#for those who haven’t already seen my take on EE:

[tea-cat-arts]

I started this on a plane ride on no sleep and finished a couple days later instead of sleeping. Anyways, here’s some thumbnails/storyboard for my rewrite of that last scene in EE

[dreamties]

Slashers W/ a S/O Whos Afraid of the Dark

A/n - I have BIG IRRATTIONAL FEARS and I just WANT TO BE HELD. So, I’m writing this. Hope y’all enjoy.

...and sorry for everyone new to my blog, and for how unneeded-ly long some of these are.  

I may add Daniel, Helen, or Brahms if y’all want them- just let me know if you do..

Characters: Billy/Stu, The Lost Boys, Amanda Young, Michael Myers

Billy Loomis + Stu Macher

a majority of your time spent with them is during school, or cuddled up together watching horror movies

which- as freaked out as you get about the dark- you’re a big horror fan, too. 

it just...doesn’t appear to help your nerves. at all.

and you kind of hide it from your boys at first? cause your a teen/young adult, you shouldn’t be afraid of the dark. of all things.

how they found out: they had been watching a movie, and you fell asleep. they didn’t want to wake you, you looked to sweet laying there- so they left you there. they would’ve totally stayed and snuggled with you, but they had some things to attend to.

but that leads to you, startling awake, finding yourself alone, in a pitch black room.

the boys come back to you, seeing you all shaky, a blanket and your arms wrapped around your body.

they both get kinda worried, cause they haven’t seen this side of you before. they eventually get an answer out of you.

they might tease you a bit- but after seeing how upset and genuinely freaked out you were? definitely not doing that again.

Billy doesn’t totally get your fear, he thinks it’s silly...but he loves the whole aspect of being wanted, and how only he(and Stu) can fill those needs

so he’s wrapping an arm around you anyways, and kissing the top of your head, being all sweet to you.

honestly though- they’re both very touchy-feely boys?? so like,, just the best for feeling physically protected and calming you down. 

cuddles, kisses, they’ll even leave little lights on in the house, just so it’s not too dark.

and if you’re walking outside at night with them, Billy will definitely have a protective arm around you(I mean, he does this anyways, but he’s like extra protective/possessive. if that’s even possible). 

Stu will allow you to hold his hand. don’t even bother fighting me on this. you know he would.

Billy would too though- albeit begrudgingly, eyes rolling and everything

he secretly really loves holding you’re hand though

The Lost Boys

for literal creatures of the night, this has gotta be tough

and they pretty much live in a (fancy) cave!!

however, most of the time that you’re in the cave, it’s light out(thus sleeping), or you’re with your boys. so it’s OKAY.

when you meet- it’s obviously at night, but you’re at the boardwalk, surrounded by bright, colorful lights from all directions.

and after several meetings- they finally convince you to take you home, cause they feel pretty familiarized and close with you now.

it starts with the ride back- shaky all over, but it’s hidden by the trembles and roars of the motorcycle. and you’ve got your arms  tight around David, and your eyes squeezed tight

And when you stop, you think ‘finally, we’re here.’ but when you look up, your stomach sinks at the sight. Staring back at you is an opening to a cave- a pool of darkness. certainly not what you expected. 

okay- OKAY. you’ll give it a try. you have four incredibly strong supernatural creatures with you, if anything happens, they’ll protect you. that’s what you tell yourself heading down- shrieking as something pops out of nowhere.

at first, they’re worried- and you notice that, confessing to them that you may have the teeniest, tiniest, fear of the dark.

they will tease you about it. some more so than others. that’s just them, though- they joke and mess around with each other all the time. and that extends to you...since you are, you know, part of the group now.

 all of the boys are very capable of being soft, but Marko gives the most soft(tm) vibes out of the four- so he would tease you the least.

David, as the ‘leader’ of the group, it’s sort of his job to keep everyone safe. like- everyone is fully capable of protecting themselves(yes, even you), but he helps keep things somewhat orderly. in line? enough so, to keep everyone safe and happy. 

what i’m getting at- is that David will tease you about it, but he doesn’t want you to have that “looking around every corner” feeling, so he only does it sometimes.

the other two are sort of in the middle with it. Dwayne does tease you more than Paul though. 

okay, ee-nuff with the teasing. more of a general fluff- but borrowing their jackets? so when you’re at home, away from them, it’s a constant reminder that you’re okay, and you’re safe.

they wouldn’t be able to “leave a light on”, cause they’re definitely not using electricity, and it’s definitely not a good idea to leave the light source unattended as they sleep because fucking fires are a thing

...cuddle piles will have to do.

your irrational fears of the dark get better once you’ve been turned, and are living in the cave with them!!

Amanda Young

most of her ‘job’ is at night, and you like waiting for her to return sometimes

and she gets back from her job, seeing you passed out on the couch, all the lights on in the house

gets this happy, fluttering feeling in her chest- cause she’s so happy that you were thinking of her.

but immediately gets worried- like, “babe- you need to wake up.” but really gentle, and helps you off to bed. the couch is uncomfortable, you’re going to hurt your neck like that, etc. she just wants you to feel good.

she keeps the light on in the bedroom as she cleans up a bit from work. as soon as she’s done? endless cuddles for you.

many nights: she will also talk to you, to distract you- lulling you into a sense of security as you listen to her sweet voice, chipping in with a few of your own thoughts every once in a while.

of course she knows what you’re scared of- you told her. 

but that will not stop her from reminding you the day after about how much your sleep and comfort- and your wellbeing- matters to her. and that you need to start sleeping in the bedroom. even if it means keeping the hallway light on.

she’ll understand. well, not exactly. but she understands having just one small comforting thing to yourself.

Michael Myers

I feel like Michael just really has such a subtle way of showing love and affection- 

and I feel like one of his biggest ways of showing that would be through protecting you!

because that feels so easy for him! he can just go stab stab, and poof, the problem is gone.

but then- you’re terrified when the lights go out, and you get kind of paranoid, and he doesn’t know what to do at first.

for the longest time, the best thing he could do- was just stay close to you.

y’all are already dating, so like you share a bed, right?? 

and he notices you staying up kinda late, cause you don’t want to lay in the darkness,, 

so he coaxes you back to the bed, and he’ll leave the light on- and he just sits near you. turning the light back off once you start falling asleep- and he finally heads to bed. 

kinda creepy at first ngl- but it’s his way of saying “I’m here for you” and it works.

later in your relationship- he may initiate cuddles to help calm you down.

[harry-writer16]

Watermelon Sugar High

Type: imagine 

Warning: Daddy kink, smut, oral sex, and just a rough fuck in general 

A/N I really hope you guys enjoy this, Please like and reblog. Thank you so much for those of you who support me and my writing. THANK YOU SO MUCH

Y/N

“All right everyone, get in position!” Pablo one of the directors told us models

Tasha, Lia and I start walking towards the ocean to get ready for the scene. I met them this morning while we were getting ready, and The three of us just got really close in that short period of time.

“So are you guys excited to part of the video?” Ask Lia

“Eh, money is money and you do what you have to do to get it” I answer

“You sound like old whore lady” Tasha told me

The three of burst in a fit of laughter

“Not but seriously, have you seen how Harry has been gawking at you practically the whole time we’ve been here?!” Lia said

I stopped laughing, and rolled my eyes at her comment. Seriously like why would he ever, there is better girls out there to gawk at

“No there is-“ I’m not able to finish my sentence because Tasha interrupts me

“Girl stop, he has and you and I know it” she said and lia just nodded

“You know I shipped your baby’s would be fucking cute”

“She’s right Y/N , your baby’s would be adorable, with his curls and your tanned ski girl I’m death” Tasha added

“Shut up” was the only thing I said, as if they couldn’t get more annoying they started signing

“Y/N and Harry sitting on a tree, F-U-C-K-I-N-G!” Lia and Tasha were singing, awful signing may I add

But before they could continue their awful performance, I had to stopped them because at the corner of my eyes I spotted grinning Harry dressed in a floral bottom up with yellow shorts walking towards us

“Shut up you morons Harry walking towards us” I told them they stop signing and quickly came to stand beside

“Bet your fucking tonight” Tasha whisper in my ear, I blushed hard and a lot

I just gave her a death stare and right when I was gonna open my mouth to bite back a thick British voice interrupted me

Damn why isn’t anybody letting me talk today!

“Hello lady’s” Harry said

“Hi” the three of us said

Harry was about to speak but Tasha beats him do it

“Actually Lia and I have to go-um -watch the water” she said

Tasha pull Lia with her and started walking forward somewhere, she turn her head when she far enough from Harry and mouth me a “Tell me everything” 

I only shake my head and turn my attention back to Harry

“so..” I said

“so..” he said 

“what do I own the pleasure Mr.Styles?” I ask him

“Please, call me Harry, and I just wanted to tell you that smiles of yours drives me crazy”

“what?” I ask him confused

“I said that smiles of yours drives me crazy” He repeat again

“Thanks..” I said shyly, is he trying to flirt with me?..

He smiled back at me 

“so are you excited for the video?” I ask him, I’m trying to keep this conversation as light and professional as possible 

“Very, specially if a beauty like you will be in it” He said with a bit of smirk

I just blushed really hard, before I can speak he said 

“Your blushing makes you look extra cute and hot” 

My cheeks couldn’t help it and blushed once more, only this time I try to cover it but couldn’t. While I was embarrassed, all Harry did was laugh. Not a mean laugh but a kind laugh. 

“Please stop saying those things, it’s very unprofessional” I said in shy tone voice 

“Well, in my defense I’m not flirting, I’m just being extra friendly to my extra attractive friend” he said, giving me a flirty smirk at the end  

We both laugh a little bit, 

“Oh so I’m your friend now?” I said with a bit more confidence

“ Course you are, in fact a beauty like you should be cherish by everyone” 

“god you and your compliments” I said shaking my head with a smile

“Well darling I shall get going but remember I’m wearing the smile you gave me” he said

afterwards he lean in and gave me a peck on my cheek near the corner of lips. then he whisper in my ear “Thank you for reminding me what butterflies feel like” 

After that he just walk away towards the directors, I was just standing there in pure shock. I could not believe what just happened. 

~~~~~~~~

Later on the same day

Y/N POV 

We just finish wrapping up the first day of shooting, people are currently either packing everything up or heading to the hotel. We are all pretty exhausted, running around in the sand o a hot day takes a lot out of you. Instead of doing what everyone else is doing I decided to take a little get away and just enjoy the beach around. 

I was sitting on the sand, my toes getting wet by the ocean water , eyes closed and enjoying the gently breeze. I was so calm and relax, I hadn’t realize I haven’t felt this way in so long. I was in my own world enjoying myself. 

“Mind if I join?” Harry ask, scaring the pure shit out my soul

“Fucking hell, you scare the living daylights out of me” I told him

He laugh and sat down next to me.

Once he is seated next to me he says “Sorry for scaring ya”

“it’s okay” I assure him

We sit in silent for a moment, before I speak

“It’s beautiful isn’t it” I said, referring to the view 

“Yeah you are” He said 

I just look at him then back at the view. All the can be heard are the waves crashing, I’m calm and enjoying this. But not too long into that moment I feel a hand on my thigh. 

Harry’s 

I move mines on top of his, he moves a little closer to me and his hand a little higher on my thigh. My breath speeds up a little bit, I turn so now I’m facing him and he is facing me. He moves his face just a little bit closer to mine, just close enough so that the tip our noses are touching. We might not be in a room but I can guarantee you the temperature is rising.

“Y/N can I borrow a kiss?” He ask 

“Are you gonna give it back?”

he mutter something I coudn’t understand, next thing you know his lips are on top of mine, he is kissing me and without a doubt I’m kissing him back. The kiss grows more intense and passionate. 

He picks me up from the sand so I’m straddling his lab, he pulls me into him, make me seat right on top of his growing member. His tongue ask for entrance and I gladly allow. At first our tongues are figthing for dominance, but it slowly turns to a passionate dance where our tongues are just dancing. He is holding tight by my waist, the more we make out the more wet I get, the more hard Harry gets. He pulls back breathless and with a little of our saliva on his lips. 

“Let’s go back to my room” he says licking his lips and I swear in the moment the wetness of my pussy when right through my panties.

To his statement I only my head

We get up from our spot and make our way to the car who was driving us to where Harry is currently staying.

~~~~~~~~

The whole car ride here was INTENSE. Harry was touching me then I was touching him, we were kissing, his tongue was exploring my mouth while mines was trying to do the same with him. 

Once we arrived to his room, I’m immediately pushed to the wall by Harry, he comes closer and sensually whispers  “I’m gonna fuck you so hard, I’ll make you feel it for days” he starts to kiss right below my ear , while I rapped my hands around his neck. we then start to kiss and he takes a hold of thighs from underneath. He carries me to the where he seats down with me on his lap. He goes to untied my bikini top, but I stop him.

“let’s take care of you first” I say in my most sensual voice

I start to unbutton his shirt, when I’m done unbuttoning his shirt, I take it off and throw it somewhere in the bedroom.I start to kiss around his neck while doing so I discover his sweet spot which makes him moan loud when I suck a hickey on it. Once I’m done with that hickey I give it a kitty lick and blow air on it. I go to kiss and leave more hickey’s on others spots of his neck, and chest area. I start to get on my knees and kiss lower and give him kitty licks. He releases a low “fuck” when sees I’m getting closer to the waistband of his shorts.

I stop what I’m doing to remove his shorts and his underwear at the same time. I see his big, thick, long hard cock come out, bits of pre-cum on the tip. I’m honestly kinda mesmerized by his cock, its really pretty. “it’s so pretty h” I tell him “t-th-anks” he says. I smile, cute. I take his cock in my hand and slowly start to stroking him up and down. He moans at my action, god his moans make me even wetter. With my other hand I play with his balls for a bit. “I-I li-ike w-wh-at you’-re doi-ng” he says “you like this, then your not ready for what comes next” I told him. 

I take the hand that I was stroking his cock with and spit on it, i start to stroke him again. I’m so focus on what I’m doing I don’t even realize his moans are getting louder. I take the tip of his cock into my mouth but only like 1/3 of it, to tease him. I do that a couple of times, but I stop when he says “Fuck, stop being a fucking tease and suck on it already” with a dominance tone of voice “ok” I responded “ok what?” he ask “k, daddy” Shit, I look up at him, embarrassment written all over my face,  “I’m sorry I-” I’m cut off by him  “say it again” he told me to “Daddy” I said “that’s right be a good girl and suck on daddy’s cock” Which is exactly what I do.

I start to take him into my mouth, since he is gigantic I was only able to take maybe a little bit over half of it. the rest I did with my hand. Once he is in my mouth I take sometime to adjust to his size but soon enough I start to bob my head up and down his cock. At the same time doing this I run my tongue up and down plus giving him the most innocent look I can while having his cock in my mouth. “Uh- Fu-ck Yes!, K-ee-p go-in-g don’t Fuck! Stop!” He moans after that, and keeps moaning, each one louder than the last one. I’m pretty sure peple next door can hear us. I feel his hand slide through my hair, as in moving out of my face. 

I keep sucking on his cock, harder this time. I also play with his balls to show them some loving, so they don’t feel left out. Harry seems to be on cloud nine, the way some of his baby hair stick to his sweaty forehead, how his eyes roll back and god his moans are like music to my ears. The way his chest is sweaty, how his hand hold onto the sheets of the bed, this is a sight to never be forgotten. While I’m still sucking, I can feel his cock twitch and that’s when I know he is close. I pull back from his cock, a string of saliva and cum following, “you gonna cum daddy? Please cum for me, want your cum daddy I’ve been a good girl for you” I said and go back to sucking after “Yes b-ba-by gir-l, su-ch  Fuck! a good girl for your d-daddy” he says with moans in between “Yes! Yes! I’m cumming! F-uck go-gonna cum” and he does, he cums,  I feel his cock twitch in my mouth before a warm liquid shoots out and down my throat. Harry lets out several moans in the process. after coming he falls on the bed, sweating and out of breath. I take his cock out my mouth, string of saliva following, I wipe the at the corner of my mouth with my the back of my hand and lick it. I go up to see and he looks fuck out. 

“Hi daddy” I say, he is still trying to catch his breath, but when he does, he gets up enough to attached our lips together again. He hovers over me, still kissing me. I’m now laying on my back on the bed, his hands roaming my body. He his hands go behind my back to untied my bikini top, once he does he pulls it over my head and throws it somewhere on the the floor. He starts to kiss my neck. Soon enough he fines my sweet spot and starts to sucks a hickey “Fuck, daddy” I moan. His hand goes down to outline the waistband of my shorts.

He starts to kiss the between my breast, then starts to kiss and lick the top of  my the top of my left breast. Goes to the middle of my breast and starts to lick down until he gets to my nipple. Once there he raps his whole mouth around and starts to suck on it roughly, as if milk would come out it.  His tongue his swirling around it as well.”Fu-ck Da-ddy!”, after couple more seconds he stops sucking on my left boob ad goes to do the same to the other. He also suck hickeys on both of my boobs.

When he is done with my breast, he starts to kiss down my body and when gets to my shorts he rips them off me. He looks at my  my clothes pussy, and licks his lips. “You’re really wet love, wonder who did this do you huh? This all for daddy?” He licks my pussy over my underwear, I only moan, to the I feel a harsh slap on my thigh, I moan again but this time louder. “that’s not a fucking answer, tell me who made you this wet or I won’t let you cum tonight”  He is asking with a dominance tone of voice. “You did daddy, its all for you” I told him.

He rip my panties off after that, and spread my legs wide. with one finger he when rub up and down between my pussy lips. after doing so a couple times, he came and said “suck on it” and that’s exactly what I did, I suck on his fingers. “that’s right, be a good girl and get nice and wet fo’ me to use on your pretty cunt” he said and I moan on his fingers. He when back down between my legs and with two fingers I felt him spread my pussy lips and with the one I suck on he started to finger me while with his tongue he lick around my clit teasing it. not too long after he added another finger. His thrust with his fingers when faster, sloppier, and you could hear a slapping sound every time he when in and out my cunt. I was moaning like crazy, everything he was doing felt so good, almost too good to be true. Out of the fucking he started to suck harshly on my swollen clit, I could feel the his tongue play with it, you also could hear sucking noises. 

