#anyways i think it would be cute. they play cards talk business (sometimes) and host poetry readings (sometimes)

[welcometoteyvat]

now that kazuha is implied to be playing tcg all we need is albedo’s card (or scaramouche’s, if you like him better) for the five kasen to host semi frequent card games with each other

[seekingseven]

All I would like to request is Legend and Sky hanging out, maybe being friends. Also, love you lots Seeking! Hope you're taking care of yourself and having a good day. It's what you deserve ^u^

Linked Universe Prompt Requests #3!

First of all, I appreciate you so much, Silver! And second, here you go!

(You can also read the fic here on Ao3)

~~~~~~

Legend leaned against his kitchen counter, chin in his palm and nose scrunched against the breeze leaking through the window.

"Foul ball, that was a foul ball!"

"Wha- no it wasn't! You can't call a foul ball whenever we score!"

Warriors and Twilight glowered at each other. On the far side of the backyard, Wind dribbled a spotted ball between his ankles and made small talk with Wild, who was trying to wipe away the sweat pooling under his arms with the end of his ponytail.  Legend scrunched his nose in disgust. Apparently the champion's bright idea to host a ball game in the hottest hour of the afternoon had come back to bite him.

His focus drifted over to the other side of his backyard, where Hyrule stood forlornly between two wooden posts. His team's poor excuse for a goal, most likely.

"You tried to trip me!"

"I did not! Stop whining, would you? If you wanted to win you should have learned the rules of the game beforehand."

"Cut me some slack, Twi. It's my first time playing!"

"Not an excuse. If you wanted to learn you could have just stayed inside with Sky and Legend or gone to the market with Four!"

Warriors took a few quick steps forward. Twilight stood his ground and puffed up his chest.

"That's enough, you two." Time said, voice snapping from his spot on a nearby bench. Legend grunted. What kind of referee watched from a bench? This was why there was an argument happening in the first place.

Behind him, the kettle began to whistle. Legend pushed himself off his elbows and turned to shut off the stove top, only partially ignoring the sounds of athletic revelry from the backyard. Porcelain clinked as Legend pulled a cup off the drying rack, then, glancing across the room, pulled off another.

If Sky was bothered by any of the commotion outside or the domestic ambience inside, he didn't show it. Instead, he sat at a table by the porch window, filing idly through the mounds of miscellaneous letters and trinkets piled around him. An overhead cuckoo clock wheedled out a dinky tune as Sky scrutinized an oddly-shaped mask.

"Coffee?" Legend asked.

Sky looked up from the table, then smiled.

"Yes, please!"

"Wrong, it's tea. What kind do you want?"

Sky's eyebrows furrowed for a moment before he caught on.

"Oh, haha! You got me. Uh, I don't really know. Surprise me."

Legend nodded to himself as he poured the kettle into the two cups. "You like sweet stuff?"

"Yeah, big fan. Can't drink anything too hot, though. Hurts my face. You got any iced tea or something?"

Steam plumed from the cups. Legend let out a small snort.

"Would have been nice to know that earlier."

Sky scratched the back of his neck and had the decency to offer up an apologetic smile. With a roll of his eyes, Legend set the kettle down and hoisted himself onto the kitchen counter.

He knew he stored the ice cubes in one of the overhead cabinets, but which one? Cabinets opened and closed as Legend balanced precariously on the countertop. Where was it? Had he really been gone so long that he didn't know where his own things were?

"Hey Legend, what's this?"

Paper rustled. The legs of Sky's chair squeaked as he leaned back, and in the corner of his eye Legend saw his companion hold something up to his face.

"Little busy here," Legend mumbled, closing yet another cabinet full of pots and pans. Maybe he should give some to Ravio; the guy needed some things for his new place, anyway. "Can you describe it to me?"

A snicker, then a stifled sound of agreement. Legend would have turned around to glare at Sky if he wasn't busy gloating over his find; the ice, at last! The countertop groaned as Legend plopped the bag of ice atop it and hopped onto the floor.

"It's a letter," Sky began, his voice uncharacteristically suave. Legend's eyes narrowed. "It's in this little pink envelope, and there's a little heart sticker on it. Says on the back....'from Elise.' Oh ho ho! Who's Elise? And there's another one here! This one's white, and it has a flower sticker on the lip. Very, very cute. Is this from Elise, too? Let me see...oh goddesses! 'From Carmen!' Carmen! Now tell me, does Elise know about this Carmen?"

Sky looked up at him with an impossibly smug grin. Legend pressed the corners of his lips down as he pulled out the rest of the ingredients for the tea.

"They're just girls," Legend began. "Just-"

"Just girls? What kind of philosophy is that? And to think you criticize Warriors for his womanizing tendencies..."

"You didn't let me finish! They're just girls who work at the bakery in Castle Town. I don't know how they got my address, but one day they all started sending me letters like that."

Sky's eyebrows piqued upwards. It might have looked innocent if not for the devious smile on his face.

"Oh, I see. So why did you keep them? Elise and Carmen must have been very sorry to have not received any response," Sky said, rifling through the stack of pink and red and crème colored letters and flipping them over to read the names on the back. Legend pretended he didn't see Sky's grin widen. "And I'm guessing the same is true for poor Lisa...and Donatella...and Trish..."

It was a good thing that Legend was preoccupied with measuring out sugar and honey, because if he had been any closer to the ice cubes, they might have melted from the heat radiating off Legend's face.

"I'm serious, Sky! I don't know any of them. I don't know why they kept sending the letters -- I never even gave them my address! I mean, I'm sure they're all really nice girls, but I'm just not, you know, in the position to be in a relationship right now...with the traveling and heroics and all that..."

Silverware clattered as Legend pulled open a drawer and retrieved a fruit knife. The sound of shouting and running echoed from outside. Light streamed through the kitchen window, and the breeze pushed along dust bunnies on the floor. Sky studied Legend, watching with unusual intensity as the latter skinned and diced a peach, then folded his hands behind his head.

"Fine, fine. But one more question, then."

Legend made a vague sound that could have been read as either grateful or irritated; most likely, it was a combination of both. Sky pushed forward anyway.

"Why'd you keep them?"

"What?"

"The cards. Why did you keep them? Did you just not have a chance to throw them away or something?"

"Throw them away? Of course not! Did you see the paper they're made of? That sort of high quality cardstock doesn't come from just anywhere! If I can find a way to bleach the paper without damaging it, I can use it for all sorts of things!"

Sky snorted, smiled, and tossed a handful of pink cards back onto the table. Hoarder, indeed.

"I think that Ravio friend of yours is starting to rub off on you."

"He is not," Legend insisted, placing a spoon and straw in both cups before walking over to the table. Only after Sky brushed away the cards in front of him did Legend hand him his tea. "He would have tried to sell them off as antiques or something. Guy wouldn't know what a real antique was even if it was staring him in the face."

Sky hummed. The sound bubbled into his tea and set little capsules of air drifting across the frothy surface. "Hey, did you put peaches in this?"

"Yeah, you like it?"

Outside, Warriors cried foul and Hyrule said something about headshots. Sky sipped his drink again, then grinned. "Mmmm, delicious. Yeah, I love it! Give me the recipe sometime, huh?"

"Heh, will do. Glad you like it."

"And speaking of Ravio, where is he? Didn't you say he used to squat here?"

Legend nodded, hands cupped around his drink and goosebumps flaring from its soothing coolness. "He did, but he just moved out. Got his own shop by the castle, with a big nice sign out in front. Professionally made. It looks pretty good, honestly. I haven't seen him in a while, but I might drop by sometime to say hi."

"Ah, I see," Sky said, absently threading one of the love letters through his fingers. Legend shot him a dirty glare, but he paid it no mind. "Hey, you said that these girls somehow figured your address, right? Do you think Ravio might have given it out? Maybe while you were gone or something?"

"Ravio? That's ridiculous. He's not the sort of guy to do that. For the longest time he's been telling me to...to..."

Legend's eyes widened. The goosebumps along his arms grew more pronounced, and this time it wasn't from his chilly drink.

"He what?" Sky prompted.

"He's been telling me to get a girlfriend for the longest time and...he...he set me up. He set me up! He gave out my address to those girls. I know it! He...this is his fault!"

Sky burst into laughter. Tea sprayed across the table, splattering across rose-colored envelopes and sparkling cardstock. Legend punched him in the shoulder, hard, but Sky didn't stop.

"Ravio! Ravio as your wingman, I would have never thought! Doing the goddesses' work, he is!"

"Oh, shut up, would you? I'm not going to make you tea again!"

Their punching and tousling cooled when the front door swung open. A moment later, Four stepped inside, arms laden with groceries and a peculiar grin on his face.

"You're back!" Sky said. Legend mumbled something about Sky stating the obvious before placing his cup to his cheek, trying to smother his burning blush.

"Sorry to interrupt whatever was going on here," Four said. That odd smile was still on his face. "I’m just about to put all these groceries away, but there's something I need to give to Legend first."

"Me?" Legend asked. Four's grin widened; it looked unnervingly similar to the one Sky had worn just minutes ago.

"Yes, special delivery. From a certain 'Amelia'. It's the red box, yeah, that one."

Legend picked up the box gently, sandwiching it between his forearm and bicep, and shuddered. Sky and Four traded a sidelong look before the latter darted off into the kitchen.

"Well? What do you think it is?" Sky asked.

"I don't want to know," Legend whispered. He took a seat by the table before tossing the box by his cup. Something rustled inside.

"Open it..."

"Open it!" Four chimed from the kitchen. His voice was unusually high.

With a world weary sigh, Legend edged his fingers under the box cover and slowly lifted it upwards.

"Well? What is it?"

"Wait, would you? I can't tell..."

Legend leaned forward, squinting.

His eyes widened.

With an undignified BANG, he slammed the box shut and launched it across the room. His face was stained a dangerous color of scarlet.

"...well?" Sky repeated, "what was it?"

Legend let out a short breath, then leaned over to cradle his head in his hands.

"...remind me to kill Ravio the next time I see him," he growled.

Sky and Four burst into laughter, and even Legend couldn't fully stifle a smile.

~~ Fine ~~ I hope you enjoyed! Thank you so much for reading! [Previous Request] - [Next Request]

[imo-chan-imagines]

『 Random acts of kindness | Haikyuu!! Headcanons 』

The everyday acts of kindness our boys do and think nothing of, but are actually incredibly sweet.

Characters: Sawamura Daichi, Kuroo Tetsurou, Ushijima Wakatoshi, Iwaizumi Hajime, Sugawara Koushi, Bokuto Koutarou, Azumane Asahi, Oikawa Tooru, Akaashi Keiji, Nishinoya Yuu, Tanaka Ryuunosuke, Kozume Kenma, Miya Astumu, Miya Osamu, Sakusa Kiyoomi, Hinata Shouyou, Kageyama Tobio, Tsukishima Kei, Yamaguchi Tadashi, Haiba Lev

Tags/warnings: Haikyuu!! (anime), no warnings, fluff, lots of characters I didn't realise how many I'd done until I came to type up the list 😳, a lot of cats and dogs, cuteness, headcanons

A/N: I've had an exhausting and busy week, and just felt like writing some comforting fluff. Thanks for reading! Please enjoy! ♡

And please consider voting in this poll (ends this Sunday 18/10/20) to help me celebrate reaching 100 followers! Thank you to everyone who's already voted! ♡

☆ Sawamura Daichi ☆

Helps lost people find their way and regularly gives directions

We're talking off-duty, here Daichi puts the 'hot' in 'Hot Fuzz' 🥵

Hahaha, fuck 🙃

He's very approachable and warm, and gives excellent directions

He'll also walk them there if they don't understand or don't feel confident, even if it disrupts his day 🥺

And he's really good at helping lost kids and calming them down he feels so proud when he gets them back to their parents, safe and sound 🤗

×

☆ Kuroo Testurou ☆

Helps elderly people with their shopping bags and getting across roads

It goes against his nature to stand by and let an old person struggle, and even if they're not struggling, he always offers his services anyway

He has a soft spot for old people, 'kay? 🥺

He makes a point of getting the traffic to stop so it's safe, and letting them hold his arm as they slowly make their way across the street

They often tell him that he's 'a very sweet and handsome young man,' and 'nothing like the other young people you meet these days' and he blushes

×

☆ Ushijima Wakatoshi ☆

Gets things from the top shelves for people that they can't reach at the supermarket

It's a pretty normal thing to do, right? So he's chill about it

Except he will 100% walk down the entire length of the isle just to help if he sees you stuggling it's super cute 😩😍

But he won't smile or make idle conversation, or anything. He'll just nod courteously

It can be a little ominous, with his looming height and serious face, but most people take the gesture well 😊

×

☆ Iwaizumi Hajime ☆

Pays for the shopping of the person in front of him when their card gets declined or they don't have the right cash

He manages to offer in a way that isn't offensive or patronising he's honestly a life saver 🥺

He's very humble and casual about it

It's what he hopes someone would do for him, if he were in that awkward situation

And you never know what struggles people are facing, so his philosophy is to always be kind what goes around, comes around, my dudes 😌✌

×

☆ Sugawara Koushi ☆

Leaves snacks and a cute thank you note on the porch for the mailman

Or mailwoman! Or mailperson!

He hopes that the little gesture will brighten their tough day of work so precious, I can't 🥺🥰

There's usually a good selection, too no skimping here, no sirree 😌

If he's home, he'll give them a cheery wave through the window as well

Especially in this COVID-19 environment. Suga would really appreciate the services they're providing

×

☆ Bokuto Koutarou ☆

Spends time every week playing with the cats and dogs at the local shelters

This man is hoenstly a blessing, I physically can't 🤧

He loves seeing their little faces light up when he walks in, scruffling their ears and playing fetch, etc. and just generally showing them that they're still loved 🥺😭

And he helps take the dogs for walks too, so they get their exercise, and brushes them down, and rubs their tummies–

He wants to adopt, but he's not settled enough, so he knows he can't 😭 but it's his goal

One day 😖

×

☆ Azumane Asahi ☆

Always holds doors open for other people

We're not just talking the occasional, feebly held door

Asahi will ALWAYS hold a door open for anyone else

Men, women, children, old people, people with prams, whole families– literally everyone

He is TALL and STRONG, and he will be USEFUL

He will hold it open even if you're really far away, like the giant dork that he is 😂😂 you cannot escape

×

☆ Oikawa Tooru ☆

Often pays for the next customer's coffee in advance

Sure, it makes him feel good about himself. But, I mean, why not? What's so wrong with that?

Oikawa calls it SAOK-ing people (pronounced 'soaking') meaning: Secret Acts of Kindness Iwa-chan has told him to change the name, but he won't 🙄

Oikawa would love the touching joy of a stranger paying for his coffee in advance, so he gets a warm, tingly feeling when he thinks about it happening to someone else because if him he's literally beaming for the rest of the day 🥰

☆ Akaashi Keiji ☆

Buys food and drinks for homeless people when he passes them

He sometimes stops to have a chat with them, too 😔🤧

He's the least condescending person you could meet if you're in trouble he's so genuine, I can't

Except for maybe Iwa-chan and Daichi. They're also very down-to-earth

He'll also give them all his food vouchers that he's been collecting in his wallet to help spread their costs

Akaashi finds it hard to watch other people struggling and suffering, and so always makes the time for it when he can afford to

×

☆ Nishinoya Yuu ☆

Helps make up the numbers for the kids playing games in the park

Be it soccer, dodgeball, basketball, volleyball, tag, or something else entirely, Noya loves to see the kids running around in the park, playing games and enjoying themselves

So he's only too happy to join in when they need more players he'll sometimes recruit Tanaka to help as well

Yuu fits right in with them, both in height and mentality 😂😭😂😭

He may or may not get them to call him 'senpai' 🙄😂

×

☆ Tanaka Ryuunosuke ☆

Helps fix people's cars on the road

Tanaka's one of those people that knows how to change a flat, and so can't drive past someone having car trouble without stopping and helping

He's also a pretty good handy-man in general, and is always willing to help out his friends and neighbours with their jobs that need doing

Like plumbing problems, putting up shelves, building furniture, etc. He's good with his hands!

Kiyoko: 👁👄👁

And he'll never charge a penny! He's all too happy to do it out of friendship and the kindness of his heart 😇

×

☆ Kozume Kenma ☆

Hosts gaming charity livestreams for various causes on a regualr basis

All the donations go directly to the charity of choice for the stream, not through him, so everyone knows it's legit 😇

He also donates gaming consoles etc. to charities and organisations that help kids who are in hospital

He's a huge advocate for charities and organisations that focus on helping people through gaming, like AbleGamers and St Jude PLAY LIVE, and regularly donates to them

Honestly, Kenma is an angel 🥺 👉👈

×

☆ Miya Atsumu ☆

Gives up his seat on public transport for old/pregnant/disabled etc. people

Look, Tsumu can be a little selfish and grouchy at times, but he's not a complete asshole 👉👈

There's a line, and hogging seats on public transport when someone else clearly needs it more than him is, indeed, the line 😌

He'll do it without a second thought or a fuss, and with a smile on his face but will be low-key proud of himself, ngl

He will also get offended if someone else doesn't give up their seat when they should, and may confront them about it 😳 like, what makes you so special that you can't do that simple courtesy that even he does??

×

☆ Miya Osamu ☆

Donates food to charities and shelters

Both store-bought food and from his own shop

Literally gets so depressed at the thought of people not getting to eat 🥺

This man LOVES FOOD. And people are out there not able to?!

He also has a scheme set up where homeless and stuggling people can come into his shop for some free onigiri

This man 🥺🤧 can I please marry him already?!

×

☆ Sakusa Kiyoomi ☆

Donates sanitary supplies like soap, toothpaste, antibacterial gel, pads, tampons, etc. to shelters on a regualr basis

Literally cannot abide the idea that people are forced to live without these basic necessities, simply because they can't afford them

It's almost for his own peace of mind rather than theirs? 😅😂 almost. He does actually care on their behalf, too

But he doesn't like to make a big deal out of it, and so donates anonymously

His donations are literally a godsend to those people, though ���😭

☆ Hinata Shouyou ☆

Reads books to kids at the library when he's there with Natsu

And he's really good at it! He reads very animatedly, and really gets the kids engaged with the stories you can just imagine it

The kids all love him and bring him their favourite books to read!

And the parents all watch and compliment him on how good he is with kids

And this goofball just blushes and grins like a doof 😚 so freaking sweet

×

☆ Kageyama Tobio ☆

Always carries a spare umbrella with him to give to someone

He hates getting caught in the rain himself, so he keeps a spare just in case this precious baby 🥺

He's had to use it quite a few times, sometimes giving it to people he doesn't even know, so he ends up not getting it back and has to buy a new spare

But it makes him smile, if a bit awkwardly, to know that he's helped someone out, even just a little Tobio!! 😭🤧🥺

×

☆ Tsukishima Kei ☆

Steps into the road to allow room for people with pushchairs and prams

I know it might not seem like much, but this is Tsukki, guys 🙄

*Narrator voice* this is one small step for man, one giant leap for Tsukishima!

And this just goes to show that he's not as tough of a cookie as he looks

He doesn't like the idea of parents etc. and young children having to walk in the road he gets worried for them...🤭

And he does it consciously, which is important

×

☆ Yamaguchi Tadashi ☆

Spends time each week looking for the animals on the 'lost' and 'missing' posters around town

He hates to think of them out there, cold, alone, frightened–

It makes him feel nauseous just thinking about it 😣

My poor, precious baby!! He's too pure for this world!! 😭

It's not often, but sometimes he actually manages to find one and bring it back to its owner safely, which is a huge boost for his mood and confidence

He feels so valued and appreciated, and just happy that the little guy is SAFE 😇🤧

×

☆ Haiba Lev ☆

Helps strangers get their cats out of trees and other high places

What else is a tall, handsome, goofball-of-a stranger to do? 😌

Legit, he doesn't think twice. Tall people should use their height to help people, shouldn't they?

Sure, it doesn't always go to plan, and his arms sometimes end up looking like well-used scratching poles, but he's just glad to help 😇

It's good to see the cats safe and with their owners

♡°☆•♡°☆•♡

If you enjoyed, please consider voting in this poll (ends this Sunday 18/10/20) to help me celebrate reaching 100 followers! Thank you to everyone who's already voted!

© imo-chan-imagines 2020

[miss-tc-nova]

The Cat’s Meow - Jumin Han x Fem!Reader Pt 3

Confession time: I wrote like the first 9 chapters of this last year. It’s only recently when someone told me they liked the story that I decided I need to finish it and put it here. So I’ve got a lot of chapters to come out on the regular and a few more to flesh out...It’s going to be a long, angsty ride. ^-^

Part 3 - Eyes Only For Me

                Several weeks have passed since I met Jumin. We keep in contact and I get an invite to a party he and a handful of others are hosting for a charity event. Amber is also invited so I feel better knowing someone there.

                “Wow, this party has so many huge names,” I mumble to her, looking at all the famous people that had come.

                “Yeah. This place is amazing. Just six people did all this.”

                “Yeah, but you have to consider the people that those seven people are,” I reply, thinking about the sheer amount of people Jumin employed and how competent his assistant is. I notice Jumin walking towards us and feel my skin burn.

                “_____, I’m glad you could make it.” His deep, smooth voice sends shivers down my spine.

                “I did. Thank you for inviting me. This is an amazing party.”

                He smiles. “I’m glad you think so. And it’s a pleasure to see you as well, Miss Carlton.”  Amber returns his greeting. Someone starts calling and he glances away. “Please excuse me. I hope you enjoy yourselves tonight.”

                “’It’s a pleasure to see you as well, Miss Carlton,’” Amber mocks as he walks away. Despite that, she’s grinning ear to ear. “It’s nice to know I was just an afterthought.”

                Genuinely concerned that she might be insulted, I ask, “What do you mean?”

                “He clearly didn’t come this way to see me, _____. He only took a two second glance at me when he addressed me. Otherwise, he couldn’t take his eyes off you.”

                “I-I don’t think it was intentional,” I stammer, looking away.

                “Are you kidding me? Do you see how you’re dressed?” she goads. “If he didn’t have a reputation, that man would have probably kidnapped you right there and then.”

                “That sounds really creepy…”

                “Point stands.”

                Not much longer after that, we’re approached by a couple. They’re dressed to the nines and I suddenly feel extremely underdressed despite having purchased a rather expensive dress for the occasion. To my surprise, they’re looking for me. Turns out they have a cat who’s acting strange. I give them a bit of advice and make an appointment for them right there and they walk away rather pleased. Several times after that, people approach asking me questions about their pets. I didn’t bring that many business cards, but I almost run out. This is turning out to be a great networking opportunity.

                An area is cleared and the hosts play music for the guests to enjoy. Honestly, I would prefer music at a club, but the kind of music they played for their audience is nice for classical dance. It’s actually impressive how many guests were taught the classical stuff.

                “This is a bit weird,” I mutter to Amber.

                “Yeah, but some of the guests really enjoy it and those who don’t can just go over there and talk,” she explains.

                A slow song starts and I see gentlemen take their wives out onto the floor for slow dancing. I can’t help but think of how cute every couple looks.

                “Well, I’m gone,” Amber suddenly hums, practically running away.

                “Huh?” Before I can catch up and question her, I see a gloved hand offered to me. My skin burns at the sight of Jumin asking me to dance.

                “Care to dance?”

                It’s like I have no control as my hand slips into his and Jumin pulls me out onto the dance floor.

