#also im clearly not american… for all the ... curious commenters..?

[caleohateclub]

new reason to stay alive: outlive the trump presidency. In fact, outlive Trump. He isn’t immortal. We can live to see the day he's guaranteed to never be in office ever again and we can make sure he knows that he'll never have enough power to kill you

stay strong, friends, this isn't your fault

[redrunningmoogles]

i can't believe i never realized that US American Folk music heavily permeates the pop music that's popular today. Like just because US Americans don't have say, Rancheras or straight-up anything that they refer to as a folkloric genre of modern music, doesn't mean it's not there.

I tried listening to Chapell Roan and while I like her as a visual artist and performer and person, her music doesn't have what I look for (which is harmonic and melodic complexity and an interesting blend of timbres but that's beside the point). However, if you had blindfolded me and played her music, I would say "Wow this is sooo American Folk, clearly this artist derives from the classics of American Folk music." but I don't think her fans would hear it like that. I had a similar experience listening to Alanis Morrissette and even Avril Lavigne. AvrilLavignes's "Complicated" sounds so country I don't understand why I have never heard anyone point that out before. Yet both alanis Morissette and Avril Lavigne are recognized as explicitly rock stars.

I don't have a particular thesis here, maybe it's that rock being such a global music genre means that even American Folk music inevitably tendrils into other countries' popular music spheres (though I'm a fan of 60's mexican rock and 90s Mexican ska rock so maybe I shouldn't even complain). But I'm more struck by the absence of like, recognition. Do fans of Chapell Roan not hear her as a descendant American Folk? at all? Like that would be like someone hearing Peso Pluma and thinking he isn't either. Brazilian Phonk is gaining popularity as well and don't we all hear that as like. explicitly Brazilian. But do people hear American musicality someone like Alanis Morissette or sometimes Avril Lavigne or Chapell Roan?

The other thing I wanted to point out (that I can't believe i never noticed) is that the composition of these musicians IS explicitly American in maybe the same way a modern take on Mariachi or Bachatas or Cumbias or Reggaeton is. Those genres gain popularity because of their cultural relevance as dance music (and then you know, cumbia especially, became more popular and commercialized and became more compositionally simple). US American culture has less of this trend. Lots of American Folk music is heavily harmony and chord-progression based. It makes sense when you consider the primarily religious function of music from colonization and onwards. I always found it curious that most American Folk musicians were soloists, just them and the guitar, nothing like drum + charango + violin or something. YES I am aware of the bluegrass and old time bands, but those genres did not reach popularity as American Folk music in the same way like um. Joni Mitchell did. Yes I'm aware that Black Jazz bands and Black Church choirs constitute American Folk music, but historically those genres have been separate in such a way that they produced distinct musical descendants (and also the reason for which white rappers and jazz and RnB musicians either weren't a thing or just made music that was audibly different from the original).

Anyway what I'm saying here is that isn't it fucking crazy that like. Someone like Chapell Roan sounds like an American Folk musican, because she is, her music is composed and sung that way. But it's bizarrely not seen as an American cultural thing, its just "global" now. But she's so clearly a product of American Folk music! Like I can't imagine anyone doing that with like, Peso Pluma or like even Bad Bunny. Even Americans themselves dont see her as a continuation of their Folk music (at least i dont think so? idk i dont listen to that much American Folk music at all ever, so Im mostly basing this on online comments about her and how she is talked about in the news). Like it drives me a little crazy that white US americans DO have, in a way, folkloric cultural knowledge/tradition but like. dont see it that way.

Im not even going to touch on the global nature on rock music because tbh thats kind of a different can of worms since rock music is like. black (and west/north African) at its core.

(anyway send asks about any genre of music anywhere in the world i will probably know something about it)

[artreider]

Station 19 rewatch: 4x14

Going to try to do another rewatch before my family wakes up. We have a lot to do today and there is a dark cloud over the house after loaing our cat this week. Here's hoping i can get through one of my favorite episodes before they get up.

Surrera is so cute here and the whole food thing, like girl where is our payoff on this baby that was so clearly teased. Or is there another medical condition that could be blamed on her excessive eating.

Im so glad maya and andy are friends again. I loge their friendship.

I'm glad andy acknowledges that getting married doesnt fix things; but i worry that if maya and carina hit a rough patch, andy will remind maya of this conversation or use her own issues with sullivan and their marriage as an i told you so.

Danielle is beautiful but does anyone else think she lost weight, random question but just looking at her in her uniform there she seems smaller and it worries me. Didnt really notice last time i watched this episode but am i alone in this.

Oh carina baby you so dont want to go. I just want to hug you.

Jack is so cute, he deserves a family so much but i really do fear he'll be killed off.

Im surprised ben reached out to Sullivan instead of dean.

I love this outfit on maya. Carina your girl is flirting with you and thinking of happier times, engage with her.

I love that maya opens up with carina about her dad and the protests and the happenings in the world with him. It shows so much growth and im here for it. Also anyone else annoyed that one carina answered gabriella's phone call when maya is opening up to her and two that she didnt turn it off for their last few hours together.

The look of like disappointment/devestation on maya's face when carina answers the call and walks away from her is too much hurt.

So sad that bailey isnt there and that ben is alone for even a second of this.

I'm glad andy and sullivan came to be there with ben. Like i get why they wanted andy but im sad after ben and Dean's episode dean wasnt there.

Oh jack, i dont even know what to say besides oh jack lol.

The drama with trash girl is too much lmao. I know its important for jack/inara but its just too much.

Carina packing up her knives being a trigger for maya like she's leaving forever is heartbreaking.

Carina snapping at maya hurts, dont be mean to baby. Also the kitchen sign is totally carina's doing and though she hadnt confided in maya yet that she is her home its a dead giveaway.

I really need screen grabs of the changing words on the sign.

The kids talk, the coming out talk and the marriage talk are all things that should not be done while packing or doing anything else.

Wait it totally sounded like she said "it felt pregnant" lmao or i just have babies on the brain.

Now carina being flirty and maya not reciprocating.

Maya you shouldve pushed the marriage talk now if it was what you really wanted. Instead of letting carina drop the i never wanted to get married bomb and walk away.

