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beautifuljetblackheart · 5 years

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Donut - Harry Holland

A/N: I am back

“Hey, you should come over”

“Do I have to?” You groaned, “It’s a five minute walk, and I-”

“No ones is home, well besides Tessa”

“Do you think that is going to work on me?” You questioned

“Yeah a little… Did it work?”

“Yeah, I’ll be over in a few”

“See you soon babe,” his cheerful voice made you smile

“Yeah, yeah,” you put your sweats on, you grabbed a sweater and your keys and out the door you went.

-----

“You’re here!” His face lit up like a Christmas tree, how could someone be so upset with him.

“What are we going to do then?”

“I picked out a movies that we can watched”

“Movies or movie because one is plural and the other one is singular” you walked over to the living room, you saw blankets and pillows scattered around, “Why are you still keeping me a secret?”

“I’m not ready just yet. How about this, I’ll slowly show one by one,” Tessa comes in happy to see you.

“What are we watching first?”

“Ready Tess? Go!” Harry threw the ball as far as he could. “I want you to meet someone”

“Who?”

“Someone,” Harry looked around and the he spots you walking, “her,” he points at you

“Is that your girlfriend?”

“Yeah, her name is Y/N Y/L/N. Be nice”

“Hey Harry,” you smiled at him, “you must be Patrick, I’ve heard more about you than the other brothers”

“It’s just Paddy,” you smiled, “I didn’t know Harry had a girlfriend,” Tessa comes over wanting to get her ball thrown. Harry grabbed the ball with the stick and throws it the opposite side, his phone started to ring.

“I have to take this,” you saw Harry giving a little glare to his younger brother

“Paddy, how's school going?” Tessa comes back, Paddy grabs the ball with the stick and throws it

“Pretty good, the A/C broke down and the class got super hot and we were all sweating, when Harry picked me up from school I was dripping in sweat”

“Ew, you didn’t even change classes?”

“No, we had to take breaks and go outside to get fresh air”

“There was this one time where I was in class and the A/C off switch broke off, we were freezing our butts off. Half of the class got a cold, and I also got a cold,” Paddy grabbed the ball and threw it.

“When did you and Harry get together?”

“We’ve been together for a year now”

“What? You guys been together for a year?”

“I’m kidding, just nine months. I worked at this donut shop when he comes in with Harrison, after that Harry just kept coming in alone,” Paddy handed you the stick so you can throw the ball as well

“He stalked you?”

“I guess, I caught him one time taking a picture of me, and now that I brought it up, I’ll ask him about the picture”

“That's so embarrassing!” Paddy laughed

“I thought it was funny, don’t mention it to him,” Harry comes back and Tessa comes back as well. You looked over at Paddy and gave him a smile

“What are you two smiling about?”

“Nothing,” you and Paddy said at the same time.

-----

The next day, Harry was editing he had taken if you “hey Harry,” Sam walked up to his twin brother

“We are heading to the donut shop”

“Why?”

“Harrison and Tom are craving donuts,” before Sam could get close to Harry. Harry quickly closed his computer

“Let’s go,” Sam got suspicious about something but let it slide, for now.

Sam and Harry waited for the others to pick them up, “What were you doing in your laptop?”

“Editing pictures I took a few days ago,” that wasn’t a lie

“You know for the past few months you’ve been acting weird. You never want to hang out with us, always with Tessa”

“A dog needs love”

“That’s why she has Tom”

“Can you just drop it, please?”

“Yeah”

Sam and Harry got into the car, Sam was already getting anxious, Y/N was working at the moment. Sam looked over at the anxious Harry, he knew something was up, he pulled out his phone and sent a message to Tom.

‘Sam has been acting weird, weird-er than usual’

‘Yeah, he is playing with his necklace, he only does that when he’s very anxious’

The car came to a stop, Harrison parked the car and everyone got out of the car. Everyone went inside, there wasn’t a lot of people around, just another group of guys.

“Hi, hey. Uh- you want to order now?” Sam has seen the girl but doesn’t know from where

“I’m not ready yet,” Sam stepped back and went on his instagram and to Harry’s instagram profile. He then saw her, he took pictures of her. Lover boy.

“I’ll get the chocolate donut”

“Will this be together or seperate?”

“Together,” Tom responds, “I’ll get the oreo and can we all get a medium size hot chocolate with it”

“That one is really good a lot of people get it. And everyone one wants hot chocolate?”

“Yeah and I’m just trying something new,” you looked up at the other two that haven’t ordered.

“I-I still don’t know what to get,” you on the other hand knew what he was gonna get

“I’ll get the oreo one as well”

“Okay,” you looked over at Harry. When he wasn’t saying anything, you grabbed the donuts they ordered and handed them to him they were all staring at Harry, “Do you want me to recommend something?”

“Sure,” Sam, Harrison and Tom were looking at Harry.

“He seems way to focused on her, you know that she looked way too familiar, I went to his instagram page and I saw a picture of her”

“You know they are staring,” you pointed to a strawberry donut, “I think they know”

“Yeah, I’ll come over after work”

“You sure?”

“Yeah, I want the usual”

“I know,” you saw Harry’s cheeks turn pink

“I’ll just pay since they were waiting for me”

“I’ll give you my discount”

“You look cute in your inform,” You smiled at him

“I already gave you my discount, put your card in the machine,” by the time Harry turned around the others were sitting down, “Are you working by yourself?” you had set down two hot chocolates

“Yeah, Olivia called in sick, but I mean it’s been a slow day”

“No one covered her shift?” You set down the third cup down

“Babe, it’s okay. I can manage, It’s not the first time I’ve been left alone”

“Okay, text me when you are out, I’ll meet you halfway”

“You want to keep tabs on me already?” you joked, grabbing another cup and filling it with hot chocolate. You set the cups on a big plate along with the donuts, “go sit down”

Harry sat down and the guys stared at him, “what?”

“What’s going on between you and the donut girl?”

“I took pictures of her a while ago, she really liked them,” you walked over and handed them their things

“Here you go, sorry for the long wait,” you apologized before leaving

“She’s cute,” Sam decided to test out something, “I wonder if she has a boyfriend”

“How old is she?”

“She’s twenty”

———

“I’ll be right back”

“Where are you going?” Tom questioned

“Out,” Harry simply shrugged

“Okay,” once Harry left Sam got up and ran to Harry’s room searching for his laptop, Tom and Harrison followed

“What are you doing?” Harrison questioned

“Harry has been acting weird, he’s very secretive now,” Sam opened his photoshop and Lightroom apps to see what has he been editing, “there we go”

“Harry did say he took some pictures of her,” he opened a browser and went to his google pictures

“What are you guys doing in here?” Paddy questioned catching them all snooping through Harry’s laptop

“Does Harry have a girlfriend?” Harrison questioned

“Yes, she’s very funny and she’s very nice”

“Is it her?” Sam flipped the computer screen showing one of the pictures Harry has been editing

“Yeah, they been dating for months now,” Sam set the computer on the small drawer next to his bed, he knocked over something. He looked to the back and saw a box of condoms, Sam looked at Tom and Harrison. They were looking at him surprised “what did you drop?” Paddy was getting near

“Nothing, just a box,” Paddy nodded and walked away

“Harry is getting laid?” Harrison was surprised

“How many does the box say it has?” Tom questioned

“It says that there’s ten”

“How many are there inside?” Harry opened the box, flipping it over and only two condom bags dropped.

“Damn, lucky guy”

—————

It was two in the morning when Harry slowly made his way back inside, little did he know Harrison, Tom and Sam were in the living room waiting for him.

“You’re keeping tabs on me know? maybe tomorrow, you don’t have to if you don’t want to they can be quite something… okay, see you tomorrow babe, bye love you too,” Harry was passing by the living room when he saw the lights turn on, Harry jumped and turned around seeing the guys.

“So, Harry,” Tom started, “why are you coming home late?”

“Are you dating the girl from the donut shop?” Harrison questioned

“Why didn’t you tell us”

“Did you sleep with her?” Tom questioned

“What?”

“Your face is pink,” Tom got up, the others followed

“I came running,” Harry quickly spoke, Tom got close to Harry and sniffed him

“lier, I can smell the sex from here,” Harry walked away from them and sat

“Why haven’t you told us about her?” Sam questioned

“I wasn’t ready for you guys to meet her, Paddy met her just yesterday”

“Was that the reason you were so nervous to enter the donut shop?” Sam questions again

“Yeah, we weren’t really trying to be desecrate or anything,” Harry got up and started to walk away

“Where are you going?” Tom question

“To my room”

“Did you put the condoms away?”

“Yeah”

———

“How did you sleep last night?” You questioned Harry

“Lonely,” you smiled at him

“Maybe we can do it again, and you sleep over. We can Netflix and chill,” Harry went in front of you

“I’m down for that,” he pecks your lips

“Give me kiss,” he pecks your lips, “that’s not a real kiss,” you wrapped your arms around his neck pulling him closer

“Better?” Harry smiled

“Much,” the both of you continued to walk down the street

“When I met Paddy he made me think of something”

“Of what to be exact”

“Do you still have the picture of me when you first walked in into the donut shop with Harrison?”

“Picture what picture,” a shade of pink started to form on his cheeks

“I saw you taking a picture of me when you were there, you creep”

“No, that never happened”

“It did, and you got some naughty pictures of me in your phone as well, in your hidden folder”

“It’s only for my eyes babe. Oh look it’s my brothers and Harrison,” you looked up and they were feet away

“We are talking about this late”

“You also have some naughty pictures of me in your hidden folder, so don’t give me any looks babe”

“It’s only for my eyes babe,” you mimicked him

“Ready to meet them?”

“Now or never,” the both of you reached the others

“Hey guys. This is my girlfriend Y/N”

“Hi, I’ve heard quite a lot about you guys”

“We haven’t heard anything from you besides last night”

“It was his idea to keep it on the DL”

“Anyways, Y/N wants to buy mangos before they close,” you got the hint. Mango is the secret work to get away from a situation

“Okay, you should stop over sometime,” Tom smiled

“Yeah that would be lovely, see you guys around,” you and Harry walked away.

Once there was a fair amount of distance between the boys and Harry you looked at him, “what’s wrong?”

“I don’t know, it just felt weird”

“That’s how you were when you came over to my parents house and met my siblings”

“Yeah, I’m actually glad my parents like you”

“I’m glad my parents like you”

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arazialotis · 6 years

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Irish Whiskey - Part 1

Pairing: Patrick × Reader, jealous Dean

Word Count: Around 2100

Summary: With the case taking longer than expected, Y/N jumps on the opportunity to blow off some steam with a flirtatious Irish gentleman and perhaps will have the chance to make a couple extra bucks while at it. But the case and seemingly simple poker game turns more complicated when the Winchesters come across a familiar face. (Patrick appeared in Supernatural Ep. 5 x 7)

Warnings: Language

@misguidedconqueress Thanks so much for helping me review and edit!! Especially with this one since it is not my typical style.