                “Can you waltz?” he asks casually, pulling me around to face him.

                Somehow, he’s caught me off guard enough to cause me to blather on. “N-Not really, I mean I learned basics in high school, but it’s been awhile and-”

                “Just follow my lead.” His smooth, sure attitude makes it impossible for me to argue.

                At first, I’m so nervous that I make a few missteps and run right into him. Before I can run away, he always pulls me right back to him to start again. It doesn’t take long for his confidence to spread and my nerves melt away, making dancing with him effortless.

                “This song is a bit intimate for a dance between friends.” I’m still working on my bravery, causing my statement to be barely above a whisper.

                “Isn’t that how most slow songs are anyway?” he points out. “Besides, when you’re not nervous, you dance beautifully. It would be a shame not to show off such talent.”

                I feel a blush creep across my cheeks. “I don’t know about that.”

                “I do.”

                He has that all knowing smile that often plays when he knows he’s caught me by surprise. It’s like a game he plays that only works in the most unconventional circumstances.

                There’s a round of applause and I practically leap into Jumin’s arms in shock. He chuckles and I realize that everyone had been watching us. That blush erupts across my face and I try to hide it with my hands.

                “Don’t be shy. Give a bow.”

                “Huh?”

                He takes my hand, bowing to the audience. I take a handful of my dress and curtsy awkwardly before he leads me out of the spotlight.

                “I didn’t know you could dance so well, Jumin,” a young blonde tells him as we approach a small group.

                “Even I did not know you had such talent.” I recognize his assistant who I’ve become acquaintances with.

                “It comes quite useful when you meet as high-class people as I do,” he answers calmly.

                Suddenly, a silver-haired man takes my hand, kissing the back of it. “And who is this lovely lady?” His gaze has hidden traces of a glare as he looks to Jumin. I recognize him as a rising actor in theater.

                “This is my friend, Dr. _____ _____.” Jumin swats Zen’s hand away from mine. “Keep your lips to yourself. Where are your manners?” Zen doesn’t attempt to conceal his glare this time.

                I wave bashfully. “Hello.”

                “Oh, she’s the vet who found Elizabeth,” the blonde answers. “Hello. I’m Yoosung.” I shake his hand.

                That’s when I notice a familiar red-head. “Luciel?”

                He perks up from the back of the group. “_____?”

                I smile, stepping forward to hug him. “How have you been?”

                “You know, same old.”

                “Wait, you know _____?!” Zen half shouts at him.

                “Yeah. She lets me come play with some of the cats at her clinic sometimes.” The words coming out of his mouth are so weird, but he says them so calmly.

                The group of five is so strange but it’s easy to see that they’re actually really good friends. It’s fun to see how they all contrast and react.

                Amber comes up, putting a hand on my arm. “I’m gonna head home, _____.”

                “Okay. Thanks for coming with me,” I reply.

                “No problem. See you later.”

                “See ya.”

                The party guests trickle out in small groups until nearly everyone is gone. I’m picking up my jacket and purse when Jumin approaches me again.

                “I didn’t get a chance to mention earlier, but you look stunning tonight.”

                “Well I must say, that suit there is just the cat’s meow,” I reply cheekily, proud to have amused the corporate heir.

                “Would you like to get a drink with me?”

                “Mr. Han, I wouldn’t figure you a drinking man! How garish,” I feign shock.

                “Well I don’t know about you, Dr. _____,” he replies with a smug grin as he straightens his cuffs. “But I prefer the finer wines more than anything.”

                “Do you have any idea how prissy you sound?” I laugh.

                “I only took cues from your comment on my drinking habits,” he retorts. He holds a hand out to me. “So fancy wine? Or not?”

                “Sure.” He makes sure everything is taken care of before escorting me to his car where we leave to his place for wine.

[peacefulwriter88]

Silent Orders - Part 1

Teacher!Steve Rogers x Reader 

Warnings: None for part one minus sweet fluff

A/N: @gifsbysimplysonia requested this a while back and my imagination was able to cluster together this cute little two parter - hope you all enjoy

Also mood board created by me so tag me if you reblog/share _______

The spring bake sale had been pushed up earlier, much to many parents dismay. The spring soccer teams were in dire need of new uniforms for every grade so the principal had suggested to use the popular small town event as a fundraiser in which every parent was encouraged to participate in.

And in a small town like Green Oaks, that meant of course that everyone participated.

It was what had led Steve walking down the narrow Green Oaks Elementary hallway, a small chubby hand encased in his own as the pair of them slowly strolled down the narrow passage. Dismissal had been an hour ago but the school was still vibrant with life, surprisingly for a Friday in March, the air drifting with laughter and the sweet smell of baked goods and other wares.

“Is my mommy going to do be down this hallway?”

Adrians voice is tiny, barely audible above the chatter and Steve looks down at him with a large smile, giving him a squeeze.

“I think so buddy. Remember, this morning she said she was going to be a little late because she had to run home and grab all of the yummy goodies you helped her bake for the fundraiser?”

Adrian nods but his small, round eyes still don’t stop from roaming from the endless array of tables. Steve gives him a squeeze, resisting the urge to lift the small boy and sing him one of the many songs that he knew would yank a grin out of him.

Biasedly, Steve adored the inquisitive five year old and he knew that half of it was because the boy had the kind of intelligence and compassion most kids didn’t find until there were far older, and the other half was because he was an extension of you.

When you had dropped Adrian off this morning, you had that worried glint in your eye that he had become accustomed to seeing.

“My father can’t pick Adrian after the bake sale,” you had sighed as you watched Adrian run around on the playground with his peers.

“I have to rush home to pick up all the things I baked which would mean an hour of Adrian being unintended for, and I’m not comfortable enough to ask any of the new moms. I know they mean well but….sometimes they just come off judgy, you know?”

Steve knew. That mixed with your pride kept you biting down on your lips, eyes trained on your son. The solution was  easy to him,

“If you don’t mind,” you had flickered your eyes to him, “ I can happily watch Adrian during that time. Dawkins likes for the staff to linger for these things, say hi before we head out so I’ll be around anyways. And I don’t mind watching Adrian.”

The smile that had erupted across your lips had been all he needed, happy for his decision as you squeezed his arm in quick thanks, before waving at your son and currying away.

You were exactly the kind of trouble he was enjoying getting lost in.  

“Steve I didn’t think you’d stay for this thing.”

The familiar low tone of his good friend draws his attention away from Adrian and he stops them both, turning and watching as Natasha makes her way through the crowd, oblivious to the many dads who give her a second look as she progresses toward him, a bag in hand.

Natasha was probably one of the most attractive people Steve has ever met in his life, point blank. Fiery red hair and a personality to match, supple lips that matched her hips and wide blue eyes. The only thing stopping her from breaking Green Oaks male population was the fact that her fiance and his best friend from childhood,  James “Bucky” Barnes,  was a respected police officer in the community.

That and she shut down most men before they could get a word out.

Regardless, she was far softer with the fifth graders she taught and Steve was grateful that he had someone else in this building he could have normal conversations with. He wasn’t oblivious to the looks he received from most of the women he worked with, the lingering touches despite if they were married or not. It was a far different experience from how he used to be treated in high school - his former scrawny self an afterthought after puberty hit him in college.

“Well I had some motivation.” Steve pulls Adrian into view who smiles widely at the redhead, beaming,

“Hi Ms. Roman….Roman….Romaneff.” the young boy furrows his eyebrows trying to get her name out and Natasha laughs as she ruffles his head,

“You can just call me Ms. R,” she shifts her eyes to Steve. “I’m going to be so happy to be Mrs. Barnes for so many reasons. Mainly so kids can finally say my last bloody name but don’t let Bucky know that’s the top reason.”

Steve laughs as he directs Adrian back in the direction of  the cafeteria and Natasha nudges him, following his pace,

“He’s stinking adorable but why are you on teacher duty? Bell rang nearly an hour ago.”

Steve stops with Adrian at a table, watching as the young boy eyes travel to the  soap dinosaur bombs with mild curiosity before flickering his eyes back to Steve. Steve knows that he shouldn’t buy it for the boy - you would hate that - but there’s something about those large bold eyes that has him tugging in his back pocket for his wallet, telling Adrian he can have one if he liked.

“And one for my mommy?” Adrian asks shyly and Steve chuckles and nods. You were going to be livid with him.

“Sure bud - that way this nice lady doesn’t have to break my ten.” he winks at the elderly woman behind the table who laughs though she blushes, shaking her head as she temporarily asks Adrian which dinosaur he’d be interested in.

Natasha raises an eyebrow as Steve turns to her and says,

“I told Y/N that I’d watch him while she prepped for this thing. Her dad couldn’t pick him up today and she was in a bind so…”

“So you just thought to play babysitter to the hot new mom in town.” Natasha kids and Steve rolls his eyes though he smiles. He notices the woman flicker her eyes between the both of them but he waves it aside.

Everyone knew about you - it was hard not to in a small town like this, a distant suburb of Boston. You had moved here two years ago with just Adrian and had been an immediate hot topic. Single mom who bought the only art gallery in town and curated some pieces for the few museum in the local area - why wouldn’t you be a gossip?

Really it was the women who gossiped and really, Natasha had pointed out the one summer evening she had dragged him and Bucky to a show you were hosting, it was because you were...different. The women were intimidated by you. You were an outsider from the city, this curvy one woman show that was also the daughter of Green Oaks former mayor.

Your dad had bee a scandal - a known Green Oaks native winning their votes despite his Brooklyn upbringing. The fact that he had always talked about you but never dragged you out - the tongues that wagged though he was voted for term until he couldn’t any more.

Then you, his daughter. Single mom with no husband fresh from the big city opening a posh art gallery in town. Obviously you were scandalous.

Except, of course, like most things time shifted the tide.

You used your space on Saturdays to host free art classes that you facilitated. Adrian participated in every class, club and sport you could sign him for and you were a proud member of the local book club and an active member in Green Oaks PTA. You volunteered at parades and organized charity runs and was a proud chair member of the city council.

Through time, people discovered how Adrian’s father ran out on you when he found out you were pregnant. That you had studied in Versailles and was a distinguished artist before you had gotten pregnant. That you moved to Green Oaks where your parents decided to retire so you could get help with raising him, not wanting Adrian to get lost in the city that was New York.

Steve had known you long before Adrian was in his class, from afar, when he would go to art nights with his friends and sometimes drop in for classes. Had enough pleasant enough conversations with you but could never break down your wall.

But then he started teaching Adrian and things had changed.

“She’s not new anymore Natasha.” Steve chuckles as Adrian runs to him with the bright Stegosaurus and T-Rex bombs he had selected. Steve helps him place the bombs in his backpack before Adrian grabs his hand and they resume their journey down the hall.

“I know,” Natasha nudges him, “I’m just curious as to why? You normally shut that down with moms month one. Playing the babysitter.”

Steve keeps the smile to himself as they turn a corner and it's obvious that this is a particularly popular hall, the noise level increasingly louder with families jammed together. The baked goods hall. Adrian tightens his hand around Steve, his hold around the plush dinosaur that he favored being bought to his chest as he looks around amused.

“This hall is busy.” Adrian finally comments and Steve agrees, nodding.

“I agree bud - this hall is busy.”

“Why?” the young man asks, the curls on his head falling back with him as he looks up at Steve with large, curious eyes.

“Hmmmm, I’d guess there’s a really popular table with a lot of yummy goodies.”

“I bet it's mommy’s table.” Adrian doesn’t miss a beat, smiling deeply as he starts to pull the large man down toward the hectiness and Natasha gives an approving nod.

“He actually is right about that.”

It only takes a few strides before they find the source of the long line and, like Adrian and Natasha pointed out, your table is the source. You’re oblivious to their presence as you talk to parents, jumping from English and Spanish depending on the individual as you exchange your baked delicacies for cash or credit card. You’re hair has been thrown into a haphazard ponytail, the bodycon professional dress fully exposed as you throw your blazer on the chair behind you exposing your bosom.

He feels the air escaping his lungs, tries not to let it show as Adrian pulls toward you more strongly, though he feels Natasha’s eyes on him as Adrian screams out,

“Mommy!”

Your head automatically snaps to his direction, eyes falling on your son before they blink up to Steve. There’s satisfaction in seeing the way you exhale a large breath, teeth tugging on your bottom lip before you shake your head, moving from behind the tight space of the table to bend down and extend your arms out for your son. Adrian moves with ease in the crowd, despite the awkward weight of his large backpack and he jumps in your arms as you lift him, placing kisses all over his face.

“Oh little man I’ve missed you.” you say as Steve and Natasha near and you flicker your eyes to the group,

“Natasha you back for more?”

The red head laughs and shakes her head,

“No way. I’ve bought enough chocolate to ruin my wedding dress size for the next few weeks. No, I figured I’d lead Steve in the right direction since he’s been looking for you.”

You smile over at Steve as Adrian burrows himself in your neck, wraps around more  as you say,

“Mr. Rogers thanks so much for looking after Adrian. I really appreciate it and am sure the last thing you wanted to do was watch a five year old for one hour longer on a Friday.”

Steve sticks his hands in his pockets, bashful grin planted on his face,

“It was no problem at all, it was fun hanging out with Adrian. And please Y/N, you can call me Steve. Especially after work hours.”

He feels silly when he’s in your presence, hard to grasp on his thoughts but he is grateful as he sees you fall into yourself, a similar shy smile on your face before you clear your throat and turn with your son in your hands.

“Well everyone bought up a lot of my cupcakes and truffles-”

“You should have an in house bakery in your gallery. Those truffles are sin.” Natasha cuts you off and you laugh as you turn back to them.

“Not sure about that Natasha but I did save these for you Mr. Roge….I mean Steve. To thank you for hanging out with Adrian...it really does mean a lot.”

You hand over the container that held four cupcakes and you shift Adrian on your hip as you say,

“They’re the dark chocolate ones you like. The ones with the salted caramel frosting. I remembered you telling me how much you enjoyed them when I made them for your class last fall so...figured you deserve the small batch I whipped up this morning.”

“Oh come on...those are Bucky’s favorite and she wouldn’t let anyone buy them! I even offered to pay 50 dollars for them. Aren’t you lucky Steve.” Natasha pretends offense though she laughs at the way Steve smiles cheekily at you, a slight blush tinging his cheeks. He doesn’t mean for the thank you he shoots your way to come off as timid as it does as you stare him back down but he also was still trying to figure out how to navigate interacting with you in public spaces.

You clear the air, promising Natasha you’d bake her and Bucky a special batch as you sit Adrian down, handing him a book as you start to clean up the little material you had on your table. Steve notices that you have nothing left, not compared to everyone else around you and doesn’t hesitate to volunteer himself and Natasha to help clean up.

“We were headed out anyways.” he notes when you protest and though Natasha throws him  questioning eyes she doesn’t challenge him, happily helps fold the black tablecloth you’ve bought, pile the left over plastic containers into your travel cart.

“I’m happy I sold out early, means I can head home and start my weekend early.” you say as the four of you head out of the school, Adrian unwilling to leave the embrace of your arms as you carry him and your work bag. Steve is carrying the four tubs of plastic ware and Natasha has the rolling bin that held your tablecloth - the table decorations. You stop temporarily to speak with the principal about your contribution, handing him your moneybox before you proceed with the group back to the parking lot.

“Tell me about it. I don’t know why we planned for a late spring wedding. School is out and then a wedding? I’m an idiot - I have so much to plan for and have little motivation to want to get it all done.” Natasha mumbles and you click your Nissan Rogue open as you say,

“If you want, I could come over this weekend. I took Saturday off and I’ve been in a wedding or two...I’d happily help out if you need it.”

“Oh my god would you? Bucky would be eternally grateful….would even forgive you for giving his best friend all of his cupcakes.”

You laugh as you place Adrian in the back seat, buckling him in and nodding.

“Let me give you my number. Text me when I can come over...as long as you don’t mind Adrian tagging along. We were going to go to the zoo but if the weather is going to be bad like predicted he’d happily watch some movies while we plan and drink wine.”

Steve places the containers in the trunk, and the bin before closing it and checking on Adrian who is playing with the bath bombs like action figures.

“You have a good evening little man. Don’t give your mom too much of a hard time.”

“I won’t Mr. Rogers. I’m gonna tell her about the dinosawr bones we found!” the young boys face is enthusiastic and Steve ruffles his head before coming to the other side, waiting on you patiently as you and Natasha see each other off, Natasha waving goodbye to Steve before heading to her car.

“Natasha’s kind of had a girl crush on you for months...you don’t know how much that means to her.” he says when you turn to him and you laugh as you cross your arms, tightening your hands around your body as you try to block it from the early spring chilly air.

“I doubt that. Natasha is too cool of a girl to want to hang out with a dork like me.”

Your voice is teasing and he laughs as he shuts the door at Adrian’s side, waving at Adrian through the tinted glass as you turn on your heels, moving toward the drivers side. He’s not too far behind you.

“Well it was a pleasure getting to spend time with you, Ms. Y/L/N,” you stop at your door, leaning on it as he stands in front of you, mirroring your movement, “You really know how to brighten up a man’s day.”

You blush as you play with your keys, shaking your head before looking back up at him and smiling,  

“Well you’re the one who saved my ass earlier today Mr. Rog….I mean Steve,” a gust of wind hits and you tighten your hold around you. “Thanks for watching Adrian. I really appreciate it.”

There was so many words going unsaid as he watched you in the twilight, your eyes twinkling as they looked back at him, hair getting tugged out of your ponytail and whipping against your face. He loved that when you smiled your dimples dug into your cheeks, loved the faint smell of perfume that wafted to his nose. If he could, he’d lean over and kiss your lips, succulent and teasing - whisper how much he loved you and how he was looking forward to seeing you later. But you weren’t ready for that, not yet.  You wanted to make sure that it was okay with your son, knows it would be a big step for him to have someone like Steve in his life.

Instead he digs in his pockets, finds the scrap of paper he’s written out to you earlier and grabs your fumbling hands, rubs the soft skin that's gone cold from the wind before giving it a quick squeeze.

“Anytime,” he places the small note in your hands before raising them to his lips, giving it a quick peck and saying, “See you around.”

He opens your car door, waits until you’re in before he closes it, giving you a wink that you return before waving to Adrian one last time. Waits until you’ve safely left the parking lot before he walks to his own car, getting in and waiting for it to warm up. Barely puts his car into drive before Natasha is calling him and he doesn’t get a chance to say hello as Natasha barrels out,

“Holy shit how long have you and her been dating and how the fuck has this town not known and put it on the front page of our herald!?”

He’s on Bluetooth and looks around the parking lot, sighing as he sees her car still in its parking space,

“Did you really stay back in your car to spy on us?”

A snort,

“Uh yes. Bucky and I have been trying to hook you and her up for months now! You always chicken out when we go to the gallery nights. Apparently we should have just brought her to your world, she’s into the whole naughty teacher act.”

He laughs as he pulls out of the parking lot,

“That's not….that's not how that happened at all. I was surprised same as you when I saw Adrian on my roster. But it all gave me some one on one time and we started chatting more casually. And a little before Halloween I finally got the nerve to ask her out and she said yes. That's all.”

“Why haven’t you told your two best friends!?” Natasha counters and Steve shrugs though he knows it falls on silent eyes.

“We wanted to keep it quiet for a bit because everyone in this town is always gossiping about something. And...she wants to make sure Adrian is ready for a new person in his life. It's not just her I’m dating - she wants to be considerate of her son.”

Natasha wait's a beat before saying,

“That’s fair. I get that, I guess, you’d think I’d gossip to the harlots of this town -”

“You’d completely tell at least Sam and Wanda and Wanda actually works for the herald - Sam is a government official…..we all know the minute they know everyone does. So yes, gossiping to the harlots indeed.”

“Whatever,” Natasha continues, “How did you both manage to date for five months without anyone else knowing? Seriously, you sneeze in this town and everyone’s texting about it.”

“We drive to Boston or stay at my place.” he says simply and Natasha laughs,

“Well then you both deserve this secret romance. Well played. Next question - can I ask her about you tomorrow?”

“I’m hanging up now.” he deadpans and Natasha laughs

“I mean I was going to regardless, you kept giving each other fuck me eyes. God you should have seen Alison Johnson - she has such a hard on for you and got so sour when you didn’t even acknowledge her waving at you and instead was drooling over hot mom. She’s definitely going to be gossiping about it….”

“Good night Natasha. Tell Bucky I said hello.”

He hangs up on his friend, laughing in good nature. Natasha was probably right and that was something he could talk to you about later. In the meantime, he needed to make a minor adjustment to dinner plans and he knew exactly where to begin.

________

Tag List: 

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[westallenfun]

A Twisted Christmas Carol, Chapter 2

Author Notes: For the amazing @backtothestart02 from @jade4813. I hope you don’t think I forgot that I owed you one! Merry Christmas to one of my favorite people in fandom. I hope you like it!

Title: A Twisted Christmas Carol

Rating: PG-13

Synopsis: Nora wishes she could change the past. Iris longs to embrace every moment of the present. And Barry wonders about a future that yet may be. The Candlemaker shows them the lives they could have - all they have to do is make a wish. But not all wishes should be granted. Loosely inspired by The Christmas Carol.

Chapters: 2/5

Chapter 2 Nora’s Wish

The egregore smiled as he wrapped himself in the thoughts and memories of the mind in which he inhabited. A child of the future, lost in the past, desperately wanting to change history as yet unwritten. It would almost be too easy to lure her into his trap.

He saw what she wanted – the lives she wished her parents could share. Lives without heroism. Without loss. He could give her this. From the darkness in the back of her mind, he whispered. How easy it would be for him to wrap the threads of fate around his finger and tug gently. Change the past, and it would change the present. With nothing but a simple twist of fate, he could unwrite the future.

He would show Nora the life that could have been – that perhaps would have been, if only…