Andy and ben together, this friendship is beautiful. I feel like it took several seasons for ben to really get in good the team. Im trying to think of other moments besides the prt support and such when he really connected with folks before this season and none come to mind. He has been an outlier from my memory, tell me im wrong with examples please.

Lmao "you slept with my wife which means we are in a pod", things a pandemic makes funny.

Thats just wrong, giving gibson shit still. Dont hit the puppy with the newspaper when he's doing nothing wrong.

Once again with gabriella, seriously carina turn off your phone and be present with maya and maya alone.

Maya's jealousy is everything. This argument ugh, so good and just the tip of the iceberg.

I hope that maya does take the month break and the months after to really get to know the us immigration system and what it will take for carina to become an american citizen as well as learn more italian. I dont need her fluent but id love to see her use some italian with carina. She lost her brother who she spoke to in her native tongue itd be nice for her to gain that in her wife.

I love how carina stops herself as she raises her voice at maya, like she realizes it may be triggering to maya. I really do think the show and actresses put in a lot in this episode to show how well they know each other and have grown. I feel like they talk more even if we dont see it and maya is working on her issues with carina's love and support. I also do love how this argument ends though ;)

Once again maya opening up and finally carina is there and not sidetracked. And its nice carina opens up as well.

Ben's dream with the different versions of himself and his mom is funny and heartbreaking.

Joey in the dream lmao.

The nice thing about ben is if he gets hurt on the job and cant be a firefighter anymore he has other professions to fall back on.

Oh jack. I just want you to get your happy ending.

I still think its so weird to be talking about jack after they had sex but im glad they are in a place that is so comfortable and can laugh about him.

Once again another bomb dropped, kids. This is something that needs to be discussed properly.

Oh maya dont drop the marriage bomb like that. And i guess i dont underatand the outrage of the "just because", like why would carina think it was anything but that when it was dropped on her like that and after she said she didnt want to get married. This fight is so much about misunderstandings and hurtful comments.

I get how maya's fear gets the best of her here especially after carina said they just moved in together because they didnt want to be apart (asif that is a bad thing) and it was bureaucracy.

And i can understand why maya's fear hurts carina but they both needed to take a minute to breathe and try to talk it out.

I do like when carina tells maya to breathe, again like she knows her triggers and feels maya is on the verge of a panic attack.

If carina felt she married maya when she moved in i really dont see the harm in making it official. Would her having been moved out in italy for 6 months or more have felt like a divorce. I really need to know more about her logic here.

I agree why not just do it.

You've both said enough carina. I hate that she just walks away, so un carina like.

How did jack end up at the hospital? Was he called or what?

Andy is such a good friend this episode, checking on everyone.

Gabriella is so right noone wants to be proposed to the way maya kind of did. Like i cant help but wonder how carina would've taken a true proposal.

Im so glad gabriella spoke some truth to carina and turned her around on the marriage idea.

If we let the wrong decisionss rule how we live our lives things in the world would be so different. Less babies possibly and fewer marriages among other things.

Once again andy being a good friend this episode.

If carina hadnt shown up im curious what maya's next move wouldve been after talking to andy.

Love the proposal and love how its carina who announces they are getting married.

[gyuprint]

not to sound dumb but like i’ve truly never understood why people are so adamant abt wayv not being nct?? Like why is it such a bad thing if they are? Im just genuinely curious bc i havent seen anyone explain why

sm is notorious for the mistreatment of their chinese idols, and this is no different in wayv’s mistreatment. if sm cared about wayv they would not lack promotions past the few magazines they have been featured in. yes it is content, but they did not sign up to be magazine models, they signed up to be idols. if sm truly wants them to be nct they can start by proper recognition of wayv and wayv members as a whole. people do not want to stream on qqmusic because it is confusing and people have said ‘chinese is scary’ but actively navigate through korean websites. point blank, that is sinophobia. when people only choose to support wayv if they are considered nct, it is very evident that they do not stan wayv nor do they pay attention to their talent. if wayv was added to nct we would once again have to watch as members get pushed to the side and made as back up dancer, and people would not care for them past the interactions they had with their fav.

i would also like to say that i have no doubt that wayv was initially supposed to be nct china, they were marketed as such, but it did not turn out that way, and no amount of arguing is going to change wayv’s mistreatment and the way a majority of fans who want ot21 fail to ignore this.

i think i should break this down into sections for individual members mistreatment because that is the easiest way. (obviously some members are going to have longer sections) it also should be noted that there are a lot of people more vocal about this on twitter and a lot of the people who want ot21 simply do not support wayv on the platforms that matter to them. there is a lot of blatant sinophobia laced within how they try to defend themselves, and i do not see why it makes them so angry for wayv to not be considered nct. honestly, i do not have a probably with ot21zens as long as they do support wayv the way they claim they do, i am not asking them to love wayv as much as they love one of the other units, because i think it is normal for people to have favorites and this is seen with the distinction between 127 and dream, but to support them on the chinese platforms that matter to wayv’s success. that being said, i can break down the ways that wayv members would not and did not benefit from being classified as nct, as well as their erasure from the brand entirely and the way fans view the members. (mostly seen with winwin) i am sure i missed things, but these are all the things that really stick out to me.

kun: i think his is a case that is more clear because he has been a member of nct since 2016 with the debut of without u chinese version and his appearance on nct life solidifies his involvement with it. however, this is not something that has lasted. after that debut he was thrown back into the basement and quite honeslty viewed as a babysitter for the rookies at the time (jungwoo and lucas). when nct 2018 happened and he finally got to ‘debut’ he was featured in one song on a full album, and literally got no lines and very little center time. he was treated so bad that people who didnt stan nct thought that he was a backup dancer. he went to smtown but sat backstage for a majoirty of the concert. if we fast forward to his proper debut with wayv and the title of leader, we see that there comes a problem with the way people viewed him. i have seen countless people say that he is not wayv’s leader because taeyong is, as if we have seen taeyong properly and thoroughly interact with the other wayv member. kun has been there to support wayv members as nothing less than a leader, seen through him comforting them, but also accepting awards. yangyang has expressed that kun is someone who sacrifices a lot to keep him - and the other members - safe and happy. there are people that continue with kun mom jokes even though he has expressed his discomfort with it, and since the debut of wayv, he has not been mentioned by sm. he very clearly gained nothing from being in nct, and continues to have ‘fans’ who undermine his talent. wayv’s inclusion into nct would only result in him functioning as a background member as kun stans / weishennies are the only ones who remain really angry about the matter.