Everything was happening so fast, “fuck daddy!”, I moan and kept moaning louder and louder. he was eating me out so good. I had tears at the corner of my eyes, I was about to cum. Daddy seem to notice this because just when I was about to cum he stop everything he was doing to my pussy. He came up from in between my legs to my face and said “You are not coming anywhere else besides daddy’s cock tonight little girl” with his deep british accent.

He then spread my legs out even more, he position himself at my entrance and with the tip of his dick he tease my pussy by going in between my pussy lips and around my entrance. He when to pin my arms down on the bed above my head. “C-condom daddy” I reminded him, what he said shock me “ Daddy’s fucking you raw tonight” He said “what if I get pregnant daddy?” I ask him “guess your having daddy’s baby and its no one business” I didn’t have time to answer before he kiss me. 

Without any sort of warning he slam his big thick cock in my cunt. I moan against his mouth at the feeling of being full. His thrust were rough, and hard. His hips were going circular motions. The bed start to shake, harry move his hands from mind and took a hold of the headboard. H started going faster, and faster. But I want it more. “is t-hat oh all you got” I challenge him, “you want more huh” he said and suddenly his pulling out of me and flipping me on to my stomach. My face against the pillow, he lifted my butt in the air and when back in again. He was holding my waist with his hand while thrusting roughly in and out me. I let out a scream of pleasure and so does he. Every time he pushes in, I push back which he seems to like a lot.  We are both a moaning mess, I’m either moaning or calling him daddy. He is constantly telling me, I’m his good girl and how tight I am. he is also choking me, not enough to stop my breathing but just to make it pleasurable.  The headboard is hitting the wall and the bed is shaking.

He keeps fucking me, harder and a lot more rough than he started and that’s when I feel myself coming. “I’m- da-ddy- Fuck! *moan* Cum!” I manage to say, “you wanna cum don’t you? fucking cum for daddy” he orders me and I do I cum long and hard. “fuck I’m cumming too princess, gonna give you my seed” he cums too, only thing leaving our mouth are moans of pleasure. Once he is done cumming, he pulls out and falls on the bed next to me. We are both trying to catch our breath, fuck my lower body is too sore, I can’t even feel my legs, much more less my pussy. 

