#It was like neon purple and everything it even had a little smiley face on it

[cgunderwearstories]

The Underwear Volleyball Game

It was a blistering summer afternoon, the kind of day where the sun feels like it's throwing a tantrum, making everything and everyone melt. The local adult volleyball team, "Spiked Punch," had gathered for their weekly game at the park. The sand was so hot it felt like walking on a griddle, and everyone was already sweating through their clothes before the warm-up was even finished.

"Guys," Greg, the team captain, panted as he wiped the sweat off his forehead, "I don’t know about you, but I’m cooking alive here. What do you say we make this a little more…comfortable?"

The team looked at each other, eyebrows raised.

"I’m game," said Tony, who was known for his impulsive decisions. "But let’s keep it PG. How about… underwear only?"

A few chuckles rippled through the group, but as they all stood there, feeling the sun beat down on them, the idea started to sound better and better.

"Alright, let's do it," said Mitch, always the first to jump on board with any wild idea. "It’s not like we haven’t seen each other in worse."

Soon, a chorus of agreement followed, and the players began stripping down, leaving only their underwear.

Team "Boxer Brigade," as they now called themselves, consisted of:

Greg, the team captain, who sported a pair of red boxers with little white skulls on them. A tough guy on the court, but apparently a fan of quirky designs.

Tony, always the life of the party, had on bright yellow boxers with smiley faces all over them. They practically glowed in the sunlight, much like his personality.

Mitch, the wildcard, was wearing boxers with little superheroes on them. Every time he jumped, Spider-Man, Batman, and the Hulk seemed to battle it out in mid-air.

Dave, the quiet one of the group, was full of surprises. His boxers were a deep purple with neon green dinosaurs stomping across them. No one saw that coming.

Sam, the prankster, had on boxers covered in cartoon pizza slices, complete with gooey cheese and pepperoni. It wasn’t clear if he loved pizza that much, or just wanted to mess with everyone’s concentration.

Oliver, the team’s tallest player, sported boxers with little surfing penguins riding waves. The contrast of his tall, lanky frame with the tiny penguins was enough to make everyone giggle.

On the other side of the net was Team Tighties, who had an altogether different look:

Ryan, the co-captain, was rocking classic white tighty whities. But not just any tighty whities—his had the words “Captain Underpants” embroidered on the waistband. It was a power move, really.

Mark, the team's gym buff, was in Jockey white bikini briefs, which left very little to the imagination. He flexed unnecessarily often, making sure everyone knew exactly how much time he spent at the gym.

Jake, the strategist, had on what could only be described as “vintage” tighty whities. They were a bit faded, with a slightly stretched-out waistband. He claimed they were his lucky pair from college.

Brad, the jokester, wore white briefs with little hearts on them. "They’re from Valentine’s Day," he explained, but no one asked.

Steve, the guy who always seemed to have everything in order, wore white cotton panties with the days of the week on the back. Today was “Sunday” written in glittery black cursive.

Frank, the quiet but intense player, had on tighty whities with a single, tiny, embroidered teddy bear on the left side. No one dared to ask about the teddy bear.

As they got into position, the spectators gathered around couldn’t help but laugh, but the teams were undeterred.

Despite their new attire, the game began with a fierce serve from Ryan. The ball was flying back and forth across the net, and the sight of grown men diving in colorful boxers and tighty whities was a spectacle to behold. Every time Mitch jumped, his superheros battled it out in epic slow-motion. Oliver’s penguins seemed to surf along with him as he went for spikes. And Ryan’s tighty whities, emblazoned with “Captain Underpants,” gave him an almost heroic flair, or so he liked to think.

The sun was blazing down on the park, and the game had reached a whole new level of intensity. The teams, Boxer Brigade and Team Tighties, were locked in an epic battle, both on the court and—unbeknownst to one side—off of it.

What no one knew was that Tony, the mischievous trickster of the Boxer Brigade, had secretly brought along a volleyball with a strange, mystical marking on it. Tony had picked it up from an old, dusty shop he’d stumbled upon while on vacation in the middle of nowhere. The shopkeeper had warned him that the ball was "enchanted" and would “stir the passions of any who played with it.” Tony, never one to pass up on a good prank, figured that could only mean fun for the game. He didn’t believe in magic, but he did believe in chaos, and that was just as good.

As the match went on, the ball—glowing faintly in the scorching sunlight—moved between the teams with increasing speed and intensity. The heat, exhaustion, and the competitive spirit were all getting to Team Tighties. But something else was starting to take hold too: the curse.

It began subtly. Ryan, the co-captain of Team Tighties, missed a serve by just a hair. Mark, the gym buff, rolled his eyes and muttered something about how he could’ve done it better. Ryan shot him a glare, his tighty whities (emblazoned with “Captain Underpants”) seeming to tighten as his temper flared.

"You think you could do better?" Ryan snapped, his face flushing red as the heat, and something more sinister, started to boil over.

"Maybe if you spent more time practicing and less time strutting around in those kiddie undies, you wouldn’t miss!" Mark shot back, flexing his biceps for emphasis.

The rest of Team Tighties watched in stunned silence as their two most level-headed players began to bicker. But soon, the curse’s influence spread like wildfire.

Jake, the strategist with the slightly faded tighty-whities, stepped in to try and cool things down, but Brad, always the jokester, saw an opportunity. With a quick motion, Brad yanked on Jake’s waistband, giving him a classic wedgie that sent Jake stumbling forward.

"Hey, what the hell, man?!" Jake yelled, his hands clawing at his back to free his underwear from the deep wedgie. But before he could retaliate, Steve, ever the organized one, piped up with a sarcastic comment about how Jake probably had his lucky vintage undies on the wrong day of the week.

That was it. The curse had fully taken hold.

Chaos erupted on the court. Ryan and Mark, who had once been the pillars of the team, were now locked in a ridiculous fight, each one trying to pants the other. Mark’s grip was strong from his hours at the gym, and he managed to yank Ryan’s underpants down to his ankles. But before Ryan could respond, Mark found his own waistband in Ryan’s grasp, and in a swift motion, Mark’s bikini briefs were down around his knees.

Brad, meanwhile, had moved on from wedgies to full-on tearing. He grabbed the waistband of Steve’s "Sunday" panties and, with a mighty pull, ripped it clean in half. Steve, horrified at the destruction of his perfectly planned outfit, lunged at Brad and managed to get his hands on Brad’s heart-patterned briefs. A rip echoed across the court as Brad’s underwear met the same fate.

Jake, who had finally freed himself from his wedgie, saw Frank standing calmly on the side, seemingly unaffected. Frank, with his tiny embroidered teddy bear on his tighty whities, had always been the quiet one, the calm one. But the curse didn’t care. Jake rushed at Frank, ready to take him down in the same ridiculous manner that was sweeping across the team.

Frank, caught off guard, tried to dodge, but Jake was quick. He grabbed Frank’s waistband and gave it a solid yank. Frank’s tighty whities stretched, but instead of tearing, they snapped back with a resounding thwack that sent Frank stumbling forward. Jake wasn’t done. Fueled by the curse, he reached out and delivered a wedgie so fierce that Frank let out a yelp of surprise.

The scene on the court was one of absolute chaos. The once-proud Team Tighties was now a mess of torn underwear, bruised egos, and sand-covered bodies. The Boxer Brigade, standing on the other side of the net, watched with a mix of horror and amusement. They hadn’t expected the curse to take things this far.

“Uh… should we stop this?” Greg asked, glancing at Tony, who was still holding the cursed volleyball, now glowing slightly in his hands.

“I didn’t think it would actually work,” Tony admitted, looking genuinely concerned for the first time.

“Well, do something!” Mitch yelled, dodging a rogue piece of torn tighty whities that flew across the net.

Tony, unsure of what to do, quickly muttered, “Uh, I reverse the curse! Take it back! Whatever!” and threw the ball to the ground. The glowing ceased immediately.

As if a switch had been flipped, the members of Team Tighties suddenly stopped in their tracks, blinking as if waking from a dream. They looked around at the destruction—torn underwear hanging off in tatters, sand stuck to sweaty, naked bodies, and a few still mid-wedgie.

Ryan was the first to speak. “What the hell just happened?”

“I… I don’t know,” Mark said, looking down at his ruined tighty whities and then at the remains of Ryan’s. “But I’m pretty sure we just ripped each other’s underwear to shreds.”

There was a moment of silence as the reality of the situation set in. Then, as if on cue, everyone burst into laughter. The sight of each other, standing there in what little was left of their underwear, was too ridiculous to take seriously.

“Nice moves there, ‘Captain Underpants,’” Mark said, slapping Ryan on the back, causing him to stumble forward, tripping over his shredded tighty whities.

“Yeah, well, I don’t think your gym buddies would’ve fared any better,” Ryan shot back, laughing so hard he had to wipe tears from his eyes.

The rest of the team was in similar states of disarray, apologizing between fits of laughter. Steve, holding the remains of his Sunday briefs, shook his head with a grin. “Guess I’m gonna need a new pair for next week.”

Tony, still holding the now-normal volleyball, sheepishly approached the group. “Uh, guys? About that… I might have brought a cursed volleyball. Sorry about that.”

The looks he got were a mix of disbelief and amusement.

“Tony, you’re an idiot,” Jake said, still trying to pull the last of the sand out of his tattered briefs.

“Yeah, but we’re idiots too, for going along with it,” Brad added, giving Tony a playful shove.

In the end, the game was forgotten in favor of recovering their dignity—or what was left of it. They all promised to meet up again next week, but with one condition: normal volleyballs, normal clothes, and definitely no curses.

[puppyeared]

I dreamed that I was on tumblr and it suddenly gave me a pop up saying I. Reached my follower limit

[chilling-seavey]

ABM fam going bowling ~T

Yes! Perfect time to use this inspo picture!! hehe

Also I found this video which is also what the guys look like at this time in this universe so enjoy that 😛

Thursday, May 27, 2021

Clementine had her arm around Daniel’s shoulders as he carried her into the building, holding the door open for Florence with the stroller just behind them. It was late May and Zach had invited their friend group to go bowling for his 20th birthday. He meant it as more of a ‘let’s drink and bowl and then head to the arcade’ but with two little ones, Daniel and Florence took it as an opportunity to see their friends and have a fun day out of the house for the girls.

Clementine had never been bowling before - at two-years-old there was a lot she had yet to experience - and simply the bright neon colours and lights that filled the bowling alley had her eyes wide as she looked around to soak everything in. Daniel smiled at her and pressed a kiss to her cheek.

“What do you think, baby?”