winwin: this case is honestly the one i have the biggest problem with because he was quite honestly a founder of the nct brand. he was there for nct 127′s debut, but was erased from the group by the time they were given proper - well deserved - time to shine. if you have read reports you will know that winwin was stripped of his teenagedom, and his education was hindered in a way he openly did not want. he got little to no lines in absolutely every nct 127 song, and that still is a problem within wayv. sm ent turned down numerous acting opportunities for him. there are so many people who claim it is okay because he is ‘happier in wayv’ but that is so insulting. of course he has a bond with wayv, but to make assumptions about his friendships and speak for him on a matter that is very clearly deeper than what fans see is so insensitive. there was a video of him that shows how he was so upset about not promoting with 127, people need to stop assuming the friendships of people they stan. you do not know them and you do not know what they are thinking and you do not see every interaction they have. not to mention, he was not allowed on 127′s world tour when he was doing nothing, there is no reason he should have gotten the treatment he did by sm ent. people who want him back in 127 want him there not because of how it is a place he belongs, but because they want interactions. i guess this speaks more on his mistreatment, but also how overall, if wayv really was nct 127, why did they erase winwin from the history of it. not to mention with kick it, they kicked out the only chinese member before doing a concept based around chinese culture.

ten: his case gets different because while he did have to take leave, there was a knee injury involved with it. i think a lot of fans have issue with the way he is treated by sm, not only as an nct member, but also as a member of superm. while he did get more opportunities with nct 2018 then kun did, he has still been mistreated in ways. his name has been mispelled on official logo even though it is literally three letters long, his face has been cropped off of official websites and only when fans get mad does sm fix it. all in all, his connection to the nct brand has given him nothing. people who claim to be ot21 and decide to ‘actively support him’ do nothing but perpetuate jokes that are very outdated and over obsess on ships. there are so many shippers that fail to see ten as his own person. 

lucas: he is a member that i think also does not gain anything more so from superm than nct as seen with how he lacks lines, but the way nctzens treat him is a main reason him viewed as nct angers me. throughout 2018 and even since his inclusion in wayv and superm, people view him as stupid. they make fun of him for the amount that he switches between languages, and many only pay attention to them when it comes to his looks. there are a lot of people who claim he lacks talent. his inclusion back into nct would result more in peoples wish for interaction and less in actual support for him. 

xiaohenyang are going to be lumped together because the simple matter of the fact for them is that they did not ever get introduced as nct member. unlike the previously mentioned there has been no recognition of them as nct members from sm ent and sm ent classifies them entirely as wayv. a lot of people near debut for wayv - and their introduction as rookies - only stanned them because they looked like nct members. i had to sit through people claiming that yangyang was a ‘bargain/walmart version of mark’ and making claims of a nationality that he doesnt have. (yangyang is . not . german . he only lived there for a portion of his life, and saying he is german would be like saying jaehyun is american). yangyang’s solo asteroid as well as his recent release (dance cover and mixtape with kun) have been neglected as people fail to realize he is easily sm’s next ace. asteroid hasnt even reached 1M views yet, and i have talked to people who want wayv to be nct that did not even know he had a solo song. hendery is another member viewed as ‘stupid’ and used as meme by people who can not tell him apart from ten while also claiming to stan wayv. and the same thing is seen by people who make passive comments about xiaojun, spelling his name wrong and pointing him out through the few times they have asked him about nct 127 and he has responded. no support is shown to him about his vocals or his predebut work, and there is mistreatment in the way all of these rookies debuted in a group that was later left sitting doing nothing.

[coffeecupsandquiet]

ISOLOPHILIA

“If you're lonely when you're alone, you're in bad company.” ― Jean-Paul Sartre

Basic Information

Full name: Jordan Rojas

Pronunciation: JOR-DAN RO-HAAS

Nickname(s): dont even think about it

Birthdate: January 12

Age: 23

Zodiac: Capricorn 

Gender: Cis-male

Pronouns: he/him

Romantic orientation: homoromantic

Sexual orientation: he is what the kids call, morosexual….. Jk homosexual

Nationality: American

Ethnicity: mixed (hesitate to comment beyond Italian due to my inability to track down definitive sources of Rob Raco’s ethnicity)

Current location: miami baBY

Living conditions: immaculate and modernly simplistic. A clean house is a calm house.

 Background

Birthplace: unknown

Hometown: Chicago

Social Class: upper middle? I think?

Educational achievements: nothing formal, but he does consume books at an unhealthy rate

Father: unknown

Mother: unknown

Sibling(s): unknown

Birth order: unknown

Pets: ABSOLUTELY YES OF COURSE! He has five sweet honeys, one queen named Melon, and four beautiful kittens, Cantaloupe, Sugar, Honeydew, and Galia. Fun fact, but all of the kittens names are names of melons. 

Previous relationships: non existent….. lol

Arrests: ….uhhhhhhh, absolutely not

Prison time: ^^^^^^^

 Occupation & Income

Current occupation: he do be a thief for a crime organization tho

Dream occupation: a librarian… or maybe an archivist for a famous museum…. yeah

Past job(s): being a full time SQUARE

Spending habits: hm, careful with his money, but will spend extra to make sure what he is wearing/doing/seeing is up to his standards

In debt?: this is MY fantasy and in it, i have NO DEBT so NO 

Most valuable possession: his babies… but followed up by his gold leafed edition of the Grimme Fairytales.

