#dash: savannah stone

[lasersquid]

The greatest player...

[A woman wearing a Khaganian military uniform in subdued red emerges from a building onto a busy, hot, crowded street. The burgeoning jungle threatens to reclaim everything. She pauses in the street, and removes a glass eye to polish the humidity from it. Pedestrian traffic parts around her. Through the eye, sigils are visible on a door, a coruscating shower of brilliance. one is shaped like a hambone.]

...in the Great Game...

[a star chart lies atop a sheaf of papers on a coffee-ringed table. outside the window, the morning sun flickers. a breeze rustles the papers, revealing scraps of a dossier. the words intercepted, unknown, survivors, faction, and counterpart are visible]

...doesn't play by the rules...

[a cruiser, docked in a port, explodes in spectacular fashion, immolating the buildings nearby. several men scream in agony and foreign tongues. the pressure wave roars outward with a hellish, pink-accented fury]

...offers no quarter...

[a child in nightclothes holds a lantern covering their face as they creep in terror down a stone basement staircase. the walls drip a viscous liquid. A woman's joyous peals of laughter overshadows the growing thrum.]

...and plays every side...

[a dash of cassowaries burst out of a forest onto a lush savannah plain. they race to a small creek, and pause to drink. one looks up, as if startled by some imperceptible sign. it takes off at a dead sprint. towards the desert. the dash hurries to catch up. the sun beats down under a clear sky.]

...against the middle...

Ice T: Man, hold up. Are you tellin' me this whole story is about that damn-

Narrator: Don't you dare ruin this for them, T.

T: It doesn't make sense! How's a-

N: One more word, T. Say one more word and by God I will personally put you back in that bear.

Ice T: Man [an exasperated sigh] Whatever man. Just-this better be good is all I'm saying.

N: Doing our best here, mister 'renowned for his exacting cinematic and storytelling standards'. [a dolphin clicks excitedly] Not now, Jones.

[Jones clicks disappointedly]

[clears throat] ...and the middle...

[a red table in a dimly lit room, a key rests on a hook by the door. seven typewriters are arranged in a circle around the table. one at a time, they each begin to chatter away. no one is visible

...against itself.

[voices: an older, very En*lish man] Your instructions are clear! I want-

[a woman's lustrous and accented contralto]: -Him

[a man, distinctly Chinese] -Off

[a child of the American South]: -The

[in unison: -Board!

[Title Card: Frilliam and Thwoop Present: Of Moth And Men: A Fallen London story.

[a poorly-kept yet well-maintained home, electric lamps vie with firelight to cast shadows across the tables groaning with papers adorned with sketches and figures.

a moth alights on one of many mostly full and entirely neglected coffee cups. this particular cup is shorter than the others, and has the word Hasbro inscribed upon it. a morin khuur begins to play the opening chords of 'Dr. Feelgood' as the image fades]

[casspurrjoybell-17]

Hart and Hunter - Chapter 41 - Part 1

*Warning Adult Content*

Dane Hunter

Chief Laura Coleridge arrives less than a quarter hour after our call ends.

I tell her the short version and leave werewolves out of it but after only a brief spate of shock and denial, she accepts the evidence with which she is presented easily enough.

More importantly, she agrees to my plan.

Maybe people are more open-minded in the middle of the night.

While a deputy drives Ingrid and Danni home, Freya packs four of the Fae, the seven children and Halloran's body in my old Ford Explorer and drives them up to the standing stones to wait for us.

Julian, Erickson, his niece, the two warrior Fae... Alyth and Sylv... and I go with Coleridge to Erickson's sister's house in a police SUV.

When we arrive, however, I see we're not the first ones there.

A fire engine idles outside, lights flashing and a police cruiser has just pulled up at the curb.

"Oh shit," Erickson breathes.

"Pauline."

As we pop the doors and pile out, though, I see Savannah's mother dashing down the front steps, tears streaking her face and a wild, frantic look in her eyes.

Then she sees Savannah and screams.

Running towards us, she snatches the sleepy, still-damp girl from Erickson's arms and collapses in tears.

As the Fae slip past her and into the house, I gather that the mother had awoken to a strange sound, gone into her daughter's room and found the window open and the child gone.

Fearing she'd been taken, she'd called the police.

"Skin-changer must have sensed or known we were coming, somehow," I murmur.

"Probably through Savannah. The mental link, remember?" Julian says.

"I bet as soon as we came through the portal, it knew the game was up and fled."

A moment later, Alyth and Sylv return, shaking their heads.

The skin-changer left no trace.

While Erickson invents some story about finding his niece sleepwalking 'his house is apparently nearby' the rest of us withdraw.

"Where do you think it went?" Julian asks and shudders.

"No idea," I say.

"But if it knows what's good for it, it'll stay far away from here."

Coleridge shakes her head.

"You and I have a long talk ahead of us, Hunter. I'm rolling with this now, 'cause it's that or arrest you all and that's too much paperwork. But I want a full, thorough and complete explanation as soon as you don't look and smell like shit."

Despite my tiredness, I bite back a smile.

"Yes, ma'am."

Leaving Erickson with his family, Coleridge drives the rest of us out of town and up into the hills to the standing stones.

She parks as close as she can get and then, with weariness weighting our steps, we cross the open meadow to the natural outcrop of white granite.

There, we find the others already gathered, along with what appears to be a small delegation of Fae.

The doorway between the arched stones is open, the air shimmering like rippling glass and a dozen Fae wearing long garments that flow like silk mill about tending to the time-orphaned children and to the dead.

Halloran's body lies uncovered upon a much grander bier than the stretcher of ferns and branches on which we carried him from the Shadowlands.

Candles burn around him and flowers cover him.

A woman kneels at his side and when she straightens, I bite back a gasp.

For a moment, I thought she was Rhiannon but from the likeness and Julian's description, I recognize Eirnín.

Spotting Julian, she approaches with her hands outstretched.

"Son of my daughter's son," she says, tears making her eyes shine bright.

"We meet again. I am glad to see you well, though I wish it were not under such sorrowful circumstances. I feel as if I have lost my daughter a second time and now my son."

"He was... very brave," Julian says.

"So were you all, I have heard but I am told you will speak on my daughter's behalf."

"Yes. I..." Julian sways on his feet and I steady him.

He's on the verge of collapse, now dangerously exhausted and badly in need of food, water and rest.

Eirnín gets the message.

She beckons to one of the Fae, who approaches bearing a silver tray on which rests a pitcher and a set of small silver cups.

Pouring some liquid into one, she hands it to him, then does the same for me.

"Drink. The tea will restore you, at least for a time and clear your mind."

Julian downs it without a second glance, so I do the same.

The effect is immediate and strong, like a mix of caffeine and alcohol... warming, relaxing and energizing at all once.

Julian holds out his cup.

"More, please."

"One is plenty and now, tell me this tale of yours."

[drahtphotography]

Look at this! Eric has some words to share! Draht Photography

New Post has been published on https://www.drahtphotography.com/the-rainforest-wedding-in-the-mountains-highlights/

The Rainforest Wedding in the Mountains Highlights

Savannah and Arya’s backyard wedding was a beautiful and intimate celebration of their love, blending their unique cultural backgrounds and taking place on a picturesque 5-acre piece of land that they called home. The entire event was a heartfelt reflection of their personalities and the love they shared.

const searchread_651cd58b815c041018ece2e2 = `The Rainforest Wedding in the Mountains Wedding

September 9, 2023 Savannah and Arya's backyard wedding was a beautiful and intimate celebration of their love, blending their unique cultural backgrounds and taking place on a picturesque 5-acre piece of land that they called home. The entire event was a heartfelt reflection of their personalities and the love they shared.

The setting for the ceremony was truly enchanting. The backyard was transformed into a dreamy, outdoor oasis, with lush greenery and colorful flowers adorning the space. A winding stone path led guests through the manicured gardens to the heart of the ceremony area, where a stunning altar was set up beneath a towering oak tree, providing natural shade and a sense of reverence.

Arya, the groom, being Persian, incorporated elements of his heritage into the wedding. One of the most captivating moments was the ring photo. They chose to capture this special moment on a beautifully woven Persian rug, symbolizing both Arya's roots and the solid foundation of their marriage. The rug added a touch of elegance and tradition to the proceedings.

As the ceremony began, the soft notes of a live acoustic ensemble filled the air. Friends and family gathered on rustic wooden benches, facing the altar where Savannah and Arya would exchange their vows. The couple's love story was shared through heartfelt readings and touching speeches, celebrating their journey together.

Savannah, radiant in her flowing white gown adorned with delicate lace, walked down the aisle with her father. Her bouquet of wildflowers and greenery perfectly complemented the natural surroundings. Arya, dashing in a tailored suit, awaited her arrival with a beaming smile.

Their vows, filled with promises and love, echoed through the garden, touching the hearts of all in attendance. As they exchanged rings on the Persian rug, they sealed their commitment to one another with a passionate kiss, and cheers of joy erupted from their guests.

After the ceremony, guests enjoyed cocktails and hors d'oeuvres in the sprawling backyard, under strings of twinkling lights that illuminated the area as the sun set. The reception took place on the spacious lawn, where long wooden tables were elegantly set with white linens, candles, and vibrant centerpieces.

Savannah and Arya danced their first dance under the starry sky, surrounded by the people who meant the most to them. Traditional Persian dishes and American favorites graced the buffet, catering to their diverse backgrounds and ensuring everyone's tastes were satisfied.

As the evening continued, speeches were given, toasts were made, and laughter filled the air. The dance floor became a place of celebration, where guests of all ages danced to a mix of Persian and Western music.

The wedding of Savannah and Arya was not just a celebration of love but also a merging of cultures and a testament to the beauty of blending traditions. With their backyard transformed into a magical haven, they celebrated their union in a way that was truly unique and meaningful to them, creating memories that would last a lifetime.

`;

[cdroloisms]

hey pspsps i found this thing n twitter and i cant get it out of my head,, so dreams escape right? and sapnap said that he'd be the one who'd take dreams last life rgiht? so imagine if he gets ant, bad and george and tells them "its the final manhunt" (:

im ngl the name of this on my document was “the final manhunt *offkey kazoo*” 

with that, have some good ol’ post-prison c!dream angst! probably not exactly what you asked for, but i hope you like it anyway :D 

tw: implied torture, abuse, dark portrayals of c!sam and c!quackity, suicide/suicide implications, panic attacks, emotional distress, emotional instability, death threats, violence, flashbacks, pandora’s vault/prison arc

When Dream escapes the prison, he is a frothing thing of spite and rage, one part human and ninety-nine parts determination simmered and condensed over high heat; there is anger and then there’s this, the fire that leaps to his eyes and the shaking shreds of a battered heart he holds close to his chest and refuses to let anyone close enough to see. He moves and the server moves with him, tugged along by his iron will and sweat-slick desperation, joining in the brilliant blue whirl of a diamond axe swung recklessly and slammed into the dirt, an aimless fury following each formless drive of the blade into grass and gravel. The air sings danger and the air sings wrong and every step closer brings a ringing scream of away away go away that dances like static electricity against their skin.

Puffy follows, cutlass strapped to her hip and hair tucked messily beneath the rim of her cornet as the group advances - someone had alerted over comms about seeing the escaped prisoner in this direction, and they’d all jumped forward in the hopes that the weeks-long manhunt could finally be ended. Sapnap leads the way, headband whipping behind him as he strides forward, jaw clenched in fierce determination; George brings up the rear, bow in hand, a full quiver of arrows strapped to his back. Puffy’s running alongside Sam, who has been strangely tight-lipped the entire time Dream has been gone, firm in his insistence that the prisoner be detained but saying little else - it’s something that she would pry at, usually, but her head is filled with half-formed regrets and fears and a bubbling undercurrent of anger she’s afraid will come loose if she opens her mouth, so she stays silent as they run ever forward.

Sapnap yells, and her head snaps up - there, in the tall grass of a plains biome lies a flash of orange that must be Dream. The hunters around her speed up and she strains to follow; the other three are clearly experienced, easily falling into step with each other as she scrambles to keep up. Dream’s head snaps over towards them and he begins to sprint, cutting a line through the yellow field as they race to follow. She’s not seen him since the prison break, has only heard the whispers- an orange clothed monster, all bones and skin and uncaged fury, a diamond axe heaved in his arms slamming against anything that comes too close. It’s hard to rationalize this untamed, unrefined dash to the unwavering calm that she had always associated with his style of fighting, his movements much more like the life-or-death escape of a hunted rabbit than any hunter’s dog. It’s hard to rationalize this Dream with the one she knows- but well, she’s gotten used to that.

It took her far too long to admit, but she’s come to realize that she doesn’t quite know Dream at all.

He leads them forward to the shorter grass and harsher dips and planes of a savannah, the sun beating down in slanting heat against the backs of their necks. The ground they’re standing on begins to shatter into steep cliffs and jagged mountains, rough edges of stone climbing into the sky all around them. Sapnap curses, shading his eyes against the sun.

“He’s going up there,” he says, and George sends arrows flying towards the orange dot blurring across the steep face of a nearby mountain. Sam grumbles as Puffy strains to catch sight of him, watching his scrambling movements up the cliff face to the top.

“Then we follow,” he says, pulling a stack of ender pearls from his inventory. “Each person take a few. We’re too close to lose him now.”

The climb is anything but pleasant, the sun right overhead and making sweat gather at her hairline and drip down her face. Even as a sheep hybrid, she struggles to keep pace with the other hunters as they race over thin paths of granite and clamber up near-vertical faces of stone with little problem, clearly practiced as they follow Dream without breaking their sprint. The rock gives way to dirt and tufts of short-shorn grass and Sapnap’s eyes flash.

“Be careful,” he says, looking straight at her. “He’s cornered - that’s when he does risky shit without thinking about the consequences. He knows you’re the least experienced here and there’s a good chance that he’s going to charge you. If that happens, hold your shield and just block. We’ll handle him from there.”

She swallows back the spark of indignation that rises at his words, a bitter scream that they only see her as a liability dying out as she reminds herself that these three had hunted Dream professionally before, had struggled even with two more at their sides. The caution is far from unwarranted.

“I understand.”

Sapnap nods tersely and looks to the other two with a hand movement that she doesn’t understand. The other two immediately start moving, Sam moving to the front, George nocking an arrow as he takes his place at the rear - they’re still shielding her, she realizes with a small spike of annoyance again, shaking her head and drawing her own cutlass as Sapnap leads the way for them to swing up onto the top of the mountain.

It takes her a moment to adjust; the wind, unhindered by the cliffs that had been shielding them seconds before, whips at her face and draws tears to her eyes, makes her hair fly wildly into her face. Through narrowed eyes, she watches as the figure on the other side of the mountaintop scrambles backwards, diamond axe braced in front of him as he backs to the opposite edge.

“Dream,” Sapnap calls, voice deadly calm. “You’re cornered. Stand down.”

Dream shakes his head, lips curling in a wordless snarl. The sound is desperate, almost inhuman, making Puffy’s hair stand on end. As her vision clears, she stops dead in her tracks despite herself - Dream looks awful. She’d expected him to look disheveled after his escape, hadn’t expected much comfort in his stay in the Vault, but the way he looks, now, hollow eyes and gaunt cheeks and skinny, shaking limbs that only barely seem to be able to hold up his weight, bandages covering every visible inch of skin, wrapped messily around his right arm as if done by one hand - she reaches forward unconsciously and Dream flinches back.

“Don’t-” his voice rasps, cracks, falls in on itself as he wets his lips to try and speak again. “Don’t come closer.”

“Prisoner,” Sam growls, stepping forward, and he turns those wild, fever-bright eyes towards the creeper hybrid, flailing backwards and knuckles white from the grip on his axe. His breathing visibly hitches, head whipping back and forth.

“Don’t come closer,” he hisses again, stepping back, and Puffy stills.

“Sam-” she grabs his sleeve. “Sam- don’t. He’s at the edge.”

Dream’s gaze swings to her, and her heart stutters at the uncaged, obvious fear raging in his eyes. He’s backed to the very back edge of the mountain they’re standing on, left foot halfway off, sending dirt skidding over and off of the cliff down down down to the ground hundreds of feet below. The three hunters stop, muscles tensed, and Dream bares his teeth at them but doesn’t back away further.

His shoulders sag as they stand, stagnant, each huddled on their own side of the mountaintop. His gaze is venomous, green eyes burning even in the glaring light of the sun, flicking warily between their faces as he holds the axe between them.

“So you came,” his voice is tight, a slight tremble pulling at the end despite his seeming bravado. “Here to finish the job, huh?”

Sapnap pulls back his shoulders. “I made a promise, Dream.”

Dream laughs, bitter. His left hand releases on the axe handle to come to his chest, grabbing at his right, looking almost like he’s trying to hold himself. His laughter tapers off into something weak and wrecked, and the sound makes Puffy’s heart clench uncomfortably in her chest.

“Figures you’d keep that one,” his head tips up, looking Sapnap in the eye. “What- did your fiance give up? The revive book not worth the effort anymore?”

Sapnap hisses. “Don’t bring Karl into this-”

“Karl?” Dream’s eyes flash, grip tightening on his upper arm. “No- what? Why-”

“Dream.” Sam’s voice is low, something dark buzzing behind his tone, “Don’t-”

Puffy interrupts him with a hand to his shoulder, stepping forward and freezing mid-step when Dream’s head whips to her, eyes widening and foot scraping against the edge of the cliff again.

“Sapnap, Sam, let him talk,” she levels her gaze at Dream, trying to pick out the emotions warring behind those brilliant green eyes. “Not Karl- you’re talking about Quackity then, right?”

Sam hisses, “Puffy, I don’t think this is a good idea-”

Dream laughs.

The sound is grating, awful, making her hands come to her ears. It rips through skin, wraps around bone, seeps into marrow - he’s laughing, axe disappearing into his inventory so he can clutch his face with both hands, the loose sleeves of his prison uniform falling to his elbows to reveal the bandages wrapping all the way up his forearms and disappearing further under the fabric. In front of her, Sapnap falters, grip on his sword loosening; George steps back, eyebrows wrinkled, bow lowering. Dream laughs like the world is ending, and some cold, hardened thing in her chest shatters at the sound.

“You know,” his hands claw at his hair, wrapping around the strands and pulling, “You know you know you know- you have to know. How-” He shakes his head, tugging at his hair harshly and making Puffy wince at the sight, “Don’t- don’t play stupid here.”

“Know what?” George reaches forward, hands empty, palms up like he’s approaching an injured dog. From the way Dream snaps at the sound, hackles raised and teeth bared, he might as well be one. “Dream, what are you talking about?”

Sapnap looks stricken, still, face clouded in a way that Puffy can’t decipher. “Q- don’t play your mind games here, Dream,” despite his words, he sounds uncertain. Puffy hasn’t seen Quackity around for a while, had thought that he was staying at Sapnap and Karl’s new place. From the way Sapnap’s eyes have darkened, it looks like she assumed wrong. “Quackity hasn’t even been around, what does he have to do with any of this?”

Dream shakes his head again, seemingly stuck in his own head, barely even responding to their words. “You know- you know you know you know- Sam knows- you-” His breath hitches, chest heaving, and Puffy blinks. He’s having a panic attack, a clinical, much more calm part of her says as Dream seems to collapse in on himself. “You know. You have to know he wouldn’t- nobody came if you didn’t know then why didn’t you come if you didn’t know then why did Sam let him in you know you know you know-”

“Sam?” George turns to Sam, hands curling into fists and then uncurling again and again, “Do you know what he’s talking about?”

Sam’s expression is unreadable, ignoring George as he looks back at Dream. “Prisoner,” and has he called him by his name, yet? “Come with us calmly and your punishment will be lightened. There’s nowhere to run. Give up.”

Dream keens, a high-pitched whine exiting his lungs, “I won’t- I won’t tell,” his voice cracks, tears clearly running down his cheeks, “I won’t tell you Quackity I won’t-”

“Sam,” Puffy turns to the hybrid. “I think you should go.”

“Puffy-”

“He’s having a panic attack, Sam. He’s hardly going to do anything.” She levels a glare at him, sheathing her cutlass at her side. “I’m perfectly capable of defending myself, and I’ve promised to help anyone having a mental health crisis on the server.” Something dark and traitorous whispers how she’d given up on Dream before, and she pushes it down.

“He’s a danger to everyone on the server.”

“Sam- he’s not fucking breathing right now on the edge of a cliff. He’s not a danger to anyone but himself.”

“She’s right, Sam,” Puffy’s head snaps to George. He’s looking at her, expression hidden behind his glasses, lips pressed together in a small frown. “Puffy, we’ll be waiting. You or Sapnap call if you need back-up.”

She nods tersely, watches as Sam gives in and follows George down the mountain, the hybrid’s red eyes still staring at Dream as he leaves. Sapnap seems distracted, hardly acknowledging their exchange with his eyes fixed on Dream’s crumpled form, emotions clearly warring over his face, and Puffy brushes past him to get to her patient- Dream.

“Dream,” she speaks, not moving forward when his shoulders seize. “Dream, I won’t move closer unless you want me to,” she enunciates the words clearly, watching his face for any flash of recognition or understanding. He shakes his head minutely at her words, arms trembling, but he doesn’t move closer to the edge. “Can you hear me?”

He nods jerkily, and she smooths the palms of her hands on her pants, trying to calm the race of her heart in her chest.

“Good, very good,” years of training, habit, flood her head, pushing away the buzzing unease and fear and tangled knot of dark feelings that linger every time she sees Dream’s face, “I need you to breathe for me, okay? We’re going to inhale for four- there you go,” she counts, watching the shuddering movement of his chest as he struggles to replicate her movements, “Very good, hold for four, there you go- you’ve got this-”

Slowly, painfully, the rattle of his lungs in his chest becomes something quieter, more manageable, no longer rising and falling in desperate arrhythmic wheezes that make her chest hurt in sympathy. She’s still kneeling there, hands palms-up when he looks up at her, eyes wide, a degree of lucidity having returned to them, and for a moment a flash of fear stabs through her heart.

She swallows it down, pulling forward every ounce of professionalism she can muster. “Dream,” she keeps her voice low and soft, biting her lip at the way he freezes, again, at the call of his name. “Dream, can you step away from the edge?”

His hands clutch at the line of grass and dirt that make up the sod overhang, knuckles white. His eyes keep staring in hers, wide and wet and green, and she shushes him softly under her breath.

“It’s ok, take your time,” she breathes, watching as his hand inches forward bit by bit, gaze still fixed on her face, “It’s okay, Duckling.”

She blinks, and there’s a whirl of orange flying towards her chest; Sapnap shouts behind her, and panic blooms in her head too quickly for her to pick out anything but a desperate little oh god I’m going to die-

The blow never comes.

Instead, she looks down, heart in her throat, at a sobbing, shaking lump pressed against her chest, head buried in the crook over her neck as dirty, tangled hair falls in waves over her shoulder. She freezes, watching as his shoulders shake, hands tangled in her shirt sleeve, barely able to hear the words he’s saying over his wails and her heart thudding in her ears.

“Please don’t bring me back,” he pleads, voice cracking, “Please- please I don’t wanna go back please tell Sapnap to make it quick please I can’t go through another Quackity visit please Puffy don’t let them send me back-”

“Dream-”

“I’ll- I won’t fight, I pr’mise, Sapnap can keep his promise it’s okay I won’t fight anymore I’m-” he keens, high-pitched and mangled, into her shoulder, “I’m so tired Puffy.”

“Duckling,”

“Don’ make me go back, please.”

Puffy pulls him back, presses her hand on his cheek, murmuring softly. And- maybe she shouldn’t be doing this, maybe Dream’s a danger just like Sam said, maybe she’ll come to regret helping him the same way she had before - but right now he’s in pain and he’s crying and he’s closer than he’s been in so, so long and all she can see is her duckling, hurting, her duckling, home.

“Dream,” she brushes her thumb against his cheek, smooths a lock of hair behind his ear. “What happened in there?”

And he begins to speak.

[ovinetanuki]

Green areas are feral zones. Blue areas are hybrid zones. Gray areas are neutral. List of the minor locations on the map: Mew's Cave - A secluded location on the northeastern part of the island. It's made of neutral territory so that any Pokemon can visit her if need be. Flare's Camp - The center of Flare's territory, close to the border between Starf Island Central and feral space. Orion's Den - Orion's home close to the northwestern lake just outside of Savanna Stretch's borders. Chaos Control's Training Pit - The area where Chaos Control hosts training sessions and friendly battles. It's larger than what other teams use but also much farther away from the HQ than normal. Twintail Falls - A large, split waterfall near Forest Force's base with a small lake at the foot of it. It's a popular location to swim if you're willing to make the trek to it. Starf Island Bay - The largest hybrid controlled water region, and the only one of the saltwater variety. Water's Wake patrols these borders. The Crossroads - A place where several neutral paths meet. It's a common trading spot due to its central location. Rabuta City Power Plant - For the few places across the island that use electricity, this is where it's generated. Rauta City itself is the most advanced location on the island, despite being a newer settlement. Yache Outpost Mines - Metal, shards, and occasionally rarer items like evolution stones for the island are mined here. Yache Summit - The highest point on Starf. You can see Occastone from here. Occastone Refinery -  All the metal mined in Yache is refined here. Occastone Point - The peak of a large, mostly inactive volcano. Lava spills out from time to time, but there hasn't been an eruption in decades. Enigma Town - The newest settlement on Starf Island, and the smallest.