----

Witches, you were sure of it; they are what brought you and the Winchesters to the town three days ago. But you were nowhere close. The case should have your full attention but you had become delayed by the sly Irish man sitting across the high top from you. His dark brown eyes were warm and inviting yet glinted with a shimmer of mystery and danger. You wanted nothing more than to run your hands through his flowing curls. And his voice, well his voice warmed your soul the way the Irish Whiskey you were both nursing burned on its way down.

Dean and Sam were both long gone by now. Dean with some chick… as always. But lying to yourself had become easier than entertaining the disappointment. And this man, was a very welcomed distraction.

“So Patrick, you from around here?” You asked, wondering if this handsome distraction could possibly give you leads.

“No, just passing through actually.” He twisted a toothpick in his mouth.

“Oh, what for?” You questioned taking another sip of whiskey.

He smirked still impressed you could handle it. “Poker. A tournament in fact. It's really just a hobby but it makes a few extra bucks. You play?” He asked.

You chuckled. “Ah no. Tried to pick it up but, uh, I was sick of people wiping the floor with me, so I gave it up.”

“That’s too bad. I could give you a few tips, I’ve heard I’m a very good teacher.” He set his toothpick down and reached for a deck of cards in his coat pocket.

“I’m afraid a teacher is only as good as their student and I… I just can’t bluff.” You blushed.

He started shuffling the deck. “We’ll only go one round.”

“Okay,” You agreed flipping through your coin purse. “Well, if you are interested in lint, hotel keys, or gas station receipts… I’m your girl.” After he dealt the cards and he took a sip of his whiskey.“Your hotel key doesn’t sound too bad.” He smirked and slipped the toothpick back between his lips.

“Oh my god!” You hid your face in your hands. “That’s not what I meant!” You giggled.

“I know Y/N, I’m simply giving you a hard time.” He lightly chuckled. “I’ll give ya the first lesson for free.” He winked.

You squirmed in your seat, imaging this is what it must feel like to have Dean’s attention. “How kind of you.” You finished the glass and singled to the bar for another.

Patrick analyzed your move, trying to read more than just your poker abilities. “Texas hold‘em. You know how the game?”

“The mechanics. Yes.” You looked at your cards and winced.

He laughed and took back all the cards redealing. “You actually need to try and bluff.” “Okay, okay.. I’ll try.” You looked at your cards again and wiped your hand over your face, looking Patrick dead in the eyes. But you couldn’t hold the serious gaze and started to giggle.

“Yeah. You’re terrible.” He chuckled back.

‘“No, no. I’m going to try.” You diverted your gaze. “So..” You found a napkin and started writing down. “I will bet you my number.” You folded the napkin in half and set in the middle.

“I’ll call.” He wrote down his number as well, set it in the middle, and dealt the flop.

You had nothing, but you were trying your best to bluff. “I’ll bet you another round of whiskey.” You purposed.

“I’ll call, and raise you a date tomorrow night.” He offered.

“I’ll call.” Your toes curled. He turned and you’ve never seen a hand this bad.

“Umm…” You didn’t know what else to throw in. “Drinks after dinner?”

“And I’ll raise you my hotel key.” He twisted the toothpick.

You sighed. “... I gotta fold.” You saw his lip twitch in disappointment. “Listen, you are super attractive.” You silently cursed at yourself for being so blunt. Maybe the whiskey was getting to you. “But I’m not the kind of girl just to have a one night stand when I meet someone on the first night.” You anxiously stated.

“Well, technically it would be the second night, after the date and all…” He grinned.

You laughed back. “Okay, if I didn’t just ruin everything. Let see how tomorrow night goes… and maybe we can play another game.”

“I’m in.” He agreed.

After a few more drinks, you called it a night and walked yourself back to the hotel. The next morning, you woke up to pounding on the door and in your head. You stumbled over to the door, rubbing your eyes. Both boys stood outside your doorway, in their tailored and freshly pressed suits. They both furrowed their brows at you.

“Late night? That’s not like you.” Dean chided as he waltzed in.

“Shut up.” You left the door open so Sam could come in too.

“Y/N, it’s 11:15.” Sam stated.

You laid back down on the bed and put a pillow over your head.

“And you have the babies and brunch group in 30.” He continued.

“Babies and what?” You sat back up.

Sam rolled his eyes, exasperated. “I sent you details last night.”

“Essentially, all the desperate housewives from the suburb get together and gossip while they actively ignore munchkins whining and running around.” Dean explained condescendingly.

“Okay. Big flaw in your plan… no kid.” You pointed out.

“Congratulations, you’re expecting.” Dean snarked. “New to the neighborhood and looking for connections and advice.”

“Ugh.” You complained and shut the bathroom door to get ready.

Sam and Dean dropped you off at a way too trendy spot, for babies and brunch. You had in mind a McDonald’s with one of those playplaces. But no, in this place everything was robin's egg blue or fairy dust moss color, and of course a ton of bird decor.

A woman perked up, smiling at you upon your entrance. You swore you could practically smell the chemicals radiating from her unnaturally white teeth.You bit your lip to avoid smiling as she crooned. “Ruthie darling, come join us.” ‘

Ruth was the identity Dean had come up with for you. You plastered on a fake smile and went up an octave more than you are used too. “Veronica? I’m so sorry to intrude but I am new to town and stumbled upon your blog…”

“Darling, darling.” She waved you over to the table. “You don’t need to apologize for anything.” You sat down in the free chair, putting your purse in your lap. “We are delighted to have you.” She greeted for the table around you. “I’d offer you a mimosa, but we want to keep that precious bundle of joy safe and sound.” The group laughed.

You politely chuckled and put your hand to your abdomen. “Yup, we are staying dry for another seven months.”

Veronica placed her hand on your shoulder. “It’s all worth it, Ruthie dear.”

The rest of the wives continued business as usual, gossiping about anyone and anything, complaining about their husbands, and willfully ignoring their children’s screams and overwhelming amount of bodily fluids. You tried to stay focused though on the pack leader. She would have the most information if there was a witch in the group.

“So, Veronica, which one of these little rascals is yours?” You looked around, eyes following the two boys running around the table playing tag.

“Oh sadly none, my children have all grown and moved away with no prospects of grandchildren.” She conveyed with sorrow.

“But you’re so young?” You blurted out in shock before you could catch yourself.

She chuckled. “Oh you’re too kind my dear. No, it’s true. That’s why I’ve started this group. So I can be a support to young mothers and get the joy from the children.”

At that moment, one of the boys playing tag tripped over his shoelace and collided with the ground. You looked to his mother who was already on her third mimosa and waved him off as he started to wail.

“There, there Sebastian.” Veronica called and snapped her fingers. He instantly stopped crying.

“... You’re so good with them…” You spoke, but the look on Sebastian’s face indicated he was more mortified than calm.

“It comes naturally dear, don’t you worry, it will come to you too.” Her phone buzzed and she jumped in her seat. “Oop, I’m running late for the salon. But we simply must continue our conversation. How does tomorrow for afternoon tea sound?”

“That would be so lovely.” You bordered on the edge of mocking her fake pleasantry.

“Wonderful, I’ll text you the details.” She stood up and blew a kiss to the rest of the group before waving. “Bye darlings.”

As soon as she left, Sebastian began crying again, raising your growing suspicion. His mother finally took notice and went to collect him.

The lady next to you bumped in. “Hey, don’t get too close, she can be a little overbearing.”

“A little overbearing?” The woman argued from across the table. “She’s worse than my mother-in-law.”

“I’m sorry… I guess I’m confused…” You stated.

Sebastian's mother who was now packing up, piped in. “Sweetheart, she pays for the drinks so we come.”

That’s a little rude, you thought to yourself. Maybe your gut feeling was wrong.

“All I’m saying is, the doting on is fun for a while but pretty soon you’ll start to remind her of her daughter and she’ll send you to her estate in New Hampshire like the rest because.” The woman cleared her throat and gave her best impression. “‘They simply have far superior doctors in that region. I can’t have you giving birth in this primitive landscape.’” A few of the other women chuckled.

“I’m sorry, the rest?” You asked… then again your gut never steered you wrong before.

“Yes… a few months ago… what was her name..” The lady tried to recall.

“Casey!” One popped in. “And before that, the poor gal who was still in high school.”

You forced a lump from growing in your throat. The missing high school girl was what brought you out in the first place. “But never any of you?” You clarified.

“No she doesn’t want to pull us away from our families already here. I guess she just wants to make sure the ones who are alone feel cared for. It’s really not all that bad.” One lady passively argued.

“Okay, well thanks for the info, ladies… I’m going to get going though.” At this point you felt you had a solid case built up against her. It would be better to focus your energy on her rather than trying to suffer through another hour of gossip.

You set out down the street towards the downtown district, dialing Dean’s cell. “Hey. Suspect numero uno is going to send you details about a tea party tomorrow.”

“Why me?” Dean asked.

“Because you’re the one who set up this brunch thing in the first place, idiot…. I don’t want to raise suspicion by giving out a different number.” You explained. “Just forward it to me when she does, I’m headed to city hall to dig up any records I can.”

“We’ll meet ‘cha there.” Dean ended hanging up the phone.

After pouring through city taxes, housing records, and whatever else you could get your hands on, you were able to establish Veronica moved here twenty years ago with her husband Edward Marshe. Unfortunately, there was no mention of the kids she had spoken about. You discussed the babies and brunch meeting with the boys and they agreed that it was still worth investigating further. Perhaps tea would lead to some further details. Sam was planning to research more into this New Hampshire estate and the oversea investments that counted for most of their income.

You picked up your phone and gasped at the time, evening already setting in. “Shit guys, I gotta run.”

Sam and Dean shared a shocked look. “What for?” Sam asked.

“Card game.” You smirked.

“And you didn’t invite me?” Dean asked pretending to be offended.

“You’re a distraction.” You reminded.

“Because of my dashing good looks?” He teased.

“Oh of course.” You snorted. “Your fiery eyes, hard pecs, and boyish charm just makes me oh so weak in the knees I forget the difference between clovers and spades.” You teased even if there was a hint of truth to it.

“Shut up.” Dean waved you off. “Win it big time for us kid.”

“Drinks on me tomorrow night, boys.” You laughed before walking out with confidence. You had this Irish man right where you wanted him.

-----

Part 2

Forever Tags: @nanie5 @sea040561 @crushing83 @mogaruke @deanwinchesterforpromqueen @ginamsmith @jotink78 @blushingokoye @sup3r-pott3r-lock3d @dancingalone21 @li-ssu @highonpastries @daddy-kink-confirmed @weewooweewoo1212 @carryonmyswansong @spn-dean-and-sam-winchester @atc74 @superapplepie @coolness22 @cassieraider @winchesternco @adaliamalfoy @iwriteaboutdean @spnbaby-67

#supernatural #spn #spn fanfic #spn fandom #dean winchester #sam winchester #hal ozsan #spn 5x07 #x reader #fanfic #fanfic series #irish whiskey #fan fiction #reader insert

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toraberaa · 6 years

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“Out of this world!” those were the words that I uttered after witnessing the impeccable beauty of Mt. Ijen.

