lot, honestly. Do you have a chance with the person you like right now? I think so. What’s the weirdest thing you were scared of as a child? A skeleton in my closet, lol. Literally. Are there any embarrassing stories your family tells about you? alkdsjflakjwle yes In your opinion, what is the funniest TV show? That '70s Show. 3rd Rock From the Sun is high up there, too. What is the maximum number of children you’d ever have? HYPOTHETICALLY, two, but I'm pretty damn serious about having none. I just always feel kinda bad for children without a sibling, but three would make me pull my hair out. Have you ever been concerned you had a serious illness? Yes. I overreact to even minor symptoms to ANYTHING. Are you comfortable with who you are? No. Pretty much everything about myself embarrasses me, even if it shouldn't. Would you date someone even if you knew you’d get made fun of for it? Yes? Others' opinions don't affect how I feel about someone. Does popularity matter to you at all? No, outside of trying to be a successful photographer. Would you ever consider homeschooling your children? If they really wanted that and it would benefit them, yes. Who told you about the band/singer you are currently listening to? I discovered them myself. Do you ever read fanfiction? Nah. Would you rather die in a plane crash, ship wreck or fire? Jesus. A plane crash, I guess, because in a lot of cases, it would be an immediate death. What are your top five favourite TV shows? Meerkat Manor, Fullmetal Alchemist (and Brotherhood; shut up, they go together), That '70s Show, Ginga Densetsu Weed, and Deadman Wonderland. What is your favorite superhero movie? Logan. If you died next week, what would be the cause of death? Uhhhh idk... I guess maybe a heart attack? Judging by doctor appointments, my heart is just fine, but the fact still remains that I'm technically obese, so that's always a risk. Have you ever taken a break from Facebook or other social media? Why? Facebook, yes. It was just depressing me. I was playing the comparison game REAL hard. Who is the most talented person you know? I dunno. I know many people talented in a lot of areas. Are you currently platonic friends with anyone you’ve had sex with? No. Where did you and your current interest go on your first date? Bowling. Have you ever experienced two people fighting over you (physically or mentally)? What happened? Jason and Juan pursued me at the same time. They'd known each other in the past, and Juan hated him for "winning" his ex-girlfriend. Then when Jason and I got together, Juan wasn't the happiest for sure. Have your parents ever thought you were gay? What happened? Before I actually came out as bisexual, I don't think so? Are your parents more liberal or conservative? Conservative. Mom is more open, but still conservative. I think. What year are you going into at the beginning of the next academic year? I'm not in school. How far away does your closest family member live? I live with Mom. If you’ve seen both, did you prefer the Disney version or the Tim Burton version of Alice in Wonderland? I actually strongly prefer Tim Burton's. Would you have sex before marriage? Why or why not? Yeah. I just want to be in a long-term, serious, healthy relationship to reach that point and be as safe as possible about it. Are you more liberal or conservative? Liberal, but I do have some conservative beliefs, too. Who is your favorite Harry Potter character? I don't have one, given I never got into that franchise. What’s the worst that could come out of letting gays marry? Not a goddamn thing. What’s the most sexual thing you’ve done? Done "the thing." Name something that you are against. I'll go with an unconventional one that's a problem as of the late: making owning reptiles illegal. Why are you against it? Because reptiles are perfectly capable of being brilliant pets and, most importantly, can tame people's fears of them. I think that it's very important to see the worth and beauty in all animals, and reptiles are one of the most unappreciated families out there. :/ Have you ever played the Tomb Raider games? I played some of either the first or second one. I could never beat it. Old games are hard, man. Do you like it or hate it when your partner is clingy? I absolutely believe that it can get to an extreme that I don't like, but for the most part, I don't mind a clingy partner because hey, I am too. Beatles or Rolling Stones? Stonessss. When was the last time you changed your opinion on somebody? It'd been on my mind for a while, but I *officially* realized that I really do like-like Girt a couple days ago. And since then it's gotten a bit hardcore and all I wanna do is talk to him bc fuck me and how attached to people I get. What was the last thing that made you feel proud and why? Every single time I go to the gym, I feel proud of myself because it REALLY takes a lot out of me. Do you feel uncomfortable when people you hardly know confide in you? Nope. I'm willing to be a shoulder to cry on for like... anyone. If you're hurting, talk to someone. I'll be there as an easy option. What was the last thing to fascinate you? It was... INCREDIBLY disturbing and almost nauseating even for me, but I saw a video of a dead whale explode. It was GRUESOME. Guts just kept coming and coming and coming and :x Is there a certain noise/sound which scares you? Hmmm... I'm sure there is, but what, it's not coming to me. Sudden, loud noises are an obvious answer. Do you have a favourite microorganism? ... No, I can't say I do. Out of the people you know, whose birthday is next? Girt's, actually. It's in October. If you have pet fish do you bother to name them? I did when I actually had them as a kid. Do you keep your eggs in the fridge? Ye. Have you ever owned chickens? No, but that'd be cool. Fresh eggs from a properly cared for chicken taste SO much better. When did you last listen to music? Currently. NOW I'm obsessed with Melodicka Bros & Violet Orlandi's cover of "Somebody That I Used to Know." It's done in a gothic metal style and is amaaaazing.

[amyscascadingtabs]

✨creator tag meme✨

i’ve been tagged in this by @feeisamarshmallow @dolston17 and @arnies-bitch and i love doing these every year (self love!) so, even though this year has been a year of far less fic-writing for me for various reasons... here goes ❤️

Rules: It’s time to love yourselves! Choose your 5 (ish) favorite works you created in the past year (fics, art, edits, etc.) and link them below to reflect on the amazing things you brought into the world in 2020. Tag as many writers/artists/etc. as you want (fan or original) so we can spread the love and link each other to awesome works!

listed chronologically in terms of date published;

💫 i’ll walk through hell with you

i know i chose this one last year as well, BUT, i did write and publish the two-three last chapters of this in 2020 so i’m including it again. i’m so freaking proud of this one. it was an experience to write and i did SO much research and i had such fun with it. writing the two last chapters was such a high and i remember i wrote the sixth one in like three days where i just couldn’t stop. it was also the last fic i wrote and published with my original peraltiago kiddos leah and olivia santiago-peralta and it was lovely to get to say goodbye to them in style. plus the way i literally predicted trying.. my mind ❤️ (i do have a document of the similarities and how i worded it vs how the show did it... if any fan of this is curious)

a favourite quote: 

But what I was actually trying to say was…” Jake blushes, and she can tell there’s a moment of emotional sincerity coming. “I’m with you. I know that. I also know that as long as I’m with you, all the bad stuff is survivable, and all the good stuff is a million times better. And I’d rather have hard days with you, and Lee, and I guess soon whoever this is,” he holds his hand to her stomach through her sweater, “than good days with anyone else.”

“Me too,” she snivels, having to wipe the tears on her shirt sleeve because of course, this is making her cry. “How’d you get so wise all of a sudden?”

“Married you,” he shrugs. “And had kids. Also, I got hella old.”

💫 paper cut stings from our paper-thin plans

was this possibly the only fic i wrote this year that was (almost) baby-free? probably. i blame it on season 7. but yes; i wrote a fic about rosa dealing with her breakup from jocelyn and it was great fun and made me want to write even more rosa (which i did!). she’s just great, and writing her with amy is incredible. plus, i got such amazing guidance from @vernonfielding with this one which i think truly brought out the best in this story. 

a favourite quote: 

“I hate it,” Rosa mutters. “I didn’t get a fucking choice. I never knew how much of a difference that made.”

“Well, now you know. It sucks. But...” Amy leans her head to the side. “Maybe that’s a good thing, too?”

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

“If it hurts, that means it mattered, right? If you miss something, then there was something to miss in the first place. It means you opened yourself up and built something of meaning with someone. I know that doesn’t make it easier -”

Rosa snorts. “No, it doesn’t.”

“But it might mean that something can matter again,” Amy says, fixing her eyes on Rosa’s. “Someday. Even if it feels impossible right now.”

💫 bracing for the winds i always summon

we all know i love some sweet amy content... this was one of the things i wrote early on in covid quarantine life, and it brings out a lot of memories. i do still consider going back and editing the last parts so they can fully agree with canon, but i’ve not had the energy quite yet. either way, i’m really proud of the way i wove canon and minor episode details into this one. we got such limited pregnant amy content and i wanted more! i’ve reread this one a ton of times, because it’s just.. satisfying to me. i answered a lot of my own questions in it. filling in the holes!!

a favourite quote:

She’s felt protective of this life since the day she found out about it, but it’s a great and positive change to be able to feel like she’s starting to know the child she’s protecting. She doesn’t know his name, although it keeps being debated, or what he looks like aside from the gray-and-white sonogram pictures, but she knows he’s most awake at night before they go to bed and that he moves like crazy to the sound of Jake humming renditions of his favorite Taylor Swift-tunes to him, and it feels like the most important information she’s ever known about someone.

Maybe she’s okay at making babies, Amy thinks. She’s wholly certain this child is too good for her, is still worried he’ll be taken away at a moment’s notice, but right now he’s here, and he’s making her want to try her best.

💫 (three times ‘cause) i’ve waited my whole life

i didn’t write very much this summer for several reasons, but what little motivation i had for writing, mostly went to this one. it was originally meant to be for father’s day and i published it in september, so i missed out slightly there, but i’m still really proud of it. writing jake and his feelings about fatherhood is something i’ve always enjoyed so much, and this was 13k words of doing just that. i’m proud of so much in this fic, and i’m really happy i actually finished it in the end. god i love jake and baby mac ❤️

a favourite quote:

Jake is amazed by how much better fatherhood has gotten with time. It was always the most amazing thing to ever happen to him, but it was so different when his son was a newborn. Mac was rarely awake for the first weeks, and when he was, he was either stuck to Amy for feeding or crying because he was overtired or needed his diaper changed. Jake always loved his son, but for the first month or so, he felt pretty useless around him. The daily attempts at bottle-feeding, and the precious times Mac fell asleep against his Jake’s chest as they walked around the apartment at night, had made up most of their bonding time together. It was still wonderful, and Jake can miss the time when Mac actually stayed where you put him, but in the end, it’s got nothing on what fatherhood is like at eight months in. Now, Mac interacts with them, laughing and smiling and trying to babble gibberish back at them when they talk to him. He’s always on the move, like he’s anxious to miss out on anything the world has to offer if he sits still for too long. Judging from the way he’s currently trying to use the tree next to them to get up to a standing position, Jake wonders how long they’ve got left until he’s walking. It’s clear that Mac has his own personality now, no longer just traces of it hidden in a newborn’s constant needs, and every day of fatherhood seems to bring a new adventure.

There had been a time when Jake wasn’t sure if he wanted this. Little did he know, it’s better than anything he could have dreamt.

💫 when all your heroes get tired (i’ll be something better yet)

last but not least, my second sleuth sisters fic of the year and second rosa fic too! i’ve thought about writing this since i watched lights out; i love writing rosa and amy so much and it’s always fun to write jake and amy from someone else’s perspective, especially as i think the choice by the show to have them keep their pregnancy private when everyone had already figured it out was so interesting. i love supportive rosa and i love the relationship she’s going to have with mac and i love her secretly loving babies. they’re so cute it’s fucked up!!!! anyway, yeah; i love writing rosa and this was such a fun challenge.

a favourite quote: 

There’s a tenderness even to the way she speaks to him, like love is packed into each word. Rosa thinks of the way Amy hid her pregnancy for months in fear that something would go wrong, and how scared she was that giving birth under less than ideal circumstances would somehow make her a bad mom. She doesn’t seem as scared anymore. Rather, there’s an air of quiet confidence over her when she’s holding him, and it’s moving to see.

“Slow down, McClane,” she whispers, thumb stroking over his cheek. “I know you’re hungry, but if you keep going like that, you’re going to puke, okay? We’ve been through this.”

“I’m proud of you,” the words spill out of Rosa, and Amy blinks.

“You’re proud of me?”

“Yeah, I’m proud of you.” A shy smile flutters across Amy’s lips. “But if you ever have another kid, I’m not going near you a month before you’re due, okay? I’ll transfer precincts or something. Never again.”

Amy laughs, but Rosa just stares at her, and she goes silent. “Got it. Cool. That’s fair.”

tags 2019/2018 ❤️

i’m tagging @johnny-and-dora, @letsperaltiago, @amydancepants-peralta, @b99peraltiago and @nessa007 to do some self love over any creations this year you're proud of ❤️❤️❤️

[jlf23tumble]

Top 10 Niche Interests

Fixations? Obsessions? This is incredibly hard because I have wayyyy too many niche interests, so instead of stressing about it, I tried to channel the 10 things that immediately speak to me and maybe aren't so obvious from what I post here, like how much I'm obsessed with wigs, doll furniture, incredibly specific blogs, all forms of clothing with pockets, swimming pools, whimsical bus stops, over-the-top bathrooms, etc. etc Instead, I opted for some specifics that feel a little more evergreen and long tailed, like, so LIFE-long tailed that it's tough to nail down when or how they became part of the national psyche. I thank @alienfuckeronmain​ for the initial tag, and I'm tagging her AGAIN for round two because I know she has a billion additional niche things, and she'll post them, and I'll scream because it'll trigger five other things I neglected to post here, and I'll probably post my own round two, arggggh, insert aggressive sighing. Anyway, I tag ANYONE who wants to do it, just tag me so I can see! 