I feel harry pull me towards him, I cuddle into him once I’m close enough. “go to sleep little girl, I know you’re tired” He says, petting my hair. “k, daddy” Is the only things I say before falling asleep on his chest. 

~~~~~~~

Next Day

Y/N POV 

After last night harry hasn’t left my side at all today, everyone is looking at us. I still can’t walk properly but I’m trying . Harry said he is taking me out on date which should be excited. Anyways we are currently seated at one the chairs in the hotels lobby. One thing is that everyone has been giving us teasing smiles, and has made a lot of sex reference comments towards us. 

OMG what if they all heard us last night! 

I go pale at the thought

“Y/N are you okay?” Harry ask 

I was about to answer but I was interrupted by two very familiar voices 

“so are you pregnant yet?” Lia ask

“We heart noises last night” Tasha said wiggling her eyebrows

“yeah *makes moaning noise*” Lia demonstrated

I blushed and told them “I- shut up you two” 

“that’s what we should’ve told you guys last night, right guys?” Said Tasha

Everyone else around us just nodded and agree with Tasha

Harry turn pink and look away, I was just seated embarrassed that they heard us last night

Oh god what have I done...

********

I have no words, This was really interesting  to write, fun fact I laugh at lot while writing the smut part of this for some weird reason... Anyways Thank you so much for reading



[mamabearcat]

Hungry Ghosts

I didn’t get a chance to write anything for Halloween this year like I planned. But here’s a spooky excerpt from The Importance of Ramen, parts of chapters 7 and 8. If you haven’t read it, I think there’s enough context there for you to work out what’s going on. Hope everyone’s Halloween is going as well as it can this year!

Inuyasha went back inside the hut. The others were still asleep, but he cleaned out the firepit, replacing the slightly damp logs from last night with fresh kindling. He had the fire going and Kagome's kettle filled with water for tea by the time she returned. One look at her face had him realising that something was wrong.

She was leaning against the doorframe, sweat beading on her forehead and upper lip. "Sorry… I'm… okay. I'm okay. Squatting down just hurt my leg a little more than I thought it would."

Without a word, he walked over to her and picked her up, carrying her back to the small nest made by her empty sleeping bag. After seating her carefully on the softly padded surface, he placed his hand on her forehead again.

Kagome tried to weakly bat his hand away. "Stop fussing Inuyasha. I told you I'm fine. It's the first time I've walked on this leg since yesterday; it was bound to hurt a bit." She plastered a smile on her face. "Look, I'll even drink more of that disgusting tea if it will stop you making a big deal out of nothing."

Inuyasha, ignored her hand, taking in her sweaty face and pale complexion. "You're not fine, wench. You had a slight fever when you woke up this morning, and it's already a little worse. Let me look at those wounds of yours to make sure they're not infected."

The commotion had woken Miroku and Sango. Miroku brought the first aid kit over, while Sango mixed more of the herbal tea that Kagome had drunk last night. Kagome rolled her eyes and sighed but decided it would be less trouble to let everyone fuss.

Inuyasha carefully unwrapped the bandages on Kagome's upper left arm, being cautious of the still healing bruise below her elbow. He gently slid his clawed forefinger underneath the tape and gauze on one side of the wound and then the other, cutting through so he could lift the gauze off her wound. The skin around the deep cut was pink, but he could see that the wound was healing nicely, beginning to knit the muscle back together. He gave it a good sniff, just to make sure.

"This one's okay", he said. He moved aside so Sango could rub some of the healing cream from Kagome's first aid kit around the wound and redress it.

He moved towards Kagome's thigh on the other side and was surprised when she placed a defensive hand in front of it. "Kagome, I need to check."

"Sorry", she flushed, moving her hand out of the way. "I'm being a big wuss. This one just hurts a little more".

He placed his hand on the bandage and immediately knew the news wasn't good. "Kagome, this one's infected", he sighed. "I can feel the heat coming through the bandage without even looking at it."

"Dammit", muttered Kagome. "I was sure the saline would combat that."

Inuyasha removed the bandage even more gently than he had the previous one. Kagome kept herself as still as possible, making no sound, but her lowered brows and tight expression told the story of how much pain she was actually in. She whimpered a little as Inuyasha lifted the gauze away from the wound and drew in a deep breath.

"Fuck Kagome, no wonder it was hurting". The skin around the deeper puncture wound was bright red and shiny, the swelling spreading outwards around her thigh, pulling against the edges of the weeping gash. Red lines at the edge of the swelling streaked upwards on her leg. Inuyasha barely had to sniff to scent the smell of infection in her leg.

Sango peered over Inuyasha's shoulder at Kagome's thigh, and her face grew grim. "Take her back through the well, Inuyasha. She needs to get to a healer in her time as soon as possible." She gestured towards the red streaks travelling up Kagome's thigh. "These marks are a sign of a deep infection. I've seen them on other Taijiya who have been injured. Some of them recovered, but most …" She took a deep breath. "The infection grew rapidly worse no matter what our healers did. All they could do was ease their pain. Once they became confused and lost consciousness, we knew that they would never recover."

Kagome looked at them both, wide-eyed. "Don't you think you're being a little overly dramatic, Sango?", she chuckled weakly. "I mean, I just got back, and we need to get back on the jewel shard hunt. I'm sure if I just rest for today, then tomorrow, I'll be fine." She took in Inuyasha and Sango's serious expressions and looked towards Miroku. "Miroku, tell them that I just need some rest, and then we can all get going again."

Miroku squatted down next to Kagome, holding the mug of herbal tea that Sango had prepared a few minutes ago. "Now, Kagome", he said, his usual calm smile a contrast to the anxious grimace on Kagome's face, "what sort of elder brother would I be if I counselled against a course of action that would have you healing faster?"

He pushed the tea into her unwilling hands, smiling encouragingly as she forced herself to sip the bitter liquid. "If it's just simple rest that you need, surely a rest in your own time in a comfortable bed under your mother's loving care will speed your recovery. And, if as Sango suggests, a trip to a healer is required, that should not trouble you if you know it will bring your family here peace of mind. I'm sure if Inuyasha puts his mind to it, he could have you home before dark."

He looked questioningly at Inuyasha, who nodded brusquely. Miroku leaned closer to Sango, who was still leaning over Inuyasha's shoulder. "Do not trouble yourself about the rest of us while you're gone, we will muddle along together just fine." A sudden resounding slap, as Sango backhanded Miroku across the cheek, startled Kagome then had her giggling. Obviously, his wandering hand had been unable to resist the temptation of Sango's pert derriere as she leant forward.

Inuyasha rolled his eyes at the pair's familiar antics, but didn't move from his spot beside Kagome, as Sango knelt to begin the process of rewrapping the wound in Kagome's thigh. He removed the tea from Kagome's tense hands and placed the mug on the floor, so it would not be spilt, and held her hands in his own instead. His ears drooped and laid flat on his head at the quiet whimpers escaping through Kagome's clenched teeth as Sango cleaned and packed the wound with fresh gauze.

"Looks like we're goin' on another run, wench", he said quietly. He cleared his throat, trying to force a cheery note into his voice. "Maybe if I get ya home early enough, your mother will have time to make that crunchy chicken stuff. The one Souta likes so much. What's it called again?"

"Karaage" muttered Kagome through compressed lips. She really wanted to smile at Inuyasha's attempts to take her mind off what Sango was doing, but her leg hurt so badly, even worse than when the beetle had first gouged the hole in her leg. She tried her best, gasping a little. "It's a shame she doesn't know we're coming; she might have bought steak for you."

He grinned. "Now that would be worth runnin' back for." He tried not to wince as Kagome dug her blunt fingernails into his palms as Sango tightened the bandage on her thigh.

"All done", said Sango, using some of the special cleaning gel on her hands after she had rinsed them in the water pail as Kagome had taught her. She repacked the medical kit, as Miroku and the now awake Shippou bustled about making breakfast, cooking rice and making tea.

"Drink your tea Kagome", encouraged Inuyasha, letting go of her hands to pick up the mug.

She flapped her hand at him. "Gimme a minute", she panted. "I feel like I'm gonna… gonna…" Her eyes suddenly widened as her palm slapped over her mouth. Inuyasha had the good sense to let go of the mug and grab the almost empty water pail next to Kagome, tipping the water out and thrusting it in front of her face just in time. Sango padded back over to scoop Kagome's long hair out of the way into a tail over her shoulder, rubbing her back comfortingly as Kagome hurled what was left of last night's dinner into the pail in front of her.

"Hnn, that was so gross", moaned Kagome. "I'm so sorry." She spat one last time into the bucket, then wiped her mouth with a damp cloth offered by Sango. Embarrassment flooded her face, and she hung her head. Inuyasha dipped his head down sideways until it was almost perpendicular with the floor, so he could look see her expression.

"What's with that face, wench?" he questioned, looking at her narrowed eyes and downturned mouth.

Kagome looked up, her eyes blazing in her sweaty pale face. "Do you really have to ask?", she fired back. "I got targeted by a demon again, got myself injured, and now you're gonna have to babysit me and take me home. And to top it all off, I just ruined everyone's breakfast by chucking up in front of them while they were eating."

Inuyasha grunted. "First of all, the beetle was after the shard, not you, and the way it grabbed you took everyone by surprise, me included. Second, yes, I am takin' you home, but you ain't no baby and if you sit me on the way there, I will not be happy. And" he said, glancing over his shoulder and taking in Miroku calmly sipping tea while Sango served herself rice and Shippou and Kirara continued chewing, "breakfast don't look ruined to me."

Shippou's wide eyes took everything in as he continued munching on his rice ball. "Ish Kagmee gna ee mmk?", he asked Miroku, barely coherent behind the large mouthful of rice he was still chewing.

"She will be fine. Inuyasha will make sure of it by taking her back through the well and letting healers in her time assess her injury", replied Miroku comfortingly, patting the kit on the head as he continued to drink his tea.

Inuyasha sat down with them and began shovelling rice into his mouth, sculling hot tea as quickly as he could. Sango's assessment of Kagome's wound had him worried. Put an enemy in front of him that was threatening Kagome, and he would give his all to take it down, no sweat, but infection was a battle he couldn't fight for her. His mind went back to an image of long ago, his own hand tiny in the sweaty clasp of his mother's, her eyes closed as she struggled for every breath while the infection in her lungs fought to defeat her. Darkness and cold. She was so cold. He pushed the thought away.

"Miroku, Sango, you may as well go back to Kaede's while we're gone. That way I can come back through the well and let you know she's okay." Miroku and Sango nodded. "I'm gonna go over the mountain instead of around, that should take about two hours off my time."

"Over Mount Mitsumine?", asked Miroku. Inuyasha nodded, tapping his foot impatiently as Sango tied some extra rice balls and a flask of water into a cloth for him to carry in case Kagome grew hungry or thirsty later.

Miroku was puzzled – his mind was tickling him, trying to feed him information pertinent to the shrine on Mount Mitsumine, but he couldn't quite remember. He made an angry tsking noise; it was just out of reach, and he was sure it was something of importance.

Inuyasha squatted down in front of Kagome with his back facing her. She had done her best with the tea, taking a few more sips, but looked sweaty and tired, and Inuyasha felt his concern for her rising. He pushed it down again.

"Okay Kagome, the faster we leave, the faster you can be home sleepin' in that girly pink bed a yours" he teased, as she slowly eased herself forward, draping her arms over his shoulders. Instead of holding onto her thighs as he usually did, he created a seat under her bottom for her by interlocking his fingers behind his back. He straightened himself up slowly, bouncing her slightly, getting her into position. Kagome buried her face in his hair, whimpering in pain at the pressure his forearm put on her swollen thigh. "Shit, this ain't gonna work". He was going to have to carry her in front of him again, but it was hard on his arms, and would slow them down as they went over the mountain.

Shippou's worried face brightened, and he whispered in Sango's ear. "Wait, Inuyasha, Shippou's had a really good idea!" Sango spoke to Miroku and he dropped a few coins into her hand. She bolted out the door and came back a short time later with a long piece of thickly woven indigo fabric.

"What the fuck's that for?" Inuyasha grunted. Sango motioned for Inuyasha to bend down again, then motioned for Kagome to climb onto Inuyasha's back. She put the top centre of the piece of long cloth over Kagome, up near her neck, and tucked the rest of the width underneath Kagome's bottom, creating a pocket for her to sit in. She drew the long tails of fabric up over Inuyasha's shoulders, wrapping them under his arms, and then under and over Kagome's legs on each side, pulling the tails firmly back around to the front. She held onto the fabric and motioned for Inuyasha to stand. He did so cautiously, worried that Kagome would fall, but to his surprise, she was held in tightly to his back by the fabric and felt lighter than she usually did.

"You 'kay Kagome?", he asked, trying to look over his shoulder at her.

Kagome rested her head on his shoulder. The fabric had her snuggled in tight against his back and was supporting her leg without pushing on the wound too much.

"Yeah, I'm good", she murmured. Sango tied the long tails of fabric around Inuyasha's waist, being careful to make the knot above the Tessaiga so he would still be able to draw it if required.

"Now you have your arms free if you need them", she grinned. "It was Shippou's idea – he reminded me how busy mamas carry their children when they need to get stuff done. I used to… to carry Kohaku like this when he was little, when my mother and father were away on a raid and I needed to practice my drills". She smiled a little tearfully at the picture Inuyasha and Kagome made. "He always seemed very comfortable that way – he usually went to sleep when I wore him like this." Sango tucked the small tied cloth of food into the top of the wrap near Kagome's shoulder. "Now you're all set to go".

"Thanks Sango. Thanks runt – you did good." Inuyasha paused to ruffle the fox kit's fluffy red fringe and Shippou beamed under the rare praise. After a final nod to Miroku, Inuyasha ran out the door, slowly at first, until he grew to trust that Kagome wouldn't fall. He sped up and was soon out of sight.

Sango and Shippou finished up their breakfast and began tidying everything into Kagome's gigantic backpack. Sango looked sideways at Miroku, who was still muttering to himself. "What's up?", she asked.

"There was something about the shrine at Mount Mitsumine", muttered Miroku, "but I can't quite…" Suddenly he stopped, looking apprehensively at Sango. "Oh no. Hidarugami! I remember hearing from a traveller that they haunt the trail near the shrine!" Sango stared at him, open mouthed.

Overhearing the conversation, Shippou nodded, familiar with this particular entity. "Ah. Good thing they took some rice balls with them."

👻 👻 👻

Inuyasha ran like the wind, his feet pounding the ground as regular as a heartbeat. He could feel that Kagome had dozed off, the gentle sway of the fabric hammock she was supported in easing her pain a little. Inuyasha smiled. The runt did have some good ideas occasionally. He would just keep going until she woke, get as much ground covered as he could. They were already nearly up the mountain, the zig zagging trail no match for the sure footed hanyou.

The dappled light under the trees kept away the summer heat, and the splashing water from the little waterfall they were currently passing was refreshing. Brightly coloured finches flew overhead, flying through the spray in an effort to keep cool. He could keep going for a few more hours yet without needing to take a break. He could see the brightly coloured gate of Mitsumine Shrine up ahead. They just needed to get through this narrow-wooded part first and then the path down the other side of the mountain would open out, as more travellers from Edo used that road to make a pilgrimage to the mountain shrine.

Suddenly he felt like he'd hit a wall. Weakness caused his limbs to tremble and he dropped to one knee, staggering, trying to keep his balance with Kagome on his back. What the fuck was going on! His throat felt dry and cracked, his stomach clenched in on itself like hadn't eaten in weeks. He lurched to his feet and forced himself to keep moving, but each step dragged like something was siphoning off every ounce of energy he'd ever possessed.

Inuyasha growled in outrage. He would not let whatever this barrier was beat him. He would keep going. Kagome needed him to keep going. He heard her moan softly behind him, and it gave him the will to take a few more steps before his legs faltered and he slammed into the ground face first.

"Gome", he whispered, turning his face away from the sandy dirt of the mountain pass, his sandpaper dry throat cracking what was left of his voice, "you 'kay?" She moaned softly again, and against his will, Inuyasha's eyes rolled back in his head. The cheerful birds continued their twittering, splashing in the puddles left by the side of the waterfall, paying no heed to the pair collapsed on the path beside them.

👻 👻 👻

Kagome was jolted out of her doze as Inuyasha staggered beneath her, dropping to one knee. A sudden wash of fear prickled the back of her neck as the dappled sunlight around them was swallowed up; she could no longer see the path ahead, and the air was suffocatingly silent.

Turning towards the waterfall her panic grew as she realised that the previously tumbling water was still. The little finches hung motionless in mid-air, the droplets of mist they had been flying through only moments before hovering as if gravity had ceased to exist. They were caught in a bubble outside time, and she had no clue what had caused it. Kagome shivered, about to question Inuyasha about what had caused his stumble, when a slight movement in the trees caught her eye; she saw them.

She felt almost paralysed by bone deep terror as the shadowy forms approached from the darkened edges of her vision. There was movement on both sides of the path, they were surrounded, but it was difficult to see any details of what they were or to count how many as they shifted in and out of the darkness. Ten, twelve maybe? Whatever they were, they gave off an undeniably menacing aura.

This wasn't good. Her bow had been left with Miroku and Sango, not that she would be able to shoot with her injured arm, and she didn't have much experience channelling her miko abilities without the focus of an arrow. Her hands and arms were tucked in tightly to her chest; she could try to wriggle them free with an effort but was worried that would throw off Inuyasha's tottering balance.

Then Kagome realised that she wouldn't be able to bring her reiki to her hands anyway, not without injuring Inuyasha. She clenched her shaking fingers into fists tight against Inuyasha's back, unable to do anything but watch and wait as the pack of unknown foes came forward into the dim light and circled around them. Kagome felt bile burn its way into the back of her throat. She had already felt ill, but to see these things up close…

Empty sockets where eyes once where, skin stretched taut over bone they advanced, lipless mouths leering in delight at the fear of their prey. Ragged kimonos and wisps of hair fluttering in a ghostly breeze of their own making, they floated around Kagome and Inuyasha, no feet to tie them to the earth. Some appeared to have lost their kimonos entirely, clothed only in tattered fundoshi, bone white skin as tight as a drum over ribs, stomachs distended with malnutrition and split with decay.

As they approached in an ever-tightening circle, the ominous silence was replaced by sibilant whispers of hunger and death. Inuyasha staggered to his feet, moving forward on the path, but how could he, when the path was no longer there? She heard him growl in rage as he struggled forwards, and she couldn't help but let out a small moan of horror as she felt the slight brush of ragged cloth against her cheek as one of them glided towards her.

The spectre reached out a bony hand and caressed Kagome's dark hair, running her locks through its skeletal fingers almost as a lover would. The head sagged on an inhumanely long neck, and the eyeless creature licked where its lips once were, tongue blackened and swollen. "You will join usss", it whispered, bending its head close to her ear and she shuddered, recoiling at the unwanted touch. She almost screamed as the dry tongue curved along the rim of her ear. "Join usss, in hunger, join usss in death."

The spectre's head lolled forward as it turned its eyeless gaze towards Inuyasha. The realisation suddenly hit her that he couldn't see the spirits; had no idea of the threat they were facing. Before she could free her arm to try and knock the spectre's hand away, it reached out towards Inuyasha's face as he grimly struggled to keep moving forwards, a light touch sweeping across his mouth and nose. Kagome would have shrieked if she was not already breathless with horror as Inuyasha pitched forward suddenly, slamming them both into the damp sandy earth of the mountain path.

She watched as Inuyasha dragged his face sideways in the dirt, his beautiful amber eyes clouded in pain. "Gome, you 'kay?" he asked, his voice raspy. She wanted to answer, to give him some reassurance, but could only produce a small sound of fear.