Mt. Ijen is not just an ordinary mountain. It is a volcano. And not just an ordinary volcano but an active one. It is a stratovolcano which sits 2,799 meters above sea level (9,183 ft). A hazardous volcano that emits toxic fumes and a home for highly acidic lake.

Literally, it was a “hell” and figuratively speaking as well. My hike was hellish. There were too many struggles I faced. I know that without these hardships, the story that I would tell will be definitely lame. Kidding! Nevertheless, I overcame it and I was rewarded with a beautiful sight. I saw a “heaven”. It was a bizarre feeling. I’ve never seen so sublime in my life. It’s a mixture of apocalypse and nirvana. A violent act of nature. Many of the locals said this phrase “Eye on Heaven, Foot in Hell”. It’s amazing how these two places coincide. How God beautifully designed it.

With that said, I entitled this as “Where Heaven and Hell meets”

Day Minus Zero

It was August 6, 2018 when I left Bali. A day after magnitude 7.0 earthquake hit it. I thought on myself that it was far from the epicenter thus, it was much safer to go on high areas. I was worried that there would be a tsunami at that time. Nah. Who was I kidding? I just surfed earlier on that morning and the real reason was, I scheduled to go on that day based on my plan. The D-day.

It was hot and sunny in Bali and for few hours and kilometers away, I was welcomed by drizzle at Banyuwangi. (I will edit this post later to provide info on how to go to Banyuwangi from Bali)

Loooong and winding road

Approximately 5 hours of bus ride, I arrived at Ketapang port at 8:30 PM. There were only few people around and it feels like it’s already late at night. It was difficult to hail a taxi or even an ojek (motorcycle taxi). No one shows available too in Grab. I went to convenience store and asked around. Some can’t understand English. Somehow I could tell that they understood what I’m trying to convey and they were willing to help. They referred me to a cab who knows a little bit of English and said repeatedly “House stay?” I said “Yes. Mango home stay” and hopped in. I hoped we were at the same page after I confirmed. I checked on my GPS and it was a relief that he knows where we were heading.

I arrived at Mango Tree House Home Stay and I paid him 40.000 IDR.

The Mango Tree House Home stay

“Philippines?” Mr. Arif, the owner of the house, greeted me. I acknowledged him with a nod. He said he was waiting for me. As we entered the house, he asked me again “Tea or coffee?” “Coffee will do.” I replied.

While he was heating the pot, he showed me my room. It doesn’t have an air condition but it have an electric fan. It’s okay since it was cold. The room have also a single pillow and a bed. That’s it! You get what you pay for. (By the way, the room was only 65.000 IDR) The room was just good enough for an overnight. After all, I just came here for Mt. Ijen.

House Special!

Mr. Arif served the coffee and we just had a conversation. We talked about my experience in Indonesia, difference of our countries (because Indonesia and Philippines were kinda the same) and other stuff. He had a good sense of humor and very entertaining. A moment later, another guests arrived. Mr. Arif introduced the new guests to me. They were a German couple who came from Probolinggo, just after the Mt. Bromo tour. He said I would be joining them for the Mt. Ijen tour tonight as well as the two Italians who arrived earlier than us. And guess what, they were also a couple. (Not jealous. lol!) Mr. Arif told us that he was still waiting for the French guy to arrive. I was hoping. Not that I wanted to be a fifth wheel but it must be a minimum of 6 persons to avail the package to Mt. Ijen.

As the night getting late, Mr. Arif suggested to take quick dinner near the home stay. The German couple decided to take a rest while I took a quick dinner at warungs (a small family owned business restaurant).

Solved! My dinner for 15.000 IDR only

The tour will start by 12 AM. It was 10 PM already. I went back to the home stay and took a quick nap.

I woke up exactly 11 PM. I packed up for the things I needed — headlights, gloves, jacket, camera and etc. Checked! I went to the living room and I didn’t saw yet the Italians and Germans at the living room. Maybe I was too early? I guessed I was really excited for this tour (which was true). I wished I stayed a little longer in bed.

I saw new faces in the living room. The French guy was already there, along with two lovely gals who were also French. He said that he was too tired and he would not go for Mt. Ijen tonight while the two gals were scheduled tomorrow.

We had a little chit-chat. Yes, only a little. They were talking in their native language. Since I can’t understand them, my mind wandered and I imagined The Little Prince. (LOL!) The younger lady (too bad, I couldn’t remember her name) was so considerate as she kept me entertained. She even asked the others to speak in English so I could also join their conversation.

Few minutes passed, they showed up. So it would be just a group of five — 1 Filipino, 2 Germans, and 2 Italians. Good thing that Mr. Arif was really kind. He didn’t want to disappoint us. Instead we avail the package tour from the agencies, he would be the one who will drive us to Mt. Ijen.

The Road to Mt. Ijen

From the start, it was already a challenge, the weather condition was not that good. It’s drizzling. We were starting to doubt if we could see the blue fire tonight. Blue fire is one of unnatural phenomenon that is happening in Banyuwangi. I believed this was also the reason why travelers would go here. Mr. Arif said that “We can’t tell. It’s nature.” He seems to have a good point. After all, nature is really unpredictable. But he also made our hopes high and said “But you will go above the clouds, so it will not be raining.”

“Difficult roads often lead to beautiful destinations.” – Zig Ziglar

Around 12:30 AM, we leave at the home stay and drove towards Mt. Ijen. It would be a long drive for about an hour. I sat at the front seat while the others continue to rest at the back seats. I can’t catch some nap even I wanted to. Plus, I sat next to Mr. Arif. I should keep him a company and needed him to stay awake. With this, I just witnessed how difficult the roads to Mt. Ijen.

Excessive moisture in the window.

It had a zigzag road. For a few moments, the roads turned to a jungle with no lights on the road — trusting only the headlights that the car provides. The road also became muddy due to the weather condition. As we went higher, the fogs appeared. Mr. Arif wiped the windshield every time as the window had moist. I’m very glad that Mr. Arif was a skillful driver and knew the road.

The Base Camp

We reached the Base Camp at 1:36 AM. Mr. Arif handed us gas masks. After that, Mr. Arif called me and told me the best tip ever. “This is the only tip I can give to you. At the counter, say “Satu” (it means one) and just give 10.000″. We both knew that I looked like an Indonesian. The price difference from foreigner to locals was 90.000 IDR. Good guy Mr. Arif!

Mr. Arif guided the others and I headed to the ticket office alone. I needed to be alone to pull this trick. When I got there, I followed his advice. I confidently said “Satu!” as if I spoke a magical phrase “Open sesame!” in One Thousand and One Nights. However, the ticket officer said something I didn’t know. I repeated “Satu!” but the stare of the officer didn’t quite look good. (Uh-oh! Busted!) Our plan didn’t worked out. The ticket officer went outside and that moment I thought I would be penalized or could be worse. But he just pointed me where I should buy. He meant “Where the foreigners should buy”. Whew! I think this was not the first time it happened to them. Some also tried this scheme perhaps. But what embarrassed me more was when he spoke to me and I tried to push a little harder saying random Indonesian words that I learned. I believed in his mind you would read “Nice try!”. (LOL!)

I went back to our group and paid the foreign price. “What happened?” the group questioned. I reported and I said “I think he was asking for smaller bill. I saw the ticket it was only 5.000 IDR. Maybe it’s something with my accent too.” Mr. Arif said that someone might already overheard us and tipped the officer. “Too bad.” Mr. Arif responded with a chuckle and patted my back. “It’s okay!” I replied. Well, it’s actually fine. No regrets. Although the price difference were very significant, to be honest, spending 100.000 IDR was already cheap for the exchange for what we would discover later. (I’m telling you now that it was very worthy after I finished the hike.)

Jump Off

We started at 1:58 am. This was where the real struggle began. First, it was cold. Maybe because we were already in high altitude and rain also contributed. They said that the temperature sometimes drop from 15°C to 10°C. Second, it was dark. Pitch dark. It was nice that I bought a headlamp since it was not included in the trip. Third, we have no tour guide either. Even though if we avail the package, the tour guide was excluded. Mr. Arif told us that it wasn’t required and we don’t need to. “Mt. Ijen trail had only one trail — where you enter is where you exit. Just follow the crowd and you will not get lost.” He was right. There were many people who were also hiking. These people were not only tourist. Some were just local people — guides and miners. Yes, the sulfur miners. And so on and so on.

The gates were already open.

Our group, the Mango Tree House party (I made that up inside of my head), agreed that we could walk together instead doing by yourselves. While walking, I introduced myself and started a conversation. The name of German couple were Patrick and his girlfriend (Sorry! I forgot the name!) And the name of Italian couple were Andrea and her boyfriend. (Yes…I also forgot the name.) The Italian couple didn’t talk too much. It was Patrick’s girlfriend who talked to me a lot. That was why it was a shame to forget her name. (If you ever found my blog and read this. Let me know so I can apologize.).

Along the way, we saw some locals who had a push cart. This is what they called “Human Taxi”. Some says it costs around 400.000 IDR in exchange that they would take you to the top.

The Struggle is Real

Few minutes later, I felt that I’m having difficulty to walk. Besides that it was still raining and that makes the terrain slippery. But because I surfed before I went here, it’s now paying toll on me. I felt the pain in my upper body and I got blisters on my toes. Although minimal, I felt the irritating pain every time I took a step. I was thinking why I did that knowing that I would hike later. Nevertheless, the show must go on. And by speaking, while hiking, I still managed to document or video myself.

We saw a shed. I took some minutes to rest, while others went to toilet. Some also put layers on their body. This was supposed to be our last stop, and we should moved all the way from the top..well..uhmm let me repeat that. This was supposed to be “their” last stop. Because for me, it’s not. As we back on track again, I felt now the fatigue and every steps were now heavy. My heart was pounding like a jack hammer. I was leading before on our group (excited too much) and now I was lagging behind. Their stamina was fascinating. I knew I haven’t had a good rest just like them. That’s what I told to myself just to fool my mind.

“You are in the cottage”

We arrived at the “cafeteria”. I stopped again and took a rest for a while. It was my life saver! I was a fool that I forgot to brought water. If there’s no store available, I might desperately beg someone to give me some water. After I bought a bottled water, I gulped it immediately. As I checked my group, they were nowhere in my sight. I lost them and I think they didn’t notice me. That’s why I said that was our their last stop because I realized they didn’t took a break here.

I proceeded even without them and just a few moments later, the nature called me. I wanted pee. I don’t know if there would be another stop after the cafeteria. I don’t want even to go back there. I went astray and I did the “tabi-tabi po” style (common Filipino culture) and asked Mt. Ijen for forgiveness. Thank goodness it was pitch dark.

To the Summit

We needed to be on top quickly. It’s because blue fire only show itself in darkness. This was also the reason why we needed to hike at midnight. It would not be longer visible once the sun had risen.

I moved quickly as I needed to catch up with Mango Tree House party. I hoped that at some point I would see them. And just when I thought. They were there, waiting and searching for me. I heard from afar “It is him?” as I went closer to them. I saw their faces with a sign of relief. All of them were worried about me. They asked if I’m okay. I answered them that I’m fine and I apologized to them. I suggested that they could continue without me. I don’t want to become a burden or the reason why they will not see the blue fire. Still, Patrick’s girlfriend insisted “No, you can tell us if you want to have a break. We will wait for you. Okay?” Isn’t she sweet? (It was really a shame that I forgot her name. I wish one day, I will remember it.)