1. Indoor Trees

I have no idea why this concept PULLS so hard because houseplants are kind of meh to me, but you want to plant an entire-ass TREE indoors, in the place where you live? Me, too, and I'd add a conversation pit plus a combo gold/red bathroom, among other things, and, bam, we're in my imaginary dream home, which I have literally, constantly ALWAYS mentally constructed from the time I was about six or so. (If you're curious, it has multiple themed rooms, and the closest I've seen to it recently is the outstanding Dita von Teese AD feature, but Amy Sedaris’s apartment comes close, too). There are two (2) 1960s houses in Long Beach with magnificent indoor trees, but I can't find them online, so have this modern interpretation and cry with me about how I can't visit the multi-story fake tree inside Clifton's Cafeteria for a good long while:

2. Conventions of Fans of Any Kind

One thing that I don't think I'll ever lose is how much I *love* people who are fans of SOMETHING, people who have a passion and create something about it or cosplay it or simply gather to celebrate it and connect to other people through it. The Internet provides in all kinds of ways, but I'm talking specifically about IRL conventions and the way my heart pitter pats when I first walk in those doors, SWOON! And it doesn’t matter how big the convention is or how random, I've been to smaller events like CatCon and the My Little Pony convention all the way up to biggies like WonderCon and Comic Con, and I have yet to be disappointed. I might know jack shit about what I'm walking into, but I want to see the merch, hear about the panels, and check out the people who are fucking PUMPED to be there. Sadly, I think it's gonna be a lonnnnng time until these come back, but I can live vicariously through my old photos, sigh:

3. Dutch Wax Fabrics and African Fashion

I'm not the snazziest of dressers, but textiles, colors, and patterns have been an obsession that has soothed my visual soul for as long as I can literally remember. Wax fabric marries all three of those touchpoints, plus throws in a healthy dose of style, and I count myself lucky to have seen two big exhibits on the subject (this was one of them), oh, how I wish there were more! For sure, there's a fucked up underlying colonial/imperialist history here, but there's also humor and color and vibrancy, a reclamation of sorts, and multiple levels of fashion that take my breath away. I cannot do the different patterns justice at all, but the fan motif is one of my faves:

4. Hearst Castle vs. Madonna inn

These two fall into my #home tag because they're where I'm from, and they speak to me as equally sublime and ridiculous, camp and kitsch writ large and small, different (yet similar!) versions of Xanadu that two rich white men built as shrines to their own personal "taste." And the irony is that a lot of people shit on Alex Madonna for being tacky (the Madonna Inn is...uh, something else), yet praise WR Hearst for all the high-class art and architecture, most of which is fully lifted from desperate churches between and after world and yet they're both more or less the same concept (lodging for weary travelers, self-aggrandizement, questionable taste-mixing). Hearst Castle edges out slightly for me because it's bigger and has spectacular scenery and history, plus it gives me doses of LA noir thanks to the way Hearst killed a guy in a jealous Charlie Chaplin-related rage and Hedda Hopper covered it up, all kinds of old Hollywood shenanigans happened up there, etc. But I'm low-key an expert on both houses of the holy, I'm OBSESSED with both, and we can leave it at that. I mean, come on:

5. Snow Globes

I had to cull my personal collection slightly just to fit it all on the dedicated shelf in my bathroom, and I seriously need to refill all the water lines, but nothing beats a snow globe in terms of memorable souvenir, especially when you put it in a bathroom. The majesty!!! The jewel of my collection is the one from Sherwood Forest because WHY NOT celebrate a historic place and moment in the basic way?? He robbed from the rich to give to the poor, and the gift shop about 100 feet from the tree he hid in does the same! The circle of life! The irony of all the watermarks on this blessed image...protect:

6. Highly Specific Museums

Look, we can all agree that the more venerated museums in the world are a form of garbage in terms of what they represent, what they've done, and who runs them, but I'm here for the museums that collect and celebrate things that tend to get overlooked. There are too many to list that I love that are still thriving, so I'm going to say goodbye to four recently departed faves. RIP to the Pez museum, I'm so glad I saw you and purchased your stale candy souvenirs. RIP to the museum of terrible food, you were a pop up when Phoenix and I saw you, and I will forever think about the worker describing people literally vomiting during their visits. RIP to the currywurst museum in Berlin, I've had currywurst exactly once and it was not for me, but I respect the Journey you took me on, including obscure east German TV shows that helped make you so popular (??). Finally, RIP to the velvet painting museum, there's no way to mince words, the person who owned you was crazy AS FUCK and had zero clue how to run a business, but I'm so glad I saw you multiple times and purchased my own velvet treasure (not this exact one, but remarkably similar):

7. Liminal Spaces: Grocery Store Edition

Confession time for those who don't know me all that well, I'm a big time voyeur, and nothing fills my heart with joy like a walk at 7 or 8 pm, the witching hour when people haven't pulled the curtains, and I can scope out their decorations/furnishings without it being "weird." Another confession is how much I unabashedly adore grocery stores in other countries and will spend at least an hour wandering aisle by aisle, falling in love with how much everything is different yet completely the same:

8. Agatha Christie Novels:

As a child, I was a fairly compliant reader--I had to read something for school? Okay! For my mom? Sounds good! But the books that sparked the initial fire for me to read something purely for myself were second-hand (probably fourth- or fifth-hand, judging by cover art) Agatha Christie short story anthologies, which were the gateway drug to full Agatha Christie novels, then other mystery novels, and so on. But getting back to Agatha, I obviously loved all the stories, but every decade spawned incredibly good cover art (like, exceptionally good), and this particular artist's are right up near the top for me (I go back and forth on a lot of the '50s and '60s ones):

9. Scopitones

I link my obsession with scopitones both to my love of music videos in general and a shop in Austin, TX, that sold DVD compilations of them in particular, but either way, they're underappreciated and kitschy all in one! Francoise Hardy and the rest of the ye-ye's are my forever girls for this medium, but seemingly every country cranked them out, both actual set videos and "live" performances? If you don't know what they are, scopitones were machines that played music videos in French cafes in the '60s (??), so it was sort of your proto-MTV way to see your faves sing and dance. Oh, Francoise...so moderne!!

10. Cover Songs

I have so much patience and love for cover songs of any stripe, the more genre-bending and/or surprising, the better! My only minor beef is the trend in slooooooooowing down songs to make a point, but even those ones have a special place in my heart if they're effective. Live Lounge feeds my hunger the best, but my meta fave for representing this concept is Pulp's Bad Cover Version, which was already lyrically INSPIRED, a song about bad cover versions in terms of relationships, but then they did a video that was a visual "bad" cover version, with actors lip synching over an audio "bad" cover version, and all of it just worked? The cover for the single is someone in the band as a boy, making his own bad cover version of a Bowie album cover, it's meta meta meta, and I love love love, here's the video, if you're curious. In the more sublime cover category, I'm absolutely addicted to all of Orville Peck's covers, I truly hope he officially releases them sometime soon, but I wholeheartedly support any artist who does it:

[mcousland]

alright tabby put your money where your mouth is 🖊+🍋🍋🍋 for your witcher gals :)

Okay this took forever to get to because Brain Bad when it came to Avelina and Lysandra for some of these but we made it!! Thanks for the horny rights encouragement as always kite 😘✌️

Avelina —

Was absolutely that type who was called some version of "mom/mother" by everybody in Kaer Seren at some point, levels of serious-to-joking varied but it is undeniable that Avelina took on the responsibility of caring for and helping each new recruit that she could, no matter their age. ("Mother bear" was her favorite.) 

She was left to tend to most of the fires in Kaer Seren as she had an impressive amount of control over the element. Lysandra theorized that she could have the makings of a proper mage, but they leave it at that as Avelina is content with her witcher life and doesn't want to delve into those ideas. 

She had an owl for a time, whom she always referred to as a companion instead of a pet. Her name was Sophina and she had patience to match Avelina's, which was always apparent during the times she liked to allow kids to see her up close. Avelina was able to train Sophina in delivering messages, but only to certain people and at a certain distance. She always kindly requested that Sophina deliver them, insisting it would be rude to demand the task of her like she was some creature undeserving of respect. 

A simple one: Avelina is bisexual! Though she tends to be more interested in women, if her track record has anything to say about it. She has had numerous partners through the years, but nothing that lasted very long. (tbh it's because she gets attached to humans and it never ends well. she has bad luck) 

Lysandra —

My heart tells me that she used to be a blonde, but Lysandra's centuries long exposure to and use of ice magic turned her hair silver. And no one can tell me otherwise SO,,

She has a collection of necklaces that she has garnered over her many, many years. And by collection, I mean that she has a mini hoard spread across her two homes and it's maybe the thing she's most Extra about. They all have stories behind them that she remembers no matter how much time has past, and usually emotional connections attached as well.

Lysandra has a morning routine that she positively hates to break, and if she has to do so her mood is sour for at least an hour. The routine consists of a warm bath, making herself a cup of tea that she drinks while reading through one (1) chapter of her current book, then changing into her clothes for the day, and finally carefully braiding her hair into the desired style. (The routine keeps even if she has a,,, "companion" from the evening before.)

She still wears Lucien and Natalie's rings on a chain around her neck. She was unable to part with them after their deaths, and it took her years to be able to even hold them in her hands but after some decades she was ready to keep them close again and hasn't parted with them since.

Maeve —

If there is one survival skill that she has been able to take away from spending her time traveling with witchers, it's tracking. Forget about it in her earlier years after being free, but she slowly gains confidence over years of accompanying the monster hunters who are kind enough to explain the more "basic" tricks for tracking monsters and humans. It doesn't come up very often for her, but she always feels a rush of satisfaction and pride when she has the chance to show off.

One of her first additions to the Sommers estate after purging it of Carden's belongings was having a piano put into the main sitting room. It took a lot of patience (and plenty aid from a friend she had made in Toussaint) but Maeve learned how to play it. She likes to sit and play as a way of centering herself if negative thoughts get too out of hand, but it's seen plenty of use purely for fun. She's no grand pianist by any means, but she can play simple songs and that's enough for her.

Maeve funds and provides costumes for numerous theater productions! If it wasn't immediately obvious upon spending an hour with her, she is a big fan of the arts and is committed to doing her part in keeping them alive/giving them the means to perform and travel. This is probably why she knows immediately upon entering a city if a show is going to be running, which is fun to shock her companions with at first.

Modern AU Maeve has bi flag color tinted heart-shaped sunglasses that she takes with her almost every time she leaves the house. Doesn't care if they don't fit her outfit (despite everything else needing go be coordinated), they're cute and she likes to wear them.

Naughty Bits below (of varying hedonistic levels, and extra Maeve ones to make up for missing them on a previous answer):

Avelina —

Okay, this one isn't over the top nsfw or Nasty, but it's 100% a thing that has happened where one of the fellow Kaer Seren witchers walked into Avelina's room to speak with her and found both her and her lady "companion" for the evening bare ass naked.

Avelina exudes top energy, and it's for a Reason. She loves to be in control in the bedroom. Not in the sense that she likes to overly tease or demand from her partner, but just that she enjoys setting the pace and position.

Lysandra —

Lysandra very much enjoys using temperature play. Obviously she has a preference for cold because of her proficiency with the type of magic, but will toss in some heat from time to time for a bit of fun. Gets her truest kick from delivering a shock of cold right before her partner climaxes.

Give.. her.. neck kisses. pls. She is vulnerable to them at any given moment, and that fact has been used against her many-a time. She'll go from irritated and tense to relaxed and Interested in a few brief moments, especially if some attention is also given to her shoulders.

Maeve (Now I'm not sure what qualifies as "coming out guns blazing" as you requested, but here we go.) —

One of the ways Maeve likes to flirt is by musing about how she's able to do a lot more with her mouth than chattering away, and it's for,,, good reason tbh. She's rather skilled at & thoroughly enjoys going down on her partners. Receiving is good and all, but there's nothing like reducing a partner to wordless sounds and trembling limbs to boost her confidence. Bonus: she likes to over-stimulate her partner just to see how much they can stand.

Is it a cop out to simply say that all Maeve wants is for witchers to grab her and Take what they want from her? Is that really too much to ask?? Truly??? When will one of them shove her to her knees, lock both her hands in one of theirs and use her until—

Alright so ANYWAY the real next headcanon: someone 👏 please 👏 pull 👏 her 👏 hair 👏 it's very sensitive. Touching it gently or running fingers through it will make her shiver every time, and tugging on it during the act will always pull out some sudden and very pleased noises from her.

99% certain that it's been said before but,, if Maeve and a partner are up to something in a tavern room, then everyone on that floor is most likely aware of it because this woman is Incredibly Vocal. To pile on top of that—if she's not moaning or crying out, she's likely saying some naughty things to either tease or encourage her partner. And by naughty I mean,,, straight up filthy. Silver tongue on the streets and you know what in the sheets huh

Real basic one here but eye contact is a Huge thing for Maeve, especially when she's nearing her climax. It's about the,, Intimacy. The Connection.

What's a list of nsfw headcanons good for if it doesn't include a random list of kinks/fetishes/etc that I can think of that Maeve would be into, am I right?? So: sex in public places, bindings and blindfolds, lowkey breeding kink but don't @ her about it, DIRTY TALK, we all been knew about the threesomes and beyond, invented the kink for witchers, there's a name for it but I don't know it anyway she likes big dicks because her 5ft ass is a sucker for pushing limits. There's more but the list would be So Long

Alana suggested "wildest place she's Done the Deed" to help me finish this up and,,, okay. Like. Don't judge her. Let Maeve live for this one. We all know that she's boned down with a witcher directly after they've killed some monster. Sweat, blood, wounds and all, this horny ass bard just Had To Have her companion in that moment. You know what they say about blood being up after a good fight akdjdldm (so which of you golden-eyed fucks got down and dirty with Maeve outdoors and pinned her to a tree after slaying a monster one of you did it fess up)

[melonkooky]

the art of love [kim taehyung]

not requested

word count: 3576

genre: art school/college!au, taehyung x female reader (mainly 3rd person), fluff

warnings: no warnings 😊😊

author’s note: decided to enter into @btsboulangerie‘s september prompt contest. i’ve been working on this the past few weeks since september started. i know it’s early and there’s still a few weeks before the deadline but i just thought i’d put it out there (mainly because i might forget to post it). also, i’m apologizing in advance for any grammar or spelling mistakes that i didn’t catch!! 

please do not copy my work. but please like and reblog it. thank you!!!!

taehyung raised a soft, half-asleep hand up to his face in order to rub the sleep from his eyes. he yawned in the process, soft sigh falling past his pink lips. he was exhausted to say the least, but that was because he had stayed up majority of his night finishing his most recent project.

it was a painting. he was attempting to mimic vincent van gogh’s style of art and integrating it with his own style. it was a simple painting of some buildings that he took a picture of while he was vacationing with his family a year ago in the united kingdom.

the painting was being held in his other hand as it was due today. taehyung walked onto the school campus, not expecting a lot to happen. but he noticed a small crowd of his fellow art students. it was hard to see as they were forming an uneven semi-circle directly in front of a brick wall. it was near the entrance.

quite intrigued by the matter, the tired look in his eyes vanished and his curiosity was peaked. being extra cautious of his painting, taehyung maneuvered through the crowd of students, mumbling tiny “excuse me”s every so often. finally, he reached the front and got a good view of what every was gawking at.

taehyung had to crane his neck back in order to get the full picture of what he was looking at, literally. he was close to the wall. at first, he noticed the shade of purple that was used. obviously it was graffiti, judging by the unique style of letters. it was a statement, a quote, that had been spray painted onto the brick wall. it read: “be the change you want to see in the world.” taehyung shyly smiled. he believed strongly in that quote.

after admiring the artwork on the wall, one that he knew would for sure anger the professors, he was about to turn around when his ears caught wind of some conversations.

“i wonder who did this…”

“it’s so pretty.”

“imagine mr. khan’s face when he sees this.”

taehyung also wondered who had done this. he was intrigued, drawn to the unique style of art, and the choice of canvas. still, he had to get to class.

taehyung forced himself through the crowd once more, checking to make sure that his piece of art hadn’t been ruined or contaminated in any way. once he was sure that it was fine, he hurried into the building, excited to get to class. taehyung had always admired art, it was a passion of his. for as long as he could remember, he would use whatever writing utensil he could find and draw on whatever was in front of him. his mom would always get mad at him when it happened to be a black pen and a placemat at the dining table. sometimes it would even be crayon on the walls. but with all the practice, taehyung’s art majorly improved. he loved how beautiful art was, and he always admired the deep, hidden meaning that some of the pieces had.

taehyung walked into the classroom, the life-changing quote still in his mind. that’s how to start a good day, he thought.

upon walking to his seat, he noticed that the classroom was completely empty. he was a bit early, he noticed when he pulled out his phone to look at the time. but, as he glanced around the vacant classroom, he noticed that there was a girl over in the corner. a section of her hair fell onto the side of her face while she used a pencil to seemingly shade something in. her eyes were trained onto the paper, not even leaving her sketchbook as her free hand came up to brush the section of hair behind her ear. she looked beautiful.

suddenly, she glanced upward, nearly giving taehyung a heart attack. he gasped. strange noises left his mouth as his cheeks changed from their typical sunkissed, golden color to a deep, cherry red. the girl remained staring at him, looking at innocent as ever. “h-hey.” taehyung finally managed to say, hesitantly moving around a few tables to get closer to her table.