~~~

Iris groaned Linda came bounding through the door. “Hey!” her friend greeted her brightly. “You’re still in bed?”

Groaning, she threw her pillow over her head, trying to block out the rest of the world. “I was out late,” she muttered into its downy softness. “Awards show.”

“Oh, I know,” Linda replied, sounding entirely too smug. “Maybe I should say everybody knows you were at an awards show last night.”

Frowning into the pillowcase, Iris pondered her friend’s words. Actually, it was less her words and more her tone. She seemed entirely too self-satisfied, like she knew something Iris didn’t. Pushing aside the corner of the pillow, she threw her friend a suspicious glare. “What do you mean, everybody knows? Why did you say it like that?”

Flopping back onto the bed, she answered, “I don’t know what you’re talking about,” she proclaimed. When Iris just continued to stare, she threw a wicked grin in her direction. “Unless you mean your interview. People can’t stop talking about it online.”

She froze, casting her mind back to memories of the night before. As was common with awards shows, Iris had faced a bevy of reporters from the moment she arrived at the venue. It had taken almost an hour just to get past the red carpet, as she was stopped every few seconds by paparazzi asking the same questions, time and time again. “What do you mean, the interview? I didn’t say anything interesting last night, did I?”

Lifting her eyebrows, Linda asked, “Didn’t you? If you say so.” Grabbing her phone, she pulled up a video and tilted the screen for Iris to see.

“Is there any actor you’d like to work with?” a reporter asked after getting Iris’s attention on the red carpet.

She laughed, brushing her hair back off her face. “I’d love to do anything with Barry Allen…Oh, God. You’re recording, aren’t you?”

“They really were recording?” Iris yelped, sitting bolt upright in bed. “The light wasn’t on! I hoped they didn’t catch that!”

Linda laughed. “Oh, they caught it, all right. You’re trending on Twitter this morning. People can’t stop talking about how cute you and Barry would be together.”

“I am? They are? Oh, my god.”

“Anyway, your personal humiliation is fun, but it’s not the only reason I’m here. Come on, sleepyhead. Get up. We have work to do.”

Iris groaned, throwing the pillow back over her face. “No. Never. I’m never getting out of bed. I’m too humiliated. Just let me die here.”

Linda snorted. Unperturbed by her friend’s dramatics, she replied, “All right, then I’ll just talk business with your corpse. I think I know which project you should do next.”

Tossing back her pillow again, Iris accepted that she wouldn’t be allowed to die in peace and sat up once more. “You know, you are my best friend. A little sympathy wouldn’t kill you,” she grumbled.

“I’m sympathetic!” At Iris’s skeptical look, she offered sheepishly, “My laughter is…totally…sympathetic!”

Rolling her eyes, Iris grabbed for the script Linda had placed on the mattress next to her. “Uh huh. So what is this project you think I should do?” Seeing the title, she lifted her eyebrows. “Lin, I thought we said I shouldn’t do any more romcoms for a while. I’m on the verge of being typecast as it is!”

Linda nodded, “I know, but you’re going to want to be in this one. You’ll be playing a woman who asks her friend to pretend to be a date at her ex-boyfriend’s wedding. But your character ends up going with his brother instead. And she doesn’t know it, but he’s had a crush on your character for years.”

Wrinkling her nose with a skeptical grimace, Iris started flipping through the script. “I don’t know, Lin. Doesn’t this just sound like every other romantic comedy? What’s so great about it?”

Linda threw her an innocent smile. “Well, did you happen to catch any late night talk shows after the show?” Rolling her eyes, Iris shook her head. “Then you’re going to want to watch this.”