When we got back on track again, she noticed that I’m running out of breath and curiously asked me “Do you smoke?” I honestly replied “No, I’m just fat.” and she laughed.

I stopped recording and documentation for a while to save some energy.

MDPL means meter dari permukaan laut which literally translated as meters above sea level (MASL)

We were already walking for about 2 hours from the start. They said that 3 hours was the average time to reach the top. I felt we were already near. I saw already the caldera and the trail changed to flat terrain. At 3:26 AM, we finally made it to the top.

To the Dragon’s Nest

Actually, to went down close to the crater was prohibited. Only the workers (sulfur miners) were allowed. Not to mention that it was dangerous, but it was also slippery at that time. However, many of the visitors ignored this warning and continue their way to the crater. It was at your own risk. We talked to each other if we wanted to continue. It was early to go back and we decided to continue our way.

The trail going down was very narrow. At least one person could fit in. There were no hand rails. One wrong step and you would fall. Take note that the terrain here was rocky. To jump or skip would make stones or rocks fall.

We, the uninvited guests, were attacked by the vile stench of Mt. Ijen halfway down the steep trail. It was an acrid and sour smell. From here, we wore our gas mask. This made hard for me to breathe.

This was the time, Patrick and his girlfriend turned around and decided to go back. I was behind them and I could tell that they were having a difficulty going down. They said it was very dangerous and they don’t wanted to risk it. I didn’t persist. They wished me good luck and I replied them to take care. (Later, when we were on our way to house stay. Patrick was vomiting along the way and got sick. It was a good call for them to turned back.)

As for the Italian couple, who were just right behind me. I saw that they hired a guide who gave them a helping hand when descending. They were now in good hands and we parted away from each other as I had to do breaks. So from here, I did it on my own.

The Devil’s Gold and the Ijen Warriors

I saw sulfur miners as I moved closer to the crater. According to some, these sulfur miners carries a load for about 30-50 kg (60-110 lbs) for each basket. If you ever saw them along the way, please stop for a while and give way. I also noticed that some of them didn’t have proper equipment, they didn’t wear gloves and gas masks. Despite the dangers and the risks they could encounter, as I heard, most of them went twice on a single day to doubled their sulfur mine. And you may probably wouldn’t believe that the cost of their tough grind is only 800 IDR per kilo.

These sulfur miners were the real mutants. Where did they get their superpowers? This probably one of the toughest job in the world! With their amazing feat, they have earned respect and fascination on the tourist. Some of them tried to carry the loads or took some photographs with them and leave a small tip. Some gave things like cigarettes which they said to be their favorite, which was kinda ironic. While some of the sulfur miners created souvenirs for extra income. These were shaped sulfur which comes in different shapes and size with a cost of 10.000-50.000 IDR. I bought a teddy bear shaped sulfur for 20.000 IDR for keepsake and to helped them. Please don’t haggle anymore.

The yellow ore is the sulfur. This is already extracted from the volcano.

Behind me is what they called “Devil’s Gold” where the sulfur miners risked their lives for these.

The Heart of Mt. Ijen

I arrived at the crater at 4:15 AM. They were already a lot of people waiting for the blue fire. As I stood on the ground and took a rest, I saw people who were still going down. I was fascinated to saw the alternating lights, blinking and flickering. Looked back how far that I got just to arrived here.

What I saw afterwards was more fascinating than this. As I extended my sight upwards, I saw the illumination of the moon and the brilliant stars. I saw the Milky Way and a glimpse of the universe. What a lovely sight to see. I stared for a while and made me forget the exhaustion even just for a second.

I was worried if the blue fire would appear tonight. So I looked around for the other spot. And I finally saw the blue fire.I said “This is it?” A stranger replied “Yeah, it’s the blue fire”. Deep inside I know it’s the “blue fire”. A fire that was blue. But it’s not what I pictured based on what I Googled and it was just a small one. It looks like the one you could see when you light up a denatured alcohol or a flame in your stove. At that time, my headlamp was still on. But even after I turned it off, I appreciated it somehow.

The Eccentric Blue Fire

11 minutes passed and the blue fire finally appeared. The one that I was expecting. We were all in awe. All of us in crowd said “Wow!” in chorus. I moved closer to the blue fire. We all know that the blue flame was the hottest and the most intense part of a fire. They said that it could be at 600°C yet I can’t feel hot nearby the blue fire. I haven’t thought of this at that time. I was overjoyed I guess. But I admitted that I was reckless at that time.

I stopped recording and just watched the marvels of the world.

There are only two places in the world that the blue fire can be observe — Iceland and Indonesia.

While Indonesia is just close to Philippines, it has also a larger blue fire area compared to Iceland.

It looks like a lava, that’s why most of the people mistakenly called it as “blue lava”. The flames were so pure and so mystical. It was like a heart of Mt. Ijen, burning so brightly indicating its life force. Once the flames go out, it would lose its appeal. Eventually, that happened.

The Blue Acid Lake

After some time, they extinguished the fire and we were now enveloped in toxic fumes. This was the time our gas masks became really useful. These smokes were very nasty. Even with our gas masks on, I could still inhale the smoke that I needed to stop my breathing for a while. It was also irritating to the eyes. It singed that made our eyes teared.

As the show already finished, like what I said earlier, some people started to climb back. Even we were engulfed by smoke, I chose to stay for several reasons. They were still people going down. With the trail so steep and it’s still dark, I was worried about the traffic and there might be falling rocks or debris. I might also lose my balance and fall. If I stay, it would be a perfect time to recover and saved some strength. To add, it’s too early to went back. I wanted to see the blue acid lake. I have checked where the blue acid lake located. It was still dark at that time and I’m unable to appreciate its true beauty.

I looked for a spot and hid behind a big rock. At least, it would protect me from toxic smoke. In order to survive until sunrise, I needed to stay low, curl down, closed my eyes, and stopped my breath.

Around 5:43 AM, as dawn washed the darkness from the sky, the blue acid lake was revealed to be an enchanted beauty. I have seen similar turquoise blue water in Kawasan Falls at Cebu, Philippines and Kuang Si Falls at Luang Prabang, Laos but this was an exception. It was not the type of waters you want to dive into.

It was deceptively beautiful!

Mt. Ijen is also known for the World’s Most Highly Acidic Lake. (Hitting two birds in one stone) According to research, it has a pH lower than the battery acid or almost zero.

I wished I could stay longer to admire the acidic lake. However, I already ran out of luck and the toxic smoke was slowly engulfing us. I couldn’t take it anymore and my body was now reacting to it. Short-term exposure to highly concentrated levels of toxic smoke could be deadly. It could lead to breathing difficulties, may burn the lungs, corrode the skin and can even melt your teeth. Yikes! It’s time to go back.

After Dark

It was 6:37 AM when I reached Mt. Ijen’s peak again. This time, I was greeted of an awe-inspiring sight. The sun light slowly gleaming the caldera. The sky was deep blue and the cloud was the same height as where I stood as if my hands could reach it. The cold wind blew so strong you could hear its whistle. The field became lunar-liked as if I was transported or stepped on another planet. While revisiting the sight of blue acid lake and smoke came from the sulfur, it somehow reminded me of the movie “The Planet of the Apes”. So calm yet, destructive. I also like the blending of colors — bright yellow and turquoise blue.

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I never had this scene in my entire travel. This was what the philosophers called “the sublime”.

Totally out of this world!

Below was a short impromptu documentary that I made. Enjoy! 🙂

Sometimes, the most phenomenal things in life require a little danger, and climbing Mt. Ijen certainly is one of them.

Mt. Ijen – Where Heaven and Hell Meets "Out of this world!" those were the words that I uttered after witnessing the impeccable beauty of Mt.

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stayextrafrosty · 7 years

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Friends with the Monster: Part 1

Summary: Demon Patrick AU. New neighbor moves in and even though he’s a bit strange, he’s friendly. One day when dropping off some mail that was given to you by accident, you encounter a side of him that he can’t control.

Patrick x Reader

Words: 5172

“Three bodies have been found at the abandoned hospital. They all appear to have been strangled with their necks broken. No prints were found on the bodies and no one is in custody. All of them were convicted felons. The police are working around the clock to-“ I shut off the tv. This is the second time in three weeks that there have been bodies found in some abandoned building. They were always criminals but did that really make it ok to kill them?

I walked over to the oven to check on the cookies. Snickerdoodles made from my grandmother’s cookbook. I missed her every day but she left us some awesome cookies at least. I don’t usually bake but there was someone moving into the apartment across from me. Our building was only two floors so everyone was pretty close. I know Kayla and Don, who were in the room next to me, were making some wall hangings. Marie, the old lady living next to the vacant apartment, was probably going to make a flower arrangement.

I opened the oven to pull out the cookies. The aroma filled the apartment. I had to restrain myself from eating one too soon. My phone buzzed in my pocket and I pulled it out to see Kayla freaking out

Ok, I know I’m married but holy fuck. New guy is H O T.

I laughed at her excitement. She said that about almost every mildly attractive guy she wanted me to get with. More matchmaking attempts. She was 27 and thought that it was weird that I wasn’t married at 24. It’s not like she forced stereotypes on me but that’s just who she is. I grabbed the decorative plate I bought at the dollar store and arranged some of the cookies on it. After wrapping it in plastic, I went and knocked on his door.

I waited a few moments before the door swung open. He wore a plain red t-shirt with some black jeans. Dirty blonde hair swept to the side. Ok, Kayla was right this time. He was hot. His smile was beautiful and kind. I almost forgot to speak.

“Hi! I live across the hall and just wanted to welcome you to the building,” I said, handing him the cookies. He seemed to get a bit flushed and let out what sounded like a giggle. It was cute.

“Thanks. I really appreciate it. You’re like the third person who’s stopped by. I’m Patrick. You’re all so nice, it’ll suck to have to leave.” Leave? I guess he’s one of those people who have to move a lot.

“I’m (Y/N). Do you move around a lot for work?” His face dropped for a second but then he was back to smiling, though it seemed sad.

“Not work. It just always seems I can’t stay in one place for too long. Sucks but at least I get to meet a lot of people.” I nodded. Maybe he just had a bad case of wanderlust.

“I’d invite you in but it’s a mess right now. Thanks for the cookies. Snickerdoodles are always good,” he said. I smiled at him.

“Yea, no problem. I could help you unpack if you’d like. I know moving is a hassle.”

“Oh, no that’s ok. I can handle it. My friend is coming by later to help. Thanks for the offer.” He seemed to shrink back into the door. Maybe I overstepped the boundaries a bit.

“Alright, well I hope to see you at the barbeque this Saturday. It was great to meet you Patrick.”

“I’ll be there. Nice to meet you, too.” I turned and heard the door click shut. He seemed nice. I hope he stuck around.