 Skills & Abilities

Physical strength: Above Average | Average | Below Average

Note: pre-determined that he lifts to carry the homies

Speed: Above Average | Average | Below Average

Note: do you really think you’d catch him running in gucci shoes? no

Intelligence: Above Average | Average | Below Average

Note: jordan says ‘fuck the school system!’ and then read books forever

Accuracy: Above Average | Average | Below Average

Note: jordan is very good with powers, but uh, i don’t know if he’s good with a gun. I imagine he’d flinch at the recoil

Agility: Above Average | Average | Below Average

Note: he’s a bit of a snake, but erm, not enough to be considered wily i think

Stamina: Above Average | Average | Below Average

Note: he goes to the gym, but not for endurance so-

Teamwork: hell no. total lone wolf, which is why it's a miracle he gets along with Len

Talents/hobbies: reading, obviously, but he also dabbles in piano and writing I think. Lets make fun of Jordan for writing bad poetry!!!!! Im going to throw that nerds books in the fountin

Shortcomings: stubborn as hell and also extremely stuck up. Partially because he is naturally untrusting but also partially because hes kind of a dick. 

Languages spoken: English and conversational Spanish

Drive?: hell no, hes gay

Jump-start a car?: hell no, hes gay

Change a flat tyre?: hell no, hes gay

Ride a bicycle?: yes, but the last time he did he was like 8 or something so

Swim?: yes! He actually likes it I think, but usually only if he’s alone. 

Play an instrument?: Piano! 

Play chess?: Obviously. Not seriously or anything, but he can play.

Braid hair?: Yes! He plays with his own hair when he’s bored. 

Tie a tie?: oh my god yes of COURSE he does. If he didn’t he would have to bully himself.

Pick a lock?: he’d be a pretty shit thief if he couldn’t

Cook?: yes! Nothing quite like knowing what to cook with his nice white wine

 Physical Appearance & Characteristics

Faceclaim: Rob Raco

Eye colour: blue

Hair colour: black

Hair type/style/length: shoulder length and wavy

Glasses/contacts?: contacts

Dominant hand: left

Height: 5’9”

Weight: i don’t want to answer this because i don’t know

Build: slender and lightly defined

Exercise habits: i feel so embarrassed admitting that jordan do be lifting three times a week

Skin tone: i….. Golden? idk

Tattoos: contrary to his many gifs, he doesn’t have any i don’t think

Piercings: his ears are definitely pierced though

Marks/scars: some scars from some “playful” rough housing. Nothing too extreme, just a nick on his left calf and a hidden one in his right eyebrow. 

Clothing style: clean cut. He prefers dress shirts and slacks for most occasions, and is rarely seen dressed down further than a short sleeve button up. Putting on his clothes is like putting up a front. Just a reminder to hold everyone at a distance. 

Jewellery: he does have a watch and earrings and perhaps a couple of necklaces

Allergies: none

Diet: vegetarian i have just decided right here right now

Physical ailments: none

 Psychology

I did a test with Jordan in mind for each of these fuckers.

MBTI type: INTJ-A: Bookish and reclusive are two words to describe this type, and that lines up pretty well with Jordan’s personality as well. They value themselves more so than the relationships they make, and pride themselves on getting things done. 

Enneagram type: Type 6: the Loyal Skeptic. Taken from the website “The committed, security-oriented type. Sixes are reliable, hard-working, responsible, and trustworthy. Excellent "troubleshooters," they foresee problems and foster cooperation, but can also become defensive, evasive, and anxious—running on stress while complaining about it”

Moral Alignment: Chaotic Neutral- Driven by their own purposes, willing to do anything to secure themselves. They aren’t inherently evil, but are only usually only good when it serves their purposes.

Temperament:  Take from the website: Phlegmatic - The phlegmatic temperament is fundamentally relaxed and quiet, ranging from warmly attentive to lazily sluggish. Phlegmatics tend to be content with themselves and are kind. They are accepting and affectionate. They may be receptive and shy and often prefer stability to uncertainty and change. They are consistent, relaxed, calm, rational, curious, and observant, qualities that make them good administrators. They can also be passive-aggressive.

Element: Earth

Emotional stability: At the moment in our time line, horrid. Non existent. He is just a giant ball of feelings and he HATES IT because usually he is very put together. 

Introvert or Extrovert? Incredibly introverted, if it wasn’t already obvious.

Obsession(s): Books! Clearly. But also his cats as well as fashion and cleanliness and coffee!!!!!

Compulsion(s): Making sure all of his mugs are facing the same direction in the cabinet.

Phobia(s): Claustrophobia 

Addiction(s): none

Drug use: Remember the Jordan is a pot head meme. Yeah. That

Alcohol use: usually just a glass or two of wine. Nothing to big. Usually. 

Prone to violence?: Heavens no! For all of his lifting, if someone threw a punch at him he’d probably run away.

Prone to crying?: Not in front of people, but he can be a weepy drunk depending on the time nad place

Believe in love at first sight?: Although he is a realist, he has a very very romantic and soft heart, so this one is a yes, although he would never admit it.

 Mannerisms

Accent: American

Speech quirks: talks like he’s a bored victorian scholar

Hobbies: reading, writing, playing piano, playing with cats, making coffee.

Habits: sleeping with a light on

Nervous ticks: he touches his hair when he’s nervous or thinking

Drives/motivations: his biggest motivation is staying alive and safe from the government. He knows his power could be used to hurt everyone, not just him, and that is important because there is safety in numbers. Also, he knows that there are mutants who will help him just because he is one of them. 

Fears: being taken and tested on or used against other mutants. There is litcherally no fear greater than that for him

Sense of humour?: dry and sardonic. Usually takes amusement in knowing more than you

Do they curse often?: Heavens no! If they are cursing, they are either drunk, scared, surprised, or PISSED OFF. or all of them together LMAO 

 Favorites

Animal: cat for obvious reasons

Beverage: a classic latte, for obvious reasons

Book: The Door into Summer by Robert A. Heinlein

Colour: Mahogany 

Food: Yogurt and berries

Flower: traditional roses, because he is a romantic

Gem: Mahogany Obsidian

Mode of transportation: Foot or bus

Scent: Lily and lets be real, good kush

Sport: he’s gay…...

Weather: sunny rainshower

Vacation destination: into his own bed and then no one bothers him

 Attitudes

Greatest dream: to not feel hunted no matter where he goes. He also wants to settle down with someone whom he loves and who loves him, because romance is something he has always fantasized about

Greatest fear: dying before he’s ready, but worse so, being captured and used against his will

Most at ease when: he’s snuggling up with his cats with a nice book

Least as ease when: he is in a high stress situation with no familiar faces.