What should she do? How could she fight back? She didn't want to accidentally purify Inuyasha with her reiki; she didn't even know what these things were, just that they spoke of hunger and death and that she was terrified of them. Inuyasha's eyes suddenly rolled back in his head, and with horror she felt his breathing become shallow, his heartbeat slowing with every beat. She was frantic. He was going to die, here on this path, and she was powerless.

A small thought swelled in her mind, bright as a bead. 'You are not powerless. You are a shrine maiden, a miko.' Pulling together her last vestiges of courage, Kagome closed her eyes, and imagined a thin beam of reiki that rose up into the air then spread outwards like an umbrella, forming a bubble of protection around herself and Inuyasha. She had no idea if her effort was affecting these things, and her mind churned, searching every memory for an inkling of what these creatures might be, trying not to weep at the sound of Inuyasha's rattling breath. She didn't think they were demons. Not demons, but dead things. Dead things on a deserted path, that wanted them to join them in death. Hungry dead things. Hungry ghosts. A long-forgotten memory suddenly unfolded.

Her father was whistling cheerfully, preparing for a weekend hike with his friends. She was sitting on the kitchen counter nearby, swinging her little legs. One by one, she handed him his first aid supplies to be packed into his backpack, and she grinned in excitement at being considered old enough to help Daddy while Mama went outside to hang out the washing. Grandpa had come into the kitchen to make tea. He rifled through the pantry and grabbed a package of mochi, pushing them into her father's hands.

"Don't forget my son, you should take these with you. It's always better to be safe than sorry when walking on a mountain path." Her father had rolled his eyes and then winked at her, but willingly packed the mochi into his backpack.

"Don't worry father, I'll be sure to be on the lookout for hungry ghosts."

Hungry ghosts. She vaguely remembered legends about those that died far from home during famine times. Their lack of proper burial caused them to wander in continued pain and hunger, and they lingered on deserted paths to force others to join them in death. That had to be what these things were! But how did you get rid of them? Was she meant to recite a prayer?

She gritted her teeth at her lack of knowledge; she was sure that Miroku would know this. Why had her grandfather suggested that her father carry mochi? Maybe it was something to do with food. Did you feed them, or yourself?

Using her last reserves of energy, Kagome wiggled her arms that were pinned by the tight wrap against Inuyasha's back, panting with the effort of maintaining the barrier. Managing to free them enough to reach the cloth that Sango had tied the rice balls and bottled water in, she frantically scrabbled to untie the knot with numb fingers, her terror rising as Inuyasha's laboured breaths stilled - then began again, now so shallow that they were almost a sigh.

'Gotta hurry, gotta hurry!' She was gasping in her haste, hoping against hope that the barrier that she'd tried to erect was keeping the ghosts at bay. There were two rice balls. She broke one in half and stuffed a chunk into Inuyasha's lax mouth and the other half in her own, then hurled the remaining rice through the paper-thin barrier at the spectres looming over them. After gulping down her own rice, she stroked Inuyasha's face and neck with shaking fingers. His usually tan skin was paper white, a bluish tinge spreading around his mouth and nose.

"Inuyasha, swallow. You have to swallow the rice." Hysterical tears rolled down Kagome's panic-stricken face, dripping onto his hair and cheeks as her voice grew more shrill. "Inuyasha! Please, please wake up. Stay here with me, don't go with them!" She tried tilting his head back by pushing on his chin, hoping it would cause a swallowing reflex, but terrified that in his unresponsive state she would force him to choke. Her panicked voice and stroking must have reached him on some level; his throat moved slightly as he swallowed a small morsel of rice without opening his eyes.

As if a switch had been flicked, the horror was gone.

It was a beautiful summer's day. Birds chirped cheerfully, flying through the rainbow hued spray thrown up by the gurgling waterfall, splashing noisily in the puddles, twittering their enjoyment. Noticing the cooked rice now scattered on the path, they swooped, squabbling and pecking, eager to take advantage of an easy meal. The dappled sunlight patterned the ground around them, leaves swaying in the breeze, and the delicate green of the forest framed the colourful gate of the shrine clearly visible up ahead.

Kagome dropped her head to Inuyasha's shoulder and sobbed quietly, releasing the barrier as the intense fear gradually ebbed away. She felt utterly drained. She took comfort in Inuyasha's heart beating steady and true beneath her, his back muscles moving rhythmically with each firm inhale and exhale of air. Her sobs suddenly turned to giggles when Inuyasha popped open an eye and spat the remaining rice out of his mouth, coughing and spluttering a little, wiping at his face. Rising on his elbow, he turned to look over his shoulder at her, growling his annoyance. "Kagome, why is there fucking rice up my nose?!"

[odessie]

Here’s my take on this whole Ballum wedding thing (no idea if anyone will even read this but I need to get it out!)

I don’t blame people at all for being upset or disappointed - it sucks that they’ll be filming a wedding for our faves under Covid restrictions, of course it sucks.

But what’s getting to me is the comments I’ve seen over and over again that ‘EE only had to wait a few weeks/a couple of months to film it normally’ because that’s terrifying to me that anyone thinks that!  Life will not be back to normal in a few weeks!  We don’t know when they’ll be filming ‘normally’ again but there’s no way on EARTH it’s going to be ‘in a few weeks’ - the vast majority of the cast and crew won’t even have had their FIRST jab by then and there’s still a high level of virus in the population.  The BBC will be super cautious about relaxing filming restrictions - we saw that in the first wave - and when they do start changing the way they film, their priority will probably be getting more crew back on set, hair/make-up/props, that kind of thing, and then maybe relaxing cast bubbles a bit rather than allowing actors to kiss/hug/touch.  ‘Normal’ filming could be a year away.

More than that, it seems to show a lack of understanding about how soaps work? They can’t just ‘delay it a few weeks’ when a) they have no idea right now when they’ll be allowed to relax restrictions and they plan these things months before they film them, and b) you can’t just lift something big like a wedding out and then drop it in a few weeks later.  The wedding will be woven into other plotlines, and there’s bound to be some kind of drama around it - Ben’s a Mitchell, when did you ever know a Mitchell to get married without it being woven into some kind of bigger storyline?  (My money’s on Ben getting arrested on his wedding day for something...)  Moving the wedding might have knock-on effects on all sorts of other storylines and characters that we don’t know about yet.

They’re already struggling to get out four episodes a week under horrific conditions - anyone hear Louisa Lytton’s interview where she said that normally they film 17-18 scenes a day and right now they’re filming FIVE scenes a day.  The whole thing is a logistical nightmare for them, and you want them to give themselves even more work and chaos by ripping up their plans and changing their storylines?

Give them a chance - they’ll use camera tricks and body doubles to create the best impression they can, and we’ve got imaginations, we can fill in the rest for ourselves!  It’s a tribute to how much EE DO care about Ballum that they’re giving them a big wedding, front and centre of the show, bringing in a new character and everything - and I’m so excited to meet Grandma Highway!

This isn’t me getting at people who are upset, they have every right to be.  And some people think it’s too soon and that’s fair enough.  (I disagree personally, they’ve been together 18 months and that’s a lifetime in soap terms, but I get it.)  But I’m just baffled by those who are angry at EE because they haven’t done something (move the wedding) that they were NEVER going to do.

[the-darklings]

—𝒂𝒏 𝒊𝒔𝒍𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒊𝒏 𝒎𝒚 𝒐𝒄𝒆𝒂𝒏;

pairing: higgs monaghan x f!reader

word count: 3.7k+

summary: “The storm will always reach the shore. Such is the nature of storms. They destroy.”

warnings: mentions of child abuse, DOOMS side effects, swearing, major DT spoilers obviously.

notes: So I’m playing hard and loose with canon here. Personally, I much prefer the idea of Higgs being this nihilist who is so powerful it's almost like he's a mischievous demi-god wrecking the world simply because he CAN. Because it’s his idea of kindness to end it all now. We’re just, uh, gonna mostly ignore EE here.

There’s a girl here.

There should be no girl here.

He doesn’t visit often—not anymore, at least. Not since his Beach has started giving him an odd, haunting sort of feeling.

The marvel of being able to see his own most private space struck a sense of awe in him once. Fragile jumped him here the first time.

And oh how he remembers that trip. The sensation of being here. The feeling of the sea breeze, the potent charge and heaviness that hung in the air like it was seconds away from storming.

The sea is restless now too, waves beating angrily against the shore as he stands there watching. Storm clouds boil ominous and dark in the distance, hanging over the distant horizon like a shroud.

His Beach is a rather desolate place. But it’s his and his alone.

That’s why an idea of someone else being here, in his space, rattles him.

For the first time in a long time, he feels unnerved.

Not even Fragile came that time.

No one, not even Amelie, has seen his Beach.

But the intruder stands knee-deep in the swirling water, gaze focused on the far distance. If Higgs had to take a guess, he thinks that you, too, are watching the clouds. Perhaps you’re wondering if the storm is going to reach the shore.

The storm will always reach the shore. Such is the nature of storms. They destroy.

The intruder suddenly tenses, turns, as if sensing that something is not right, but Higgs is faster. Between one breath and the next, he jumps right in front of you. He stands on top of the water, towering over you, and tilts his head in an open display of curiosity.

He catches a glimpse of your face. The parting of lips, the widening of your eyes, a startled gasp.

He reaches for you, ready to get his answers, but his hand sails through thin air instead.

He leans back, startled, and watches the dark remains of chiral matter tickle his gloved fingers.

Well, well, how interesting.

He knows you’ll be back.

There is no real way for him to know for sure, but he does.

He considers it a gut feeling and it has rarely failed him in the past.

Of course, just like expected, he’s right.

He’s made a habit of keeping a more careful vigil over his Beach ever since the little run-in, and he finds you once again breaching his space only three days later.

This time, he can sense you clearer, sharper.

The fact that you’re able to jump from his Beach at will suggest your DOOMS level is high. The tickle of curiosity makes him focus, inhale deeply, sensing and considering you as he watches. He wonders what’s your reason for coming here.

Why would you return if you know someone else is possibly occupying this space?

This time, instead of standing still you’re walking, your head tilted towards the sky in wide-eyed wonder.

He tears through the Beach, appearing right in front of you.

You stagger to a stop, instinctively shrinking back from his dark get up and golden skull mask. He cuts an imposing figure, he knows that. It still doesn’t stop him from smiling smugly beneath his masks though.

He knows you’re going to jump even before your fight or flight response kicks in, and he twists his arm, the black coil of BT energy wrapping around your arm like a rope.

You jump anyway and drag him with you like an unruly dog with an unassuming owner.

The jump only takes you about a hundred meters before you stumble to a stop, turning frantically to stare at your arm. You shake it frantically, trying to loosen the tight grip but Higgs clenches his fingers further and the black mass connecting you together contracts further.

He feels a pang of vague disappointment and annoyance. Are you not as powerful as he first suspected? He waits for you to use your DOOMS to break free but instead, you stagger forward, jumping again.

And again.

Again.

Irritation prickles his nerves as you drag him through half the Beach with stubbornness alone. Still, this is what he wants in a sense; for you to tire yourself out, to show just how powerful you truly are. You can’t keep this up forever.

“Let me go!”

“You’re free to go,” he drawls, mockery clear in his voice. “Go on then.”

Your eyes rage like the storm on the horizon and Higgs chuckles under his breath. The sound gets cut off almost immediately when he feels a swell of energy from his intruder. An arm pulsing with pure darkness and silver explodes from thin air, ripping the rope he’s fashioned between you.

The hand disappears the moment the action is done, leaving the air thick with chiralium, and you swaying on your feet. Higgs doesn’t waste time, he appears behind you, wrapping his arm around your neck as he presses you flush against him.

“Hmm, dear me,” he hums cheerfully against your ear, and you squirm desperately in his arms, panting. Exhausted. “Someone went ahead and got themselves into a predicament, didn’t we? You jump now, you take me with you.”

“Let go of me!”

“I don’t think so,” he says, his voice dipping into something colder. “Fool me once shame on me, fool me twice…well, there is no second time.”

He doesn’t see the headbutt coming till it connects with his face. The impact rattles his masks—barely a tickle, really—and he suspects you did more damage to yourself than him.

He laughs. He can’t quite help it.

Snapping his fingers, he steps back, gathering the already thick output of chiralium from you earlier performance to give life to the black tar that crawls up your body like shackles, bringing you to your knees.

“You’re an interesting little thing, ain’t ya?” he quips with a smile, tilting his head to get a better look at your face. Your expression is sallow and twisted with concentration as you breathe heavily. “So, you’re able to summon Gazers, huh? Or part summon at least. Ooh, but you don’t look so good,” he mocks, bending down to your level.

You trash, glaring, but have clearly exhausted yourself too much with you earlier performance. Tears roll down your cheeks and he tsks, leaning back before standing to circle you.  

“Who are you?” you demand but it’s a winded and exhausted attempt to appear strong.

Still, brownie points for effort.

“Oh me? I’m nobody,” he answers and leans closer, putting his fingers under your chin so he can meet your stare head-on. “And I’m everybody.”

He jumps behind you and observes with mild interest as you fight…so hard to get loose.

For a moment it takes him back to the shelter. It revives memories of his Daddy, of those powerful arms dragging him back—

“How did you find this place?”

Silence answers him, and in the far distance thunder rumbles.

He leans over you from behind, the coldness of his mask brushing against your warm cheek. “Didn’t your mama teach you that it’s rude to trespass, hm?”

“I’m not trespassing,” you snap, sounding as frustrated as he feels. “I’ve always been able to come here.”

Implying that the last two times have clearly not been the first. Underneath his mask, Higgs frowns in thought. Something like that shouldn’t be possible.

Some freak bleed-through effect as the network grows more powerful, perhaps? Or maybe your DOOMS level is powerful enough to give you access without you even realising it?

He could ask Amelie but, well, it seems like he’ll have to do some old-fashioned digging. The thought of just anyone being able to come here without his permission makes an angry growl bubble at the back of his throat.  

“Then I suggest you forget the path to this place real quick, honey.”

A sigh of indisputable frustration. “I’ve tried.”

“Try harder,” he insists, and this time the jovial undertone is completely absent. “Or the next time I find you here, I will scatter your remains across my Beach.”

With that, he turns to go.

“W-Wait! I can’t get out.”

He doesn’t bother turning around. “That’s not my problem.”

And then he’s gone.

Beach Log #1

-

There’s a girl in my Beach.

The Beach.

The one place where no one should be able to gain access some stranger apparently can just wander in whenever she pleases.

If I applied my Daddy’s logic to this, I should have just “encouraged” the truth out of her. I could have. And it would have been easy, too, with how exhausted she was. But I didn’t want to because where’s the fun in that? Maybe it’s because she almost reminded me—

No. There’s no point in even allowing myself to think about such bullshit. The past is the past.

The girl is powerful though. Being able to even partially summon a Grazer is…something.

Regardless, I’ve never seen her before, have no attachment to her whatsoever, nor she with me. Which then raises a rather interesting question for the class: how was she able to find my Beach? How is she able to come and go as she pleases?

I will find out. I always do.

It’s only a matter of time before she’s back again.

I don’t know how I know, but I do.

What a goddamn mess.

He finds you crying.

Normally, he loves it when people start sobbing in his presence, except this time he knows the tears have little to do with him. Or at least, he assumes so, considering you still haven’t spotted him.

He approaches deliberately, power sizzling between his fingers. He told you what will happen if you wander in here again, and while admittedly he’s become rather interested in learning more, it still irks him to see you back.

Waves beat against you as you kneel in the dark sand, the distant rumble of thunder the only sound between you. You know he’s here. He stands before you and waits.

He’s not sure what for, exactly, perhaps for you to plead for your life. To fight, which would be preferable. A challenge is always welcomed.

“Do you have a death wish, girl?” he speaks, at last, having grown bored of waiting.

By this point, your sobbing has subsided into an occasional sniffle and he watches with a degree of interest as your head rises. A large wave washes over your body, making you shiver, and your teeth clench when your eyes meet.

They’re bloodshot but furious and sad too.

“I’m not afraid of you,” you whisper but it’s a dead and hollow thing.

He knows that look. Has seen it plenty of times staring back at him in every reflective surface when he was still a brat. Trapped and unable to leave, wasting away with his stomach in knots and nursing dark bruises. He knows what a wild, trapped thing looks like. He’s spent years being one of them.

He escaped when his Daddy died. He imagines you haven’t been quite so lucky.

He wonders, then, if that’s why you find your way here. If perhaps his Beach recognises that frantic hurt, the restless longing for freedom in you as well.

“Oh, I’ve heard that plenty of times in the past,” he remarks scornfully, raising his arm and watches how power curls through his fingers with that effortless ease he now treasures so fiercely. “Can you guess where they all ended up?”

“I don’t know how I get here,” you mutter instead, but your gaze is cautious, wary. Smart girl. “I’m not doing anything wrong either. I just…come here. It’s peaceful. It’s—”

“An escape?”

Your eyes jump to him in surprise. Teardrops still cling to your lashes, clumping them together. You look like a mess, and he’s inclined to tell you so but before he can, you stagger to your feet. Unsteady but determined.

“I won’t bother you, I promise,” you explain hurriedly, and look like you’re about to take a step towards him but think better of it. “Just—can I please continue coming here?”

Your hopeful eyes try to find his own beneath the mask and he chuckles. It’s a scathing sound and he jumps behind you, making you flinch.

“Let me think about that one,” he drawls lazily, “Hm. Nope. No can do. Go to your own Beach.”

Recoiling, you turn around to stare up at him with a mix of bitter disappointment. Your drenched appearance isn’t doing you any favours in helping you appear more menacing either. Just more miserable.  

“I—I can’t.”

“Sweet thing, you’re saying that with a tone that implies I should give a damn, and, uh,” he says, nodding his head from side to side as if in deep thought. “I really don’t. But I’ll bite. Why can’t you go?”

You wring your hands together but halt when you notice his attention drift towards the restless motion. “I…it makes me feel…unwell.”

Oh?

“What’s your DOOMS level?” is his sharp and immediate response.

Your eyes fly up to him and you visibly swallow.

Sore question, huh? He figured it had something to do with your DOOMS level from the start but this as good as confirms it.

“That’s private,” you respond firmly, your eyes regaining some of that sheen from your second meeting, from your fight. “I don’t even know who you are.”

Higgs sighs loudly, spreading his arms to either side of him like he looks forward to welcoming you into his embrace. “I am the owner of this Beach. Which means my rules are at play right now,” he explains and wags his finger at you like you’re a naughty child. In some sense, you are. “And don’t try to lie to me, either. I can sense it. The power that simmers under your skin. Hmm, oh yes. I do believe that I know exactly what ails you.”

Your eyes widen, your lips part in wonder, and it’s almost miserable how full of hope you look in that moment. “You—you do? Tell me.”

“Tsk, tsk, what do I look like to you?” he wonders, gesturing at himself, but doesn’t wait for your reply. “A charitable man? Sorry to disappoint but no dice. Your DOOMS level first.”

The hesitation marring your face is understandable. This world is cruel with those without power, and it is—perhaps—even crueller to those with power. Higgs is starting to piece together a murky image when it comes to you. An image that tells him that you have no idea how to harness that great power lurking deep down. It tells him that DOOMS is eating you from inside out and you have no idea how to cope because no one has shown you how.

Once—no, more than once—he’s been in a similar position. A position of no power, no resources, no future. Of course, that’s before he realised how idiotic it is to hope for a better world. Before he freed himself of the shackles holding him down, binding him to this endless struggle till he eventually dies.

Better raze everything in existence to nothing before he goes out.

“It was Level Six but—”

A whistle slips free and filters through his mask, echoing across the otherwise empty Beach as your eyes narrow. He can’t help but throw his head back and laugh loudly. He jumps to your side and leans closer towards your face.