Eventually, I'll get around to marking all of the locations on the map but not today. List of the Rescue League teams, for those who care: Chaos Control Dawn Dash Water's Wake Forest Force Polar Post Moonlight Madness Pyro Pugilists Savannah Stretch Sonic Surge Furious Flight

[hollowgroverp]

HOLLOW GROVE CHARITY SOFTBALL GAME RESULTS

The rivalry of this game is rather legendary, every year the Hollow Grove Fire Department and Police stations face off for bragging rights for the year. Coming in after another win HGFD is feeling way more confident than ever before and HGPD is looking to reclaim their title after the last two years embarrassing defeats. This years game seems to be carrying a lot of tension due to HGFD’s winning streak and HGPD is more than ready to take the title back. Let’s see how things pan out. 

Colton DeForest, Hollow Grove Police Departments local Sheriff, is at the top of the list looking to regain that title from the Fire Department. It seems the stakes this year have made him extra competitive. Kara Sykes has no trouble feeding into that competitive nature and threats have been made about dirt and faces and the whole nine yards. The Sheriff and his second command take the field for the first inning and let's just say they started the game off right. 

The fan stands were packed to the brim with fans ready to cheer on their favorite team. Adam Haley could be heard yelling obscure sports references that had nothing to do with softball. It was clear several fans were feeling a little conflicted. Cassie Cresswell and Maggie Blackwell showed their support for both teams while. Sebastian Sykes loyalties were clear though as he cheered for HGPD. 

Dash Hastings and Ryan Carrol are having the time of their lives, you’d swear the last few years wins might have gone to their head. Every time Jacob Thorne goes up to bat they give him a hard time. The shit talking between the three turns out to be extremely amusing. That is until the fifth inning when Ryan was on third and Dash was second and Jacob was covering shortstop. The men’s play led to Dash wiping out, scraping up his leg. The blood alone causes an unstable Oliver Hastings to feel all sense of control slip away from him. Thank god Savannah Daniels had volunteered to play for HGPD. Sensing the change in Oliver she jumped in pulling the male from the field before anyone could notice that he had almost lost control. 

Back in the stands Chloe Prescott, an avid fan, had maybe a few too many drinks. Her magic getting a little out of hand and causing a small fire. Thank goodness for Teo Sigurdsson jumping right in to put it out causing an eruption of jokes that he should join the HGFD. 

Poor George Chatwin wasn’t paying any attention when a fly ball came hurtling over the fence and hit him. The panic crowd jumped right in to help him. Emmett Bryson got the young man something to help with the bloody nose and bag of ice. George would regret that ice cream cone that had caught his attention after today’s game.

It wouldn’t be the charity game if something didn’t happen from the fan stands. Phoebe Stones looking to carry on the last few year traditions decides that it’s time for a mid-game steak, this time complete with tassels. The display alone caused Jack Wilde to fall off the stands after his leg got caught on the bleachers when he stood to cheer. 

The final inning comes along, HGPD is up to one point as HGFD is at bat. All HGPD needs to do is hold onto their lead to win the game but HGFD has every ounce of confidence that they can seal the deal with two points and win another year. The tension was thick in the air and the pressure was on now for the HGPD to hold on to their lead. Isabelle Cresswell, famously known for blowing it for HGPD in the last inning two years ago is set on not being the office disappointment not to mention she was feeling a bit bored in the outfield and her witchy instincts tingly. Slowly overhead, a storm begins to brew. HGFD have players on first and second and two outs when the sky opens up and it starts pouring down. Unable to let their pride go and call the game without the points they needed to win HGFD insists they continue. 

Mile Armstrong steps up to bat, all he has to do is get Ria Desai and Lincoln Rossi home and finish up this game. He gets a decent hit but the rain makes visibility hard. 

Mina Fitzgerald and Zinnia DeRosiers happened to be going for the ball when they collide into one another. Both girls seem a little shaken by the mishap but neither are terribly harmed. Kara Sykes snatches up the ball and throws it to Haylee as Lincoln Rossi comes barreling towards home plate. Lincoln Rossi collides with Haylee Forbes who looks like she’s on the verge of murdering him when she stands up. Both look to the referee to see the call. 

          “YOU’RE OUT!”

THE WINNER OF THE HGPD VS HGFD CHARITY SOFTBALL GAME IS………

        ….. HOLLOW GROVE POLICE DEPARTMENT!

[hgconfessional]

Ships for: Nyx, Ned, George, Phoebe, Ollie and Emmett?

“Let’s think about this... 

Nyx: 

She seems hard to tie down, but I know she and Posey seem to have a deep-rooted bond. If they just want to be friends, though, I know Nyx and Cordelia’s chemistry is on fire— they’re flirting pretty heavily. 

Ned:

George Chatwin. Can’t you just see them turning into that quiet, old married couple who enjoys each other’s company in silence? Or Joslyn. She seems to get under his skin, and while there’s really no reason for an Original vampire to go after a young wolf, why not? 

George:

I think this quiet guy could go for someone who could be just as quiet as he, like Ned or Julia Charles. He could also go for someone in the middle. Amber Horne? Laura Wilde? Or there’s the complete opposite end of the spectrum, someone to bring out a different side of him. Here I’d suggest Savannah Daniels, Phoebe Stones, or Cat Santos Rose. 

Phoebe:

I just have a feeling these could go well for her, you know? Based on nothing but my instincts and a love of their pretty faces and interesting personalities together. Tobias Pierce, Cat Santos Rose, Savannah Daniels, Lukas Blackwell, Colton DeForest, Cal Renard, and, even though she wouldn’t be able to keep up with his children, Dash Hastings. 

Oliver: 

Does this man have a romantic bone in his body? He seems celibate and disinterested, more focused on his grief than anything else. Still, I’d say either Cassie Cresswell or Pippa Wilde for this one. He seems to need someone with a lot of sad emotions. 

Emmett: 

I do have a soft spot for his relationship with Maggie Blackwell, I can’t lie. That said, I think just like our good friend George, Emmett has a sense of humor and fun side just waiting to be brought out. I’m hoping he has some fun with Dora Lind, or at least takes up Holly Chevalier’s offer to kiss.

Satisfied?

@nyxbrraganza @ned-ibarra @george-chatwin @pbstones @ohastings @emmettbryson @equivocalisms @vampirexromanov @josblackwell @juliasshelf @amberhorne @lauraxwilde @savvy-daniels @catxsantosrose @tobiaspierce @lukasblackwells @coltondeforest @foxycal @dashhastings @cassandracresswell @pippawilde @margretxblackwell @dora-lind @hollychevalier

[yehet-me-up]

The Problem With Wanting

Pairing: D.O./Do Kyungsoo x Reader (female)

Word Count: 16,160

Rating: (M) for explicit sex and swearing

Summary: Quiet, observant, and whip smart, Kyungsoo keeps Barada Pizza running behind the scenes. Whether he’s firing up pizzas in the large stone ovens or slaving away over paperwork at night, his focus is on keeping the business going. He’s kept his nose to the grindstone for years, desperate to prove his family wrong, and lately he’s forgotten how to look up and see anything else. When you barge into his life, a wildfire of a woman in disguise as a waitress, he finds that for the first time in ages he can’t look away. 

Part three of the Exodus Mall series! (Can be read independently, but you’ll get some extra backstory if you read the other parts first!)

January 21, 1997

An incessant buzzing wakes you from sleep and you groan, rubbing your hands across your face. You slap the alarm and roll over in bed, gathering the covers back around you.

A few minutes later the sounds starts again and you sigh, reaching over to turn it off. When you see the time your eyes go wide and you throw the covers off.

“Nine thirty?! Oh God,” you exclaim to the empty room and hop out of bed.

You always set two alarms. One for a decent time and one for a ‘you must get out of bed this instant or you’ll be late’ time. And after many years you’ve finally accepted that you’re the kind of person who will only ever get up with the second.

Your bare feet hit the wood floor and you shiver in the cold. Wrapping your arms around yourself, you shuffle off to the bathroom to take a hurried shower.

Seattle in January is very different from Savannah in January, that’s for fucking sure, you think dejectedly. 

But your friend was ready to go back to her home state of Washington after six years away and you were desperate to break away from your Southern roots. She’d invited you along after she accepted her new job a few weeks ago and you’d happily agreed to move with her.

She started work at the beginning of January, at Simpson & Sons Jewelers, and you’d been living off savings until you could find work. She’d seen a flyer in the mall advertising for a waitress at the pizza place last week and you’d called right away. The man who answered had a big, happy voice. Said his name was Chanyeol and that you could come in that day to interview if you were able.

You’d dressed in a hurry and gone down to meet him. The interview went great; Chanyeol was clearly well loved by his staff and customers. With your positive attitude and experience as a server in Savannah during college, he’d offered you a job on the spot. 

The co-owner, Kyungsoo, was at a business meeting, but Chanyeol said he was sure he’d like you too. He went over all the necessary details and you agreed on a start date.

When you told your roommate about the job and the owners she’d just about had a heart attack. It turns out that she, Chanyeol, and Kyungsoo had all gone to high school together in the area, and that Chanyeol was her ex who’d broken her heart.

You tried to tell her that you’d find something else, not wanting to put her in a bad spot, but she’d waved you off. She insisted she’d be fine and you’d gone out for drinks that night to celebrate your new employment.

The two of you had met at Savannah College of Art and Design freshman year. She was an incredibly talented art student specializing in metalwork and jewelry design, while you were a Southern former debutante who’d gotten in on your family’s connections. Not that you were happy about any of those facts.

Your mother always joked that with your enthusiastic personality and pretty face you had everything you needed in the world. She’d only wanted you to go to college to get your ‘MRS degree’ - an outdated Southern joke implying that ladies such as yourself, well off and from a good family, were only interested in going to college to find a husband that would make them a Mrs.

It frustrated you to no end, how instead of asking you about your hobbies, your interests, your thoughts, all she asked about was if you’d met any cute guys in class that week. She just about lost it when she found out that you’d taken a waitressing job on the weekends at a café on campus. It was a constant source of anxiety for her, that you’d rather spend your nights studying for your degree in advertising, or working, than going out on dates.

“Honey, with your smile you could charm a pile of rocks. Why would you waste that on something so dull?” she’d ask, agitated.

The two of you never saw eye to eye, and it had taken you days to work up the courage to tell her you were moving. In typical fashion she had wept dramatically, but eventually your father had come to your defense. He was always the sane one in comparison.

He reminded her that you’re an adult, and that it’s normal for a twenty-four year old to stretch her wings and try new things. And now here you are, a month later, in a freezing apartment in Seattle, going off into uncharted territory.

You’d spent the year and a half in-between college and now as an apprentice at an ad agency. You loved the creativity and the people, but the work itself had left you uninspired. Much that you hated to admit that your mother was right about something, you were definitely someone who craved human contact.

The late nights spent in meetings or coming up with ideas in your office just didn’t fulfill you like you thought it would. You honestly enjoyed working at the café during college more, getting the opportunity to make someone’s day with a positive experience.

You cut off the water after a frustratingly short time and rush to towel off your hair and your body. Since you’re the kind of person who favors sleeping in to getting up early, you’ve honed your morning routine to get ready in as short a time as possible. You could practically do it in your sleep at this point.

Bra, panties, jeans, and socks on. Into the bathroom to put on deodorant, moisturizer, a swipe of mascara. Back into the bedroom to put on your new deep blue Barada Pizza t-shirt, your Converse hi-tops. Into the kitchen to grab an apple and a granola bar. 

Back into the bathroom to run a quick blow dry through your hair with one hand while you brush your teeth with the other. Fluffing your hair out behind you, you dash back into the bedroom. Earrings in, coat on, purse on your shoulder, and you’re out the door. All in under 20 minutes.

Thankfully your apartment is close to the mall. You hum along to the radio while you drive, in between munching on the granola bar and apple. Pulling up to the mall you find a spot out front and head inside.

It’s just before ten in the morning and most of the stores open. A department store at one end, a book store, music store. You take in each one as you walk by on your way to the food court. You can see your roommate inside the jewelry store, helping a customer, and you wave when you catch her eye.

Barada Pizza is undoubtedly the heart of the space, dominating most of one side. It’s wide, open counter faces the center of the mall. The large stone oven is visible just steps behind. To one side is the back room, presumably filled with industrial storage and fridges. Several booths are off to the other side; comfortable seating areas with deep blue leather seats and dark wood tables.

Next to Barada is a vegan restaurant and a small burger restaurant. On the opposite side is a bustling Starbucks, a Chinese restaurant, and a rustic-looking pub that advertises ‘pub grub and billiards.’

When you approach the pizza place you can see one man working in the back, kneading dough along the wide stone counter in front of the ovens. Kyungsoo, that’s his name, you think. You walk into the back room, your steps echoing in the wide space over the faint music playing in the mall. He doesn’t turn at your approach, so you decide to reach out first.

“Hi there,” you say happily and he jolts in surprise. He turns, giving you an appraising look. He blinks in confusion for a moment before his expression settles into a frown.

“Oh, it’s you,” he says, disgruntled.

You raise your eyebrows at his tone. But you’re hardly the type to be put off by someone being unfriendly, so you push onward.

“Yes, it’s me. Hi,” you say with a grin and tell him your name. “Today’s my first day. Where would you like me?” you ask.

“Follow me,” he says bluntly, leading you to the back room. He shows you a row of lockers along the back wall, next to several industrial size fridges and rows of metal storage shelves. “You can put your stuff in any one of the open lockers.”

You slough off your coat and purse and hang them up in the first open locker you see. Several of the lockers are decorated with stickers and photos. You think to yourself that you can’t wait to decorate yours, but with a look at Kyungsoo you decide not to voice this thought out loud.

“Let’s get started,” he says and leads you to a narrow office in the back. The space is incredibly well organized, piles of paper in folders in a storage rack on the desk. Spindles of paperwork neatly aligned.

You spend the first hour filling out the necessary paperwork and agreements with Kyungsoo. He asks nothing personal, says no happy welcome, asks you no questions about yourself. You find yourself desperately hoping that Chanyeol will come in soon. Blessedly, he arrives a few minutes later.

“Welcome!” he says, leaning his head into the office as he takes off his coat. “I hope my boy Kyungsoo has been welcoming you with his trademark hospitality,” he says.

He comes back from putting his coat away and looks between you two, taking in your hesitant expression and Kyungsoo’s stern face. He grins and starts laughing.

“Don’t worry about him, he warms up, I promise,” he says to you and pats Kyungsoo’s shoulder. Kyungsoo turns to glare at him and he removes his hand quickly.

“Are you guys all set in here? I was going to give her a rundown of the opening duties and the register.”

“We’re all done here,” Kyungsoo says. He slides your signed paperwork into a folder and slips it into the rack on his desk. Without another word he heads back out into the store to get back to preparing the dough.

The rest of your first shift goes considerably better. Chanyeol walks you through the opening duties. It’s all things you’re familiar with. Making sure the tables are clean, the menus are organized, the condiments are all set out.

Barada has both dine in and take out options. Most days during the week Chanyeol manages the take out counter, serving customers by-the-slice and handling the take out orders over the phone and in person. Your job is to handle the dine in customers and fill in on the take out counter as needed; easy enough.

The menu is fairly standard for a pizza place. Three sizes, a wide assortment of toppings. Salads, breadsticks, sodas. Chanyeol tells you that what sets the place apart is the speed and the quality. With a laugh he explains that Kyungsoo’s a stickler for high standards and you believe him.

By the end of your first shift you’re comfortable taking orders, ringing people up at the register, and delivering pizzas to the table. You spend the day alternating between shadowing Chanyeol and shadowing one of the experienced waitresses, Delia.

When you leave at six o’clock Kyungsoo is in the back office, working diligently on paperwork. You contemplate sticking your head in to say goodbye, but when you remember his stern expression earlier you decide to skip it, at least for now.

January 22, 1997

Kyungsoo watches the clock, dreading your approach. He could have killed Chanyeol for hiring someone without his approval, but he’d foolishly given him equal ability to hire and fire employees all those years ago. 

It had never been an issue before, but when he’d seen you, he knew he was screwed. Chanyeol had been bothering him for years to let loose, to have fun, to date ‘for God’s sake.’

He hadn’t dated anyone since college, hadn’t slept with anyone in months, but if he could conjure up his ideal type – it would be you. He’d nearly groaned in frustration when he turned to see you standing there, cheerful and sweet, determined to be positive despite his cold greeting. 

The moment Chanyeol had appeared he happily passed you off, desperate to get back to his routine, his work.

His friends, his ex, even Chanyeol had never understood why he was so focused on his studies. It was all his parents talked about; get good grades, study hard, go to a good college. The undercurrent was always clear – make us proud. They’d never hidden their desire for him to become a lawyer, to become rich and successful.

After a year of college, pre-law, he couldn’t stand it anymore. His one act of defiance had broken his parents hearts. He’d gone to his uncle, a man who’d made money in real estate but who was definitely the black sheep of the family in comparison to Kyungsoo’s serious father. He’d broken down, admitting to his uncle how unhappy he was, how we couldn’t stand it any more, and asked for advice.

“You’re smart, organized, and logical, Kyungsoo. Why don’t you start a business?” his uncle had said, as if it was that easy. “What do you like to do?”

“What do I like to do?” Kyungsoo had laughed. 

He’d racked his brain, trying to think of anything he spent his time on besides school and the internships his parents had forced him into. He played video games with Chanyeol, he liked reading, but he couldn’t make a career out of either of those. Then it hit him.

“I like to cook,” he said tentatively. “And Chanyeol and my friends say I’m pretty good at it.”

His uncle had clapped him on the shoulder and that was it. Chanyeol was an easy recruit. He was more than thrilled to give up on his half-hearted efforts at community college to start a pizza restaurant with his best friend.

They’d both gotten jobs working at a local delivery company to save up money. Over the course of a year, under the guidance of his uncle they’d found a space, hired employees, and opened Barada Pizza in early 1995.

It’s been just over two years, Kyungsoo realizes with a shock. Two years since he’d started this business and three years since he’d created a rift in the family with his decision to drop out of college. It had taken months for his parents to start speaking to him and his uncle again. But the rift was steadily mending, in no small part to the success of Barada.

Thanks to Kyungsoo’s dedicated efforts, Chanyeol’s personality, and his uncle’s support, Kyungsoo had a thriving business. He’d paid off his uncle’s initial investment just a few months after opening, but he didn’t see it as an opportunity to slack off. This business was his livelihood, and he held it closer than he cared to admit sometimes; desperate for things to work out.

“Who wants to be with someone as serious and boring as you, Kyungsoo?” his ex had said, with the kind of brutal honesty that only comes when someone was drunk.

He blinks rapidly, remembering all over how hurt he’d been when she ended things. She wanted to go to parties, to have cute study dates at cafes, to have a ‘normal’ boyfriend. But first with his studies, and then with the business, words like ‘fun’ and ‘normal’ didn’t have room in his life.

“Good morning!” you call, walking into the back room. 

The high, pleasant voice startles him yet again and he turns to regard you with a blank look. You chuckle as you walk past him into the back, seemingly fully aware of your effect on him.

He sighs heavily to himself. He didn’t want to be so gruff and unwelcoming to you yesterday. But seeing you there only reminded of him of things he can’t have. Reminded him that happy, pretty girls have zero interest in dull, serious guys like him.

He slaps the ball of dough on the counter with probably more force than necessary. With another sigh, he braces himself for another day of working with you.

February 16, 1997

You yawn, holding a coffee in each hand, taking a sip of one in the hopes that the caffeine will help you adjust to your new early schedule. Now that you’re done training you’re on the opening shift five days a week.

The mall is so peaceful and quiet at this hour. The only store open this early is the Starbucks. For someone so energetic and excited all the time, you really love silence, so you can’t find it in you to be resentful of the early hour. 

Eventually you drag yourself over to the pizza parlor and of course, Kyungsoo’s already in the back, making the dough for the day.

“Morning!” you call out brightly and he visibly jolts with shock. 

You smother a laugh and come up beside him. He gives you a stern glare like always and goes back to his kneading. You’ve come to expect his silence by now. You set one of the cups down on the counter beside him and he stares at it like it’s an alien he should be afraid of.

“What’s that?” he asks, wrinkling his brow in confusion.

“It’s… coffee? Plain black. I heard you order ahead of me last week so I figured that’s what you like,” you reply, mouth twisting in amusement. “I promise I didn’t poison it,” you reassure him, patting him on the arm briefly before heading to the back room.

When you come back from putting away your stuff he’s kneading another roll of dough, the coffee untouched beside him. You shake your head in silent laughter and get started on the opening duties. After a month of this routine every time you work together, your curiosity finally gets the best of you.

“Is it me?” you ask bluntly in a cheerful voice, grabbing the tray of parmesan and red pepper flake shakers. 

He looks over at you in confusion. You cock a hip out and rest the tray on it, your other hand coming to your waist, staring him down. “You never talk to me, and every time I come to work it’s like… like I’m a giant thorn in your side. Is there something wrong with me–”

“There’s nothing wrong with you,” he says emphatically, cutting you off.

His gaze sweeps up and down your body before locking onto yours, a pleading look in his eyes. He winces and whips back around to start working on the dough again.

“You’re just… distracting,” he says with a breathy laugh to himself.

He doesn’t say it like you’re an annoying child, distracting it’s parents from their work. He doesn’t say it like something out of place, a crooked picture frame or a misspelled word, that distracts the eye. 

He says it as if you’re the kind of distraction he wishes he could ignore, but can’t. As if he’s distracted by you, in that way.

You take a deep breath – when had your heart started racing? - and regard his back with curiosity. “Oh,” you say aloud in surprise. 

God knows you’d like to push, to use the arsenal of words at your disposal to prod and pry. But for once you keep quiet, going about your opening duties as he keeps up his morning preparations. 

The weight of his statement hangs in the air between you, a living thing that worms it’s way into your mind. While you’re wiping down the menus you see him sneak a sip of the coffee and smile to yourself.

As you work around each other you find that you can’t keep your eyes off him. It’s like he prefers to be a shadow, to blend seamlessly into the background. To let Chanyeol be the voice and the face of Barada, while he works tirelessly in the background, as its heart. But after his admission, he’s all you can see.

You take in the sweep of his hair, imagining what it might feel like between your fingers. The lines of his face, the lush curves of his lips. With a blush you wonder if they feel as soft as they look. As you walk past him to grab another sleeve of cups you notice the cut of his body, his strong forearms revealed by his rolled up sleeves.

How did you not notice him before - the full picture of him – you wonder to yourself. A fierce desire rises up in you, to know more; to find out why someone like him would seek to remain just slightly out of focus from the world.

Abruptly you hear Chanyeol enter the store, as he always does, with a rush of energy. “Good morning Sunshine, morning Soo!” he calls out happily on his way to the back room.

You call out a greeting back to him, ducking your head as you finish cleaning off menus, as if your thoughts about Kyungsoo might be broadcast across your face. For all of his lightheartedness you know that Chanyeol’s much more perceptive than people would think.

The next morning you come in to find a large Starbucks drink waiting for you in your locker. You cautiously take a sip. The caramel macchiato is still warm, and just how you like it. You grin to yourself, glancing back to where Kyungsoo’s still working at the dough.

February 19, 1997

Two people you’ve gotten to know in the last few weeks, Baekhyun and Hitchcock from the movie theater, have declared that tonight is a night out on the town. The group is going to Shari’s, a local club that plays great music, and they invited you along.

The phone rings a few minutes before you’re going to be off. Luis answers it and a minute later he calls out to you where you’re restocking the toppings during a lull in customers.

“Hey Sunshine, phone’s for you. It’s Delia,” he says and tosses it to you as you walk over.

You put the phone up to your ear. “Hey, Delia. What’s up?” you ask.

“Oh my god, I am so sorry to ask you this. But my babysitter cancelled tonight and there’s no one else to watch Caleb for me. Is there any chance you’d be willing to cover my closing shift tonight? I’ll make it up to you, I promise,” she says.

You give a brief thought to the fact that you’ll miss out on the group outing tonight. But she’s a great co-worker and there will be other nights out, and you’re always ready to help out others.