“hi.” she replied, eyebrows raised slightly.

taehyung’s hand moved to the back of his neck. “sorry for staring.”

she blushed, a shy smile coming to her face. “it’s okay. you probably were just surprised to find someone else in here.”

or because you were absolutely beautiful…

taehyung cleared his throat. “yeah.”

suddenly, she glanced downward. “is that your project?”

taehyung’s eyes widened, cheeks red once more. he smiled proudly and help up his painting to her. “yeah. my reference was a picture i took when i was in england.”

her eyes were wide with amazement. taehyung noticed a particular sparkle in her eye, and he couldn’t help but feel even prouder. she seemed genuinely amazed at his piece of artwork. “wow!” she said quietly while running the tips of her fingers along each stroke. “it’s beautiful. so unique.”

taehyung grinned. “thank you!” then he glanced around. “do you have your final project?”

she looked down at her sketchbook before gasping suddenly. before taehyung could even blink, she was flipping her sketchbook over, causing her pencil to fling off of the table and onto the floor. when taehyung looked at the pencil, then her sketchbook, and then back at her face, she was bright red in color. taehyung’s eyes widened. “are you okay?”

“uh… yeah.”

she flashed taehyung an unconvincing smile, but taehyung didn’t want to make her uncomfortable. then, he bent down, picking up the stray pencil, and then handed it back to her, a smile on his face as he did so. “well, then.” he laughed shyly. “i’ll see you around i guess.”

she was still blushing, and seemed extremely flustered, but she still managed to say, “see ya.”

----

you sighed in relief as you watched his back while he walked away from you. your heart was still pounding against your ribcage, and your face still felt hot. once he was sitting down in his seat and became distracted by his phone, you flipped over sketchbook and found that you had accidentally creased a corner of the paper. it wasn’t too bad, but it still made your pout slightly. after one glance at your fellow art student, you picked up your pencil and continued sketching.

----

taehyung was proud that the teacher liked his painting. every time he looked at it, he remembered the countless amount of minutes he had spent on it, how he painstakingly painted each stroke. careful not to make any mistakes. his hard work paid off, he got a 100%.

after class, taehyung was ready to go back to his dorm. he planned on calling his parents and asking them if he could visit on the weekend and give them his painting.

while standing up from his seat, just after the bell rang, taehyung glanced behind his shoulder, catching a glimpse of the girl he had met earlier. for a split second, he wondered why he had never seen her before. but his question was quickly answered. she sat in the very back corner of the classroom, an entire desk - that could fit four people total - all to herself. she was also extremely quiet and mainly kept to herself.

taehyung felt like he was very similar to her. he did have friends that attended this college, but they had completely different majors, therefore, he didn’t have any friends in his art class.

the young art student glanced back over in her direction, only he caught her looking at him. surprised by that, taehyung looked away, feeling all of his blood rush to his cheeks. his hands froze, being in the middle of packing his sketchbook into his backpack. he wanted to look at her again, to see if she was still looking. so he did, only she wasn’t there anymore. she disappeared, as if nobody was there to begin with.

his shoulders relaxed, but his heart sunk. a strange feeling.

----

the next day, taehyung showed up at the same time. he wondered if she would be there already, just like yesterday. he was actually really looking forward to seeing her again, and he was wondering if he should try talking to her again. as he walked towards the building, he noticed that a few janitors of the school were working on cleaning the purple graffitied wall, although they had hardly made any progress. he felt the corner of his mouth tug upwards as he walked by, just as he slipped into the building.

the door to the art classroom soon came into view. as he approached the entry to the classroom, taehyung grew nervous. there was nothing stopping him, he had no reason to turn away and come back later. and yet, here was was actually considering it. why was he so nervous? he loved meeting new people, he loved making friends. taehyung found it easy and enjoyable.

taehyung shook his head, as if to shake away all his anxiety. with a deep, calming inhale, he grabbed the handle and pulled the door open. he looked around, finding the classroom empty once again, with the exception of the quiet, artistic girl sitting in the corner.

taehyung stopped, time seemingly to follow his en suite. the morning sun coming in through the tall windows was enough light for the classroom, and while it enveloped everything in a golden ray of light, taehyung easily took in the scene of her in front of him. how the sun gave her skin a mesmerizing golden hue, how he allowed him to see all of her. taehyung was falling in love.

the girl looked up, her beautiful eyes meeting his own. when she recognized who it was, she quickly turned a page in her sketchbook, attempting to hide her sketch. taehyung didn’t necessarily notice, his mind was far too occupied to think.

taehyung came out of his trance, his cheeks burning. he swallowed hard. “h-hi.” he spoke nervously.

the girl blushed as well, although it was hardly noticeable underneath the sun’s glow. “h-hey.” she replied.

taehyung walked closer to her desk. he kept his gaze away from her eyes, her face. he was too worried about how he had basically stared at her for a solid minute. “i noticed that you sit here by yourself.”

she nodded, a shy smile on her face. “yeah. i don’t have any friends in this class.”

taehyung felt himself smile. “yeah, me too.”

a silence fell between them, and it pained taehyung. what else should he say?

“um, do you mind if i sit with you? that way you won’t be alone.”

her eyes widened, her blush coming back. “yeah, yeah, go ahead.” she gestured to the seat across from her.

taehyung felt his heart skip a beat. she was so nice, and kind. it was hurting taehyung. he smiled as he pulled out the seat across from her, placing his backpack in the empty chair next to him. “so,” he said, pulling his sketchbook out of his backpack. “did you see the graffiti outside, by the entrance?”

she looked up, having started to doodle variations of flowers on the corner of the blank piece of paper. “o-oh, that. yeah, i did.”

“i wonder who did it.” he paused. “i liked the message, a lot actually. it’s always been my favorite quote.”

she smiled, “me too.”

“do you have an idea of who did it?”

the girl seemed to avoid his gaze. her eyes were trained on something outside the window now. taehyung stared at her, waiting patiently for an answer. she cleared her throat, “about that… that graffiti was actually me.”

taehyung’s eyes widened. “wait, that was you?”

she nodded.

a wide grin showed on taehyung’s face. “wow! you’re just good at all forms of art, aren’t you? graffiti, painting, sketching-”

she blushed as taehyung complimented her. “although, i wouldn’t say i can watercolor.”

taehyung laughed. “yeah, i have problems with watercolors too. it’s either too dry or too watery and then i can’t really blend or overlap or get the right color, so in the end, it’s just a mess.”

“exactly!” she agreed loudly.

“you know,” taehyung began, still laughing slightly, “i don’t know your name.”

“it’s y/n.”

taehyung smiled and reached his hand out. she gently took it, another blush coming to her cheeks. “taehyung.”

until the art professor arrived, taehyung and y/n talked about many other things, finding that they had a lot of things in common. and on the things that they didn’t agree with, they would playfully argue, and it only brought them closer together.

after class, before y/n could leave, taehyung called out to her. he quickly swung his around, reaching for her arm in order to stop her from walking away any further. she gasped in surprise, cheeks turning a bright red. taehyung himself was surprised. his cheeks gradually began to match hers. he coughed into his fist, releasing her arm. “sorry, i just had a question.”

she smiled at him. “yeah?”

“do you want to get lunch right now?”

she grinned widely. “that sounds nice. where do you want to go?”

“that’s a good question.” he replied, a shy laugh following after.

“how about…”

taehyung watched as her gaze moved around the room. she was thinking, trying to think of a place to eat at. the aspiring artist seemed to space out as he studied her, wondering how she managed to look so cute, because suddenly, she was waving her hand in front of his face. “taehyung?” the way she said his name caused his heart to skip a beat.

“sorry.”

“i said what about [restaurant name]?”

“yeah, that sounds wonderful.”

----

“i have another question.” taehyung spoke, swallowing his bite of noodles.

y/n looked up at him, attempting to slurp her noodles faster so that she could give him her full attention. “hm?” she managed to say.

“why did you flip your sketchbook over so fast? you were so flustered by it.”

y/n almost choked on her noodles. she hurriedly swallowed her bite, sitting up straighter. she prayed silently that her cheeks weren’t as red as the booth they were currently sitting in. “why do you ask?”

taehyung shrugged. “i don’t mean to pry. i’m just curious.”

“are you sure you want to know?” she asked him.

a weird, fuzzy anticipating feeling erupted in taehyung’s stomach. “yeah.”

she seemed hesitant, and taehyung wondered if he was making her feel uncomfortable. he surely didn’t want that.

y/n reached next to her and opened her backpack. she pulled out the sketchbook that taehyung was talking about. after she pushed aside her half-empty bull of ramen and made room to set down her sketchbook, she looked at taehyung. “please don’t feel weirded out by my drawings.”

taehyung’s eyebrows furrowed. he started to picture what he was going to see, both appropriate and inappropriate. he felt his cheeks heat up at the thought of inappropriate sketches.

slowly, she turned over the cover, allowing taehyung to see the first page. the first page was not what he was imagining. instead of nude drawings, there were sketches of birds, ones that he’s seen many times on campus. “wow.” he whispered, a smile on his face.

she continued. the next page was of a few realistic faces, some of the students he’s also seen in classes and on campus. a few pages later, he saw the rough draft of the graffiti on the wall. he spotted the written note in the top corner, reminding y/n to use the color purple.

“this is where it gets weird.” she warned.

taehyung didn’t understand. why was she being so shy? she drew amazing sketches and pictures, so realistic that it almost looked like they were just simply black and white photos.

y/n turned over the page, revealing a sketch that shocked taehyung. it was a picture of him, talking to one of his friends from another class. he was surprised how much detail she drew; the box-shaped smile, squinted eyes as he grinned, the shading on his face, everything about it wasn’t able to be described in words.

another page was turned and he recognized himself again, this time sitting in his chair in the classroom, drawing in his sketchbook. taehyung was in awe.

he glanced up at y/n, finding that she wouldn’t meet his eyes. her cheeks were still red, now matching the red used on the booths. taehyung’s jaw was hanging open and his eyes were wide. he definitely was in love.

seeing his reaction, y/n felt shy. she felt the need to slam her sketchbook closed and run out of the restaurant, away from taehyung. but she also felt a burst of confidence in her work. he didn’t seem disgusted or weirded out from her drawings of him. she often times felt like a stalker, convinced that he would never notice her.

but taehyung, he was in love. “wow, these are amazing.” he managed to say.

she smiled, “really?”

he nodded. “i could never match this skill.”

“you’re not, like, disgusted by me watching you and drawing you in my sketchbook?”

taehyung blushed. “not at all. i’m just surprised, and amazed.”

“taehyung,” she spoke quietly, “i don’t know when it began, perhaps it started on the first day of school when you first walked into the classroom, but, i like you. a lot.”

taehyung’s jaw dropped again. his cheeks were bright red, looking like someone has attached two giant apples to his face.

she giggled in response, afterwards biting her lower lip.

“i must be dreaming.” taehyung whispered. “i like you too.”

y/n smiled happily. “that’s a relief.”

“can i have your number?” taehyung asked shyly.

y/n nodded. she grabbed her phone from her backpack and handed it to taehyung, who put his own number into his phone. “you should probably text me, so that i know it’s you.”

taehyung grabbed his phone, just as the screen lit up. it was a message from an unknown number, but he easily recognized who it was from. it was obvious given the moment. it was a simple heart emoji, and taehyung swore he stopped breathing when he looked at her again.

----

months later

y/n cursed to herself as she glared at the painting in front of her. she had managed to mix the wrong color and in return, it ruined part of her painting. she needed to fix it. the only issue was, she had mixed that color in the first place because the white acrylic paint bottle had gone missing. she thought that she wouldn’t need it, but boy did she thought wrong.

with a sigh, y/n stood up from her stool. taehyung glanced over from y/n’s bed, attention pulled away from his phone. he had a small, mischievous grin on his face. y/n hadn’t noticed.

“what’s wrong, babe?”

y/n glanced at her boyfriend. she gestured vaguely to her painting as she walked over to the shelf across the room where all her art supplies were located at. she wondered if she had left the white paint bottle there by accident. “i messed up.”

taehyung watched eagerly. you wandered over to your art shelf and began moving things around, taking a random box off the shelf, searching through it, and then putting it back with a huff. you would check the same spots again and again, until your gaze gradually traveled up the rather tall shelf. and there, as the only item on that shelf because you couldn’t reach it, was the white acrylic paint bottle.

you heard a stifled laugh from the opposite corner of the room. you didn’t even need that sound to tell you who had done this. you turned around, an angry glare on your face. “kim taehyung.”

he finally released his cackle. he definitely was not holding back, and he was clearly enjoying this. “what’s wrong?” he asked while feigning innocence.

“you know what’s wrong.”

taehyung hopped off the bed, doing a slight skip afterwards, and then walked over to your side. he glanced up, a grin still seen on his face. “did i do that?”

you rolled your eyes. you shifted all of your weight on one leg before crossing both of your arms over your chest. “can you please get that down?”

taehyung reached up, easily grabbing the bottle, only he didn’t give it to you. instead, he opted to hold it up on the air. you groaned, “taehyung!”

“i need a reward.” he suggested.

you blushed slightly. “for grabbing the bottle that you put up there…”

taehyung wrapped his free arm around your waist, pulling you closer into his side. his lips were puckered out, and you were feeling yourself slipping. why did he have to be so damn cute?

finally, you pressed your lips to his. immediately taehyung deepened the kiss, clearly wanting more. you obliged, only while he was distracted, his arm came down. in the blink of an eye, you grabbed the bottle and pulled away from taehyung, a loud smack resonating after the two pairs of lips parted. taehyung stood there, surprised, as he watched you skip towards your canvas, pretending as if nothing had happened.

he sighed in defeat, shoulders evidently relaxing. “gotta love her.”

[chloebeale]

WHY? — BONUS CHAPTER

I received a bunch of requests to continue my high school AU one-shot (which became a two-parter), and while I wasn’t going to do it, as soon as I saw ‘high school’ was today’s @bechloe-week prompt, I figured why not?

You can read the first two chapters here and here, or the whole thing (bonus chapter included) on ao3!

(Many parts of this chapter relate back to the first two, so I highly recommend reading those first if you haven’t already.)

WORDS: 5,791 | RATING: T

Beca is guilty of having fallen asleep during first period on numerous occasions before. Most of the time, it had to do with her parents’ divorce, with the way it would keep her up at night as she worried about her broken family. She’d generally find herself in the nurse’s office, faking sickness and going home to get a little shut-eye on the couch until her mother returned home from work, but she can’t do that today, because she knows her current exhaustion is entirely self-inflicted.

Well, Chloe-inflicted, but still.

Last night had been spent with the two texting back and forth for hours, even after Beca’s eyes had begun to grow heavy and she’d dropped her phone flat on her face at least three times. Already, Beca feels like she knows more about Chloe than she does about a good handful of her friends at Barden High. She knows that, much like herself, Chloe is an only child. Her mother teaches art while her father is in the medical field, and that when Chloe is older, she’d like to venture into a career in music, though she isn’t sure exactly what just yet. She learns that the redhead enjoys singing, and even prompts a voice recording out of her that Beca has admittedly replayed more than once since receiving it. Her birthday, she learns, is in June, and that she was born in Portland, Oregon, before her family relocated to Georgia.

And these are all of the things Beca is thinking about, replaying on a loop in her tired mind, when she feels a harsh nudge to her forearm. The notion has her all but face-planting the table, and she hears the way both Jessica and Ashley snicker from a couple tables away.

“Earth to Beca,” Aubrey says impatiently, her blue eyes narrowed in on the shorter girl. “Seriously, what has gotten into you today? Are you sick or something?”