As Iris stared at her, she pulled up a video on her phone and then turned the screen so that Iris could watch. “They taped last week sometime, but it wasn’t aired until last night.” Barry Allen was talking to a talk show host who was known for his boyish charm and the games he played with his guests.

Iris watched as a clip of the two of them playing a variation of Truth or Dare began to play. Linda had skipped through the first minute or so of the game, so Iris didn’t see how Barry ended up with egg in his hair, his pants drenched with water. But she watched as the final round began to play.

“So, you lost the last round. That means it’s time for a Truth Card,” the host – who wasn’t in any better shape than Barry – prompted. “You’re not nervous, are you?” he asked.

Barry laughed. “A little. I know what kinds of questions you’ve asked before.” But he gamely walked up to a giant board with envelopes pinned to it, chose one at random, and handed it to the host.

The host opened the envelope. “There are three questions on this card, and you have five seconds to answer them. First question: Your celebrity crush?”

“Iris West,” he replied, blushing red.

The host’s next words were drowned out by Iris’s gasp, and Linda paused the video. With a huge grin, she rewound a few seconds and hit play again.

“-stion: Your celebrity crush?”

“Iris West.”

“Aw, look. He’s so adorable. He’s blushing when he says your name and everything! Now do you see why everyone is talking about you guys today?” Iris was still staring at the paused screen, unable to believe it. Barry Allen had a crush on her? The way he’d blushed when he’d admitted it, too! She just wanted to bask in this moment.

But Linda continued, “The fact that your slip and this interview aired on the same night? No wonder the Internet is losing it. And not just them. Apparently, the director of this movie already thought the two of you would be perfect for his picture. Last night just sealed the deal for him; he’s determined to capitalize on all this buzz and cast Iris West and Barry Allen opposite each other in their first romantic movie together.”

“I see,” Iris mused, giving the script a considering look. “Well, if he’s that determined to cast me, I’d hate to let him down.”

With a sly smile, Linda remarked, “You know, I thought you might say that.”

A couple of months later, Iris was trying to project an air of confidence as she walked towards the set. This was it; the first day of filming. It was also the day she was going to meet her costar for the first time. A chemistry test had been scheduled for a few weeks before, but problems on another project forced the director and producers to cancel at the last minute. Known for his preference for ad-libbing and changing things on the fly, the director had then decided that he wanted to capture their first scenes together as strangers, hoping it would add something to the shoot. Iris just hoped she actually would have chemistry with Barry and that it would shine through.

Well, that and she hoped he wasn’t a huge jerk. She’d had a little crush on him, herself, ever since she’d seen him in his breakthrough role as the prince in the modern fairytale Glass Slippers. Though she’d die before she admitted as much to him. Still, in her business, she knew it wasn’t unusual to admire someone from afar, only to find out they were an arrogant narcissist behind the scenes. It would break her heart if she found out Barry Allen was the same.

Lost in her thoughts, she didn’t notice Barry’s assistant, Gretchen, until she was almost upon her. “Hey,” the other woman greeted her warmly. “Um, I was just looking for you. The director wants to do something different this morning. He wants to start with the ad-lib shoot.”

Though Iris hadn’t worked with the director before, he was known for having a very particular style. He liked to shoot each scene two to three times. The first time, he would always shoot the scene word-for-word according to the script. His actors were not allowed to deviate from the page at all. The second take, he would incorporate his own changes to the script – tweaking lines he didn’t think worked the first time, for example. But he would also always do a third take, in which he asked the actors to ad-lib and have fun with it. To play through the scene as they saw fit. He would then choose the take that he liked best for the final cut.

It was unusual that he would choose to do the ad-lib first, but Iris suspected she understood what was behind it. “I take it we’re not supposed to meet before we start?” He had said he wanted to capture the genuineness of their response to each other.

Gretchen nodded. “You got it,” she said with a small chuckle. “But the thing is, Barry has a thought for something he wants to try for the scene. He wanted me to make sure it would be okay with you first, though.” With a shrug, she explained, “He won’t tell me what it is, but he said it pushes the envelope.”

Surprised and intrigued, she shrugged. “Tell him I said to go for it. I’m curious to know what he has in mind.”

An hour later, Barry sucked in a deep breath as the director called places. It was the scene in which Iris’s character was to show up at her friend’s apartment to pick him up for the wedding only to find that he had left town, claiming an emergency. Upon finding that he’d been asked to join her instead, the two were supposed to argue in the living room until, realizing she had no other choice, Iris’s character begrudgingly agreed to let him join her.

For this take, however, Barry had something else in mind. He’d come up with the idea when he remembered that his character was supposed to be in love with her, though she was oblivious to that fact. He was certainly nervous enough to pull it off. But this being their first meeting in real life, he could only hope that he didn’t completely alienate her.

The director called for action, and he hid behind the corner as he heard Iris enter the set. She called out his character’s brother’s name – Travis. After waiting another second, he strolled nonchalantly around the corner onto the set. Though his smile was a little nervous at first, it became more genuine when he saw her for the first time. It transformed into a wide grin when she turned and saw him for the first time.

Oh my god. Iris turned and caught sight of Barry for the first time, and those three words were the last coherent thought she would have for several seconds. Her higher mental function seemed to abandon her completely as soon as she realized three distinct things: First, he was dressed in nothing but a pair of blue jeans, which hung intriguingly low on his hips. Second, his chest was beaded with droplets of water, like he’d just stepped out of the shower. And third, Barry Allen was even more gorgeous in person than he was on screen.

“Hey, beautiful. Good to see you again,” he greeted her with a sexy grin.

His greeting finally kicked her mind back into gear, reminding her that she was a professional, damn it. “Oh, god!” she blurted, trying and failing to tear her eyes away from his chest (seriously, she was dying to know his workout routine – for as lean as he was, he had amazing abs). “What are you doing shirtless? I mean here?” she babbled, wishing she could get a hold of herself. It was a good thing her character was supposed to be surprised and a little discomfited by him, or this would be downright humiliating.

“Travis is my brother, remember? And this is his place…”

“Yes, of course I know that,” she interrupted him. “But where is he? He’s supposed to be my date to this wedding…?”

He shrugged. “He said he had some sort of emergency. Something to do with work. I was in town visiting anyway, so he asked me to take his place.”

She shook her head. “Oh, no. I can’t – you can’t be my date. You’re not…you’re not even dressed.”

Barry laughed and looked down, as though realizing his lack of shirt for the first time. “I do have clothes, you know.”

Remembering that their characters were supposed to be at odds at first, she snapped, “Well, then, can you go put them on?” as she turned to walk away. However, she was so rattled that she’d forgotten the placement of furniture on the set and banged against the island separating the living room from the kitchen.

“Why?” he asked, his voice all innocence. “Does this bother you?”

She snorted and kept her face averted to hide her blush as she darted around the island, trying to put some distance between them. “No, of course not,” she lied. “It’s just that this isn’t going to work, you know. Nobody will believe we’re dating. We’ve argued every time we’ve spent more than five minutes together. We don’t even like each other!”

As she’d known he would, Barry followed. She could feel him behind her, and when he stepped close to her, Iris turned and caught her breath. She was captivated by the flecks of gold in his eyes, and she had to clutch the edge of the island behind her to stop herself from reaching out to see if he felt as good as he looked. With that smile that had captured her heart the first time she’d seen it on screen, he leaned down and murmured, “Well, I hate to tell you this, but beautiful, it’s too late. Travis left hours ago. If you’re determined to take a date to this wedding to show up Billy the Weasel, it’s me or nothing.”

Then, reaching out, he gently captured a lock of hair, sliding it between two fingers. “So how about it? Still want a date to this thing? I can pretend to be desperately in love with you if you can.”

Iris’s eyes fell to his lips, and she felt herself lean almost imperceptibly towards him as she wondered what it would be like to kiss him. Before she could forget herself (and a good fifty pages of script) and give in to temptation, the director yelled cut.

She startled, and Barry jumped away from her, his smile turning sheepish and a little shy. Iris looked to the cameras and crew to find that everyone had stopped what they were doing and were just staring at them. More than one mouth was even agape. “Um…was that okay?” she asked as she straightened, pretending it had all been an act.

The director stared at the two of them, and then a slow smile spread across his face. “Are you kidding? Honey, that was magic.”

“Hey,” he greeted her with a warm smile when she joined him at the craft table between takes. “Listen. About this morning. I hope I didn’t go too far?” He had to force himself to tear his gaze away from her face; it was hard to believe that she could be even more beautiful in person than she was on his screen. It was enough to take his breath away. If he wasn’t careful, he was afraid he’d make a fool of himself.

She grinned up at him, seemingly not noticing his response to her. “No, it was great,” she acknowledged. “But just so you know, I’ll be getting you back for that one of these days.” He laughed and pretended to occupy himself with picking out the perfect muffin as he wracked his brain for something to say. He wanted to keep talking to her, to get to know her better, but she made him feel nervous and tongue-tied.

He watched out of the corner of his eye as Iris added some cream and sugar to her cup of coffee. To forestall her walking away, he blurted, “So, um…” But no further words came to mind, so his attempt at conversation faded into nothingness.

But when Iris turned to face him, he could see the blush staining her cheeks. “So, listen. You didn’t – uh – you didn’t see my interview, did you?”

He didn’t have to ask which interview, and he’d only watched it a dozen times or so. But he threw her a sheepish grin. “Not if you didn’t see mine.”

Iris laughed; it was the most beautiful sound in the world. “It’s a deal. Anyway, it’s all so silly, when you think about it. Imagine being nervous about…I mean, it was a joke, right? It doesn’t mean anything.”

“Oh, right,” he agreed a shade too quickly, unsure if she meant his interview or her own. “Definitely.”

But before their conversation could continue, they were called back to set.

The next morning, when Iris came to set, she found Barry there waiting for her. He was holding two cups of coffee, and he held one out to her. “Five am shoots. Gotta love ‘em, right?” he joked as they headed to their places.

Iris groaned as she took a giant swig of her drink. It would take several more minutes for her brain to wake up enough to realize that he’d made it just the way she liked it.

Handsome, sexy, and conscientious of the people around him? Iris really was in trouble.

“So, you’ve got a thing for my daughter, huh?”

Barry spun around to see Iris’s dad in the doorway of his trailer. They had never officially met, but he’d seen the older man on set several times before. “What?” he breathed.

Joe chuckled. “It’s pretty obvious,” he pointed out. “I’ve seen the way you look at her.”

“Well, s-sure,” he stammered. “I mean, we’re acting, right? That’s what we do. We act.”

Throwing him a level look, Iris’s dad pointed out, “Son, nobody is that good of an actor. Not even her.”

“Wait, what? It’s that obvious? I mean, you think I – that she – are you saying she –” Joe just chuckled and shook his head as he walked away.

“All right, places, please! Places!”

Iris and Barry put aside the script pages they had been studying for the next day’s shoot and headed for the set. We’re ad-libbing this one, right?” Barry asked as they fell into step next to each other.

Iris nodded. “Yeah. Actually, I have an idea for what to do this time. You okay with going with me on this one?” It was an early scene in the film. Their characters had just checked in at the bed and breakfast with the rest of the wedding party, and they were awkwardly trying to get used to their pretend relationship. The scene in the script was sweet, a little touching, and a little humorous but Iris felt like there was something missing.

Without a second’s hesitation, Barry nodded. “Absolutely,” he agreed.

They took a moment to establish where they wanted to start the scene, and then they took their places as the cameras began to roll. “All right, so, if we’re going to pretend to be in a relationship, we should get our stories straight. How did we meet?” she asked as they busied themselves by unpacking.

“Why not stick to the truth? I’m your friend’s brother, and we first met a couple years ago when I came into town for a visit. We’ve seen each other a few times since, and recently, we realized there was something more between us.”

She nodded. “I suppose that works. So you asked me out, and –”

He grinned over at her. “Oh, no. You definitely asked me out.”

Pausing in her task, she turned on him with an indignant look. “What? No! Why would I ask you out? If anyone is going to believe we’re together at all, they’ll only believe you asked me out first.” Throwing him a smug smile, she added, “In fact, I made you work for it.”

He snorted, dropping his clothes on the bed and scooting around the side to stand in front of her. “Look at me. You know you can’t get enough of this. You asked me out.”

His grin made it clear he was teasing, but Iris refused to give ground. Smiling up at him sweetly, she shot back, “You asked me out. I finally accepted. Mostly out of pity.”

He laughed and bent down until their faces were only an inch part. “Oh, yeah? Well, I think –”

He was so close; he couldn’t have set up the moment any better if he’d known what she was going to do. “I think we should kiss,” she blurted.

Even though he knew this was all an act – they were filming, after all, Barry still jumped at her suggestion. He took a hasty step backwards, bumping into the bed he’d forgotten was there, and had to recover his balance before he could continue. “Wh-what?” he responded, his shock and confusion genuine. “I mean…now? Here? Now? Why?”

A small smile tugged at the corners of her lips as she cocked her head to the side and tried not to laugh at his reaction. “Because of what just happened. We’re supposed to be in love, after all. How are we going to pull off the charade when the time comes if you act like the thought of kissing me had never crossed your mind before?”

Oh, it had crossed his mind. Several times. But his character wouldn’t tell her that at this part of the story, and he certainly wasn’t going to admit to it, either. Iris seemed to be enjoying letting her character have the upper hand for the moment, because she stepped close to him and slid her hand down the line of buttons on his shirt. “What’s the matter? You’re not going to chicken out on our agreement, are you?”

Before he could second-guess himself, Barry turned and grabbed her around the waist. Iris had put her purse on a small side table in front of the window, but it fell to the ground when he walked her backwards until she bumped up against its edge. Almost belatedly, he remembered not to block the view of the camera as he lifted her easily and rested her on the table’s edge. However, all thoughts of work fled from his mind when he heard her catch her breath as he stepped between her legs and pulled her in close.

“No,” he growled, giving himself over to the assertiveness in his character that he would never dare risk in real life. “But if this is going to be our first kiss, I want to make it memorable. That way, if you’re ever asked about this moment, you’ll have a story that’s worth telling.”

Perched on the table, she was taller than him, so she rested her hand on the cheek that was away from the camera. Then, tilting her head so her hair would form a curtain to frame the moment, Iris bent and pulled him in for a kiss.

Barry lost himself in the moment and the feel of her lips against his. He was so wrapped up in the taste of her kiss that he almost didn’t hear the director yelling cut. At the sound of his voice, however, Iris broke off the kiss, but she didn’t pull away right away. In fact, they didn’t break apart until the director cleared his throat loudly. “Uh, you guys…we’re done with the scene, you know. You don’t have to keep staring at each other like that.”

Before Barry could step back, Iris grinned at him and whispered, “Got you back.”

“Oh my god. I thought this morning’s shoot would never end. I can’t wait to get back into my own clothes. I just want to go home and crash,” Iris moaned, rubbing her neck with one hand. When she saw Barry’s face fall, she dropped her hand and asked, “What? Did you have something else in mind?”

Running a hand through his hair, he suggested, “I thought we could grab a cup of coffee together. Maybe do some Christmas shopping? I haven’t had a chance to go yet, and I thought maybe we could…”

Her exhaustion melting away, Iris straightened. “You know what? That’s a great idea. Give me ten minutes; let me get changed and we can go.”

When she returned several minutes later, Barry was already there, waiting for her. Smiling, she looped her arm in his and headed to the car. “So, Barry Allen. Where to first?” she asked.

“First we get that cup of coffee. I know just the spot,” he said, pulling into traffic.

But things didn’t go as planned. Everywhere they went, they drew attention to themselves. People whispered when they spotted them together at the coffee house. Others openly gawked when they ducked into a store to do some shopping.

“You know, you would think I’d have gotten used to this by now. Never a private moment, huh?” Barry asked wryly.

“It’s all right,” she mused, linking her fingers in his. “Let them stare. At least we’re together.”

“Hey, you two! Come over here! There’s someone I want you to meet!” Filming had just wrapped through the end of the year, and Iris and Barry were attending a Christmas party at the producer’s house. Forcing smiles, they headed towards where the producer was talking to a beautiful blonde in a red dress.

“Iris, Barry. This is Cheryl. I’ve been telling her about your new project. She’s eager to do a piece on the two of you. I think it’ll make good press. Make sure to carve out a few minutes to give her an interview in the new year, okay?”