I killed some time by working on my novel. I was an editor for an online editing service. I worked on all types of things from school papers to business letters to creative stories. But my ultimate goal was to get something of my own published.

I glance at the clock on my laptop and it was close to six. I pulled myself off my couch and rummaged through the kitchen. Looks like it was leftover pasta tonight. I heated up a plate of spaghetti and flopped back down on the couch. This will forever be the best part about living alone. I turned the news back on and there was more coverage of the hospital murders. They now believed the two incidents were connected. I watched for a bit and then remembered I needed to get the mail.

I stepped out my door and noticed a Patrick and another guy talking at Patrick’s door. I couldn’t see the guys face but I bet that was the friend Patrick was talking about earlier. It seems I caught the tail end of their conversation.

“You gotta watch yourself, Patrick. The people around here are good. Try to not drag them into this.” Patrick had a serious look on his face. Much more closed off then earlier. He noticed me over his friend’s shoulder. I quickly averted my eyes and hurried to the stairs.

Way to make an impression…

I hurried over to my mail box in the entryway. I glanced through it briefly, noting the cell phone bill. The rest of it was adds and junk. I turned and ran into someone. It was a guy I hadn’t seen before. He had dark brown hair that was cut short and gelled up, olive skin and tattoos covering his arms. He was hot. This must be Patrick’s friend that I saw.

“I’m sorry. You startled me. I’ll just be going.” I tried to push past him but he wouldn’t budge.

“I’m Pete, Patrick’s friend. (Y/N), right? Patrick seems to like it here so far. He’s a good guy, too,” he said. This was a bit weird.

“Well he seemed like a good guy. I didn’t need you to tell me that. In fact, that just makes me question my judgement. Excuse me.” I pushed past him and he let me. He called to me as I started up the stairs.

“Be careful with him. He’s a bit troubled. Past relationships not ending well and all.” I blushed and hurried up the rest of the way. I hardly knew the guy. Why would his friend bring up relationships? Weird.

Saturday came quickly. I only saw Patrick a couple times since he caught me eavesdropping. Not that I looked forward to seeing him or anything. I had knocked on his door to apologize and let him know it wasn’t my intention to be nosy but he never answered.

I pulled the baked mac n’ cheese out of the oven and set it on the counter to cool a bit before I brought it downstairs. I stared at myself in the bathroom mirror for a bit, trying to decide if I should wear makeup or not. Patrick said he was coming but who knows. Maybe I scared him off. I shook my head and settled for plain eyeliner. Why did I care what he thought anyway? I threw on my black tank top with dark blue shorts and black converse.

I rushed back to the kitchen and grabbed the still warm pan. I held the placemats under my arms and used my foot to open the door. Patrick stood there, looking like he was about to knock. He looked at me and chuckled a bit.

“Hey, Patrick. What’s up? Would you mind getting the door for me?” He nodded and closed my door.

“Here let me carry that for you. Sorry for laughing when I should have helped right away,” he said sheepishly. I let him take the pan from me and I shrugged my shoulders.

“Don’t worry about it. I’m sure it looked pretty funny,” I said, laughing. We headed down the stairs together and into the front lawn area. Everyone was there already and food was being set up. I signaled for Patrick to follow me and where to put the pan. I clapped my hands and took a breath. My part of planning was over.

“Want a beer? Or there’s some harder stuff by the ‘bar’ if you’re feeling adventurous,” I said. Patrick laughed a bit.

“Um, depends what kind of beer. If it’s shit then I’ll go straight to the whiskey,” he said. I rolled my eyes at him.

“Well then I guess you better get to the bar because Jack is in charge of beer and it’s usually the cheap stuff.” I never drank it myself because of that reason. Patrick and I headed over to the makeshift bar. I made myself a margarita and poured Patrick a glass of whiskey. He seemed to stick around me as we socialized. Girls would flirt with him and he would be as polite as he could. Kayla came up to me while a redhead had his attention.

“Soooo? You kissed him yet,” she whispered to me. I almost spit out my drink. Is she crazy?

“Of course not! I hardly know him. All I know is that past relationships haven’t ended well for him. He’s probably not even looking right now.” I glanced over at him. The redhead was really trying. It was sweet but it was easy to see Patrick wasn’t interested.

“Well he’s totally looking at you. He’s been hanging around you for the whole party. I could drop some hints to let him know to ask you out.” I shook my head at her. Patrick freed himself from the girl and hurried over to me.

“I may go hide out inside. I feel bad turning these girls down.” He laughed at himself a bit. Kayla threw an arm around me.

“You wouldn’t turn her down, would you? I mean, she’s beautiful and smart and-“ I pushed her off, laughing nervously. I can’t believe she actually did that.

“That would depend on (Y/N). I’d be more than happy to take you out sometime. As friends, of course.” I glared at Kayla and she skipped away. I turned back to Patrick.

“I’m sorry about that. She thinks that I need to go out more. I wouldn’t force you to take me out.” I chuckled but Patrick looked completely serious.

“You wouldn’t have to force me. Any guy would be lucky to have you in their company for a night.” He tucked a stray piece of hair behind my ear. I couldn’t help but blush and turn my head away.

“How’s Tuesday night sound?” I can’t believe this is actually happening. I smiled at him and nodded.

“I think I would like that a lot. Are we still going with the whole ‘just friends’ thing,” I asked? He chuckled and shook his head.

“I think I’ll let you know on Tuesday,” he said. Then he set his glass down and walked back into the building. I tried to keep the grin off my face but Kayla made sure to tell me that it was noticeable. So, I liked him. That wasn’t a crime. Besides, he was a good guy. Maybe he had a troubled past but that doesn’t make him crazy.

Monday afternoon I sat at the local coffee shop, trying to fix a kid’s paper. They claimed it was a high school paper but it sounded like something a sixth grader would write. I was pointing out careless mistakes and even plagiarism. It seemed like the kid just wanted me to write the paper for him. I finished reading it through and emailed it back to him. I shut my laptop and put my head down. They can’t all be easy.

The chair across from me moved and I saw a pair of gym shoes. Lifting my head up, there was a guy. He looked like he hadn’t shaved in a week and hungover. A day drinker. Great. I tried to be polite.

“Can I help you with something?” I took a sip of my coffee.

“Now that you mention it, I would love to hang out with you somewhere more private. So we can get to know each other,” he said. He wasn’t even trying to be subtle about it. Creep.

“Sorry. Not interested.” I started to pack up my laptop but the creep grabbed my hand.

“But I could make it worth your while. We would get along so well,” he pleaded. I yanked my hand back.

“I said no. Get lost.” I pushed my chair back and stood up to get out of there as fast as possible. I heard his chair move and I glanced back to see him following me. Then I ran into someone.

“Patrick? What are you doing here,” I asked? I noticed Pete was with him and they both looked over my shoulder to the creepy guy following me. Patrick’s face darkened. It was a bit freaky. Like the night I first saw him with Pete. He pushed me behind him and confronted the guy.

“What do you want?” His voice wasn’t normal. It was cold and disconnected. Not the one he used with everyone at the apartments.

“Come on now. Ya can’t keep ‘er all to yourself.” He started slurring his words a bit. Patrick grabbed his shirt and shoved him back. He stumbled and fell. This had gone far enough.

“Get lost. She doesn’t want you,” Patrick said. Only it sounded more like a growl. I hurried over to him and grabbed his arm.

“Patrick, that’s enough. He gets the idea.” I tried to get him to face me but he wouldn’t budge. I walked in front of him. For a split second, I thought I saw yellow in his eyes. Maybe it was just a trick of the light.

The creep had pulled himself up and ran off, looking terrified. Patrick took a deep breath and relaxed. He smiled sadly at me.

“Hey, you ok?” His normal voice was back. Maybe I just imagined it all. I nodded. He looked relieved. Pete came over and slapped him on the back.

“What did I say about saving pretty girls from creeps? You gotta let me be the assistant at least.” Patrick rolled his eyes at him.

“Yea well, you can sometimes be one of the creeps that they need saving from,” he said lightheartedly. I chuckled at their back and forth banter. They were clearly close.

“Thanks for the help guys. But I do need to get going. I’ll see you tomorrow, Patrick. Pete, pleasure seeing you again.” They both said their goodbyes and I was on my way.

The rest of the night, I couldn’t get the way Patrick looked out of my head. He looked mad but it was more than that. Something not human. I know that it’s impossible. I suppose I could ask him about it tomorrow but that doesn’t seem like good first date talk. I also could come off as sounding crazy.

I let myself fall onto my bed. There was nothing to worry about. Yet there was this nagging feeling that something just wasn’t right. I pulled out my phone to look through social media and to get my mind off this feeling.

Within the first few posts, I learn that another body has been found. Another former criminal dead. Strangled and their neck broken. I tossed my phone down. Why couldn’t there be something good happening in the world? I crawled under my covers and let my eyes drift closed. I couldn’t tell exactly what I dreamed about. But it had something to do with the beautiful, sweet, and mysterious new neighbor.

The day dragged. Patrick had texted me to wear something nice and that he’d be knocking on my door around five forty-five. I haven’t been on a real date in a while and I had no idea what to wear. I know he said “something nice” but what kind of nice? The someone died nice or party nice? I guess somewhere in between.

I pulled a crimson dress out of my closet. Kayla made me buy it for a date I was supposed to go on but then I was stood up. I pulled it over my head, pleased that it still fit. It fit me well and flared out at the bottom. It came down just above my knee. Long enough to be presentable, short enough to tease. I pulled on some black heels and threw a leather jacket over it. I let my hair fall naturally, hoping it would behave. There was a knock at the door and I glanced at the clock. If it was Patrick, he was about ten minutes early. I mean, I was ready, but I wouldn’t have time to mentally prepare. I hurried to the door and pulled it open. I saw the flowers first. Then I noticed who was behind them. I tried to shut the door but he stuck his foot in.

“Wait, (Y/N). I know you don’t want to see me but you have to hear me out.” My ex-boyfriend stood at the door. Ben. He dumped me for a rich airhead and when she stopped putting out, he came back to me. He was a dick and I can’t believe I ever loved him.

“No, I don’t. You made it very clear that you didn’t want me if I wouldn’t fuck you. And that hasn’t changed. So, get lost and shove those flowers up your ass.” He went to say something else but I slammed the door. He infuriated me. I considered sleeping with him but I am so happy that I didn’t.

I got some water to cool myself down. I hope he didn’t hang around. But knowing him, he would. He probably noticed that I was dressed nice and wants to pick a fight with whoever comes to the door. Patrick was supposed to be ready to go soon. I would go to him before the douche in the hall started something.

I grabbed my bag and opened the door just as Patrick was opening his. And sure enough, Ben was still here. He tried to talk to me but I pushed past him. Patrick took notice.

“Hey Patrick. You ready to go? I hope this is nice enough.” He looked at my outfit and smiled.

“You look beautiful. Breathtaking even.” He let his hand rest on my back to guide me. He wore dress pants with a grey button down. We didn’t get two steps before Ben stood in front of us.