A soft, pale hand reaches up to press to her forehead, and Beca swats it quickly away.

“Stop, I’m fine. I just didn’t sleep very well last night, that’s all,” she grumbles, beginning to collect her unused pen and notebook from the tabletop in front of her to stuff messily into her backpack, the same way as usual.

“What are you doing? Class isn’t over yet. Ms. Summers just went to grab something from the teacher’s lounge.”

It occurs to her that she probably should start paying a little more attention. A quick shift of her eyes shows her that Aubrey’s page is filled with neatly organized notes, while her own only contains a scribble of today’s date and three lines of messy, incomplete sentences.

Aubrey is glaring at her expectantly, as if she’s waiting for more of an explanation.

Beca decides to deflect; she’s good at that.

“I thought you were pissed at me still,” the brunette frowns, brow arching in the other girl’s direction.

“Well,” Aubrey responds, sitting upright and neatly shuffling the papers in front of her. “That was yesterday. I’m giving you the benefit of the doubt, since I’m hoping that you’ve come to your senses again today.”

Her own eye roll is impossible to contain, and Beca glares up at the blonde with a look of slight impatience. “What is so wrong with hanging out with someone new?”

When she feels backed into a corner, this is what Aubrey does. She straightens her back, pushes her shoulders upright and acts like any comment or question has fallen right the way over her head. Beca notices that she’s doing it right now.

“Well?”

A small, exasperated sigh leaves the blonde’s lips. “There’s nothing wrong with it, it’s not that. It’s just that the new girl is weird, Beca. For starters, she has unicorns on her pencil case. How old are we, twelve?” Aubrey scoffs, volume lowering some. “And she keeps looking over here, it’s like she’s obsessed with us or something.”

Okay, so maybe the unicorn pencil case thing is a little strange, but it’s not like it’s covered in a fluffy pink lining and plays the theme song to My Little Pony. In actuality, Beca thinks that it’s sweet. Chloe isn’t afraid to do her own thing, to stand out from the crowd, and Beca admires that. She has always considered herself different, too. It’s nice to see somebody else falling into that category alongside her. No one said different had to be lonely, right?

“You’re so dramatic,” Beca huffs, “She’s not obsessed with anybody. She’s sweet, you just have to get to know her.”

“Oh, and you know her so well already?”

Beca opens her mouth to respond, to say that yes, actually, she does know Chloe Beale pretty well, their short amount of time together considered. But a lift of her head has her widened eyes locking across the room with those ocean blue orbs, the ones that filled Beca’s mind the whole night, and she simply feels herself blushing, an almost bashful smile curving onto her lips in response to the wave Chloe sends her way.

All Aubrey manages to do is look between the two of them, an expression of sheer questioning and confusion etching itself onto her features, before Ms. Summers is letting herself back into the room, and God forbid teacher’s pet Aubrey Posen is caught talking in class.

“Did you find what you were looking for, Ms. Summers?” The blonde chirps, and all Beca can think as she glares at her from the corner of her eye is how hypocritical it was of her to comment on Chloe’s enthusiastic class contributions yesterday.

---

Somehow, Beca manages to keep herself from falling asleep again. Admittedly, she spends a lot of time with her gaze trained on the back of Chloe’s head, on those fiery curls that fall down her back with no real precision, and if she thinks about it hard enough, she can remember the way they tickled her own shoulder as she sat comfortably tucked against the other girl’s side yesterday evening, Bad Moms playing in the background.

Chloe is seated in the front row, and Beca finds that she’s disappointed when she exits the room to see that the redhead is already at the other end of the hallway.

It’s not until lunchtime that they actually get the chance to speak, despite sharing classes together the whole morning.

“Hey,” Beca greets coolly as she slides in line beside the other girl, tray of food already in hand. She feels bad for the way Chloe seems to jump, as if she’s expecting something unwanted to happen, though she instantly relaxes as she realizes who’s beside her. “Sorry, it’s just me. Are you avoiding me or something?”

There’s a light expression on Chloe’s face, and her tone seems to match it as she responds, head shaking briefly. “No, of course not. You’ve been with your friends, and I didn’t want to cramp your style.”

Dark brows tug tightly together as she eyes the other girl. “I hope you’re joking.”

It’s kind of sad really, the way Chloe feels like she has to stay out of the way, but the redhead’s cheery tone never drops, her expression never falters. “It’s okay, Bec. I don’t mind us just hanging out outside of school.”

For some reason, the response is almost like a punch to the stomach, and apparently the look on Beca’s face gives that away, because Chloe quickly continues.

“It’s not that I don’t want to hang out with you, but I know your friends don’t really like me, and I get it. It’s okay, I promise.”

“I’m a little offended that you think I care what they think,” Beca frowns, gaze trained on the redhead. It’s admittedly very hard to look away from her, especially from this close a proximity.

Chloe doesn’t get the chance to respond before the sound of Aubrey’s voice is ringing across the crowded room.

“Beca! Come on, we saved your seat,” Aubrey calls, to which Beca whirls around to see she and Stacie motioning to the gap between the two of them at their regular lunch table. It’s almost an instant, knee-jerk reaction for Beca to dutifully head over there, but she stops herself before she’s taken more than a step, simply shaking her head in their direction.

“Is she for real?” She hears Stacie hiss, though Beca doesn’t pay much mind. Instead, she turns back to face Chloe, a shoulder shrugging nonchalantly. “There. Now they don’t like me, either.”

---

Lunch is easy. There’s no talk of which boys are ‘so cute’, or snarky remarks made about the other girls’ outfit choices. It’s just she and Chloe, sitting at the same table they’d occupied yesterday, and eating their lunches in breezy, comfortable quiet.

“I told my mom about you,” Chloe finally says, picking up the fresh apple from her tray and taking a small bite. The way the corners of her lips bend into a smile as she chews tells Beca there’s more to the story.

“Oh?” The brunette prompts, watching her across the table. “What did you tell her?”

It’s possible she just wants Chloe to repeat all of the things she said yesterday, the ones that made her cheeks heat up and her stomach do that weird thing where it flipped a full 360 degrees.

Chloe swallows, eyes on her apple and lips still curved upward. “I can’t tell you that.”

“Oh, come on.”

“Nope! All you need to know is that she likes you.”

“She's never even met me.”

“Well, she knows I’m a good judge of character. She trusts my opinion.”

Although Beca shoots a playful glare across the table, she knows her pale cheeks have grown just a touch more rosy, because Chloe likes her, and she can’t help but love knowing that.

She doesn’t know why.

---

Beca has never loved school, and she has no plans to continue her education after graduation, but more so than usual today, the final bell can’t ring soon enough. She opts to ditch her friends and sit by Chloe throughout the rest of their classes, but it’s not like they can really talk -- they’re in school, after all.

She has no further altercations with Aubrey, and has all but forgotten about her snarky remarks by the time she and Chloe are walking home from school together, though her phone buzzes in her pocket and catches her attention.

Aubrey, 2:11 PM: We’re going to run out of chances for you, Beca.

Beca frowns at her phone, considering ignoring the text message, though finds herself eventually typing up a quick response.

Beca, 2:13 PM: Drama queen.

She sees Aubrey beginning to type back before she even has the opportunity to close out of her messages, though the dots eventually disappear, and Beca finally locks her screen, going back to paying attention to Chloe.

“What are we doing tonight?” Beca asks casually. She doesn’t mean to be presumptuous, but the way Chloe grins back at her tells her that perhaps that’s the way she’s coming across, so Beca awkwardly clears her throat, shoulder shrugging as if it’s no big deal. “I mean, you know, if you want to hang out.”

“I don’t know yet,” Chloe responds, “But we can hang out. I like hanging out with you.”

Beca knows the way her cheeks keeping darkening a shade is kind of pathetic, but at this point, she has almost given up on even caring. It seems to just be her natural reaction around Chloe, so there’s really no point in fighting it. Her phone buzzes in her hand, distracting her from her own insecurity, anyway.

Aubrey, 2:18 PM: Look, we just miss you, and we don’t want to feel like you’re pulling away from us.

Sure, Aubrey may be kind of a bitch sometimes, but in reality, Beca knows she has a good heart. She’s a caring, genuine person, and maybe her responses aren’t always the most appropriate, but Beca knows she just feels threatened by Chloe’s presence, and she can’t help but feel kind of guilty for the way she’s been blowing her and the other girls off the past couple days, so she begins to type up a response, and has no idea that Chloe is watching her almost pained expression from the corner of her eye.

Beca, 2:20 PM: I know. I’m not going anywhere, okay? I just think you need to give Chloe a chance.

“Who’s that?” Chloe questions, her tone almost sing-song sounding. Most people would probably mind their business, but not Chloe. It’s clear already that Chloe doesn’t do that, and for some reason, Beca doesn’t mind.

She doesn’t know why, she just... Doesn’t.

“Aubrey,” Beca frowns, biting back the sigh that threatens to fall from her pursed lips. Things would be so much easier if they could all just hang out together, she thinks.

When her phone buzzes again, it’s almost like Aubrey has read her mind.

Aubrey, 2:22 PM: Okay, you’re right. Why don’t you bring her to the party tonight?

In all of the Chloe confusion, Beca had completely forgotten about David’s birthday. His parents are out of town, and his party has been the talk of the school for weeks now. Admittedly, Beca has been pretty excited about it; it’ll be one of the first unchaperoned Friday night parties, something of a rite of passage, in her sixteen year old opinion.

“What’s wrong?” Chloe’s tone is laced with concern now, and Beca sees the way her blue eyes have softened as she glances toward her.

“There’s a party tonight.”

Chloe’s expression falls further. “Oh.”

“You know that guy, David? Blonde kid who was sitting a few tables across from you in English class this morning.” Beca forces herself to ignore the fact that she’d watched Chloe intently enough to know exactly where she was sitting and who was seated close by. “It’s his birthday, and he’s having a party at his house tonight.”

Chloe nods her head, and Beca tries not to pay attention to the way her heart aches when she notices the look of anguish creeping into the other girl’s eyes. They somehow look bluer; Beca doesn’t know whether it’s the light or the sadness slowly engulfing them. Either way, they’re drawing her in even more than usual. “Oh,” Chloe repeats, and it’s obvious she’s trying to sound just as chipper as she normally does. “Well, you have to go to that. Maybe we can hang out tomorrow instead?”

“Tomorrow’s Saturday, I’m supposed to go somewhere with my dad and Sheila,” Beca murmurs, still not entirely thrilled about the whole situation between her father and step-monster. She perks up as she continues. “But you should come with me. To the party tonight.”

For the first time, Beca notices that Chloe is the one who’s blushing.

“Bec, I don’t think that would go down too well. Your friends avoided us like the plague today, I doubt they’re gonna be too happy if you walk into a party with me.”

“No,” Beca shakes her head quickly, shoving her phone beneath Chloe’s face, “Aubrey literally just told me to invite you. See?”

“Really?” An auburn brow raises a fraction, and Beca observes as Chloe’s eyes scan the words on the screen. She pauses for a second or two, mouth twisting into a soft frown. “I don’t know, Beca.”

“Come on, Chlo. It’ll be fun,” Beca tries, though hears her own words and instantly frowns in response. “Well, no, it’ll probably be lame. But we can go together, and you can meet some new people outside of our classes. Come with me?” She doesn’t know why it’s so important to her that they go, but for some reason, it just is.

Fortunately, Chloe doesn’t take too much more convincing.

---

Beca’s dad is driving her to the party, so Chloe gives her her address, and they make a quick stop at her house to pick Chloe up on the way. Beforehand, the redhead had sent Beca a few different outfit options, and it had occurred to her that Chloe has probably never actually been to a high school party before. It makes sense that she’s nervous, but Beca doesn’t want her to be. She wants her to relax and have fun.

The way her stomach flips as she sees Chloe exit her house makes her feel kind of hypocritical for thinking so, though.

The redhead makes her way almost nervously toward the car, and Beca can’t help the way her eyes train themselves on her the entire way. Chloe is wearing a navy romper, with sleeves that stop about three-quarters of the way down her arms. There’s a pattern of some kind dotted throughout the fabric, white polka-dots, Beca thinks. Maybe stars? It opens into a V shape at her chest, and ties with a simple belt in the middle. Dark brown platform heeled sandals complete the look, and Jesus, Beca has never experienced anything quite so breathtaking in her entire life.

“Hi, Mr. Mitchell,” the redhead greets cheerfully as she opens up the door, her voice cutting into Beca’s thoughts. It’s only at that point that she realizes her mouth is hanging open, jaw practically hitting the floor. She closes it quickly, busying herself with her fingers brushing through her neatly flat ironed hair. “I’m Chloe Beale, it’s so nice to meet you!” The redhead climbs into the backseat beside Beca -- normally, Beca would’ve taken the passenger seat, but she didn’t want Chloe to feel awkward sitting in the back alone. She realizes Chloe Beale doesn’t do awkward, though, so it wouldn’t have mattered.

“You too, Chloe,” her father responds brightly. “Are you girls excited for your party?”

One thing Beca has to hand to her parents is that they’re pretty cool. They trust her enough to know that, despite the lack of responsible adults at David’s house tonight, she’ll behave herself, and they’re fine with her attending.

“I am!” Chloe chirps back, “What about you, Beca?” She’s fastening her seatbelt in place, and finally makes eye contact with the brunette. “Are you?”

Beca has to clear her throat before she can respond. It suddenly feels dry, and like she could use a gallon or two of water. “Oh, yeah. Stoked,” she agrees.

Mr. Mitchell begins to drive, his stereo playing quietly, and Chloe catches Beca’s attention again as they sit side by side in the backseat.

“Do I look okay?” Chloe asks in a tone that Beca perceives as somewhat sheepish. It isn’t something she’s experienced from Chloe yet, though if she really thinks about it, she has only known the other girl a couple of days, so it makes sense.

“Are you kidding?” Beca quirks a brow. “You look incredible, Chlo.”

The redhead seems to relax a little bit, the smile easing onto her lips an entirely natural one. “Thank you. You do, too.”

Beca is wearing a plaid skirt, mostly red, and has paired it with a black, short-sleeved shirt. Her black platform boots are the final touch, and Beca has styled her normally wavy hair into a sleekly straightened finish. Her dark eyeliner is layered on thickly, of course. If she squints, she can tell that Chloe is wearing makeup tonight, too.

David’s house isn’t too far away, and they’re definitely not the first ones there when they arrive. The first thing Beca notices is Aubrey and Stacie standing by the front door, red solo cups in hand. As soon as Aubrey’s eyes land on the car, she quickly slides the cup behind her back, waving enthusiastically with her free hand toward Mr. Mitchell. He simply grins as he turns toward the backseat.

“Remember, two alcoholic drinks maximum tonight, Beca,” he says, “And you call me or your mom if there are any problems and you need one of us to come pick you up, okay?”

Although Beca scoffs, she nods her head in agreement, before quickly climbing out of the car, with Chloe following along behind her.

“Thank you so much for the ride, Mr. Mitchell!” Chloe beams as she closes the door behind them, and Beca hears her father telling them to have a good night before he starts up the engine and begins to pull away.

“You really do look really nice, Beca,” Chloe comments as they approach the doorway, both Aubrey and Stacie’s eyes practically burning into them, though Beca can see the blonde trying to force a smile, so at least that’s something.

“Eh, this old thing,” Beca shrugs, waving a hand nonchalantly. She silently wonders why she’s referring to her brand new outfit as ‘this old thing’, but she chooses not to voice it.