From the producer of their film, it wasn’t a request. Barry and Iris dutifully nodded and exchanged greetings as he walked away. Before they could make excuses and escape, however, Cheryl fell into step next to them and asked, “So, everyone’s been saying the two of you have incredible chemistry. Where does that come from, do you think?”

They exchanged a glance, bother blushing as they chuckled nervously. “Oh, you know. We just…I guess it comes from just being really good friends. I feel like I’ve known Iris forever,” he offered.

“So what do you –” Cheryl began, but her question was interrupted by a party guest’s shout.

“Hey, guys! Look! You’re standing under mistletoe!” Iris looked up to find they’d wandered under the mistletoe hung in the doorway.

Giving them both a sly smile, Cheryl pointed out, “You know what that means, don’t you? Come on; it’s tradition.”

“Oh, ah…” Barry stammered. “Th-that’s not…I mean, we don’t have to –”

“Don’t be silly,” Iris murmured, throwing her arms around his neck. “It’s Christmas.” Drawing him toward her, she ignored the cheers of the crowd. In fact, she forgot about everyone around them as she drew him in for a kiss, tilting her head back and leaning into the warmth of his body.

When they finally broke apart, she shivered at the caress of his warm breath against her cheek. “Barry, there’s something I should tell you,” she whispered, pulling him aside. “I –” But standing close to him like this, lost in his green eyes and the warmth of his smile, she lost her nerve. “I just…do you ever…I wish we could have met each other sooner. We could have spent our entire lives together.”