Worst possible thing that could happen: being captured and used

Biggest achievement: Securing his place in the Kings and consequently out of the police as soon as he possibly could once he turned 18.

Biggest regret: Never resisting the orders of those in his foster home.

[simplerthingslikewatchinglt]

Chapter Thirteen

Larry's P.O.V

I decided to go see my bro, Laurent since he had texted me about an hour ago but I was too busy with Adelia. She wanted more 'us' time which didn't seem to make sense - we did that enough. Leaving Adelia in my room after putting her to bed - I was alone when I arrived at Laurent's hotel room door having a spare key card, I invited myself in. I figured why not do so being that he was single and hardly had any guests other than me . Before fully opening the door I could hear my brothers voice speak the words "uh oh" and then there they were. More like there she was, Kiera, sitting on the bed looking a mess while Laurent stood only a few feet away from the bed with his phone in his hand. I walked further into the room closing the door behind me, there was a weird silence in the room before Laurent finally decided to speak first - " Larry, my bro play UNO with us" . I was confused and only wanted to speak to Laurent in French not wanting Kiera to know what I say, so that's what I did .

"Laurent pourquoi est-elle ici? ( Laurent why is she here ? )" I questioned, my face must've read irritated because Laurent smirked and then proceeded to answer my question using English. " She's here because I want her here baby bro" he kept his smirked planted on his face knowing how much he got under my skin when he did not speak French back to me . I continued in French anyway , " ça ressemble à im jouer frère? maintenant dis-moi" ( Do it look like I'm playing brother ? Now tell me ) I demanded from Laurent, curious as to why she was in his room . " Chill out bro... UNO we play, nothing happen. I call room service - they come soon" he smiled brightly at me while throwing his hands in the air trying to play innoncent like a child but he was just as grown as I was. Shortly after another pause into silence there was a knock at the door, my guess was room service and sure enough it was . I let my eyes follow my brother as he walked towards the front door opening it slightly before throwing the door fully open. I broke my stare from Laurent to Kiera who sat in silence, I wondered what went through her mind as she watched my brother and I argument . She probably felt awkward; her eyes were focused on the carpeted floor as if in a trance she just stared at the floor . I took this into an advantage letting my vision roam freely, I scanned down her body. In overall view from head to toe she was no Adelia for sure, Kiera didn't give me that sex appeal like Adelia did . Slowly my eyes roamed down her cute plain face to her torso where I noticed something just above her collarbone, right on her neck. I thought my vision was playing tricks on me so I decided to walk a bit closer to the bed, taking a seat on the night stand , I stared at her some more before my mess of a brother came throwing his arm around my neck. " Elle est bizarre, n'est-ce pas?" (She's a weird one isn't she?) , he had finally spoken in our mothers tongue knowing I wouldn't respond back , it was like night and day with us sometimes. What ever that was on Kiera neck irritated me for a reason I couldn't explain. Maybe it was the fact I was too over protective of my brother and didn't want him messing around with these American girls or maybe it was Kiera herself, she seemed so distant from this world and so innnoncent that I didn't want my brother using her with his player ways .

For a few seconds it was like everybody had been frozen in time, Kiera sat on Laurent's bed staring into space , I sat on the nightstand staring at her and Laurent had his arm around my neck leaning on me until I broke this frozen moment and spoke " et le suçon sur son cou?" ( And the hickey on her neck?) I directed my question to Laurent, finally breaking my stare down at Kiera looking at him in his eyes. "It's just a game bro. Right Kiki?" Kiera looked up at us and I was able to see the hickey more clearly now.

"Yeah we were playing UNO, Laurent wanted to add in a few rules" she spoke , her voice a sounding a bit nervous . "Why you sound like that ?" I questioned her and for a split second she looked confused before she finally realized what I meant . " It's nothing." She answered, "Larry stop asking my girlfriend so many questions" Girlfriend ? - Laurent released his hold from around me and walked towards Kiera, hovering over her. He opened his mouth to speak " did you open up your gift once you got home ?" 

"My gift ?"

" Yes the Victoria secret bag"

Kiera took a glance at me then back to Laurent , looking up at him as he hovered over her still. She must've realized what he was talking about when she shook her head 'no' to my brother.

"Is okay Kiki , open it when you get home okay?" He said with a genuine smile .

"Okay Laurent ..." Kiera half heartedly smiles back at him, the two of them leaving me out of the loop . What gift ? I wondered, but not for too long when he kneels down at her, "Laurent, what you doing bro ?" I was uneasy with him kneeling in front of her, he ignored me while I watched. " Kiki, can I ask you something ?" He was eye level with her, staring straight into her eyes while Kiera looked flustered a bit. " Okay" was her response , so he continued , " Will you be my" I had to cut him off short of asking her to be his girlfriend forreal . " Laurent!" I shouted , which forced his head to turn in my direction, our eyes meeting. " Bro is to be our friend...." friend? " huh ?" I was confuse, and maybe so was Kiera.

" Yes we don't know that many people in NYC so why not be our friend Kiki ?"

Laurent was anxious, he wanted this girl to be wrapped around his finger, he wanted this girl to himself in a way . Claiming her ever since that day and dragging it out for this long but I was the one that had her phone, the one that helped her off the floor when she fall. I can't help this feeling that Laurent and me are mentally battling for her and he's winning . I don't care for her but Laurent should respect my credit, if it wasn't for me she wpuld not be with us and he would not be so interested in her . I was beginning to get wrapped in my own thoughts, thinking why did Laurent have such a great interest in her ? Why was she so interesting to him ? I had to admit at first she was interesting to me in the beginning but there was nothing in her phone to see. So I left it like that.

My attention was brought back to the two of them, Laurent still on his knees and Kiera with this awkward ass silence coming from her . The silence from her was killing me even though I didn't show it on my face being a blank expression, I also didn't care what her answer would be.