“Of course, totally no problem,” you reply. “I’ve got you covered.”

“You’re a life-saver, thank you so much!” she says.

“Don’t even worry about it,” you say and hand the phone back to Luis.

You head back to the office to talk to Kyungsoo. He’s working through a large pile of papers when you knock.

“Hey, Delia had trouble finding a babysitter tonight, so I’m covering her closing shift. Is that okay?” you ask.

He furrows his brow at you. “But isn’t tonight the big night out at Shari’s? Wouldn’t you rather be there?”

You shrug. “Yeah, I’m sure it would be fun. But she needs me, I’d never let a friend down. Besides, the company here isn’t too bad,” you say with a smile. 

Kyungsoo closes every Saturday night and he blinks for a moment before realizing that you mean him.

He looks at you thoughtfully before giving you a small smile. “All right then.”

“All right then,” you repeat and head back out onto the floor.

March 7, 1997

He’s watching you again, unintentionally. In between sliding pizzas around in the large stone oven, his attention seems to find you like a homing beacon. Your hair caught in the warm afternoon light, your head tipped back in joyful laughter at something a customer said.

He tries to stop his mind from wandering, his eyes from roaming your body, but by now he’s realized it’s pointless. The energy around you is palpable, your joy and warmth contagious. He doesn’t know what to do with you, especially in light of his unexpected confession all those weeks ago.

He feels your attention on him sometimes and wishes not for the first time that he was more like Chanyeol. That he was easygoing, friendly, and able to talk freely with others. But you seem to find his crankiness charming, always smiling at him whenever he does ask you about your day or strike up a conversation when you run into each other in the back room on break. 

He has to stop himself from moving your schedule around so it lines up more closely with his.

You open together Fridays, Mondays, and Tuesdays. You open and he closes on Saturdays and Sundays. Every week he tells himself that those three days together are enough. Every week he knows that he’s lying to himself.

March 27, 1997

By this point even Chanyeol has noticed Kyungsoo’s distraction around you. He smiles every time he looks over and sees his friend paused in the middle of adding toppings, his gaze stuck on you.

He doesn’t say anything of course, he’d never tease his friend about the crush he obviously has. He’s happy that Kyungsoo is finally showing interest in someone after all these years of working his ass off.

Just last week you’d had an angry customer yelling at you and Kyungsoo had stepped in. Chanyeol had been completely shocked. In all the years he’d known Kyungsoo he’d never seen him move so quickly.

The minute the man’s voice got raised, yelling about how you were an idiot and how he’d specifically asked for no olives, Kyungsoo was over to your side. Stepping in front of you to talk down the customer, handling the situation.

He wouldn’t have believed it if he hadn’t seen it himself, the way Kyungsoo pulled you aside after the customer left. His hand gently reaching out for your shoulder, his soothing words asking if you were all right. Chanyeol would have bet a million dollars that Kyungsoo missed the adoring expression on your face as you watched him for the rest of the day.

May 19, 1997

It’s twelve thirty-four. It’s twelve thirty-four in the afternoon, he keeps repeating to himself. 

Desperately staring at the clock in the back room so his attention won’t be drawn back to you and the man at the nearby table. He watches the two black hands move around the clock face, trying to simultaneously block out the words he’s hearing and listen as closely as possible.

“Yes, oh my gosh. You have got to try the key lime pie there. It’s amazing,” you’re gushing to the man at the table.

He’s tall, even seated. Shaggy blonde hair, red plaid shirt on, skateboard propped up against the table leg. The textbook photo of a Seattleite. When Kyungsoo gives up and glances back, the man has his arm around the back of the booth; his eyes take in your body as you ramble happily about the insanely popular diner down the street.

He feels his blood burn, a tightness coming to his chest as this man so brazenly admires you. He’s going to ask you out, Kyungsoo can feel it. The thought makes him want to scream, but he’s helpless, watching from the back. What claim does he have on you? If you were uncomfortable he could easily step in as a manager. But against this benign flirtation he has no jurisdiction.

It’s like a car crash, he can’t look away. The voracity with which he wants to know your answer to the forthcoming question is staggering.

The pizza the man ordered is already on the table in front of him. You finish talking and turn away with a smile, saying, “Enjoy your pizza, let me know if I can get you anything else.”

“Wait,” the man says and you turn back. “This diner sounds fantastic, I can’t believe I haven’t eaten there before. Why don’t you come with me? Friday night maybe?” he asks with a smug grin, as if there’s no chance you’d turn down the offer.

You falter, brushing your hair behind your ears. “Oh, that’s so sweet of you. But I close Fridays actually. Sorry,” you say with a relieved tone that catches Kyungsoo off guard.

You don’t close Fridays - you open with him every Friday morning like clockwork. He grins to himself, a triumphant feeling rising in his chest.

The man presses on. “That’s too bad. What about another night? I’d love to get your number and we can set something up,” he continues hopefully.

At the second attempt you become more resolved. “Thank you for offering, but it’s still a no. Enjoy your pizza though,” you finish with a smile and walk away back to the kitchen. 

Kyungsoo picks up a pizza on the long board and turns to put it in the oven, knowing that the wide smile on his face will give him away.

June 2, 1997

The other cooks talk with each other as they make pizzas. Luis, Christian, Kim – everyone else jokes with Chanyeol when he brings over the order slips, talks with you and the other waitresses. Everyone but Kyungsoo. When he works, his focus is solely on the task at hand.

You wonder what it’s like to pursue one goal with such ferocity. To hold a singular thought in your consciousness like he can. You can’t imagine it. Your mind is always focusing on a million things at once. Chatting with customers. Trying to remember to call your parents on your break. Wondering what you might get up to that weekend with your group of friends Chanyeol, Baekhyun and Hitchcock at the center of it.

In the months since you’ve been working at Exodus you’ve found a great group of people. And of course you hang out with your roommate, who is still staunchly avoiding Chanyeol, making going out difficult.

But Kyungsoo, in your estimation, only focuses on work. He’s joined you all a few times, at the occasional party or movie night. But other than that his life seems to be all about Barada. Not that it bothers you, you admire him for it actually. If the rest of your life is a flurry of activity and words and energy, being around him is a pocket of calm.

You pick up a pizza he hands you and his dark, perpetually intense gaze meets yours. A rush of desire skirts down your spine, as it always does when you find yourself the subject of his focus, even for a second.

Over the past few weeks you’ve increasingly found yourself wondering about what it might be like to be the only thing he’s concentrating on, outside of work. If that ferocity of focus would extend to the bedroom.

You blink rapidly, taking the pizza from his waiting hands, and quickly rush off to deliver it to the table. You grin to yourself, shaking your head. Imagine that, Kyungsoo liking you back, you think wryly.

June 15, 1997

Another Friday night, another informal party at Baekhyun’s. A loose circle of people are scattered around on the couch, chairs, and floor, all talking and laughing. Baekhyun lies with his head in Hitchcock’s lap as they discuss something energetically. 

You’re sitting with your shoeless feet tucked up underneath you, leaning against the girl from Starlight Clothing as you laugh about her stern co-worker’s latest sarcastic comments. Kyungsoo listens to Chanyeol, exasperated as usual at his friend.

“Hey everyone!” Baekhyun says in his typical exuberant manner, sitting up suddenly. “Who wants to play a game?” he says and wags his eyebrows.

“Oh god, we are not doing spin the bottle again dude,” Chanyeol groans. “Last time I had to kiss Jongin. And while I am comfortable enough in my sexuality to admit he is a very handsome man, I have no wish to have a repeat of that experience.” Several people around him laugh.

“No, no. Even better. Never Have I Ever,” Baekhyun says with a wide grin. A few people groan.

“I haven’t played that since college. I am so in,” you say excitedly.

Baekhyun claps his hands together. “Finally, some support! Thank you,” he nods in your direction.

Everyone mumbles agreement and a few people grab some drinks from the kitchen for reinforcement before starting the game. Finally set, everyone circles up again in the living room.

“So how many are we starting with?” you ask, nestling your drink between your legs and holding up both hands.

“Is anyone going to explain this game?” Kyungsoo asks with a raised brow, looking skeptical.

“I’m glad you asked, my good man,” Baekhyun says energetically, clapping Kyungsoo on the back. “Everyone, let’s start off easy and say five fingers. Loser has to chug a mystery drink of my making,” he starts and everyone groans in disgust.

“It won’t be that bad, I promise. Now, everyone puts up five fingers. We go around the circle and say something we’ve never done,” he says and holds up his right hand officially.

“There are two approaches. The first one is to try and target someone specifically. For example,” he says and stares evilly at Chanyeol. “Never have I ever gotten drunk and tried to make out with Mrs. Baker at senior prom.”

Chanyeol throws a pillow at Baekhyun. “You’re lucky this is just a practice round or I’d share some of your terrible secrets.”

Baekhyun laughs hysterically and then collects himself. “Or you can take the second approach. Some general and broad thing that you just haven’t done that will get a lot of people. Like… never have I ever been to the top of the Space Needle,” he says with a gloating smile. Several people groan and put down a finger.

“That was just a practice round! Okay, let’s start for real. Kyungsoo my friend, the goal of the game is to not be the first person with zero fingers left standing. How does that sound?” he asks and Kyungsoo nods.

Minseok starts off the game and gets his girlfriend out with a targeted attack about never reading a certain book and she retaliates with an obscure band she’s never listened to. Yixing tags out most of the circle by saying he’d never learned to ride a bike. Chanyeol gets retaliation on Baekhyun by saying he’s never thrown up on a crush before.

Hitchcock smirks and looks around the circle. “Let’s expose some people here. Never have I ever taken a date to Somerset point.” Baekhyun and Chanyeol groan and put down a finger. 

She laughs and points at Baekhyun. “Ha! I knew it. I knew you were lying about never going there with Jenny Albertson!” Baekhyun hangs his head in mock shame.

The game moves onto Kyungsoo. Most of the people around the circle are down to three fingers, but he’s still going strong with five. He thinks hard for a moment. “All right. Never have I ever… gone to a high school dance,” he says with a wry smile.

Everyone in the circle whines and drops a finger. In the end Chanyeol is out first after you admit that you haven’t been to the famous Dick’s Burgers yet. Baekhyun claps in delight and rushes into the kitchen to come up with a nasty drink.

A second round is played and Minseok loses, but at his deadly glare Baekhyun makes something slightly less disgusting. Again, Kyungsoo finishes with all five fingers up, though you think that you’re probably the only one that notices.

It’s decided that a third and final round will be held. It’s even raunchier than the other two, given that it’s the point in the night where everyone is tipsy at best, aside from Kyungsoo who’s just drinking sodas.

“All right people, gather round. Who’s ready to admit some uncomfortable shit to their friends?” Chanyeol calls out good-naturedly, settling once again into his spot in Baekhyun’s La-z-boy chair.

You slump back into the sofa, leaning your head on Hitchcock’s shoulder next to you. The girl from Starlight on your other side goes first. She rubs her hands together and thinks hard, covering her face with her outstretched fingers.

“I’ve got it! This is getting all of you. Never have I ever made out in a movie theater,” she says with a grin, pointing at both Hitchcock and Baekhyun. 

They groan and immediately put a finger down, along with you and almost everyone else in the circle. The lone hold out is Kyungsoo. She tilts her head at him and snaps her fingers. “Dang, I really thought I’d get everyone with that one.”

The game continues and it’s Yixing who loses this time. Baekhyun cuts him some slack and gives him a shot of bottom shelf Vodka. As the night goes on everyone switches to water and snacks on chips and dip in an effort to absorb the alcohol.

You stand in the kitchen, happily munching and listening to Hitchcock tell the story of how Baekhyun had been caught making out at the theater in the mall back in high school by their boss. Your attention is drawn to Kyungsoo where he sits on the couch with Chanyeol, smiling slightly as his friend tells a story in his loud and booming voice.

You wonder about him, as you always do, but in a different way tonight. He hadn’t put down a single finger all night. You take a deep swig of water from your cup and resolve to ask him about it tomorrow.

June 16, 1997

Kyungsoo blinks quickly, trying to wake up his tired mind after a late night out. Chanyeol had pleaded a hangover and begged Kyungsoo to open for him and he reluctantly agreed.

He loves your cheerful voice in the mornings normally, though he’d never admit it to you. But this morning you come in looking determined instead. You set your obscenely large coffee on the counter and fix him with a stare.

“I’ve got a question for you,” you start.

He sighs and turns from the dough he’s kneading to look at you, dressed in a riot of colors. Pink Converse sneakers, baby blue jeans, purple Barada Pizza shirt, bright yellow headband. Your appearance is in direct contrast to the serious expression you’re giving him and he stifles a laugh.

“Yes?” he asks, folding his arms to mirror yours and leaning against the counter.

“Have you ever been laser bowling?” you ask.

“Huh?” he asks, confused. Of all the things you could have asked, this isn’t what he was expecting.

“I’ll take that as a no. Okay, have you ever been to Denny’s at three in the morning?” you ask, raising a brow.

He gives you a sarcastic look and you throw up your hands.

“Fine, another no. You didn’t put a single finger down last night. What did you spend all your time doing while you were growing up?” you ask. He abruptly turns back to his kneading, his expression shuttering.

“I’m not judging, believe me,” you continue, placing a hand on his arm to get him to look back at you. “I’m just genuinely curious. What did you get up to while other kids were out being idiots?”

He sighs and rubs a hand across his eyes. “Look. It’s not something I want to talk about. Let’s just say that my family was pretty strict growing up and I didn’t have a lot of time to go out and have fun. And I started this business when I was twenty-one. Since then, it’s been all I have time for.”

You think for a moment, fitting this information with your picture of him. An idea comes to you, and like always, you just blurt it out rather than giving it careful thought.

“Okay, that’s fair. So how about this? Let’s make a list of all the things you’ve never done and we’re going on a big summer quest. You have a whole lot of new things to try and I love… having fun. It’ll be the perfect combination,” you say and clap your hands together excitedly.

He groans. The thought of spending all that time with you would be both a blessing and a curse. Once he might have been able to resist, but these days you’re his Kryptonite. 

With a shrug he says, “All right, why not?”

You grin at him and it’s easy to see why Chanyeol has nicknamed you Sunshine. He thinks to himself that all the silly things in the world would be worth it if they make you look at him like that. You reach into your purse and grab out your order pad and pencil and start writing.

“Okay, so we know you haven’t been bowling or to Denny’s in the dead of night. Have you ever been skinny dipping?” you ask, raising an eyebrow at him. He gives you an ‘are you serious’ face and you giggle to yourself. “Added to the list.”

“What else did we do all the time in high school? Oooh have you ever parked in the back of a truck and watched the stars? We know you’ve never made out in a movie theater,” you say.

After a beat you both realize the implication behind that statement, what it would mean if you added it to the list of things you wanted to show him this summer. You blush and look down.

His eyes dart down to your lips, fantasizing for a moment about what they might feel like against his. Did he ever regret not going laser bowling or skinny dipping? No, he never has. Not until he met you. Now here you are, with your list and a beautiful pink tint to your cheeks and with a sigh he realizes that he’ll be unable to stop imagining kissing you in the dark back row of a theater for quite a while.

“We can add more later,” you say softly. You swallow and look up to meet his eyes, your expression turning serious again. “Pick something. We’re doing one of these tonight. It’s Saturday, an excellent night to start, and I know that you switched with Chanyeol so he could sleep off his hangover. So you’re free. How about laser bowling?”

He sighs. “Fine. There’s a bowling alley a couple of block from here, I’m sure they do it. What time?”

“Well, laser bowling is usually a later in the evening. Why don’t you give me the address and we can meet there at like, eight?” you ask.

“Deal,” he says and you smile, putting your apron on and slipping the notepad back in. Throughout the rest of the day he almost catches himself singing along to the music in the mall.

Once your shift is over you grab your stuff and head out towards the mall. Kyungsoo and Chanyeol are looking over a report together in the back room. You smirk at Kyungsoo tonight as you walk past.

“I’ll see you tonight,” you say with a smile.

Chanyeol dramatically drops his jaw and raises his eyebrows. He reaches out a hand to your shoulder to stop you walking.

“Wait, wait, wait. What’s this?” he says and puts his hand on his chest in mock hurt. “My best friend in the whole entire world is hanging out with someone without me?”

You laugh and Kyungsoo pats Chanyeol’s shoulder reassuringly. “Sorry friend, you’re stuck on the closing shift. Guess you’ll have to miss a thrilling night of bowling,” he says.

Chanyeol pouts. “Aw, man. I love bowling. Laser bowling especially. We used to go to the old ACME bowl down the street all the time in high school.”

You raise an eyebrow at Kyungsoo. “What a coincidence, that’s exactly where we’re going,” you say. “See you later Kyungsoo.”

As you exit the store you miss the meaningful look Chanyeol gives Kyungsoo before he allows himself to be drawn back into the ordering reports.

The bowling alley down the block is exactly like the one you used to go to in high school back in Georgia. Cheesy early eighties designs on the wall, the paint peeling on the tables, a rusty popcorn machine from the dawn of time in the snack bar.

You feel a wave of happy nostalgia wash over you as you and Kyungsoo grab your shoes and find your lane. While you punch your names into the computer Kyungsoo grabs a big basket of fries and two sodas from the concessions stand.

He looks up at the scoreboard and laughs. You’ve entered in GRINCH and SUNSHN for your names. He gives you a sarcastic look and you grin back at him.

“Alll right ladies and gentleman, are you READY?!” a male voice booms from the loudspeaker. “It’s LASER BOWL TIME!” he says and plays some silly sound effects.

The lights dim down overhead and black lights come to life along the walls, interspersed with colorful neon lights that move back and forth. You look down at your shirt and see that it’s glowing in the black light.

Kyungsoo smiles, taking in the ridiculous and dramatic setting. You laugh and point to his teeth, which are glowing as well. He looks over at your own teeth and cracks up.

“Why don’t you go first?” you offer, motioning toward the lane.

He nods and walks over to carefully choose a ball. He walks up to the lane and rolls his neck, shaking his arms out. He swings his arm back as he walks forward and releases it with precision.

You stand there with your drink paused halfway to your lips as the ball perfectly spins and gets an instant strike. He turns back to you with a satisfied smile, the closest he’s come to being cocky in the time you’ve known him.

You set down your drink with a thump and hold both hands out toward the lane. “What was that?” you ask with a laugh. “You said you’d never been bowling!”

His handsome face breaks into a grin as he joins you at the table, popping a french fry into his mouth. “No, you asked me if I’d ever been laser bowling. Which I haven’t. But like the fascinating and lively guy I am, I was in a bowling league all through middle school.”

You scoff and narrow your eyes at him. “Fine, you’re saved on a technicality. I just hope you’re ready for my amazing bowling skills,” you say and saunter over to choose a ball. Of course you choose the brightest one, a neon yellow ball that weighs a bit too much for you.

You’ve been bowling many times before, but in high school and college the objective was always to bowl as seductively as possible. Playing a whole different game - seeing if you could get the guys in the group to ‘help’ you learn to bowl, rather than actually caring about scoring. But something about Kyungsoo makes you want to try.

Holding the ball as best you can you step forward, trying to mimic Kyungsoo’s style. The ball angles wildly and rolls into the gutter. You groan and turn around to see Kyungsoo is doubled over, holding his arm against the counter as he cracks up silently. With an amused smile you join him at the table. He waves a hand at you, trying to speak, but he can’t with how hard he’s laughing.

“Oh come on, it wasn’t that bad,” you say with a grin.

He coughs and gathers himself, standing back up. His mouth keeps twitching as he tries to stop smiling. “No, no it was great. You’re definitely a pro,” he says.

“Well I’m glad I amuse you. You know, I think this is the first time I’ve seen you laugh that hard. It’s good to know you actually can,” you say.

“Ah, well I don’t mean to laugh at you. It’s just that you have a very uhh, unique style of throwing,” he says with a smirk.

“Fine, then. Watch out, this time I’m going to get a spare,” you say with a huff, walking over to the return to grab your ball. 

Your second shot goes into the gutter even faster and you can feel him laughing before you even turn around. With a sigh you walk over to grab some fries.

“Okay, ace. It’s your turn,” you say and shoo him over.

He gives you a confident raise of his brows before grabbing his ball. Another shot, another strike. You groan and drown your sorrows in a big handful of fries. The next two shots you take as hardly better than the first round, only getting a pin each time. Kyungsoo of course scores a spare on his next turn.

You grab your ball and turn to him. “Show me,” you ask seriously.

He almost chokes on his drink of soda, eyes going wide with surprise. “What do you mean ‘show you’?” he asks when he can speak again.

You hold the ball against your hip, giving him a sassy look. “You know what I mean. Show me how to bowl, o’ wise master,” you say.

He walks over to you, grabbing his ball off the rack and coming to stand a few inches next to you. “Start right about here,” he says and moves you up a few inches. “Hold the ball like this.” He shows you the proper grip and you do your best to copy it.

“Now when you walk forward start off on the same foot, it’s about building the muscle memory.” He demonstrates the walk a few times and when you’re finally able to copy it, he motions for you to try it out.

This try is better than before and you manage to get five pins. When your ball comes up through the rack he picks it up and hands it to you, standing close in the low light.

“Now this time try to spin it with these fingers,” he says and touches them lightly.

You almost drop your ball at the contact. You line back up and walk forward with renewed focus. This time you hit the remaining five pins; a spare. You throw your hands up in celebration and run over to hug Kyungsoo before you can think about it.

He staggers back a step as he catches you in his arms, his hands coming around your back to steady you. You squeal with excitement, pressing yourself against him, squeezing his shoulders.

“Thank you, thank you, thank you!” you say. “I’ve never gotten a spare before!”

When you pull back he’s watching you curiously, a smirk on his face. You quickly realize you’re basically clinging to him and step back.

“Don’t mention it,” he says. “Let’s see if we can get you a strike next.”

You end up getting 78 points to Kyungsoo’s 215, but you do manage to get one strike. Next round you get 99 points to his 195, and two strikes. You pout as you return your shoes with him. “Well, it’s better than I’ve ever done before,” you tell him. “I’ll do even better next time.”

“All right, hot shot. I’ll be ready,” he says, pushing open the door to the parking lot, smiling softly at you.

July 7, 1997

You come back from a night out with your friends playing pool at the pub in the mall to see that Kyungsoo is actually on AOL for once. You log into the chat and message him, figuring tonight is a perfect night to check another thing off his list.

sunshinegrrrl9: of course you choose something basic like your name and not something fun dohkyungsoo: what would you prefer I go by, thegrinch? sunshinegrl9: ha. ha. very funny sunshinegrl9: what are you doing up so late? dohkyungsoo: working on end of the month reports. why? sunshinegrrrl9: i think it’s time you experience the glory of Denny’s at 3 in the morning dohkyungsoo: do I really have to wait until 3 am? sunshinegrrrl9: no, i’ll be nice, i won’t make you wait that long. sunshinegrrrl9: it’s 12:30 now, why don’t you pick me up at 1? dohkyungsoo: deal. see you then.

He pulls up and you can hear him idling out front. You check to make sure that your roommate is asleep before you sneak out the front door. She’s been asking questions about why you’re spending all this time with Kyungsoo.

In the past few weeks you’ve dragged him to a movie marathon at the theater, to the arcade next to the mall, and made him take you to the Seattle waterfront so you could finally experience it and so you both could go to the top of the Space Needle afterwards.

You’d almost even talked him into having a food fight one morning when you opened with him and Chanyeol, but he’d given you both a stern expression and you’d dropped it.

Your roommate reads right through your explanations about the quest, saying she knows that you’re just happy for an excuse to spend all this time with him. But as she’s knee-deep in her own drama with Chanyeol, you’ve both declared your apartment a safe haven from any boy talk. Unless it’s to discuss Leonard DiCaprio in the most recent trailer for Titanic, of course.

You open the car door and slide in, reaching as you always do to turn up the radio. He shakes his head and drives off for the Denny’s near your house. The place is half-full when you arrive and Kyungsoo looks inside in confusion.

“Oh yeah, this is prime Denny’s hours. You don’t even know yet,” you say and open your door.

The waitress leads you to a booth by the window and hands you menus. “Can I get you anything to drink?” she asks in a droll voice.

“Two coffees please,” you say before Kyungsoo can speak. He purses his lips in disapproval. “What? Trust me, you’ll need it for the full Denny’s experience.”

He looks around at the brightly lit space, taking in the group of college students at a nearby table, laughing with each other, their textbooks forgotten on the table. The two men at the bar, obviously still drunk, trying to persuade the waitress to give them free pancakes. A group of men and women in leather jackets, clearly just beginning their night, are eating burgers and fries.

The waitress comes back a moment later, dropping off the two coffees and taking your orders.