“My, my,” he coos softly, his words taunting as he ghosts his fingers over your chin. “You’ve grown stronger, haven’t you? Just like me.”

You pull back, a step at the time only, and he can at least respect the fact that you don’t scurry away like a spooked animal. You shouldn’t either. In real life, outside this Beach at least, he imagines you’re powerful enough to cause all sorts of trouble.

Something tells him that others know it too. That’s why his Beach is an escape. Why you’re so desperate to stay.

But why him? And why now?

He turns away from you, dismissive, and steps onto the water. He stays on top of the restless surface and lowers his head to look at his blurred reflection beneath. The golden mask gleams even in the murky mirror.

A mask not for death, he swore to himself once, but for ruling. For life.

He glances back at you. You stand shivering and wary on the shore, and he snorts under his breath. Miserable, but powerful little thing. Alone too.

Wild and trapped.

“Stay if you will, but I promise you this: you will find no peace here.”

Higgs can tell you’re about to appear approximately five seconds before you actually bloom into existence.

It’s a tickle of power, almost like a hand reaching out and grasping onto him, before you appear in a swirl of black and silver. Your knees fold and you sink onto them, your lips cracked and mouth twisted into an unhappy line.

“You look like shit.”

You don’t say anything in reply to that. You simply breathe. In fact, you inhale so deeply, he reckons your lungs expand to their full capacity. It’s like you haven’t drawn a single breath since the last time he saw you here.

Higgs watches the storm in the distance, his elbows resting on his raised knees as he waits for the swelling waves to finally reach you both.

Your hands drop to either side of you, and your fingers dig into the dark sand desperately. Your relief at being here is palpable, and he would be lying if he didn’t admit to himself that he finds it as irritating as he does fascinating.

His eyes slide unhurriedly across the landscape.

It’s a miserable fucking place.

Dark sand, dark sky, dark water. 

Dark as far as the eye can see.

There is nothing about this place that should make you think of safety, of comfort.

The expression on your face says otherwise though.

Your eyes are closed, head tilted upwards, and your inhales and exhales are slow, rhythmical. Peaceful.

“What’s your name?”

When you finally do decide to speak, it’s hardly what he expects or wants. He’s here to observe you only until he can find a way to forcefully expel you from here. He’s already tried last time but failed.

It seems like you’ve lodged yourself into his Beach like a splinter. For now.

“That’s a rather shitty attempt to distract yourself, sweetheart.”

Because that’s exactly what you’re doing. Except he’s not here to give you free therapy for whatever issues you have going on. He has his own shit to handle.

“If you have nothing to hide then why wear a mask?” you wonder instead, and sound genuinely curious. “Does it mean anything?”

“It’s a symbol,” he replies and honestly doesn’t know why. Boredom, probably. “A face is not necessary for my plans. But, oh how humanity will know my name before they’re complete.”

He’s still staring towards the horizon but feels and hears your head turn in his direction. “What plans?”

A chuckle rumbles from deep inside his chest. “The type to give a little girl like you nightmares.”

“I already have nightmares,” you shoot back, and there’s a sliver of ice in your voice that makes his lips curl in amusement beneath the mask. “I told you. You don’t frighten me.”

Of course. He bets your nightmares are almost as bad as his own.

He teleports in front of you, crouching till you’re both facing each other, and his amusement only increases with your shallow—startled—exhale. “Oh yeah? And what haunts your nightmares, girl?”

You stare at him for a long moment, tight-lipped and stubborn, and he wonders if you think he’s buying into your little act. A valiant effort, but redundant.

“You.”

He laughs at that; a dry, unfriendly sound as he pats your cheek in a shallow display of mocking affection. “Good,” he mutters and rises to his feet. “I can live with that.”

Higgs does feel some semblance of surprise when you rise to your feet right after him though. “Why won’t you tell me your name? I’m (Name).”

Because he doesn’t want to.

Because you’re wary but brave too.

Because you don’t trust him—perhaps even fear him, despite how you keep insisting otherwise—but not for the reasons everyone else does.

To you, he’s just a man in a mask whose Beach you’ve decided to hijack.

There is, admittedly, a certain degree of freedom when it comes to that ignorance on your part.

The less you know, the better. It’s not like you will be coming here for much longer anyway. He will make sure of it.

Perhaps, he can indulge in that ignorance for a little bit longer in the meantime.

“I don’t care.”

Before he disappears, he could swear he hears a chime of weak laughter follow, but the sound is ripped away from him by the jump.  

Beach Log #2

-

Maybe I should have killed her when I first saw her intruding.

Of course, that thought crossed my mind. I’m me.

Truth be told—and ain’t that a kicker—I’m not sure why I didn’t when I had the chance. Now the girl has gone ahead and made herself interesting. Just peachy.

She is powerful though. And she could be useful.

If the Last Stranding is to pass as I hope, I may need some triumph cards at my disposal. The girl—(Name)—is untapped power potential. I wager she’s even more powerful than Fragile. Ha. Just my luck.

She has that look in her eyes that I like too. A wild thing ready to break free.

Her body is weak though. Power always comes at a price, I would know. DOOMS is a poison she has no idea how to deal with, and I have a feeling someone is purposely keeping her crippled, dependant. Disgusting. But with the right encouragement…

She might become mighty yet.

If not, I will kill her. She knows too much and has access to my Beach. I can’t have loose ends. Fragile is bad enough.

She reminds me of myself though. It almost makes me hope she doesn’t disappoint.

. . .

an: I’m trash and I will never change. I do have plans for more (since this is only a small part of the longer narrative I planned to write) so if you guys would like to see more, let me know! We’re all thirsty for goth Troy Baker and honestly who can blame us? Thank you for reading!

[jovialyouthmusic]

Girls’ Night Out

So - I have a confession to make - I think I didn’t post the ‘final’ chapter. Here it is. If you haven’t read the previous chapters  (which won’t make a whole heap of sense if you haven’t read my other fics) or if you need your memory refreshed, here’s the link to the Masterlist.

Word Count 1502

No warnings, but my blog is generally Not suitable for under 18s The ending leaves things open for each of the gals to have their own celebration - who knows when I will write them but hey...

7 All Together Now

When Bas and I arrived at the club where the four men had been performing as strippers, things had calmed down a little. They had morphed back into being fully clothed, though it was plain Lucy was disappointed. She was the first to spot me, and had the decency to look embarrassed.

‘Uh hi, Les’ she said brightly ‘Thanks for helping us with the mock up – this place rocks. We’ll have to visit more often.’ I folded my arms and stood in front of her.

‘None of that now, I hear you dragged a certain Elizabeth Dalgliesh around the clubs and bars.’ I scolded. ‘She’s only accustomed to genteel regency balls at the Assembly rooms and the occasional glass of wine with dinner.’

‘She had a great time!’ She protested ‘She loved the cocktail I got her, and I made sure it wasn’t too strong.’

‘Bas here tells me she passed out when the strippers came on’ I went on, determined she wasn’t going to pull the wool over my eyes. She looked at the floor

‘Well she was doing fine up until then’ she mumbled. I sighed

‘Well I guess you had good intentions. I’m going to go and check up with her now.’ Bastien patted my arm.

‘Hold on, we need to look the part’ he suggested.

‘Good thinking’ I closed my eyes, and before we left to join Elizabeth and John, we were dressed fit for a regency ball, I in an empire cut gown in sapphire blue, he in navy breeches and white stockings, polished black leather dancing shoes, a crisp white shirt and military coat tails resplendent with brass buttons and a high collar.

‘My lady’ he intoned, holding out his arm for me to take by the elbow.

‘Very handsome’ I smiled, and in the blink of an eye we were outside the assembly rooms waiting in line to enter ‘I thought we could be announced properly’ I said aside to him ‘If you’re agreeable, I’d like you to divert Morag’ He raised his eyebrows

‘How would you like me to do that?’ he asked.

‘I think you should ask her to dance’ I smiled up at him ‘How could she resist such a handsome partner?’

‘I need a back story’ he mused ‘To start with, should I use my name? Perhaps a cousin of John’s? Who am I to you?’ I thought fast.

‘If we go along that line, we can also turn up at their wedding.’ I murmured ‘I’ll be your sister. I’d thought perhaps Morag had a husband back at her father’s estate, but if she’s a spinster that would probably be more believable. She’s sacrificed her personal life to look after Lizzy and Amelia. Perhaps she had a sweetheart that died young, or went away to sea and never returned.’

‘I could make out that I knew her sweetheart’ Bastien replied

‘Oh that could work, it would keep her busy. We’d better not make it too tragic though, I don’t want to upset her’

‘So – I’m an officer in the Navy, and her sweetheart served under me. He was tragically lost overboard in a storm – which she’s already aware of. I don’t want to be the bearer of bad news’

‘Sounds like a plan. Lesley is a Scottish place name and surname, so I’ll use that – Lesley Lykel has ring to it.’ I pondered for a moment ‘Gordon sounds like a suitable name for you, don’t you think?’

‘Very well – Lieutenant Gordon Lykel it is, and his sister Miss Lesley’

‘Wait, how will John and Elizabeth know us? Will they realise who you are?’

‘She knows my name, and I’ll drop some heavy hints. John will recognise you, don’t forget – he’s met Sophia’s Bastien’ By now we were at the front of the line and the footman tasked with announcing those who attended turned to Bastien.

‘Name please’

‘Lieutenant Gordon Lykel and Miss Lesley Lykel’ We were announced to the crowd of people, not attracting a second glance save for one or two women whose gaze alighted on him, for them to raise or flick their fans coquettishly. The room was high ceilinged, lit largely by natural light from a glass dome above and refracted through crystal chandeliers. Gilded friezes cast a golden light down on the assembly of finely dressed people. With a practised eye, Bastien scanned the room.

‘There they are’ he said, and we made our way around the edge of the room to them to the strains of a string quartet. Some folk were already dancing, with lines forming and moving back and forth, the dancers circling and swapping partners. Lizzy looked pale and sat fanning herself while John stood by her side, and Morag nearby. John looked up when he saw Bastien, who approached him, hand outstretched, and Lizzy’s face coloured a little, no doubt remembering the strip routine she had only recently witnessed.

‘Cousin John, how good to see you’ he said, loud enough for Morag to hear. Her eyes narrowed as he bowed to Lizzy, taking her hand and barely touching it with his lips ‘Charmed to meet you Miss Dalgliesh, I’ve heard all about you. Lieutenant Lykel at your service – and my sister, Miss Lesley’ I dropped a curtsey, and heard Morag let out a small gasp as John shook his hand firmly. Before Lizzy had a chance to acknowledge me, Morag came forward hesitantly.

‘Lieutenant Lykel’ she said ‘My sweetheart Hamish served under you at sea’. Bastien straightened up and turned to her, taking her hand, putting his other palm to his chest.

‘My dear lady’ he said ‘You must be Morag. He spoke of you often. Please, come with me and we can talk’ He took her elbow and led her some distance away.

‘Are you Les? Do we owe our existence to you?’ Lizzy asked, wide eyed

‘After a fashion’ I replied ‘Gordon here is another version of Bastien – or Sebastien, who you just met. I hope that’s not too confusing’ She smiled faintly.

‘I have seen many strange things in the past few hours’ she said ‘It was very stimulating, but I’m happy to be back somewhere more familiar.’

‘Well, you two can have a little time together now that Bastien has distracted Morag’ I smiled.

‘But what about you?’ Elizabeth asked ‘You can’t stand alone, it wouldn’t be proper, it would be sure to bring Morag back’ There was a commotion by the door and I looked over.

‘I don’t think I’ll be alone for long’ I said wryly.

‘Coo ee! Les, it’s us!’ a familiar voice sounded from across the other side of the hall. John snorted with laughter.

‘You’re right – our friends have followed you’ He waved back at Lucy, who moved straight across the room, scattering dancers as she did so. Charlotte glared at her and steered ‘her’ Drake around the edge of the room, along with Sophia and Bastien. Lucy’s partners scurried after her, apologising as they went. All seven of them were dressed appropriately but Lucy’s behaviour turned heads as she made for John, Elizabeth and myself in a straight line.

‘Hey, we thought we’d gatecrash before we make ourselves available for read throughs’ Lucy explained ‘You don’t mind, do you, Lizzy? I’ve always wanted to dress up like…’ she paused and looked thoughtful ‘You know, like a Jane Austen novel’ Lizzy looked confused

‘Jane who?’ she asked. By this time Brad and ‘Lake’ had reached us as well

‘Sorry Les, Luce got away from us’ Brad apologised. I shook my head.

‘Well never mind, you’re all here now, which is kind of what I had in mind anyway – you dragged Lizzy into your world, so it’s only fair you get to experience hers.’ I replied as the others reached us.

‘Lizzy, this is amazing’ said Sophia ‘So grand – I’m impressed’

‘Are you alright, Lizzy?’ asked Charlotte ‘You passed out when John appeared’

‘I’m fine now’ she smiled, ‘Welcome to my world’ John smiled and shook hands with Brad, Drake and Bastien.

‘Welcome, gentlemen’ he said ‘You’re dressed impeccably’

‘We can all dance now’ cried Lucy, watching the assembled men and women weaving and spinning their way through a cotillion. ‘We did a little research before you turned up, Les. It’s a doddle - you can borrow Brad, he’ll see you through the steps’

‘What?’ I asked ‘You want me to dance too?’

‘Of course darling’ she said, linking arms with me ‘Without you none of us would be here at all.’ She gave me a squeeze. ‘Next time you can come round the clubs with us’ she said. I raised my eyebrows.

‘Next time?’ I asked incredulously

‘Yes, next time’ she beamed, and counted on her fingers ‘You’ve got Charlotte’s State wedding, and Sophia and Bastien are engaged. When are you going to write them up? For that matter, how about a belated one for me?’ I passed my hand over my face.

‘What have I started?’ I groaned…

To be continued?

@ravenpuff02​ @trappedinfandoms​ @rusticsupplies63k @katedrakeohd​ @sirbeepsalot​ @burnsoslow​ @texaskitten30​ @drakeandcamilleofvaltoria​ @kimmiedoo5​ @kingliam2019

[aqvarius]

[WALKTHROUGH + REVIEW] Masquerade Kiss: Yuzuru Shiba Season 2

Expectations:

I just want to start off by saying that the prologue is absolutely outrageous. There are probably so many targets that hang around the EAC headquarters, especially since HQ is presumably 3 miles within the UN Headquarters and let’s not pretend that there isn’t at least one target going to work there everyday. I actually spent 30 mins on google maps street view trying to find exactly where this location is supposed to be modelled after so I could find all the companies and buildings that have potential targets and then just gave up lol. BUT either way, I refuse to believe that a top international intelligence agency would just go WARNING WARNING and go into emergency lockdown because a target entered a 3 mile radius of HQ. Ridiculous. Also, the letter from the EAC even in the Yuzuru prologue also calls her Arisa Mifune which is her Kazuomi alias lol.

EDIT: I found the location of that background which implies that EAC HQ is modelled after 2 Hammarskjold Plaza or somewhere near (which is right next to the British Consulate btw, how did MC not see that on her way to the building. Also conveniently near something called Japan Society.). Note the octagonal-roofed thing on the bottom left, the general shape of the building, the covered part of the building lobby, the blue sign (afaik street signs in NYC are green) and the position and shape of the building down the road. And I know I’m taking this whole thing way too seriously, but Jeffrey Epstein had a mansion about 2 miles away from here so this whole 3 mile emergency alert thing is just ridiculous. Sure, Epstein probably never existed in the world of Masquerade Kiss but come on, it is highly unlikely that not a single target lives, works or passes by for a kebab within a 3 mile radius of the EAC HQ.

With that out of the way, let’s talk Yuzuru. Honestly, I wasn’t sure if I was going to even play Masquerade Kiss ever again. I like most things about the game but Love Choice is honestly just a turn off and the only LC game that I am genuinely drawn to is actually Destind. But then I had 287 unused hearts because I bought a bunch of hearts with the intent of playing Kyogoku’s route in Romance MD (and then I didn’t because I actually just don’t like that game) so I decided to give it a shot. I actually (surprisingly?) prefer Kazuomi to Yuzuru as a character, but I like Yuzuru’s MC more than Kazuomi’s MC and I was intrigued that Voltage would push this whole love quadrangle thing. We’ve seen hyper-jealous Yuzuru before in a substory so I think I went into this route more interested in the plot aspect and to see how they would develop the kind of strange relationship between Yuzuru and his MC. I genuinely enjoyed Yuzuru’s S1 MS a lot and wanted to see how he and his MC would grow as a couple. Also I wanted to play it in order to write a review to bring some traffic back to my semi-hiatus stagnant blog lol. Please give this a like/reblog please I’m begging you please :’(

Keep reading to the walkthrough and review. I’ve calculated a way for you to get to EE with all CGs (50 hearts saved), SHE with CGs (83 hearts saved), or a cheapest overall option to SHE (107 hearts saved).

Stop scrolling after the walkthrough and guide if you haven’t yet played and don’t want the route to be spoiled.

Walkthrough:

Story 1:

Yes, we should keep an eye on him.

No, it’s not necessary

Story 2:

“You came to be with me.” (Love Meter +1) (6 hearts)

I can’t say.

Story 3:

I sign without hesitating.

I hesitate for a moment.

Story 4:

Text Yuzuru.

Don’t text him.

Story 5:

I’ll sign it. (Love Meter +1, CG) (13 hearts)

I’m not going to sign a New York contract.

 Story 6:

Casually intervene. (Love Meter +2) (11 hearts)

Pretend not to notice.

Story 7:

See him out without asking what’s wrong.

Ask what’s going on.

Story 8:

It’s payback time. (Love Meter +1, CG) (16 hearts)

Don’t do anything.

Story 9:

Start touching him. (Love Meter +2) (12 hearts)

I can’t interrupt.

Story 10:

Seduce the info out of him. (Love Meter +1) (8 hearts)

Try to force it out of him.

Story 11: (second chance)

Gently ask about it. (Love Meter +3) (18 hearts)

Now is not the time.

Story 12:

“I’m thinking about you.” (Love Meter +3) (13 hearts)

“Nothin’.”

Story 13:

“It was fun.”

“It was relaxing.”

 Story 14:

Apologize and keep talking. (Love Meter +1) (7 hearts)

Ouch. I have nothing to say for myself…

Story 15:

Play dumb: “What are you talking about?”

Ask: “What if I am?”

Story 16:

Find out if he’s jealous. (Love Meter +2) (18 hearts)

Don’t ask any questions.

Story 17:

“I’ll stay ten more minutes.” (Love Meter +2) (14 hearts)

I have nothing to say.

Story 18:

Ask about his Texas accent.

Don’t ask about it now.

Story 19:

Call out to Yuzuru.

Let him go.

Story 20:

Put up a strong front: “I’m okay.”

Tell the truth: “I’m not okay.”

Story 21: (second chance)

Ask Yuzuru why he did it. (Love Meter +3, CG) (25 hearts)

Don’t ask any questions.

Story 22:

“Not as stubborn as you.”

“You already knew that.”

Story 23 (useless):

Trust Yuzuru and don’t go. (Love Meter +1) (13 hearts)

Right now, I have to go to Jeremy.

Story 24: (second chance but she saves him either way)

Rush over to protect Yuzuru. (Love Meter +3) (19 hearts)

I can’t get there quickly enough.

Guides:

I calculated the cheapest ways to get to Eden End and Super Happy End with CGs and without CGs. Just opt for the heart scenes that I’ve highlighted in each guide below.

Click the read more below for my review. Stop here if you haven’t yet read the route because there are spoilers galore.

Review:

Honestly, I have mixed feelings about this route. As I read through, I thought the pacing was excellent and I was really drawn in by everything about it, especially the relationship between Yuzuru and his MC. It has definitely been a while since a LC route really captured my full attention. However, upon rereading my notes and writing this review, I do have quite a few issues with it, particularly the plot. I’ll go through the things I enjoyed about the route first and then discuss what I find to be its limitations.  

So Yuzuru is great in this route. We get a far more expressive and soft Yuzuru. We get to see the most charming side of Yuzuru again, his childlike passion for engineering and innovation. This, in my opinion, is Yuzuru at his softest and most appealing, when he is genuinely passionate and not just doing the hyper-organised scheduling thing (although naturally most of this is hidden behind a heart scene). Sometimes it’s nice to remember that Yuzuru is human.

He’s definitely more playful with his MC in this route, even going as far as to blur the lines between work and personal life a little bit in a way that I found quite unexpected. There’s a lot of flirty banter between them, as well as just little suggestions of flirtations here and there in their body language – in front of people too! Scandalous. It almost reminds me a bit of Kazuomi and his MC, which is definitely a pleasant surprise. A lot of these scenes are hidden behind heart scenes, which I’ll get into later, but I will say that these cute and suggestive moments between the two are probably some of the best moments of the route, and part of the reason why it was so easy to keep reading.