"Okay..." I wasn't shocked by her answer, I could care less , she wasn't my friend she was now Laurent's "plaything" . We were starting to blow and become famous, we didn't need friends, our "friends" back home were there and they were even starting to drift from us . I took notice of Kiera's shyness and awkwardness , " Okay good, your our friend so as a friend I have to tell you quit smoking cigarettes Kiki" Laurent chuckled before continuing, " the cheap perfume can't hide the smell"

"Laurent !" I needed to check him in place, even though he was right about the smell but she was still a woman and that was too rude.

"What bro ? She's our friend ..."

"You friend.." I corrected him.

" noooo, we can share juste pas au lit (just not in bed) he quickly switched from English to French on me . I realized what he meant and it was funny in our younger days we did that a lot.

" you mean anymore..." I chuckled this time. Laurent quickly  rolled his eyes at me, " Larry, she's not like that" . What Laurent said caught her attention quick.

"Huh ? ... like what ?" She questioned, her confusion was plastered all over her face. Laurent pinched the bridge of his nose then sighed out of irritation because of me which made me laugh a little, finally getting under his skin . He rolled his eyes once more before taking Kiera hands into his own, he sighed again as if he really didn't want to answer her question but he spoke anyway .

"Ever had a threesome Kiki ?"

Authors notes:

OKAYYYYY and imma stop here! One cause I'm tired. Got work in the am guys . Tell me if you want this to be a Larry fix, Laurent fix, or Twins fic. I can't decide right now . Leave some comments for me . I'm trying with the action guys sorry if your bored ! I'll continue to write though! <3 bye!

[egyptsblackrose]

Texts From my stranger

Chapter 1) 5 Hours Ahead

I watched as my brothers dragged their feet, heading to bed. Tonight had been long and yet fruitless, as it often was now since we finally defeated the Shredder once and for all. Karn continued to try run the reformed Foot - now that Kari was back in Japan for good - the new ninjas knew better than to make spectacles of themselves, and even the Purple Dragons were keeping quiet lately. So the result was that we could enlarge our patrol run but also meant little happened during. Which meant we spent more time training and running to tire ourselves out.

Raph was the most disappointed with these turn of events, he enjoyed a chance to put our skills to the test. Mikey and Don took it the best, the youngest having more time for his video games and the intelligent one using his free time to work and fix things. Master Splinter seemed more at ease as well, sensing that the dark part in our lives was finally coming to a close and the chance for a more peaceful future was within our grasp.

I had to agree for the most part, though I knew it would be another few years before me and my brothers where truly at peace. By then the hormones we endured would have lessened and been more bearable, our future existence with it just being us easier to accept. Raph was the angriest about it, his usual bad moods had more fire than usual, Mikey hides his loneliness with comics and gaming, and Don didn't even let himself think about it, concentrating on the present and not the future.

As for me, I relished in the extra practice time…and as for my future…I accepted a long time ago that my family would always and only consist of my friends, brothers and Master Splinter and hoping for any more was foolish.

I entered my room silently, untying the knot on my mask and folding it onto my bedside table, I was about to reach for my belt a flash from the phone Donny made caught my attention. I picked up the device to see a text from an unknown number. Curious , but cautious, I opened the message.

Text from 0*********2 : Hey Katie, this is my new number, come on cam soon? - Evie

I frowned down at the phone, stumped for what to do. The number was different for a start, so whoever sent the text clearly wasn't from America, clearly this…Evie typed the number wrong.

I contemplated answering; informing the girl she had the wrong number then decided against it, figuring Evie, whoever she was, would figure it out for herself. So I put my phone down and undid my belt, slipping it off, but a beep and another flash stopped me from reaching for my arm pads.

Evie : Yo, K come on! It's skype night you said you'd be in…?

The same number, Evie. I sighed, deciding it was better to get it over with and text back.

Leo : I'm sorry you have the wrong number

There, short and simple. Expecting that to be the end of it, I went back to preparing myself for sleep, taking off my arm and knee pads, sitting down on my bed when the beep went off again.

Evie : Seriously? Oopps sorry about that, it's my new phone im still breakin' it in, know what I mean?

Her comment made me chuckle, and despite myself I texted back.

Leo : That's alright, new phones are always tricky for the first day or two, I hope you get in touch with your friend soon

I sighed, lying back figuring the conversation was over, but to my surprise, my phone beeped again.

Evie : Haha yeah but fun to play around with right? And don't worry about it I'll send her an e-mail to get the right number to be sure this time

I read the text a few more times; trying to figure out if I should reply or leave it at that and end the contact. I knew I should, it was taking an unnecessary risk replying and entering a conversation with a complete stranger, but I found myself curious and desiring more of the light chatter that we were sharing.

Leo : True, that's good…what kind of phone did you get, may I ask?

Hitting the send button before I could rethink my discussion, I forced my body to relax while I waited for a reply should this, Evie, want to continue talking. I felt oddly happy when I heard my Mobil go again.

Evie : The new Samsung note pad, know if it?

I raised an eye ridge. I knew from what Donnie had told me when we saw the advert for the phone that it was pretty good tec and I was slightly impressed. Don would probably have more appreciation and be able to ask questions, but because I was no genius, I stuck with a simple reply.

Leo : Yeah I saw it advertised, looks pretty good, do you like it?

Evie : Yeah it rocks! I have a few apps for my art work on it too, it's so cool! What kinda phone do you have?

Evie's reply was almost instant which showed her enthusiasm, and it made me smile a little. But her question about my phone made me think, but I came up with a convincing enough reply.

Leo : My brother made mine; he calls it the shell cell for the turtle shell pattern on the back he had engraved

I nodded to myself, not far-fetched, pretty much the whole truth, perfectly believable.

Evie : Wow that's so cool! I take it you like turtles then? :)

I smirked.

Leo : Yeah I do, gotta respect the turtle

Evie : Haha fairs, personally my favourite animals the wolf but hey each to their own :P by the way, I'm Evelyn Richards, Evie for short :)

I found her comment about the wolves interesting and wanted to ask why, but the second part of her text made me stop. How could a girl, however old she was, trust a stranger with her name and number? And a more pressing question in my head was, what did it mean?

Thinking about it, I figured that if the worst came forward I could ask Donnie to block the number, so I figured the only way I was going to get the answers I wanted was to ask.

Leo : You'd give your name away to a stranger you've only just started talking to?