“That’s my girl you’re touching. I suggest you go back inside before things get ugly.” He got right in Patrick’s face. Ben was a bit taller but Patrick didn’t look worried in the slightest. In fact, he smiled. I would not want to be on the receiving end of that one.

“You’re right. I’m sorry.” He turned to me. “We should just stay in tonight. I’ll cook. He turned and unlocked his door again, he pulled me inside and shut the door in Bens face. My mouth hung open for a moment before a smile broke out on my face.

“Holy hell. I can’t believe you just did that. That was amazing! Thank you, again.” I turned to him, laughing. But he had his head resting against the wall. Confused, I rested a hand on his shoulder. “Patrick? Are you ok?” He seemed to be breathing deeply. Then he straightened again and smiled at me.

“Yea, I’m alright. Just a bit of a head rush. Did the dick leave?” He looked out the peephole then opened the door. Ben was nowhere to be seen. “All clear if you still want to head out.” He scratched his head nervously. I rolled my eyes and stepped into the hallway with him. Before I could rethink, I kissed his cheek.

“Well you saved me from creepy guys twice now so I think it’s the least I can do,” I said. I thought I saw him blush but it was gone quickly. He offered me his arm and we were off.

He took us to this nice Cajun place. We had a corner booth to ourselves and everything was closed off. It was personal and I didn’t know how to act. Patrick ordered us wine. We talked about everything. From work to friends to family. We shared some tastes in music and clearly food. Of course, at the end of the night he wouldn’t let me see the bill.

“Patrick, this place is so nice. I couldn’t make you pay for the whole thing. Please just let me split the bill,” I begged. He just shook his head and handed the check back to the waiter with a credit card.

“I wanted to take you out. I wouldn’t have brought you here if I couldn’t afford to cover it.” I sighed and slumped down in defeat.

“Fine, but I will find a way to pay you back.” He grinned. And signed off on the check. We stood and as I was pulling my jacket on, I saw him throw a couple twenties on the table. I told myself to not think about it.

As he drove us back to the apartment, he asked about Ben. I ran a hand through my hair. I suppose it was a reasonable question. Considering Ben threatened him.

“He’s my ex. He broke up with me basically because I wouldn’t have sex with him. He was a jerk and I want nothing to do with him. But he’s always been possessive. I’m sorry he threatened you.” Patrick was silent for a moment.

“Well it doesn’t excuse his behavior but I can see why he’d be possessive. You’re a catch. Beautiful and smart and fearless.” He looked over at me and smiled. The sweeter stuff he said, the more this felt like a date. And definitely not as friends.

I grabbed my mail as we passed through the entryway. Patrick was the perfect gentleman and walked me all the way to my door.

“I had a really nice time tonight. I hope we can go out again,” he said as I unlocked my door, tossing the mail on the table just inside.

“I would love to go out again. Oh, and did you ever decide if this was just as friends or no?” I teased him and he just loosened his tie a bit. The act was innocent but it looked hot as hell.

“Honestly, I really hope we can be more than friends.” He took my hand and kissed it gently. How could a man be so perfect? He began to turn away and I rushed to say something.

“Do you want to come in? I have ice cream,” I said. I tried to keep my voice neutral but I’m sure the hopefulness came through. Patrick face me again.

“Why not? I’ve got time.” I stepped to the side so he could pass. I shut the door behind me and shrugged off my jacket. Patrick wandered around my living room, looking at pictures. I made my way over to the freezer and pulled out some vanilla ice cream and chocolate syrup. I set them down on the table and went for the bowls. I turned and saw Patrick examining the ice cream.

“Not good enough for you? I have sprinkles if you need them,” I said as I set the bowls down. He laughed and set it down.

“No, this is fine. Was just checking how bad Andy was going to yell at me for cheating on a diet. He’s a good friend of mine. Loves working out and being healthy.” I nodded. I knew people like that. I dropped a couple scoops in and we made some light conversation.

“Hey, you got some chocolate on your face. Let me get it.” I almost jumped when his thumb ran over my bottom lip. I felt my face heat up but his hand was gone before I had time to enjoy it. He licked the chocolate off his own finger, never breaking eye contact with me. I thanked him and stood to put my dishes in the sink.

He came up behind me, placing a light hand on my waist. “Need help with anything,” he asked? I turned to him, his face inches from mine. I couldn’t believe what I was about to do.

“No. Thanks though. But you do have some chocolate on your face. I’ll get it for you.” He looked confused for a moment. Then I kissed him. I had surprised him and he didn’t respond at first. I pulled away after a few seconds. I blushed and turned away from his now hooded eyes.

I continued washing the dishes but when I went to put them away, he took them from me and trapped me against the counter. Then his mouth was on mine. It was soft but urgent. I wrapped my arms around him and his hands gripped my waist. I nibbled on his lip gently. He lifted me up onto the counter without me realizing at first. I pulled back from him for a moment.

“So, you’ve been hiding how strong you are, huh,” I joked. Then I took note of his eyes. They weren’t the normal bluish green but starting to shift into a deep yellow. “Patrick? What wrong with your eyes?” His face changed immediately. He turned his head away and was blinking rapidly. He stepped away from me and headed toward the door.

“I’m so sorry. I have to go. See you soon,” he rushed out. His voice had changed too. It was deeper. It was more like growling than talking, just like yesterday. I tried to stop him.

“Patrick, wait. Talk to me.” He shook his head and hurried out the door, slamming it behind him. Something was clearly wrong. Maybe I should just let him call me when he’s ready. I ran a hand through my hair and grabbed the mail off the end table. I sifted through it. Mostly junk. One thing did catch my eye though. It was Patrick’s name. I should bring this to him.

Maybe I was just looking for a reason to go over there and check on him, but I didn’t care. I changed into jeans and a black tank top and went to knock on his door. I could have slid it under but I needed to know he was ok.

“Patrick, it’s me. I have some of your mail. Please open the door.” There was no reply. I knocked again, more urgently this time. “Patrick. Please don’t hide from me.” There was a thud on the other side of the door. Now I was really worried. Then there was a voice.

“Please just go away. I don’t want to see you. It’s for your own good.” It sounded like Patrick but it wasn’t right. But one thing was certain, no one told me what was right for me. I was the only one that decided that. I pushed the door handle and was amazed that it opened. I shut the door behind me.

The apartment was dark. I walked a few feet in and saw a figure standing in front of the window, their back towards me. I took a couple cautious steps forward.

“Patrick?” My voice was almost too loud. A laugh rumbled out of his chest. It sounded almost crazy. Then he turned toward me. The only thing I saw, were his eyes. Bright yellow and staring right at me. Fear rose inside me but if this was Patrick, I had to help him.

“Oh, you should have listened to me. Well, the other me. The one who is so concerned with being nice and making a life.” He was suddenly in front of me. I could see him clearly now. This was Patrick. The only difference was the eyes and personality. He ran a hand down my face and I tried not to flinch.

“You are a glorious kisser by the way. How I wish the other me hadn’t stopped. Of course, I could just finish it now…” He trailed off and he started kissing my neck. I tried to shove him off but he was much stronger than me.

“Patrick, please… This isn’t you. Stop.” He shoved me against the wall and his fingers dug into my skin. “You’re hurting me, please… Patrick…” Suddenly he shoved himself away from me and held his head in his hands. He groaned in what sounded like pain.

“Damn bastard is actually fighting me. Finally grew some balls, huh? And all it took was a girl. God, he’s pathetic. I’m sure we’ll meet again, darling,” demon Patrick said. He threw a menacing grin at me before he fell to the ground.

I rushed over and kneeled next to him. I lifted his head to my lap and pet his head. He had a pained expression on his face. I sat with him for a couple minutes until he started to shift and groan. I moved the hair out of his face as his eyes fluttered open. They were back to their normal blue.

“Hey there. You ok? Don’t try to move too much,” I said softly. He ignored me and sat up almost instantly. He grabbed my shoulders and looked over me franticly.

“I didn’t hurt you, did I? Oh god, why didn’t you listen to me? Are you crazy?” His hands came up to rest on my face. I mimicked him.

“I’m alright. I promise.” He rested his head on mine and let out a sigh of relief.

“I could have really hurt you, (Y/N). And now I’m sure you never want to see me again. Don’t worry. I’ll get out of here as soon as possible.” He sat down and placed his head in his hands. I shook my head.

“I don’t want you to leave.” He looked up at me in shock. “No matter what you might think, I’m not afraid of you. You wouldn’t hurt me.” He shook his head.

“You don’t know that… I don’t have control when I’m… a monster…” he said sadly. “What did I do to you?” There was no point in lying to him. That wouldn’t help the situation.

“You told me that I should have listened. And that you wish you hadn’t stopped earlier. And then you kissed my neck and pushed me against the wall. Then I called out to you. And the real you came back.” He ran his hands through his hair and sighed.

“Fuck. I’m sorry. I heard you call to me. I fought harder than ever to wake up. But there is no guarantee that I’ll be able to do that every time,” he said.

“I trust you. And I want to help. I don’t want you to hide from me.” I thought I saw a tear slip down his face but I’m not sure. He nodded.

“But on that note. What the hell is going on?”

part 2

#patrick stump #patrick stump imagine #patrick x reader #band imagine #fall out boy fanfiction #i take requests #i can do any fob member #fob #fall out boy #part 1 #demon patrick au

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polyx · 6 years

Text

Get to know me tag:^)

I was tagged by @criminalmastermine

Name:

Polyxeni

Gender:

Female

Star sign:

Virgo/Sheep

Height:

170 cm

Put your music on shuffle, what are the first six songs to pop up?:

Ok because I listen on Soundcloud, Spotify and my folders on my phone, I’ll do 3 separate :^) Spotify 1) VIXX LR – Chocolatier 2) BTS – Lost 3) MOBB – Hit me (feat. KUSH) 4) Taemin – Thirsty 5) VIXX – Dynamite 6) BTS – Moving on (Ok it’s pretty obvious that I use Spotify mostly for k-pop lol)

Soundcloud 1) Sunday – Only 2) Sofi Tukker – Hey Lion 3) マクロスMACROSS 82 - 99 - 葛城ミサトYEBISU (YUNG BAE EDIT) 4) Vantage // - Patrick Converter (ft. Chrollo)

5) M.RUX - Rembetiko Mon Amour // ρεμπέτικο αγάπη μου 6) Seiun – otogibanashi My folders on my phone 1) Lorde – Liability 2) Clueso - Achterbahn (Handgepäck Version) 3) Incubus – Pistola 4) Lana Del Rey – Once Upon A Dream (Maleficent OST) 5) Little Boots – Working Girl 6) Banks - Haunt

Grab the nearest book, turn to page 23 and write line 17:

“(…) because “a realisation that comes from society itself” could “already contain a reform (…)“. (roughly translated from German)

Last time you played air guitar?:

Uhm… I don’t know ^^° I rarely do it tbh… I usually dance

Celebrity crush?: The first person that comes into my mind is Lucy Lawless :^)

What’s a sound that you hate/love?:

I love it when it’s 4 in the morning and my window next to my bed is open, and the rain softly hits the glass and no car drives by, or when you sit by the beach at about 7pm in Greece in the summer, when most people had their share of sun and leave the beach, and the water softly hits the shore and a seagull are audible somewhere in the distance, or when you float in the water and your ears are under the water and you hear the water and your heartbeat… also the soft flat breathing of the person laying next to you, or the rustling of the fabric of your bedding when you lay down to sleep… Idk I like a lot of subtle sounds. I hate hearing my joints cracking because I feel like I am breaking apart or something (?)