Aubrey greets each girl with a hug, and Stacie follows suit.

“Do you drink, Chloe?” Aubrey questions, blue eyes piercing into the other girl. Chloe responds with a short shake of her head.

“Not usually, but it’s a party, so,” she shrugs, offering the two girls a bright smile. Beca recognizes the judgment in Aubrey’s stare, but she at least smiles back at her, so Beca chooses not to comment.

---

Save for a few awkward glares here and there, Chloe’s presence at the party seems to go down pretty smoothly. Most of Beca’s friends are nice to her, and Beca can’t help but think how two-faced that seems, considering the comments in the lunchroom on Thursday. They’re giving Chloe a second chance, though, she figures, so Beca decides they deserve one, too.

Beca isn’t a big drinker. She has one vodka cranberry, but sticks to soda for most of the night, and Chloe does the same. However, the same cannot be said for most of the others.

(Seriously, if the cops were to pull up at any point, they’d be screwed. But Beca tries not to think about that. Which is easy, because focusing on Chloe is much more appealing.)

It seems she’s not the only one that thinks so, of course. Not only is Chloe the mysterious new girl, but she’s undeniably gorgeous, so the stares she receives from pretty much every guy she passes by are anything but surprising, though Beca can’t help but feel.. something in response. Jealousy?

No, it’s not jealousy. She and Chloe are friends, there’s no reason for jealousy.

“Damn. How about you and I go upstairs a little later?” Ryan Michaels asks as he passes Chloe by, making no attempt to hide the way he very obviously checks her out. A fire of rage instantly begins to burn inside of Beca’s body, and she has to bite the inside of her cheek to keep herself from saying anything. But Chloe just flashes him a smile and a shake of her head, before he shrugs and stalks off to find his friends.

Okay, so maybe it is jealousy. Whatever.

“Everyone’s nice, huh?” Chloe comments, her tone somewhat surprised, though her expression is as light and cheerful as ever.

“I told you,” Beca shrugs in response, wondering if it’s time yet for their second alcoholic drink.

She watches Chloe’s gaze drift across the room, before her finger points toward the nearest corner. “What are they doing?”

Beca drops a shoulder to look around, eyes landing on Stacie and a few others. “Spin the bottle,” Beca responds, slight frown on her face. “It’s Stacie’s favorite game.”

“People actually play that?” Chloe’s soft giggle is just as melodic as ever, Beca notices. “I thought that was just in those cheesy high school movies.”

“Well, maybe we’re in a cheesy high school movie,” Beca shrugs.

“Then maybe we should go play.”

There’s a sparkle to Chloe’s crystal blue eyes, one that tells her that in spite of the small smirk on her lips, she’s actually deadly serious. Beca quirks a brow as she eyes her back. “You really want to?”

“Sure. I’ve never played before,” Chloe admits, and Beca can’t think of a good enough reason to say no.

“Mind if we join?” The brunette asks once the two have approached the small circle. Stacie scoots over to make room beside her, and Aubrey is the one to respond. Aubrey’s kind of the leader, she always seems to get the final say.

“Nope! Come on,” the blonde shifts to the side, “Chloe, you can come and sit by me.”

The invitation is kind of surprising, but Beca doesn’t question it, and slots into the gap beside Stacie, with Chloe making herself comfortable by Aubrey’s side, too.

“Whose turn was it?” Stacie questions, picking up her red cup and taking a large swig of her drink. It’s safe to say she isn’t sticking to any two-drinks-maximum rule, though that doesn’t surprise Beca in the slightest.

“Mine,” Jackson pipes up, smug grin forming on his lips as he leans forward to spin the bottle, eyes training themselves on Chloe. It doesn’t land on her, and Beca doesn’t understand exactly why she feels so relieved as she watches Jackson bend across the middle to lock lips with Lilly.

“So you just spin and kiss the person it lands on, right?” Chloe questions, a look of amusement overtaking her features. Aubrey nods in response.

“Right. You go next, Chloe. Whoever the top points at, that’s the person you kiss.”

Chloe shrugs a shoulder, before arching forward to take her turn. It lands on Jackson’s friend, Toby, and while he cheers triumphantly, Jackson audibly whines. A few people chuckle as Toby eagerly leans over to connect his lips with Chloe’s. It’s just a small peck, but Chloe’s cheeks have reddened some as she pulls back, and she looks a little sheepishly in Beca’s direction. She doesn’t seem uncomfortable, though.

They go around the circle, each taking their turn, each leaning across the middle to kiss the person they landed on. Most people just place small pecks against each other’s lips, the same way Aubrey and Beca do when Aubrey spins and it lands on her, though the boys of course whoop and cheer just as immaturely as anyone would expect, and both girls playfully roll their eyes as they part. Stacie, of course, has her own approach to the game, and there are no gentle pecks in sight whenever it’s her turn. It surprises literally nobody, besides maybe Chloe, when she unashamedly makes out with whoever she lands on. The alcohol is flowing, and as Jackson takes his next turn, it seems Stacie has started something of a theme.

“Fuck yeah,” he smirks as the bottle neck stops dead on Chloe. The redhead grins, and as she and Jackson lock lips for the second time, Beca notices their kiss lasts a little longer than before. She doesn’t really see any tongue action, but it’s definitely more than just a peck, and something inside of Beca seems entirely opposed.

Which is stupid. It’s so stupid. Because what right does she have to feel any kind of way, right? Still, she finds herself clearing her throat uncomfortably, the two finally breaking off from their kiss.

It’s a repetitive game, Beca has never really seen the fun in it after the first round, but it seems to continue forever, the circle widening as more people notice and decide to slot themselves in to join. When Chloe spins again, the bottle points directly at Jackson, and Beca bites back a groan of exasperation as the two connect in the middle yet again.

“You two want to just get a room or something?” Stacie jokes, leaning forward to take her turn.

The next time it gets to Jackson, Beca is sure the laws of probability will be in her favor. There are at least twenty people here by now, there’s no way he’s going to land on Chloe again.

Evidently, she’d thought too soon.

“Are you kidding me?” She says audibly this time. A few people look her way, and Beca clears her throat awkwardly. “They’re just... They’ve done it a thousand times now, surely they’re getting bored.”

“I agree,” Stacie pipes up, setting down her empty cup. “No more pecks, you have to make out this time.”

Beca’s eyes instantly shoot toward Chloe, and she hears Jackson’s voice from her other side.

“Nice. You down?”

She sees the way blue eyes flicker toward her for the briefest of seconds, before Chloe shrugs a shoulder nonchalantly. “Sure.”

And that thought from earlier, the thought that it can’t be jealousy, is suddenly overwritten entirely as Chloe and Jackson sit forward and begin very much making out across the circle.

“Okay,” Beca mutters, pushing herself back from her spot. “Time for another drink.” She scoots quickly away from the circle, pushing herself up from the floor and heading quickly toward the kitchen.

“What’s her problem?” She hears one person ask, and another responds with a simple, “Dunno. Probably has a thing for Jackson.”

Beca doesn’t care, though. They can think what they want. All she knows is that she’s done with this game. She’s done watching those two make out like they’re suddenly boyfriend and girlfriend.

And it has absolutely nothing to do with Jackson.

---

Beca chooses not to return to the game, not right away. She fixes herself another vodka cranberry, and mopes a little bit as she stands in the kitchen among various other people, most of whom are too preoccupied with one another to notice.

“Beca?”

The voice coming from behind her startles her some, though as Beca whirls around, eyes landing on Chloe -- whose shimmery lipgloss is no longer contained just to her lips -- she feels her shoulders slumping.

“Oh,” She takes a sip from her cup, “Hey.”

“Hey,” Chloe’s tone is different somehow. She doesn’t sound sad, but she doesn’t sound happy. She sounds almost concerned, in fact. “Are you okay? You disappeared, and I was waiting for you to come back.”

“Just didn’t feel like playing anymore,” Beca shrugs, trying to sound less annoyed than she feels. Mostly because she doesn’t have a reason to feel the way she does. But, here she is. Feeling it anyway.

“You know it’s just a game, right?” Chloe continues, taking a small step closer to the brunette. “I didn’t actually want to kiss that guy so many times.”

“What do I care?” Beca shoots back, the annoyance she’s failed to hide now even more evident in her words.

For a brief moment, Chloe looks hurt, and Beca wonders if she’s about to turn and walk away from her. But she doesn’t. Instead, she feels a soft hand taking ahold of her own, and Beca glances up at her with a raised brow.

“I think you care,” Chloe says, voice a little softer. Her expression has evened out, and the small smile on her lips is an almost apologetic one. Beca doesn’t like that Chloe feels like she’s done anything wrong. She hasn’t, she doesn’t owe her an explanation. “It’s not that fun a game anyway, we can just stay in here.”

A dark brow lifts in the redhead’s direction. “You seemed to be enjoying yourself plenty.”

“I wasn’t,” Chloe shakes her head. She pauses momentarily, and there’s something of a stillness between the two of them. It isn’t uncomfortable, though Beca feels her heart beginning to beat a little harder as her eyes lock with Chloe’s. “Can I tell you a secret?”

Beca doesn’t respond. She just looks up at her, waiting for her to continue.

“I had a reason for wanting to play that game.”

The brunette remains quiet, gaze still up on the other girl. The way her brow is still raised prompts Chloe to continue.

“There was someone I wanted to kiss. Someone specific.”

It doesn’t occur to Beca until now that their hands are still locked with one another’s, their fingers interlaced, but she can’t help but notice now just how comfortable it is, how natural it feels. Chloe just has that kind of presence. That calming kind, even if she can make Beca’s heart beat harder than it ever has done before. Chloe takes her silence as a cue to keep going.

“You know I’m talking about you, right?” There’s that bashful look again, it pairs well with how soft her voice is now. “I wanted to kiss you, Bec.”

Suddenly, Beca understands why her heart is racing the way it is. She knows why her hand is sweating as it holds onto Chloe’s, and she’s reminded that that feeling before, the one that adamantly was not jealousy... Well, it most definitely was. Because she wants to kiss Chloe, too. There’s been something intriguing about the other girl right from the start, from the moment Beca laid eyes on her.

Beca hasn’t said anything for a few minutes now, and Chloe is beginning to look a little awkward. “Um. Yeah, so anyway,” she begins again, her throat clearing quietly, “We can go back to the game if you want. Or we can just hang out here. Or I can call my mom to come pick me up if I just made things super awkward between--”

Chloe doesn’t get to finish her rant, because before Beca can even register exactly what she’s doing, she’s taking a step closer, her hand releasing from the other girl’s to rise toward her face, palm resting delicately against her cheek. Beca doesn’t realize she even has any moves, but it’s pretty smooth really, the way she stands up a little taller, pressing her slightly parted lips against Chloe’s. 

It doesn’t last long. It’s more than a peck, but it doesn’t last long, and soon the brunette is pulling back, though her hand stays in place against the other girl’s cheek, fingertips gently stroking against pale skin.

“Oh,” Chloe finally says, her cheeks a deep shade of red. Beca notices the way Chloe’s teeth sink down slightly into her bottom lip, the way the corners arch upward, like she can’t even contain her smile.

It’s possible that people are looking their way, but if they are, Beca doesn’t notice. Nor does she care, because Beca realizes she has wanted to do that since the moment she laid eyes on Chloe Beale.

Neither says anything to begin with. They just kind of stare, apparently both pleasantly surprised.

Finally, Chloe breaks the silence. “This doesn’t count as our second date, right?”

The question causes Beca’s shoulders to relax, her lips to curve upward the same way as Chloe’s. “No,” she shakes her head briefly, “I told you I wanted to woo you, and I know I can do that better than this.”

Chloe’s soft giggle rings out, her hand creeping its way toward Beca’s again. “Mm, maybe.”

“Definitely,” Beca promises, suddenly much more cheerful. And maybe a little bashful, too. “How does Sunday sound?”

[jq37]

oh WOW that new bloodkeep ep

**spoilers for family in freefall bloodlines and lifelines**

Man this episode was a lot. Probably my fave of the season so far.

Brennan seems to have an M.O. in terms of plotting things. They way we got a focus on each character in a stressful situation reminded me a lot of Family in Flames from the FH season which came at about the same point in the story.

Anyway, we start with Brennan giving the most unnecessarily verbose description of falling ever.

I am actually not sure how big Lilith is supposed to be in relation to everyone else at this point. Or how big her kids are supposed to be. I thought the really young ones were like straight spiders but like Jessa and the boy who’s name I’m forgetting were centaur style like her. But like, idk. 

Efink insisting that she’s still holding the wheel (even though it truly means nothing) was so funny.

Both Matt and Brennan do very good re-entry sound effects.

Brennan: Feel free to do nothing.

Rekha: *SLAMS that induce labor button with no hesitation*

Truly amazing

“You feel your fire break.”

Leiland falling to his doom while bossa nova music plays in the background and rolling his eyes at Maggie is iconic.

Everyone is dying and Sohkbar is just like, fine.

Lilith polymorphs into a full ass spider.

Even though it ended up going sideways (literally) not a bad plan from Markus.

Brennan is so good at scene setting exposition.

Erika acted the hell out of that moment when she and Sohkbar share a look before she tells Russel everything is gonna be OK. She didn’t have to but she did that for us.

The wheel that steers nothing metaphor was such a good turn of phrase from Bren.

Efink’s DOUBLE NAT ONES.

WOOOOOW.

Rekha goes, “THIS is the bad day,” with Kristen Bell’s inflection and I am reminded that it has not even been a full 24 hours in game since ep 1. Wild.

Anyway, Efink’s norn spirit things disappear which is what happens when you roll snake eyes I guess. Amy is legit tearing up.

Brennan’s throwaway joke of explaining story structure low key killed me.

Leiland gets advantage on perception and rolls a nat 20!

Are all of the Vingury just gay for the next person in their chain of command? Because that’s what it seems like.

Matt’s flustered Leiland as Miles implies ~things~ is adorable.

Animal handling 2, electric boogaloo. I love that joke.

Maggie is so OP. Maggie hits the ground and isn’t even at half HP. Leiland is knocked into negatives though.

His first death save is a nat 1. WHICH IS 2 FAILURES. I was so stressed.

Then J'er'em'ih rolls a nat 20 to go save him!

I love the phrase, “J'er'em'ih’s normal form” as if he has a normal anything.

“J'er'em'ihdeserves the credit.”

Anyway J'er'em'ih(w/ an assist from Sohkbar) saves Leiland!

Rekha was so concerned for John. Like, not even Maggie. Rekha.

“It’s gonna be an egg!?”

Samantha Eagles. (Of the Philadelphia Eagles?) I died at that line.

Maggie levels up and gets healing magic. (“Fuck yeah!” says Maggie.) John stabilizes.

The fact that Maggie thought it might be an egg makes me concerned that she maybe isn’t ready to be a mom.

I love that Maggie just wordlessly presents her baby to Lilith (the alpha mom of the group) like a kid showing their mom and art project.

OK, this is such a tiny moment but I love, love, love that Maggie has a good enough relationship with Lilith that when she heard what she thought was a threat to her baby, she just asked, “Is that a threat to the baby?” instead of attacking her or going *Maggie will remember that* and harboring mistrust. The way she asked was so adorable. Also, Lilith would never.

Markus floats basically the exact same plan as Lilith (defect to good, get pardons) but at least he uses it as a plan of true last resort.

Lilith being the keeper of basically all of Efink’s self esteem is great. Also, everyone has to keep reminding her that she is queen.

“As the resident magnificent failure.”