I sat up, finding that I was more curious for her answer than I originally thought. Oddly, I felt my heart start to beat faster and I couldn't think why. Could it be because this was the first possible safe human contact I'd experienced, and with a girl?

The device beeped and vibrated in my hand.

Evie : I'll give you a short version of a very long and confusing story, but I'm very good at telling when someone is trustworthy or not, and you've given me no reason to think I could be wrong about you. In fact you've been nothing but really nice and friendly despite it being so late at night. Besides, I'm all the way in England so I'm not so worried America ;)

I paused. How was it that this girl managed to spike my curiosity constantly? The ninja in me told me to end it here, that this was dangerous territory, that there was too much at risk. But the teenager in me asked, is it so wrong to want a friend?

Raph would say take the risk, learn as you go, develop in the process, that was his style. Mikey would say wing it, go with the flow, see the threat as A challenge and enjoy yourself. Don would probably be more cautious, take it slow, see if the girl was trustworthy first, run a few background checks and then experiment. That's what my brothers would probably do.

Leo : My names Leonardo Hamato, nice to meet you Evie

I sent the text before my common sense could surface. Maybe I needed sleep and that's why I was being so reckless, the lack of rest getting to me.

I thought over her last text and again my inquisitiveness was getting the best of me. I wanted to know what she meant by 'a long story', 'being good at telling when someone's trustworthy', and what it was like in England. Her life had to be so different from mine, and the unknown was too tempting.

My phone beeped.

Evie : Nice ta meet ya Leo ^-^ I take it ur Japanese from ur last name…

I shifted uncomfortably but then again I should have expected this. After all, if I was curious about Evie and asked about her, it was only fair and natural for her to require the same input. The question was, could I? Could I communicate with a stranger without giving away too much? Keep my family safe whiles possibly gaining a friend who would treat me…normal?

Only one way to find out.

Leo : No, I'm American; my adoptive father moved to New York from Japan and found me and my brothers, found us and raised us, gave us a home and family

I held my breath and waited. Two minutes passed and I laid down, keeping my phone in my hand. Four minutes passed then my hand vibrated and oddly my stomach gave an exited jump.

Evie : I see…Evelyn Richards is the name of my foster/adoptive mother gave me when I was young...I don't know my real name or remember my old life…guess we're kind of alike like that hu? :)

I didn't know how to reply, so many questions came into my head but I didn't have to worry about that, because Evie solved my problem for me.

Evie : Wow sorry, I difted into pretty deep territory there, sorry, Ithink its cause I’m so tired, I’m like 5 hours ahead, can we talk more tomorrow?

I should not be as happy with that response as I was in that moment, with my heart hammering against my plastron,

Leo : Sure, I’ll message you first

Evie : Cool, night Leo ^_^

Leo : Sweet dreams Evie

With that I locked my phone and set it back on my bedside table, turning over onto my side for the most comfortable sleeping position, wrapping myself in a blanket. Oddly enough, I couldn’t wait for tomorrow to come.

[berkleydrive]

What to wear if...

You get a wake up call from four of GOT7's members.

(Chapter 10: House Party Caller | Love Inside | a GOT7 fanfiction)

"Yoboseo?" [Hello?] I groggily answer my phone without taking off my eye mask. I don't even care who the caller is, I just want to go back to sleep. It's 9AM on a Sunday. I really don't understand why anyone would call me at this hour.

"Good morning! Are you busy today?" The caller says, their thick American accent slightly waking my senses.

"Hmmm... What?" I moan while turning in my bed. "Who is this?"

"Is she seriously still sleeping?!" Says another voice in the background. I can hear scratches, like someone's grabbing the phone from the caller. I finally decide to take off my mask and check the ID. Mark Tuan.

"Hello?" He says. Wait that's not Mark's voice.

"Hello? Mark?"

"No, it's Jackson. Are you awake now?" He says, scruffy voice tickling my ear.

"Not really. Wae? [Why?]"

"We're on the way to your place right now,"

"What?!" I gasp, bolting upright in the most unglamorous way. Since the last Real GOT7 shoot, Mina and I have gotten closer to the crew and the boys that we were asked to come to all the remaining shoots. Mark and I have been messaging each other a lot—practically every day when he's not busy. The three guys have visited me at home at least twice this month already and it's only the middle of November. I really shouldn't be surprised that they've decided to come over today, but this early and even in this cold weather? Really?

"Because we're bored and we don't know where to go today," Jackson tells me, his American English making him sound like the world's biggest brat.

"UGH. Fine, who's with you?" I ask, finally getting out of bed and heading to my dressing room to change into something decent.

"It's a surprise!" Jackson answers as I struggle to strip off my pajamas.

"Oh my god, can you please just tell me?!" I toss my clothes to the hamper in the corner of the room and hurriedly open the drawers of my white distressed dresser.

"I'll give you a hint. Hyung, say hello," Jackson says, his voice growing fainter.

"Eh? Uh, Hellooo—" Another voice pipes in. Shit. That's definitely JB. I hope Mina's not busy today.

"Do you know who that is?" Jackson again.

"I think I do," I answer while taking out a pair of denim cutoffs and an oversized pink knit sweater from my closet. "Isn't that JB?"

"Ugh, you're no fun. We brought you breakfast so don't bother cooking, okay? See you in like... 30 minutes?" Jackson says, making me panic as I stand in my bathroom. I mutter a quick goodbye before running downstairs in my underwear to get the coffee started, and then running upstairs again to take a shower.

The doorbell rings exactly 30 minutes after the call which doesn't really shock me knowing how much Jackson hates being late. I glance at the mirror by the door. My hair is still wet but at least I managed to slap on toner, essence, eye cream, moisturizer, and a tiny bit of tint on my cheeks and lips. I look through the peep hole and true enough I see GOT7's leader standing with the foreign members on my doorstep.

"Hey!" I say, opening the door for everyone with a smile. As usual, Mark is the first to come in, giving me a big hug after taking off his shoes. He then sticks his nose up in the air to take a sniff.

"Oh my goodness, coffee! Yes!" He saunters to the kitchen without looking back.