I’ve mentioned this before but Yuzuru’s MC is my favourite version of the Masquerade Kiss MC. She’s great in this route too – cool, calm, great at her job. I also love that she likes Night at the Museum? Lmao me too girl. She has such trashy taste in movies and it’s a cute quirk that definitely makes her more relatable within the sensational premise of the game. Personality-wise, I think they did a good job at bridging the professional and personal aspects of her personality too, making her read like someone who has different personas that are different aspects of the same person. You definitely get a sense of the conflict within the MC when she has to extract information by using her sExUaLiTy when her boyfriend is watching on lol, even when they kind of make it out like a game. It is interesting and quite novel to see a Voltage MC successfully pull off a honey trap on a guy who kind of repulses her. We get snippets of it in other games such as Her Love in the Force but HLITF MC is always careful to keep boundaries so we never get to explore the full potential of the jealousy that can crop up in such situations. MK MC goes above and beyond to give us (and Yuzuru) a show. With that being said, I do feel like they kind of drew back from it a little by having Jeremy be super forward with his affection so the MC just has to respond, keep him on the hook and pull back every now and again, rather than actively needing to pursue someone to obtain information.

I also really enjoyed that moment when Yuzuru tells her to shower before going to his bed to wash off “Mia.” It solidifies that he’s really in love with her and not her charismatic, flirtatious hostess alias. Throughout the route, the blurring of the personal and the professional is definitely a theme that we see cropping up in the lives of both the MC and Yuzuru. It’s something that I find particularly interesting and I’m glad they picked this developmental direction since both Yuzuru and his MC are notoriously bad at mixing those two worlds, with both of them consistently and repeatedly picking work over love. We also get to see Yuruzu and his MC almost working together at times, which I adored. At times, they feel like a team. As always, they have tons of sexual and physical chemistry but they are slowly building up on the emotional chemistry and communication issues which is so crucial for character and relationship development. 

The SHE and EE in particular has some incredibly cute moments. Yuzu’s MC describing them as part of a machine is *chefs kiss* incredible. Their sex scenes are intimate, loving and incredibly romantic. Yuzu preparing his NYC home for MC? Adorable. And, most importantly, him not only tolerating but welcoming his MC’s “bugs” in their relationship? That’s character growth babey. 

With super long LC routes, I always get tired about 7 chapters in and give up and then have to come back and finish it later. However, this route sped along. The pacing of this route is pretty quick and snappy – in fact, I wouldn’t have minded if it was actually longer? Developments tend to happen pretty quickly, there are plenty of moments between Yuzuru and the MC that keep the story moving, and there’s basically very little, if any, ‘downtime’ in this route. Because they are constantly in the club or at Yuzuru’s place lol.

The writing/language quality is great. I felt genuinely tense every time Yuzuru and the MC almost got caught in the club and even more so when the MC went to Jeremy’s home. I couldn’t spot any significant typos or coding errors. The readability of this route is definitely top quality.

Moving onto my gripes with this route, I would say that they have to do mostly with flimsy plot, characters being reduced to plot devices, and lack of relationship conflict.

Firstly, something that I always find a bit off about the premise of EAC is how public their relationships sometimes are and how the MC’s private life even works. Yuzuru literally gets swarmed with people in the prologue asking for autographs and photos and yet later in the route can somehow go on a public date to busy tourist spots in central NYC with a spy? (That being said, I refuse to take that prologue as canon because of how sensationally ridiculous it is.) Let’s not pretend the EAC isn’t watching them lol (they even imply multiple times that this is the case). Is she not worried that Jeremy or Grace or any SHIBA or Space Crystal employees or any of the numerous powerful and dangerous people who frequent Freja will spot them together? There is no way she looks significantly different as Mia than as herself unless she’s wearing prosthetics or can turn off her star aura like Britney Spears can.  Also, is the MC supposed to be mixed? No one has any questions about how a native Japanese woman can get away with being called Mia Knightley?

They also set up this tension of something happening to the MC without Yuzuru ever knowing which never really plays out. There’s a brief callback to it but it’s more about the MC finding an excuse to see Yuzu. I thought the drama would have more to do with the MC having to keep secrets from Yuzu and disappearing but that never happens and so the repeated mentions of this particular source of anxiety don’t really amount to anything. I also wish they made better use of the stun bracelet! I think it would have been cool if that was what took Jeremy out. Symbolically, it could have worked as a physical manifestation of Yuzu’s trust and support of his MC and her job helping to protect her against the Big Bad.

Okay so my main issue is about the villains and the flimsy plot. Jeremy and Grace were such wasted villains!! If this guy went crazy and murdered 3 people… how did he manage to not only reinvent himself but in fact become a very high profile tech executive with more or less the same name? Imagine if Elon Musk was actually a crazy murderer who used to be called Elon Avrevic… there’s no way that he would be able to bury this, especially if he came from nothing and had no connections during the time in his life when he committed these murders. If there are actual criminal reports about his crimes that can be accessed by the EAC and SHIBA, how did he not get taken in for life after murdering 3 people? Why is he even free in the world? It’s such a big plot hole to me… doesn’t have the same fingerprints? Did he get such extensive plastic surgery that he’s not recognisable and also burn off his fingerprints? Evidently not, since the MC can recognise both him and Grace from childhood photos!

I also didn’t think his motivations were really that convincing. We get a throwaway line about his alcoholic father killing his mother because she tried to leave him, but in general they set Jeremy up with so much potential as this psychopath who hunts a very specific type of woman but then they just kind of throw it away with him just going crazy and shooting people because he just wants “girls and money”. Nooo Jeremy they did you so dirty!!!

I just think they built him up as this incredibly dangerous and manipulative predator but then just made him a standard alcoholic incel. He could have been such a good villain. He could have maybe drawn the MC in with sob stories about his mother and actually made her doubt her instincts with his charisma and vulnerability, with it turning out that the whole time he was just luring her in, instead of just relentlessly hitting on her and then getting carelessly drunk and going crazy. He spends so much of the route attempting to play and get with the MC and then just throws it all away by getting pissed and letting her basically have free reign of his apartment? I just don’t buy that a co-founder of Space Crystal would get to the top without being more clever, suspicious and manipulative – especially since he murdered 3 women and still is somehow a free man, ‘disguised’ as a very successful CEO?  Also, if he really just wanted girls and money, there were a thousand other ways of doing it. He could have been so clever and instead they just made him have occasional psychotic breaks with no discernible trigger. Disappointing.

(On a side note, they made his house look weirdly similar to Epstein’s manor. Or maybe all Upper East Side homes look like this, I have no idea. I did look around on Google Maps and I guess a lot of the homes in this area are kind of similar.)

Grace is also a wasted character. She kind of feels like a MacGuffin just to have this love quadrangle in order to play out the jealousy plot but ultimately plays no significant role. Actually, both Grace and Jeremy basically just act as jealousy plot devices, only the jealousy plot isn’t strong enough to actually threaten Yuzu and his MC’s relationship (except for one moment which to be honest doesn’t even play out like that because of jealousy and rather because Yuzu is trying to protect his girl).

Speaking of that moment, I thought that Yuzuru’s “push the MC away plan” could have been stronger. I feel like it’s not like him to do make such a basic attempt at fooling his MC. It might have worked in a different game but all of the MK guys usually know that they can’t trick their MC with cheap Harry and the Hendersons plots and they tend to not disrespect her enough to try. I know that as readers, we enjoy not knowing what the love interest is up to because it ups the tension and drama but I feel like there was a way of having that insecurity and conflict play out while keeping everything a mystery and making better use of the characters. Like maybe it could seem like Yuzuru is running into Grace’s arms after finding his MC in a compromising position with Jeremy when he’s actually doing his own covert investigations and making plans to foil their ultimate plans. Or maybe even working with Grace to take Jeremy’s wild country-bombing plans out. That way, we would prolong the jealousy/love quadrangle plot with the MC stressing about Yuzuru and Grace’s relationship, especially when she already doesn’t trust Grace. It would also make better use of Grace as a character and her position as both someone with a ginormous crush on Yuzuru and as Jeremy’s ‘partner’. If Grace also ended up betraying Jeremy to help Yuzuru and the MC, we could also have had some extra heartbreak about Grace having to betray the one person she has always had in her life (and maybe some extra backstory about Jeremy going nuts as part of having to protect himself and Grace from their parents and the world). #voltagehireme lol. I also find it highly unlikely that Jeremy managed to set up this whole missile-launching phone app business under Grace’s nose, especially when Yuzuru knew about it. Also, the idea of an American attempting to launch a missile to destroy the whole of Japan is a bit… on the nose lol.

The season isn’t really driven by relationship conflict even though they were pushing the whole jealousy line in the marketing. In the end, I don’t think the route is as much about jealousy as it is about trust – but then again, Yuzuru has always placed ultimate trust in his MC even in S1. I can see this being an issue for people who went into this route wanting genuine conflict in their relationship so that they can overcome and work through it to develop. There’s only a little bit of conflict towards the end when the MC goes to Jeremy’s home, and then that kind of gets discarded pretty quickly anyway. They just happen to be better at communication this season, and a lot of that is because of Yuzuru going out of his way to keep tabs on his MC. This is probably what makes the route so easy to read, because Yuzu is more open. However, because of this, while it is great that their communication as a couple improves, it may not necessarily feel that earned? With that said, credit to the writers for making Yuzu more open without making it feel jarring or like he’s had a sudden personality change.

And on another note entirely, I wish there was a bit more detail about the three “S”es and more involvement from Kazu and Kei, who basically just make gratuitous appearances in this route. Learning about them making Takoyaki together at Oxford is such a cute detail and also such an international student in the UK thing to do. Find me one Asian student studying abroad in the UK who hasn’t collectively cooked home food in halls with friends from their country (it’s always hotpot for me lol). I wish there were more moment with them actively involved in helping the MC.

Finally, I have my usual issues about the Love Choice system. If you play the route for free, you get very few cute scenes between Yuzu and his MC, miss out on some major character development moments (esp that planetarium scene) and you get a fade to black ending in the Normal End. Personally, I started playing Voltage in the early 2010s so I don’t mind fade to black endings, but I think the mature/sex scenes are what a lot of MK readers are here for, so it’s a shame that there isn’t even a kiss scene in the NE.

Overall, I would say that the chemistry between Yuzuru and his MC is what keeps this route going and flowing. I would recommend it if you just adore Yuzuru, want to maximise time with him and don’t really care much about plot. Otherwise, while their relationship is brought to new levels, it does not happen because of the plot as much as Yuzu’s response to events we don’t necessarily see, and it does not necessarily feel that earned because the plot doesn’t really put their relationship in that much jeopardy.

Don’t get me wrong, I actually really enjoyed reading this route – I found it super easy to keep reading, and Yuzu kept me hooked. I also love Yuzu more than ever. I think it’s a similar situation to Takane’s route, where the route made me love the love interest more, but has an average/flimsy plot. I imagine that his PoV will reveal more about those events that make him go out of his way to keep an eye on his MC, but as a standalone route, I wish there was more actual relationship conflict leading to more development.

[artificialqueens]

Bet You Look Good On The Dancefloor, 5 (Branjie) (and background everyone) - Ortega

a/n: HOORAY last of the strictly rewrites!!! thank u sm for ur patience if ur still waiting on chapter 6, i promise i’ll make it soon! lots of lo-ove, by-ee!!

fic summary: Strictly Come Dancing enters its 18th series and its producers, after being goaded by a rival dance show on its inclusivity, commission it to be an all-female cast. Unlike Akeria who’s just here to bone her potential dance partner, dancer Vanessa is ready to act like a professional.

And then TV presenter Brooke Lynn walks into the rehearsal room.

***

“And…one-two-three, one-two-three, one-two-three, one-two-three-”

“Goddamnit shit cunt bitch fuck piss in my mouth,” Brooke exhales frustratedly all at once, and Vanessa holds back an involuntary chuckle. It would be funny if it didn’t hit so close to home. It’s only twelve o’clock and it’s day three of rehearsals but already Brooke’s entire body language is defeated, like a burst balloon, and Vanessa is worried.

It’s all her fault, really. The scores from Saturday night still burn her brain if she thinks about them too much, hot coals on a grate. Twenty one out of forty. If it were a grade in a test it’d barely be a pass, and Vanessa can practically see her eyes turn green in the studio mirrors if she thinks about the fact they were sixth on the leaderboard behind Jan and Jackie, Crystal and Gigi, Monique and Monet, Akeria and Asia and Jaida and Yvie. Vanessa does not do sixth. Vanessa does not do anything other than top three, and the fact that she ended last week in the middle of the leaderboard enrages her. Okay, she knows this isn’t her journey- it’s Brooke’s, but Vanessa has a reputation to uphold; it’s her first year and she cannot be seen as a dud pro. So on Sunday she’d channeled her fighting spirit into an appropriate dance, and this week they’re doing a Paso Doble. Well. They’re meant to be doing a Paso Doble, but it’s fast and it’s frenetic and Brooke isn’t managing to get her head around this one particular section. Vanessa feels like packing it in, to tell the producers they’re doing something else, but really what kind of person would she be if she pulled that stunt? So instead she’s been watching Brooke become increasingly irritated at herself since 8 this morning and tried to come up with a way she can teach it that’ll work.

“This is my fault,” Vanessa verbalises what she’s thinking and bites her lip. “I’ve made this too hard.”

Brooke suddenly freezes and glares at her. “Are you saying I’m shit?”

PANIC. “No, fuck no! That’s not it at all, I just-”

Vanessa suddenly relaxes as Brooke splutters a held-in laugh, thumping her on the arm. “Shut the fuck up, bitch! I was nervous.”

“Not as nervous as I am about this fucking dance,” Brooke sighs, running her hands down her face slowly. Vanessa looks at the clock and makes a decision.

“You hungry?”

Brooke shrugs. “I am quite, now you mention it.”

“Good. Get your jacket. We’re gonna get lunch.”

Brooke winces. “But I still haven’t got-”

“We have got all damn day to learn this motherfuckin’ dance, now will you put your jacket on and let’s go?” Vanessa says firmly, Brooke giving a little laugh, shaking her head in resignation before crossing the room to grab her things. Vanessa’s pleased, and there’s small fireworks going off in her heart. She’s just asked Brooke to lunch and she’s said yes, not that Vanessa gave her much of a choice admittedly. As Brooke holds the door of the studio open for her, Vanessa starts wondering about where they could go to eat. She’s distracted by the way they’re walking down the corridor side-by-side, the way that Brooke stays close to her despite the fact there’s plenty room for them to have their own space. Vanessa feels like putting an arm around her waist, then decides against it. That kind of contact is special, reserved for a Saturday night after their dance is over and they’re standing together in front of the judges.

They walk out into the chilly October air, and Vanessa’s regretting only taking her hoodie out with her. The weather is quintessentially British- it had been raining that morning but now it has subsided, so the paving slabs glisten with puddles and the cars that go by roll smoothly through the rain-sheened roads and the grey clouds still hang heavy and ominous in the sky. Normally weather like this makes Vanessa yearn for her trips back to Puerto Rico, where the October temperatures are what the UK could only dream of in Summer, but standing outside in the cold and damp doesn’t seem so bad with Brooke looking at her expectantly.

“Where d’you wanna go?” she asks her. Brooke shrugs.

“Starbucks? Take it back and we can eat while we practise?”

Vanessa lets out a laugh and rolls her eyes, both irritated and impressed by Brooke’s dedication. She has a think and then remembers that place a few streets along from the studios where she, Akeria and Monique had grabbed brunch one time before a pro dance rehearsal. The thought of poached eggs with golden yolks on avocado toast makes her stomach rumble and she jerks her head in its direction. “C’mon.”

The walk and the fresh, icy air works a treat at clearing Vanessa’s head and by the time she and Brooke grab a wobbly wooden table by the steamed-up window in the cafe she’s feeling loads better about their Paso even though technically it’s still a mess. She picks up the menu despite knowing exactly what she wants and gives it a scan before Brooke plucks it unceremoniously out of her hands.

“Hey!”

“What?” Brooke smirks knowingly. Vanessa doesn’t complain further, instead indulging in the way Brooke’s eyes dart about as she scans the dishes on the menu, the way her brow furrows and the way she bites her bottom lip as she thinks. When Brooke looks at her again, Vanessa rushes to pretend she hadn’t had her eyes on her first.

“They have some really nice stuff here.”

Vanessa nudges the fork on the table a little to the left. “Me, Kiki an’ Monique went here a couple weeks back. They both had pancakes and they were really good apparently, so…”

She tails off, and Brooke nods. “You’re close with them, huh?”

“Well, we’re all kind of like sisters. All the dancers. In, like…the most literal way possible. We bicker and bitch and steal each others’ makeup and clothes but we love each other underneath it all. But yeah, those two are my girls,” Vanessa smiles involuntarily as she thinks about her friends. She thinks before adding, “They helped me through all the shit last year.”

Brooke smiles sympathetically and nods. “That’s cute that you’re all, like, a family.”

“It’s real nice. ‘Specially since all I really have here is my Mom, and I don’t get to see her all that often.”

Brooke leans her chin on her hands, listening intently. Vanessa realises she’s left her last sentence a little cryptic, so she elaborates. “We came over from San Juan when I was two. Fuck knows why my Mom wanted to leave, but we did. The rest of my family’s still over there- my Abuela, my Tia and Tio, all my lil’ cousins.”

“Do you get to visit much?” Brooke asks. Vanessa nods a yes.

“Way more nowadays than I ever got to when I was little. Obviously when we first came here we didn’t have a huge amount of money but my Mom always made sure to save enough to fly back every Summer for the school holidays an’ stuff.”

Vanessa pauses and looks out of the window. Her stomach feels tight with guilt. “But obviously it got harder when I started wanting to dance, cuz hell, if this country don’t like giving out free school meals then they sure as hell hate subsidisin’ your dance classes.”

Brooke laughs humourlessly in agreement. Vanessa picks at her cuticles as she keeps talking, stares at the table to avoid Brooke’s eyes. “So there were sometimes Summers when we couldn’t afford to go back over because of me. That was hard. My Mom was always really good about it and encouraged me and said it was fine but I still remember her on the phone to my family and how much she cried afterwards…damn. I felt like shit. Guess I still do.”

Brooke pulls a sympathetic face. “But I mean, you’ve been able to go back since then, right? So what do you have to be guilty for?”

“I don’t know,” Vanessa shrugs sharply, frowns a little. “I guess it was just selfish of me. Lookin’ back I should’ve thought about my Mom more.”

“Yeah, but it all worked out for the best. You’re now able to fly her out way more frequently because of the career you’re in, because of the sacrifices you both made back then. Right?”

Vanessa feels something bloom in her ribcage as she smiles at Brooke. Her eyes are kind and she’s talking like a therapist and listening to all of Vanessa’s pent-up guilt and regret even though she has absolutely no responsibility or obligation to do so. “Yeah. Sorry. I just kinda dumped all that on you.”

Brooke shakes her head. “Don’t be silly. This is nice.”

Nice. It is nice. It’s nice to sit in a busy, cosy cafe with Brooke while outside is cold and damp and talk about her life and be listened to. Vanessa feels content and peaceful for the first time perhaps since this competition started. Her mind hasn’t been this clear in a while.

“What about your family?” Vanessa asks. Brooke smiles involuntarily as she gazes at the ceiling. It’s cute.

“Aw, I miss them so much. My Mommy, my total queen and my rock. I love her,” she says happily. Vanessa can’t help but smile at her words. She knows what it’s like to cling to her Mom as growing up they only really had each other. Brooke folds her arms as she continues. “And then I’ve got my older brother and two older sisters who I love to death as well. But I don’t miss my sisters. Well, I don’t miss the way they borrow half my fucking outfits.”

Vanessa snorts a laugh as Brooke shakes her head long-sufferingly. “So you’re the baby of the family then?”