He smiled down at her. “You know, we still can.”

~~~

This could be their lives, the voice in her mind promised as Nora watched her parents fall in love all over again. Like something out of a movie. No fear. No pain. No Flash. All you have to do is make a wish, and this can be theirs.

But Nora remembered her mother’s words in the dream – “I wish we could have met each other sooner. We could have spent our entire lives together.” She thought about how her parents’ faces lit up every time they talked about the lives they’d shared together. As hectic, terrifying, and incredible as their life together could be, Nora knew without a doubt they’d never trade it for anything.

Nora wished they never had to face potentially losing each other, but she couldn’t take away the memories of the life they had built together. With only a tiny stab of regret, she responded to the voice whispering in her mind.

No.

[lunebinnie]

(1/14)I am so sorry for taking so long! (I also had to spend a lot of time studying this week bc I had my first exam for my Anatomy Lab on Wednesday... And then we had our first exam for *Lecture* Thursday (which also was the day I had a bunch of powerpoints due for my very intimidating adviser...) and then I had to substitute teach all day Friday (and then I meant to respond sooner but I got so busy 😭) so yeah I completely understand about school getting in the way no worries abt it!)

And also sleeping in on a day off when you’ve been busy studying lately is completely valid hon 👌 I hope that your midterms go well and that you’re able to stay healthy and take care of yourself in the midst of preparing! (not that you wouldn’t, I just have a bad habit of neglecting things like healthy sleeping and eating habits when I get caught up studying, so hopefully you’re not like me in that way) And yeah me too! I mean on the one hand I understand *why* they have that limit

3)If u could just send as many as u want there would be so much more spam and ppl would definitely abuse that. But also?? Um? I have a chronic condition called ‘Can'tShuttheFuckUp-itis’? 🤷 This policy is so discriminatory towards people like me who suffer from this crippling condition! I feel oppressed honestly 🙄 tumblr rlly has something against ppl just trying to get to know each other huh? Lol, but at least now we know why it eats them I’ll be sure to try to prevent that in the future

4)And oh my gosh that’s so cool! I’m super jealous!! 😮 lol. I wish they hosted kpop nights at my local bar! 😭😭 But no, I’m here at my little state college in a little 2 mi2 town just under pop 5500 (and idek if that’s before or after counting college students) in the middle of the 'farm zone’ of my state. All we get is country night @Riley’s 😩 RIP. But ya I wish I had more ppl around me who were into kpop! So far I’ve only met 3 ppl who listen to it. One was that roommate I told you about

5)One is just a casual listener who isn’t really into 3rd gen groups and mostly just listens to Girl’s Generation but that’s valid, and one isn’t even rlly a fan of any groups in particular, she just puts the kpop station on when she studies bc she says she needs music but if it’s in English she gets distracted, lol And omg that is insane! $500?? And 5 copies of the same album? 😲 (Says the girl who’s been a Monbebe for a hot 2 months and has already bought three (3??) Monsta X T-shirts… 😂

6)in my defense tho one of them was only $10 bc it was Black Friday? And u can’t blame me, Hot Topic is my krypotonite lmao) but yeah I already feel guilty about spending 30+ dollars on one copy of an album (thx international shipping) That’s so wild. And yeah I don’t get why ppl feel the need go out of their way just to insult other ppl’s music taste. I’m also pretty self conscious abt sharing my music taste and obviously the way everyone around me talks abt kpop has made me even moreso now 🙃

7) I haven’t gotten into too many groups yet bc I’m trying to go slowly and focus on getting into one group at a time but I do have a long list of groups I plan on getting into eventually! NU'EST is one that I’ve heard some of their songs on my Spotify based on my listening history and they’re on the list haha 😂 And omg I feel really similarly about Got7! I tried to get into them after I got into Monsta X and right before I got into Astro and although I did really like some of their songs

8)I haven’t really been able to get into their music as much as MX and Astro’s yet. I do think they seem like a really fun group in terms of personality though. As for the comeback I know right?? I mean I know a lot of ppl were freaking out abt the comeback being a 'sexy’ and how it wasn’t gonna be the same cute Astro we all love anymore. But they filled the MV with flowers and glitter and still managed to make it sexy as fuck! This album has a very different vibe but it still felt like them

9) They managed to pull off a more mature and sexy concept while still staying true to themselves and I’m so here for it! I don’t know if I could really pick a favorite era because I love them all! I mean Spring Up was an excellent era and every era since then has been great. They really don’t know how to have any bad concepts or make any bad songs huh? Lol. Since I’m still pretty new I really love the title tracks since I’ve heard them the most. (I have listened to their full discography

10)But I haven’t listened to their Bsides enough to pick out my favorites from those) I also really love Again though! The first time I saw the dance practice I was super into it and then I looked up the lyrics and was like 'this is supposed to be sad/regretful song it has no reason to be this much of a BOP?!’ 😂 I have such a hard time picking favorites though. Since All Light is new though I actually have listened to it enough times to pick some 'non-title song favorites’ from there haha

11) Other than All Night (which is great, obvi) I also really like Starry Sky, Moonwalk and Role Play 😂 and Bloom is so pretty oh my god! 😭😭 the album is great and has no bad songs but those are the ones I particularly like. I feel u about the dances honestly. I think that’s actually what drew me to kpop initially. I mean I like listening to the songs ofc but it wasn’t until after I actually watched an MV/saw the choreography that I actually was like… Oh shit I’m gonna have to be a fan now

12) It was the visual aspect that really made me want to be a kpop fan bc I haven’t really seen that level of performance with any western music. Which isn’t to say I think all western music is bad but I think it’s really impressive to watch kpop groups singing and also doing really impressive choreography and performing at the same time. Plus that’s the part I can show my family and say 'even if you don’t like the music because of the language barrier you have to admit they’re talented dancers’

13)And yes! With Astro especially I think the dance practices rlly succinctly capture the reason why I love them so much. They are *super* talented but they also have such great chemistry and u can rlly tell that they just love each other and have so much fun together! I love a family of six hardworking dorks! 🤧💗 lol. And yeah it’s too bad that neither of are able to see them this cb ☹️ (I also did the 'hypothetically…’ research but it wouldn’t have worked out 😒) I hope you’re right though!

14)Hopefully the success of this comeback is the catalyst to Astro getting more of the attention they deserve and there will be many more opportunities to see them in the future! (Although it is too bad we won’t be able to see live performances from this cb, since it’s so pretty 😭 tho with their track record I’m sure future cb’s will be just as good lol) But what about you? Do you have any favorite songs from this cb in particular? Talk again soon! (I’ll try 2 b better @ responding 😭) -AHA

FUCKKK okay so after like a million years of midterms + 2 days straight of sleeping ya girl is BACK to answer these asks after getting through the hurdle of copying and pasting and italicizing 14 asks onto one response on my phone. Did I perhaps fail at least 3 of my midterms? Quite probably. Do I have the energy to care atm? No. Did I need to get away from everything and fly to Boston to visit my friend for reading week? Yes.

How did all your exams go? That sounds crazy though! I hope you got through everything ok!

Tbh I have the same unhealthy habits too, I essentially became nocturnal and lived on like one meal a day + snacks and coffee 😭 fr, I would be writing my midterm from 11:30-1:30, go home to eat, sleep from 4-7pm, then wake up to study all night for the next one, and repeat,,,,, I’m like an actual mess tbh

Honestly as much as I’ve enjoyed the Aroha secret admirer thing (it was sooo nice getting to meet new people) rn I’m just so glad that post-reveal we don’t have to deal with tumblr ask limits and writing entire essay responses all in one go.

Honestly 3 shirts isn’t even THAT bad especially if they weren’t all like ordered from overseas so they wouldn’t have been that expensive. When I went to the Myeongdong underground shopping centre I went craaaazy with Kpop merch despite stanning (at that point, pretty much only) BTS for a whole 3 weeks, so I ended up coming back with 2 albums, a bunch of stickers, a photocard pack (also bonus: got an Astro one too) and like a BUNCH of bt21 stuff. Speaking of, my All Light album finally came in!! I ended up getting a Moonbin, MJ, Jinjin, and Sanha photocard plus the a Rocky lyric booklet and ik I basically got THE best set for someone who loves all of them w my whole heart 😩✊ but I’m still sad I didn’t get any Eunwoo cards since he was my first Astro bias 😭 it’s soooooo pretty I love it sm and like lowkey I’ll probably end up buying more of their albums anyway oopsss

Speaking of Monsta X btw, I heard their new song and I thought it was really good! What did you think of it?

Regarding favourite songs, I swear my moods change so much, so it’s pretty common for me to not love a song at first and sort of rediscover it months later, and tbh that’s kind of what happened with Innocent Love, Baby, and Again. In this album though, I’d say my favourite Bsides are probably be Bloom, 1 in a Million, and Heart Brew Love.

And I toootally agree with the performance aspect of kpop being the thing to attract me it, even before I got really into it I’d sometime like to watch dance practices (and lowkey even learned a bunch of choreos a with my friend last term just bc we had access to a frequently empty dance studio). It’s just super impressive to see people singing and dancing at the same time mostly live, and for the same reasons I’m also super into musicals as well, which isn’t so say I think like lip syncing or just dancing/singing is bad, it’s just refreshing to see it done all at once, you know?

Also side story it turns out that I actually DO know another Astro fan irl!! Her older sister (who I’m closer to bc we’re closer in age) is the one who bought the million got7 albums. Even though she’s been a fan of Astro since before debut, her sister doesn’t even know she listens to kpop since she was afraid of getting roasted at first, but now she’s in too deep to say anything. I’d mentioned liking Astro to her before, but she didn’t say anything bc she didn’t want to expose herself in front of her sister but on Friday I saw her while her sister was out and she was like “oh btw here’s a secret I went to the Toronto fanmeet last year but my sister doesn’t know” I was SHOOK but tbh I’m just super glad now to have someone to talk about it and go to concerts with (I’m banking on the fact that they’re coming back)

Anyway, THANK YOU SO MUCH for waiting 2747287482 million years for my response, and it was so great to finally (officially) meet you Kjersten!

@kaptain-k-pop

[hollowsentinel]

OC Thoughts

Note: Fuck it. This has been in my drafts for too long. Fair warning I talk about an OC I know jack all about and was probably derived from me being a gross person. Also, ignore any doubt I express about Nel being trans. She's at least not cis, and it's just hidden under all the other layers of bullshit she has.

For context, I derive new characters from existing ones when I feel they become distinct. Nel is Nolan if Nolan was a lot more depressed, filled with self-loathing to the point of wanting to be anyone except herself, and dressed in cute clothes to be a functional person.

To be fair, that doesn't say much. I rarely talk about the OCs I do think about...

Anyway! Nel, she's... weird. I don't think she's trans or bigender or anything, but I say that not knowing a lot of things about the experience and knowing a lot of things about Nel. I don't know where the lines are drawn for genderqueer terms much less what makes one belong under one or another term, and I do know that Nel is being a stubborn fool and pasting over her issues dealing with living as whatever her legal name is and presenting herself as a woman as a matter of trying to start fresh.

There are moments where I think that Nel as a man feels like he is sometimes unable to do what he wants because of "you're a guy, you're not supposed to do that," but dysphoria doesn't come into play. I mean, maybe it should, but I don't know what's correct. He feels bad because of a bunch of things, but gender identity is not one of them. At the same time Nel as a woman doesn't feel euphoric by virtue of being a woman, but because she has shed some misgivings and mental blocks and does her own thing. Thus the idea that Nel is trans feels wrong.

I do think about gender talks with her because of it, but it's weird and even though I want to write about Nel, I get the feeling that she's going to be a character I present firmly as trans or a drag queen (or something) in the final draft of things just to try to keep from getting blowback or otherwise encroaching on a territory I don't have any right to touch upon.

Also, fuck, this wasn't what I had in mind when I drafted this post.

I wanted to talk about how Nel likely has the most firm fashion and physical design of my OCs. Overall, I was thinking she dresses in gothic lolita- the lacey, fluffy, frilly style that's "busy." It does double duty, making her feel pretty in general and distracts from any features that peg her as a dude in a skirt. That it's what a friend like to flaunt and put Nel in once as on a... let's say whim- that's just a thing. Nel adores her gloves and has at least two pairs on her person at any given time.

And this is where things start eking into even sketchier territory. One set of gloves is just for her to feel nice and cute. Her hands feel bad to her, too rough and thick. The gloves cover it up. The other pair is for violence.

It's a holdover from college!AU Nolan. Nel has learned how to wreck face from a dear relative or neighbor, and she isn't shy about coming to blows. It feels like the detail dips Nel toward "is messed up, dangerous, and it's because/marked by her being LGBT" or something like that. And really, that would be a shit thing to do on top of this "maybe she's an example or narrative that queers need correction intona cishet lifestyle."

And I'm straying.

Nel has these sleeves that stretch snug over her upper arms down to her elbows but drape over her forearms. Maybe the snug bit continues all the way, but the drape-y bit- they look like skirts if her arms hang at her sides- thise are there and fluttery. She absolutely has ties or snaps or something to tame them on command. And I say she hides knick-knacks under them.

Nothing too serious since it'd mess with her look and the flow of her clothes (I know how it is; I've carried shit in my baggy as hell sleeves; there are strict limits that only get stricter for the fashion conscious). Maybe she keeps her spare gloves there. Money clip, credit card, a pencil maybe. My violent bits say small knife. I think most of it would be strapped to her arm or hidden in a pocket sewn into the wide cuff, but the limit is definitely light and unobstructive.

And I just remembered that purses were things and that Nel has the kind of skirt that could have hidden pockets. The sleeve-carry thing doesn't need to be a thing. To be fair, I don't envision Nel carrying a purse of any size. Then again, most of the situations I think of her in are private or fixed location affairs...

No, she has to carry a purse. Something for essential make-up. If her look gets messed up, then she has a host of issues to deal with. Some of it's her personal hang-ups. Some of it's the risk people around her might pose.

It's not an issue while she's dolled up. Body-contouring garments help out, and there's a lot of "poof" to obscure give-aways. Like, she wears shirt with high collars or chokers. Her skirts are knee length at shortest. She's got shorts with frills and a petticoat. Her legs are socked up to her thighs, or toghts come into play somehow. Exposure is as minimal with her as she can get it.

And her hair is actually grown out so that's not an issue. Not sure how she styles it or the precise kind of headwear she augments her look with.

Ooh, and when Nel wears heels, she has a kind that wrap up her calves. I'm drawn to the concept of her pivoting on her heels and driving them into people's feet so they're one of the longer lengths. I feel like she washes back and forth on whether or not she goes with them, whether they're valuable enough to her ability to dissociate from her given identity over her ability to walk comfortably.

Anyway, I think I'm a lot less certain of Nel's body type than I stated earlier. Like, limited muscle definition not just because it'd be hard to cover up otherwise, but also because she doesn't exercise for strength. It's something that she was never interested in and both contributed to and was the result of some of her issues. She's in that band of slightly short for a boy, slightly tall for a girl.

[hayjeon]

Memory Lane ft. Yoongi

Drabble game #100: “I adore you.” 

→ grumpy husband yoongi au aka lots of fluff (mentions of sex) → 1.7k words, part 2

A/N: I recently had a realization that the way my blog is structured doesn’t really give me a great leeway to express my creativity and feels for the members at random. So this is the start to a really short series of drabbles for all of the members in super short (less than 2k) drabbles! To be continued! :) Hope you guys like it. 

more from this au: here, more drabbles: here

“You’ve got a wonderful wife there, son.”

Yoongi gives the elderly man a small smile and nods in agreement, clinking his beer can against his and tipping back the cold liquor into his throats with his eyes trained on you, a feat that happens quite often.

Often Yoongi finds himself just staring at you, in awe of how someone like you ended up with someone like him.

Your friends would describe you as sweet, bubbly, kind, selfless, and bright. His friends would describe you as “the light that shined in Min Yoongi’s horribly dreadful bitch ass life.” And although he always gives them a glare or just brushes their comments off with an eye roll it’s moments like these when he feels like the six dickwads’ words can never be any more accurate.

You’re kindly helping an elderly couple go down the steps, an arm around the grandmas back and your hand wrapped in hers. It’s like a hundred fucking degrees out here and he just wants to die and go curl up in bed and maybe fuck but you’re laughing with the other people on the tour with a wide smile and twinkling laughter gracing your lips.

He doesn’t really remember where exactly you guys are, some specific part of this terribly hot place called Bora bora, an overpriced area for a honeymoon but a place for him to spend his money on you nonetheless. And he’d originally convinced the wedding planner to give you two some time alone, rejecting the tour guide offers and group sightseeing options in exchange for what he expected to be a week laying in bed, maybe naked, waking up to the sound of ocean waters in his ear and the smell of your perfume in his nose. But all it took was a look of begging from your big ass beautiful eyes and he’d caved like a little pussy for you, grumpily agreeing to your wishes to take a look around this dreaded place with a group of other people he didn’t know.

And of course they had no idea who he was thankfully, cause he was not down to deal with people who were trying to make small chat about his music or his past as a boy band. But you warmed up to them in seconds, and all these couples ranging from young barely-twenty-somethings to elderly couples enjoying their fiftieth anniversaries are fawning over you like no other. And you have this stupid ass flower pinned to your hair and a skirt wrapped around your waist and all he wants to do is get out of this dumb ass sun and sleep after a nice bath most likely with you in it.

But then you smile at him and give him a laugh and he can’t help but smile back at you and take his hands out of his pockets and lift the camera around his neck to snap a few pictures of you. And as he skips through the pictures he’d already taken of you he’s again in awe at how karma has somehow skipped over his life. He’s the kind of guy to secretly implant viruses into Namjoon’s computer to get him back for the dirty dishes he always left in the sink before Yoongi finally moved out. He likes to sleep in his free time while goody-goodies like Jimin and Taehyung often are photographed volunteering at orphanages in their free time. He always points and laughs whenever Jin and Hobi get shit drunk and always pretends not to know then whenever they get in trouble and he rejects any of Jeongguk’s offers to go to the gym together. He’s a very specific kind of guy and his members always tell him that “karma’s a bitch” whenever he does something horrible. (Which is quite often by the way, because he’s sometimes bored out of his mind and usually takes out his wicked fantasy pranks on his members).

But somehow the bitch named karma never visited him cause he’s staring right at the biggest blessing of his life: you.

You, who dropped the fuck out of nowhere to grace his otherwise uneventful life after his band members and he decided to go their separate ways on good terms. He remembers the moment he met you, how irritated he was at his stupid ass dog who wouldn’t stop running no matter how much he called. Holly ran towards you and wrapped his leash around your legs while you were playing with your own puppy, Gracie. And even though it was entirely his dumb fucking fault for agreeing to babysit the fluffy menace in the first place, and his fault for running straight into your hand that was holding a venti americano (his favorite) he was in awe at how profusely you apologized and offered to dry clean his shirt and fretted the fuck out with a cute crease between your eyebrows.

And he remembers how for the following few weeks he’d held your business card in his hand, running his fingers over the formal, stiff material that directed him to the veterinarian with the instructions to “ask the awesome receptionists for Y/N if you ever want to get that shirt cleaned or have this cute little puppy get a check up!” His mother had been so surprised when her son suddenly called again and offered to take care of Holly for once, instead of her trying to bribe him with Lamb skewers to do the chore. You’d been so fucking delighted to have his lanky figure walk into your homey little vet shop with a grimace on his face and a cute little barking puppy in his arms.

He decided that Holly had a reoccurring cold right then and there and used that excuse to visit your office twice a week, something that the receptionists and nurses noticed but didn’t mention before always directing him over to your office whenever he opened that door. And he didn’t say anything either and just grumpily sat and watched you fawn over Holly before telling him over and over, “Yoongi, Im telling you Holly is perfectly fine.” with this twitch of your hip and a knowing smile on your face that drove him crazy.

Offers for coffee, meals, movies that you directed at him in apology for the events earlier that month somehow morphed into events that he insisted on paying for, insisted on picking you up for and dropping you off after. Then August bled into September and into November soon and somehow he was shyly curling his fingers around your own as your dogs played on the fields together and telling you, “So um, do you like maybe…wanna go out with me?”

And he remembers after you said, “Min Yoongi isn’t that what we’ve been doing for the past three months?” with a glinting smile on your pretty little lips, he’d leaned down and kissed the fuck out of them, sucking and biting until your lips were red and puffy and open, panting in short breaths and your cheeks blushing a fierce red. He knew right then and there that he wanted to make you his and then December was turning into another December and then another and after 2 years 4 months 6 days of meeting you he goes out to buy the prettiest damn ring there is and keeps it in his pocket and then secretly goes to the countryside to go meet your parents. He remembers his hands being so clammy and he was stuttering and making an absolute fool out of himself as he sits on that couch in your parents’ living room facing your father.