Jackson comes in after him carrying a huge ass paperbag. "Oh, you smell good! Good job for someone who just woke up!" He winks at me after a quick hug.

"Noona, I hope we didn't catch you at a bad time," says JB politely in Korean before giving me an uneasy half-hug. I feel my cheeks heat up a bit at the unusual close contact because JB and I have never been this close to each other. We've had brief conversations during shoots though, which makes it easy to talk to him at this point.

"Ani, ani, [No, no,] you're always welcome here!" I answer, smiling warmly at him. His smile is so nice, I wish I could frame it and give it to Mina that instant.

BamBam closes the door and stands beside JB, his off duty model look distracting me momentarily. "Awww, you look so pretty today!" He comments, hugging me tight. I tell him he looks prettier in his black sweater, black skinny jeans, pink jacket and pink socks. I offer to hang their coats for them upstairs, and tell them to make themselves at home—something I really don't have to say anymore but which JB seems to appreciate.

The dining table is all set by the time I got back. There's a stack of pancakes on my plate along with some eggs benedict, and bacon. Mark took the liberty of pouring coffee for me and BamBam. JB and Jackson have somehow produced green tea. We all eat in peace, a few chit chats peppering our breakfast table.

Me gustas tu, me gustas tu, stu stu ru ru...

"That's your ring tone?" Jackson asks, clearly surprised when a call came in.

"What?! I like GFriend," I respond before picking my phone up. "Yoboseo?" [Hello?] I see BamBam smiling again the moment I transform into my Korean alter-ego. He seems to find it too cute to handle.

"Omo omo omo omo omo, are they  really there? Is JB there?" Kang Mina is ecstatic as heck.

"Ne, [Yes,] we're having breakfast right now. You're coming over, right?" Everyone around me seems interested to know who the other guest is. I put my phone down as soon as I wrap things up with Mina, who's reportedly dashing to the bathroom as we speak.

"Hey, give me your phone," Jackson orders. I hand it to him, curious as to what he's planning to do.

"Is that Mina-ssi?" JB asks, momentarily taking my focus away from Jackson. I nod and tell him she's coming over too since she's not busy today. I yabber more about her, how she likes really spicy ramyeon, and how she compliments my outfit every day.

"That's why I always try to dress nicely. I want to know what she thinks because she's really good at making observations." I explain in Korean so JB would know how daebak my friend is. It's great to know that he's interested in her, enough to listen to me talk about her quirks.

"Okay, done!" Jackson announces in English before giving me my phone back. "Now I'm calling you!" He then adds in Korean. I swear this table talk is messing with my bilingual brain. My phone starts to light up and we all hear cute holiday tones coming out of it followed by Jackson's low rapping. I look at the caller ID only to find that he not only changed my ringtone, he also took a selfie of him doing a finger heart and made it his contact photo.

"This is so cute!" I squeal, slightly blushing. I wasn't a fan of GOT7 before joining JYPE and I sure as heck don't have a bias list but it's hard to maintain that when you get to see what kind of people they are off cam. "Thank you, this is pretty spiffy," I tell Jackson, my warm smile spreading like melted butter across my face. I really mean it. I like GFriend a lot but it's adorable that Jackson personally made it a mission to remind me that they're my actual friends. He's totally staying on my bias list.

"Ah pali, pali, [quick, quick,] I need to take your caller ID photos too!" I say, standing to take Mark and BamBam's photos. "Oh, JB-ssi, I don't have your number yet." I hand him my phone nervously. He thinks about it for a second, making me regret asking him in the first place. What the heck was I thinking anyway?! The rest of the boys are eyeing us curiously while eating. JB then smiles at me, takes my phone, and types his number in. He even takes a selfie and saves it in his own contact profile. Jaebum Im.

He typed his name in Romanized form, just like everyone else in my contacts list. I am instantly impressed by his eye for detail because he seems to understand the way with which I organize my phone. Even my brother is listed in my address book as Hope Kangjeon. The only people who are listed differently are my parents (because if something were to happen to me, the first two things people would search on my phone are 'Mom' and 'Dad').

"Ah, it's so weird seeing JB hyung taking a selca," BamBam comments. We can't help but laugh at JB's bashful smile.

"So what do you guys want to do today?" I ask.

"Chill?" says Mark.

"We could go shopping?" BamBam suggests, eyes egging me to say yes.

"Ani, [No,] let's not go out today. It's too cold I think it's better to stay indoors." We all look at JB, me most especially. He's not smiling anymore, but he's gazing at me with a resolute look on his face. Somehow, I get the feeling that he wants to talk to me about something important, which is why he came and why he wants to stay.

"Ah, maja!" [Yes, you're right!] My answer makes the other three members turn to me with surprised looks on their faces. "Why don't you guys just watch a movie or play games, and I'll cook fried chicken for you!" They seem to like the idea.

As we start to clean up, Mark and Jackson volunteers to tour JB around my apartment. They promise not to touch anything in my closet this time. BamBam stays behind to help me wash the dishes. "I didn't know you were such a neat freak," I say as I watch BamBam scrub each plate twice.

"I just got used to it," He answers, reminding me that his family owns a restaurant chain in Thailand. He must've been used to cleaning up well. "You're the neat freak one, your apartment smells so nice all the time."

I laugh and show him one of the tiny bottles filled with vanilla scented incense sticks that I always keep near the window sills. "It's because I have these around the house near the windows and the vents. My mom taught me that." I yabber on as I put the bottle back to its original place. "When I come home from work, the scent reminds me of how far I've come since graduation and it feels really good."

I tell him more about my first year in Korea; How I didn't have a job, I couldn't speak the language well, and the only piece of furniture in my apartment was my bed. The most I allowed my mom to do for me was to help me find a place to stay and open a bank account. I refused when she begged to buy furniture for me because I told her I'd like to do it on my own, and with my own money.

"I feel the same way when my mom sends me pictures of our new house," BamBam replies. He then shows me pictures of the two-storey house he bought for his family in Bangkok and I marvel at the grandness of everything he's showing me, until we hear heavy footsteps upstairs and booming laughter.

"Yah, what are you doing?!" I scream, leaving BamBam with the dishes to run upstairs in panic. Please not my underwear again. PLEASE.

**To be continued**