Brooke shrugs. “An overgrown baby at thirty years old, but yeah. All my siblings are either in relationships or married so you can imagine how fun that is whenever I go back to Canada, getting questioned by the fucking relationship Gestapo.”

The sentence makes Vanessa’s heart start climbing the stairs of hope, and she’s not even attempting to stop it. She fidgets with a corner of her paper napkin as she speaks again. “Oh, so you ain’t…you’re not seeing anyone at the moment, then?”

“Why, who’s asking?” Brooke cocks an eyebrow. Vanessa instantly feels her cheeks flood scarlet, and Brooke lets out a howl of a laugh. “Kidding, kidding! No, I’m not seeing anyone.”

“Right, right,” Vanessa nods as nonchalantly as she can. She thinks about testing deeper conversational waters, considers killing two birds of curiosity with one stone. They’re on the topic of relationships, and who knows when they’ll get onto it again, so she decides to dive in. “Just thought you might, y’know…have a boyfriend. Or somethin’.”

“No, no boyfriend,” Brooke says simply. She leans her head on the fist she’s made and raises her eyebrows a little, giving Vanessa a quick once-over. “Or girlfriend.”

It’s the answer she’s been hoping for, confirming her suspicions that Brooke’s into girls, but the flirting panics her and so Vanessa reaches for the discarded menu to fidget with as she lightly shrugs, moving the conversation along with all the tact and delicacy of a steamroller. “So you live on your own then?”

“Yeah. Just me.”

“Me too. You like it?”

Brooke pulls a face, looks down in thought for a second. “Sometimes. Part of me likes the feeling of being completely on my own, because I can do literally whatever the hell I want, take things at my own pace. There’s nobody to nag me or tell me what to do. I realise that makes me sound literally half my age, but it’s true. I can sing as loud as I want.”

“You sing?” Vanessa asks, intrigued. Brooke laughs.

“I didn’t say I sing well!” she snorts, and Vanessa lets out a giggle too. Brooke continues, her gaze focused on the world outside the window as she speaks. “It’s nice though, that feeling of freedom. On the other hand I just miss, like…coexisting with someone? I don’t know. Like when I came to uni over here and I had flatmates and there was that feeling of comfort to know that there was always someone in the next room to talk to, or make dinner with, or just watch TV with. Just someone to do normal shit with. You know?” Brooke narrows her eyes as she finishes her sentence, appealing to Vanessa.

“Yeah, I get it,” Vanessa replies, letting out a little sigh as she lets a few memories in and then slams that particular door firmly shut. “I miss that too, sometimes.”

The silence lingers between the two of them for a second before Brooke speaks again, her tone upbeat and cheerful. “But I mean, for the most part, my flat’s great. It’s part of this new-build, hi-tech apartment complex that only got done building last year. We’ve got a gym, there’s a shop at the bottom, there’s meeting rooms we can book…”

“Yeah, I think you told me about the gym once,” Vanessa nods in recognition, and Brooke’s smile widens as she has an idea.

“You should come round some time. You’d love it.”

Vanessa tries to stop the blush that threatens to hit her face. The invitation is personal and not rehearsal or show related, and that fact shouldn’t make her as happy as it does. She fixes Brooke with a smile and nods shyly. “Yeah. That’d be cool.”

Still visibly buoyed, Brooke reaches across the table and rests her hand on top of Vanessa’s, patting it gently. There’s a little spark of static when they touch, a metaphor come to life. When Brooke smiles at her, Vanessa feels comfortable.

“This was a good idea. Thanks for dragging me out.”

Vanessa shrugs, doesn’t move her hand. She smiles lazily at her dance partner. “It’s okay. We both needed a break.”

As the waiter comes to take their order Brooke’s hand flies out from its position on top of hers, but Vanessa doesn’t mind. There’s a connection that’s been forged that isn’t physical, and she knows it’s still there even if Brooke’s hand isn’t.

Rehearsal ends up going smoother the rest of that day. Okay- it’s not perfect, but Brooke starts picking it up and Vanessa’s mind is less cloudy. Thursday brings more rain and full runs of the dance that don’t go smoothly but Vanessa is relieved because at least they’ve fucking learned it. By Friday they’re exhausted and worn out and Vanessa hates this dance, hates this fucking dance, but it’s one step closer to being over for good. She’s disappointed when it occurs to her that they’re not going to get particularly favourable scores- their run is still riddled with mistakes, but at least Brooke’s worked hard on what she was critiqued for last week. Her core is stronger due to the planks Vanessa’s been making them both do at the start of every rehearsal and her elbow hasn’t drooped once- not that there’s much chance for it to during a Paso, but at least the judges will be able to see that she’s taking their comments on board. Vanessa’s proud of her. She tells Brooke so before they go home on Friday night, when it’s quiet outside and different shades of dark. She thinks Brooke might be blushing as she thanks her and says goodbye, but she can’t be sure.

Saturday happens in a frighteningly fast blur- there’s excitement but it’s nervous instead of anticipative, as everybody knows that tonight one couple will be eliminated. Vanessa’s not really worried about that though- the bottom of the leaderboard last week was comprised of Courtney and Blair, Plastique and Scarlet, Willam and Phi Phi and Aja and Farrah, so in comparison she supposes sixth isn’t too bad. Her aim for tonight’s dance had been to climb up the leaderboard a bit, but knowing how their Paso’s been going Vanessa will call it a success if they both stay where they are.

It turns out they drop down to seventh behind Shea and Peppermint, after their American Smooth has the judges on their feet. Brooke and Vanessa’s Paso goes…well, it goes. It’s not the best they’ve done it but it’s done, thank God, and they never have to do it again.

Unless of course they’re in the dance off. But Vanessa doesn’t permit herself to think about that. Instead, she thinks about the warmth of Brooke’s hand in hers as they walk through the corridor together after their judge’s critiques and their interview. Neither of them address the fact their hands are entwined, and that’s okay. Vanessa likes it like that.

“You okay?” she asks Brooke, halfway down the hallway, as their character shoes squeak quietly against the laminate flooring and they cast fleeting shadows against the manila walls.

Brooke sighs a little, gives a half-hearted shrug. “Yeah.”

“No you’re not. C’mere,” Vanessa frowns, using the hand she’s holding to pull Brooke into a hug. It’s gentle and tight all at once, the way Brooke’s strong arms are holding her close contrasting with the way her hands are light against her back. Brooke smells of a Saturday night: tan in a bottle and hairspray and Jimmy Choo Flash perfume. It’s not like her usual scent of freshly-washed hair and her fabric softener (Lenor Gold Orchid- Vanessa had smelt them all rather self-indulgently on her last trip to Tesco to work out which was Brooke’s).

“I don’t want to let you down,” Brooke whispers above her, and Vanessa can tell she’s got tears in her eyes without even having to look into them. She takes a deep breath and shakes her head against her chest.

“You could go out there, forget the entire dance and do the fucking Macarena for all I care. You always make me proud.”

Vanessa feels Brooke press a kiss to the top of her head and it sets off a blush she can feel spreading down her face onto her neck and across her chest. Brooke had kissed her again after their dance had finished, quick and emphatic against her temple, and it had set off butterflies in her stomach that threatened to fly up into the rigging of the lights. Vanessa wants to get caught up in the moment, wants even to hold her gaze and see how she’d react if she asked to kiss her properly, but instead she pulls herself out of the hug. She keeps their hands connected though and as she meets Brooke’s eyes and finds that she’s smiling at her, Vanessa concludes it was the right decision to make.

“Fuck the scores,” she says, remembering each paddle (4, 5, 5, 5) with a sting as if she’s been smacked with them. “The Paso wasn’t for us and it’s over now. On to the next one.”

“Unless we’re in the dance off.”

“Brooke Lynn, Bianca gave Blair a two. I think we’ll be fine.”

Vanessa isn’t wrong, and it turns out their position looks better compared to some of the other dances they see once they’ve been through makeup to get neatened up again. Poor Scarlet tries her best to get through her Jive with Plastique but her feet just aren’t doing the things Vanessa knows Scarlet wants them to, and the judges give them a combined score of fifteen. Scarlet looks deflated as she leaves the dancefloor and the moment their interview is over Vanessa watches as Yvie pulls her into a hug (Vanessa knows that type of hug because she’s just given Brooke the exact same one). Aja and Farrah’s Samba wasn’t great either and they earn themselves a mark of seventeen. Despite this, though, by the time the show finishes and they have to assemble to film the results (which are pre-recorded and then broadcast on a Sunday), they’re both a bag of nerves. She and Brooke are placed on the stairs with a spotlight burning down onto them, ants under a magnifying glass. The mood between the couples is decidedly tense, and as Vanessa looks down at the girls on the dancefloor she sees Monet squeeze Monique’s waist as Monique sighs and rests her head against the other girl’s shoulder. Vanessa wants to scoff at the fact they both seem nervous. The waltz they did almost brought the house down and they even got a nine from Laganja, so unless the only votes they got were ones they gave themselves, they’re very likely to be safe.

Michelle does her intro and, as the lights go down, Vanessa feels as if her heart is going to break her ribcage it’s beating so heavily.

“I can now reveal that the first couple safe and through to next week is…”

Long pause. The beat of a drum and Brooke’s pulse that Vanessa can feel through the hand she’s holding. Vanessa is so nervous that she casts her eyes up to the heavens. Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee…

“Jan and Jackie!”

Jan screams and Jackie falls gratefully into her arms as she yells a “thank you!” at the camera that’s barely heard over the applause.

“The second couple safe is…”

Blessed art thou amongst women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus. Vanessa gives a minute bow of her head like her Mom taught her to do at mass when she was little. Is it sacreligious to pray if you’re lapsed? Some priests probably think so. Vanessa hopes it’s working in their favour anyway.

“Heidi and Vixen!”

Vanessa can’t see their reaction as they’re positioned above them at the very top of the stairs, and she doesn’t want to turn around in case…it’s bad luck? She doesn’t know. At this point she’s not risking anything, not even looking up to see Brooke’s face.

“The next couple safe and through to next week is…”

Holy Mary, Mother of God…you take away the sins of the world? Nah, that’s the wrong one. Fuck.

“Gigi and Crystal!”

Vanessa wants to roll her eyes, much as she’s happy for her friend. Of course they’re safe. They were second on the leaderboard last week and first tonight after a scarily in-sync Charleston. It comes as no surprise to her.

“The first couple in tonight’s dance-off will be…”

Vanessa feels truly nauseous. It wouldn’t be impossible for it to be them, stranger things have happened on the show. What the fuck is that next line? Holy Mary, Mother of God…

“Blair and Courtney.”

Vanessa’s heart feels as if it’s been shocked by jumpleads. She feels Brooke give an involuntary squeeze of her hand, and Vanessa strokes her thumb against hers in return. They just need to not be the other couple in the dance off. It’s doable.

“The next couple safe and through to next week is…”

…pray for us sinners now and at the hour of our death-

“Brooke and Vanessa!”

Vanessa doesn’t screech or scream. Instead she finally turns to Brooke, who’s meeting her smile with a matching one plastered across her own face. She falls into her outstretched arms in relief, and mumbles a “thank you” to the camera while Brooke holds her tight. They’ve made it. They live to fight another week.

Amen.

Of course, one couple isn’t so lucky and, after a tense dance-off between Scarlet and Plastique and Blair and Courtney, it turns out Blair is the first celebrity to leave the competition. The girls get upset- the celebrities have all become a part of their big, crazy family now, and it’s sad that Vanessa will no longer hear Blair laugh at something Vixen has said, or compliment her on her makeup, or ask to get selfies with everyone in the dressing room. It’s Vixen, though, who is affected the most by Blair’s departure. Vanessa knows they’re good friends but she wonders if perhaps they’ll ever become something more as she watches Vixen cling to Yvie and sob and sob. The moment they’re all allowed, the pros and celebrities flood the dancefloor as Blair and Courtney dance their last dance. Vixen makes a beeline for Blair and Courtney graciously steps out of her way so the pair of them can hug and cry in tandem.

“Shit, this is rough,” Vanessa mutters to nobody in particular. Monique, who’s materialised beside her, shrugs.

“Yep, well. I don’t plan on havin’ to go through it, so it’s not a problem for me.”

Vanessa snorts at her friend’s cockiness, then pulls a sympathetic face as Blair approaches the pair of them, all streaming mascara and sniffles.

“C’mere, baby. You did so well, be proud of yourself,” Vanessa offers to her, and Blair smiles gently before her face crumples again.

“Just…look after my girl, okay?” she asks them hopefully. Monique smiles, rubs her forearm gently.

“Oh, sweetie, Courtney will be fine, she’s a big girl.”

“Courtney?” Blair asks, confused. Then she appears to realise something and she smiles back at Monique, a little embarrassed. “Oh no, um…I meant Toni. Can you both look out for her? Make sure she’s okay after I’m gone? I mean I know her and Heidi are going to go far, but…y’know.”

Vanessa wants to cock an eyebrow at Monique in recognition, but she doesn’t. Instead she gives Blair a reassuring look, takes her hand and squeezes it gently. “Sure we will.”

Appeased, Blair thanks them and gives them both a hug before moving on to say goodbye to some of the other girls. As she walks away, Vanessa hears Monique give a big sigh beside her. She tilts her head at her friend inquisitively. “You ‘kay?”

“Yeah, uh…” Monique sighs, rubs her eyes a little. “Could we do lunch at some point this week? Me, you, Kiki. I just need my girls’ advice.”

“About what?” Vanessa asks her. Then, as she follows Monique’s gaze over to where Monet is standing talking to Shea and Aja, the penny drops. “Oh. OH. Okay. Yeah, we’ll do lunch, bitch.”

Monique smiles gratefully at her, then gives her a hug and a goodnight as she’s starting choreography early tomorrow. The coming week’s theme is movies, which is always fun, and Vanessa already has a number in mind. It’s ridiculous, and so quintessentially Strictly. She can’t wait to show it to Brooke.

As Vanessa thinks of Brooke, she finds her eyes scanning the group of girls to see where she is. She’s smiling as she’s talking to Plastique and Scarlet, her smile bright and dazzling and her eyes kind. The lights are hitting her highlight and making it look as if she’s glowing, and her hair catches the light too in its smooth and glossy bun.

Vanessa feels her heart yearn, and she considers the possibility that perhaps it won’t just be Monique talking about the feelings she has for her partner when they both go to lunch with Akeria.

[esperwatchesfilms]

New Year’s Evil

I got the idea to start this challenge while stoned in the middle of the night and desperate for a goal. Something to put myself into. And I thought, “COVID has made me a shut-in who only watches films and talks to people. What better way to spend that time than to actually attempt to beat that world record I set out to beat so long ago. Unfortunately, I’m doing it very unofficially so only the people I talk to on a regular basis are likely to pay it any attention. I’ve got to point out here and now that my scoring system for films is arbitrary and is not a true reflection of how much I enjoyed watching a film. My scores are based on silly things that I give and deduce points for as I see fit. The Esper Scale of Entertainment (or the ESE) is understood by no one, but I will give a clear indication of why points were given and taken away at the end of each post. With those two things out of the way, I’ve got to admit I really enjoyed New Year’s Evil despite its 35/100 ESE rating. It starts off with a disappointing horror movie rule-breaking trope. There’s a woman of color in the first scene. Clearly, this means the killer is going to kill her. She committed one of the ultimate horror movie sins by being a woman of color, and thus, the movie gods decided she had to die, which was made even worse by her cliché killer-pops-out-from-behind-a-shower-curtain death. Then we get the opening titles. About eight 80s punk-rockers are packed into a convertible and blasting “New Year’s Evil” by Shadow, the video I attached to this post. So, from the word go, I have no idea what I’m watching, but I’m here for it. The song slaps, so I’m immediately all in. Earlier we saw the Yvonne (the woman of color) talking to a friend over the phone saying, “I’m on my way” before her horror-movie-trope demise, and once the credits end, we are more properly introduced to Diane, aka Blaze, a TV/radio personality who is hosting a party she calls New Year’s Evil, which appears to be a punk show where all the opening title convertible punks were headed. Before going out on stage and starting the show, Diane/Blaze’s son rocks up in fancy coat tails with blue jeans and a crumpled tie. He’s handsome as hell, but holy hell, I can’t deal with this look. I should have probably taken more than five points off for this look alone, but it’s too late now. Anyway, Blaze and Derek (Coat Tails) have a weird mother-son exchange, and their interactions are cringey at best, but incestual-feeling at worst. Anyway, the show Blaze is hosting is a punk rock show where there are some unexplained people on a stage answering telephones (is it a telethon? We don’t know. No one seems to be pledging anything. Are they making requests? It is not explained). So, Blaze is the host and decides to get in on the answering-the-phone action. When she does, a modified voice says to call him “Ee-vil!” He pronounces it exactly the way Mermaid Man does in Spongebob Squarepants, and I could only see the ridiculous face of Mermaid Man in my head any time he said it (because, oh, yes, friends. He can’t only say it once! Anyhow, the man says he’ll be killing one person on the hour every hour from 9 pm to 12 pm. (East Coast’s New Year to West Coast’s New Year) So, naturally, Blaze informs her agent that he needs to get ALL the police there to protect everyone. Meanwhile, there’s a mosh pit happening in a sanitarium, where they are watching the New Year’s Evil show live on television. While we are at the sanitarium, an orderly (I think?) and a nurse sneak off to have some fun. The orderly has a small radio capable of recording external sound (like an oversized Talkboy) as well as the sound being emitted from the radio. The nurse makes some mention of it, to which he responds, “I always come well-equipped.” She giggles, bites her lip and says, “I bet you do!” Which tells us, as the audience, that not only are they about to do the do... but this dude’s definitely the murderer. Because we’ve already seen one horror movie rules death. So, of course, we need to see another. Nurse lady has sex? Nurse lady has to die. From here on out, there are more killings as the police rock up and try to sort out what’s happening. They’re portrayed as very useless, very authoritarian/demanding, and very judgmental -- soooooo, accurately, I suppose, is the word I’d use. They’re portrayed accurately. We see the killer in the car with two women, one of which is a ditzy blonde who just cannot shut up. She talks about all the different types of meditation she’s tried. She tells the killer her friend tried one of the types, too, for her “nervous diarrhea”. You know, just the thing you tell a stranger you’re thinking about sleeping with... that your friend gets nervous poops. The ditzy blonde girl is our next horror movie trope. “The Fool”. Done in by her own stupidity. They stop somewhere for snacks or some such (I honestly don’t remember), and the friend goes in leaving the killer alone with the ditz, whom he strangles with a plastic baggie that is also full of weed. When the friend comes back, the car is gone and in its place is her friend’s shoe. She sees a nearby dumpster with a piece of fabric matching her friend’s dress poking out. She walks over while some generic horror music mixed with some Walmart Brand Jason Voorhees breathing plays, and she opens the dumpster, and the killer is inside with a lighter which he flicks on and grins menacingly at the woman, who is yanked into the dumpster, where we can assume she, too, was murdered.

I should note that somewhere before being murdered, the ditz says, “When a girl doesn’t have a date on New Year’s Eve, she’s in Shit City.” And ditzy girl? I hear ya. From here on out, there are some necessity injuries. He is being hunted down by bikers for what seems like no reason at one point, so he hides at a drive-in movie, where he sort of kidnaps a girl who was getting felt up by her boyfriend. He yanks the dude out of the car and throws him aside after stabbing one of the bikers who was chasing him. We don’t see him die, so I’m going to assume it’s an injury since he seems to only be interested in killing women. He then, later, knocks out a security guard trying to get into the punk party because the police have now determined that Blaze is probably the final target. The police and Blaze are about to check on Blaze's hotel room (the party is being held in the hotel in a ballroom or something, I’m assuming. Convention center? I don’t know. The place is connected to the hotel), where her son is, and they pull a gun on him. She yells that it’s her son, and they apologize and leave, and she apologizes to Derek saying she forgot he was there, and he storms out, “YOU ALWAYS FORGET ME WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH”. The police leave, and when another officer comes back, THE KILLER ANSWERS HER DOOR. PLOT TWIST -- THE KILLER IS DIANE/BLAZE’S HUSBAND!!!! He called earlier to say he would be late, and when he shows up? HE’S THE KILLER!!!! I have to admit, I didn’t see this coming. The husband was mentioned briefly, but my brain didn’t connect it, so it was a pleasant surprise that this 80s film done duped me. Good job, New Year’s Evil!!