“Cool!” Clementine grinned, her little fingers wrapping around the material of his purple t-shirt.

They all walked towards the check-in desk and Daniel ordered them a lane and shoes with a swipe of his debit card. Clementine made sure so say a cheery “hi” with a little wave to the guy behind the counter before they headed off to find their shoes. Florence was going to stick with baby Penelope instead of playing so she went off to find the rest of their group while Daniel and Clementine got their bowling shoes from the rack.

Clementine held onto his shoulders and looked around the area as he got her in her shoes and Velcroed them up for her. The crash of the pins and the sound of the heavy balls hitting the wooden lanes was very new to her and she seemed to constantly be on high alert through the bit of sensory overload. Clementine held Daniel’s hand as they headed down to their group, taking the three steps to the lanes one at a time before she was rushing off towards their friends.

“Jack!” Clementine shrieked, throwing her arms around his legs.

“My little orange! I missed you!” Jack set his beer down so he could pick her up and pressed a kiss to her cheek as she cuddled into him.

Daniel greeted his friends quickly – it had only been a few hours since he had seen them back at their shared house – and they organized themselves into teams.

Since Clementine was playing, one lane had the bumpers and was set up for 5pin bowling as the other were regular 10pin. Daniel and Clementine and Jack and Jonah and Corbyn stuck together with the smaller game and Zach and his friends from class took the main game. Florence kept her seat by the ball return, Penelope sat on her lap with her favourite toy to keep her entertained.

Corbyn typed in everyone’s name into the computer to put up on the score chart screen above the lane, their names down to four letter abbreviations. Clementine was put first to go and Daniel walked with her up to the line and handed her a ball.

“Can you hold this?” he asked softly, trying to let go to have her carry it herself.

“Daddy!” Clementine shrieked, nearly dropping the ball so he set his hands back over hers.

“I got you, I got you.” Daniel chuckled, crouching down behind her. “We’re gonna give it a good roll, okay?”

“Okay.” Clementine nodded, bending her little legs to roll the heavy ball down the lane (with a little extra nudge from Daniel’s hands). They all watched it roll steadily over the wood floor, bumping into the guardrail before finally knocking over a single pin. “It fell down!” Clementine gasped, pointing at it before whipping around to Daniel to see if he saw.

“I know! That’s so good!” Daniel grinned, pressing a kiss to her cheek. He jumped up to grab a second ball. “You have one more turn!”

They rolled the ball down the lane together again, hitting two more pins much to Clementine’s glee and she ran over to Florence to share the details as if she couldn’t see from her close seat. Florence praised her daughter gently before helping her up onto the chair beside her to wait for her next turn. They watched Daniel go next, surprisingly getting a strike on his first go.

“Yay, Daddy!” Clementine shouted as she applauded him.

“Good thing I have my three good luck charms with me.” Daniel smiled, dipping down to kiss his girlfriend sweetly.

The other boys took their turns, Clementine applauding for each of them but always seemed to cheer the loudest for Daniel. And when her turn would come around, she would jump right off the chair and rush up to the line with Daniel and held out her hands for the ball, her little blonde pigtails bouncing with her excitement. She definitely wasn’t winning but she was having the time of her life, watching her slow rolling ball knock over a pin or two, and especially watching the guys throw theirs expertly.

Penelope soon got fussy – probably from all the noise of the bowling alley and the many different lights that were flashing as the sun was setting – and Daniel scooped her up from Florence’s lap to console the ten-month-old himself, resting her head on his shoulder and held his hand over her ear gently as he swayed slowly. So Jonah took over for Daniel with helping the toddler roll her ball down the lane and Corbyn took over Daniel’s turn to rack him up a few points since Corbyn was leading them all.

Clementine was soon offering a smiley, “Good job!” and a high five to everyone when they were done their turns.

It was nearing the end of the game and Jonah had Clementine set up for her turn, making sure she was holding tightly to the ball. “Throw as hard as you can, okay?”

Clementine nodded, pulling her arms back between her little legs before tossing the heavy ball down the lane with a small yelp.

“That was so good!” Jonah praised the toddler, the two of them watching as all of the pins were knocked down.

Clementine screamed and whipped around to Daniel, pointing her little finger down the lane, “Daddy! Look! I won! Look!”

“Oh my gosh, Clem! You knocked them all down?” Daniel gaped.

“Uh huh! All by myself!” Clementine grinned.

Corbyn laughed and clapped Jonah on the back as he got up to take Daniel’s next turn, “The teacher is always forgotten.”

Clementine skipped over to Daniel and he held his hand down for a high five and she smacked her tiny palm against his.

“That’s my girl.” Daniel squished her cheek. “Do you want a snack after your big win, baby?”

“Chipies!” Clementine held onto the hem of his shirt.

“We can for sure get you chips.” Daniel let her by the hand up the three steps to the main hallway where the small restaurant was and he ordered nachos at the window, Penelope still tucked up against his shoulder.

As they were waiting for the food to be made, they rested against the wall and Clementine traced the patterns on the floor with her slippery shoes, keeping herself steady with her hand in Daniel’s.

“Daniel!” Corbyn called from their lane. “You won, bro!”

He looked up at the score list and sure enough, he had pulled through at the end (thanks to Corbyn doing literally all the work) and ended up winning.

“Ay! I did!” Daniel grinned, throwing his friend a thumbs up. “And I didn’t even break a sweat!”

They took the nachos back to their seats and Clementine sat on Florence’s lap to eat and set Penelope in the stroller as the boys did a regular round for themselves. Of course, now that the bumpers were down and Corbyn wasn’t playing for him, Daniel ended up coming in dead last with a score of 24.

He returned to their chairs with a disappointed expression, shaking his head at himself.

“Don’t think this is your game, baby.” Florence chuckled.

“My good luck charms don’t work anymore for some reason.” Daniel tisked.

“One’s asleep and one’s covered in fake cheese.” Florence laughed, looking at Clementine on her lap whose little hands and face were covered in artificial melted cheese from her nacho feast. The two-year-old gave a toothy grin up to Daniel.

“What’s your excuse?” Daniel asked, leaning down towards his girlfriend until they were mere centimetres apart.

“None, you just suck.” Florence teased, earning an insulted gasp from Daniel and she pressed a quick kiss to his cheek.

He couldn’t offer a rebuttal before Clementine was grabbing him by the front of his shirt, “Daddy, I gotta pee!”

“Okay, angel.” Daniel sighed lightly, now with a small greasy cheesy handprint right on the middle of his new shirt and he lifted her off Florence’s lap. “Let’s go.”

Clementine reached up to take his hand as they walked, the sticky mess on her hands now rubbing all over his as well and Daniel could only smile down at the little girl as she skipped happily beside him.

[paodequeijofeliz-blog]

I would do it all again

Ride or Die Fanfiction (characters and main story belongs to Pixelberry Studios).

Pairing: Mona and MC (Annie)

Information: this takes place after the first book.

Summary: After what happened at the parking lot, each member of the crew tries to build a new life, following the “every man for himself” motto. But Annie doesn’t agree with that and tries to pull them back together, especially Mona, who she has been waiting for too many years.

Warnings: some Angst talk, but not much.

Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 Part 4 Part 5 Part 6

I would do it all again - Part 7 (FINALE)

         People weren’t allowed on campus after 10 p.m. The gates were closed, and securities would wonder around, keeping it safe. From what, Mona had no idea, it was just a huge old building with lots of books in it. Even the computers were too old to worth robbing. She just smiled at that vision, not much of a challenge for her. Sneaking in the darkness, the woman found her way to jump over the wall, fast and silent.

         In a few minutes, Mona was already walking through the hallways, clever to keep her distance from the windows. Where did you hide… It looked like the classrooms were all empty.

         “Library.” Said a man’s voice. It was the janitor, standing next to the restroom’s door. “She likes to stay there. I leave it unlocked.”

         She studied him for a moment but nodded her thanks.

        Library was on the third floor and had a light on. Of course Annie would hide between books. Mona crossed it like a lightning, following the heart-breaking sound of a soft crying only to find her girlfriend sitting on the corner. She had a huge coat covering her body, probably something kept in the trunk for cold days. Her face was flushed under the yellow light, a few slow tears still rolling down.

         Slowly, the Lebanese took a step closer and sat in front of Annie. Nobody said anything for a while, as the girl kept her gaze down, wiping the tears away. It was so quiet there that Mona could swear she was hearing their hearts beating: hers, faster, like a race car; Annie’s, slow, sad, tired.

         After what it seemed like an eternity, the sobbing girl took a deep breath and said something.

       “I never meant…”

       “I’m sorry.” Mona interrupted. Were her hands shaking? She shoved them into the jacket’s pockets to hide it. “I didn’t want you to find out that way. I didn’t want you to find out at all, actually. You’re right to be upset. I should’ve told you about Ada and our… Short relationship… In prison. You asked me not to fool you and I did. I lied. Fucked it up.”

       Annie blinked, her mouth opened, but there was no sound, so the Lebanese took it as a sign and carried on.

       “Look, I’m sorry, okay? I really am. You gave me all the time and space to come clean, I guess I was just… I was just…” she roamed her hands through the dark hair, searching for the right word. “Scared.”

        Again, silence. The girl fixed her posture, bit her lower lip, but didn’t say a thing.

       “I was scared you would leave.” That was barely a whisper. “That this would be too much for you to accept.”

       “I’m not upset about that.”

       Mona arched her eyebrows, surprised. “No?”

       “No. Of course not. You never promised me anything back then, Mon. I can’t demand or be mad at your for being with someone else. How selfish do you think I am?”

         “Wait. So, you’re not upset about Ada?”

         “Well, I am bothered that she was standing so close to you today, cause now we are truly dating. But that’s not what really hurt me.” Annie sighed and reached for Mona’s hands. They were warm and squeezed hers in a reassuring way. “I never meant to trap you into a boring life. I don’t want to change who you are, never did. After all of that, I just wanted you to be safe. And that’s all I have. I’m sorry, I can’t keep you safe in a big house, with all the wonderful stuff you deserve. I’m a teacher, a doctorate student, who drives an old car and buys cheap red pens. I’m so sorry. I love you, but I can’t give you what you want.”

         That’s when it hit Mona. It wasn’t the part about being together with another woman that made the girl run away. Not jealousy or disappointment.

         She was just feeling small.  

         “Babe, what Ada said about the things I want or enjoy, that wasn’t true.” The Lebanese let out a laugh of relief. The problem was so much easier. “Gee, is that what’s hurting you? Then look at me, and I’ll repeat it: I want to be here. I want to be with you. I want you and everything related to you. Screw the fancy hotels and jewels. They’re from a part of my life I was dead inside, in rage, alone. I’d trade all of it to run an auto shop with two great friends and a hot girlfriend who sneaks into a freakin’ library when she’s sad.”