He feels so relieved at your fathers warm smile, the same smile you have, and a clap on his shoulder that makes him jump and he’s so happy he needs to pee. And then he asks Hoseok and Namjoon to help him plan an elaborate proposal that’s actually a big mistake because they don’t know how to plan if their lives depended on it. But it doesn’t matter anyway cause one night he’s watching you rummage around your kitchen to find the right ingredients to make him some dinner because he’d been looking “too thin lately!” when he pops the question, leaning against your counter.

“Y/N, marry me.”

You turn around, a pink frilly apron on and a spatula in your hand, as you face him with wide eyes. “W-what?”

He remembers with a start. “Oh shit, I’m supposed to do this, my bad,” he gets down on one knee, dressed in a comfortable t shirt and sweats, instead of the nice suit he’d prepared a while ago for the perfect moment. But right here, right now, he feels as if it’s the moment he’s been waiting for. “We’ve been dating for 2 and a half years today and I can’t wait until it’s three cause I’m desperate to make you my wife. I adore you.”

And then you’re crying and burning your finger on the hot pan and he’s yelling and jumping up to run your hand under water and you’re ignoring him and throwing your arms around him and crying “Yes yes yes!” while peppering his face with kisses and he’s laughing and then you’re both yelling because he fumbles with the ring and then drops it into the sink disposal. Three hours and a call to the plumbing company later, you’re nestled in his arms, his ring on your finger and he realizes with a start that he would never give up anything for you.

Which is why he’s standing here in the hot weather in a foreign country he never wanted to come to in the first place surrounded by people, the things he hates the most.

But he knows it’s all worth it as he snaps another few pictures of you laughing and smiling as some dancers grab your hand and lead you into the center of the circle of the show they’re hosting. You’re waving at him, jumping around with an elderly lady, a dancer, and a random guy he can't recognize.

“You caught a good one there.”

Usually when strangers talk to him, Yoongi tries his best to avoid further conversation. But as he gazes down at the pictures he has and the real life version of you, he smiles and clinks beers with the man next to him and takes another sip.

“Yeah, I think I did.”

The next Tae version of this is out here! :) 

[youngerdrgrey]

Ms. Valez and the Very Nice, Very Not-Hers New Family // a Queen Sugar fic

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written for #QSweek Day Three: Favorite Supporting Character

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about... Ms. Reyna Valez and the intriguing, awe-inspiring Bordelon bunch (basically Reyna appreciates Blue and crushes on his parents, a short moment) + read on ao3

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First she falls for the youngest Bordelon, with his kind eyes and exaggerated enunciation. The other teachers tell her every week that teachers need recess too, but Ms. Valez still somehow winds up spending most of her break with Blue Bordelon. At first, he only tells her small things. How he had started a new show, or cracked the eggs for breakfast all by himself without a single shell going in the bowl. And he always twists Kenya — that’s his doll — in his hands while he talks. But that day, the day she realizes just how deep down she cares for him, he lets her hold the doll that he doesn’t even let anyone else touch.

“You’ve got to brush her hair,” he tells her. “With your fingers. I couldn’t brush it today. I had cereal, and it kept getting soggy so I had to eat it real fast.” She combs her fingers through Kenya’s hair and nods, which only bolsters him on. "But don’t worry, Ms. Valez, one day, I’ll make a cereal that’s not soggy. It will last weeks! And still crunch.”

“And still crunch?” She smiles his way, and he nods. “Well, I think that’s exactly what this world needs. More crunchy cereals.”

“You think? I think. And when I figure it out, I’ll make two big bowls. No, four. One for Pa, one for Auntie Vi, one for Hollywood, and one for you!” He glances away. "I know other kids would make one for their moms but I don’t get to see mine a lot. Or ever…. But one day, one day she’s coming back and she’ll pick me up like Trevor’s mom does after school. And you know, my uncle Hollywood says that it’s only a matter of time until my mom gets better.” Then he blinks, as if remembering the rest of something, and his lips pout before he adds, “When she’s ready to be better.” Then he breathes into it, and his eyes look glassy when they meet hers. “Can I have Ken back?”

She has to unwind her fingers from Ken’s body, has to force a smile onto her lips when she hands over the doll. He hugs Ken close once he has her. Hugs her until he can pop his voice back up and get a glimpse of a smile himself.

“Thank you. I want to show Ken the furthest edge of the playground. Okay?” He steps away. “Okay. I won’t cross over. I swear. I do.”

He’s not one of the kids that worries her — not at recess anyway, not physically. But boys like Blue don’t normally get to stay this soft, this hopeful and free. So she waves him off. And when the rest of the teachers gossip about their kids, Reyna keeps her mouth shut. What Blue tells her is none of her business anyway.

(But she wants it to be. Much too much and much too quickly.)

/

When Ralph Angel arrives — all six feet of him with skin like the pavement after it rains, with the same sort of warmth radiating out from him like the soil in the planters the kids just set up — she needs a moment to process. She doesn’t have long, of course, because a teacher is a teacher first and doesn’t get to have more than fleeting fantasies about her kids’ parents. But the fantasies aren’t quite as fleeting as she’d like them to be when it comes to Ralph Angel.

He never speaks too loud, like he’s afraid of how his voice might leap back at him, how the rich timber will pierce his own ears and trap him against himself. Everybody knows the talk about Ralph Angel Bordelon — how he’d gone to jail and his girlfriend turned to drugs and his sisters barely helped at all. Some of the older teachers speak of him fondly, about the boy who’d so wanted to be a farmer, about the only boy in the family and the only one to mess up. But he doesn’t seem messed up; it’s more like he holds himself as tight as everyone’s expectations try to keep him.

But he smiles at her like he knows how cute he is, like he knows how great the picture of him and Blue looks to girls like her. Girls who pretend like it’s enough to just work and foster and grow. Girls who remind themselves that there’s plenty of time to have her own kids and her own life, and that it will all work out on God’s time. Girls who pause with their fingers pressed to the whiteboard and wonder if their kids will get to have a teacher like her, or a dad like him.

Ralph Angel stands at the doorway after Blue’s already taken off down the hall. He watches after his son, but the rest of his body still angles towards her. Ears still perk and eyebrows still lift when she parts her lips around a half formed question.

“Ralph Angel,” she pauses once his name’s out, and a voice that sounds a lot like her mother’s asks if any of this is appropriate at all. She glances after Blue too. Blue who just wants someone to play with, someone to hear him and care for him and remind him that it’s okay if he doesn’t have real friends just yet. But also Blue who doesn’t quite know the difference between a person who’s meant to stay in his life and a person who’s already gone. Blue needs stability. His teacher dating his father wouldn’t give stability. It’d only bring him more questions, more feelings to furrow his brows and worry his teeth over. He already bites his lips so much they bust.

“Yeah?”

Yeah…. Reyna shakes her head, blinks like she’s flustered, blinks like she wants him to know that she’s flustered. “I’m sorry, I was just wondering if you and Blue would be attending the spelling bee in a few weeks. We’ll have a small one in our class, but the big schoolwide bee usually gets a pretty big turn out.” She gets to host this year. She’ll put the sash on the winning kid and hand out the ribbons to the other children who placed high enough. She has a nice dress for nice dates that she doesn’t have time for, and she’ll wear it with her hair done just the right way that she can duck behind it if she wants to hide a flush of her cheeks. If Ralph Angel’s there, she might push the curls back behind her ears; let him see her. Or maybe she should let them fall. Let them serve as a reminder of the distance she needs.

Ralph Angel nods though. “We could pro’bly be there. Blue’s been working real hard on his words. Spells ‘em in his cereal. Keeps letting ‘em all get all soggy.”

She smiles. “He told me at recess. He wants to invent cereal that never gets soggy.”

Ralph Angel smiles then. Broad and bright and proud. “He could do it too. One day. Don’t you think?”

With them believing in him, “I really do.” She forces herself to take a step back into the classroom and put on her most neutral, professional smile. “Have a good day, Ralph Angel.”

And his lips curve back, and his head cocks to the side enough for that vein in his neck to pulse. Not that she looks long. She doesn’t. But it’s there, just like that smirk of his.

“You too, Ms. Valez. You too.” In the distance, Blue calls out. His voice bounces off the walls without judgment, without fear or hesitation. It snaps Ralph Angel back into the moment, back to his role in this situation. He gives a nod before rounding out the doorway and after his son. “I’m coming, Blue!”

/

Once Darla’s back in Blue’s life, Reyna sees her more than she ever saw Ralph Angel. Maybe because Ralph Angel has a whole farm to tend to while Darla works a simpler job. Either way, Darla swoops in with sunken eyes and lips that alternate between busting at the seams and glittering under fresh coats of balm. And there’s always a moment, just before Darla sees Blue, where her eyes stretch into their corners and her whole body tenses like someone’s playing an awful joke on her, and Reyna’s chest contracts sometimes before she can tell it not to. That fear’s the kind of fear you only have when you know the weight of a loss, when you know how easily the person you’re looking for might not be there. That fear tells Reyna all she needs to know about whether or not Darla chose to leave Blue’s life for as long as she did. And that light — that spark that shines so bright at the sight of Blue, the one that lifts Darla’s cheeks and eyes and shoulders and sends a little laugh rolling out of her — that tells Reyna all she needs to know about whether or not Darla wants to stick around this time.

Blue finishes packing his bag up against Reyna’s desk. He says, “I’m gonna show her the card at dinner tonight. Think she’ll like it?”

It’s a card from their Random Acts of Kindness activity, one that each kid got to design for themselves. Blue drew a frame on the inside of the card and wrote out the word beautiful in his scrunched up handwriting in the middle of it. And he’d labeled the frame as a mirror to make sure that Darla would get that he’s calling her beautiful. It’s probably the sweetest card to come out of the whole activity, and he’d even stuck the card inside of a book to make sure his construction paper wouldn’t wrinkle.

Reyna drops her voice to a whisper, and she knows her eyes glow right out to his. “She’s gonna love it. Especially because it came from you. And because it’s true.” She lets her voice come back up, mostly so that Darla wouldn’t assume she’s saying something awful now that Darla’s close enough to start to hear them. “Your mother really is beautiful.”

Darla ducks into her hair a moment, then pushes it back with both hands, and nods her appreciation. There’s still a bit of space between Darla and the desk, which is just about enough for Blue to whip around without knocking into anything. He cheers at the sight of his mom, throws himself at her legs, and she just barely crouches down quick enough to catch him in her arms. She still breathes him in like she doesn’t know how long his scent will last. He still squeezes her until his hands and fingers leave imprints on her arms. One day, Reyna hopes, that fear will fade into just an appreciation for the other. But they have a long way to go. A lot of love and a lot to heal. As a family.

Darla just lifts Blue up instead of letting go. Says, “Say bye to Ms. Valez.”

Blue waves, “Bye Ms. Valez! Oh, and I think you dropped something.” The giggle that follows says she probably didn’t drop anything, but she peaks over the edge of her desk to see what’s there. A little envelope, much like the one he’d made for his mom.

She puts on her show voice. “Oh, I wonder what this is.” But when she bends for it, Blue gasps and shakes his head. Pushes at his mom’s shoulders.

“Let’s go, Mom. Right now. Right now!”

Darla lifts both eyebrows, but she doesn’t argue. She heads for the door, says, “Thank you,” and takes him off into the distance.

Reyna picks up the card and opens it. The inside might not be a mirror, but it’s got a woman in a sash like the spelling bee one, and the sash reads, Best Teacher. Her voice comes out a little airy, but she speaks to keep herself from tearing up any further.

“Mr. Bordelon, you little charmer.” A whole family of charmers, of good people with good intentions and probably a dozen more people like her just watching and waiting from afar. They deserve it though. They really are something.

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[newgeekcity]

New Geek City is Live Blogging MST3k The Return

Once a upon a time there was a bored kid. He just moved to a new place where he didn’t know anyone. Hair was coming in weird places. His face looked like it came from a rare Garbage Pail Kid card.

Other things were changing for the kid, namely his tastes. To him everything started to be so childlike. His books, Full House, even Saturday morning cartoons. There wasn’t anything that really appealed to him anymore.

Except for Batman the Animated Series, that was still awesome.

So one day while trying to avoid the Smurfs or some shit, the kid flipped on Comedy Central. Gamera was on. Everything sucked, but he wasn’t too big for Toho movie monsters. 

Just look at it...

And see those guys on the bottom? They were cracking jokes, making astute observations. Then they would do silly musical numbers. It was the best, and for years after, no matter what, the kid would tune in to see what crazy schlock the boys of MST3k would do next.

And yeah yeah, the boy was me. Twist ending, M. Night Shyamalan style. Blah blah.

Since MST3k came into my life so early, sometimes I wonder where it started and I begin in the soup of neurons and my memories. Am I sarcastic and love terrible movies because it brings me back to my safe space? Or am I drawn to MST3k because I am sarcastic and I love 1960s Godzilla movies.

I don’t think there’s a real answer to that question. However, after a long long departure. MST3k is back and on Netflix... so lets dive into the first episode which is called... episode 1? Seriously guys? Way to be descriptive.

We got movie sign after the jump

00:00 - Hold on I need more coffee. 

00:00 - Alright, back. Lets see what’s up. I’m really curious about the opening. If I remember right the opening song was sung by Mike Nelson. So lets see how this stacks up. 

I’m not looking for a perfect recreation, but something in the same spirit.

1:39 - People? There’s other people in this universe? I thought there was like 10 tops in the entire world in the original series. Then there’s Wil fucking Wheaton. I don’t mind the people, but I do mind Wil Wheaton, that fucking guy. The DIY effects and models are really great though.

In what looks like the Gizmonic mission control, the staff are puppets. I love that.

Wait I know that lady... She’s Erin Gray. Colonel Deering from Buck Rogers. When I was 5 I wasn’t sure if I was going to marry her or Princess Leia. 

Hey it could have happened, I was a cute kid.

But seriously, Fuck. Wil. Wheaton. 

2:00 - I have to admit, I’m sort of liking Jonah. He has the same affable quality as Joel and Mike. 

4:30 - Gypsy could talk? Like for reals? Weird.

I also did like the opening sequence, a lot. Its different. It feels like that’s what the sequence should have been for the movie. But I really liked it. Great work Joel. 

8:00 - Invention exchange is back. Patton Oswalt is perfect as TV’s son of TV’s Frank. Although I was doubting Felicia Day, I have to admit she is charming here. 

The movie doors are different, you could tell they used a computer for this one. Not sure if I like that, But whatevs its minor. 

The bots voices are actually pretty good too. Crow sounds like Crow. Tom sort of sounds like Tom. I do have to get used to Jonah though.

9:00 - Its not skin, its beef. Just saying.

Delicious ground beef.

10:30 - Tom can fly! He can fly!!

13:15 - We have Super Dragon reference! Also one of the best MST3k songs 

14:00 - “You know an aquarium is just a pet store that doesn’t sell anything.” Made me lol.

14:41 - Gypsy showed up and made a quip. I already forgot what it was. I wonder if it’ll be a thing.

16:35 - I’m hoping the movie picks up. I doubt it because its MST3k. But they did a “commercial break” just now. They repeated the name of the movie and showed I guess would be the Deep 13 House Band. 

I think a skit would have worked better. Its not like they have to fit in actual commercials. But they’re probably trying to keep as close to the original format as possible.

18:30 - Scientist 1: “I envy that young man.”

Scientist 2: “He will be busy now.”

Me: Yeah with your daughters, you Dane weirdo.

20:00 - Who just keeps an electric eel in a tank in a hallway? Nothing is gonna go wrong there. Nothing at all....ARRRRRGHG 

22:00 - I’m having a really hard time picking up who’s speaking. Particularly with Tom / Jonah. 

But Jonah’s Monster Mash / Reptilicus cover was definitely out of the Joel Robinson playbook. 

25:00 - Can someone tell me if that Dane blonde, scientist daughter has a single daughter along the R line? And that wound looks like pudding. Just saying it looks like delicious reptile pudding.

27:00 - Ok the skit break is this kaiju monster rap. The bots, particularly crow are more animated. He’s able to move his arms around now.

The song itself is way different from the original series. Which I’m giving it a thumbs up. It fits well into the original ethos. Its catchy, fun. Its a good update. Nice work modern MST3k writers.

32:00 - One thing I’ve noticed is the actual filmic quality of the movie. In the old MST3k’s you could still see the scratches and dust, and the warping. It looks like that this is a restored film. 

Its not awful or really a distraction. But its just something I noticed as a long time fan.

35:00 - Dickweed. It makes me laugh every time.

36:00 - Of course the goofus stuck his hand in the electric eel tank. You know comedy. It had to happen. Like the sun rising, and the rain falling in the amazon.

38:00 - I wish netflix would have some way that it counts up instead of down. It would make my life easier here.

Another “commercial break” I was wrong, in the new series its Moon 13 and Patton Oswalt gave a fun fact about the doors. The house band is playing at the same time. Its very Svengoolie.

39:00 - Xanadu reference. Not sure how many youngin’s would get it. I barely do because my dad had a bootleg VHS tape. 

It was awful.

41:00 - I was about to say a lot of the jokes are falling flat, but when that scientist “screamed” and one of the guys dubbed it with Opera, that was brilliant. 

43:00 - I get that MST3k was never really about plot when it came to the host and bots. But they seemed to jump into the riffing really quick. I was expecting some sort of intro for Jonah, like he’d ask questions about why he’s there throughout the movie and the bots would fill him in and he’d grow into the host role. 

I think it would have added some sort of dimension to it. But I would get why they would just jump right into it. 

45:00 - Also I’d expect the Mads would show up more by now. Maybe in the next skit sequence?

47:00 - No Mads, but the cloning of Tom Servo in the “genesis tank that’s conveniently off camera” was real classic MST3k. 

So far, Jonah I would say earned his spot. He nailed it. 

Crow, yup classic Crow. 

Tom, well. He’s not awful. He’s funny but I just can’t get past the voice. Kevin Murphy really owned the character. I hope its just matter of getting used to it. Like when Kevin originally took over in Season 2 (I think) of MST3k.

51:00 - Hold on I need a gif of that.. give me a few minutes.

Ok, I couldn’t get a gif. I’ll have to check into that. BUT I did grab a screenshot.

Single handedly this is my most favorite special effect ever.

54:30 - Although another stray observation, when the people are in frame, the film is alright. Like no scratches (for the most part) but when the monster is up it looks like someone went through it with sandpaper. 

Which lazy bastard only did half a restoration?

55:00 - It feels like Tom should have had that ability to fly all along. His bottom always reminded me of a hovercraft.

56:00 - Yup the commercial breaks definitely is reminiscent of Svengoolie, Paton Oswalt should just show up on that set one day as TV’s Son of TV’s Frank. 

It would be some great cross promotion.

BTW, go watch Svengoolie. Its not as funny as MST3k, but it’s really charming and fun.

Occasionally they show a good movie. Which I guess defeats the point, but whatever.

60:00 - We’re about at the halfway point. So far, I will admit the new MST3k is... I don’t want to say a worthy successor but Joel Hodgson really did something special. This definitely feels in place with the originals. Almost like it never went away. 

I do want more Mads for this episode. Where are they?

62:00 - How did they get letters? This is like the first episode in almost 20 years. How many 8 year olds could sit still long enough to watch reruns? Aren’t they making methlabs and sexting? 

63:00 - Just a note, I know nothing about modern children.

71:00 - Have you ever wondered why Kaiju are impervious to tank shells? Think about it, they’re designed to punch through concrete, steel plating, etc. I don’t think they’d have a problem with reptile skin, prehistoric or otherwise.

74:00 - Another thing I noticed is that the guy and the bots are more animated compared to the originals. They’ll move around, fly by, bring in barrels to interact with the screen. 

I know the originals did similar, but it seems to be more frequent here. Its not unwelcome. Its actually nice.

77:00 - Another commercial break. Its a TV seal of quality with the Moon 13 house band. I’m still liking them.

Patton talked about how Kinga established some TV group, probably to make profit. 

Its not so much how the joke was clever, I just liked how they used that to add some background of the world of MST3k. Because we really don’t know much about it, besides the SOL and Deep 13 and such. 

I never thought it was missing, but now that I’ve seen some glimpses into the surrounding world I am interested in learning more. Does the world know about the Forresters? Have they always run in secret? Or they make their intentions known and the government is powerless to stop them. Who is the government there anyway?

Are they considered brilliant or total fuck ups? Are they part of something bigger? Like SMERSH or the illuminati or something?

78:00 - They’re freaking out about getting a gallon of some sort of lizard knock out drug. Do Danes know how much a gallon is? It’s not that much, if it was like an oil drum’s worth then you got problems.

80:00 - The gallon is really just a beaker. So I guess Danes don’t get the imperial system after all.

83:00 - Seriously the guy playing Crow is really good. If I close my eyes I’d have a hard time telling the difference between him and Trace Beaulieu.

Although I noticed the mouth movement on Crow isn’t as pronounced as it was in the originals. Its a little detail, but it went a long way in figuring out who was talking.

85:00 - Monster’s dead, yay I guess.

86:00 - “Push the button Max” doesn’t have the same cachet as “Push the button Frank.” But I’m glad they brought that back.

87:00 - The end credit song sounds like it was made with a real orchestra. It gives it some gravitas. Its rather lovely. 

88:00 - They’re repeating the monster rap. Not bad, still cute. 

89:00 - Wait, in the end credits, They gave the proper name for the Moon 13 House Band, they’re called “The Skeleton Crew.”

I like Moon 13 house band better.

90:00 - Nice touch--

And of course--