“Oh yes, this is definitely an experience, that’s for sure,” he says and you laugh. “Anyways, how are you?”

You stir in cream to your coffee and sigh. “I spoke to my mom today and got the usual torture routine.”

He takes a sip of his coffee and raises a brow at you. “What do you mean?”

“Oh right, I keep forgetting you didn’t know me in Georgia,” you reply with a shake of your head. “My mom’s an old school Southern belle. She wanted me to be married by now, maybe even have a kid. She’s never gotten over the fact that I didn’t want her vision for my life. That I wanted more for myself than to just be a pretty face on the arm of a financially secure, respectable man,” you say with a sigh.

“Does she not see that you’re so much more than just beautiful?” he asks emphatically. He blushes, looking down at his coffee for a beat. “I mean, you’re so warm and kind, you take care of everyone around you. You make people feel seen, appreciated, and you’re smart enough to figure out what they need. And brave too, moving halfway across the country,” he says meeting your eyes.

You’re moved, amazed that he has been paying such close attention to you that he’s able to reassure you like this. To remind you that you have much greater value in the world than just your looks. 

You reach over and squeeze his hand. “Thanks, Kyungsoo. That means a lot,” you say.

“Believe me, I know all about family expectations though,” he says with a sigh, taking another sip of his coffee.

“Really? Tell me,” you say, curious to know more about him.

He starts telling you about his family and how they put a ton of pressure on him growing up, expecting him to become a lawyer. You keep talking, in between bites of the food you ordered. The conversation moves to your debutante days and in return you demand that he tell you about being forced to be on the knowledge bowl team in high school.

Eventually you order another round of coffee and then third. The crowd changes as the night goes on, the bikers and the drunks and the college students clearing out. When the groups of older men and women start coming in you look out the window and realize that the sun is coming up and it’s now after five in the morning.

You and Kyungsoo pay your bills and then sleepily head out. You sneak back into the apartment and fall straight asleep, still wearing your clothes. Before passing out you think to yourself how amazing it is that you basically talked all night with Kyungsoo, the self-proclaimed hermit.

August 1, 1997

“Well I personally think they’re totally underrated,” Chanyeol says from a nearby blanket where he’s discussing bands with Minseok.

No one in your group owned a pick up truck, or even knew someone who did. So you settled for driving out I-90 east for an hour or so until you found a spot to watch the stars. It supposed to be a fantastic night to watch the meteor shower, and out this far from the city lights, the view is spectacular.

You pour a cup of wine and pass it over to Jongin on a blanket next to you. On your other side, Kyungsoo is spread out on the blanket, resting his head against his hand as he watches the sky. You take a sip of the wine and then secure your cup firmly in the grass before spreading out next to him.

You try to find a comfortable spot, but it seems you’re sitting on top of a giant root. Twisting and turning for a moment you finally settle with your back as comfortably as you can with a disgruntled huff. Kyungsoo laughs quietly next to you, watching with amusement.

He scoots over a few inches and holds out his arm. “Just put your head here already,” he says with a laugh.

You move over next to him, sighing to yourself as your body comes into contact with his. You ease your head into the crook between his arm and his shoulder, your side flush against his. 

Everyone in your group quickly joins the discussion with Chanyeol and Minseok, about whether pop music is going to replace the grunge movement and what that would mean for the music industry.

But you and Kyungsoo stay there, watching the stars overhead. You can feel him breathing next to you, his steady presence a comfort. After a while you start seeing bright lights streaking across the sky.

“Guys, look!” you exclaim, drawing their attention.

They all ooh and ahh and you can hear them settle into their blankets. Kyungsoo sighs happily next to you and you turn your head to give him a smile. 

“Thank you for this,” he says quietly so only you can hear.

You reach your arm behind you, lacing your fingers with his and squeeze. “You’re welcome,” you reply just as softly.

As you watch the meteor shower it occurs to you that you should eventually let go of his hand, but he never moves to and neither do you. You only separate an hour or so later when Baekhyun finally starts yawning so badly that you all decide to call it a night.

August 14, 1997

“So if I was looking for somewhere to go skinny dipping around here, I’m assuming you’d be the one to ask?” you say with a grin to Baekhyun.

Hitchcock cracks up laughing, her hands paused in lifting the burger to her mouth. You have Wednesdays off and a standing lunch date with Baekhyun and Hitchcock downtown. You always laugh at seeing your friends out of their casual clothes, dressed up in their professional attire.

“Sunshine, you know it,” Baekhyun starts with a grin. “I’ve got the perfect place. When were you thinking of going?”

“This Saturday? Kyungsoo has the day off for some family thing in the morning, and I think I can talk him into it.”

“Perfect, let’s do it,” he says with a smirk at you and Hitchcock.

August 17, 1997

Saturday is a gorgeous summer evening - warm, clear skies. You all meet up in the mall parking lot at seven to carpool to the spot. The drive is about half an hour away and you all pile into cars, carrying towels, six packs of beer, and Baekhyun’s trusty boombox.

You’re wedged into the back of Chanyeol’s car along with Kyungsoo and Hitchcock while Jongin navigates from the passenger seat.

The Kachess campground is everything you hoped it would be. Warm evening light spills over the tree lined road to the lake, the car rocking as it goes over the bumpy, unpaved path. Every jolt of the car throws you against Hitchcock, who giggles, and Kyungsoo, who looks like he’s feeling something entirely different at your closeness. Your side feels hyper aware of every inch of his body that’s in contact with yours.

Chanyeol turns down a smaller road off the main one, so narrow that the trees brush his car as it passes. Eventually your train of cars emerges into a small clearing. The lake is visible just up ahead through a gap in the trees. Getting out of the car, you can hear the faint sounds of other groups talking nearby, apparently it’s a popular spot.

Chanyeol parks the car and you all hop out, excitedly talking about the evening. Baekhyun strolls over to one of the picnic tables in the clearing and sets up his boombox. Moments later the sounds of Missy Elliot’s new album starts and Minseok groans where he’s grabbing a cooler out of his trunk. His girlfriend pats his shoulder, laughing as she pulls out stacks of plastic cups and plates.

Baekhyun dances to himself, singing along loudly to the music as he proceeds to fail horribly at starting the outdoor grill. Kyungsoo shakes his head and walks over to take charge of manning the grill. You join the group at a nearby table, grabbing a beer and sitting down. 

Baekhyun laughs and takes over setting up the sides, holding two cups to his chest like Madonna, making Hitchcock laugh so hard she almost spits out her sip of beer.

Over the course of the night the group enjoys hamburgers, hot dogs, and plenty of beer and soda. Chanyeol tells a tipsy version of the story of how he and Kyungsoo met in high school during a miserable science class together. Just after nine the sun finally slips below the horizon and everyone starts discussing the impending foray into skinny dipping.

“Well I think we should split up into groups. Seeing you all naked isn’t particularly high on my bucket list,” Minseok says with a laugh and his girlfriend smacks his shoulder.

“Oh come on, it’s a great bonding experience,” Yixing says, tickling his girlfriend and she runs out of his grip giggling.

“I’m only in for this if I can avoid seeing any of your genitals,” Kyungsoo says sternly, folding his arms and staring down Baekhyun with a pointed look. When his eyes meet yours he drops his eyes, a blush forming in his cheeks.

Baekhyun steps forward, the resident skinny dipping expert, and holds up his hands officially. “Okay, ladies and gentleman, how about this? Minseok and his lady over there,” he says, pointing to a path off to the right. “Yixing and his girl the next trail over,” he says pointing to another path on the right.

“Chanyeol, Hitchcock, Jongin and I, as the experienced professionals here, will take the front and center path.” He dramatically points to the main trail leading to the water from the clearing.

“And our new recruit, Kyungsoo, and his corruptor can take the one to the left,” he says and waves his hand toward the only path on the left hand side of the clearing, dense with trees. The water is just visible through the branches up ahead in the growing darkness. “Does that work for everyone?”

The group cheers in agreement and begins the process of packing up the food into coolers, grabbing towels, and meandering off on their various paths. Baekhyun cranks up the boombox to the highest setting, the music echoing through the clearing.

Kyungsoo walks up to you with a nervous sigh, his towel draped over one shoulder and his hands in his pockets. You’re normally the type to strip off your clothes and be first in the water, but around him things are different. With him it feels more intimate, more meaningful. You hold your towel tightly under one arm and tuck your hair behind your ear with the other hand.

“Ready?” he asks gently.

“Let’s do it,” you reply.

He reaches out a tentative hand and you slide your hand into his. Together you navigate the branches and roots in the twilight. You trip over a hidden root and his hand tightens on yours, keeping you upright. Nearby you can hear Baekhyun and Hitchcock screaming to each other and the sound of furious splashing.

You follow Kyungsoo onto the smooth sand of the beach. There’s a few tree logs and you set down your towels. The night is still warm, but the breeze over the lake cools your sticky skin. You sit down on the log to take off your sneakers and Kyungsoo joins you at a respectable distance. Sliding a hair tie off your wrist you twist your hair up into a messy bun.

Kyungsoo and you stand up at the same time and wait awkwardly, both fully aware that the next step is to remove your clothes. His eyes meet yours and his lips twist into a wry smile. You both start laughing at the situation and agree to face away from each other to undress.

As you slide your shirt over your head and throw it on the log you can see his shirt hit the log next to yours in your peripheral vision. You swallow involuntarily, already imagining his naked body behind you.

Your shirt, shorts, and panties are quickly added to the pile and you clasp your hands together against your now naked body. The sun is now completely below the horizon and the sky has turned an inky royal blue, the stars popping out away from the lights of the city.

“Wow, that’s quite a sight,” Kyungsoo says behind you and you turn around abruptly, keeping your eyes above his waist. 

He’s not looking at you, but up at the sky, a look of wonder on his face. You grin to yourself, happy that he’s having this experience – even happier that he’s having it with you.

For a moment you stand there, trying to decide if you should get in the water together and how on earth you’d bring it up. But eventually you just decide to jump in first, while he’s distracted.

With a squeal you take a few running steps forward, bracing your hands against your chest in preparation for the cold. Even in the summer beaches in Washington are bracingly cold. The water drops off quickly, and after three steps you’re up to your chest in water. One more step and your feet slip out from you and you plunge under the water. You catch yourself quickly, windmilling your arms to propel yourself back to the surface.

When you break through, gasping a breath, you let out a huge laugh. You swipe the water from your eyes with your hands and sigh, loving the feeling of the cool water on your skin. You look around and see Kyungsoo watching you from a few feet away as he treads water to stay in place. His hair is slicked back and his skin practically glows in the night, a big grin on his face.

“I should have guessed you’d run in head first,” he laughs. “Just like you do everything.”

You splash him in mock outrage and he splashes you back full force, sending a wave of water over you and pouring your hair into your eyes. You laugh as you brush your hair out of your eyes.

“So, how is it? Your first time skinny dipping?” you ask and raise a brow.

He looks around at you, the sky, and the lake lit up by moonlight. He leans his head back into the water for a moment and you can see his wistful smile when he tilts back up.

“Definitely more pleasant than I was expecting,” he says, voice low.

You blush and look away, remembering all of a sudden that you’re both naked and only separated by a few feet of water. You try and think back to the last time you were completely naked in front of a man and are surprised when none immediately come to mind. It was at least before you moved to Washington, that’s for sure.

Maybe Ethan? Your last boyfriend in Georgia. You widen your eyes when you realize that it’s been over a year since then, and before him it was just a handful of fun short term relationships in high school and college. 

No one that makes you feel like Kyungsoo though. When he looks at you it feels like you’re the only person in the world.

A loud noise comes from around the bend, what sounds like Chanyeol screaming about “drowning,” drawing you back to the moment. Kyungsoo’s still watching you with that intense expression of his, just content to be in your presence. You love that the two of you don’t need words all the time, that you can just exist together. After a beat you start swimming further out from the beach, shivering as the cool water rushes along your body.

Kyungsoo joins you and you quickly lose track of time swimming together in slow circles around the area. Eventually you see a flash of lights through the trees.

“KYUNGSOO, SUNSHINE, WE’RE HEADING OUT SOOOON,” Baekhyun calls from the clearing.

The two of you swim closer to the shore and once you get to chest deep you turn towards each other at the same moment. It’s full dark now, but the moon is nearly completely full and casts a bright light all around you. If either of you gets out of the water, you’ll be almost completely visible. Kyungsoo motions you to the shore.

“Why don’t you get out first and I’ll turn around? Then you can do the same for me?” he says gently, trying to not to laugh.

You breathe out a laugh, glad that the potentially awkward situation was avoided. He turns around, putting his hands over his eyes and humming. You crack up and splash him in the back. The air is growing colder and you clutch your hands to your chest as you dash up the beach to the log that has your towel.

You quickly dry the water off your skin, twist your hair to get out the majority of the water and then wrap the towel around you. You slip on your panties and shorts and look at your sports bra in frustration. Somehow you manage to get it onto your damp skin and throw on your shirt. You put on your shoes and socks quickly.

“Okay, you’re all clear!” you call and sit down on one end of the log, turning to the side and covering your eyes with one hand.

You hear him approach and start toweling off, your body flooding with heat as you imagine him just a few steps away, naked. You shake your head to yourself, smiling.

“All clear,” he says next to you a minute later.

You drop your hand and he’s thrown his shirt and shorts on, his hair messed up from the water. With a grin you stand up and come over to him, holding your towel in one hand and ruffling his wet hair with the other, sending drops falling onto his face.

When you drop your hand you realize he’s not laughing with you, he’s regarding you with something much headier. You take an involuntary step back in surprise, but his hands on your elbows stop you from going too far.

You clutch the towel to your chest with both hands, desperately trying to stop your hands from reaching for him. The tension grows unbearable as you both stand there, so close that you can feel his breath on your face. Heat blooms low in your body at his nearness, and a crazy desire to lean forward and kiss him.

Your soft voice breaks the silence. A single word falls from your lips – his name, barely above a whisper. It’s all the invitation he needs. 

With a rush, he bends down and his lips are on yours. You make a small noise of surprise against his mouth, surprise that this is finally happening.

He pauses a moment, his full lips held gently against yours. Then he moves his mouth, brushing it more insistently against yours. You toss the towel away from you and close the distance, bringing your hands to grip his shoulders, pulling him closer. Your bodies collide and he wraps an arm around your waist to steady you, a groan leaving his lips at the contact.

For someone so reserved, he kisses like a wildfire. He slips his hand up to cup your face, holding you steady while he sweeps his lips along yours. Your wet clothes quickly heat up as you move against each other, a friction that makes you wish there were no layers between you two.

His hand on your back tightens, molding your body against his. You moan against his mouth and he takes the opportunity to lick along your bottom lip. You gasp in surprise and he lets out a low laugh. He guides you back to him, humming in satisfaction as you work your lips against his.

“WHERE ARE YOU GUYS?!” Baekhyun yells again.

You pull back, dazed. Kyungsoo keeps his hold on your back and turns in the direction of the group.

“FIVE MORE MINUTES!” he yells back, a boyish grin on his face that sends butterflies to your stomach. He turns back to you. “You’re not getting away that easy,” he says in a low voice, dipping down to give you a kiss. You laugh against his lips.

“You know, I’ve never made out in a move theater before. But I’m pretty sure this is even better,” he says in your ear.

“Mm, I’d have to say I agree,” you reply and lean up to capture his lips again.

When you can’t leave the group hanging anymore, you grab his hand and lead the way through the trees back to the group. Though it’s dark and you can hardly see where you’re going, you know that his grin is just as big as yours.

November 1, 1997

The idea comes to you on one of your girls lunches. Something else that Kyungsoo has never done – a school dance. You think up the idea for an Exodus Mall prom and in no time, the rest of the girls are excitedly planning along with you. Everyone welcomes the opportunity to dress up and to either relive a treasured memory from high school or to create a better one.

Between the group you divide and conquer. Jongin reserves a room at the KOKO exercise studio that’s large enough for the event. Minseok agrees to provide the music. Hitchcock and Baekhyun make sure that everyone in the entire mall receives an invitation. Yixing and Chanyeol agree to provide food and desserts. Yixing’s girlfriend and your roommate make the decorations.

You do your best to keep things under wraps from Kyungsoo as a surprise. The prom is set for a Friday night, your usual date night. Well, your unofficial date night. 

The past two and a half months since you kissed at the lake have been an interesting dance. Neither of you has said anything official. Your adventures together still continue, they just now involve a lot more kissing.

You come into work one morning, holding an invitation behind your back. The last one that you saved just for him. He’s kneading dough like always, but now he anticipates your arrival. You still trade off buying each other coffee, and today he has your favorite waiting on the counter. 

He wipes his flour-covered hands on a towel and reaches for you. His hands find your favorite spot, just beneath your ears, and he pulls you in for a quick kiss. 

You hum happily against his lips and pull back to look at him. If you hadn’t met him before, hadn’t seen him so closed off and grouchy, you’d have thought this was how he always looked. His warm eyes glowing with joy, a contented, relaxed smile on his lips. But you did know him before, and seeing the transformation over the past few months fills you suddenly with a wave of love.

“Good morning,” he says, leaning against the counter, keeping an arm around your waist. “What have you got there?” he asks, nodding his head to your hands still clasped behind your back.

“Oh this?” you say coyly. “It’s for you.”

You pull out the invitation and hand it to him. His eyes quickly scan it and he looks back up to you, brow furrowed in confusion. “Will you go to prom with me?” you ask, grinning.

He laughs, looking at you with amusement. “Absolutely,” he replies and gives you another quick kiss before you start working on your respective morning tasks.

November 13, 1997

No one is really able to concentrate the day of the mall prom, but you all do your best. Kyungsoo agreed to close the store at five for the special event, so everyone could have enough time to go home and get ready. You head home with your roommate after checking with Kyungsoo that he’s picking you up at seven.

Your roommate is applying her make up when you arrive. Hitchcock comes over a minute or two after you get to the apartment, brandishing two bottles of champagne. Your friend from Starlight comes over, a long gold gown draped over her arm and a boombox in the other.

Your roommate chose a long black dress and everyone squeals when she comes out, saying she’s totally having an Audrey Hepburn moment. Hitchcock is wearing a body-hugging teal dress and you let out a wolf whistle when she comes out.

You change last. Your dress is floor length, deep red, with a slit in one leg. It flares out behind you. You leave your hair loose and wavy around your shoulders and pair it with a swipe of eyeliner and a red lip. 

Everyone screams when you come out of the bathroom. Hitchcock leans against the wall, holding a glass of champagne in one hand. She dramatically pretends to dab tears out of her eyes.

“You know he’s going to die when he sees you, right?” she asks with a wistful grin, looking you up and down.

“Who? Kyungsoo?” you ask.

“Who else? If he wasn’t already head over heels in love with you, he would be after he sees you in this dress,” you roommate says as she walks by, a curling iron in her hand.

You blush, an unexpected nervous excited energy settling in your stomach. A car horn honks outside and you look around curiously. The guys weren’t planning on being here for another fifteen minutes. You move your dress out of the way and walk over to the window. 

A stretch limo waits outside. Chanyeol and Baekhyun are leaning out of the open top window, waving dramatically. Kyungsoo and your friend’s date, Sehun you think is his name, are standing out front, looking dapper in suits.

“Oh my god, get over here you guys,” you say, grinning. “You’re not going to believe this.”

You open the door and the girls rush up behind you. Everyone screams excitedly when they see the limo waiting. Hitchcock tells the guys to give you all five more minutes to get ready and slams the door, laughing.

In a flurry of activity shoes are found, hair is pinned into place, earrings are located, and make up is finalized. You all take turns walking down the stairs of your apartment, making a grand entrance.

You lock the door behind you and put the keys into your purse. You can hear everyone inside the limo laughing and cracking open yet another bottle of champagne. Kyungsoo waits by the door, hands in his pockets, watching you with awe. As you make your way down the stairs he lets out a whistle.

“You sure clean up nice yourself,” you counter. 

His dark hair is parted on the side and slicked back from his face. He looks like he’s on the way to an awards show. The look definitely suits him, you decide.

When you reach him he takes your hand in his and presses a kiss to the top. You lean over and brush a quick kiss to his mouth. A chorus of ooooohs come from inside the limo and Kyungsoo rolls his eyes and grins at you.

The ride to the mall is much too short so you all ask the driver to circle the building a few times. Once you arrive you see that the KOKO exercise studio is completely transformed. The set up you did earlier in the day looks even more incredible at night.

As you head into the building you see that there’s already quite a crowd assembled. The mirrored studio reflects the shiny decorations hanging from the ceiling. Minseok’s selections are playing in the background and everyone is enjoying the food and dessert buffet.

After you eat you drag Kyungsoo onto the dance floor, laughing happily as he twirls you around before pulling you into his arms. The song switches to a slower tempo and you step closer, linking your arms over his shoulders, his hands come to your waist. 

He hums along to the song, a contented smile on his face. “Can I ask you a question?”

You nod. “Always.”

“Why did you do all of this? The prom, this whole summer?” he asks, carefully watching your reaction.

You look away and open your mouth to give the reasons you’ve been saying to your friends the past few months. 

“Because he was deprived of many incredible experiences and I wanted to make sure he had them.” 

“Because he’s a good boss, a good friend, and he deserves something light and fun in his life.”

But the words get caught in your throat. You can always lie to yourself, but if there’s one person you feel compelled to be honest with, it’s him. You duck your head, a blush spreading across your cheeks.

When you look back to him he thinks to himself that he’s never seen you so vulnerable and so hopeful. The love radiating from your face makes his heart feels like it’s going to burst.

“You know why, Kyungsoo,” you say. Your voice is soft, a small, wistful smile on your face.

“I think I do. But would you say it for me? Please, I have to know for sure,” he says urgently.

“Because I love you,” you say with a shrug and a tilt of your head, the words free of doubt or fear. A giddy laugh escapes from you. After thinking the words for so many weeks it feels surreal to finally be saying them out loud.

He looks so shocked, you think he would have looked less surprised if you’d slapped him. He furrows his brow adorably and you stifle a giggle. His hands come to gently cup your elbows. He meets your gaze with renewed intensity.

“Say it again, please Sunshine. Say it again,” he whispers, so close to you his breath brushes your cheeks. You smile to yourself, the nickname sounding like the most intimate of endearments coming from him.

“I love you Doh Kyungsoo, every wild, crazy inch of me,” you say and your breath hitches. 

The truth of the words filling every part of your body. You couldn’t pinpoint the exact time it happened, but his happiness has become as important to you as your own.

A brilliant smile blooms on his face, his eyes crinkling in the corners with warmth. He brushes the hair out of your face and tucks it behind your ear.

“This whole time I’ve been falling in love with you. But I was afraid that this was just something fun for you. A quest. Something to fill your nights with. I never dreamed that you’d feel the same way about me,” he says in a rush, holding your gaze.

“I love you Sunshine. With all my heart,” he says, voice low and full of emotion.

You pull him into a hug, resting your forehead against his neck, feeling happy tears welling up in your eyes. He holds you close, running his hands up and down your back as you sway to the music. After a few minutes you pull back, dabbing your eyes and you smile at each other. Tentatively at first, and then fully.

“Would you come home with me tonight?” he asks with a wry smile.

You laugh and press a quick kiss to his lips. “Yes, absolutely.”

You, Kyungsoo, and your friends dance the night away and by midnight you’re all considerably more disheveled than when you arrived, but it’s completely worth it. Kyungsoo pulls Chanyeol aside and asks if he wouldn’t mind crashing on Baekhyun’s couch tonight and he gives you both a wide grin.

“All right kids, now don’t do anything I wouldn’t do,” he says with faux seriousness and you roll your eyes at him.

Once the evening is over you go with Kyungsoo in his car, his hand holding yours as he drives. He pulls up out front of the apartment he shares with Chanyeol and he lets out a groan.

“What’s wrong?” you ask as he rubs his hand over his face.

“Uhh, I just realized… if we’re planning on doing certain activities tonight… I don’t really have the necessary precautions,” he says and gives you a knowing look.

A beat later you let out a laugh. “Ohhh, you mean condoms? Shit, I don’t have any either,” you say, unable to contain your grin. “Let’s go get some, there’s got to be a drug store around here.”

He looks down at his suit and over at your long, elegant dress and gives you a wry smile. “All right, princess, let’s go.”

After a few blocks you see a Rite Aid up ahead and pull up out front. He meets you around the front of the car and clasps his hand around yours. You run into the store together, laughing. The night staff, an older man and woman at the register regard you curiously as you hurry past them.

You reach the aisle and stand there staring at the wide array of options.

“Oh my gosh, I just realized we’re sleeping together for the first time on prom night. How cliché of us,” you say with a giggle. “Although, it’s not too stereotypical - I’m not a virgin.”

“Neither am I,” he says with a laugh.