         Annie had her eyes filled with tears again. But she was smiling. A broad, happy smile. “Do you mean it? Are you sure? Cause if I’m doing it wrong…”

         Mona stopped her sentence midway by pulling her into a kiss, straddling that silly, cute girl while making her run out of breath. Now she had the face flushed again, but it wasn’t of crying. “Yeah. Dumbass. I’m sure.”

         “So, you’re not sad about living a calmer life from now on?”

         “As calm as we can make it. You know problems will follow me forever. I still have to pee in a cup for my parole officer. And Ada won’t leave me alone for too long. You heard it. I gave her my word when we did… It.”

         Annie tilted her head, slightly confused. “When she said, ‘when we killed that girl’? I thought she meant you. When she turned you into a high profile criminal.”

         “It wasn’t a metaphor.” Mona eyes darkened, but her hands were holding the girl close. She didn’t want to lose her. “Ada had a fight with my cell mate. She suffocated her with a pillow while I… While I was watching. At the door. I didn’t do anything to stop her. It felt like I was frozen there.”

         “I’m sorry.” Annie touched her cheek.

         “She has been holding it against me ever since. I didn’t do anything to help. I didn’t move. I didn’t…”

         “You were in shock. I know you did a lot of bad things in your life, Mon. But you’re not a murderer. That’s why you froze.”

         “This will haunt me forever.” Her voice became a whisper again.

         “We’ll find a way to get through it. Trust me.”

         Mona took a deep breath. Foreheads together, they were losing themselves in each other’s gaze. The Lebanese felt broken in so many ways, and yet somehow, she could find peace in that girl’s face.

         “After everything you did for us? I trust you. Blindly.”

         “I would do it all again.”

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

           “Here’s more beer!” Toby lifted two boxes while walking inside the shop, a credit card hanging in his month.

         “Leave it on the fridge and take a cold one for you!” Ximena was sitting on a nice red car’s hood, next to a smiley Annie.

         “Nice!” he grabbed a bottle and threw himself on one of those rolling chairs that was left around, spinning closer to them. “The food?”

         “Mona’s bringing it.” Said the tattooed girl, stopping him with her foot. “You’ll get dizzy.”

         “She’s taking forever. Isn’t the diner just across the street?” Toby took a gulp of his beer, too distracted to notice the expression on Annie’s face.

         “Yeah, well, she had a doctor’s appointment today too. Just some check-up. X, do you have the camera?”

         “Sure thing, all set!”

         A couple minutes later, the old dusty car, Harold, parked beside the fancy red one. Mona jumped out of it with huge bags of burgers and fries. Ximena gladly took it out of her arms and went to leave them on the table, followed by a hungry Toby. “Finally! I’m starving.”

         “Hey, babe.” She gave her girl a kiss on the cheek, pulling her closer by the waist.

         “Hi, you. How was therapy?” Annie kept her voice low, careful so they wouldn’t listen.

         Mona only rolled her eyes, giving the same answer as always. “Boring.”

         But it wasn’t true. She was enjoying it. Well, at least, respecting it enough. Otherwise, the Lebanese wouldn’t be going there again every month for the past year. Annie knew it, but why not let the woman have her tough attitude?

         “I bet it was.” She lingered for a while on those dark eyes, before suddenly realizing the noises in the kitchen. “Hey, you two! No eating now! Let’s take the picture first. Just bring the beers!”

         Toby showed up with a mouth filled with French fries and two extra bottles on his hands. “He’ ya gu.”

         “Did you steal some fries?” Annie shook her head dramatically, pretending to be hurt. “How could you????”

         “No, I…” he swallowed the rest of it, taking a gulp of beer to help. “No, I didn’t. Me? A thief? Never! I’m totally against crimes.”

         “Alright, timer is set to ten seconds! So, everybody, get into place.” Ximena had put the camera on top of a few boxes carefully positioned in front of the shop. It could frame them together with the neon letters on the top.

         Mona took the extra bottles from Toby, giving one to Annie while sitting next to her on the car hood. “Cheers to that. Let’s go, X!”

         “Annnnnd, now! Ten seconds!” the tattoo artist ran towards then, sitting on the floor, right in front of the red car, her long arms grabbing each one of the women’s legs. Toby preferred to stay up next to them, sticking his tongue out while his right arm was in the air with the bottle of beer in his hand.

         The flash blinded them for a second. The first picture as a group again.

         “So?” Mona took a long gulp, throwing an arm around Annie’s neck.

         Ximena was still shaking the polaroid. “Patience!”

         “Oooh I look like one of those dangerous bass players in a Rock band.” Said Toby, peeking over her shoulders.  

         “Here! What do ya think?”

         “Nice!” the Lebanese smiled, proud of how hot she looked in that picture.

         Annie needed a little longer. She held the photo and admired it for a moment. They seemed so cool. The cars, the pose, the purple neon letters forming the name RIDE OR DIE.

         It was just the beginning of their new lives.

Tagging: @kamilahsayeet2063 (hope you like it <3)

[skamamoroma]

You Are Not From Milan - Thoughts (Part 1)

So this one was always going to be a game changer and I’m sorry for taking a while to write my thoughts. I didn’t think people were too interested in more of my ramblings but then I got quite a few requests so here we are!

First off, I’m so grateful to those people who have helped shed light on what Nico might be experiencing and the illness he lives with. Education on this stuff is so important and I really found it so interesting to read about people’s experiences because only then can you really appreciate what the show is trying to do. Some of that information really did inform us and enabled so many of us to really understand Nico a little more and ESPECIALLY some of the moments in this clip... because yeah, Bessegato might be a bit arrogant etc (!) but nobody can deny that Skam Italia have worshipped Marti and Nico as characters (and others - especially Gio) and I feel the love for these characters in each clip and this one was absolutely no exception despite some of it being very difficult stuff.

This is long. I’m making myself clear right now because if you fall asleep mid way through or even before then, NOBODY could blame you, but some people asked for it so here it is! <3

First off, Bessegato with this cinematography. I love that we get a really poppy, upbeat song with the two of them on the train either kissing or taking selfies or both. It’s youthful and cute and fun to see them spending time together and doing pretty typical sweet stuff with one another. 

I think the main thing I felt when I watched the start of this clip was the comfort they have together. We’re straight off the back of Nico being upset, his mother behaving as she did, Marti being a little uncomfortable and Nico apologising and telling Marti he wants to sleep next to him. That broke my heart. The way he said it was so simple but said SO MUCH. When we were in his room with him and he was asking Marti to leave, you could hear two things so clearly: how much he DIDN’T want that to happen and also how much he desperately wanted comfort. I keep coming back to that because I didn’t feel that with Even. I felt different wants and desires from him but with Nico I just always get this overwhelming feeling that he needs comfort and someone to just SEE him and gather him up. When Rocco said his word was ‘vulnerability’ with Nico, it shows. A lot. 

So the fact that straight off the back of that comment from Nico, we have him being able to spend time with Marti with nobody else there is something we KNOW will be very special. 

And that’s the key thing. NOBODY ELSE THERE. This is Milan. Day and night time and the only other person we see during the entire clip, despite them being in the open, in a central location, is the lady introducing the flat. 

Now, I’ve said this before but I love Skam’s realism. It’s why I’m drawn to it so much. But I also love how Skam Italia has stuck close to realism but drawn a little more on the cinematic aspects. I’m down for that. I’ve adored it. This clip, for me, was by far the most cinematic and I’m kind of thrilled because I often feel like, to depict mental illness, things like camera angles, light, sound, shot length, cinematography tricks and metaphors are WONDERFUL. Something from the original (and the og had much less of a cinematic feel which worked perfectly for it) that I adored was the impact the scene changes were when Even was taking deep breaths and unable to sit still. Those breaths going straight into a black screen was genius and still gives me chills to this day. Those effects, you can say so so much with them and it seems they used that but in really subtle ways. It’s not really STARKLY obvious that nobody is around until you really think about it. 

We kind of have a first introduction into them being the Last Men on Earth.

The little kiss Marti gives Nico is a lovely book end moment to their scene outside the school, isn’t it? Marti feels a little more able to be open but again, THERE IS NOBODY AROUND. Not a soul. When I watched the clip again after realising nobody was visible, it changed it all for me. I actually got shivers because it was EXACTLY like Marti explained... if you’re the last person on earth - WHAT WOULD YOU DO. Possibilities are endless.

I loved the giddy teenage response to the fancy apartment. It was so sweet and that VIEW. The fact that Nico specifically asks for the skyscrapers was SO DAMN SWEET. Ah. It’s such a youthful thing to do - SHOW ME THE BIG BUILDINGS. Tbh I’m the same, I’m a sucker for a good view. 

I think it’s here we realise how expensive this must have been.... the apartment with THAT view. We know that Nico was, at this point, experiencing an episode due to his illness but what is so telling is that he chose to rent an apartment. That was his choice in that moment and he wanted a safe and quite space with Marti with pretty views. I mean. NICO. Romance runs in his veins. 

THE NOSE BOOP. So familiar, so bloody cute and so playful. This is NOTHING new to them but just confirms how they are together and they are LOVELY.

AND THEN THE CURTAINS. Now @only-in-dreamland wrote a pretty special post about the curtains that I LOVE. Go read it. When I watched this back I wondered what the point of including that was. It’s not really a throwaway comment, it’s said a couple of times and I think this wonderful post on the meaning could be pretty spot on because those curtains are so important later on. 

I loved the music in the background too. It’s whimsical, plinky plonky kind of music. It made the whole scene feel film-like, alongside that purple blue sky and the little lights from the cool buildings. Contrasted with the scene taking place, it made it a little disconcerting too because towards the end, you can see Marti’s not entirely sure how to behave because Nico is being pretty forward and a little different to how we’ve seen him before. 

AND THEN THE SCENE WHICH RENDERS ME SPEECHLESS. 

First off, that gorgeous moment of the two of them leaning on the balcony looking at their pretty view that’s all theirs.... it’s so child like with wonder but also so damn romantic. I love that Marti says they’ve been to one of the buildings opposite as it means they spent time together during the day. Knowing that is such a comfort. 

Nico looks so calm with Marti, really happy and very smiley as we know him to be so when Marti looks back and they just giggle... it’s a really beautiful moment. They are always happy to be together, always smiling. It’s like their trademark THING at this point. Marti just looks so smitten, so at ease and completely mesmerised by Nico. It’s almost dream-like again. 