“Allow me to be the basis for your self comparison. That’s the best I can offer you.” LEILAAAAAAAND.

Anyway, Leiland gives a great pep talk to Efink who throws her spell cards over her shoulder irl (”it’s an RP episode. it’s fine”).

Amy to Brennan who is about to start roasting Efink’s entire life: Don’t do this.

So when Brennan said, “Efink gets to decide right now if she’s good at magic.” I was thinking, that’s a big thing to put in a PC’s hands unless you want the answer to be yes. Because, in another story, “No,” might be the better answer narratively, but who’s gonna voluntarily nerf themselves like that?

So Efink dips into an episode of Friendship is Magic which Brennan beautifully picks up the narration for and gets the info they need without rolling for it. She also has some major self actualization and is now dry, less vain, and less dramatic.

It kinda seems like this was leading towards Lilith being the new leader what with her thoughts while she was falling and her being passed up for the promotion but, come on. She would have to make a crazy soul rending deal to just take the crown normally and she has kids and common sense. Otherwise, I think Erika would have made that play.

“Is my son a different player than me?” I love Rekha.

Like Leiland, I fully thought she was gonna name the kids John at first. (Are you ‘allowed’ to jr. a kid who isn’t named after you or your spouse? I’ve never seen someone do that. As in, add the jr., not name a kid after a friend).

I love that Matt roleplays Leiland into so many awkward moments. A good RP-er doesn’t care about their character being cool all the time.

“I’m naming him after the name of yours that I prefer.” That was so sweet.

“First of all, J'er'em'ih’s an excellent judge of character.”

Everyone coming together to make Leiland feel better was so so sweet. These guys are like the exact opposite of murder hobos in a game where they 100% have the right to be.

The baby tells Leiland to kneel and he just does it because of course he does. (Leiland later: I HAVE A VERY PARTICULAR SET OF SKILLS)

Maggie after Leiland swears total fealty to Leiland Jr: Can’t you keep anything at like 80%?

Efink rolls a nat 20 on her check to navigate the Bloodkeep, basically completing her self actualization arc.

Leiland resists the urge to chase Hamhead, completing a portion of his arc.

The running thing of people giving Maggie biologically incorrect info on kids because of their drastically different biology.

Aww all of Lilith’s kids.

Lilith dispel magicking the book golem, implying she could have done that at any time and just chose not to.

Leiland apologizes to Maggie for being bitchy to her out of jealously, which I thought was sweet but was just the warm up act for what was about to happen.

But, before that, Maggie’s dad calls and Efink hangs up on him for her. For a second I thought that cutting off the call meant we wouldn’t get to see what was behind the doors but, luckily, that wasn’t the case.

(Also Sohkbar and Lilith eating popcorn as Maggie and her dad fight).

Did Efink appoint herself high adviser?

“Please don’t bite him,” *Leiland Jr. bites a spider*

So, anyway, Leiland and Maggie go into the portal and see visions of (1) weird sex between Zaul and Lilith and (more importantly), (2) Zaul bagging on Maggie when she’s not around/thirsting after Leiland when he’s not around.

The simile about winning the lottery after you find out money can’t buy you happiness was so good.

“What a fucking pig!”/“I agree.”/“Oh, do you?”/“Actually I do.”

I’M SO PROUD OF THEM.

Instead of being mad at Leiland (or Lilith for that matter) she just doubled down on being mad at her dickhead ex. And Leiland, instead of being all winner winner chicken dinner just felt bad for Maggie and Decklan.

“Was this something the baby should have seen?”/“No.”

“This is one of the lesser times it’s bad to say your father’s name.” Yikes Leiland.

Anyway, the whole hang makes plans to take Sohkbar shopping and it really fits in with the theme of this ep of everyone boosting everyone’s self esteem. This ep has a lot of genuinely heartwarming moments.

“Sohkbar yes. Sohkbar yes. Sohkbar yes.”

“What did you roll? [28] You see everything.”

Leiland Jr. as new king seems like a questionable decision imo but I’m not gonna backseat RP.

“You guys start engaging in a fun conversation about statecraft.”

“Lilith, I’d like a hug.” Lilith hugs her and kicks her legs up like she’s in the climax of a romcom.

The whole group hugs and Brennan calls them out and has a NPC call them out, even though he’s the person who led them to this path!

Man, the promo for this ep really made it sound more dire and less heartwarming that it actually was.

YOU’RE DEFINING GOOD

“Imagine there’s 9 squares in a grid.” TRAPP

That like 20 seconds had so many good lines. “We’re cutting out the middle man and taking evil straight to you.”/“We’re evolving evil.”/“We’re disrupting evil.”

Now that I think about it, they really haven’t escaped the bloodkeep so far, have they? They’ve been going back and forth between it but not really trying to escape it per se. 

Olag is back because, again, of course he is.

Final battle y'all!

Sounds like we’re getting actual Gollum next week so that should be fun. Also, very curious to see what that last, “No,” is in response to. These guys are good at cutting trailers so it could be nothing serious, but who knows?

[vgckwb]

ML: Are They Worthy? Chapter 21: The Complications of Chloe!/Justice Fist

Marinette arrived at the park with her sketchbook, panting. “Sorry. It’s just your call woke me up” Marinette said.

“It’s OK Marinette” Vlad said. “You look good. Maybe you should be a model.”

Marinette’s face lit up like a Christmas tree. “I couldn’t” she said, sheepishly.

“Relax Marinette” Adrien said. “Today you’re here to observe and keep us company.”

Marinette nodded. “Right.”

“Alright, places everyone” Vincent said. Vlad and Adrien posed, while Marinette was taking notes and sketching some ideas.

Meanwhile, in Chloe’s room, she was watching a report on what happened yesterday. “A terrible villain named Rocket who had super speed was terrorizing Paris. Fortunately, Ladybug and Cat Noir saved the day, along with two new superheroes; the mysterious Judgement Wolf, and cool, calculating Pegasus. It seems like Ladybug and Cat Noir are gaining allies left and right these days. However, it has been a little while since we’ve seen Queen Bee in action. Could it be that Ladybug and Cat Noir no longer trust her? Tune in later to find out.”

Chloe turned off the TV. It had been a while since Ladybug told her she could no longer be Queen Bee. She knew it was for a good cause. Still, people were starting to talk. They were saying mean and nasty things about her. “Is this how I make other people feel?” she asked herself. Even Sabrina, her only real friend, had commented on her meanness. “Maybe I should… No. I can’t. GAH! This is so ridiculous! Utterly ridiculous!” She threw a pillow in frustration. One thing she knew for sure was that she needed to think, and being in her room wasn’t helping. She just saw all of the stuff as the stuff she was burying her feelings in. She needed to dig out of that.

She left Le Grand Paris, surprising the doorman. “It’s OK. I just need some fresh air” she told him. She continued walking. She didn’t know where to go since someone usually drove her, but she decided to walk nonetheless. She kept thinking about everything. Was she really that mean to everyone? Was she that mean to Sabrina even? Why would Sabrina stay with her if she was? Then she thought about Queen Bee.

Being a real superhero was fun. Feeling like she could do anything was exhilarating. I mean, sure, she may have caused some trouble the first time around, but Ladybug and Cat Noir came to trust her again. When she was given the opportunity to be Queen Bee again, she took it. Fighting alongside them, as well as Rena Rouge and Carapace, she felt like she didn’t need to care about what others thought.

Then there was Pollen. She had only met her briefly, but the two of them grew close. Chloe had found a mysterious box at the Eiffel Tower and grabbed it. Little did she know, it would change her life. When she opened the box in her room, it revealed Pollen.

“Who, or what are you?” Chloe said.

“I am Pollen. I am a kwami” Pollen said.

“What does that mean?” Chloe asked.

“Kwamis are beings that can give people powers” Pollen said.

“Wait, does this mean Ladybug and Cat Noir have little things like you?” Chloe said.

“Indeed they do” Pollen answered. “Ladybug has Tikki, the kwami of creation. Cat Noir has Plagg, the kwami of destruction.”

Chloe stared at Pollen for a little bit. She reminded her of the little toy thing that she stole from Marinette that one time. “...Couldn’t be” Chloe said. “So, what are you the kwami of then?”

“I am the kwami of subjection” Pollen said.

Chloe liked the sound of that. “So, how did you end up at the Eiffel Tower?” Chloe asked.

“Well, that’s a bit complicated” Pollen said. “See, what I think happened was that Ladybug was going to recruit someone to help beat Style Queen, but she lost me.”

“Poor thing” Chloe said.

“But, it’s alright now. You’ve found me” Pollen said. “Now you can return me to Ladybug!” Chloe was shocked and a little upset upon hearing that. “What’s wrong, my Queen?”

“It’s just…” Chloe said. “I’ve always wanted to be a superhero. Could I just maybe just be a superhero with you? For a little while?”

Pollen looked at Chloe. “How could I say no to a face like that?” Pollen said. Chloe was giddy. “Are you sure you have what it takes to be a hero?”

Chloe stopped. “I don’t even know if I have what it takes to be a daughter.”

“How can you say that? You seem extraordinary, my Queen” Pollen said.

“I wish my mom thought that” Chloe said.

“Well, you know what will make her think you’re extraordinary? Being a superhero” Pollen said.

“Thanks Pollen” Chloe said. “You know, it feels like I can talk to you about anything.”

“Mademoiselle, it’s time to get back to the fashion show” Jean told Chloe, entering her room.

“Coming, Jean-Jones” Chloe said. She closed the box, and put it in her pocket.

And sure, that turned out poorly, but for a brief moment, she felt more alive than she felt before. If nothing else, she just wishes she had Pollen to talk to. She certainly would help right now. She just wanted someone to talk to who wouldn’t judge her. Someone who she could be herself around. She thought about asking her parents about therapy, but they would ignore her out of the gate on that. She couldn’t talk to Sabrina because Sabrina liked her for the person she was being. Or at least, she thought that. Now she doesn’t know what she thinks.

Somehow, Chloe ended up at the park where Adrien and Vlad were doing their photoshoot. She looked at them, and then saw that Marinette was there as well. She grew furious.

She walked up to Adrien in the middle of a photo. “ADRIEN!” she shouted.

“Chloe?! We’re kind of in the middle of something right now” Adrien said, nervously.

“CUT!” Vincent called out. “Miss Bourgeois, please leave. You’re ruining the shot, and we only have so much time.”

“Why is Dupain-Cheng here?!” Chloe asked.

“Well, see, she’s making outfits for us for the art exhibition, so we thought it would be a good idea to let her see us in action” Adrien said.

“You never take me to any of these!” Chloe said.

“Miss Bourgeois, please” Vincent said.

“No! I am not leaving!” Chloe said.

“Adrien, is she going to be alright?” Vlad asked.

“Uhhhhhh” Adrien said.

Meanwhile, Hawk Moth just made his way to his lair. “Another chance to capture Chloe Bourgeois? Just when everything feels out of reach for her. What could possibly be better? Fly away my little Akuma, and evilize her!”

“Miss Bourgeois, we really need you to stop” Vincent said.

“Look Chloe, if you’re not leaving, at least come sit next to me” Marinette said.

Chloe was taken aback by that suggestion. She then recomposed into her angry self. “No! I’d rather leave!”

“Then please go” Vincent said.

“Maybe I will! Maybe I’ll go someplace where no one can ever find me!” Chloe said, running off.

“Chloe” Marinette said.

“I’ll go check on her” Adrien said, running off.

Marinette and Vlad saw an Akuma fly by in the direction of Chloe and Adrien. Marinette and Vlad looked at each other and nodded. “Hey Vincent, can we take our break now then?”

“I guess” Vincent said. “Adrien’s already ran off. Just don’t go too far.” Vlad and Marinette left.

Adrien was chasing Chloe. “Chloe wait!” Chloe was running down the street with tears in her eyes. “Chloe!” Adrien said. He took her arm. “Chloe! What’s this about?”

Before Chloe could say anything, Ladybug and Judgement Wolf showed up. “There’s an Akuma in the area, and we think that it might be after you, Chloe Bourgeois!” Ladybug said.

“Are you sure?” Adrien said.

“Positive” Judgement Wolf said.

Just then, the Akuma fly by and fused with Chloe’s sunglasses. “Hello again, Miss Bourgeois” Hawk Moth said. “Everything you’ve ever loved is being taken from you. Don’t you want to get it back?”

“I can get it back on my own terms, thank you very much!” Chloe said. “I don’t need your help!”

“Is she fighting back?” Judgement Wolf asked.

“I don’t know. I’ve never seen this before” Ladybug said.

“Why fight it Chloe?” Hawk Moth continued. “I know what you’re really like. I know your true nature.”

Chloe was offended by that. “You know nothing about me! Be gone already, and never come back!” The Akuma unfused from the sunglasses. Ladybug captured it quickly. “Bye bye little butterfly” she said, releasing the butterfly.”

“I’ll get Chloe one of these days” Hawk Moth said. “However, I always have a contingency plan.”

Adrien and Chloe returned, as did Marinette and Vlad. “Hey, where’d you two run off to?”

“Well, we uh” Marinette said.

“Marinette went to her place to grab a snack, while I just took in some of the sights” Vlad said.

“Yeah” Marinette said. She then shot Vlad a confused look.

“Oh, OK” Adrien said.

“MY CAMERA!” Vincent said, coming back! The four teens turned around and saw Vincent’s camera had been messed with. “Who did this?! Who?!”

“Well, I don’t know” Adrien said.

Vincent glared at Chloe. “I bet it was you!” he said.

“Me?” Chloe said.

“Yes. You didn’t want to leave, so you ruined me out of spite” Vincent said. “Well no more.”

“She didn’t do it Vincent!” Adrien said. “I was with her the whole time!”

“Bah! You’re too nice for your own good!” Vincent said.

“It seems like things are going according to plan” Hawk Moth said. “Let’s hope his rage blinds him harder than Chloe’s.” He sent off another Akuma.

The Akuma flew and bound itself with one of Vincent’s gloves. “Justice Fist. I am Hawk Moth. Want to know the truth? I’m giving you the power to see if people are innocent or guilty. You will punish the guilty at you discretion. In return, I ask for Ladybug and Cat Noir’s miraculous.”

“The guilty will roam the streets of Paris no more, Hawk Moth” Vincent said. A purple-black aura surrounded him. When it dissipated, Vincent’s skin was green, and he looked like a movie detective, with a brown trench coat, a black fedora, and black pants and shoes, along with giant red gauntlet. “Let’s see you get out of punishment now!” Justice Fist approached Chloe. Adrien grabbed her and ran. “You’re not going to get away from me that easily!” Justice Fist followed the two.

“Are we really doing this again?” Vlad said.

“We don’t have a choice” Marinette said. They both ran off to hide and transform.

Justice Fist could no longer see Adrien and Chloe. “Justice Fist” Hawk Moth commanded. “It appears that they are out of your reach for now. Why don’t you go around and punish others? Maybe You’ll find those kids.”

“Of course Hawk Moth” Justice Fist said. He walked off.

Chloe and Adrien were hiding. “OK, I think you’re safe now” Adrien said. “You should run.”

“What about you, Adrikins?” Chloe said.

“I’ll be fine, It’ll be better if we split up” Adrien said. “He can’t get us both.”

“OK Adrikins. I trust you” Chloe said. She ran off.

Adrien took Plagg out. “Plagg! Claws Out!” he called out. He transformed into Cat Noir.

Meanwhile, at Andre’s cart, Andre called out “HELP! ICE CREAM THIEF!”