“I wish it had been with someone like you, though,” you say, squeezing his hand.

“Someone like me?” he says, raising his eyebrows, waiting for an explanation.

You look down at the floor, trying to figure out how to put how he makes you feel into words. “Yeah, someone strong, and steady. And safe.”

He lets out a laugh. “Safe? That sounds awfully similar to boring.”

“No, no. You don’t understand,” you say emphatically, coming to stand fully in front of him, grabbing his other hand as well. “You never ask me to be anything but who I am. You’re patient, kind, caring. For the longest time I thought that falling in love would be stifling. That it would… I don’t know, take my independence. Take my spirit. Make me into someone I don’t recognize.”

You step closer, holding his face in your hands. “But I can’t think of anything I want more than to be with you. You make me the best version of who I am. I don’t know how it is for you, being with me. But when I’m with you, it just feels like… home,” you finish gently.

He gives you a brilliant smile, leaning forward to capture your lips with his for a long moment. “Hmm, how do I feel when I’m with you,” he says, considering. 

“Like I’m simultaneously on fire and completely at peace, if that makes sense. You make me much less cranky, which I’m sure everyone appreciates,” he says and you laugh. “I can’t imagine my life without you, and to have you be mine? I’d consider myself the luckiest man in the world.”

“Well guess what? I’m all yours,” you say and he picks you up, spinning you around.

You squeal and cling to him. The workers at the register lean over to look at you and roll their eyes. He sets you down and you peruse the display with greater focus. Eventually you decide and bring your selection to the register. The older clerk stares you down with a wry smile as she rings you up. 

Once she hands you the bag you dash back out into the parking lot and drive to his apartment as quickly as you can.

He runs up the steps with you right behind him. Once you’re through the door he kicks it behind him and comes up to you. He bends down and picks you up, a hand under your knees and one under your shoulders. You squeal and laugh as you wrap your arms around his neck to hold on. He reaches the bedroom at the end of the hall and flicks on the light with his elbow before gently setting you down.

You regard each other for a moment. Holding his gaze, you kick off your heels and pull your hair to one side. You turn around and look at him over your shoulder. He steps up behind you, running his hand along the delicate skin at the base of your neck and down to the zipper. 

His finger brushes along your back as he draws it down and a shiver of anticipation runs down your spine.

His hands slide inside the fabric and push it gently off your shoulder. The dress pools at your feet and you step out, clad in only your red satin bra and panties. He stares hungrily at your body, running his hand along his lower lip. 

You move the dress to the side with your foot and step up to him. “My turn,” you say with a sly smile.

You slip off his jacket and toss it on the chair by the bed. You do your best to untie his tie, but can’t seem to work out the knot. He chuckles and helps you out, slipping it off easily. You unbutton his shirt slowly and add it to the pile. He strips off his undershirt while you make quick work of his pants. Once he’s down to his boxer-briefs he pulls you to him, trailing a line of kisses down your neck and along your shoulder.

You moan, leaning your head back and holding onto his waist for support. He turns, moving to sit on the bed and pulling you on top of him. You let out a hiss of pleasure as his erection comes into contact with your clothed core. 

He stills, closing his eyes to enjoy the sensation. You take the moment to unhook your bra, sliding it down your arms and throwing it behind you. When he looks back at your naked chest his eyes go wide and darken with desire.

“You’re going to be the death of me, woman,” he says with a chuckle.

You grin and grind on his lap, sucking in a breath at how good he feels. He slides his hands to the backs of your thighs and twists, dropping you down onto the mattress on your back as you squeal and cling to him. He settles between your legs, his lean body flush against yours.

He bends down to slide his mouth over yours and starts slowly rocking his hips. You clutch his back, letting out needy whines against his open mouth. He smiles against your lips and draws a hand up to massage that sensitive spot behind your ear. After weeks of making out, you’re helpless against him, you realize with a laugh, he already knows all your weaknesses.

“Okay, now you’re going to kill me,” you say and breathe out a sigh.

He laughs and pulls back to look you in the eye, trailing a hand down your body to play with the edge of your panties. You feel a rush of heat to your core, desperate for his touch any way you can have it. His finger dips below the fabric and runs along your slit.

Your mouth falls open and you shut your eyes in pleasure. He continues his assault, trailing two fingers up and down, before slowly circling your clit. You clench your legs together around his hand and bite your lip.

“You’re so ready for me,” he says in amazement. “I don’t think I’m going to last long.”

You open your eyes to give him a sarcastic look. “Then it really would be like prom night,” you tease.

He gives you a devilish grin and slides a finger into you. You choke out a laugh. “Mercy, please,’ you plead with a high voice. ‘I need you inside me, like, yesterday.’

He withdraws his finger and carefully works off your underwear, moving your legs to the side so he can slip them off before throwing them on the floor. He looks around the room for the bag, finally finding it underneath your dress on the floor. He pulls out a condom and sheaths himself after sliding his underwear off.

When he positions himself above you again, you feel his heat against your core and bite your lip in anticipation. He bends down and kisses you, his tongue quickly slipping into your mouth as he braces himself on the bed. You clutch his arms to ground yourself as he eases inside you, groaning into each other’s mouths as he fills you to the hilt.

A beat later he starts to move, setting a steady pace. After months of only getting off with your own hands, he feels so good you could cry. He tilts his body over yours, the change in angle bringing him into contact with your clit with every thrust. You whimper into his mouth, a high keening sound, and grip his arms tightly. 

You pull back, resting your forehead against his. “Come with me,” you plead, breathing heavy.

He nods, panting. “I’m so close, are you?” he asks, eyes half closed in pleasure.

“Mmhmm,” you murmur in assent, hardly able to speak. “If you touch me, I’ll lose it in a heartbeat.”

He grins and leans up. His finger finds your clit, swirling messy circles as he thrusts faster and harder into you. Your orgasm rips through you, a strangled cry leaving your lips. He finds his completion right behind you, letting out a deep groan. 

You stay there for several minutes, his weight on top of you grounding you as the world swims back into focus.

He presses a kiss to your lips and then eases himself out of you. He gets out of bed and disposes of the condom. Turning off the light, he throws back the covers, getting underneath. He holds them open for you. You follow and he pulls you to his chest, kissing your forehead. 

“So, what did you think of your first prom?” you ask, stifling a yawn.

He laughs, snuggling against you. “It was perfect, Sunshine.”

[daily-snitch]

The Daily Snitch – Friday, March 16, 2018

Joanne K. Rowling – Life and Books: • J.K. Rowling: Bloomsbury to release 'Harry Potter and The Philosopher's Stone' Illustrated Editions in paperback.

Harry Potter – Actors and Movies: • Alfred Enoch (Dean Thomas) talks 'Harry Potter' and 'How to Get Away With Murder'.

Fantastic Beasts – Actors and Movies: • New 'Crimes of Grindelwald' trailer raises questions of beastly proportions. • Shot by shot break-down of the new trailer.

Harry Potter and the Cursed Child: • 'Cursed Child' London Gets New Cast and New Tickets.

Prompt Challenges: • hogwarts365 posted Prompt # 235 (due before March 24): We read to know we are not alone. – Willliam Nicholson, Shadowlands, Discredit and Reverence. • @introvert-club posted Wolfstar Prompt # 33: Nightmares and Daydreams • slythindor100 posted the prompt for March: luck, lucky

Communities: • rarepair_shorts made a Mod Post: Flaming and Rules Update. • @hdsbeltane posted a reminder that participants' first check-in is coming up on March 25. • @dracotops-harry posted a Call for Betas for the upcoming fest. • @hd-remix posted that first check-in emails for H/D Remix 2018 have been sent. • one_bad_man posted Sign-ups for next week's reccing of Severus Snape and Lucius Malfoy creations. (Wednesday still open at the time of posting.)

Fandom Recs: • kikimay recced a Harry Potter/Ron Weasley fic (PG-13). • @elizabethminkel recced a Remus Lupin/Sirius Black fic (G) in The Rec Center, # 115.

Archive News: • OTW: Transformative Works and culture vol. 26 released. (focus on Social TV Fandom and the Media Industries)

Essay/Meta: • Quantum Harry, the Podcast, Episode 13: Deus Ex Machina.

General Fandom News: • Bella wrote Five Reasons Why 'Love Simon' Can Fill Your Representational Void: about the movie adaptation of Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda by Becky Albertalli (MuggleNet)

Simon is a normal kid. Well, as normal as any "Harry Potter" fan can be. Simon is a Hufflepuff, and he's a huge fan of the "Harry Potter" series. In the book, Simon dresses up as a Dementor for Halloween, playfully disowns his sister for not understanding his references, and reads a lot of Drarry fan fiction. Simon is literally one of us.

• Aimee Krenz and Savannah LaFlamme wrote Emerald City Comic Con Part 2: Dashing Doctors and Funko Freakouts. (MuggleNet)

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[lukeysgirl]

The Note Tree ❋ L.H. Pt.11

Part E L E V E N 

Summary: A cherry blossom tree, residing at the farthest part of the schools courtyard. Nobody dwelled there, and you didn’t care much for it. Until you kept hearing one song played over and over, with lyrics changed to touch at your curiosity. They knew you were listening, and one day you gave in and made your way to the pink tree. Waiting for you, a series of notes tied to a single strand of string.

Word Count: 7k+ (jesus wtf)

AN: VERY IMPORTANT GUYS: this might be the last part i release before i enter uni and find myself incredibly busy with class so i am so fucking sorry for that. i wish i could keep writing this consistently and finishing by maybe november but it might be a little longer than that. to those who love TNT: ya’ll are amazing and im so grateful for all the support and love ive gotten for it. im also just so sorry to disappoint, and will try my best to update them as timely and well-done as i may xx 

Parts: one, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine, ten, eleven, twelve, thirteen, fourteen, fifteen, sixteen, seventeen, eighteen, nineteen, twenty, twenty-one, twenty-two, twenty-three, twenty-four, twenty-five, twenty-six, twenty-seven, twenty-eight, twenty-nine, thirty.

I M A G I N E 

Thursday - Frozen Day

“You’re so careless!” Savannah lectured, tapping your head in scolding while you sat there and took it. 

For the trip, the teachers had forced all the seniors into the gym at the very moment everyone stepped into the school. The gym, though newly renovated and shiny, was disgusting. The glossed, light-brown (wooden) planks of the floor were ornate with splotches of dirt, dust, and residue of athlete sweat. There were several basketball hoops around, with two scoreboards on the width sides of the gym. Those black scoreboards were off and collecting cobweb with the ceiling emitting super white lights down to practically blind you. 

But that was the least of your worries. 

“Des, if you keep offering me your breakfast burrito, I’m going to bash my head against the wall,” you huffed under your breath, having Des continue to wiggle the said food in front of you. You and the girls were huddled in a corner, with you in the very corner, slung down and allowing your large Thrasher sweatshirt to swallow you. Des had been to your right, sitting in a pretzel with Alexis to your left with her legs folded the same. Savannah sat like a princess, as she chose to wear this long, floral skirt because it matched with her beige crop top. 

“Have you eaten?” Des asked, completely skeptical of you. 

“Yes.”

“How can I believe you?” 

“By trust my word?” You suggested. You understood they were worried and you understand fully well how careless you are. But this was just absolutely uncalled for and unnecessary. “I ate a bagel with raspberry cream cheese and orange grove orange juice.” 

“It sounds like you went to Starbucks.” 

“I did.” 

“Bitch, with what money?” 

“Someone came in clutch,” you replied simply, not necessarily wanting to get too deep. Des stared at you wistfully before looking away, knowing you hadn’t want to say another word more. You looked over to see Alex begin braiding her long, brown locks and you began to randomly wander about Luke and how he dealt with his blonde hair. 

Does he wake up to it being messy? Or is it always curly when he wakes up? Can he put it upwards in some sort of quiff? Is it long enough for a man bun? Oh boy, why the fuck did you even care? 

What about Luke’s hair do you give a shit about? It aggravated you how much your mind played this useless games. Luke has somehow weaved himself into most things you look at. You see video games being broadcasted outside game shops and think about if he had an Xbox or a Playstation. Sometimes when you saw kids play little league sports at parks, you wondered if he’s played any real serious sport. Truth be told, it was bothering you and gave you a headache than you already get when you interact with said boy. 

“Seniors!” Announced a teacher at the dead center of the gym. You didn’t bother looking up, too exhausted to divert your eyes somewhere other than the ground. “If you’d like to see who chose you and your groups camp schedule, come on over!” 

Immediately, you heard people rise with feet dashing the glossed ground over to the center of the gym. A cheap plastic table was set up with folders of papers, likely the schedules and whatever the hell else the man was saying. You were quick to mute him out as you fiddled with your thumbs. You didn’t care enough to see what group or what the schedule was. You just wanted to get it over with. 

“I’ll get the schedule for you,” Alexis hummed, giving your shoulder a squeeze before your three companions rose from the ground and slowly made their way to the lines of students. You sighed, already bored to be in the gym, wasting time by sitting around and not even getting a wink of work. Of all things, you hated not being productive. 

“Y/N.” A familiar male voice sounded through, his figure casting a shadow over you. Being swallowed up by it, your eyes glanced up only to emit a deep sigh before diverting down to the glossed ground. 

“Go away,” you spewed, distaste already dancing on your tongue as Nathan took a seat beside you. You tossed a glance only to find Nathan swallowed up by navy blue sweats and some yellow shirt representing a college you couldn’t exactly make out from your angle. But aggravation soon drowned you as Nathan sat down in a pretzel and scooted closer to merely brush your shoulder with his own. “God, why me?” You breathed, looking up at the ceiling in hopes someone from the skies heard you. 

“You know Y/N, you can’t be cold like that forever,” Nathan pointed out, having you roll your eyes in how little you cared for Nathan’s words. “You might get denied form several jobs in the future if you’re that brutal.” 

“I’m only cold to you because you serve no benefit to me,” you said quietly. “If it’s an employer, of course, I wouldn’t act this way.” 

“You’re a breathing glacier with valid reason,” Nathan hummed, having you still stone-faced before Nathan flicked his wrist to present a sheet of paper to you. You looked at it curiously, taking it from him to read its contents clearly. “I found out what group you’re in, and I was hoping you could do me a favor so I can return a favor.” 

Your eyes dilated, seeing your leader assignment that was the one and only: Luke Hemmings. You figured you were going to be in his group, hence why you hadn’t bothered putting in the effort to beg to Ashton. But you had some hope that maybe one of the boys would give you a little sympathy, regardless of being Luke’s friends. Now you were to suffer greatly on a trip you initially wanted to bail on. 

“What gives you the upper hand to even ask that of me?” You grumbled, knowing as fact Nathan has some sort of ‘threat.’ 

“Are you sure your head didn’t fall on the floor?” Nathan hummed curiously, having you glare over at the chestnut-haired entity. “It seems your intelligence lost a few bolts.” 

“Fuck off and tell me what you’re trying to exchange.” 

“Well, I’m just gonna tell you what I want: to be in Lucas’ group,” Nathan began, having you raise your eyebrow. You weren’t gonna respond, assuming he was going to continue and hopefully finish. “Not only to be around you, but to make sure you’ll be okay.” 

“Oh, and you care over my well-being?” You began sarcastically. “Oh wow, you must think you’re such a good person for caring over a girl like me.” Nathan grinned at this, attempting to dismiss it with an unhurt smile. But you knew in the very curls of his lips the slight pang of pain from your cruel words. 

“I don’t trust that asshole taking care of you any better,” Nathan began quietly, his veined hands clenching onto his knees. “He’s gonna be responsible with 22 others to really dedicate time for you. You know this, Y/N.” 

“I don’t need people looking after me, alright?” You spat. “I’m 18, I’m responsible of my own damn self. Enough that I can take care of myself.” 

“Your nurse’s trip yesterday says otherwise,” Nathan contradicted in a hush tone. You flinched, refusing to meet his gaze as your eyes stared at the shining floor. If you could punch the boy, you would. “No sleep, no food, no water in your system? I dunno about you, but to me it seems like you can’t take care of yourself too well.” 

“Just shut the fuck up already,” you grunted, pulling your sleeves more over your hands as you tugged at them with your hands. “You don’t know shit about me.” 

“I know that your home situation isn’t great,” Nathan dared, having you close your eyes. Just go away, you thought. Just fucking get away from me already. “And if you think I’m being pushy, imagine how Luke would act if he knew.” Right then, your heart stopped, eyes wide and completely laid upon the chestnut-haired imbecile. 

“You wouldn’t fucking dare,” you growled. “You wouldn’t-- you said you were selfish, that you were glad Luke didn’t know.” 

“Well sure,” Nathan hummed as he leaned a little back. “But I see how Luke annoys you so I figured this exchange would be reasonable. I keep my mouth shut and you get the honor of having me have your back.” 

“I feel like I don’t win as much,” you hummed lowly, your eyes diverting up to study the mobbing group of students seeking their papers. For Nathan to keep quiet and keep Luke at bay, he’ll be in your group for the desire to be near you and watch over you. The entire situation was idiotic, you knew. But you would rather ‘burden’ Nathan with the responsible he refuses to believe he doesn’t have than Luke having it. You still disliked both, but your favoritism resided with Luke if ever the question was put out there. 

“It seems like you would rather much have me annoy you than Luke,” Nathan said with ease. 

“That still makes you annoying, dumbfuck,” you spat, rolling your eyes a bit as you emit a quiet yawn. This frozen day was finding itself to be worse than you honestly expected it to. But you glanced over to see Nathan muted, simply staring at you wistfully. Likely waiting for a response. “...But fine, Holland, okay. I’ll ask Luke. But if he refuses, that’s completely beyond me.” 

“Fair enough then,” Nathan dropped before rising to his feet again. You felt his shadow cast on you once again, his eyes down on you as well as you merely looked up at the boy. “But I do expect you to try, you know.” 

“Ha,” you uttered dryly, watching as he turned the heel and escaped towards the hoard of people. 

Boys are stupid. Boys are stupid and obnoxious, and absolutely one of the things that you didn’t need. You didn’t need anyone, really. But it was really heartwarming to have the girls you did have around. And, you suppose you could give some credit to Luke for being considerate, even when he’s annoying, flirtatious, unnecessary, and moronic. 

“Y/N, you are right!” Des chirped, having you look up to see the 3 infamous ladies return with their papers. She quickly dropped herself beside her, her braids bouncing from the impact as she showed you her paper. “I’m with Calum!” 

“And I’m with Michael.” Savannah mewled with a fond tone. “And Alex got in with Ashton.” 

“Told you guys.” You allowed those girls to sit back in their seats and exchange bubbly words about the plans and what not. You’ll be reading Luke’s group schedule later as you were growing a slow and steady headache. Nathan and this entire keeping a secret was bothering you. Not because you felt guilty about not telling Luke, but feeling like an idiot to have Nathan know at all. You feel more like an idiot to fill yourself up with such strong poisons and lose your mind. 

I should’ve just walked alone from the party, you hummed to yourself. Not even-- I should’ve just not gone. Stupid Luke and his stupid ‘I owe you.’ 

“Ah- I’m in Luke’s group!” A shrill scream suddenly popped you from your self-loathe and discipline to look up and see Nadia wave her paper around in the middle of the gym. Chatter quieted down from this but they still resumed as she flaunted it about to the girls around. And, hilarious enough, the girls’ shoulders drop in disappointment, seeing as they likely wanted to be in his group, too. You shoulders only fell because Nadia was stuck in your group and you really didn’t want to be anywhere near her. The thought even impulsed you to deflate her just a bit. 

“Nobody fucking asked,” you said firmly, loud enough for the words to wash everyone over like a wave. The quiet chatter soon became almost silent whispers as Nadia turned over to you. Her red hair danced from the very action, her entire body swallowed up by a pink-like beige sweater and a brown skirt. She glared down at you, her poppy seed pupils dilating by the small shock that it was you who uttered the words. 

“Look who’s feeling bold today,” Nadia hummed, her 1-inch heels clinking upon the shiny floor as she began making her way to you. You looked up at her, entertained a bit as her shadow was slowly arriving to cast upon you. “What’s wrong, sweetie? Did you not get into his group?” 

“Sorry to burst your ego, Princess,” you spat, opening your paper to break the air to show it to her. “But I’m also in his group. I don’t give enough of a shit, and you have no reason to brag because that’s just you among the other 10 girls with us. So sit the fuck down, alright?” 

A few ‘ooo’s sounded, pairs of wide eyes and surprised expressions floating in your periphery as you looked up at the redhead. She looked a bit embarrassed, her cheeks lightly tainted pink as she waved your paper away. You put it down and shrugged, looking away to see your girlfriends look at you with surprised, wide smiles. 

“You’d best watch your tongue with me, Y/N,” Nadia growled, gritting her teeth together as she leered down at you. “I’ll make your camping time a living hell if you say anything smart like that.” 

“More of a hell than the one I’m currently living?” You raised your eyebrows in surprise. You then chuckled, looking down at the paper loosely between your fingers with delirium. “I’d honestly give you an applause if you could manage that.” 

“Is that a challenge I hear, Y/N?” Nadia hummed, haivng you look up to meet her eyes. Hers were dim, but yours held a dark intimidation that made her eyes flicker with hesitance. But she seemed determined, more or less, to fuck up your time. Before you could counter, Des quickly rose and placed her hands on her hips. 

“Bitch, I dare you to try it,” Des huffed, a splash of attitude leaving her tongue. “You touch my girl at all during that trip and I’ll personally stick your ass up in a tree for an entire damn night.” 

“Great, don’t tell me the ape is in our group, too,” Nadia slurred dreadfully, having you widen your eyes as Des was pulling up her sleeve to pack in a punch. But Savannah and Alex quickly got on their feet and grabbed her before she could dare do a thing. 

“You better watch yourself on that trip,” Des growled. “I may not be in your group, but my ass will switch if I gotta punch you mute.” You chuckled, shaking your head at Nadia’s audacity. You leered up, seeing how she glared down at you as if you’ve done wrong. Quietly, you crumpled the paper and stuffed it in your bag before forcing it on and getting yourself up. 

“I do really feel bad for you, you know,” you hummed as teachers quickly began to rush over to the scene. “I understand that you genuinely need attention to live, and that’s something you can’t help. But I think you shouldn’t do it by picking at others. Especially people who aren’t afraid to give it to you, because I know Des will punch you to another reality. Unless you’re a masochist, then please, be my guest. Fucking swine.” 

“Y/N, out,” a teacher scolded, having you shrug as you sauntered away from the girls and Nadia to leave the gym. Which was fine with you, really, as you didn’t like the smelly disgusting gym to begin with. But when the teacher escorted you out, you met eyes with the control in your mind. You groaned, rolling your eyes in actual disbelief as you began walking down the corridor. “Console your group member, Hemmings.” 

“Will do, sir,” Luke replied, his voice growing distant as you stomped away. You weren’t agitated, you were just pretending to be. Nadia was annoying, but it’s difficult to set you on the edge of vexation as you kept marching away. You could hear Luke’s kicks jog on the floor as his hand made it to your shoulder. “H-hey, what’s wrong?” 

“Nothing, actually,” you hummed. “Just pretending to be mad so the teachers think I’m an angry, troubled child.” 

“Okay, but why were you sent out?” Luke asked, his hand still on your shoulder. You were waiting for him to force you to face him, but he didn’t. He just kept his hand there, probably one of the most gentlest gestures you’ve ever actually received by a boy. 

“Ah, it was all Nadia, truly,” you hummed, listening to Luke groan in disappointment. “She began flaunting over the fact that she was in your group, so I told her that nobody asked and so she came over and started something. It was only right for me to continue feeding her energy to strengthen her pettiness. It’s like an RPG, Luke. You only get stronger if you fight.” 

“Yeah, but you do learn better strategically if you pull back from fights that you don’t need to take on,” Luke replied, having you shrug. It was a fair answer, you had to admit that much. Not that you’d tell him though, or else you’d be feeding to his ego. And God knows inflating that ego only made you wither. 

“Anyways, we argued some, I said a few bad words, and now I’m out here,” you spewed simply. You then turned, looking up to see strong jawline, sharp nose, blue-eyed devil Luke Hemmings stare down at you worriedly. You actually flinched, unsure as to how to take this. He needn’t words to get your heart racing, and that was something you weren’t too down about at the moment. 

“You better not be like that on the trip,” Luke warned softly, having you raise a brow up at the blonde before you. “I put her in our group because I thought it would be good if you two tried to get along.” 

“Me get along with Nadia?” You asked in genuine astonishment. “Has the Devil split the ground in two and risen from the deep depths of hell? Has God finally descended from the clouds to tell everyone? What is this life?” 

“Y/N, I’m serious,” Luke insisted, his frown deepening as he led you over to lean on the cold, metallic lockers. “I doubt you want to graduate knowing you had a grudge on someone.” 