Do you believe in ghosts? How about aliens?:

Ghosts not so much, aliens? Definitely.

Do you drive? If so, have you ever crashed?:

I’ve had my licence for 5 years now and I never crashed :3 I don’t drive much though.

What was the last book you read?:

Simon Beckett – Totanfang / The Restless Dead (original title)

Do you like the smell of gasoline?:

Hm… kinda.

Last movie you saw?:

Fack Ju Göhte 3

Worst injury you’ve ever had?:

Broke my left arm.

Any obsessions right now?: A lot, although I should focus on studying: k-pop (like the biggest obsession atm), writing/reading fanfiction, drawing (my go to instant stress reliever), gaming (I still need to finish Hellblade!!), music overall, manga, my succulents (my babies)

Do you tend to hold grudges against people who’ve wronged you?: Yes. I try to forgive or forget (or both) for my sake, but often it doesn’t work.

In a relationship?:

Yes.

_______________

SECOND VERSION

Appearance:

I have long brown and blue hair, brown eyes and a long thin nose. My face is quite rectangular, and I have olive skin tone (but pretty light compared to others). I am chubby and well-proportioned I’d say. My nails are always short (except for holiday season because my nails won’t constantly break like during work) and usually some kind of varnish is on it. 50% of the time I wear clothes with some kind of pattern on it or colourful stuff, 25% of the time black and 25% pink shit, and always my casio on my wrist. I have 2 tattoos and 4 piercings, one stretched earlobe. Usually I wear make-up, and everyone knows me for wearing colourful eyeshadow.

Personality:

I am quite outgoing and like spending time with my friends and family and partner, but as much as I love having people around me, I need time to be alone. I just need to. I try to have an open ear for other people’s problems, but be prepared I might cry along with you because I am a very emotional person (like on Friday I was in a concert and started crying because the song was so touching lol). I’d say I am quite confident, but I need time adjusting in a new environment before returning to my confident self. At work I am the most patient person, but with my family I tend to be impatient a lot and I hate myself for it, but it’s getting better. I am very creative and love dwelling on details on random stuff (like I could tell you for an hour why I like a particular song for example). That’s also a reason why I can’t get shit done sometimes because I daydream a lot. Like… a lot… one person told me I remind them of Luna Lovegood because I seem trapped in my own bubble. I love arts. I used to be super tidy as a child, but now I am quite messy. I am often late (sorry to anyone affected by this v.v°). I love travelling. My bag is always ready for my nomad life, as I am always on the go.

Abilities:

I speak 3 languages! Also I draw and make jewellery. Also I have the ability to make a mess out of my room in the shortest amount of time, just watch me :^) professionally I am a druggist (but not the one working at a pharmacy, mind you) and I have a bachelors degree of trade and commerce. Also I’m a certified trainee instructor.

Experiences:

Well? I don’t know what this refers too… Maybe some random shit: -I used to do traditional greek dance as a kid. -I’ve never left Europe (sadly), but I’ve travelled to London, Vienna, Paris, Berlin and other cities. -When I was a smoll bean, I went to the central plaza of my dad’s village in Greece and returned with a puppy in my arms. My grandmother kept the pupper. -I love freaking LOVE technology, when I used my huge ass multitalented wireless printer for the first time and printed something via my phone I almost cried in excitement. -I can stop reading a book if it’s boring. -Once on my way home I sat in the tram, and there was a group of friends, drunk, pretty loud and happy, they were wearing traditional Bavarian clothing (Tracht), and they were …deaf! And one of the girls sat opposite to me, and complimented my hair, like we talked without using words, only by using our facial expressions and our hands, and she grabbed on piece of her hair and pointed at mine and we laughed, and then she offered me some of her vodka and I was so yolo at the moment I accepted, although I don’t accept drinks from strangers usually. I had such a blast these 10 minutes we spent together on the tram, I often think about her, and hope she is doing fine :’) - I remember as a young girl, I was sitting on an old faucet which was built in the short wall framing my grandparents’ house, and I was starring at the sky in disbelief. There I was, a young city girl, born and raised in Munich, sitting on an old faucet somewhere in an small village in Greece starring at the beautiful nightsky, seeing something I’ve never seen before. There were so many stars, just…so… so many stars… thousands and thousands of shiny dots across a black canvas. And they seemed to be alive. I couldn’t believe my eyes. Till this day, I remember this night, and I hear my mom asking what I was doing out there alone, surrounded by the wild noises of thousands of bugs around me. It has been more that 10 years, and this night is so vibrant in my memory. I will never forget this moment till my dying day. Still, I often spent time in Greece watching the stars, always in the back of my mind what my grandma told me once: don’t count the stars, it brings misfortune. - I pierced my ears on my own (…stupid). - I pretty much had my hair dyed any colour of the rainbow (except yellow, but I guess blonde counts?). - I’ve been to A LOT of concerts.

(I have some negative experiences too of course, but I don’t want to dwell on them) My life:

I still live with my parents, because I cannot afford anything on my own atm, but also due to other circumstances. Till the end of September I worked full time, now I started studying sociology (BA). I have been employed in the company I work for for 10 years now, and I love my work although it’s tough :’). I have a little sister who I love dearly, and she is making me a proud big sis:). My parents are the best parents, seriously you could not wish for better parents. I am super grateful to them for all I’ve been able to do in my life and all the love and support they have given, and are still giving me. Also, I’m so proud of them. The thought of what my parents have gone through makes me cry. I used to think I don’t have a lot of friends, but I do! And they all are beautiful unique personalities, I love them! I live the nomad live, as I feel I’m rarely home, always on the go. My co-workers are the sweetest people, I love seeing their faces light up when they see me :’) (ILY!!!) And my partner… there are no words to describe what sweet of a person he is. A puppy is nothing against him. I want to cuddle him forever. I am online a lot, but I don’t get involved with a lot of people online, safe for… 2 :’D Rach and Mine! I usually admire from afar, and fangirl in the tags for example. Overall I wake up everyday being thankful, my life is good! I appreciate every moment. I am blessed.

Relationships: I’ve only had 2 lmao, and I’m still friends with my first partner. Random stuff:

Ups I think I answered this earlier already…

THIRD VERSION

Relationship status:

In a relationship. We have an imaginary daughter lol.

Fave colour:

All hues of blue! Basically every colour but blue is the most dear to me.

Lipstick or ChapStick:

Lipstick for sure. I always have one in my pocket.

Last song:

Shahmaran by Sevdaliza

Last movie:

Fack Ju Göhte 3

Top 3 shows:

I don’t watch TV, neither do I have the time for series (I have GOT on halt, as well as “Halt and Catch Fire”) … But “The Vision of Escaflowne” is my favourite series of EVER. The story, the characters, the music, the art, the world building, I could cry it’s so beautiful. Also the whole ATLA and TLOK Series, it is so good!!! *cries*

Top 3 ships:

Oh man… ok. I’ll go for Amorra (Amon and Korra, TLOK), Truhan ( Gohan and Trunks, Dragonball Z) and basically every possible VIXX ship, because I love them all (but Wontaek though…)

I’d like to tag @valkerymillenia, @abnaxus, @coolera but you don’t have to do it if you don’t want to :’)

#polyx #polyx personal

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survivorhephaestus · 5 years

Text

EPISODE 05: WAIT YOU TOOK ME AWAY FROM MY DOG

After Space Council, the teams were given a new and exciting twist: a mysterious spaceship appeared on the horizon, only to crash in for a long-awaited Team Swap. Inside the star, the voted-off castaways got to have a hand in deciding who went on which team, and the resulting three teams were as follows:

Minkowski - Richie, Karter, Josh, Carson

Lovelace - Drew, Patrick, Owen, Lydia

Kepler - Katie, Renee, Jakey, Logan

The new teams were given a music video challenge to break the ice, and after varying degrees of effort, Minkowski and Kepler emerged victorious. Before the vote, each team was given a chance to elect an MVP from the challenge who would be given a special power. Lovelace chose Patrick, Kepler chose Katie, and Minkowski all voted for different people so they didn’t get an MVP :( Katie and Pat, however, each got a fifteen-minute satellite call to a person of their choice from another team. Pat used his to call Logan, and Katie called Lydia shortly after, allowing the four of them to enact a secret plan to influence the next vote.

When Lovelace arrived at Space Council, they found out they had been infected by a virus from another team’s laboratory, which meant an extra fifth vote would be cast at their Council. Because of this, Owen was voted off 3 - 2 and sent into the star.

KARTER

I FOUGHT A FUCKING MONSTER AND NOW I AM ON ANOTHER FUCKING SHIP

AND THE OTHER TEAM WAS SO SHADY AND NOW I AM WITH THEM. I MISS MY TEAM. I AM ANTI-MEANIES. THESE ARE CLEARLY MEANIES

I CANT BELIEVE THE OTHER TEAM GETS TO CHEAT

I don't want these new friends :( I miss Logan and Lydia. Fuck this. Lovelace #1 is a gift and I miss all of them.

I hate this new crew and I am so fucking mad the Kepler ship gets this NEW SHIP SHIT but I still love my pals from the original team on that ship so I am torn.

I FOUGHT A FUCKING MONSTER. KICK ME OFF I HATE THIS GAME WITHOUT MY PALS. Can someone send me out the airlock? Zo?

Just kidding I miss my team my pals m y c r e w

Oh no we are talking about vines now maybe they are okay

WAIT YOU TOOK ME AWAY FROM MY DOG. ARI IS THE WORST

DID I MENTION I FOUGHT A FUCKING PLANT MONSTER?

LYDIA

youtube

JOSH

http://prntscr.com/mr5pkf

PATRICK

First: losing Stevie was no fun. I didn't want to vote him, and I told him as much at the end of the round where Jay left. But between a complete lack of traction from anyone else and a lack of time to put in the legwork myself, it didn't make sense for my game to keep him around. :( Sorry, Stevie. You deserved better. And for that matter, Karen, you too.

Onward and upward, anyway. Fweeeeeee, team swap! Love it. In an ideal world it would've come one round earlier or with another person from my OG tribe. Being the lone Minkowski on a tribe of Lovelaces is concerning. But I like this group. All people I'm familiar with to some degree, and two of whom have been pretty good allies in past games! Owen's the one I'm least familiar with, and even he and I have SOME history. Not extensive, but some.

Realistically, if we go to council, I know I'm in trouble. So I'm going to be doing everything I can to avoid that. In the meantime, this seems like it'll be a fun team! I'm excited to have a good time with Lydia, Drew and Owen. Hopefully we can kick some butt and take some names.