And then we have the RED. Everything till this point is so BLUE. The sky, the buildings, Marti’s clothes (OF COURSE), the view.... and then there’s this BOLD RED and it’s also another of their things. This sharp change in colour which normally means a change in mood. 

This moment with the neon sign is one of my absolute favourites so far this whole season. 

First off, the music. From the RED PILL BLUES album. Come onnnnnnn! Perfect. The song is one I’d have NEVER considered but my god, it’s perfect. some of the lyrics “keep me connected to you” and “you wanna be reckless, restless right until tomorrow”.... but lastly “WHEN WE CLOSE THE CURTAINS”. God damn it. THOSE CURTAINS AGAIN.

Not to mention this song is sexy as hell. It’s just one of THOSE songs with that slow beat... amazinggggg song choice, I can’t even cope with how good it is. 

But then you have Nico asking Marti about the sign and there’s something so sweet about Marti’s “um, how?” and you can see Nico feels the same. He’s endlessly charmed by Marti but in this moment he chooses his own version. It’s like he wants the scene to be perfect, to be THEM and only them for this short period of time. It’s like a title to a tv show, like he’s making this time MARTI AND NICO and nobody else, so much so that it’s written all over the wall to make it clear. The way he does it though, the way he points and walks slowly and smiles and laughs a little at Marti’s confusion before catching him in a kiss... it’s so cinematic my heart couldn’t handle it but it’s that kind of overwhelming, bowl you over kind of sensual cinematic moment that has you swooning but the music makes it more than that, it’s actually intoxicating. I usually hate that work but god does it explain this scene. 

HOW ANYONE CAN COMPLAIN ABOUT THIS SCENE NOT BEING ENOUGH IS HONESTLY BEYOND ME. I’ve rarely seen a heterosexual love scene with intimacy like this nevermind a same sex couple. 

The slow kisses are completely perfect especially considering their happy bouncy kisses in the cabin. This is a ‘take your time’ kiss. Rocco and Fede floor me in this scene. Truly. Every moment is so full of LOVE and CONNECTION and it is almost difficult to watch because it feels very private. They’ve always had this instant easy kind of chemistry but this is a change from the cabin’s frantic kissing, this is soulful and full of touches that say so much without words....! They barely stop touching. The fact that they always touch each other’s faces is painfully sweet because it’s that awe and gentle sweetness they’ve shown time and time again. 

For Marti, it makes me so happy because this is what he deserves. He looks SO comfortable, so happy, so into every moment that it’s kind of breathtaking to see. I couldn’t help but feel so emotional for him because he’s getting the physical part of a relationship he has no doubt wanted but never known if it was possible for him... 

The “private dancer” moment is actually intimate as hell and crazy sexy with Nico helping Marti slide his clothes over his head. People cannot watch this and feel they’re being shortchanged in terms of depicting same sex love and intimacy because it is painfully intimate. 

Lets have a moment to appreciate Rocco’s insane and beautiful curly messy hair because it’s wild in this moment and such a lovely touch in comparison to Marti’s own hair. The shadow effects are absolutely stunning because you focus in on what is important and the detail is simply not necessary. 

AND THEN NICO KISSES MARTI’S HEART and my own heart hurt. We know Nico is a romantic. We know he adores Marti but god. GOD. He does it in such a way that it’s obvious he has chosen to kiss over Marti’s heart, he’s trying to say so much without saying it. 

There’s something they both have done since day one and that’s hold the other in place when they kiss and it makes me a bit emotional!!!! Marti does it quite a bit in this moment, keeps Nico close with his hands or guides him closer to him. Those details are what impress me so so much about Rocco and Fede’s acting. This is really really intense stuff to show, especially to do it well but they make it look absolutely real. I don’t question it for a second and I’m normally someone who is snapped out of scenes when acting is awry or something doesn’t sit right. Never with this season. Not once. 

Again with the smiling, the giddy blissed out smiles that are a Martino Rametta staple. His smile is so lovely and to see him happy is what we all want so all you want to do is keep that smile on his face! 

I ADORE the little moment when Marti is hovering over Nico and Nico’s finger drags along under his chin. It almost stopped my heart with how intimate a detail that was, how in love they seemed in that little moment alone. 

The last shot of this scene is so gorgeous that I KNEW, I knew watching it the first time that it was going to be the last time we saw them like that. I just had this awful sinking feeling seeing them slotted together to happy and lazy and cuddled together that it wasn’t going to last but what a truly gorgeous shot that was. Nico looked tranquil as hell and that’s why what happens afterwards is so painful for me and for us all because all of that intense comfort that Nico wanted and was seeking and that Marti loved... they didn’t get it. They didn’t get their time to sleep next to eachother. It was so SAD for me because that comfort is what I keep coming back to... life got in the way and stole that from them and I felt so unbeliavably sad. I KNOW they will get it. I am certain and I can’t wait to see that but, for now, my heart hurt so much. 

[rm-dimplemaster-blog]

don’t deserve your love (vhope)

(read more break included- press to read the whole fic :) )

for @ollania

The first time Hoseok hits Tae, it's by accident.

Middle of July. All seven of them are working on a complex dance in the practice room. AC is busted—it's literally in pieces hanging off the wall with all its green and yellow wires dangling like tangled-up cat whiskers. Tae is sweating off all his mascara. He put some fairyland purple on his left eye, disco animal black on his right (massive chunks of glitter that poke your eyeball everytime you blink included) earlier in the kitchen while he was catching a tan by the giant window all across his bare back and freckled shoulders. And now it's running down his cheeks, pooling in his cupid's bow, and it looks like he's been crying stardust tears.

The blow comes outta nowhere. An elbow straight to the chin. Knocks him down in a sec cause he wasn't prepared. He falls in a heap on the floor, red and purple striped shirt, dark damp hair and unlaced light-orange snickers.

Someone goes aigoo!

Jin goes waaaa and pushes the bangs out of his eyes using the hem of his tee.

Namjoon's deep voice from the left, to Hoseok you're like a typhoon. With two fingers he does a whirlwind motion accompanied by a whooshwhoosh!

A warm hand on Tae's left shoulder.

Hoseok's face above his: peach-colored lips from a creamy lip balm that makes his cupid's bow all shiny and well-contoured; lashes so fine it looks like they were drawn on with the lightest of mechanical pencils; a black string necklace around his neck with its dove pendant swinging all silver and weightless above Tae's face.

Bits of neon lights weave themselves into Hoseok's hair and beam on the smooth line of neck and shoulder. In the big mirrors: Yoongi scratching an itch on his right elbow, Jimin blowing into his loose tanktop cause midday summer heat, Jin making fun of Namjoon's dancing skills, Jungkook snacking with his nose all scrunched up.

The room smells like Yoongi's raspberry handcream, the detergent they all wash their clothes with, a faint trace of cigarette smoke from the all-black wearing dance instructors, and youth. From above him, Hoseok smells like fresh fabric and sun-kissed jeans and for the first time ever, looking into his eyes makes Tae's heart go a little faster, a little rougher.

Hoseok's soft bony fingers on Tae's face, checking for injuries. Hurts somewhere?

Yoongi you probably knocked some of his molars out.

Jimin ah you make it sound like he has like ninety nine of those.

Namjoon still alive there, Tae?

Jin no, he's freshly deceased.

Tae shakes his head at Hoseok, bangs flying all over the place.

Sorry Hoseok says all small and smiley, music makes my mind go poooof! I lose track of everything. My arms turn into windmills.

He tries grabbing Tae's hands but gets handfuls of red and purple striped sleeves instead. Tae huffs out a laugh through his nose and squeezes Hoseok's hands through the fabric. His jaw aches. So does the side of his face. But it doesn't matter, not now.

*

The second time it's part of a game.

It's past midnight and they're playing the 키스 또는 히트 game. You're supposed to spin a bottle aka truth or dare style: the cap points to you and you get to decide if you smack the receiving end across the wrist or give 'em a kiss. They didn't have a bottle and trying to spin Namjoon's yellow slipper was a fail so they went for Jungkook's pumpkin spooks special Halloween edition lip smacker instead.

They're sitting out in the hallway where all the lights are out for the night. They have Jin's scented candle crackling all soft on one of the mint green plastic waiting chairs

(jin, all eyes:

What if we set off the fire alarm

Yoongi what, with that candle. Ha. Goodluck with that. Weak flame. Plus this building's so old, half the shit here don't work.)

--and like four empty bags of banana chips just lying everywhere and their phone screens are sending fuzzy columns of light towards the low ceiling. The darkness has everyone all giddy and alert and shushing eachother cause they're laughing too hard.

So far it's been a whole lot of wrist smacking, but also a whole lot of kissing and Jungkook's lip balm doesn't only serve as the pointer in the game it's also being passed around for extra softness and sweetness and everyone's lips taste like pumpkin and spice.

Sitting in a circle with shadows under their eyes and flickering orange candle light fluttering in their irises, all seven of them play the night away.

Jimin smooched Namjoon. Slipped on a chips bag while crawling on all fours to get to Yoongi and rolled on the floor laughing for five minutes straight till he was clutching his belly and going all red in the face.

Jungkook smacked Jin's wrist so hard the slapping sound bounced off the walls like an outta control rubber ball

(Jin, gawking at literally everyone did you see what he just--

Jungkook smiled extra wide and his teeth shone almost translucent in the dark)

Yoongi gave an ok to kissing Hoseok but when it was time for him to actually do it he whined

Aish I'm so sleepy and hugged his backpack and put his chin on it and Hoseok wah how lazy can one be took the whole kissing thing on himself and planted a quick one on the left side of Yoongi's mouth to which Yoongi hasn't objected and which made the tips of his ears turn a little red.

When the lip smacker's end ends up pointing to him, Tae hugs his knees a little bit tighter and looks up from behind a curtain of freshly cut and dyed bangs. First time it points to him tonight. Moving his toes inside his red Doc Martens, he blinks around, the sudden silence all around him sticking to his lashes like glue. Six pairs of eyes stare at him in the dark. The hallway smells like pumpkin and grape gum, shampoo and warm skin and past midnight draft.

The cap of the lip smacker pointing to him, Hoseok looks at Tae with a twinkle in his eye, hugging one knee, colorful bead bracelet hanging off his right wrist.

Jin and Namjoon exchange insinuating glances.

Jungkook looks from Tae to Hoseok and back again with his mouth open, curious.

Yoongi says all deadpan kiss is bliss.

Jimin bites his knuckles on a smile.