The thief was getting away, when they bumped into Justice Fist. “Did you steal that ice cream?” he said, punching the thief. His gauntlet buzzed red for guilty. “Too bad for you.” He revved up his hand and turned the thief into an ice cream sculpture. “Who’s next?”

Ladybug and Judgement Wolf were not far behind. They reached the ice cream thief. “WHAT?!” Ladybug said. “First this Justice Fist, and now Glaciator is back?!”

“I don’t think so, M’lady” Cat Noir said, dropping in. “Look around.” He pointed out an assortment of people in odd situations. A boy was crying because he made a girl cry. A girl was wearing mismatching clothes because she insulted the style of another girl. A boy became a duck because he refused to share with the ducks.

“This is horrifying” Ladybug said. “We have to stop him.”

Justice Fist came to a guy who double parked. “Did you double park?” he asked, throwing a punch. His gauntlet buzzed red. “So sorry.” He revved his first. The guy’s car came to life, and started chasing him. Luckily, the three heroes came and stopped the car before anything could happen to the man.

“We’re putting a stop to your brand of Justice” Ladybug said.

“Ladybug! Cat Noir! How nice of you to drop in” Justice Fist. “I serve up justice for all. Including the two of you.”

“Really? No mention of me? THAT’S an injustice right there” Judgement Wolf said.

“Plus, you’re also stealing his powers” Cat Noir said. “That’s worth him getting a tattoo on his head labeled ’THIEF!’ in his mix-up brand of justice, don’t you think?”

“Hey, that’s right” Judgement Wolf said. “You’re just as bad as anyone you’ve punished.”

“NO! I am righteous!” Justice hand said. “Do you hide your identity from others?” he asked, throwing a fist. The heroes dodged.

“The Akuma has to be in one of his gauntlets” Cat Noir said.

“Yeah, but how are we going to get to it?” Ladybug said. “We can’t touch his fists now without being punished.”

“I’ll play keep-away with him” Judgement Wolf said. “You work on a plan. Reveal Claw! Why do you believe Chloe messed up your camera?” Judgement Wold went in. Judgement Wolf and Justice Fist kept trying to strike, but they kept dodging the other’s attacks.”

Ladybug nodded. “Lucky Charm!”

“A menu from Le Grand Paris?” Cat Noir said.

“Maybe I could use it as a shield?” Ladybug said.

Judgement Wolf backed up. “This guy’s good” he said. The three heroes continued to dodged, while Ladybug used the menu as a shield. She eventually fell to the ground, but she blocked Justice Fist’s fist with the menu. Ladybug looked around and saw Chloe.”Chloe?” she then saw Chloe glow. “That’s it!”

“This will be it!” Justice Fist said, about to strike with his other fist, but then Judgement Wolf struck him in the back. “Because she has done this before!” he said.

“Oh. Makes sense” Judgement Wolf said.

The shock from the Reveal Claw gave Ladybug enough time to get to Chloe’s position. Hey Chloe” she said.

“Ladybug? What are you doing by me?” Chloe asked.

“Well, I got this menu as a Lucky Charm, and I think it’s telling me I need you” Ladybug said.

“Well, I don’t have a miraculous anymore, so how can I help?” Chloe said.

“I think I need you. Just be yourself” Ladybug said. “Are you willing to be a hero as you are now?”

Chloe looked at Ladybug. “Are you kidding? I’m always a hero. After all, I’m Queen Bee.”

“Thank you Chloe. Just be prepared” Ladybug said She whispered her plan to Chloe.

Just and Cat Noir and Judgement Wolf were backed up, Ladybug said. “OK Justice Fist. You win. I will allow you to hit me with your justice.”

“Finally. Someone who’s making sense. Someone who is willing to do what I ask” Justice Fist said. He walked over to Ladybug. “You’ll pay for your crimes!”

Ladybug then used her yo-yo to grab Chloe and drag her in front of herself. The punch landed on Chloe and it buzzed red for guilty. Justice fist was confused.

“CAT NOIR! NOW!” Ladybug yelled.

“Right! Cataclysm!” Cat Noir said. He raced over to Justice Fist, and touched his gauntlet , destroying it and freeing the Akuma.

“No more evildoing for you little Akuma. Time to de-evilize! Gotcha. Bye bye little butterfly.” Ladybug said. “Miraculous Ladybug!” She threw the menu up in the air and the magic ladybug fixed all of the damage. Vincent returned to his normal self.

“Pound it!” the heroes said.

“You may have stopped my brand of justice today, but soon you’ll be getting your just desserts!” Hawk Moth called out.

Judgement Wolf’s ring started to beep. “I’ll catch you later” he said, running off.

Cat Noir went up to Vincent. “Don’t worry. I’ll take you where you need to go” he said. He carried Vincent and then left. This left Ladybug and Chloe.

“Chloe” Ladybug said. “Thanks again for helping today.”

Chloe started to blush. “Yeah, well, I always do stuff like this.”

Ladybug’s earring started to beep. “Hey, um, could I come over later?” she asked. “I want to talk to you about what happened earlier, and I think you need someone to talk to.”

Chloe was surprised. “Sure…” Chloe said.

“Great! Can’t wait! Bug out!” Ladybug said, leaving. Chloe also left as well.

Back in the park, Vincent took out his extra camera and started photographing Adrien and Vlad again. “Hey” Chloe said.

“Not again” Vincent said.

“I just wanted to say...I’m Sorry!” Chloe said. “I was in a bad mood, and I took it out on you.”

Vincent looked around and said “Yeah, well, I shouldn’t have blamed you. It’s clear that you didn’t do it.”

“Why did you leave in the first place anyway?” Adrien asked.

“Well, I was hungry” Vincent said. “A stranger approached me and told me about a bakery not too far from here. I decided to go and get something to eat.”

“You don’t think that stranger was the one who messed up your stuff, do you?” Vlad asked.

“Hmmm. Now that you say that, it’s possible” Vincent said. “They were wearing a trench coat, with sunglasses, a hat, and a scarf. I think that person was trying to lure me away!”

Vlad, Marinette, and Adrien’s eyes grew wide. They all knew that this meant that Hawk Moth had a new ally. Marinete and Adrien ruled out Mayura because no Sentimonster appeared. Meanwhile, Vlad just thought it was someone else.

Behind a tree, the mysterious person was listening to the fruits of their labor. They took off their disguise, and it was Lila. She texted Gabriel “Sorry it didn’t work out.”

Gabriel replied “It’s OK. We’ll get them next time.”

Later, after the photoshoot wrapped up, Marinette said “Well, this was great. I think I’ve settled on a design.”

“Really? Can I see?” Vlad asked.

“Not you. I still need to finish it” Marinette said. “I’m going to go home and work on it. Seeya!”

“Later” Adrien said. After Marinette left, Adrien ribbed Vlad. “So, ready for the interview tomorrow?”

“Yeah” Vlad said. “I’ve got in some good practice with Max.”

Chloe was sitting in her room when she heard a knock. She turned, and it was Ladybug. She opened the door and said “About time!”

“Look, I had other plans” Ladybug said. “Plus, I needed to let my kwami rest,”

“I guess that’s fair” Chloe said. “Well, come in.” Ladybug stepped into Chloe’s room. They both had a seat. “So, what did you want to talk about?”

Ladybug sighed. “I want to talk about what happened earlier. When you rejected Hawk Moth.”

“No big deal” Chloe said. “This wasn’t the first time.”

“It wasn't?” Ladybug said.

“Hawk Moth tried to Akumatize me before…” Chloe began, “ but he Akumatized Sabrina into Miracular.”

“Oh” Ladybug said. “Why do you think Hawk Moth is going after you?”

“I think it’s because of my reputation” Chloe said. “You may not know this, but I can come off as mean sometimes.”

“Tell me about it” Ladybug said, under her breath.

“He says he knows the real me, but he’s wrong” Chloe said. “I’m a hero. Or, at least, I want to be.”

Ladybug smiled. “I think today proved that you were a hero, with or without powers.”

Chloe smiled back. “Thanks Ladybug.”

“Is there anything you want to talk about?” Ladybug said.

Chloe was surprised. “Yeah” she said nervously. “I think I want to start showing everyone the real me. But I’m too scared. Normally, this wouldn’t bother me too much. But since it’s been a while since I’ve gotten to be Queen Bee, people have been saying mean things about me. It makes me feel awful, and I realized that I’ve been making other people feel like that.”

“So, who is the real you?” Ladybug asked.

“Well, don’t get me wrong, I still like expensive things, and Mr. XY’s music, and sushi, and I’m still prone to outbursts,” Chloe began, “but I also like my classmates. I want to show that. I also really like one of my classmates in particular.” Ladybug rolled her eyes. “Or at least, I thought I did. But now, someone else is catching my eye.”

Ladybug was confused. Who could that be? “Well, why don’t you be yourself then?” Ladybug said.

“Are you crazy?! I can’t do that. I’m afraid of what they might think” Chloe said.

Ladybug could see Chloe’s concern. “You wanna know a secret? When I first became Ladybug, I was afraid too. I almost gave up being Ladybug.”

Chloe was intrigued. “What made you change your mind?”

Ladybug nodded. “Someone needed me.I know it seems hard, but maybe you can take it one step at a time. Start small.”

Chloe smiled “Thanks Ladybug.” She looked at Ladybug. Then, for a split second, Chloe’s mind flashed to an image of Marinette. Chloe was surprised.

“Well I’m glad we had this talk” Ladybug said. “I’ll keep you updated on anything I can.”

“Yeah…” Chloe said.

“Bug out!” Ladybug said.

Chloe stared off as Ladybug went into the distance. “Could it be?” she asked herself.

[hockeyplayerstories]

Rasmus Dahlin | Comfort Is All I Need

College assignments to be done, crazy things happening at work was all that I was thinking about at the moment. These assignments would help boost my grades up but I can’t seem to get to them because of my job. The reason why I am attending college is to get a good job that paid me well but now that I think about it, I love the job I have now. I am just going to college because my parents wanted me to go when in reality being main merch creator for the Buffalo Sabres was what I always wanted to do. When I was little, I loved playing hockey and always dreamed about working for my favorite NHL team. I always loved art and would draw my ideas hoping that one day they would get used and they did and all the fans loved them, that made me happy. I also helped the equipment managers order new equipment occasionally.

Currently sitting in my office at the rink taking a break from drawing new merch ideas, I think about everything that has happened to get me to this point and can’t help but think about all the school that I had to do before the holidays start which only adds to the stress I already have from making sure that all the fans have what they want ordering online. I actually have thought about quitting college before, didn’t because my parents weren’t happy when I brought it up and now have stopped talking to me so I think it’s okay to just stop going, I will just call. Now that I think about it, it does make me sad that my parents aren’t talking to me all because I don’t want to get a better job than I have now but c'mon who wouldn’t want this job. I made friends with half the team, cried when a couple would get traded and laughed with the new players, the veterans or the coaching staff would introduce me as Champ which was the nickname my first Coach gave me and it has stuck with me growing up. I remember the first time the team heard my nickname, the Coach who coached me from novice to peewee’s came to visit me and at that time I had a whole squad in my office just hanging with me talking about ideas while sitting on the few furniture I have in my office while watching TV, he walks in looks at me and goes ‘Hey Champ’ and then continues his way down the hall while everyone in the room asked me why he called me that, after that they started asking me to play some shiny with them about once a week.

I didn’t realize I was crying until a tear dropped on to my desk, it's a good thing I don’t wear make up cuz then it would be all over my cheeks with the way i was wiping my tears away. They still went down my face as I started answering emails from the equipment managers since they were asking me to send out orders. I completely forgot that Coach was showing some players around because I was so focused on thinking about what to do to reduce my stress. The tears still fell as Coach opened the door “this is Y/N also known as Champ, she takes care of the orders of equipment and the merch” when the players looked inside, I just waved and smiled a watery smile. They all just stared at me, I notice Rasmus has a soft look on his face, even the Coach stared at me “you okay?” He asked me “yeah I will be fine” I say, tears still slowly going down my face as I wave it off as if it’s nothing and look back at my computer and laptop sat on the desk. What I didn’t see was when they were leaving, I assumed Coach told them I would be fine, Rasmus whispering that he would come back to see me after and Coach nodding his head as he closed the door behind him. I just continued my work planning on taking a break for about an hour, being good friends with the people who take care the rink, they let me use the ice when I want which I only use during times like these when I have to get rid of stress, shooting a puck and skating around does the job.

Wiping my face one more time, I make sure the email I just hit send on is sent before pushing my chair on wheels back and walk to the makeshift mudroom/closet where I keep my equipment and other things, it even has a little kitchen area with a small fridge and toaster oven on the counter, the room was just a little smaller than my office but it was beneficial. With my helmet on my head, gloves and stick in one hand and skates in the other, I make my way out of my office door and to the elevator. On my way there, I pass by the Coach talking alone with Rasmus, before I pass them I slow down enough to point in the direction of the ice looking Coach in a way of asking silently, very thankful when he nods his head. “Hey Y/N!” I hear Rasmus yell from where I am standing at the elevator, I turn to look at him still standing with the Coach “Do you mind if I hang out with you today?” He asks, I just shake my head as if saying I didn’t mind at all. It was the perfect idea and I know he wasn’t the only one thinking that because as he walks to me after saying goodbye to Coach, I see Coach smiles and give me a nod turning around to return to his office. It silent as we wait for the elevator, I feel his eyes on me and I don’t know what to think about it. He is probably judging me for how red my eyes still are, I sniffle a couple times before I reach the bench to tie my skates while he went to get his equipment.

Done with tying my laces, I notice he hasn’t returned yet but I didn’t really care since it was his choice to hang out with me, he probably found another rookie to hang out with. Making sure my visor is clean and that I can see through it as I place it on my head snapping the snaps to keep it on my head, I shove my hands into my gloves and grab my stick while stepping through the open bench door onto the ice. I skate the first three laps a low speed to not waste my energy, on the forth, I shift to skate backwards just in time to see Rasmus sitting on the beach watching me, it seems he has been sat there for a couple of minutes. After a few minutes, he tosses ten pucks on ice and I place them in formation of a drill I loved to do as a kid in the center circle to practice edge work and stop on the farthest blue line after moving the net closer. I tap my stick on the ice asking for a puck and I receive one that slowly glides to my stick, I wait looking at Rasmus to signal go in a position ready to take off. No whistle? Just clap your stick on the ice. With the clap of his stick when he steps onto the ice, I control the puck around the pucks while skating as fast as I can, taking a wrister top shelf when I successfully went through the pucks without touching them. The sound of clapping makes me look up from the ice to see not only Rasmus leaning against  the bench’s boards but also about half the team is and Coach is there is well, I can’t help but smile a little. I get back into position waiting for a puck but not before get a little advice from Buffalo’s captain “when going around the pucks, tuck and lean a little more in towards where you are turning, that was perfect other than that” Jack says, everyone else agrees. They continue to cheer until I am done with my ice session, feeling a lot better than before.