“I don’t have a grudge on that imbecile,” you huffed. “She’s the one being a bitch to me and the least I can do is defend myself. What gives her the right to be a cunt to me when I haven’t even done a thing to her?” 

“You’re rather cold to her, Y/N--.” 

“You mean the way I act to everyone besides Sav, Des, and Alex?” You spat, leering up at the blonde. Luke gulped harshly, quickly quieting down as your point evidently dissolved into him. “I don’t need to get along with Nadia because I don’t need her in my life at all. So don’t start forcing me to do something that neither I nor her want.”

“I just want to help you--.” 

“Want to help?” You spat immediately, having Luke flinch, his face paling up as he looked down at you. You blinked a few times, staring at him to allow the gears in your brain to turn. “Put Nathan in our group.” 

“What the fuck? No,” Luke immediately dismissed, having you scowl at him as he looked away, slightly vexed. There was something swimming in those ocean eyes, but you couldn’t really hint at it if they weren’t staring directly at you. “Absolutely fucking not.” 

“Excuse me, but I’d like to enjoy myself when we go to the forest,” you hummed. “I want him to swat away all the mosquitoes, or get stung by them instead of me. I’m sorry, but rashes aren’t my thing.” 

“I can do that for you!” Luke insisted. 

“You’re the leader, dumbass,” you huffed, shoving his chest gently. “They need to make sure you’re fine and running well-- you can’t be holed up taking stings for me. Just let Nathan do it so I come back rash-free.” 

“Y/N,” Luke growled. “He’s a nasty person, I don’t want him in my group spreading his bullshit around.” 

“He’s going to be pining over me, he’s not going to be spreading no bullshit.” 

“That makes me more adamant, Y/N,” Luke huffed, rolling his eyes while still refusing to face you. You sighed, annoying that you were forced to actually put in a good amount of effort into getting the other vexing person in your group. Clenching the hold of your bag, you rolling your eyes and stomped your foot. 

“Why do you even hate the guy?” You began. “Your jealousy over him is invalid, so something has to give. Why do you hate Nathan?” 

Luke tried to emit something in response, but found himself frozen and speechless. His upper, pasty cheeks tinted a light pink as he dragged his tongue along his rouge lips. You could see how hesitant his was, the distance in his eyes indicating how rapidly he had been thinking. They were even getting clouded before he crossed his arms over his chest in distress. 

“That’s not important right now,” Luke muttered sheepishly. 

“Right, okay,” you sarcastically replied, somewhat in disbelief from Luke’s stubbornness. “Just get him in our team.” 

“Or else what?” 

“Or else I’m going to tell you to fuck off the entire trip,” you threatened, having Luke’s eyes divert to yours (finally) to flare up in jealousy. “I’ll ignore you when we have breaks for chat, sit as far away from you during breakfast, lunch, and dinner, and I won’t be bidding you goodnight before I sleep.” 

“Cruel!” Luke blurted, obvious pain dancing in his face as you shrugged. He knew he couldn’t test you, you’d keep your promise in your words. That’s just who you were, even if you didn’t exactly want to avoid Luke. His shoulders slumped, his blue eyes losing its color for a moment before letting out a strangled sigh. “Fucking fine, I’ll transfer him.” 

“Wait, seriously?” You hummed in disbelief, looking up to see disgust in his face as he nodded slowly. You swallowed, mouth a little dry as you chewed on your inner cheek. “Well shit, okay.” 

“But I’m never leaving you two alone,” Luke huffed angrily. “I don’t trust Holland, and I swear if he does anything with you--.” 

“Will you stick him up a tree for an entire night?” You questioned, reminding yourself of Des’ backlash with a smirk on your lips. Luke bit on his bottom lip, contemplating the finishing sentence as he nodded. 

“Sounds about right, yeah.” You giggled, having Luke raise an eye in puzzlement before shrugging it off. He lent you this extremely warm smile, one so gentle that it was intimidating. You looked away, letting out a small sigh as you allowed silence to seep in. But right then you decided to pop it. 

“Anyhow, thanks for the ‘scolding.’“ You curled both index and middle fingers you own in the air. “Can I go back now?” 

“Mm, I dunno,” Luke hummed, watching as he bent over and got his face close to yours. You stiffened, trying to counter his attempt to embarrass you by glaring at him. The tip of his nose was tempting to just meet with yours, knowing that if he did, a spark will somehow surge through and make you jump. “I don’t like it when you’re not around.” 

“That sucks,” you huffed. “You’re just gonna have to deal with it.” I don’t like it when you’re not around. Luke honestly couldn’t give your head or heart an actual break. How inconsiderate. 

“I already do when you’re not,” Luke hummed woefully. Trickles of vexation surged through when listening to his down tone. You didn’t like it, it was too unlike him. “I’m supposed to be in the gym now anyways” 

“Yeah?” 

“Gotta flaunt my leadership and meet all the members,” Luke hummed. “I chose some pretty chill people, so you shouldn’t be too bothered or irritated by them.” 

“Oh geez, did you select them in my favor?” You wondered, “because I’d definitely have to counter that, considering Nadia is in our group.” Luke was quick to bring his hand to the nape of his neck to give his lower curls a scratch. 

“Like I said, it’d be good if you guys could try and get along,” Luke hummed awkwardly. You looked into his azure eyes long and good, flickering your pupils about as he stares directly back. But his irises slowly thin with the widening of his own pupils, having them a little shaky. You were grasping at possible guesses, hoping to find a better reason than the one he insists. 

“Is it because you feel bad for her?” You hummed, looking ponderously in his eyes. The oceans dim, his pupils divert itself elsewhere awkwardly, “oh, that must be it! I wonder why...” you practically sang, going up to catch Luke’s chin with your hand. His eyes go back into yours, lightening up only a tad, “If you’re gonna lie, at least give me a good, believable reason as to why you’d add the Devil reincarnated into our team.” 

“You’re quite good at digging, aren’t you?” Luke praised, evidently a little vexed at your skill. You smiled in triumph, letting him go to back up from him once more. 

“Years of practice,” you murmured, not too fond of the skill but just enough. Pursing your lips together, you studied Luke for a moment before looking back at the menacing gym doors. You changed your demeanor and quickly pulled in the Puppy Eyes, “wanna get out of here?” 

Luke got easily caught,  his heart halting at the very sight of you. You had plead and beg in those mystery swirls, not caring if it seemed so unlike you. It was so unlike, but you have to do some hard shit to get what you want sometimes. And if this was it, you were more than prepared to do something so simple and only slightly degrading. But Luke easily succumbed, “destination?” 

“Away from the gym,” you murmured, having Luke look at you skeptically. But it was obvious he was surprised at your question. Him out of all people? You’d rather go somewhere with one of the girls. But Luke had a bit of superiority now, so you figured he’d be able to get you out of the tiring confines of that gym. “Just follow my lead, yeah?” 

“Y/N, what’re you--.” Before he could do anything, you began to yell. 

“She’s such a fucking bitch, I can’t handle her!” You growled, your face grimacing with pure heat in your words and eyes. A few teachers idling about looked over worriedly, eyes peering in curiosity. Luke widened his eyes, quickly putting his hands on your shoulders as if to hold me back. “Let me go back in there and give her a damn smack on the mouth! Disrespectful bitch!” 

“Uh-- calm down, Y/N!” Luke spoke over you, a little awkward at first but assertive. It was believable enough, you thought, as you continued shifting angrily in his hands. You did press pressure, requiring the appearance to make the teachers actually believe it as the assistant principal got close. 

“Is everything alright, Mr. Hemmings?” Her voice rang, having Luke nod as he continued to hold you. You allowed searing growls to leave you, leering at the teacher to have her flinch only slightly. It was amusing to be considered a cold being around the joint. 

“Yes, it’s alright,” Luke hummed, “but I think I need to chat with her for a moment. Mind getting another professor to go over the schedule with my group? I really need to speak to Y/N as she disagrees with the selection of my team.” 

The teacher merely nods, having Luke nod from his glance before turning back to you. You continued to act rabid, having Luke grab you by the wrist and begin tugging you out of the hallway. You made sure a string of curses stayed behind your legacy as Luke dragged you away. As he did, you looked at his sturdy back and noticed a paper stickied onto it. No fucking way... 

Removing it from his back without him noticing, you jog behind him with your freehand, you shakily open the note and reveal its contents. 

‘I’m a huge cryer. Once I had been away from my mom for about 2 days, and I had sobbed within the first 3 hours of the trip. It’s really bad, but I just miss people a lot when I’m away from those I love -H’ 

He’s adorable, you thought to yourself as you stuffed the note into your pocket. It was annoying that you didn’t know who he was, but learning about him through these small notes was fascinating. You were discovering a real person, either some shy boy who was this cute, or a jock who keeps these as secrets from the public view. It just made you so curious as to who this person was, and it itched at your mind. 

A question though: how the fuck did he get the note attached to the back of Luke R. Hemmings? 

“Hey,” you sounded to Luke, who continued to lead you away. But he slowed down when far enough, having you appreciate the gesture greatly. “Where are we off to?” 

“Away,” Luke replied, having you take the answer as you let him take you to wherever away was. 

You found yourself in your English class, vacant with papers and chewed up yellow pencils sprawled about. 

“I hate this class,” you hummed, slowly sauntering over to the fern chalkboard as Luke walked along the rows of tables by the door. Your fingertips dragged along the words, taking away the colored chalk in the letters and words jumbled about, leaving dashes and holes all around. “I love English, but this class is so slow that I’m ahead,” you hummed, looking around to see the big lesson soon which is ‘Love prevails all.’ 

“Keep in mind that you’re you and everyone else isn’t,” Luke said fondly through chuckles, “everyone else doesn’t have such a smart, easily interpretative brain like yours, Y/N. You’re far too unique to be in the crowd of copies.” You smiled at this curtly, still staring at the green entity to conceal it from his view. 

“I try,” you admit, bringing your hand before you to see your fingers dirtied with the white powder. “But sometimes I do wonder at what cost...” 

“Elaborate?” Luke asked kindly, always willing to lend ears. 

“I mean,” you began, clearing your throat a bit, “I’m very happy to be where I am currently with 3 amazing people as my friends, but they’re always out having a blast at those social gatherings while I keep my face stuck in a textbook.” 

“Nn,” Luke hummed in comprehension, “so you think you’re missing out?” You nodded, looking distantly at the small bookshelf that was at the end of the chalkboard by the windows. “It’s too late to get out there, you know.” 

You scoffed, smiling a bit at his words, “you’re far too optimistic, Luke. We’re already in our senior year-- my 3 years are spent and my last one is already looking to be spent.” 

“That’s because you’re trying too hard in a year that doesn’t matter so much,” Luke snorted, having you immediately snap your neck to face the blonde boy by the back of the classroom. 

“Pardon you, but I’m trying to get myself in a good university,” you snapped, “it doesn’t matter if my grades ‘don’t count’ this year. I’m always going to do my best, to not only prove it to everyone else but to myself. To prove that while everyone else is the same, I’m... different.” 

“Weren’t you just complaining about that?” Luke hummed curiously, having you look away again, studying the textbooks collecting dust, “the only rabbit in the turtle race.” 

“Well, I want to be a little both?” You chimed almost suggestively, “I mean, I definitely won’t let go of my studies for even a second, but maybe I can let loose just for a few hours every weekend? Not so late like your venue concert, but I mean, just a bit of time away from home. B-but I also don’t to seem like a slacker or some party animal...” 

“I kind’ve get what you mean,” Luke began quietly, having you glance over to see him saunter to your desk, “like that’s the side of you that you want to keep and have it exist but not be the entirety of you.” You gave Luke a lingering stare, seeing the way he looked wistfully at your desk and brushed his fingertips along the scratched in gang names and doodles. 

“R-right, yeah,” you sputtered, somewhat surprised at how understanding Luke was. It was like he himself was in the same shoes, but that couldn’t be possible, could it? He was the popular guitar player in a band who goes to parties and has girls constantly swooning over him. He indulges in attention and is said to be the life of every party he steps one single foot in. “Does that sound crazy or somethin...”

“I think it’s cool,” Luke mumbles genuinely, his tender words quickly making your heart race, “you want to stay true to yourself to everything while still experiencing something that’s out of your comfort. It’s really rad, ‘n I respect that.” 

You smiled at this, feeling a little better as you slowly made your way towards the boy, “you’re actually not that bad, Hemmings.” This quickly caught Luke’s attention as he snapped his neck and had his blue eyes widened and fixed on you. No words came through just yet, but his bewilderment was quite the sight, “chillax, I’m just saying you aren’t as much of an ass as you always act.” 

“N-no it’s not that,” Luke stuttered, both large hands covering his face as he looked away. You stayed at his back, confused as those curls perfectly fell down the nape of his pale neck. You wondered what happened, wanting to step closer without stepping on a border. “It’s unusual for you to be candid in such a sweet way-- it caught me a little off guard.” 

“Don’t get used to it,” you huffed, “it’s not gonna happen often, and this might end up being a one time thing.” Then, suddenly, Luke chuckled after your words, and you couldn’t help but lighten up. His laughter was always so gentle and warm, like a morning dew of a summer morning, with bells dancing along with the wind current.

“I won’t,” Luke assured, turning around to show his cheeks only a little bit tinted with pink, “but I like this you-- this raw version. Just makes me fall even deeper.” 

“Fucks sake,” you scoffed, looking away to shake your head in disapproval, “don’t even begin with calling me candid when you’re especially so. You’re not in love with me.” 

Luke let that hang for a moment, having you feel his blue eyes stare at you as he held a smirk. You looked over at the window beside your seat, reminding yourself of the stalker. The Note Tree, the assumed title of the song this random boy wrote for you. Always changed, 30+ days worth of one lyric change that had always kept you wondering how his eyes was always on you but you could never coincidentally meet them. You emit a sigh, somewhat vexed at everything and the stalker and the boy before you with a warm smile and beautiful ocean eyes. 

“That sucks,” Luke hummed, “because I am very much in love with you and proud to be incredibly deep in. I’m practically by the center of the earth-- it’s beyond boiling point.” You shook your head, chuckling at how much of a dork he was. 

“So what should I do about it?” You sounded, rolling your eyes over to see him gnawing on his bottom rouge lip. You wondered curiously at his face, seeing how he hasn’t even faltered a single bit. 

“You’re a good digger, aren’t you?” Luke pointed out, “dig me out.” 

“Oh yeah?” You made your voice just a bit higher, with your eyebrows following and your eyes meeting his with annoyance. “How do I do that? My personality is one that makes everyone run away so I have no idea how to dig you out.” 

“Well, that’s the thing then, isn’t it?” Luke said quietly with a curt, kind smile, “you can’t. Your digging skills only reside in things you know, but you can’t understand my love for you. So there’s nothing you can do but make me sink deeper and deeper,” Luke spewed with more passion, moving closer to you, and oh my, “until my heart is bruised with your name. It’ll throb lovingly with eternal colors that I’ve only seen when I’m with you or you’re dancing about in my head.” 

“I...” you began, looking away completely. You were flushed. Red-faced, red tinted, completely scarlet with no control whatsoever. That asshole is absolutely impossible. “...Fuck off, Luke.” You shoved him back, getting out a few entertained laughs from the blond dolt. 

“Never,” Luke practically sung, having you grumble as you took a seat on the desk in front of yours and leaned your back against the closed window. Luke followed, hopping on your desk as you looked distantly at the empty hall through the door. He noticed the wistful expression on your face and spewed quietly, “you okay, Y/N?” 

“Mind singing me a little something?” You immediately replied, indirectly looking over to see his feet move forwards and backwards like he were on a swing. They suddenly halted from your words though, as you felt his eyes likely on you. He was silent, speechless possibly, “what’s wrong? Can’t do it without your guitar?” 

“N-no,” Luke stuttered, his hands clenching around the edges of the desk as he sat forward with his lanky back slouched. “It’s just... didn’t think you’d ever ask me to sing you something.” 

“Want me to take it back?” You threatened. 

“No!” He immediately stopped you, having you smirk as you began twiddling your thumbs. You didn’t say anything further, having Luke guess to sing anything he’d like. You don’t have requests so long as you heard his voice. His singing voice is not bad, you honestly admitted. “You’re dripping like a saturated sunri-hiiise--” He chose Halsey, what a guy, “-you’re spilling like an overflowing sink. You’re ripped at every edge, but you’re a master piece, and now I’m tearing through the pages and the ink-- come in with me, Y/N!” 

“I don’t sing,” you exclaimed in slight bewilderment, looking over to see pure optimism and encouragement. “I’m not that like, good...” 

“But I don’t care,” Luke hummed, having you frown, “I want to hear all of you, every single way you can use your voice. So singing is one.”

“You pervert, that consists of a lot of sound I can make--.” 

“Everything is blue!” Luke sang-screamed, having you flinch, but giggle it out before joining him. “His pills, his hands, his jeans. And now I’m covered in the colors pull apart at the seams-- continue it for me, Y/N.” 

“I swear to god, Luke--.”

“Y/N.” 

“And it’s blue-oo-oo-ooo,” you sang the stretched out word, having you feel completely embarrassed as you sung, “and it’s blue-oo-oo-ooo...” 

“Everythin’ is grey-- his hair, his smoke, his dreams,” Luke sang, his voice raspy and pure, completely raw and absolutely doesn’t need a guitar to help him sound better. He was fantastic, as he deserves to think and know so. “And now he’s so devoid of color-- he don’t know what it means! And he’s blue.... yeah, he’s blue...” 

“You were red,” you began with the bridge, your voice as dramatic as it could be as Luke began to sputter out laughter. You clenched your chest with your hands, “and you liked me because I was blue...” 

“Then you touched me and suddenly I was a lilac sky!” Luke yelled with you, the both of you raising your arms with glee as you turned to face each other. “But then you decided purple just wasn’t for you.” 

“And it’s blue-oo-oo-ooo,” Luke finished quietly, refusing to go through the whole chorus yet again as you stared at him wistfully. It’s those kind of moments you dream of having: the ones where you can be absolutely silly with another who is just as silly and indulging in it completely. But it’s with Luke and somehow you aren’t mad about it. You’re looking into those blue eyes and noticed just how blue they were. And by God, they were so blue-- so blue that you could fucking drown in them and you had high doubts that Luke had his lifeguard license. 

“Ah, sorry...” you quickly spewed an apology, looking away to distantly return yourself to the vacant corridor. But Luke only let out another laugh, one more lower and genuine, so warm and tender that it greeted your heart kindly with a dose of adrenaline. 

“And you still wonder why I love you?” Luke began, scoffing in disbelief as your cheeks flared up in scarlet. “Can this be our song? So when we get married, we can play it and remember this day.” 

“Luke!” You exclaimed, slamming down on the wooden table. “Slow your damn horses-- you’re way too optimistic about your future.” 

“I don’t think it’s optimism,” Luke said honestly with a smirk. You turned to stare at him, seeing the way he looked up distantly to the ceiling, his blue orbs still. “I know what I want in my future, and I know I want you innit all, through-and-through.”

You allowed the silence to take you over, as you were at a loss of words. So much so that you adjusted your bag on you bag and hopped off the desk. Luke followed, refusing to utter a word as you gestures to the space before you. 

“Y/N?” 

“Grab my wrist and walk us back to the gym please,” you murmured, shyly unfurling your hand as you offered it to him. You could tell he was a bit awestruck, considering this was very out of your nature. But Luke had just done something that you will never forget, even if you wanted to, and somehow-- somehow, you aren’t angry at all. 

“You’re so sly,” Luke chuckled out, his hands with mountains of callouses and rough skin taking your wrist. It was a more delicate hold, much more gentle and not rushed. It felt really sweet and genuine, like he was savoring it all. “Let’s go.”

With that, you allowed the blonde-haired monster take you away, fully flushed and unable to shake off the sudden new speed your heart took on. 

you already know what to do, inbox is right here and please don’t hate me for the super slow updates aha xx 

[pyratetm-a]

18th Century Words & Phrases for the Most Noble Rper

This is in no way completely comprehensive, because if I was going to write one that was completely so, 1. it’d be a literal book, if not volumes of a series, and 2. I’d be getting paid for it, lmao.  But what I do want to do is offer some period-authentic terms and a sort of guide for people writing early modern characters situated in the Long 18th.  So here you go, Amanda’s guide to 18th Century language, centered around things that will most likely pop up in rp as far as conversation goes.  Be aware there are some nsfw stuff here!  Because sex was as much a part of life then as it is now.  Go forth.  Use it.  Make your writing more period appropriate with it and make your local pirate historian proud, guys.

Dialogue Things

Things to spice up your dialogue a little.  While early modern english is pretty similar to modern english in a lot of ways, some words and phrases have shifted in that three hundred years to mean something wholly different, and these are the ones I tried to focus most on in this section.

against:  often used in place of before.  ex. against the crowd. allow: often used in place of admit.  ex.  i'll allow it may be true. awful:  to inspire awe, as opposed to being terrible.  ex.  it was an awful sight. blow:  to bloom.  where full blown comes from.  ex.  the flowers were blown. calenture:  an illness from a tropical region.  ex.  he was down with calenture. cant:  low language, common language.  ex. cant is an example of an uneducated mind. check: hold back or restrain.  ex.  check your temper. coach-and-six:  a coach and six horses.  ex. she came along in a coach-and-six. condescending:  not negative, means showing a proper degree of courtesy.  ex.  he condescended an impeccable degree of courtesy. conversation:  any social interaction; criminal conversation means adultery.  ex.  they were seen in a bit of conversation. correspondence:  any sort of relationship; does not mean the exhange of letters.  ex.  we keep a lively correspondence. distracted:  a person who suffers from mental illness (of any type) was said to be distracted.  ex.  and the poor dear was distracted. eat:  not only to eat; but also used in past tense.  ex. i eat and then i was for my bed. else:  used either for else, or to mean otherwise.  ex.  elseways everyone t'would know where it was. fee:  a fee, but also meaning to pay for.  ex. i feed the bill. gross:  large or coarse; did not mean disgusting.  ex.  a gross load. hand:  someone's handwriting.  ex.  and it was in his hand. hardly:  sometimes barely, sometimes with difficulty.  ex.  we made it through hardly. humour:  comedy, but also mood or caprice; also found in medicine as part of the four humors theory.  ex.  she's in a bad humour. iambic:  a metric foot but also for satire.  ex.  he was keen on iambic. indifferent:  the same as now, but applied to an object instead of a person.  ex.  it was indifferent to me. letters:  physical paper letters, the alphabet, learning.  ex.  he has his letters (he is educated). license:  freedom, liberty.  ex.  i've license to do as i wish. mobile vulgus:  a mob.  ex.  here's the mobile vulgis now. occasional:  not from time to time, but on a special occasion.  ex.  it was occasional. ordinary:  a chaplain at a prison.  ex.  i confessed my sins to the ordinary. own:  acknowledge or admit to.  ex.  i'll own my words. paint:  makeup, cosmetics.  ex.  she wore her paint. precipitate:  to rush, to hasten.  ex.  we precipitate our departure. proper:  one's own.  ex.  it was proper. quit:  to leave.  ex.  let's quit this place. rail:  speak harshly.  ex.  he railed at me. repair:  to go or travel.  ex.  we repair for savannah. retire:  to leave the room, to withdraw.  ex.  he retired to his apartment. romance:  a fictional narrative.  ex.  it was a romance. sex:  not the act, but usually in use with regard to women.  ex. the fair sex. singular:  exceptional.  ex.  he's a singular man. snacks:  to divide or go into equally.  ex.  we went in snacks. suffer:  aside from the modern meaning, also allow or permit.  ex.  i'll suffer to see him. token:  a small sign or indication.  ex.  a token of her affections. traffic:  commerce, trade.  ex.  pirates traffic here. try:  test, make a trial of.  ex.  he wants to try my measure. use:  sometimes to treat.  ex.  he uses me as though i were his child. vicious:  given to vice, immoral.  ex.  he's a vicious man. vulgar:  common, but not necessarily disgusting.  ex. i found him vulgar. want:  desire, but also a lack.  ex.  a man could die for want of acknowledgement. weeds:  clothes, especially by women in mourning.  ex.  she was in her weeds. worsted:  a fabric made of woolen yarn.  ex.  he wears worsted. zounds:  a swear about as bad as damn.  ex.  zounds and buggery!