The dark closes in on him and his heart beats all muffled under his baggy black shirt.

Hoseok looks at him all soft and insecure, pushing the blue and purple beads around, mustering the courage to crawl across the light-orange tiles and weave his fingers into Tae's hair and really gentle press his lips to his.

Tae swallows hard. Blinks down at the tiles without looking up again.

When Hoseok pushes his hair behind his ears and goes on his knees to head his way, Tae lifts up his sleeve and exposes his wrist.

Hoseok kinda freezes on the spot, smile faltering, fingers of one hand splayed out on the floor while those of the other running up and down his thigh, scratching lightly and crumpling the denim.

Whoa Jin says.

Nibbling on his bag's zipper, Yoongi goes hello there tough guy.

Jungkook scrunches his nose plot twist!

You sure? Hoseok asks, whisper the same tone as the smoke curling upwards from the candleflame's belly.

Tae sucks his lips in. Nods. Offers Hoseok his wrist, veins up, making a fist.

Hoseok doen't wanna do it but those are the rules. Setting himself on his knees infront of Tae, he helps him push the sleeve up higher, then grabs his wrist.

He hits with two fingers.

Jimin flinches for Tae when Tae doesn't even blink.  

*

Third time it's playful.

First time they kiss, it's in a street corner in Singapore.

They sky is bluish-grey and short sleeved dress shirts are flailing really faint on the clotheslines overhead. It's funny because with all that bright afternoon glow, the clothesline themselves seem to disappear and if you look up from the street below, all you can see is a mess of shirts and light jackets tossed everywhere amongst the puffy weightless clouds, a senseless scene from a futuristic painting.

The roads are packed with carts full of oranges and apples and chubby rough-skinned pears. Everywhere you look it's food booths with noodles and saucy meats and steamed rice that smells like the ocean and stings your tongue with delicious saltiness. It's flowery parasols that fly open like a flock of birds reaching for the sun; it's girls in dresses and women in sandals that let out a soft squishy sound when the heel leaves the ground. It's lanterns as big as pumpkins filled with light that birds flutter by with a song. It's shop signs with Chinese lettering that Hoseok, during their stroll earlier, used to point to and attempt to read

(what Hoseok said when he spotted Tae giving a little smile after he read aloud a bookshop name.

Tae gave a shy shrug just love the way you make the 'sh' sound when you speak Chinese. I love the way it sounds.)

It's turquoise-painted doors and wind chimes that ring out so delicate it tingles down your spine.

And it's Hoseok's soft hot mouth on his when the wind comes from the left knocking a few shutters closed and billows their shirts and sends their bangs flying into their eyes. Tae's holding a half empty pink glass bottle of fizzy sweet blueberry soda and the straw pushes between his ring and middle finger. His left hand, Hoseok holds between their bodies, almost hidden by the fabrics of their shirts.

It's summer and they're on their first Asia tour and the street smells like oranges and Hoseok presses his forehead against Tae's temple, lashes fanning across Tae's cheekbone.

I'm seeing stars Tae kinda whispers. He's not trying to be funny, it's actually what it feels like, but Hoseok laughs all bubbly and weightless.

He smacks Tae's shoulder, suddenly shy and self aware.

*

Fourth time, it's emotion.

Hoseok slaps Tae hard. The sound rings out across the empty stage like a clap of thunder.

They had just finished rehearsal and almost all the lights are out. Tiny grains of dust float in the air like fireflies. Behind Tae, a giant screen shows chunks of silver glitter falling and falling and falling, endlessly, the loop invisible.

Tae touches his ring finger to his lip. The corner of his mouth is bleeding.

Tae kissed another boy. He wanted to. The love Hoseok gives, he feels like he doesn't deserve. Never has. Never will.

He looks at the smear of blood on his finger. Winces with the stinging tear in his lip. 

This, he deserves.

[aceattorneygroupchat]

THE HALLOWEEN PARTY, part 1

It was Halloween, and Maya Fey had a mission.

Well, two, technically. First, to throw an amazing party. But second and no less important was to get her incredibly dense honorary-older-brother and his obvious longtime crush to finally admit their damn feelings for each other.

And, okay, before any of that there turned out to be one more mission, since the aforementioned longtime crush had gone back to waffling on the costume that he'd already agreed to.

“...What do you mean ‘we’ll see?!’”

“We'll see,” insisted Miles Edgeworth, who was setting out stacks of black and orange plastic cups that thoroughly clashed with the usual posh motif of his home. Of course, so did all the decor that he, Maya, and Phoenix Wright were in the process of setting up, although the contrast was lessened a little by the similarly-colored covers he’d put over most of the furniture.

“The party is in two hours; it’s too late for ‘we’ll see!’” Maya said. She was standing on one of the dining room chairs, raising herself higher onto her toes in a vain attempt to re-affix a pumpkin swirl hanger that had fallen from the ceiling.

“When we finish setting up, I will decide,” he replied firmly, as if Maya were the unreasonable one for expecting him to follow through on a decision he’d already made… made several times, in fact.

Maya groaned loudly, partly at the decoration she was still attempting to put up, but mostly at Miles.

“Come on, I texted you this morning and you said you would do it. You already have the costume, Nick has his Evil Magistrate one; it’s too late to just bail on us now!”

“Speaking of late,” Miles said, neatly sidestepping Maya’s point, “isn’t Larry supposed to have arrived to help us with all this by now?”

“He is… but this is Larry we’re talking about,” said Phoenix, who was in the process of stretching fake spiderwebs across a couch. He suddenly gave a slightly uneasy glance toward Miles. “Edgeworth, how sturdy are your chairs…?”

“Fairly sturdy, why do you…?” he began before noticing the answer to his question and rushing over. “--Not that sturdy! Maya, what are you doing?!”

What Maya was doing was starting to climb to the top of a very precarious-looking two-chair stack that she’d apparently made in the few moments when no one was looking at her.

“I’m just trying to put this back up!” she said indignantly.

“You are going to fall. I’d rather not spend tonight taking you to the hospital.”

She sighed and got down. “Okay, okay.”

“There’s a stepladder right over there, you know,” Phoenix added, nodding towards the corner.

“Again with stepladder,” Maya muttered, but went to get the ladder nevertheless, dragging it back to her spot and safely rehanging the decoration while Miles set the chairs back to their usual position.

Phoenix pulled a strand of webbing over the final windowsill in the room and stepped back to look around and assess his handiwork.

“Is this enough spiderwebs?” There was still one unopened, ‘GLOW-IN-THE-DARK’-labeled bag of the stretchy decor left- Maya may have gone a bit overboard estimating how much they’d use- but Phoenix had already covered just about every surface he could find, unless he wanted to move on to decorating the bathroom.

“Don’t overdo it. I don’t want people to come in and just think I never dust the place,” Miles answered, without looking up from the table where he was meticulously aligning the snack bowls. He offhandedly wondered whether a Steel Samurai costume or an unkempt home would be more damaging to the image he tried to project.

“They’re neon green. I think your clean-house reputation is safe.”

“Wouldn’t less of them give that impression more, though? No one has this many giant cobwebs,” Maya pointed out.

“True, point taken.” He took a moment to actually look this time before responding. “I think they’re fine.”

Phoenix untangled a strand of spiderweb that had attached itself to his hair before going to the kitchen to throw away the bags.

“I think that’s just about everything!” Maya declared, once he’d returned.

Indeed, Miles Edgeworth’s home- or at least the part of it that they’d agreed for the party to be mostly contained to- was looking suitably spooky. The furniture was draped with black and orange, tables were set with ghost-print plates and plenty of large bowls for snacks, shiny pumpkins hung every few feet, and green webs adorned every surface. Maya had also set up an area for photos on one side of the room, and a small purple tent in the corner, adorned with a hand-painted banner that read ‘MYSTIC MAYA’S FORTUNES.’ Aside from the actual snacks- Maya was crossing her fingers that when Larry finally showed up he wouldn’t have forgotten them- it was ready to become a world of tricks and treats.

“Well, I'm going to go change into my costume. You guys should too,” she said.

“One of us needs to stay by the door, to let Larry in when he finally arrives,” Miles pointed out. And unfortunately, while he may have been using this as another excuse to put off his costume decision, he was also right.

“Nick can do it,” Maya tried, one last attempt to get him to commit before the very last minute.

“No, that's quite all right. This is my house, after all.”

Maya grumbled a little, but since her own costume would take a bit of time to get into, she didn’t have much time to waste pushing it. “Okay, fine. C’mon, Nick.” She picked up the bag she’d put her costume pieces into, Phoenix doing the same and following her upstairs before they split off to change.

--

Phoenix’s costume took a lot less time to prepare than Maya’s did. She, of course, was a lot more dedicated to accuracy, and between the multi-piece armor, her wig, and the full-face bright pink makeup, it was around half an hour before she left the second upstairs bathroom to meet back up with him.

But, while she may have known his costume wouldn’t be the elaborate passion project hers was- probably just a standard store-bought Evil Magistrate- she was in no way prepared for the sight she saw.

“Nick, what the heck is that?!”

“What do you mean, ‘what is that?’” he replied indignantly. “It’s the costume you wanted me to wear.”

“No it’s not! It’s all wrong!” Maya got closer, inspecting every detail and becoming more appalled with each one. “Why is the cape blue? Why are the shoulder pieces red?! What even is that goofy-looking smiley face of a belt buckle??!” She gestured wildly.

“Isn’t this what the character looks like?” Phoenix said without a hint of irony. Maya sighed.

“Yeah, maybe if he were a colorblind crayon drawing! Nick, where’d you even get this? Lemme see the package.”

She immediately took Phoenix’s bag from where he had placed it against the wall and rifled around in it for a moment before she found the plastic pouch the costume had come in.

“‘Morally Unsound Judge?!’” she exclaimed, looking from the bag to Phoenix in disbelief. “Did you even look at this before you bought it?” She shook her head at him before leaning over the railing at the top of the stairs and calling, “MILES! C’mere, you HAVE to see this!”

“Oh, don’t call him up here just for this…”

Phoenix had barely finished speaking, however, before Miles was at the top of the stairs, immediately being handed the costume bag by Maya.

“‘Morally Unsound…’” He squinted at it. “What sort of cheap knockoff is this? Why is it here?”

Maya gestured at Phoenix.

“...No.” His grey eyes immediately took on the same disbelief that was written all over Maya’s face. “Wright, this has to be a joke. Please tell me you brought this as a joke.”

“Look, you two are the ones who actually watch the show! I just saw the costume Maya wanted me to get and I got it. I don’t know what more you want from me here.”