The end tag. Its nice to see some old standbys come back.

Final Thoughts - 

I suppose if you really wanted to you could say its worse or better than the originals. I guess its like how you wanted to fight over Joel vs Mike. 

They’re different. They had their own styles, and they were very funny in their own way. 

MST3k The Return is a lot like that. There’s enough elements of the originals that it feels familiar, but stylistically its been updated. I personally think its a good thing. 

With the bigger budget, and more modern delivery I feel a lot of the fun, DIY, anarchic, lo-fi qualities that was so mind blowing about the original show is very much here. 

I like the new cast, except for Wil Wheaton (fuck you Wesley Crusher), and I think they’re as charming and clever as the previous casts. Just... different.

So if you loved the originals as much as I did, I definitely think its worth binging with your kids. Personally I plan to make this a Saturday morning thing like I did way back when.

One last last thing. From what I saw of the preview for the next episode it looks like Pearl, Bobo, and Brain Guy are visiting. Hopefully Mike shows up too.

I. Can’t. Wait.

[idolizerp]

LOADING INFORMATION ON INDIGO’S LEAD VOCAL KIM RAEYOON...

IDOL DETAILS

STAGENAME: Remy CURRENT AGE: 25 DEBUT AGE: 20 TRAINEE SINCE AGE: 17 COMPANY: MSG SECONDARY SKILL: Music production

IDOL PROFILE

NICKNAME(S): 

rae-ja (來子): based on his tendency to drop unexpected wisdom bombs, give out unsolicited advice, and implement idioms/sajaseong-eo into his everyday vernacular. the nickname plays off ancient chinese philsophers such as confucius (孔子), mencius (孟子), and latozu (老子). (origin: indigo members)

kim huhuhat (김후후핫): based on his distinctive laugh, which almost always begins with inaudible giggling before eventually bursting into sharp, head-thrown laughter. (origin: fans)

shark (상어): based on physical attributes (origin: fans)

INSPIRATION: his mother park jinsook, a once-aspiring folk singer SPECIAL TALENTS:

impressions of female celebrities (the older the celebrity, the better)

reading with exaggerated emotion

tongue twisters

NOTABLE FACTS:

spent a large chunk of his childhood in lausanne, switzerland

hiccups when eating spicy foods (update: it seems he has cured this issue)

cannot hold his liquor and has the worst tolerance of all the indigo members

it’s rumored that he comes from a wealthy family (the truth: they’re comfortable)

IDOL GOALS

SHORT-TERM GOALS:

improve songwriting skills. win msg’s trust so they hand over more jurisdiction—at least as far as his group’s music and concept trajectory is concerned. bring back the electronic bullshit (but maybe not the dubstep). if growing up in eurotrash switzerland has taught him anything it’s the beauty of electronic done right. make the fusion of electronic, r&b, and ballad a sound to be reckoned with. encourage the other members to participate in defining the group’s creative direction.

LONG-TERM GOALS:

produce more songs for other groups in the company. transition into more behind the scenes work. occupy a senior enough role in music production to participate in executive level decision-making at msg. help steer future generations of idols in the right direction—he knows what it’s like to be mismanaged and would hate for others to experience the same disenchantment that plagued him and the rest of his bandmates for so long. continue to build upon indigo’s foundations to ensure longevity. knows that maybe his goals are idealistic (outward) and restricting (inward), but there simply aren’t any other career options he’d be willing to explore.

IDOL IMAGE

remy bursts onto the scene of winter 2014 with bad boy debonair, mischievous nonchalance, and a penchant for flirtation. play off the strengths and weaknesses of your members, had been their furtive recommendation. here’s the earnest one, the sensitive one, the diligent one, the ethereal one, and now you. you’re sharp edges, a cut and cruel face, thin mouth that only knows how to grin crooked, and tapered eyes whose surest weapon is their wink. hone your artillery, make it yours, and if you can, make them scream.

remy’s never been one for violent metaphors but he runs with this one because his passion outweighs everything else. for the first few years it gets the better of him and he feels some dissonance, has a hard time believing any of what he’s bringing to the stage is coming from anywhere real because of course it isn’t. but in time he learns that this too is part of the art of performance, and that there’s nothing disingenuous about what he’s doing so long as he can differentiate his two egos of what could never be and what actually is. when the music stops so does the charade and this is how he will retain his authenticity.

the public learn the ins and outs of remy, too; the few who care at all take whatever crumbs and scraps they can find, one scattered comeback at a time, to build a more nuanced portrait and uncover the person behind the persona. for the most part their findings are accurate and positive. remy is methodical, prefers to take things a little bit at a time. but is there a reason he takes forever to make a decision? it’s only dessert. it’s called being considerate. his head is in the cloud sometimes, but he’s always thoughtful. must read a lot too, he’s always quoting stuff i’ve never heard of. pretty sure that’s his way of showing off the fact he used to study in europe, never liked elites like him. the only bravado he shows is onstage, not sure what you’re talking about. he’s surprisingly demure behind the scenes. i’ve never seen him cry, not even once. you sure he’s not some kind of robot? i’d pay good money to see a robot with a laugh that cute. weird. i think you mean his laugh is weird.

his reputation—whichever unassembled pieces exist in phone cameras, group chats, morning catchup by the office water cooler—follows remy straight into re᛫group, where he thereupon establishes himself as the show’s sage, a calm meditative tide. the contrasting snarl and bite of his performance style still persists, but the sex appeal stops there. he’s not controversial, not cutthroat enough to propel himself to viral fame. but his character and up-until-this-point unseen predilection for music win him the respect of fellow competitors and the sincere affections of weekly viewers. it’s more than he could possibly ask for.

with indigo’s triumphant return to the industry, remy repays fans old and new by trying his hand at songwriting. building off of the momentum from re᛫group and recognizing the group’s need for growth, msg embraces a brand shift, letting him produce the track for their next comeback. the move effectively solidifies and tacks on a new identity for him as a producer for the group; he acquiesces to the role with ease, and to rave reception. indigo’s reaffirmation in society comes with the affirmative understanding for all of the members that donning their faces, old and new, they’re in it for the long haul.

IDOL HISTORY

a: at five, he is petulant. more than the average five-year-old should be, but who can blame the kid when he feels how jarringly out of place he is in this country and continent, but doesn’t have the vocabulary to express any of it. and so raeyoon prefers to spend his time indoors, in front of the television and away from prying eyes, watching documentaries and music broadcasts he never quite comprehends but thinks he likes the sound of. mother, ever observant from the kitchen, keeps a watchful eye.

b: prideful, not passionate. pride is what keeps him enrolled in piano lessons but keeps him from realizing his potential. his mother sits with him through every practice session, guiding him with an iron will and berating him with an immovable ear. she calls him a technician and so do the judges, but he plays a showstopper in basel and a sonata in bern anyways because people have programs to fill and don’t expect full emotional maturation from a ten year-old. that summer when he takes the train to summer camp abroad—but then, what isn’t abroad at this point—raeyoon distantly wonders where he’s headed.

c: hundreds of miles from home, raeyoon is suddenly compelled to take to the stack of cds that father snuck into his suitcase months ago without ever citing a reason. the cds themselves are bare. the cases in which they are contained are bare save for a rough tracklist penned in permanent marker. the music that he hears isn’t anything familiar. but the voice he hears most certainly is.

d: he passes his audition.

he had gone on a whim. while out shopping for beef bones with grandmother one morning someone had approached him with a business card and while stewing the beef bones back in her apartment he’d asked grandmother to accompany him. he doesn’t remember anything about it beyond a panel of faceless men and his mother’s voice reverberating like a dream in the caverns of his head.

it was never supposed to be this consequential and yet it is, yet here he is feeling the mostsomething he’s felt in his five-thousand-eight-hundred-eight-eight-day life. the news hits him like a brick and his head drops onto the table. grandmother pries the phone away from his hands and dials in another number. with his head still down and eyes closed raeyoon hears her shuffle into the kitchen, open the pot, and plate up the last serving of oxtail soup. he hears the line click on the other end. and then he hears her voice again, so familiar and sweet and real.

e: he blends in here. he laughs thinking back to a decade ago when he’d stood out so sorely, and how that’s exactly what he needs now if he wants a good shot at this. for the next three years, he sharpens himself to the finest point possible.

f: it’s called face. face in the crowd, facing the music, saving face. it’s a word loaded with meanings and potentialities and it feels so wholly appropriate raeyoon almost cries but doesn’t, not yet. he runs through the showcase introduction, performance, final ments. thanks everyone for coming out to support their debut. when the spotlight dims down and the mass of bodies begins to file out of the venue, he spots his mother lingering in the audience, a face in the crowd. raeyoon swallows the lump in his throat. not yet.

g: during rehearsal at a hundred-person venue in gwangju city, a standing light crashes and raeyoon sustains a small injury to his right pinky. no big deal, he tells everyone, it’s not like he’s using it for much anymore anyways, and the appendage is wrapped in gauze and rehearsal continues like clockwork.

he doesn’t notice until a year later, when it’s much too late for buddy tape and a brace, that his pinky never quite recovered right. he opens up a dusty book of liszt arpeggios wondering if maybe now is the time to leverage that skillset, if maybe now he can demonstrate something beyond the technical prowess of his childhood, and fumbles like a clown on the keys. looking down, his pinky tells him the whole story. the first knuckle juts outward and askew with the rest of the finger, like a soul separating from its host.

he thinks back to the past year, and even the year before that, and draws a funny picture not unlike the analogy. it’s not just the finger. negligence is rampant. looking the other way and pretending not to notice everything that’s gone wrong, and everything that could possibly go wrong. what were the meds for, again? chronic pain, allergies, or just insomnia? he forgets. forgets most things, like his pinky finger, like the fact he hasn’t called home in weeks out of shame, and forgets that crying was even an option even though these days he’s got all the time in the world.

h: his saving grace descends in the form of a reality show that sweeps the country and his group by storm. it’s in between mandatory diary entries, the relentless gaze of the camera, stress and sleep deprivation, public defamation, and the thrill of a new stage—another day—that sets raeyoon alight again.

on the last night: a sea of faceless, wailing bodies under the stage, let’s debut, and his mother’s song ringing in his ears. he feels the bodies beside him leave one at a time to claim their spot on the podium, rank five, four, three. he’s tired, hungry, and smiling brighter. two. a rock tied by string. and one. his vision blurs, wet, and opaque. the lump in his throat swells, and he throws his head back to blink away the tears. not yet, not yet.

i: his first hand at production, a first win for the group, and a first concert after five years. it’s nothing short of a miracle, and their story is one that resonates somewhere deep. though revitalized, raeyoon doesn’t hunger for much anymore. but even five years in and with the tides swaying in their favor, he knows better to submit to complacency—scoffs at even the suggestion. with the attention on them—actually, legitimately on them now—the stakes are higher than ever, and he’s simply too grateful to do anything but deliver.

[westallenfun]

A Long Winter's Nap, Chapter 5

Westallen Secret Santa gift from @jade4813 for @westallen94 

“Cisco, we have to talk,” she said, dropping into the chair across from his desk. His head was bowed over a stack of papers he was trying to finish grading before the break. “I think – that is, I might be falling in love.”

He didn’t even bother to look up. “I know,” he replied, his voice distracted. “It’s been painfully obvious to everyone for months.”

Iris leaned back in her chair. Her voice heavy, she admitted, “Not with Eddie. With Barry.”

Cisco’s pen paused for a moment over his paper. Then, with very deliberate movements, he pushed the stack aside and leaned forward. “Okay, you have my undivided attention. You want to run that by me again? Barry who?”

She winced. “Allen? The new science teacher?”

“I thought we hated him for being so suspicious that you’d be engaged to his brother! Which of course you aren’t, but that’s hardly the point.” She nodded with a groan. “So what are you going to do now? He thinks you’re engaged to Eddie. If you tell him you were lying after all…”

Iris dropped her head into her arms, crossed over Cisco’s desk, and so her voice was muffled when she finished his thought. “I know! He’ll hate me! God, I’ve made such a mess of things. What am I going to do?”

“Mind if I sit here?” Cisco was on bus duty this afternoon, so Iris had grabbed a quiet table in the lunchroom and was wallowing in her romantic misery. As Barry’s voice broke into her thoughts, her heart jumped and she stopped poking her macaroni and cheese dispiritedly. She was already grinning as she tilted her head back to look up at him.

“Not at all!” she said, inwardly wincing when she realized how happy she’d sounded. She took a sip of her coffee and reminded herself that she couldn’t afford for him to suspect her feelings. In a more moderate voice, she asked, “So, how’re you liking it here so far?”

He grinned as he slid into the seat across from her. “It’s been pretty great! Of course, it’s only my second day and I’m taking it pretty easy on the kids since we’re about to go on break. No homework, even.”

She narrowed her eyes at him and teased, “So you’re vying to win Teacher of the Year, huh?”

“Well, that wasn’t what I had in mind, but that doesn’t sound half bad. What do I get if I win Teacher of the Year?” he joked back.

Iris pursed her lips and pretended to consider the matter. “The students don’t play the game of Haze the New Guy?” she suggested.

“In that case, I’m definitely trying for it,” he deadpanned.

Iris giggled and nodded towards his packed lunch. “And yet you’re not brave enough to try the cafeteria food?” she asked.

“Ah. Well, now that I’m back in Central City, I think my mom is trying to make up for all those meals she’s convinced I missed at my old school. You know how it is.” His voice had been light and joking, but when he realized what he’d said, his smile fell and he looked horrified. “Oh, god. I’m sorry. I-I wasn’t thinking.”

She shook her head. “It’s all right Really. I can definitely imagine Nora fretting that we wouldn’t feed you right.” She paused and then said with quiet sincerity, “Your family is pretty wonderful, you know. You’re lucky to have them.”

“Yeah,” he agreed softly. “They are. I mean, sometimes they drive me crazy, but I wouldn’t trade them for the world.” The two of them exchanged a smile, and then he added, “You know, they’re going to be your family soon, too. I don’t know if I’ve told you this – probably not, since I was kind of a jerk to you when we met. But Eddie’s lucky to have you, too. I’m pretty sure my parents love you already. I’m really…I’m really glad that you’ll be…you’ll be joining the family.”

Though his voice sounded strained at that last remark, she didn’t really stop to wonder why. She was too busy trying to hide her thoughts from his view. She felt guilty, of course, but she also found herself increasingly aware of how much she’d miss everyone once her lie was exposed. Particularly Barry.

He’d hate her when he learned the truth. The thought made her want to cry.

“Hey, is everything okay?” he asked, reaching towards her. Iris jumped when she felt the warmth of his hand against her own. She wondered if Barry didn’t feel the same, however, because he just pulled his hand away. “And I’m okay. I was just lost in my thoughts.”

He nodded. “Thinking about Eddie? He’ll be all right, you know. I can’t imagine any guy not fighting his way out of a coma if it means he gets to come home to you.”

Iris’s eyes shot to his, and she hoped he didn’t notice her blush. In all honesty, she hadn’t thought about Eddie all day. It would be disloyal of her, if the two were actually engaged. “Ah…yeah. Thinking about Eddie,” she lied. His sigh was drowned out by her own.

Barry sat at Eddie’s bedside, dealing out another hand. He’d stopped by the hospital after school let out, and he’d picked up a deck of cards from the gift shop so he could play some one-sided poker to pass the time. He’d have preferred chess, but the hospital didn’t have a set handy.

“So, what do you have?” he asked as he flipped over the hand in front of Eddie’s unconscious body. “Pair of Jacks! Not bad. But not good enough.” He tossed his own cards down on the table. Read ‘em and weep,” he declared, tossing his hand on the bedside table. “Full house!”

He pulled the pot – a handful of candy – towards his side of the table and scooped up the discarded cards. “You are unlucky at cards, Eddie,” he mused as he began to shuffle the deck. Then he paused and admitted softly, “But you’re lucky in love.”

With a sigh, he put the deck of cards aside and leaned back in his chair. “You know, I remember when we were in school together…people used to act like it had to be hard, being your brother. Everyone assumed I had to be so jealous of you. Captain of the football team. Prom king. And it goes without saying that you never had any problem getting a date. But, you know, it never really bothered me, because I was proud of you. And I was never envious of anything you had.” He paused, letting out a long breath. “Until now.”

Barry groaned and rubbed the back of his neck with both hands. “Just this once…I wish it could have been me. That I could have met her first. I know it’s too late. Even if you weren’t engaged, I would still be too late. I saw the look on her face earlier today, when she was thinking about you. And I sat there realizing I’m going to have to spend the rest of my life pretending that I’m happy to have her as a sister-in-law. And I don’t know how I’m going to do it when I really…” He let his voice trail off.

“You’re a lucky guy, Eddie. I hope you know just how lucky you are.”

That night, at dinner, Iris marveled how seven people could have nine different conversations going on at once. She was having a hard enough time following one.

“Oh, Barry!” Cynthia caught his attention from across the table. “I forgot to tell you. I’m supposed to get together with Linda tomorrow, and we’re going to be right by your school. I don’t suppose we could stop in and grab lunch with you?”

“Uh, sure!” he agreed readily.

Nora paused in her conversation with Joshua about the recent construction downtown and interjected, “Iris, I was thinking. Do you think you could find a nice girl for our Barry?”

Barry managed to hiss a horrified, “Mom!” through gritted teeth, while Iris choked on her mashed potatoes.

When she finally got her breath back, she realized Cynthia was staring thoughtfully in her direction. Dropping her gaze to her plate, she replied awkwardly, “I…uh…I really don’t know. I don’t know what kinds of girls he likes.” Of course, she knew one of the math teachers, Patty Spivot, thought he was cute. She’d flirted enough with him to make it obvious to everybody at the school. But Iris hoped he didn’t reciprocate. The thought of actually watching him date someone else made her kind of want to die inside.

She couldn’t bear to look up at him as Barry responded in a stilted voice, “I like…um…blondes. Tall ones.”

Cynthia snorted. “You have never dated a tall blonde in your life, Barry Allen. Don’t even lie.” Iris wondered if she could find a way to set the table on fire to end this entire conversation.

“That’s not true,” he retorted. “Remember Becky Cooper?” Iris didn’t know her, but she hated her already.

“Oh, please,” Cynthia scoffed. “You went to the fifth-grade dance together, and then she dumped you because Kevin Harris gave her a package of Reese’s Cups at lunch and that meant it was true love. I don’t think that counts.” Iris tried to pretend she was paying attention to the argument Henry was having with Martin about who was the best television host for New Year’s Eve celebrations. But really she was hanging on every word of the conversation Barry and Cynthia were having.

“Anyway,” Cynthia added after a pause, “Becky wasn’t that tall. You were just really short.”

“At least I hit a growth spurt eventually. What happened to yours?” he teased her.

“Well, we all know what Iris’s type is,” Nora declared with an affectionate smile in her direction.

Barry’s fork clanked against his glass as he set it down and blurted, “So, uh, Martin, I think I missed something. Were you saying they’re going to do more construction on Main Street?”

It was with a great deal of relief that Iris turned her attention back to her dinner. Martin didn’t seem to know what he was talking about, but at least they were no longer discussing Barry’s love life.

“I’m heading out, but I look forward to seeing you tomorrow,” Iris told Cynthia as she hugged the other woman goodbye.

“I’ll walk you out,” Barry offered, already shrugging into his coat before the words were even out of his mouth. Somehow, in the general confusion of saying goodbye, they both ended up at the door at the same time.

“Hey, you’re under the mistletoe!” Cynthia pointed out, her voice managing to carry over the entire crowd.

Iris looked at Barry in something akin to horror. Maybe he hadn’t heard her. Maybe nobody had, and Iris could just slip away without adhering to that stupid tradition that only seemed to exist to break her own heart.

But Cynthia wasn’t going to let it go. “What are you waiting for? Kiss her!”

“But…with Eddie…I mean, I really don’t think –” he began, and Iris felt her cheeks grow hot. The only thing worse than having to kiss Barry and pretend it didn’t mean anything was Barry not wanting to kiss her back.

“Oh, don’t be silly. It’s tradition,” Henry chided him with a smile.

Nora rolled her eyes at him. “Well? Are you going to make her wait all night? Go on! Kiss her!”

Iris looked up into Barry’s eyes and forced a smile. “It’s just mistletoe,” she breathed. It wasn’t like it meant anything.

She ached to smooth away the slight frown line that formed between his brows as he murmured, “Right.” Then his hand was on her waist, drawing her in, and she had to clench her hands into fists in her coat pocket to keep from pulling him down to her.

His head ducked, and Iris told herself that she’d give him a quick peck and be done with it. Maybe it would even get him out of her system. But at the last moment, she lost her nerve and turned her head, shooting for his cheek instead. It seemed he had the same thought, because when they both swerved, their mouths met.

They both froze in surprise, and then she felt Barry’s lips soften upon hers. Tilting her head back, she allowed herself one second to breathe him in. To memorize the exact feeling of his mouth against hers. And then she pulled away.

More than that, she all but jumped away from him, well out of range of the mistletoe. “Well, uh, I’ll see you tomorrow. Night!” she blurted before making good her escape. She was too busy watching her footing to look behind her – also, she was trying to pretend the last two minutes hadn’t happened. However, if she’d looked over her shoulder in that moment, she’d have seen the man she was trying not to think about, watching her with sad eyes as she walked away. But before anyone could realize he had more than just friendly solicitude, he heaved a heavy sigh and drew away from the door, being careful not to meet Cynthia’s gaze as he closed it behind him.