Food Things

blue tape:  gin. black jack:  a leather drinking jug. bog orange:  potato. bohea: (bo-hay) a type of tea. bonny clapper:  sour buttermilk. booze:  ...booze.  yes, it's really that old. brown cow:  a barrel of beer. bumper:  half full glass. cackling farts / cackle fruit:  eggs. chocolate:  in this context not a candy bar.  usually in bricks or powder, used as drinking chocolate.  milk chocolate did not exist, so it's fairly bitter.  often sprinkled with chili powder or paprika. cold tea:  brandy. corn:  any grain.  mais or maize is the word for corn specifically. dog's soup:  water. draught:  the usual spelling for draft (you've been reading it wrong in your head haven't you); drink. english manufacture:  ale, beer, or cider. fiddler's pay:  thanks and wine (and no money). grub:  food. grunting peck:  a hog. gut an oyster:  to eat the oyster. knock down:  very strong ale or beer. meat:  any food, not just literal meat. panam:  bread. pharaoh:  a strong malt drink. purl royal:  canary (the drink) with a dash of wormwood. ruff peck:  bacon. strip me naked:  gin. wibble:  a sad drink. wobble:  to boil.

Medical Things

crinkum:  venereal disease. french pox:  venereal disease. lying in:  a pregnant woman would be said to lie in until the birth.

People Things

abbess:  a woman who runs a brothel. baggage:  an insulting term for a woman. blue stocking:  an educated woman. christened by a baker:  freckled cucumber:  a tailor. jack of legs:  a tall person. jade:  another not at all nice term for a woman. jilt:  a sex worker or kept mistress. mechanic:  a tradesman or workman. mercer:  a cloth merchant. quean:  sex worker.  whither go ye:  a wife. wife in water colors:  a mistress.

Pirate & Sailing Things

admiral of the black / of the coast:  the big wigs in the brethren of the coast. black spot:  a real thing; a smudge on one side of the paper and the written threat on the other.  usually is a death threat. blow the man down:  kill someone. chandler:  a dealer offering ship supplies like robe, tools, etc. crimp:  procurring sailors by trickery or coercion. davy jones's locker:  a watery grave / to die at sea. dead men tell no tales:  exactly what it sounds like. deadlights:  the shutters that can clap down over a porthole or cabin window in bad weather; windows in a ship's side or deck, eyes. fire in the hole:  the warning before a cannon is fired. give no quarter:  refusal to spare the life of anyone that fights; a red flag raised on a pirate ship also signals this. holy stone / bible stone:  piece of sandstone used to scour the deck of a ship; big ones were bibles, small ones were prayer books - called so because it was used by getting on one's knees. jack:  a flag at the top of the bow - especially the one signaling ship nationality. jack tar: a sailor. line:  the equator. no prey, no pay:  no ships taken, no pay received. on the account:  to turn pirate; to go to work for one's self. pay debts with the topsail:  to run off to sea to avoid debts. real: (ree-al) a spanish denomination of money common in south america and the caribbean. red ensign:  a british naval flag. refit:  to resupply a ship.  would always be referred to this particular way. rum-gagger:  someone who tells false stories of hardships at sea. run a rig:  to play a trick. show a leg:  wake up. strike colors:  lower the flag; typically a signal of surrender. sutler:  a merchant selling all manner of goods for supplies and repairs. take a caulk:  take a nap - comes from sleeping on a caulked deck which left streaks of tar down clothing. warp:  moving a vessel (especially along a dock) by hauling a line fastened to different things like pilings, anchors, or piers. yellow jack:  used to indicate illness (typically yellow fever) aboard - often used to try and trick pirates.

Place & Stuff Things

apartment:  instead of the modern connotation of apartment, this wouldn't be a whole dwelling, but a rented room. bowsing ken:  an ale house. brake: heavily overgrown area. flats and sharps:  weapons. garret: an attic. house of civil reception:  a brothel. jakes:  a privy. kennel:  a gutter or street sewer. lanthorn:  a lantern. magazine:  a storehouse, especially for things like weapons.  had just come into vogue as meaning periodical publication. ordinary:  a roadside inn with stabling for horses. taper:  a small candle. tea voider:  a chamber pot. tube:  sometimes a smoking pipe. welkin:  the sky.

Sex Stuff

box the jesuit:  to masturbate. buttered bun:  having sex with a woman who just had sex with another man (i.e. as in a brothel). crack jenny's tea cup:  spending the night in a brothel. cundum:  a condom, usually made of sheep's skin (yes they had condoms). doxy / doxies:  a sex worker; can also refer to a kept woman. dragon on/upon st. george / riding st. george:  the woman topping. fancy lad:  a term for a male sex worker who usually services other men. fancy man:  a backdoor man (that is a man kept for the hanky panky). flogging:  pretty much the 18th c equivalent of spanking. hell cat:  considered a lewd woman; one who doesn't shy from her sexuality. screw:  to have sex (yes it's that old).

Slang Things:

admiral of the narrow seas:  a drunk who vomits in his neighbor's lap. apple dumpling shop:  a woman's boobies. been to an irish wedding:  to have a black eye. bring one's ass to anchor:  sit down. cast up one's account:  to vomit. dance the hempen jig:  to hang. dance with jack ketch:  to hang. fed with a fire shovel:  to have a big mouth. go a snail's gallop:  to move slowly. grin like a basket of chips:  grin broadly. hand like a foot:  to have bad handwriting. make faces:  to have children. milk the pidgeon:  attempt the impossible. navel-tied:  to be inseparable. piss more than he drinks:  a braggart. up the ladder to bed:  to hang.

Social Things

banns:  declaring intention to marry.  in the anglican church it had to be read three sundays before a couple was allowed to marry. cloud:  tobacco. fog: smoke. guinea:  a coin worth 21 shillings (just over a pound at the time). hombre:  a popular card game of the time. make love:  to flirt, did not meant to have sex. macaroni:  not food, but a specific type of dandy. mrs.:  applied to women of a certain age regardless of marital status. naked:  indecently dressed; a man without frock and waistcoat would be naked. oaten pipe:  a shepherd's flute made of reed. penny:  four farthings, one-twelfth of a shilling. plain-work:  basic sewing. pound:  twenty shillings. ridotto:  an entertainment with music and dancing. shift:  a woman's undergarment consisting of a thing loose dress of muslin or linen. shirt:  the linen shirt of a man, considered an undergarment. toilet:  a dressing table. transportation:  forcible exile for committing a crime, such as to the american colonies or australia.

[wordsnstuff]

Book Recommendations!

PLEASE READ: Hello my beautiful readers! A lot of you have been requesting a book recommendation list and I have finally delivered! If you purchase any of these books using the links I’ve put in this post, I will receive a commission so I can continue to update my blog regularly, with no charge to you beautiful readers! Please reblog and share this post, and I will be forever grateful.

The Night Circus by Erin Morganstern

Rating: ✩✩✩✩{✩1/2}

~ Genre ~ Metaphysical and Visionary Fiction

☀ Summary ☀

The circus arrives without warning. No announcements precede it. It is simply there, when yesterday it was not. Within the black-and-white striped canvas tents is an utterly unique experience full of breathtaking amazements. It is called Le Cirque des Rêves, and it is only open at night. 

But behind the scenes, a fierce competition is underway—a duel between two young magicians, Celia and Marco, who have been trained since childhood expressly for this purpose by their mercurial instructors. Unbeknownst to them, this is a game in which only one can be left standing, and the circus is but the stage for a remarkable battle of imagination and will. Despite themselves, however, Celia and Marco tumble headfirst into love—a deep, magical love that makes the lights flicker and the room grow warm whenever they so much as brush hands. True love or not, the game must play out, and the fates of everyone involved, from the cast of extraordinary circus per­formers to the patrons, hang in the balance, suspended as precariously as the daring acrobats overhead. 

Buy This Book Here

The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas

Rating: ✩✩✩✩✩

~ Genre ~ Young Adult Fiction

☀ Summary ☀

The Hate U Give is a groundbreaking, thought-provoking debut novel inspired by the Black Lives Matter movement, about a teen girl who is the only witness to her friend's fatal shooting by a police officer. Sixteen-year-old Starr Carter moves between two worlds: the poor black neighborhood where she lives and the fancy suburban prep school she attends. The uneasy balance between these worlds is shattered when Starr witnesses the fatal shooting of her childhood best friend, Khalil, at the hands of a police officer. Khalil was unarmed. Soon afterward, Khalil's death is a national headline. Some are calling him a thug, maybe even a drug dealer and a gangbanger. Starr's best friend at school suggests he may have had it coming. When it becomes clear the police have little interest in investigating the incident, protesters take to the streets and Starr's neighborhood becomes a war zone. What everyone wants to know is: What really went down that night? And the only person alive who can answer that is Starr. But what Starr does -- or does not -- say could destroy her community. It could also endanger her life.

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Saving Ceecee Honeycutt by Beth Hoffman

Rating: ✩✩✩✩{✩1/2}

~ Genre ~ Women’s Fiction

☀ Summary ☀

Twelve-year-old CeeCee Honeycutt is in trouble. For years, she has been the caretaker of her mother, Camille, the town’s tiara-wearing, lipstick-smeared laughingstock, a woman who is trapped in her long-ago moment of glory as the 1951 Vidalia Onion Queen of Georgia. When tragedy strikes, Tootie Caldwell, CeeCee’s long-lost great-aunt, comes to the rescue and whisks her away to Savannah. There, CeeCee is catapulted into a perfumed world of prosperity and Southern eccentricity—one that appears to be run entirely by strong, wacky women. From the exotic Miz Thelma Rae Goodpepper, who bathes in her backyard bathtub and uses garden slugs as her secret weapons; to Tootie's all-knowing housekeeper, Oletta Jones; to Violene Hobbs, who entertains a local police officer in her canary-yellow peignoir, the women of Gaston Street keep CeeCee entertained and enthralled for an entire summer.

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The Secret History Of The Pink Carnation Lauren Willig

Rating: ✩✩✩{✩1/2}

~ Genre ~ Historical Fiction and Romance

☀ Summary ☀

Realizing romantic heroes are a thing of the past, graduate student Eloise Kelly is determined to focus on her work. Her first stop: England, to finish her dissertation on the English spies of the Napoleonic Wars, like the Scarlet Pimpernel and the Purple Gentian. But her greatest conquest is to reveal the most elusive spy of them all, the dashing Pink Carnation. As she does, she discovers something for the history books-a living, breathing hero all her very own...

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What She Left Behind by Ellen Marie Wiseman

Rating: ✩✩✩✩

~ Genre ~ Contemporary Fiction

☀ Summary ☀

Ten years ago, Izzy Stone's mother fatally shot her father while he slept. Devastated by her mother's apparent insanity, Izzy, now seventeen, refuses to visit her in prison. But her new foster parents, employees at the local museum, have enlisted Izzy's help in cataloging items at a long-shuttered state asylum. There, amid piles of abandoned belongings, Izzy discovers a stack of unopened letters, a decades-old journal, and a window into her own past. Clara Cartwright, eighteen years old in 1929, is caught between her overbearing parents and her love for an Italian immigrant. Furious when she rejects an arranged marriage, Clara's father sends her to a genteel home for nervous invalids. But when his fortune is lost in the stock market crash, he can no longer afford her care--and Clara is committed to the public asylum. Even as Izzy deals with the challenges of yet another new beginning, Clara's story keeps drawing her into the past. If Clara was never really mentally ill, could something else explain her own mother's violent act? Piecing together Clara's fate compels Izzy to re-examine her own choices--with shocking and unexpected results.

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Art Blog // Submit Your Original Writing // Request Writing Advice // Q&A

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Look at this! Eric has some words to share! Draht Photography

New Post has been published on https://www.drahtphotography.com/the-rainforest-wedding-in-the-mountains-highlights/

The Rainforest Wedding in the Mountains Highlights

Savannah and Arya’s backyard wedding was a beautiful and intimate celebration of their love, blending their unique cultural backgrounds and taking place on a picturesque 5-acre piece of land that they called home. The entire event was a heartfelt reflection of their personalities and the love they shared.

const searchread_651cd58b815c041018ece2e2 = `The Rainforest Wedding in the Mountains Wedding

September 9, 2023 Savannah and Arya's backyard wedding was a beautiful and intimate celebration of their love, blending their unique cultural backgrounds and taking place on a picturesque 5-acre piece of land that they called home. The entire event was a heartfelt reflection of their personalities and the love they shared.

The setting for the ceremony was truly enchanting. The backyard was transformed into a dreamy, outdoor oasis, with lush greenery and colorful flowers adorning the space. A winding stone path led guests through the manicured gardens to the heart of the ceremony area, where a stunning altar was set up beneath a towering oak tree, providing natural shade and a sense of reverence.

Arya, the groom, being Persian, incorporated elements of his heritage into the wedding. One of the most captivating moments was the ring photo. They chose to capture this special moment on a beautifully woven Persian rug, symbolizing both Arya's roots and the solid foundation of their marriage. The rug added a touch of elegance and tradition to the proceedings.

As the ceremony began, the soft notes of a live acoustic ensemble filled the air. Friends and family gathered on rustic wooden benches, facing the altar where Savannah and Arya would exchange their vows. The couple's love story was shared through heartfelt readings and touching speeches, celebrating their journey together.

Savannah, radiant in her flowing white gown adorned with delicate lace, walked down the aisle with her father. Her bouquet of wildflowers and greenery perfectly complemented the natural surroundings. Arya, dashing in a tailored suit, awaited her arrival with a beaming smile.

Their vows, filled with promises and love, echoed through the garden, touching the hearts of all in attendance. As they exchanged rings on the Persian rug, they sealed their commitment to one another with a passionate kiss, and cheers of joy erupted from their guests.

After the ceremony, guests enjoyed cocktails and hors d'oeuvres in the sprawling backyard, under strings of twinkling lights that illuminated the area as the sun set. The reception took place on the spacious lawn, where long wooden tables were elegantly set with white linens, candles, and vibrant centerpieces.

Savannah and Arya danced their first dance under the starry sky, surrounded by the people who meant the most to them. Traditional Persian dishes and American favorites graced the buffet, catering to their diverse backgrounds and ensuring everyone's tastes were satisfied.

As the evening continued, speeches were given, toasts were made, and laughter filled the air. The dance floor became a place of celebration, where guests of all ages danced to a mix of Persian and Western music.

The wedding of Savannah and Arya was not just a celebration of love but also a merging of cultures and a testament to the beauty of blending traditions. With their backyard transformed into a magical haven, they celebrated their union in a way that was truly unique and meaningful to them, creating memories that would last a lifetime.

`;

[tripstations]

9 Eid Al Adha holidays from the UAE

The Neretva river winding through the old UNESCO listed, Mostar bridge in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Image Credit: Getty Images

If you happen to be like us and are counting on the Eid Al Adha break to plan that long overdue summer break, then you’re in luck. Gulf News tabloid! has put together a list of nine destinations that fit the bill for all tastes — from the ideal island getaway to that adventure road-trip that you have planned since high school.

Read on and start packing:

Kyoto, Japan

27 march 2019 – Kyoto, Japan: Yasaka Pagoda and Sannen Zaka Street, Kyoto, Japan. Tourists wander down the narrow streets of the Higashiyama District neighbourhood in Kyoto, Japan Image Credit: Getty Images

The ancient city of Kyoto continues to remain a top draw during the annual Cherry Blossom Festival when a carpet of pink and white comes into bloom for endless Insta-worthy moments. However, the blossoms aren’t Kyoto’s only draw.

Tanabata, also known as the Star Festival, is celebrated in Kyoto on August 7 and perfectly timed for this year’s Eid Al Adha getaway. Tanabata celebrates the legend of two astrological lovers — Hikoboshi (the Altair star) and Orihime (the Vega star) who are separated by the Milky Way or ‘river of the heavens’. Once a year they are allowed to meet, and this is celebrated by hanging a small paper with our wishes written on it, which are tied to Tanabata bamboo branches. The branches are displayed throughout the city and in mid-August during the Obon-festival, they are ceremoniously burnt at the famous Gozan no Okuribi bonfire.

woman with an orange kimono and a red umbrella in Arasshiyama bamboo forest in Kyoto, Japan Image Credit: Getty Images

Kyoto celebrates the festival over a 10-day period with a number of events designed around the theme of ‘wishes’. The events include visual installations of Tanabata, lightshows, family-fun activities and festive food stalls.

Must do: Participate in the Tanabata festival like a local by wearing traditional yukata or a summer kimono.

Details: Emirates flies direct to Osaka, the closest airport to Kyoto. One way flight time averages nine hours outbound and 10 hours inbound to Dubai. The Eid fare is approximately Dh5,500. Philippine Airlines and China Southern Airlines also fly to Osaka with stopovers.

Sunny Beach, Bulgaria

Sunny Beach, Bulgaria Image Credit: Getty Images

There are 101 reasons to love Sunny Beach, the least of it is hidden in its name. The sunshine city is nestled along the eastern coastline of Bulgaria, hugging the Black Sea — almost across from Georgia’s Batumi beyond the lapping waves.

Like any coastal city, be it Playa Del Carmen in Mexico’s Maya Riviera or tiny towns peppered down Portugal’s Algarve province, the party here never stops.

During the day, you will find most sun worshippers spread out on the lounges of the beachside resorts potted down Sunny Beach. By night, the Flower Street receives its onslaught of revellers looking to have a fun evening.

Nessebar Image Credit: Getty Images

Must do: If time permits from the nightlife, do take time out to drive (or grab a bus) down south 15 minutes to visit Nessebar, a Unesco World Heritage Site that is a delight to explore on foot as you stroll down the 3,000 year old cobblestone paths. The former Greek colony has some beautiful architecture that are a must visit.

Details: While Varna would be the closest airport, in terms of connectivity from Dubai, capital city Sophia is your best bet. Flydubai and Emirates fly direct (according to the Wizz Air website, it will resume flights from DWC to Sophia in September), with Eid fares starting at Dh3,500. Take note, the carriers may not fly daily.

Bosnia and Herzegovina

Kravica waterfalls on the Trebizat River in Bosnia and Herzegovina – the Balkans, Europe Image Credit: Getty Images/iStockphoto

Bosnia and Herzegovina may be looked over by its more popular neighbour Croatia, largely thanks to a certain television show — ‘Game of Thrones’ — but the country comes with its own rich history.

After years of political turmoil, the tourism push has commenced only very recently so it can appear a little rough around the edges. But that only just adds to its overall charm.

Mostar bridge in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Image Credit: Getty Images

Capital city Sarajevo is a tiny enclave and can be largely explored on foot. The violent history of the country is never forgotten with its many landmarks paying tribute in a hundred different ways to its fallen comrades. Architectural influences of the Roman and the Ottoman empires are still visible even today.

The highlight of a visit to this Balkan state are attractions such as Jablanicko Lake, Kravice Waterfalls and the Unesco World Heritage Site of Mostar.

Must do: One of the best known landmarks in Mostar is the Old Bridge, which was destroyed by Croatian armed forces on November 9, 1993. At the end of the Bosnian War, the bridge was rebuilt between 2001 and 2004 from the original stone that was salvaged from the bottom of the river. The country also has a tiny coastline of about 13 miles along the Adriatic Sea.

Details: Air Arabia flies direct to Sarajevo from Sharjah. Flight time is approximately five hours and 20 minutes. Eid airfare is approximately Dh2,495. Flydubai and Emirates also fly direct.

Salalah, Oman

Darbaat Salalah, Oman after Mekuno Cyclone Image Credit: Getty Images/iStockphoto

Monsoon season is upon Oman and there is no better season to visit the coastal city of Salalah when the Khareef turns the valleys lush and green.

There are beautiful beaches to explore across the Salalah coastline, but a personal favourite is the Marneef Cave and its many blow holes. The Khareef or monsoon also signal the season of high tides and that’s when this place turns magical with water gushing out in force.

Darbat waterfalls, Salalah, Sultanate of Oman Image Credit: Getty Images/iStockphoto

Must do: For those looking for a spot of silly fun, visit the Salalah Anti-Gravity Point where cars allegedly travel up a hill while in neutral. Is it legit, you ask? Why not try it out for yourself.

Details: Etihad Airways has launched special flights to Salalah from Abu Dhabi in time of the Khareef season. Other airlines that fly direct from UAE include Air Airabia from Sharjah, along with flydubai and Emirates from Dubai. Eid airfares start at Dh1,100.

Siem Reap, Cambodia

View of Angkor Wat at sunrise, Archaeological Park in Siem Reap, Cambodia UNESCO World Heritage Site Image Credit: Getty Images/iStockphoto

The land of temples and rich heritage, Siem Reap is truly a delight for those who like holidays with a dash of culture. Naturally, Siem Reap is synonymous with Angkor Wat and no visit is complete without visiting the ancient Hindu temple complex. Pro tip: sign up for the sunrise tour. Yes, it does get crowded but if you manage to blag that perfect spot, prop up a GoPro or smartphone on a tripod and set up a time-lapse. As the first rays hit the complex, Angkor Wat lights up in all its glory.

Stone face Asura on causeway near South Gate of Angkor Thom in Siem Reap, Cambodia. Beautiful sunset over ancient moat in background. Mysterious Angkor Thom is a popular tourist attraction. (Stone face Asura on causeway near South Gate of Angkor Thom Image Credit: Getty Images/iStockphoto

Must See: Aside from Angkor Wat, there are a multitude of other temples to visit. It can get a tad boring and hot so we recommend visiting two other complexes before taking in the Siem Reap nightlife: the Ta Prohm complex with its towering trees that shot to international fame after Angelia Jolie’s Lara Croft swung from behind them in ‘Tomb Raider’; the other is Angkor Thom’s Bayon temple with its 216 gargantuan smiling faces of Avalokiteshvara.

Details: There’s no direct flight from UAE, but China Southern Airlines and Bangkok Air have connecting flights. Eid airfares start at Dh3,615.

Serengeti, Tanzania

Group of wild giraffes in african savannah against blue sky with clouds near the road. Tanzania. National park Serengeti. ( Group of wild giraffes in african savannah against blue sky with clouds near the road. Tanzania. National park Serengeti., ASC Image Credit: Getty Images/iStockphoto

You will probably have to pay top dollar to get a foot in last-minute but if you do happen to strike lucky then nothing can beat the beauty of seeing Mother Nature perform as the Great Migration gets underway with a multitude of river crossings at the Mara River.

Aside from the wildebeest migration in Serengeti, this is also an opportune time to see the African Big Five — the elephant, the black rhino, the lion, the leopard and the buffalo.

Do visit the Lake Manyara National Park, an hour’s ride from the Ngorongoro Crater, where game includes elephants, buffaloes and wildebeest along with giraffe, zebra, waterbucks, warthogs and impalas.

Must do: If luck is on your side, stay at the rim of the Ngorongoro Crater or on the Rift Valley Escarpment. These lodges are expensive, especially with last-minute bookings, but have incredible views and easy access to the crater.

Details: The closest airport is Kilimanjaro and both flydubai and Emirates fly direct with Eid prices start at Dh3,600. The fight time one-way is approximately six hours. One stop options include flying with Ethiopian Air, via Addis Ababa, starting at Dh2,445.

Cape Town, South Africa

Boulders beach in Simons Town, Cape Town, South Africa. Beautiful penguins. Image Credit: Getty Images/iStockphoto

Winter well and truly sets into Cape Town during August, with the wind picking up and the rain clouds hanging overhead. But if you ask us, this lends another kind of charm to this South African city.

No trip to Cape Town is complete without a visit to the iconic Table Mountain, along with a hike up to the Lion’s Head and a trip to Robben Island, where the late Nelson Mandela spent 18 years of his life in prison during apartheid.

Aerial view of Cape Town with Cape Town Stadium, Lion’s Head and Table mountain. Image Credit: Getty Images/iStockphoto

With South Africa now offering visa-free entry for citizens of UAE and Saudi Arabia, the access is only gotten easier. Over Eid Al Adha, One&Only Cape Town has launched its ‘Adventure Package’ experience, where guests can hike to the top of the Lion’s Head and paddle through the lush blue waters of the Atlantic when booking a minimum four-night stay at the resort.

Must-do: Do not miss a walk down Boulders Beach where you come face to face with thousands of African Penguins that live there. It’s also a great place to spend the day on the beaches of False Bay.

Details: South African airlines flies direct to Cape Town with the flight time approximately nine hours and 30 minutes. The round-trip airfare is Dh4,365 over Eid. Ethiopian Air and Kenya Airways offer cheaper flight options with a single stopover.

Seychelles

Seychelles. Image Credit: Shutterstock

Nothing quite spells a vacation like an island getaway and what better than the tropical hideaway of Seychelles. August spells winter across Seychelles and is considered the driest month of the year, which simply means a balmy mid-twenties and a cool breeze as the sun sets.

The archipelago attracts thousands of tourists every year due to its crystal-clear waters, especially its three main islands — Mahe, Praslin and La Digue. During August, it is ideal to stay on the north side of the island. If your travels take you to North Mahe’s Beau Vallon district, be prepared for diving deep into the waters with plenty of scuba and snorkelling options.