Miles exchanged a glance with Maya and they both shook their heads. After another moment of looking Phoenix over, Miles suddenly looked quite resolute and spoke again.

“That’s it. I’ve made up my mind.”

“About your costume?” Maya asked eagerly.

“Yes. Here I’ve been, embarrassed to be seen in a finely detailed, high-quality reproduction of a well-loved character’s iconic apparel… but it’s perfectly clear to me now. I have nothing to be ashamed of.” He looked Phoenix- or more accurately, the dollar-store mask- in the eye. “You do.”

And with that, he left to change, his decision finally made.

“Aw, Nick, I get it now!” Maya said once he was gone. “You knew that’d boost his confidence, didn’t you?”

Phoenix blinked. “Uh… oh, yeah, of course.”

[poisoned-monkey]

saiouma exchange for #18

this is my entry for the SaiOuma exchange hosted by @saioumaexchange! i hope my recipient enjoys this! the story is under the read more! (my recipient’s number was 88) 

ratings: T (for use of foul language, nothing else tho) 

includes: fluff, tooth-rotting cuteness, demon prince kokichi, and more. 

           I abruptly woke up to find myself on the floor with my left leg tangled in a sheet. I shot an irritated glare over the top of the bed at the lump who had nudged me off the bed. Groaning, I hauled myself up to sit on the edge of the mattress. Only a mop of curly purple hair stuck out from the mound of covers and I pushed back them back to reveal a peacefully sleeping face, a bit of drool leaking out the edge of his mouth and I hated myself for finding it oddly endearing.

Though it was not endearing enough to warrant any mercy from me. I gripped the sides of the blanket and jerked them off in one fluid motion. A loud groan emitted from the body below as he curled his wings and tail closer to himself to conserve heat. Yeah, dark purple wings and a sharp pointy tail. The boy below me was a demon. A high ranking one according to him. It was times like these that made me question how this had happened; how exactly I had a demon living in my house and sleeping in my bed. It made me think back to the day that we met.

 -A few months prior-

 I sighed as I stepped out of my car and into the darkness. The agency had kept me over rather late because I was behind on some papers that I had put off in favor of solving some of the more urgent cases that had been given to me. It was well past ten o-clock and the night was stiflingly muggy. I immediately missed the air-conditioned car and couldn’t get into my house fast enough.

Silence greeted me as I turned on the lights and tossed my keys haphazardly onto the table. I floated around in the kitchen putting my things away when I noticed I hadn’t taken out the garbage yet. I sighed as I rolled up my sleeves and gathered up the bag. Best to do it now rather than later so I can relax without dreading it. I pulled out my phone, flicked on the flashlight, and headed out.

I wasn’t exactly scared of the dark but I didn’t exactly want to stay in it longer than I had to, so I moved quickly to the side of the house. As I approached it I noticed bits of scattered trash on the ground and warily thought that a raccoon might have infiltrated the can.

That is until I noticed two legs sticking out the side of it. I broke out into a cold sweat as a multitude of thoughts rushed through my mind: the most prominent one being that someone disposed of a body in my garbage can. Until I noticed one of the legs twitch a little bit. I let out a breath I hadn’t realized I was holding. Okay, not a dead body, that was good.

But that left the question of who the hell was sleeping in there? I directed the light towards the lid of the bin and tentatively raised it.

Inside, I found a filthy boy nestled in a shell of purple hair, and what looked like…scales? He was cradling a weird looking backpack like it was his lifeline. He was also indeed very much asleep. His face was slightly turned away from me, leaning into an empty ramen cup.

I looked at him for a minute, really looked, and I could see beneath the dirt was a rather pretty face...but I didn’t dwell on that.

“Hey, um, are you alright?” I asked. I received no response so I repeated myself, that time a little louder. I sighed, reached out and poked his cheek. It was pleasantly squishy. His body stirred, eyes slowly fluttering in awakening. Eventually, a pair of sleepy but vibrantly purple eyes greeted me. The boy’s pupils were slit, almost like a cat’s, or a snake’s…though, I wasn’t able to entertain that thought for too long. The figure suddenly lurched forward, sending trash flying everywhere about the alley behind my house. He began glancing around wildly.

His regard finally settled on me. After a long moment of shared eye contact, he smiled like he knew something I didn’t; which, in my defense, was partly true as I hadn’t ascertained why he was in my garbage can yet.

“You,” he pointed at me with a clawed fingertip, “name?”

“Um, Shuichi? I don’t mean to be rude but what exactly-?”

“Then don’t be!” The boy replied cheerfully with a shit-eating grin as he began to try to unsteadily mount the garbage can. When he finally gained his footing, something black flapped behind him. Wings…like a bat. And a tail? “Feast your eyes, pitiful human, upon the prince of the underworld: Kokichi Ouma!”

Prince…of the underworld? A demon?

“You, Shuichi, have been specifically chosen to be my new underling. You can thank me later.” Kokichi glided down to the ground and started walking towards my front door. “This is your house, riiiiightttt? Well, ours now I guess I should say.”

After the demon boy had invited himself in and cleaned up, he was actually quite striking. He had slight curls of purple to his dark hair, the hue of which glinted nicely off of the scales on his wings as well as the ones that covered his hands, forearms, and legs. His clothes had been tattered and torn so he stole some of my shirts and somehow managed to cut gaping holes into the backs, claiming them as his own.

Once he finished wandering through the house, “checking for enemies” as he put it, Kokichi plopped down in front of the table with a mountain of my snacks and my emergency sweets, which I had reserved for guests, and prepared to chow down.

“Why don’t you have any soda?” he asked through his mouthful of food. “All you have is coffee products. Got a caffeine addiction I should know about, roomie?”

I sighed as I pulled out the chair opposite to him. “It’s not an addiction-“ I paused. “I just like coffee, and besides soda isn’t good for you” I stated, reciting what I say to my friends who are also concerned over the amount of coffee I ingest.

Kokichi rolled his eyes and pointed a tasty cake in my direction. “Soda is good for demons, didn’t you know?” He assured matter-of-factly as I ogled him warily. He laughed a considerably strange laugh. “That’s a lie because I’m a liar if you couldn’t already tell,” he proclaimed whilst shoving the entire cake in his mouth.

I mulled his words over in my mind for a minute before I spoke again. “So, does that mean you’re lying about being a demon?”

Kokichi laughed again. “Think the wings are fake? Too bad! So sad! Not a lie~” He fluttered his wings slightly in response. “These babies are 100 percent real and I can fly farther and longer than your typical, boring demon,” he boasted, looking proud.

“I see…then, if you’re a demon prince why were you in my garbage can?”

Kokichi eyes suddenly welled with tears. “Maybe I like dumpster diving? Y-you shouldn’t judge people’s hobbies, Shuichi!”

I immediately backpaddled and raised my hands to placate him. “I-I’m not judging you or anything! Don’t cry!” and on the drop of a dime his attitude was back to being chipper. He batted his tear-soaked lashes at me.

“You sure know what to say to mend a broken heart, Shuichi! I feel better by just listening to the lyrical tones of your voice~” he mused romantically, then asked, “Anyways, I’m beat so the bedroom is…? Where?”

“Um, it’s down the hall to the right but-“ in a flash, he was gone – “it’s my bed…” I said to the air as I dragged my hands down my face. What the hell have I got myself into?

Kokichi solidly declined to answer any of my questions after that and playfully led me in circles until I finally just accepted that I had a new houseguest for an indefinite amount of time. A guest, for that matter, that refused to listen to a word I said and did as he pleased in my house.

And that was how Kokichi Ouma squeezed himself into my life.

 -Present day-

 Surprisingly, me and Kokichi settled into an easy routine as the days passed by. And, even though I would never admit it to him, I started to enjoy not coming home to an empty house. Even if Kokichi could be absolute hell to live with sometimes (pun intended).

It had been a relatively rough day at the agency and I wanted nothing more than to just go home and sleep. When I opened the door, I expected to see Kokichi in his usual spot by the TV, watching his favorite cartoons that came on at this time, but instead I was greeted by an empty couch and a peculiar smell in the air. It didn’t smell bad exactly, just different.

“Kokichi?” I called out into the house as I toed my shoes off and made my way past the entranceway. I arrived at the door to the kitchen to find Kokichi dancing around to some unknown tune that was playing through his earphones. He was rhythmically stirring a pot full of some neon orange substance with what looked to be little tentacles swimming in it. On the table were sandwich cookies messily shaped into smiley faces with something thick and green leaking out of them. Next to those was a seemingly innocent chocolate cake and oddly enough, that was what had me on edge the most.

I tore my eyes away from the foodstuffs and noticed the kitchen was in utter disarray. Splotches of outlandishly colored goo dripped from the counters, little granular specks intermingling bizarrely with the consistency of the goo. Utensils were haphazardly tossed around the room and the spice rack was going to need rearranging, but it wasn’t the worst mess Kokichi had made by far (I still get nightmares of the laundry room incident). Plus, he was actually trying to cook for a change so I just brushed it off with a tired groan. I came up beside him and plucked an earphone out to speak with him.

Kokichi immediately perked up and tossed me a grin. “Welcome home, Shuu baby, how was work?”    

I gave him a weary smile. “Terrible. There were at least ten calls from someone calling themselves Tater Tot that thought we were a Wendy’s. He was refusing to let us serve him because we were and I quote, ‘starch racist’.” I laughed bitterly as I loosened my tie. “And that was the cherry on top of everything else that went wrong today.”

He whistled and turned off the burner on the stove. “That bad huh? Well, I know just what you need.” Kokichi attached himself to my arm and dragged me toward the living room. Plopping me down on the couch, he disappeared in puff of smoke only to reappear seconds later with a bundle of clothes. He proceeded to throw them at my face. “Get comfy, Shuu baby, I promise I won’t look! Might be a lie though, you never know, so change quick!” He added and then zoomed back into the kitchen.

He returned after I had changed with all the food(?) he’d made hovering behind him as he carelessly tossed whatever was on the coffee table into the floor. Clicking his fingers, the food floated itself down onto the table and he clapped his hands, signaling a little puff of fireworks to erupt for the sake of presentation. I should have known at that point not to be surprised but his little magic trick still captured my attention, causing me to give a little clap. Kokichi beat his wings a little with pride as he threw himself down beside me.

“Hope you’re hungry, these are some of my favorite recipes from the demon world and I made them just for you! Best be grateful!” He said, shoving a cookie into his mouth as he reached for the remote. “Now, we are having a movie night because movie nights fix just about any problem someone could have; it’s a custom where I come from to have a movie night for the kingdom every second Saturday to keep the people from revolting.”