It all starts with this music video. I love editing video, although I haven't done so in a while. I think for this, we'll need a few things to go right: we need a good, catchy song; we need a concept (all the best music videos in ORGs have them, not just raw lip syncing); and above all, we need good-quality video from everyone. Good video can survive bad editing, but the opposite is not true.

And, of course, we need to make a video so objectively good that even a panel of subjective judges can't shut it down. Basically, I want to capture the magic we had in Heroes vs Villains 2 (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2S64ck2mPXs), though so much of that will be dependent on our teamwork.

Also, lowkey I wish Logan was on this team? One, I miss them terribly. Two, they've been in two of the three videos I've ever edited in a game. It feels wrong not to have them in here too. Oh well. I'm sure we'll meet up at merge. Whether we work together is up for debate, but I just miss their peppy upbeat vibe.

I hope Josh and Jakey stay alive, too. If you know my game, you know I like to keep my options as open as possible. And putting aside my own game, I'd like to see those two get far. I think both stand DECENT chances because of the tribe's splits. But we shall see!

KARTER

I just miss my friends. We worked so well together. Lovelace #1 forever.

I kinda hope they vote me out this round.

PATRICK

Well, this is frustrating. I tried pushing things along yesterday, strongly hinting at needing today to do anything. And nobody really helped much, causing today to mostly come and go. Lydia finally ended up taking the reins — bless her soul — and she picked the one song I voiced objection to. Beautiful. But, whatever, it's too late to be switching songs.

It's also too late to lock in any concept like I'd hoped, so it'll be your garden-variety lipsync. I'm probably canceling my plans tomorrow to get this done, which has me VERY unhappy, so if I'm sacrificing my day I may as well try and have fun with it. I have a few ideas to inject humour, at least, if not interest.

But... ugh. I'm just frustrated. If/when we lose, I don't know where I stand. I'd hope Lydia would force the tie and give me a chance. But I think I'd get two votes if we went today. I hope I don't go out because of this. I feel like I was doing my part to steer conversation and just kept getting met with radio silence.

Whatever. Sleep, quick turnaround, then I'm on this video grind. If we lose it sure as hell won't be because I didn't do my best under the circumstances.

LOGAN

me when people criticize how in sync my video was when my teammates sent stuff in an hour before the deadline: just be glad we have a video!!!

it was hard work making that happen. i can't believe i single-handedly won my team immunity, Kepler is now the Logan Team. i feel like i'll be the tragic boot right before the merge, but at least i'll have this win to my name.

LYDIA

youtube

PATRICK

First off — Logan and Kepler at large, ily. You're the best kind of best.

NOW THEN. A few things I want to cover off, so bear with me.

PAT, YOU WON THE MVP AWARD. WHY DID YOU NOT REACH OUT TO ONE OF YOUR ALLIES FROM MINKOWSKI? A few reasons. First, I saw this reward as one hell of an opportunity to expand my options even more going into a merge. It's a rare way to forge trust with someone who's never been to council with you. Second, I mentioned this in my last confessional... I just missed Logan. And third, I think both Josh and Jakey are secure enough in our respective alliances that, even if it does leak out to my OG team (which it would already have had to leak to at least Jakey and Renee,) they would know it was to build ourselves a foothold, not to throw them aside.

PAT, WHY DID YOU KEEP DREW OUT OF THE LOOP ON THE VOTE? An excellent question! Drew came to me this morning and said "I talked to owen about voting for lydia". He then went on to clarify that he'd messaged us both around the same time. But immediately, I went on full alert. Like... why are decisions being made without my input? And obviously, I'm not turning on Lydia... but Drew didn't know that. At the same time, after that message, it told me those two were a bit too close for my liking. So I knew I couldn't tell Drew I wanted to vote Owen. So I went along with it in private, but then did my own thing.

PAT, DO YOU THINK DREW WOULD HAVE FLIPPED ON A RE-VOTE, OR WERE YOU PREPARED TO GO TO ROCKS? I'd have gone to rocks in a heartbeat. But I also know beyond the shadow of a doubt that Drew would have flipped. That's why the vote went on Owen and not Drew.

#survivorhephaestus

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davidarc · 4 years

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Top Ten Tuesday was created by The Broke and the Bookish in June of 2010 and was moved to That Artsy Reader Girl in January of 2018. It was born of a love of lists, a love of books, and a desire to bring bookish friends together.

Celebrating St. Patrick’s Day!

(Sorry – not a TBR list for Spring/Fall.)

Yes, I know that this week’s topic was suppose to be our Spring/Fall 2020 TBR list, but when I noticed that today would be the 17th, and therefore St. Patrick’s Day, I thought it more appropriate to see if I have read 10 Irish authors. Remember, I grew up in Chicago, the city that dies the Chicago River green to celebrate this holiday! So how could I ignore it? What I found was that although I haven’t written reviews for all of them, I certainly have read all of these authors.

The Chocolate Lady’s Top Ten List of Irish Authors I’ve Read (in alphabetical order):

Cecelia Ahern – Ahern is is probably best known for her 2004 debut novel “PS I Love You” which was made into a major motion picture that starred Hilary Swank and Gerard Butler. While romance and rom-coms aren’t usually my genre, I did jump on her popularity bandwagon with her third novel, “If You Could See Me Now.” I didn’t review it (I wasn’t doing much of that back in 2005), but from what I can remember, I can certainly understand the appeal, but I wasn’t overly impressed with the magical reality she included here. Still, I enjoyed the writing and I wouldn’t be surprised if I go back to reading other books of hers in the future.

Sebastian Barry – I didn’t know this Irish author until I met up with an internet friend while on one of my vacation trips to Ireland. He was absolutely adamant that I had to read Barry’s novel, “The Secret Scripture.” I took his advice, and if you take a look at my review, you’ll see that I’m very glad that I did! Unfortunately, I haven’t read more of his works, but I certainly would like to! I’ve noticed that many of his books all take place in the Irish town of Sligo, during different time periods.

Maeve Binchy – The first book of Binchy I read was “Circle of Friends” back in the early 1990s (which was made into a movie in 1995 starring the then, mostly unknown Minnie Driver), and I really enjoyed that book and her writing. That’s why I went back and read her 1985 novel “Echoes” (which was a TV mini-series that I never saw), which was also just lovely. Of course, I don’t have reviews of either of these books, but in the latter, there was a scene I’ll never forget, when Clare asks David if she can make him eggs for dinner and he asks for an omelet, and she doesn’t know how to make one. That scene sticks out in my head as a perfect example of showing and not telling! Unfortunately, Binchy passed away in 2012, but left us with many books of hers to read in the future.

Clare Boylan – This name is almost assuredly the least known of all the authors I’m noting here. I’ve only read one of her novels, “Emma Brown” which she based on Charlotte Brontë’s unfinished manuscript by the same name. As you’ll see from my review, Boylan took a twist with this book that I’m unsure Charlotte would have considered using herself. That said, it was a compelling book and there are pieces of it that I can remember quite vividly. Boylan passed away in 2006.

James Joyce – No list of Irish authors would be complete without including Joyce. I had to read “A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man” for college, but that didn’t put me off Joyce (as difficult as it was). I went on to read “The Dubliners” which included the short story “The Dead.” That story blew my mind, it was so amazing. We saw one movie they made in 1987 of that story, and although it was very good, of course the story was much better.

Frank McCourt – I wasn’t sure if I should include McCourt on this list, since he wrote non-fiction and not fiction. But I did read his debut memoir “Angela’s Ashes” which won him the Pulitzer Prize, and it really read like fiction to me. That’s an extraordinary talent, and while I have his subsequent book “‘Tis” on my shelf, I’m sorry to say that I’ve never gotten around to reading it. (We might also have the third book “Teacher Man” as well.) I actually read “Angela’s Ashes” after I saw the film they made of that book, and to tell the truth, they were equally as good!

Maggie O’Farrell – Okay, my regular readers already know that O’Farrell is one of my favorite authors, and I’m totally thrilled that her publisher has given me the ARC of her upcoming novel, “Hamnet” to read! Mind you, that didn’t stop me from ordering a print copy of it as well (which, apparently, is already winging its way to me as I write this)! She too wrote a (beautiful, heartbreaking, but yet still very hopeful) memoir, “I am, I am, I am: Seventeen Brushes with Death” that read like fiction, and which made it onto my “best of” list for 2018. So far, my favorite of her books is still the one I read first, “The Vanishing Act of Esme Lennox.” But I’ve read EVERYTHING she’s written and I don’t intend to stop now!

Jonathan Swift – Here’s yet another classic for you all. To be honest, I actually only read his “Gulliver’s Travels” quite late in life, and after I’d seen many film versions of the book. That includes the 1939 animated version, which was televised in the early 60s, and was one of the first things aired in color on TV (I vividly remember having three friends come over to my house to watch it on our color TV). When I finally read the book (in the late 90s), one thing struck me. In the world where Gulliver finds is filled with an intelligent species of horses, these horses call humans “Yahoos” which is a word that Swift coined to mean “a crude, brutish or obscenely coarse person”. I’ve always wondered how that meaning morphed into a word that is an expression of happiness and elation. If anyone knows, please tell me!

Colm Tóibín – My husband was the one to turn me on to Tóibín’s books, but I’ve only read one of his novels, and that was “Nora Webster” which I enjoyed very much (with a couple of small caveats). I’m sure most people have read his most popular book “Brooklyn” and/or seen the film they made of it, but according to my husband, it isn’t a very good adaptation of the book (he saw it as an in-flight movie when traveling for work), and he won’t let me watch it! Maybe I should read the book, though. I really enjoyed his writing in Nora Webster, and appreciated his ability to write such a rich and well rounded female protagonist, that felt very realistic to me.

Oscar Wilde – Last but not least, the amazing poet, playwright, and novelist who was jailed and put to hard labor for the “crime” of being a homosexual! I have read ALL of his plays, and seen many productions of them – both on stage and on screen. Back in my High School days, I took theater classes, and through them performed both monologues and scenes from “The Importance of Being Ernest” and “Lady Windermere’s Fan”. Although I don’t often re-read novels, I have read Wilde’s plays over and over and over again! Aside from that, I also have a second-hand, leather bound copy of his novel “The Picture of Dorian Gray.” The inside cover of my edition (which looks much like the one in this picture) shows it was one of a Modern Library series of books published by Boni and Liveright, which from my Google searches show that my edition was probably published in about 1918 or 1919 (OMG, I have a book that’s about 100 years old on my shelf)!

Speaking of Ireland – I’ve been there three times. Once on my own, and twice with my husband. On our last visit, we were driving around along the border between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland (looking at all the anti-Brexit signs), when we came across a sign pointing to the factor for Hazel Mountain Chocolates! Well, of course, being true to my moniker, we HAD to make a side trip and visit (as well as buy some of their bean-to-bar, boutique, hand made goods). Here’s a slideshow of our pictures from the visit!

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What Irish authors have you read and loved?

TCL’s Top Ten Tuesday for March 17, 2020. Celebrating St. Patrick's Day with Irish Authors! (With a bonus about some Irish chocolates from @HazelMountainCh!) Top Ten Tuesday was created by The Broke and the Bookish in June of 2010 and was moved to…

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