Seychelles

We also recommend spending time in Victoria, the capital of Seychelles. Take a cruise to Sainte Anne Marine National Park and explore the rich history of the city including the Natural History Museum, Victoria Botanical Gardens and more.

Must do: If the great outdoors beckon, then hit the Copolia Trail on Mahe Island that takes you up a e granite hill with jaw-dropping views of the island and the sparkling waters of the Indian Ocean.

Details: Tajawal is offering a four-night and five-day holiday package that includes flights, hotels and private transfers starting from Dh6,025 per person, subject to availability. Emirates flies direct to Mahe from Dubai, with Eid airfares starting at Dh4,225 with a four hour, 30 minutes flight time. Etihad Airways also flies direct from Abu Dhabi.

Leh and Ladakh

Hiker man rising arms Adventure and Freedom concept at View of landscape at Leh Ladakh District ,Norther part of India Image Credit: Getty Images/iStockphoto

If there is ever a season to take that road-trip across Ladakh, then this is it. With the snow melted across Rohtang Pass, fly into Manali and hire a car to embark on this journey of a lifetime into Ladakh.

Take the time in Leh for your body to acclimatise while you spend afternoons strolling through the Tibetan refugee market for trinkets.

The Buddhist monastery of Stakna above Indus river in the Indian Himalaya in late autumn. – at Stakna, Ladakh, India Image Credit: Getty Images/iStockphoto

Sites to behold in Ladakh include Nubra Valley, the Morai Plains and the Pangog Tso salt water lake. But if you ask us, it is the beauty of Zanskar Valley that will take your breath away with majestic views of the Himalayan range and the tributaries of the Zanskar River that are excellent for white river rafting.

Must-do: If your travels lead you to the Changthang region of Ladakh, learn more about the lore of the Pagal Nala (translates to the mad stream), which is known to freeze over during the winter months but it is a dangerous crossing during the rains.

Details: There is no direct international flight to Leh. The easiest way is to fly via Delhi. SpiceJet has a return flight approximating Dh3,200 during Eid, with a stopover in Delhi on the return.

The post 9 Eid Al Adha holidays from the UAE appeared first on Tripstations.

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[canaryarrow]

What We Already Know (1/?)

Summary: In a world where everyone has a device on their wrist that tells them the exact moment they meet their soulmate, Emma Swan is faced with the rare circumstance of having a blank timer. Things get even more complicated when she starts falling for Killian Jones, who, according to his timer, will meet his soulmate in six months. Captain Swan AU.

Rating: T for now, possibly M for future chapters

Author’s note: So I got this idea from the movie Timer. It’s a super cute movie and I highly recommend watching it! But you don’t need to watch the movie to understand the fic. This fic is for @stunningswan as a VERY belated CS Secret Santa gift! Sorry for the delay, Savannah! I was struggling with whether this should be a one-shot or a multi-chapter fic, and I decided to go for multi-chapter! I hope you enjoy! 

A double shot of rum is placed in front of Emma Swan and she spends no time in grabbing it and throwing it back. When she pulls the empty glass away from her lips, the timer on her wrist catches her eye, the blinking dashes where the numbers should be taunting her.

From the moment she got her timer inserted when she 14, that’s how it had been. “Don’t worry,” the time agency employee had said. “It doesn’t mean that you don’t have a soulmate. It just means that, wherever they are, they don’t have a timer yet.”

That’s what they told her. Twenty fucking years ago. And nothing has changed.

In the time since then, she’s watched everyone around her - friends, co-workers, complete strangers - find their soulmates. Or at the very least, they know when they’re going to meet them. Meanwhile, Emma has been stuck in a cycle of dating that always ended the same way.

Someone would mention how they knew somebody who knew somebody who didn’t have a timer and “isn’t that just interesting, Emma?” 

And Emma would roll her eyes and brush it off, but then Mary Margaret would give one of her speeches about hope and how “there’s no stone left unturned.” And truth be told, she had long since given up on finding her soulmate. But she’d usually go on one date with whoever they were swearing was “absolutely perfect for her” and rattle off some excuse about why the guy wasn’t the one, and most of the time, the excuses weren’t even fake. Occasionally, she’d have a one night stand, if the guy wasn’t completely horrible. But that’s as far as she ever let it get.

Until now.

She never intended to have a serious relationship with Walsh. She never intended to have a relationship, period. But one date somehow turned into two which somehow turned into eight months. And he had been talking about moving in and marriage and Christ, that scared her. So she gave him an ultimatum - get a timer, or they’d be done. Because there was no way that she was going to commit herself to someone who might be her soulmate. She’d done that once when she was a teenager, and ended up heartbroken and in jail.

So he got a timer. And he wasn’t the one.

Which is how Emma ended up where she is now, at The Rabbit Hole. She hadn’t even told David and Mary Margaret what had happened yet. She could do that tomorrow. Right now, she just wanted to drink and be alone.

She placed her glass down on the bar with more force than was probably necessary. “Keep ‘em coming,” she said.

“As you wish,” she heard an accented voice reply back to her.

Her breath hitches when she looks up at who was speaking to her. The first thing she notices about him are how blue his eyes are. After that, she notices...well, everything else. His dark hair, the stubble on his face, the tufts of hair on his chest peeking out from his v-neck, the way the muscles in his arm twitched as he hand-dried the glass he was holding, and the way he was looking at her. Like he could see into her soul.

She realized then she had been staring him for far too long. “You’re uh,” she paused for a moment to clear her throat. “You’re not the bartender from earlier.”

He chuckles. “Yeah, that typically happens when one person’s shift ends. Someone new comes in.” She rolls her eyes, but he keeps smiling at her. It’s almost irritating. “Killian Jones,” he said as he reached his hand out to her. “Bartender at your service.”

She considers him for a moment before she decides to return the gesture and place her hand in his. “Emma Swan,” she said.

Her eyes flick down to his wrist before he pulls back, and she can tell that there’s definitely a timer there, but she can’t make out the numbers in the darkened bar. “It says six months, two days, three hours, and ten minutes,” he said, as if he was reading her mind. “Or would you like to know it to the exact seconds as well?” 

“Sorry,” she said sheepishly. “Habit, you know?”

“Indeed I do,” he replied. “But don’t feel too bad, love. I know what your timer says, too.”

She looks at him quizzically. “I highly doubt - “

“It’s blank.”

That stops her dead in her tracks. “How could you know that?” she asked. It’s not like having a blank timer was a common occurrence. 

“You’re something of an open book,” he stated simply, as if it were a fact.

Now he was really grating on her nerves. “You don’t know me,” she said.

“Well, let’s see,” he said. He quirked an eyebrow and leaned forward against the bar. Emma’s eyes widened slightly at his boldness. “You’re drinking quite a bit, especially for a Tuesday night. So you’re either celebrating, mourning, or you’re a drunk.”

“I am not - “

“A drunk. I know. Just had to exhaust all options,” he said with a smirk “So. One of the first two choices, then. Given that you’re here alone, I’d say you’re mourning. You tried to look at my wrist when you shook my hand which means that either you or someone you care about has a blank timer. Since I’d already gathered you were in mourning, I assumed it was you. Now,” he paused for a moment to hand her a new drink, which she took after some hesitation. “The only thing I don’t know is how long the two of you were together.”

“Wh-what?” was all she could muster.

“The fellow you were with,” he said.

Her jaw dropped and it felt like she had been punched in the gut with how quickly her breath left her. “How did you know I was with someone?”

He shrugged. “Can’t mourn unless you’ve lost something.”

Emma stared at him for a few long moments. “Eight months,” she muttered before taking a sip of her drink.

“I’m sorry, love,” he said. They sat in silence for a few moments, and even though her eyes were trained on her drink, Emma could feel Killian’s eyes boring into her. “Did you love him?”

“Okay,” she snapped, and she wasn’t even trying to hide her irritation anymore. “Are you this obnoxiously forward with every girl that walks into this bar?”

“Not usually,” he said with a grimace. “Apologies. I meant no offense. I was just,” he stops talking briefly to scratch behind his ear. At any other time, Emma might have thought it was cute. “...making conversation,” he finished lamely.

A smile tugged on the corner of her lips. “Well, I think you might need some more practice in that department, buddy.”

“Quite right,” he agrees. “Perhaps we could start over. How about I take you out for a drink sometime?”

“I already have a drink.”

“Right. I just meant with me - “

“You’re standing right here.”

“ - and we’d go somewhere - “

“Like a bar?”

Emma giggled which caused Killian to smile in response. “Very funny,” he said.

She was just beginning to enjoy flirting with him when she suddenly remembered the elephant in the room. “What about your timer?” she asked, her tone suddenly serious.

“What about it?”

“You’re asking me out and you’re meeting your soulmate in six months. It’s a valid question.”

“Ah,” he said, and Emma didn’t miss the annoyance in his tone. “I understand.”

Her eyebrows furrowed in confusion. “Understand what?”

“You’re one of those people who think I’m cheating on a woman I haven’t even met yet.”

She scoffs. “Believe me, that’s not what I think.”

“But...?”

She sighed before answering him. “I just...I guess I just don’t understand the point in starting a relationship when you know your soulmate is so close,” she said.

“Woah now, Swan,” he said with a chuckle. “I never said anything about a relationship.”

She narrows her eyes slightly at him. “So what were you proposing with buying me a drink then, exactly? A one-night stand?” Hell, she wouldn’t say no to that.

“Hardly,” he replies. “Just wanted to get to know you better.”

“I thought you said I was an open book.”

He hummed in agreement. “That you are. However,” he paused to lean over the bar again, only this time, he was mere inches away from Emma’s face. She could feel his breath mingle with hers, and did her best to try and slow down her heart beating rapidly inside her chest. When he spoke again, his voice was much lower. “I was hoping you could be the one to tell the story.”

She locked eyes with him then, and she knew that this was a bad idea. She wanted to take him up on his offer, but if she was being honest with herself, she was already feeling attracted to him. Even if nothing ever happened between them, even if all he truly wanted was to just be friends, she couldn’t do it. She couldn’t risk developing feelings for someone she knew for a fact that she was going to lose.

She gave him a small, sad smile. “Not much of a storyteller,” she said. And Killian picked up on her tone immediately.

“Oh,” he said with disappointment in his voice. He moved away from her and went back to drying glasses. “Sorry if I bothered you, Swan.”

“You didn’t,” she reassured him.

Killian looked at her once more and couldn’t help but smile a little. Because with that affirmation came with a tiny spark of hope. “Well,” he said, “if you ever change your mind - “

“Then I know where to find you,” she finished for him. They stood there smiling at each other like idiots until a thought snapped Emma back to reality. “Oh god I almost forgot,” she said as she fumbled with her pockets. She eventually pulls out several bills and hands them to him. “This should be enough for...everything.”

“Yes, I imagine so,” he said. “You’re not driving tonight, are you?”

If she’d had a few more drinks, she might have cried at that. He’s practically a stranger and he’s showing more concern for her than most of the people in her life ever had. “No,” she said after she composed herself. “I’ll have one of my friends pick me up.”

“Good,” he replied. “Well, it was nice to meet you, Emma.”

“Nice to meet you too, Killian.”

[ucflibrary]

Women’s History Month began as a week-long celebration by in Sonoma, California in 1978 which was centered around International Women’s Day on March 8. A year later during a women’s history conference at Sarah Lawrence College, participants learned how successful the week was and decided to initiate similar in their own areas. President Carter issued the first proclamation for a national Women’s History Week in 1980. In 1987, Congress (after being petitioned by the National Women’s History Project) passed Pub. L. 100-9 designating March as Women’s History Month. U.S. Presidents have issued proclamations on Women’s History Month since 1988.

Here at the UCF Libraries, we have created a list of suggested (and favorite) books about women’s history in both fact and fiction. Please click on the read more link below to see the full list with descriptions and catalog links.

Almost Astronauts: 13 Women Who Dared to Dream by Tanya Lee Stone What does it take to be an astronaut? Excellence at flying, courage, intelligence, resistance to stress, top physical shape, any checklist would include these. But when America created NASA in 1958, there was another unspoken rule: you had to be a man. Here is the tale of thirteen women who proved that they were not only as tough as the toughest man but also brave enough to challenge the government. They were blocked by prejudice, jealousy, and the scrawled note of one of the most powerful men in Washington. But even though the Mercury 13 women did not make it into space, they did not lose, for their example empowered young women to take their place in the sky, piloting jets and commanding space capsules.  Suggested by Jamie LaMoreaux, Acquisitions & Collections

Enter Helen: the invention of Helen Gurley Brown and the rise of the modern single woman by Brooke Hauser Chronicles the rise of a cultural icon who redefined what it means to be an American woman. In 1965, Helen Gurley Brown, author of the groundbreaking bestseller Sex and the Single Girl, took over an ailing Cosmopolitan and soon revamped it into one of the most bankable--and revolutionary--brands on the planet. At a time when women's magazines taught housewives how to make the perfect casserole, Helen spoke directly to the single girl next door, cheekily advising her on how to pursue men, money, power, pleasure, and, most of all, personal happiness. Bringing New York City vibrantly to life during the sexual revolution and the women's movement, and featuring a rich cast of characters, including Hugh Hefner and Gloria Steinem, Enter Helen is the riveting story of a polarizing pioneer who bucked convention to define her own destiny, baiting a generation that both revered and rejected her. Suggested by Richard Harrison, Subject Librarian

Fight like a Girl: How to be a Fearless Feminist by Megan Seely Fight Like A Girl offers a fearless vision for the future of feminism. By boldly detailing what is at stake for women and girls today, Megan Seely outlines the necessary steps to achieve true political, social and economic equity for all. Reclaiming feminism for a new generation, Fight Like A Girl speaks to young women who embrace feminism in substance but not necessarily in name. Suggested by Mary Rubin, Special Collections & University Archives

Flow: The Cultural Story of Menstruation by Elissa Stein Flow spans its fascinating, occasionally wacky and sometimes downright scary story: from mikvahs (ritual cleansing baths) to menopause, hysteria to hysterectomies - not to mention the Pill, cramps, the history of underwear, and the movie about puberty they showed you in 5th grade. Suggested by Megan Haught, Teaching & Engagement/Research & Information Services

Girls to the Front: The True Story of the Riot Grrrl Revolution by Sara Marcus Girls to the Front is the epic, definitive history of Riot Grrrl—the radical feminist uprising that exploded into the public eye in the 1990s and included incendiary punk bands Bikini Kill, Bratmobile, Heavens to Betsy, and Huggy Bear. A dynamic chronicle not just a movement but an era, this is the story of a group of pissed—off girls with no patience for sexism and no intention of keeping quiet. Suggested by Carrie Moran, User Engagement Librarian

Juliette Gordon Low : the remarkable founder of the Girl Scouts by Stacy A. Cordery In celebration of the Girl Scouts' centennial, this biography is a salute to its maverick founder. Born at the start of the Civil War, Juliette Gordon Low grew up in Georgia, where she struggled to reconcile being a good Southern belle with her desire to run barefoot through the fields. Deafened by an accident, "Daisy" married a dashing British aristocrat and moved to England. But she was ultimately betrayed by her husband and dissatisfied by the aimlessness of privileged life. Her search for a greater purpose ended when she met Robert Baden-Powell, war hero, adventurer, and founder of the Boy Scouts. Captivated with his program, Daisy aimed to instill the same useful skills and moral values in young girls, with an emphasis on fun. She imported the Boy Scouts' sister organization, the Girl Guides, to Savannah in 1912. Rechristened the Girl Scouts, it grew rapidly because of her unquenchable determination and energetic, charismatic leadership. In this biography, the author paints a dynamic portrait of an intriguing woman and a true pioneer whose work touched the lives of millions of girls and women around the world. Suggested by Richard Harrison, Subject Librarian

Letters to Alice on First Reading Jane Austen by Fay Weldon Alternating between passages from Jane Austen’s novels and accounts of her own career, Weldon reveals the connections between art and life, and charts Alice’s trajectory from unpublished writer to celebrated author, her success ultimately outstripping that of her famous “aunt.” Letters to Alice puts Austen’s works into a contemporary perspective as it explores the craft of writing fiction, the pitfalls of publishing too early, the conventions that stifle the creative impulse, and more. In paying tribute to Austen, Weldon opens an illuminating window onto reading, writing, and why literature matters. Suggested by Jamie LaMoreaux, Acquisitions & Collections

Little Women by Louisa May Alcott Lovely Meg, talented Jo, frail Beth, spoiled Amy: these are hard lessons of poverty and of growing up in New England during the Civil War. Through their dreams, plays, pranks, letters, illnesses, and courtships, women of all ages have become a part of this remarkable family and have felt the deep sadness when Meg leaves the circle of sisters to be married at the end of Part I. Part II, chronicles Meg's joys and mishaps as a young wife and mother, Jo's struggle to become a writer, Beth's tragedy, and Amy's artistic pursuits and unexpected romance. Based on Louise May Alcott's childhood, this lively portrait of nineteenth-century family life possesses a lasting vitality that has endeared it to generations of readers. Suggested by Cindy Dancel, Research & Information Services

Mercury 13: the true story of thirteen women and the dream of space flight by Martha Ackmann In 1961, just as NASA launched its first man into space, a group of women underwent secret testing in the hopes of becoming America's first female astronauts. They passed the same battery of tests at the legendary Lovelace Foundation as did the Mercury 7 astronauts, but they were summarily dismissed by the boys' club at NASA and on Capitol Hill. The USSR sent its first woman into space in 1963; the United States did not follow suit for another twenty years. In addition to talking extensively to these women, Ackmann interviewed Chuck Yeager, John Glenn, Scott Carpenter, and others at NASA and in the White House with firsthand knowledge of the program, and includes here never-before-seen photographs of the Mercury 13 passing their Lovelace tests. Despite the crushing disappointment of watching their dreams being derailed, the Mercury 13 went on to extraordinary achievement in their lives: Jerrie Cobb dedicated her life to flying solo missions to the Amazon rain forest; Wally Funk went on to become one of the first female FAA investigators; Janey Hart had the political savvy to steer the women through congressional hearings and later helped found the National Organization for Women. Suggested by Jamie LaMoreaux, Acquisitions & Collections

My Life, My Love, My Legacy by Coretta Scott King The life story of Coretta Scott King--wife of Martin Luther King Jr., founder of the King Center for Nonviolent Social Change, and singular twentieth-century American civil rights activist--as told fully for the first time, toward the end of her life, to one of her closest friends. Coretta's is a love story, a family saga, and the memoir of an independent-minded black woman in twentieth-century America, a brave leader who stood committed, proud, forgiving, nonviolent, and hopeful in the face of terrorism and violent hatred every single day of her life. Suggest by Missy Murphey, Subject Librarian

My Life on the Road by Gloria Steinem Gloria Steinem had an itinerant childhood. Every fall, her father would pack the family into the car and they would drive across the country, in search of their next adventure. The seeds were planted: Steinem would spend much of her life on the road, as a journalist, organizer, activist, and speaker. In vivid stories that span an entire career, Steinem writes about her time on the campaign trail, from Bobby Kennedy to Hillary Clinton; her early exposure to social activism in India, and the decades spent organizing ground-up movements in America; the taxi drivers who were "vectors of modern myths" and the airline stewardesses who embraced the feminist revolution; and the infinite, surprising contrasts, the "surrealism in everyday life" that Steinem encountered as she traveled back and forth across the country. Suggested by Carrie Moran, User Engagement Librarian

Odd Girls and Twilight Lovers by Lillian Faderman As Lillian Faderman writes, there are "no constants with regard to lesbianism," except that lesbians prefer women. In this groundbreaking book, she reclaims the history of lesbian life in twentieth-century America, tracing the evolution of lesbian identity and subcultures from early networks to more recent diverse lifestyles. She draws from journals, unpublished manuscripts, songs, media accounts, novels, medical literature, pop culture artifacts, and oral histories by lesbians of all ages and backgrounds, uncovering a narrative of uncommon depth and originality. Suggested by Missy Murphey, Subject Librarian

Olivia by Dorothy Strachey Captures the awakening passions of an adolescent girl sent away for a year to a small finishing school outside Paris, where she develops an infatuation for her headmistress. Although not strictly autobiographical, Olivia draws on the author’s experiences at finishing schools run by the charismatic Mlle. Marie Souvestre, whose influence lived on through former students like Natalie Barney and Eleanor Roosevelt. Olivia was dedicated to the memory of Strachey’s friend Virginia Woolf and published to acclaim in 1949. In 1999, Olivia was included on the Publishing Triangle’s widely publicized list of the 100 Best Gay and Lesbian Novels of the 20th Century. Suggested by Megan Haught, Teaching & Engagement/Research & Information Services

Olivia by Ian Falconer A new and unexpected heroine emerges with the irresistible Olivia. Olivia is a spunky little pig with an abundance of energy and enthusiasm. Her daily activities of singing the loudest of songs, creating art on walls, and building skyscrapers do not tire her in the least. Rather, when it is time for bed, she asks for a plethora of books to be read! Olivia's mom, on the other hand, is drained. Parents and kids alike will marvel at Olivia's abounding energy and her mom's abounding patience and love. Suggested by Susan MacDuffee, Acquisitions & Collections

Queen Victoria: A Personal History by Christopher Hibbert The unearthing of lively, telling anecdotes is the special province of Christopher Hibbert, who delights in forcing readers, in the most entertaining way, to reassess all their notions about some of the world's most intriguing historical figures. His biography of Victoria is no exception. We learn in these pages that not only was she the formidable, demanding, capricious Queen of popular imagination, but she was also often shy and vulnerable, prone to giggling fits and crying jags. Often puritanical and censorious when confronted with her mother's moral lapses, she herself could be passionately sensual, emotional, and deeply sentimental. Her 64-year reign saw thrones fall, empires crumble, new continents explored, and England's rise to global and industrial dominance. Hibbert's account of Victoria's life and times is just as sweeping as he reveals to us the real Victoria in all her complexity: failed mother and imperious monarch, irrepressible woman and icon of a repressive age. Suggested by Peggy Nuhn, Regional Librarian

Rise of the Rocket Girls: The Women Who Propelled Us, from Missiles to the Moon to Mars by Nathalia Holt In the 1940s and 50s, when the newly minted Jet Propulsion Laboratory needed quick-thinking mathematicians to calculate velocities and plot trajectories, they didn't turn to male graduates. Rather, they recruited an elite group of young women who, with only pencil, paper, and mathematical prowess, transformed rocket design, helped bring about the first American satellites, and made the exploration of the solar system possible.  Suggested by Megan Haught, Teaching & Engagement/Research & Information Services

Savage Beauty: The Life of Edna St. Vincent Millay by Nancy Mitford If F. Scott Fitzgerald was the hero of the Jazz Age, Edna St. Vincent Millay, as audacious in her love affairs as she was in her art, was its heroine. She embodied, in her reckless fancy, the spirit of the New Woman, and gave America its voice. Nancy Milford was given exclusive access to Millay's papers, and what she found was an unimaginable treasure. Hundreds of letters flew back and forth between the three sisters and their mother - and Millay kept the most intimate diary, one whose ruthless honesty brings to mind the journals of Sylvia Plath. Suggested by Larry Cooperman, Research & Information Services

When God Was a Woman by Merlin Stone Documents the ancient worship of the great creator Mother Goddess under a diversity of names and details the rewriting of myths, the recasting of rituals and religious doctrines, and the transformation of the Goddess into a wanton, depraved figure by invading patriarchal tribes. Suggested by Megan Haught, Teaching & Engagement/Research & Information Services

Women in early America: Struggle, survival and freedom in a New World by Dorothy Mays "Women in Early America: Struggle, Survival, and Freedom in a New World "provides insight into an era in American history when women had immense responsibilities and unusual freedoms. The coverage begins with the 1607 settlement at Jamestown and ends with the War of 1812. In addition to the role of Anglo-American women, the experiences of African, French, Dutch, and Native American women are discussed. The issues discussed include how women coped with rural isolation, why they were prone to superstitions, who was likely to give birth out of wedlock, and how they raised large families while coping with immense household responsibilities. Suggested by Peggy Nuhn, Regional Librarian

You Learn by Living: Eleven Keys for a More Fulfilling Life by Eleanor Roosevelt Eleanor Roosevelt, one of the world’s best loved and most admired public figures, offers a wise and intimate guide on how to overcome fears, embrace challenges as opportunities, and cultivate civic pride: You Learn by Living. A crucial precursor to better-living guides like Mark Nepo’s The Book of Awakening or Robert Persig’s Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance, as well as political memoirs such as John F. Kennedy’s Profiles in Courage, the First Lady’s illuminating manual of personal exploration resonates with the timeless power to change lives. Suggested by Carrie Moran, User Engagement Librarian

For information about the whole host of Women’s History Month events at UCF, please visit the UCF Office of Diversity and Inclusion Women’s History Month site.