It has been a hour since we, Rasmus and I, got back to my office and haven’t said a word. While I continue my work, he watched TV with his shoes off and feet up laying across the couch. It’s all fine and dandy for a couple of minutes until I am reminded why I was sad,I looked through my phone notifications where a text message from my mom asking if I did my assignments still was and before I know it tears are streaming down my face but I am silent and try to make it seem like I am okay. I put my hands on my face to hide before Rasmus could see me but he already knows, I hear his socked feet walking towards me. “Hey, you’re okay shhh I got you it’s okay” he pulls me out of my chair and into him until my head is on his chest. I hug him back tightly for a few seconds before he pulls away to look me in the eyes and pulls me to the couch, he stops and sighs “I know we just met Y/N but I’ll be honest, I have completely fallen for you..........and I want to try a relationship because I hate thinking about you and another male and I want to be the one to make you happy and help you when you are upset. It broke my heart when I saw you crying earlier today, will you give me the chance?” all I can do is smile because he sounded nervous and nod my head, pecking him on cheek. He smiles back and lays down on his back before motioning me to lay on him, we cuddled and talked about what was going on and how to fix it until we fall a sleep. Alex Nylander even took a picture when walked into my office to see me and posted it Instagram “Aww look at the new couple all cuddled up” it got so many likes and lets just say I almost killed him when I woke up but didn’t because it looked adorable. 

### I am sorry if it isn’t what requested, if you requested it. I don’t like writing about sadness, its just isn’t my style. if you don’t like it don’t be afraid to tell me and I will fix it. The skating to reduce stress is what I actually do, I go to skate about four times a week and it absolutely helps. I love feeling the wind in my face, through my helmet of course, when I pick up speed. I do plan on trying hockey but because i started late I have to wait until i am 18 to play for the local team. It gives me time to work on perfecting my skating so I am not upset about that. Oh! and the nickname Champ is my actually nickname at the rink, well my friend calls me that because he was there since I started at 15 and has told me I have gotten faster and better ###

****Reminder: I won’t be writing about Rasmus again, so please request another player and make sure I haven’t already written with that player. I did another Rasmus because I did have this in mind so I wrote it. I mean I would be glad to write more than one with the same player but my original plan was to, like I said, write one imagine for each player****

[dongsooks]

Pentagon as uni-students

Admin: Asa Type: AU Warnings: I do not know Pentagon personally! A/N: I go to school in Germany and I’m only familiar with the German and the Kazakh scholar system. But then again I think university is always the same experience with it being a mix of pain but also ~maKinG MEmoriEs~ and getting to know the real meaning of capitalism. Asa out.

Jinho:

Major: Music Education, maybe later on Music Therapy

Just wanted to make his passion into his career

that one ho THAT ALWAYS STUDIES 

IS CALM BEFORE EXAMS??????????

Probably the type that has a long term relationship throughout college to avoid STD’s

really enjoys what he is doing

whenever he holds presentations he has this genuine passion in his eyes like wow???

Teacher’s pet but just because he is the best and is so interested in learning

always asks for extra material to ~expand his horizon~ 

I could also see him starting Music Therapy after he gets his bachelor in Music ed??

because he realises music makes him happy, he sees how music actually makes others happier and he just wants to spread!!! happiness!!! and his love for music!!!

originally started working in a grad-school but then quit to work in an elementary school

less income but he loves seeing the kids all excited and eager to learn it reminds him of himself, sob

Just please imagine him, his calm voice, his patient character and his love for music teaching and helping people?? I’M??

dreams of opening his own music school/music therapy center

Hui:

Major: Music Theory and Composition; Performance

fight me, do it, but:

THEATRE KID HUI????

I mean you can lie to yourself, but in the end we can all see him on that stage being the phantom of that opera 

brags about interships he gets, contacts he makes

works at the local theatre on weekends where he does all the dirty work but in exchange he can view all plays for free

takes girls to said plays to impress them

“Oh the main? Yeah sure we’re like basically friends”

The overly hype one at campus parties

always ends up in a drunk vocal battle with Jinho at the end of the night oh the cringe

Hates the theory parts and always would prefer actually singing, performing, playing than just??reading how?? jesus what he got them vocals for y’all

the type who starts studying for finals the week before and eventually just laughs the lack of sleep away

tries to get the teachers to like him

Hongseok:

Major: Physical Activity, Nutrition & Health Promotion

honestly for the other’s I did research on what majors there are and read into them t make sure they fit but for him I just looked for the English equivalent of what I meant Sport- und Ernährungswissenschaften my german folks will know

okay back to it

campus heartthrob but also campus mom

cooks healthy soup when his friends get sick :’)

and then tells them about all the nutritions inside and what vegetable helps for what 

the typical jock with enough brains to actually study something 

“do you even lift bro?”

“I had to broken legs and sprained all my toes and still got an A in my PE” everytime someone mentions physical pain

will recommend moves for when your back hurts though :’)

Asks girls if they need help with their workouts as a pickup line 

Shinwon:

Major: Fashion

Fashion queen

always well dressed

how he affords to keep his style that good is worth a buzzfeed unsolved episode tbh

comes to 8 am courses in Balenciaga

may or may not have a slight shopping addiction

never seen making money, studying, putting any effort into anything

but STILL ALWAYS ON THAT SHIT

good grades, good looks, style so good Karl Lagerfeld unnies was found shaking in his boots

lures photography majors into taking his portfolio pictures

and his Instagram pictures

probably gets offered one or two modeling contracts eventually

you could swear you saw him in the Vogue the other day

ALWAYS NAKED AT THE END OF PARTIES

The one who suggest Strip Poker EVERYTIME

but that’s for an au coming soon which’s title rhymes with ptg as fucktroys ;)

Hyojong:

Major: Fine arts

has a Kranken, listens to real music and likes to judge people who wear skinny jeans watch out

seems unapproachable but honestly, genuinely is nice when you get to know him

part of the dance group

actually very interested in his courses but always seems like he is about to pass tf out

the guy who’s health you’re just really concerned about but he’s holding up, doing well

really good at art though

like they get displayed in the local museum good 

always a little disturbing but so, so interesting and deep??

Probably smokes them trees to widen his horizon man

dorm FULL OF DAMN PLANTS 

was seen having a whole funeral for one of them once

the type of person where everyone who knows them says they’re so nice and great but you’re on the low intimidated by them

Changgu:

Major: Classic literature

so involved in acting but also writing

writes poems 

goes to poetry slams with Hyojong 

the type of person who you could talk to for hours and hours

writes poems for his s/o’s

cries during emotional plays, novels etc

everyone loves him tbh 

the soft one who is ALL OVER THE PLACE during finals

S T RES S ED OUT so much Tyler Joseph knows NOTHING 

worries so much but ends up with great grades!!!

needs lots of encouragement 

Yan An:

Major: International Studies

to be very honest I just had no idea what else to give him? 

I mean he said he’d be a flight attendant if he wasn’t an idol and you don’t have to go to Uni for that

but I guess this come close enough? 

gets the cultural aspect and everything

seems lost all the time

like in his last year first-years will show him around 

all the teachers are in love with him

he always gets dicounts because eeeveeeryyyonneee loooooves hiiimmm he is sooooo softttt omg

once had a phucboy phase but psshhhh

knows everything before finals but still stresses out

sometimes asks for help because he didn’t understand something and just smiles even though he still didn’t get it bby

generally smiles a lot for no reason

a puppy, a whole pup

YUTOOOO:

Major: Sport and Fitness Administration Management

probably has a scholarship 

wanted something “easy” but “safe”

honestly puts a lot more effort into his sports than school but always makes it

is the best player of the team

his coach probably always on the other teacher’s diccs about him

so he always gets to hand things in later/retake tests 

is unapproachable but nice #2

leaves parties before it gets dark so he only has a small time frame to GET LIIIIIITTTTTTTTTTTTTT

gets drunk and does that “EY EY EY EY” deep, manly, TESTOOOOSTERONE scream thing men do y’all feel me???

I think no one gets what I mean but I feel so passionately that he’d do that I’ll leave it in

forgets to bring his pencil, his notebook, his motivation and HIS DAMN BAG LIKE BOY IS YOU_::;.,:_

but always ready to help and share as much knowledge as he has we’re all just here to make it and leave

Kino <3:

Major: Dance 

whooooo saw THAT coming wow what

yeah but maybe an education minor too?

has his SHIT TOGETHER! WOW !??

the epitome of a teachers pet

but tbh everyone just loves him it’s as simple as that

much like Jinho to be honest so I’m afraid to just repeat myself but shortly:

passionate

in love with what he is doing

wants to share this

is so genuinely happy to do what he does even when it’s hard it’s so?? inspirational?

dreams about opening his own dance studio 

but same as with Jinho I could see him into teaching especially younger kids

not much to say, he’s great and on top of the game 

Wooseok:

Major: Music Theory and Composition; Music Management

wanted to chase his dream but also chase that shmoney

soundcloud rapper

once hacked the university facebook page to post a video of himself recreating the 

“it’s ya boy, uhhh, skinny penis”-vine

gets delusional from the lack of sleep during exam season tbh

“can I borrow your calculator? what’s 4+5?” 

always drunk at parties but a funny, bearable kind of drunk

also seen hungover and full of regret ™ the next morning lmfao 

hungover in class

also brings snacks to class 

but makes it and so will you!!

Requests and Ships are open my children

Masterlist

[allinmycorner]

Welcome to Season 30! 

Dancing With the Stars is back! Tyra is once again our host and she’s the only one. Derek is still on the judging panel along with Carrie Ann and Bruno but Len is also back after being stuck in England due to COVID. We also have an audience again as well, though everyone is masked and socially distant. The stars are still also socially distanced but are now sitting at tables next to the dancefloor rather than positioned around the empty studio. It’s feeling more and more normal. 

All the pros dancing this season are returning ones, especially Witney and Lindsay who are back after giving birth to their children last year. It’s nice to have them back and to keep some of the dancers we came to love last season like Britt, Pasha and Daniella. 

There’s already some controversy regarding the cast, though isn’t there always some controversy? This year, it’s been mostly split between JoJo and Olivia Jade. For JoJo, it wasn’t so much the fact that she was to be part of the first same sex pairing (though I’m sure there were corners who did disapprove of this) but rather that she got got her start on Dance Moms. She is known as a dancer and people think this gives her an unfair advantage. But we learned throughout the premiere that many contestants have a dance background as well - for example, Amanda Kloots was a Broadway performer and can dance. So I think with this group, JoJo is on a more even playing field and doesn’t have a huge advantage over the cast. 

And Olivia Jade is still experiencing backlash from the college scandal, which was addressed, as well as some of her comments on YouTube which people saw in a new light after the scandal. She is seeking redemption and to me, I still don’t know if she’s fully accepted and admitted how much privilege she has. But I think this could work in her favor if she is able to show humility and works hard. 

With that out of the way, let’s check out how our stars did during the first show! 

JoJo and Jenna: JoJo and Jenna are making history as the first same sex couple, something that's been advocated for for years. I remember Carson tried to be paired with a male pro in his season and was rejected. It's long past time for the producers to come around. Jenna and JoJo are even matched and work well with each other. Their quickstep was a lot of fun and a great way to close out the show, even if Jenna had a slip. JoJo, though, held her and they recovered quickly. I do think this competition may be JoJo's to lose!

Amanda and Alan: Amanda is so sweet. Her tango was pretty good for week 1. She needs to work a little more on technique but she's got the talent, so that's a good foundation. Alan will definitely be able to help her improve as the weeks go on and I know she is going to make Nick proud wherever he is now. 

Suni and Sasha: Suni was so excited to be paired with Sasha! He's no doubt a familiar figure to her given his partnership with Simone Biles, her teammate. And she's right - he does have a good touch with gymnasts. Her jive was another great start. The judges were right that she needs to be more fluid and not look down so much but I think she'll get there. 

Mel C and Gleb: Mel C looks amazing! She really set the bar for this season with a strong cha-cha that hit all the right notes without looking too nervous. I think she'll only get better as the weeks go on and may give the other women a run for their money.

Kenya and Brandon: I love Brandon. And I think with Kenya, he'll be around for a good number of weeks. She had a good start with the foxtrot. Kenya was graceful and handled it well. Like everyone else, she has things to work on but once she does, she'll be competition for the others.

Melora and Artem: The reigning champ is back and ready to go for trophy #2 with Melora. She also had a good start with the tango and is comfortable on the dance floor. While she may not be as skilled as some of the others are out of the gate, I do think she could catch up. Artem will definitely be a good teacher for her and knows how to choreography to his partners' strengths, so she's in good hands.

Christine and Pasha: I'll be honest, I have no clue who she is. But she seems pretty likeable and committed to the show. And I like Pasha so I'm rooting for him. They also had a good tango. I think she'll be around for a bit longer but I don't think she'll make it past the midpoint but I wouldn't mind being wrong!

Olivia and Val: Olivia had a salsa right out of the gate, which is a bit harder than some of the more basic dances we've seen tonight - cha-cha, foxtrot, jive - but she managed it. I'm not sure if the producers gave it to her to prove she is dedicated and willing to put in the work or they just throw darts at a board to pick dance styles. But she is partnered with Val, who is a good teacher and choreographer, so I think he will be able to continue to help her improve. As long as she's serious about doing the work, I think she'll be fine. She might be a dark horse but right now, I don't imagine her hitting the finals.

Looks like the women absolutely dominated the first night of competition. But many of the men gave them a run for their money. Check out my thoughts on them:

Brian and Sharna: Brian and Sharna are dating and they seem to have a pretty sweet relationship. Both seem to also be taking this seriously - Sharna is not going easy on her boyfriend and he's not expecting her to do so. Brian had a good start in his dance and his relationship with Sharna certainly helps with their chemistry. I'm eager to see them do a rumba together honestly. But I am also a little worried - didn't Julianne partner up with her then-boyfriend and it didn't really go well for them? Or maybe it went south well after DWTS and their partnership had nothing to do with it. No matter, I am rooting for Brian and Sharna.

Cody and Cheryl: I don't do Peloton so I have no clue who Cody is. But he seems to be a ball of positive energy so I think it's take him far. And he's paired with Cheryl, which is another plus. His tango was a good start. I'm not sure I'm ready to call him an early leader. I'll see what happens next week.

Matt and Lindsay: Our obligatory Bachelor Nation appearance is here! Matt certainly has big shoes to fill since the last two winners are also part of Bachelor Nation. He is paired with Lindsay and they seem to have a good partnership. He's holding his own so far with the others but it remains to be seen if he can keep up or if he falls behind. And if Bachelor Nation can save him if he can't break away from the pack.

The Miz and Witney: The Miz is all for this. And he did better than I thought. He could probably be a bit more graceful and fluid but Witney can whip him into shape. He's going to have to really pay attention to her if he wants to break away from the pack but for now, he's doing fine.

Jimmie and Emma: I like Jimmie and I love Emma so I'm supportive of this couple. He's another promising contestant but he's going to have to put in the work soon. The earlier you pull away from the pack, the better. But I think he can do it and he and Brian might be able to start giving the women some competition.

Iman and Daniella: There's certainly a height different but they can overcome that. Daniella probably can get some tips from Witney. I believe she's been paired with some tall contestants in the past. And she needs to be careful. I knew Len was going to ding her for the choreography as there was very little in hold. She probably thought she could get away with it given the height difference but now that Len's back, he's not going to be so lenient on the choreography. I wouldn't want to see Iman go because Daniella is trying to be creative but ultimately not really addressing the height issue.

Martin and Britt: Poor Martin. He's clearly the weak link, though he is 74. But it's clear that Britt needed to coach him through the paso doble. Which is a hard dance. I'm not sure why the producers gave it to them unless they thought it would work best with his martial arts background. But it's clear he's having fun and I enjoyed his Cobra Kai/Karate Kid-inspired opening. I hope he's around a bit longer but I have a feeling he'll be the first on the chopping block.

So that was the first show of Season 30! I’ll see you all next week when we find out who is going home first!