As I was about to question the authenticity of that statement, I noticed that the TV antenna looked… mushier than usual? It was a dark pink and was sort of glowing.

Kokichi noticed my line of sight and giggled. “I’m glad to see that you finally noticed that I installed a top-of-the-line antenna from the demon world! It gets like a bajillion channels-“ he paused in surprise- “oh shit! One of my favorite movies is on!” He settled in and cuddled a pillow in his lap as literal stars twinkled in his eyes. “It’s a documentary about these ghosts who fuck with ghost hunters and they can do the littlest thing and the people go wild like, man, humans are so dumb!”

I was about to protest until I felt a pat on my arm. “Don’t worry, Shuu baby, I think you’re an above average human and that’s no lie.”

Above average huh? Well, I suppose that’s as close to a compliment one would get from someone like Kokichi. I felt a warmth grow in my chest.

“Thanks, Kichi, I think you’re an above average demon too.” I laugh as I lean over and bump his shoulder.

Kokichi scoffed and bumped me back. “I’m waaaayyyy above average for your information…but I’ll take the compliment.”

We stopped talking then to focus on the movie and I found that the movie wasn’t half-bad. It was entertaining to listen to Kokichi laugh and comment on the spectral antics on the television. I even tried some of Kokichi’s weird food which was surprisingly not terrible but did leave an odd aftertaste.

Not long after though, the exhaustion of the day caught up with me. Combined with Kokichi’s comforting warmth beside me, I fell into a dreamless sleep.

When I woke, the TV had turned to some random infomercial trying to sell- ah…scale polish? I heard light snoring to my side and found that Kokichi passed out holding my right arm and was using my shoulder as his own personal drool pillow. Sometime during the night, he had covered us with a blanket. I huffed out a small laugh as I observed his sleep-ruffled hair and almost angelic snoozing face, save for the pointy fangs gently poking the bottom of his slightly parted lips.

My eyes strayed over to the analog clock in the corner of the room and I realized I had been asleep for a good while, it being three in the morning then. As content as I was to watch the little demon being quiet and sweet for a change, work came early and my body was starting to hurt from falling asleep sitting up. I could imagine Kokichi was not much better off with the weird angle his head was laying in.

I reached over with my other hand and patted his cheek, whispering, “Kichi, it’s time to get up.” He answered with an incoherent mumble. A smile graces my lips and I ask him to repeat that as I softly poked his nose.

He opened one bleary eye. “Tired, carry me,”

I shook my head in amused disbelief. “You can literally teleport, Kokichi, why should I carry you?”

He gave a grin that was equal parts devious and adorable. “ ’Cause you love me, Shuu baby.” At those honey coated words, a flush spread across my cheeks. I was about to offer a clever rebuttal but a pointed finger landed on my lips to shush me. Kokichi, the demon prince of the underworld, repeated, “Carry me.”  

I rolled my eyes as Kokichi wrapped his arms around my neck and his skinny legs around my torso like a demonic koala, his tail curling around my inner thigh for extra support. It shocked me how easy it was to lift him despite the fact I was embarrassingly out of shape, but I managed to get him to the bedroom with no major incidents.

Kokichi unlatched himself and stood in front of the bed stretching out his wings and arms. I yawned out a goodnight in preparation to leave for the guest bedroom, but then I suddenly realized he was behind me. He pushed me, causing me to fall on the bed.

I looked up, startled to see him grinning before he jumped into the bed, snuggling in on the other side.

“I’ve decided to share my bed with the less fortunate,” he proclaimed, shimmying further down under the covers. “And not in the perverted way, in case you were wondering.”

I should have questioned why Kokichi wanted to share a bed with me but I was still pretty exhausted, and the thought of returning to the stiff guest room mattress was unappealing. So, I just gave into his whims and crawled under the covers with him.

I settled in as Kokichi scooted marginally closer, leaning his head on my arm and wrapping his tail around my leg. It should have felt weird but I found Kokichi’s presence quite…comforting.

“Hey Kokichi?”

“Yep, Shuu baby?”

“Thank you for doing all this for me today.”

Kokichi snickered and nuzzled harder into my arm. “You’re just lucky you have such a kind superior who actually cares for their underlings.”

“I guess I really am lucky, huh?” I murmured, mind already drifting away. It’s been a crazy experience living with Kokichi, the supposed prince of demons, but I know one thing for sure: I’m glad he came to live with me. I’m happy he’s here even if he won’t tell me why.

With those thoughts I drifted into sleep, unaware of the secret kiss Kokichi had planted on my cheek.

“I’m glad I picked you, Shuichi.”

author’s note: you’ve reached the end! thanks for reading uwu

[cha-ching-chengcheng]

Tulips | Lin Yanjun

3 weeks in the hospital sounded awful until you found out your new doctor’s a hot guy with a passion for bad puns

Request: (hi! can i request a yanjun au where he’s a doctor and the reader is in the hospital where he works because they’re recovering from surgery and he like comes to check on them a lot and tends to flirt a little ? i hope this makes sense!! thanks <3)

Note: I got so carried away with this lol, get ready for a hella long post with lottssss of cheesy lines

Hospitals

They’re awful

They always smell like cleaning supplies and not even the good ones

And the vending machines only have those weird jalapeno cheetos and like a snickers bar

This is why, a week ago, you had dreaded your surgery

Recovery time is 3 weeks and you are not excited about having to stay here for nearly a month

Now only on Day 2, you wish you’d never injured your foot in the first place

The only good food they have at the hospital is pizza but you can’t live off of mediocre hospital pizza for another 19 (and a half) days

You sigh, looking around your hospital room

You’re lucky enough to get your own room, but the view from the window on the far right wall sucks

It just shows another division of the building: basically just bricks

You’re already tired of being on your phone, you forgot to bring any books, and the TV’s broken 

So you basically have nothing to do but stare into space 

Of course, you could wander around the hospital halls, but in order to do that, you’d have to get a wheelchair and it seems like too much work to call a nurse and have them get you one

So you just sit in your bed, staring at the walls

After a few minutes of getting of lost in your thoughts, someone walks into the room

You look over to see a handsome boy about your age in one of those white doctor coats walking to the foot of your bed

He picks up the little clipboard thing and flips through the pages

You can’t help but stare at him

He’s too young to be a doctor, right?

Then why is he dressed like one?

“Y/n?” He asks, you nod. “Your doctor had to fill in for someone in radiology, so I’m your new temporary doctor. I’m Doctor Lin”

He smiles and you’re just like whoa

Those dimples

“O-okay.” You try to smile back, but your face has forgotten how to work properly “Hi” You add, waving at him. 

You immediately put your hand down, what the hell are you doing? Why are you waving at him????

You try to regain your composure as he lets out a small laugh, returning the wave

He checks the clipboard one more time before placing it back 

Then he sits down at the foot of the bed

And you’re like wHOA OKAY

“So, y/n, how exactly did you injure your foot in the first place?”

“Let’s just say I’m clumsy” You can’t help but sigh, remembering you still have 19 days left

“What’s with the long face?” He asks

You look up in surprise, not realizing your somber expression had returned

“It’s nothing, I just…” you look around the room “I don’t know what to do here. I’ve got 19 days left and I’m not the type to just sit around.”

He nods sympathetically

Then his face lights up

“Oh, hey, I’ve got an idea.” He smiles “Well, it won’t exactly solve everything but it’s bound to make you happy right now.” 

You wait for him to continue

He clears his throat, sitting up straight

What exactly is he planning????

“You must be a banana.” He pauses, looking at you with a straight face

You just look at him really confused

“Because I find you a peeling”

You try not to laugh but like

The way he said it was so adorable

He smiles proudly at you

“See? It made you smile.” 

“Thanks.” A light blush sprinkles onto your cheeks 

Suddenly, the pager attached to his coat pocket beeps

He looks down at it and pouts just slightly

You try not to swoon

“Looks like I gotta go to the ER. I’ll see you later, okay?” He gets up as you nod

Around dinnertime, a nurse comes into your room and delivers a tray 

It’s different though, there’s a neon green sticky note on it

And it actually looks appetizing

On the tray, there’s a grilled cheese sandwich and a bowl of chicken noodle soup

The green sticky note is placed right by the grilled cheese

In loopy handwriting it says 

‘I hope you don’t find this cheesy, but I think you’re really grate. -Doctor Lin’

Oh my god

This boy

WHY IS HE SO CUTE

The next day, you wake up to a cup of coffee sitting on the side table by your bed

There’s another neon green sticky note on the cup

This one reads, 

‘It’s not as sweet as me, but I think you’ll still like it. -Doctor Lin’

Later that day, he comes to visit you

And this boy, I swear

The first words out of his mouth are

“How was the coffee?” 

“Good.” You smile, feeling your cheeks warm up just by looking at him

You’re surprised to see relief wash over his face

“Okay, good, I wasn’t sure what to get you.” He smiles shyly, reaching up to touch the back of his neck

Goddamn

He’s so

God-like

The next week is amazing

He keeps sending you puns and pick-up lines everyday and you two have gotten pretty close considering you’ve only known each other for a little over 7 seven days

Just last night, he had stayed with you till 11:30 in the morning

And you guys had just talked

You found out you had the same taste in music and that he’s single

You talked about anything and everything

That’s why this morning, you’re literally glowing

You had woken up to a pineapple smoothie on the side table next to your bed

The sticky note attached to it said

‘If you were a fruit, you’d be a fineapple -Yanjun’

Yeah you guys are so close now, you call each other by your first names

Holy shit

Even thinking about that note makes you a smiley puddle of sunshine

A little around 11, Yanjun comes into your room with A BoUQUEt OF floWErS

They’re sunflowers

How convenient

“Hey.” He greets you

“Hey.” You reply 

It’s now become a routine where he sits at the foot of your bed and this time’s no exception

He hands you the flowers

“What’s this?” You ask, trying to sound casual

“I was passing by that flower shop down the street, y’know, and those kinda reminded me of you, so...”

“Thank you” 

Cue puddle

“It was nothing”  He says

As the days went on, you guys talked more and more

He would stay later and later at night, finding more things to talk about with you

One night he actually fell asleep

He was sitting in a chair, scooted as close as he could to your bed

Somehow his head ended up resting on your thigh and soon after he was fast asleep

You didn’t want to bother him though, so you just let him be; you fell asleep as well

The next morning he wasn’t there when you woke up

And now it’s your last day at the hospital

Tomorrow morning, you’ll be able to leave

Though somehow you’re not as happy as you thought you’d be

The sun’s shining brightly through your window, it looks like a beautiful day outside

You could probably crutch your way over to the window if you wanted

You start to sit up right as Yanjun walks in

You gingerly swing your legs over the side of the bed, reaching for your crutches

Yanjun hurries over to you, handing you the crutches and helping you stand up

“Where are you planning on going, gorgeous?” Yanjun flashes his signature smile 

“Just outside.” You smile but it quickly fades as you remember what day it is

“What’s wrong?” He asks

“I just…” You think for a moment trying to formulate the perfect way to say you’ve fallen for your doctor

But that’s a little weird isn’t it?

“It’s nothing.” You say, crutching to the door

“Can I come with you?” 

“Sure.” You smile back at him

You might as well enjoy this while it lasts

You guys end up going to this cute garden on the outskirts of the hospital grounds

Apparently only a few people know about this place, Yanjun said it’s  because it’s secluded by a row of trees that obscure it from general view

You two are sitting on a bench in the middle of the whole garden, admiring the various flowers around you

A few birds chirp up in the trees

You can hear the faint sound of cars every few seconds

It’s honestly a very serene moment

You stay like that for several minutes

Just breathing and listening

Then Yanjun speaks

“They say Disneyland is the happiest place on Earth. Well, apparently no one has ever been next to you.” 

He looks over at you with this somehow adorable smirk

You’re trying so hard not to freak out omg

You’re just smiling calmly, refusing to take your eyes off the flowers

Suddenly, Yanjun gets up and takes a purple tulip from the garden

He walks back to you and says

“This tulip’s pretty great, but I think your two lips are better.”

Okay

oKAY

What the hell just happened????

Your mind is currently on overdrive

Holy shit

What???

WHAT????

He hands you the tulip 

“Okay, look,” Yanjun sits down next you again. “I know this is crazy, but I…” He looks at the flowers, searching for the right words

“I think I like you. A lot.” 

WHOA OKAY

YOU WERE STARTING TO THINK SO BUT NOW YOU KNOW

YOU REALLY KNOW

“So just,” he continues. “Tell me if you like me too. Because I would literally give anything to be able to call you mine.”

You’re blushing so hard right now omg

“That was really cheesy.” You try to say without turning into a giggly mess

“That was.” He laughs. “But I’m serious.” 

You finally look into his eyes for the first time today

Holy cannoli they’re so pretty

“I like you too, Yanjun.” 

And he looks so damn happy right now omg

You just made this boy’s day

Nah, you made this boy’s year

-Alison

[autisticandroids]

Folk, warmth, reverie

reverie: think of somewhere otherworldly u wish to be within, what is it like there?

gravity is.... lower, somehow. everything drifts just a little more slowly, sans its invisible tether to the ground. the curve of the earth is palpable. the sky is dark, but it is far away behind the skyscrapers whose purple hue may only be a trick of the technicolor city lights. neon signs blare from every direction. the city bustles with liveliness and joy, and figures whose faces are not quite discernable and whose nature may be beyond what you or i have dreamt of in our respective philosophies. it is so dark that vision is shapes and suggestions, but every color pops with cartoonish brightness. today is not a holiday, but tonight is a celebration.

warmth: what do you find most charming in others?

an entertaining way of discussing their own passions, and the ability to engage well with mine 

folk: who is the most fantastical being u have known?

when i was very little, we went to the home of my auntie jenny’s childhood friend. this woman, whose name i do not remember, drove a yellow volkswagen beetle which she had named victoria. the car had a smiley face painted on its front, just the eyes and mouth, and though it was the car smiling. i was about four years old, i remember very little and what i do recall is tinged by the dreaminess of childhood, that vague suspicion that one is mistaking vivid dream for otherwise drab reality. now we - that is i, my aunt and uncle, my cousins, my parents, and my grandparents - went to this woman’s house for dinner. 

this woman was obsessed with smiley faces. her house was huge, with higher ceilings even than my grandparents’ house, and every inch of wall was covered in shelves filled with plush smiley face after plush smiley face. they came in all sizes. some had arms, or legs, or hats. most were the traditional round sort, but there were other shapes - a lot of hearts, flowers, some squares, i don’t know what else. similarly, though most were the traditional bright yellow, they came in every color of the rainbow. 

everything she owned was smiley themed. i seem to remember smiley stickers everywhere, yellow couches with smiles somehow applied, little smiley figurines on every surface. i was fascinated.

when we went home, she gave me one of the smiley dolls that was inside victoria. i don’t know if i still have it.

[raffalos-blog]

        Lilly lifted her axe from the body of Target 6184. She swung quick enough to make a loud crack in the air, as blood streaked down the damp alleyway. Clean enough, she thought. As she set it in its sling, she tapped the com at her shoulder.

        “Target 6184 eliminated. Over.”

         A gruff voice replied, “Good work. Return to headquarters for further instruction. Over.”

         “Affirmative. Out.”

         Lilly jumped up to the top of the adjacent hotel and dashed across the dead skyline of Great Keleo. Below her feet, neon signs and flashing adverts splattered color all across the rain soaked streets below. Maybe if she jumped into the rainbow mess, she would feel more alive. There was no color up here. Nothing except for her, in her pastel pink dress.

        An aircraft passed overhead, silently. She watched the blinking light beneath: green, green, red, blue, purple. One of their own. It knew the color code. Too bad, she was just thinking how fun it would be to bring down a military grade aircraft. The rest of her return was uneventful, and soon she was walking in the front doors of Scour, one of many mercenary organizations the police regularly contracted.

        Kent sat behind the reception desk, eyes flitting between two monitors. As Lilly walked over, the sound of her heels clicking regally throughout the deserted lobby caused Kent to look up from his work. A cheery smile greeted her. “Welcome back, Miss Lilly. May I get you something to drink?”

        Lilly has always liked Kent. He was one of the only people who’d never treated her like a freak. In fact, he’d always seemed to regard her with as much respect as the other mercenaries. The older mercenaries.

        “Hi Kent. No thanks, I’m actua—

        Her ears screamed. A sound like shredding steel. Searing heat. Everything white.

        Then everything black.

        “Surprise!” A chorus of voices shouted at once. Lilly struggled against the darkness still covering her eyes. Her vision blurred slightly, then slowly she began to pick out small hits of orange, pink, and a teal color she hadn’t seen in years.

        “What is this?” Lilly demanded.

        Small bouts of laughter surrounded her. “A celebration of course. Happy 1,000th Kill, Miss Lilly!”

        A flood of emotions swept through Lilly. Confusion, bitterness, anger, envy. Just because she was a little girl did not mean she loved the things little girls loved. It was too damn late for her to have that kind of life. Still, the colors of the confetti were her favorite colors, meaning whoever planned this surprise cared about her. This had Kent’s name written all over it.

        The staff and other mercs were looking at her expectantly, some looking like they half expected her to kill them all and bring her streak up to 1,021.

        At last, she smiled. “What… a surprise! Thank you all, this is wonderful.” She saw Kent behind his desk, and his smile stretched wider. Yeah, it was his idea, she was sure.

        There were cake and drinks. Only soda for Lilly. People talked and visited and reminisced on past contracts. Not many people talked to Lilly. She was a solo mercenary, and she didn’t have much in common with the others anyway. Kent approached her and handed her a card with a hippo on the front. He’d X’d out the eyes with a marker, and on the inside, it said HAPPY THOUSANDTH, KIDDO! There was also a gift card for Frosty Stop.

        Lilly looked up at Kent, a smug smile on her face. “You’re the only one who’s allowed to throw silly parties for me.”

        Kent straightened his back. “Is that so? Well now I’ve got two fulltime jobs: the newest of which is being your personal surprise party planner.”

“Don’t even joke about that!” said Lilly, her smile betraying her good mood.

        At that moment, Oscar came over. He was balancing a paper plate of white chocolate raspberry cake in one hand, which left the other free to tousle Lilly’s hair. Lilly’s good mood took a blow.

        “Oh, has Kent threatened you with a mountain of contracts?” Oscar joked.

Lilly adopted her well known stoic expression. “No, Oscar. And even if he had, I don’t mind working that hard. It’s not that difficult, in fact. What with the cameras, the chase is hardly exciting.”

        Oscar didn’t take the hint. “That’s our Miss Lilly! Deadliest thing in pigtails. Listen though.”

        Oscar knelt down to meet Lilly at eye level. She hated it when people did that.

        “This life can take a toll on you, especially on a girl your age. If you’re feeling stressed out, or just want to take a break, you know any one of us would be happy to lighten your load. Okay?”

        Lilly truly appreciated the sentiment, but it was demeaning nonetheless.

        “I don’t get stressed, Oscar. When I’m in the field, it’s my prey that gets stressed.”

        Oscar rightened himself with a hearty chuckle. “Hey, that’s a killer line! No pun intended. Can I use that?”

        Lilly shrugged. “Knock yourself out.” And go away before I do, she thought.

        Oscar retreated to the group of adults, drinking, laughing, mimicking past missions. Lilly felt very alone, as most of these kinds of parties often make her feel.

        “Kent, I’m gonna go take a walk. Tell everyone ‘thank you’ for me.”

        Kent nodded, his kind eyes full of understanding. “Sure thing. But keep your com on. A contract could pop in, and you might be close enough to take it.”

        Lilly nodded, and left the warmly lit lobby to walk the surreal city. Scores of people walked this way and that, silent except for the scuffle of their shoes. Lilly decided to take 5th Avenue and Cenica St to reach the Frosty Stop up the hill. Billboards screamed at her as she walked the still damp sidewalk. “Hey Lilly!” an image of a cartoon Polar Bear shrieked. “Come by Frosty Stop and try our new Iceberg Meltdown for only 48 credits!”

        “But I’m on my way already,” Lilly replied to the screen. But the cartoon bear didn’t reply. It just gazed at her with a manic expression.

        She was three blocks away when a call came in. Not on her com, but on her phone. Digging it out of her smiley-face backpack, she groaned at the number displayed on the screen.

        “Hi, Doctor Himley.”

        “Hello Lilly,” replied the gentle voice of Regence Himley. “I’m sorry to bother you, but I’ve picked up a distress signal from one of your implants. Can you rush down to my office right now?”

        Lilly groaned, the closeness of Frosty Stop taunting her. “Yes, I’m on my way.” She hung up, and turned on her heel to sprint along the path her cybernetic eye mapped out for her. An odometer popped up her visual HUD, and displayed her speed. 74kph. Within a minute, she was there.

        The receptionist with the big eyelashes greeted her as she entered the obsidian lobby. “You can go on back,” she said.