Anyway, Blaze is seen in the elevator moments later flirting with the officer, who’s married and has two sets of twins, information to which Blaze comments, “What’s the matter? No TV?” Suggest, Blaze. Very suggestive! It sucks that your creepy murder-husband rigged the camera in the elevator, so he knows about your weird suggestive conversations with randos, something it seems his son has also alerted him to, because when he reveals he’s the killer to her, he mentions that ladies are evil in general. Okay. So, it wasn’t just me. It wasn’t speculative. Dudeski really does just hate women. The whole film is just, “Guy hates women. Guy’s New Year Resolutions include killing all the nasty womens.” He tortures her a while by handcuffing her to some chains underneath the elevator, and then making the elevator go up and down with some fuse box of some kind that happens to just be easily accessible and next to where the elevator is. At least I haven’t seen this form of torture in film before, so that’s fun. The end is relatively boring. The police sort out that the husband used to be in the sanitarium we saw earlier where the nurse died. They find him torturing his wife, and they chase him to the roof, where he runs to the edge of the building, quotes Hamlet, and immediately plummets to his death wearing a goofy mask that he’s only worn twice in the film, both for short periods of time. He dies on impact, and everyone goes to investigate the body. The son picks up his mask and ominously stares into the distance, telling us before he’s actually told us that he’s totally going to take up his father’s quest to murder the womens.

Blaze is put in an ambulance, and when it pans to the driver, it’s the son, wearing his father’s mask. The film ends, the credits roll, and I move on to the next one.

Overall, I laughed throughout. I wouldn’t necessarily recommend this film, but if you’re bored on New Year’s Eve and feel like a “horror” film, this one isn’t the *worst* one you could watch. Below, you’ll find a breakdown of the ESE rating I gave it.

Quick ESE explanation: every film starts with 50 points for being a film. From there, I add or deduct points based on... my whim.

35/100

50 +4 for packed punk convertible +2 for New Year’s Evil 80s metal theme song +1 for switchblade comb -5 for coat tails with blue jeans -5 for creepy incestuous mother-son duo -2 for Mermaid Man pronunciation of “Ee-vil!” +10 for “I always come well-equipped.” “I bet you do” -5 for punks moshing to some funky blues -5 for predictable horror movie trope deaths +2 for maniacal punk laugh +3 for the “Oops” because he pissed off the bikers +5 for punks booing the police at the New Year’s Evil party -7 for the creepy incestual feeling of the interactions between Blaze and Derek +10 for PLOT TWIST!!!! -25 for the woman-hating killer +5 for creative elevator thing +2 for Hamlet quote -5 for highly predictable ending

[thenighttrain]

folklore first listen

pls feel free to ignore this, i just wanted to record my screaming on my blog so that i can refer back to it and laugh at myself someday x

The 1

THE PIANO OMG I LOVE IT AND I LOVE THE BEAT I looooove THIS SONG IT’S SO NOSTALGIC WHO THE FUCK IS IT ABOUT OH MY OGD IM SCREAMING also the swearing I’m living… ok seriously who is this about I am losing my mind. This is so bittersweet I’m ?!!!!!!!!!!!! I REALLY LOVE THIS

CARDIGAN

I ALSO LOVE THIS WHAT ITS’ SO NOSTALGIC and the music video is so pretty wit the green and she looks like an actual forest nymph with the piano and the water and it’s all incredible. YOU DREW STARS AROUND MY SCARS BUT NOW I’M BLEEDING???????? BITCH. THE LYRICS IN THIS ARE FUCKING INCREDIBLE WHAT THE ACTUAL FUCK OH MY DISJFASLDFNSADF OH MY GDO I knew you’d linger like a tattoo kiss??????? MAAM?

The last great American dynasty

SO INTRIGUING HOW SHE WROTE THIS??? WHAT IS IT ABOUT? IDK BUT I LOVE IT

Exile

BON IVERRRRRR I LOVE THE WAY HIS VOICE SOUNDS IN THIS AND THE CHORUS IS HAUNTINGLY BEAUTIFUL and the background vocals… omg. This album his the most unique thing she’s ever written I????? I LOVE HOW HER VOICE SOUNDS N THE CHORUS. ‘You were my crown now I’m in exile seeing you out’? YOU KNOW LIKE I CAN IMAGINE THESE SONGS AS THE SOUNDTRACK TO SO MANY OF MY FAVOURITE FANTASY BOOKS IM LOSING MY MIND. ALSO OH MY GOD BON IVERS VOICE AT THE END HOLY FUCK!!!! THIS IS SO GOOD THIS IS ONE OF HER BEST DUETS IM LOSING MY SHIT this song is incredible I am in LOVE

My tears ricochet

TRACK 5 TRACK 5 TRACK 5 AHH I LOVE HOW DEEP HER VOICE GOES AND THE BACKGROUND VOCALS OMG. Oh my god the chorus I am in love, I love her voice sounds so raw on this album, we haven’t heard that in years IF I’M DEAD TO YOU WHY ARE YOU AT THE WAKE CURSING MY NAME?? OMG. This is fully giving me like fae woodland imagery I just love it, the vibes of it all!  AS YOU BURY ME? OH MY GOD IS SHE A GHOST IM SCREAMING I LOVE THIS PERSPECTIVE. HOLY FUCK HOLY FUCK THE BRIDGE!!!!!!!! THE LINES ABOUT SCREAMING. THE BRIDGE IS UNBELIEVABLE AND THE WAY IT JUST FADES OUT I?

Mirrorball

Omg I love the vocal effects! This is full indie pop vibes I AM DIGGING IT. OH MY GOD THE CHORUS BROOO OK I OFFICIALLY LOVE THIS SONG IT’S EXACTLY THE KIND OF MUSIC I LIKE LISTENING TO. ‘Drunk as they watch my shadow, edges glisten’ oh wow the lyrics in this album are fucking otherworldly. Oh fuck this is  agood bridge. I really cannot wait for all the analysis of this album by smarter people because I am not understanding BUT I AM LOVING IT. ALSO IDK WHAT A MIRRORBALL IS BUT I LOVE IT ANYWAY. How does she know such fancy words, I want her brain

Seven

‘I ht my peak at seven’ ok but same? HEYY SHE MENTIONED MOON AND SATURN I AM LIVINGGGGG. It’s so soft and wistful, those are the vibes of this album so far and I am really LOVING IT. PLEASE PICTURE ME IN THE WEEDS BEFORE I LEARNED CIVILITIY I USED TO SCREAM FEROCIOUSLY ANY TIME I WANTED?? IM YELLING I LOVEEEEE THESE LYRICS OH MY GOODNESS

August

ONCE AGAIN I LOVE THE VOCAL EFFECTS, I LOVE THE WAY HER VOICE SOUNDS.  Omg the chorus is catchy! I love the way she sings ‘I can see’! OK THSI SONG IS ONE OF MY FAVOURITES I MEAN JUST LISTEN TO IT? I HAVE BEEN IN A STATE OF SHOCK SINCE LAST NIGHT BUT THIS IS MAGICAL ETHEREAL GROUNDBREAKING NEVER BEFORE SEEN INCREDIBLE PERFECT. OHH GOD THE BRIDGE IS COMNIG UP- YES IT’S AJFDSNAFKJSDFAF SHE WROTE THIS SONG IITS’ SO GOOD MISDFN JASDNFLJK SO MUCH FOR SUMMER LOVE AND SAYING US CAUSE U WERENT MINE TO LOSE!!!!! OH MY GOD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! TAYLOR!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! This is one fo her best songs ever EVER OMG AND THE BACKING VOCALS AT THE END AHH AND THE BEAT DROP TAYLOR WHAT THE FUCK YOU’VE OUTDONE YOURSELF A G A I N ??? IM NEVER GONNA RECOVER FROM THIS FUCK

This is me trying

Firstly, this song title is such a mood, especially this year. The beat in this song s so good - THIS SICK BEAT. AHH THERE IS THS COOL INSTRUMENT IS IT A VIOLIN IDK BUT I LOVE IT OMG. ‘THEY TOLD ME ALL OF MY CAGES WERE MENTAL SO I GOT WASTED LIKE ALL MY POTENTIAL AND MY WORDS SHOOT TO KILL WHEN I’M BAD I HAVE A LOT OF REGRETS ABOUT THAT II WAS SO AHEAD OF THE CURVE THAT THE CURVE BECAME A SPHERE I FELL BEHIND ON MY CLASS LATE UNTIL I ENDED UP HERE POURING OUT MY HEART TO A STRANGER BUT I DIDNT POUR THE WHISKEY! Oh god the ‘AT LEAST IM TRYING’ MAAAAM. THAT LAST VERSE FUCK FUCK FUF ASJDO FUCK THE BUILD UP. Listen I don’t know what the fuck this song is about but I do know that I love it I ADORE IT I FEEL LIKE EVERY SONG IS BETTER THAN THE LAST WHAT THE FUCK

Illicit affairs

I’m so intrigued by the title of this song! I LOVE the guitar in this song omg it’s so soft and wistful? IT DIES A MIIIILLIOON LITTLE TIMES……….. I love the little falsettos, that you picked out just for HIM! Take the words for what they are, a dwindling mercurial HIGH a drug that only worked the first few hundred times AND THAT’S THE THING ABOUT ILLICIT AFFAIRS AND CLANDESTINE MEETINGS AND STOLEN STARES they show their truth one single time BUT THEY LIE AND THEY LIE AND THEY LIE A MIILION LITTLE TIMES. LOOK AT THIS IDIOTIC FOOL THAT YOU MADE ME YOU TAUGHT ME A SECRET LANGUAGE I CAN’T SPEAK WITH ANYONE ELSE and you know damn well for you I would ruin myself a million little times. Holy fuck I have 0 words this is. Unbelievable it’s sunning I LOVE the bridge? I?

Invisible string

Oh lord I am not ready for this one. I love the way she sings the pre chorus! Were the CLUUUES I didn’t see—ee-ee. Omg this song is actually so cute. CHAINS AROUND MY DEMONS? WOOL TO BRAVE THE SEASONS? HOW THE FUCK DID SHE WRITE THIS IT’S SO GOOD IM SPEECHLESS also I LOVE the strings in this song, I love the production of this entire album tbh. It’s so chill and stripped back and it makes you focus on her vocals which sound soooo good.

Mad woman

TAYLOR SAID FUCK TAYLOR SAID FUCK TAYLOR SAID FUCK IM LIVINNGGGGG. ANYYWAY I LOOOVE THIS IM DIGGING ITTT I LOVE THE CHORUS EEEEK. the second verse omg I love the anger, the bitterness, you can HEAR it in her voice! It’s obvious that wanting me dead has already brought you two together??? EEK THE BRIDGE a spinster? What a shame she went mad… YOU MADE HER LIKE THAT OMG BITCH

Epiphany

Omg the intro build up - I love it. This sounds like a church choir? Is this about a soldier in war? What? It reminds me of Dunkirk or something omg. This is again so haunting, very slow and the piano only adds to the somber tone

Betty

WHO? IS? BETTY??????? Oh hey this is a gentle intro with this instrument that sounds familiar but idk what it is but I love it. I love the melody in this omg!  SHE SAID FUCK AGAIN SHE SAID FUCK AGAI NOGAS JDFHLDSDKFLD TAYLORRRRRR WOULD YOU TELL ME TO GO FUCK MYSELF??? IM ONLY 17 I DON’T KNOW ANYTHING BUT I KNNOW MISS YOU! BITCH!!!!!!!! This is about like a lost first love! Anyway I really looove how her voice sounds in this and the melody…. I DREAMT OF YOU ALL SUMMER LONG OMG THE BRIDGE IS INCREDIBLE!!!!! Omg awww the only thing I wanna do is make it up to you so I showed up at your party?? AHH THE KEY CHANGE INI THE LAST CHORUS EEEEKKKKKK OMGGGGG WILL IT PATCH YOUR BROKEN WINGS I’M ONLY 17 IDK ANYTHING BUT I KNOW I MISS YOU OMG THE REFERENCE TO A CARDIGAN AGAIN!!!!!!!! AND THE STREETLIGHT! IM YELLING I LOVE THE PARALLELS AND THE MOTIFS and you can just hear the childish innocence int his song, I love it

Peace

This intro is SO COOL AND I AM VIBING HARD TO IT, I LOVE THE GUITAR IN THE BACKGROUND? Ok oh god I really like this one. The devil’s in the details but you got a friend in me I— THIS CHORUS IS AMAZING I ADORE IT. Omg this might be one of my favourites. Holy fuck I cannot get over how good the lyrics in this album are!!!!!!! I TALK SHIT WITH MY FRIENDS IT’S LIKE I’M WASTING YOUR HONOUR! Sit with you in the TRENCHES? Omg! WHAT IS THIS ABOUT I AM YELLING!!!!!!!!! ‘Clowns to the west’ oh hey that’s me. EEK THE SOFT KEYBOARD IN THE BACKGROUND - YES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Hoax

Last song? Ma’am I am not ready!!!!!!!!! THE PIANO IN THIS OMG. The chorus….. it’s beautiful……….. YOUR FAITHLESS LOVE’S THE ONLY HOAX I BELIEVE IN OH MY GODDDD. I’m yelling I love this so much. I loooove the angst of the chorus, the resignation that this is the one love she wants, even if it’s faithless!  ‘You know I left a part of me back in New York’… THE LOUIS TOMLINSON PARALLEL DAFJKHASFKADS (I know you left a part of you in New York). ‘What you didd was just as hard’ omg what did he doooo?? MY KINGDOM COME UNDONE AHHHHH YOU HAVE BEATEN MY HEART! WHY IS THIS SONG SO BITTERSWEET IM ???????

[jcmorrigan]

Valentine’s Day F/O Letter

For the event hosted by @nougatships​ and @megane-shipping​! I decided to write a letter to Giovanni Potage from EE because I am love him SO MUCH right now. Anyway, it got kinda long, so most of it will be under a cut.

***

Hi Gio,

             This is the first time I’ve ever really written anything of length to you. To any of the ones I love this way, really. Beginnings are hard. There’s so much I want to say, and I’m not sure where to even start. So let’s get the basics out of the way: how are you doing? Successful heists lately? Epic tales of villainy I simply must know about?

           I’ve been fine. Life’s boring, as usual. I would say I don’t even know how you put up with it, but I’ve seen your couch-potato side, so that’s not really a big mystery. I like that. I like that you’re equally up for breaking the mold with some adventure and just…kicking it. (Wow. That’s some old slang. When’s the last time anyone said “kicking it”? Me. Just now.)

           So as for the reason I’m writing this letter…I think it’s best if I just begin in chronological order. So you and I both know you’re not the only one in my heart, and I’m glad you respect this. There’s a time, a place, and an AU for you, and it doesn’t make you any less special. But I’m always stunned when I look back at how we met. The others, it took time to realize I loved them, and how much they meant to me. But you? You broke through that fuckin’ museum wall, and I KNEW you were my type. If you want the receipts, I have the Discord chat of when I was talking to my friend while watching you and screaming about how much I wanted to cuddle you. (LISTEN. I KNOW THAT WAS FORWARD. I’M SORRY FOR BEING A CREEP. SOMETIMES I’M A STALKER.) …Actually, the exact words were when my friend, knowing you were my type, said “If he were any further up your alley, he’d be at your house” and I said “He could come to my house anytime” and I’m sorry your girlfriend is such a creep.

           I haven’t felt that instant…fall that many times in my life. The last time I can remember it, it was for someone real. As in who originates in my world. I think you’ve figured out that sometimes, I compare you to him. That chase went on such a runaround…with men, my whole life after him, I’ve thought of them as goals to achieve. I got the attention of the hot one! Yay! Finally! Now he can love me and all of my little quirks, even though I’m super boring! And I’m not saying that’s incredibly wrong. I’ve made some good relationships that way, actually. (All fictional, of course.)

           But you…what struck me is how much I wanted to be with you for your sake. Not mine. Not to bandy about getting you to notice me, or playing the tsundere game, or worrying I’m not good enough. Sure, I like a slowburn and a good confession, but I really just wanted to be close to you because you made me smile. You had a good sense of humor, you have that unbreakable lighthearted confidence I adore…you’re a little bit of an idiot, but in the absolute best way possible (and you have emotional smarts where I don’t). And on that note! You’re one of the nicest guys I know! Even if you are the bad guy.

           Which was kind of the two-hit combo that slayed me. I have a villain problem. You know this. I know this. I wasn’t sure how to handle it. Some days, I want to be a villain, myself, and have the freedom to do what I want, take revenge on those I feel wronged me, take whatever my heart desires, just not have to live by the RULES anymore. But some days, I become acutely aware of my conscience. Could I ever be a real villain? Could I actually steal? Could I KILL? I think about the people I’d hurt, and I don’t wanna do that. I now know that depending on the situation, I can laugh with the sinners and cry with the saints. (Little Billy Joel for ya.) But with you, I know I don’t really have to…pick. You let me be me, and you let me have that freedom of just…doing bad things that are against the rules. And it feels AWESOME. But then, we never really take it too far, and we still have our friendships, our standards, our moral codes, our etiquette. Basically, you’ll let me be the good guy, too, and you’re just a sweetie pie. Some days, I need to toe the line more; some days, I need to shed blood. But you let me suspend in between, getting the best of both worlds.

           And all this is why I think…maybe you’re my favorite out of all of them. It makes me feel guilty to love you best when I’ve given my heart to two others, and who knows where it will stop? But it’s you I find myself thinking of most often. You who I’d have fun with. You who’d make me smile. You who I’d want to make smile.

           Also, I realized lately. I don’t get jealous over you, not like I thought I would. I like seeing you depicted with other partners, the Blasters or other selfshippers/OCs. I love when I meet someone else who had the good enough taste to fall for you! If you want to invite Crusher or Spike or anyone else you like to be part of this…I know you have enough love for all of us. We can all be happy together. Just say the word!

           Knowing you would support me emotionally no matter what is touching. I’ve relied on you for a lot. I’ve done scary grown-up government stuff while listening to your theme. I invited you to the crew that would go on that flight with me because I hate airplanes so much, and I knew you would give me amazing distraction-cuddles (though I suspect you, also, fear the airplane, and if I’m right about that, I admire you so much for not letting it show). There are times I…really hate myself, or feel worthless. Especially because I have so much trouble validating myself. But I know you’d just put a hand on my shoulder and tell me it’s going to be all right before inviting me to slip on some ski masks and pretty supervillain clothes so we can go hijack sugar cookies from the bakery. (Pink for you. You always have dibs on the pink ones! I haven’t forgotten! And blue for me <3)

           The adventures we’ve been on in my imagination…the walks around Twilight Town (YEAH YEAH I KNOW WRONG WORK OF FICTION), snuggling up in your knitted blankets (which are SO SOFT), making my villainess dress together, the first kiss on the rooftop, dancing like idiots, THE HEISTS…it all makes me really happy. You remind me that I don’t necessarily have to “grow up” to be a grown-up. And, I mean, I knew that, but you make sure I REALLY know that. (Speaking of which, don’t you love how if you add the two of us parents’-basement-dwellers together, you probably end up with one [1] functioning adult?)

           I also really have to thank you for being accepting of my asexuality. I’m always scared it will push others away. They say men only want one thing, right? And I am unfortunately attracted to men. Yaaaaay me. But there are big exceptions to the rule, and you’ve always been the one to say “Fuck gender roles!” I feel like when I’m with you, I never have to worry that you’ll be wanting something I can’t give you.

           In return, I will accept you no matter your body, your identity. I’ve run into a couple different takes on you, but they’re all you.

           I guess that brings me to the hard part of this. This is going public, so I don’t know how specific I want to get. But there was a very powerful force that suggested I couldn’t see you through my own eyes. That no one could do so. It almost tore us apart. I thought it was my moral obligation to let you go. I thought loving you would mean taking a stand on the wrong side and hurting my friends. I thought that what would happen is that every time I thought of you, I would be reminded of ugly truths and harsh realities.

           But after two days, I missed you so much. It was a good wake-up call to know this relationship wasn’t completely baggage-free, and it reminded me that I have many characters in my life who I want to give my attention, but it also proved to me that if I tried to let you go…I would have to physically push you away instead, and in the end, I couldn’t do it. I think back all the time to how good of a brother-dad-mentor-figure you were to Molly, and how you got worried about Fred’s astigmatism, and how I was sure you’d get along with so many of the characters who already made up my world, and how this spoke to your heart. Oh, and also, I needed your dumb ass to say loitering in front of a truck was a valid crime. (Please don’t ever loiter in front of a truck. I’m begging you.) I need you to show me how easily you shift from Grandma Mode to Knife Mode with your knitting needle, to be proud of the way you season your soup attacks, to keep making your own capes, to insist on the benefits of wielding a bat with a fucking knife taped to it, to jet your friends to safety when they’re afraid of such things as fire and traitor bears.

           Whatever comes of all that, I hope there can still be a space for us. You and me. And I’m confident it will happen, now. It already is happening. Because I know that you’d just want me to be happy, no matter where you fell on the issue that began it. And you love and respect my friends, too. I know you see us as our own little group of villains and co-minions and talk about us like we’re an evil team that has to take care of each other, and that’s…honestly so cute. Too bad I’m terrible at putting your words to work. Maybe one day. When I learn how to find the approval I seek without fighting it out of people. But I think that was the moment it went from a crush to actually loving you. When I saw how you would do that with Molly. With everyone. Make sure they knew how valid they were. I…feel bad that I haven’t been able to live up to this lately. Like I’ve failed you. But I can always try again, right? That’s what you’d want me to do! And I do improve on things every day. One day, the minion will surpass her villain (but still stay around with you because that’s what we do)! I hope I can support you in the same way – that when you have things that trouble your mind, that I can help you feel better and get you toward a solution to the problem.

           I know I’m safe with you, and I want to keep you safe, too. I know how much you’d put on the line to defend me, and I just want to protect you from all of the bad in your world – from snooty Vice Principals who call their armies to beat you up (I’m still SO SORRY you went through that!), from the law chasing you away from all that’s familiar, from all the insults and mockery that could ever come your way. I want to stand before you like a shield. To gather the troops of the other characters I know and form a protection squad around you. To make you smile. (Even if you are really, really cute when you cry. Look, I’m not gonna beat around the bush – I do love getting to comfort you. It SUCKS that you have to go through the hard times, but I like…being there. I hope that doesn’t make a sadist of me. Yeah, yeah, I know, that’s an overreaction.)

           By the way, I’m kinda sorry for not ordering the lobster bisque at the pub in the airport. I was gonna because of you! But I chickened out! And that salmon I got instead was REALLY good, okay? But it’s a double whammy because I had JUST found out the soup place in the mall closed and I need to make up for this. There will be soup!

           (As of the most recent draft, I had a horrid stomachache last Sunday, and chicken soup was all I could eat for most of the day. I thought of you. Though yours would’ve been better than Campbell’s and we both know it.)

           Fun fact: you are dating a silly, sappy lady. I keep thinking back to this letter – I drafted it once, then went back and added things, and here I am saying I ALMOST mailed this without talking up your looks. Which is probably a good thing because it means I’m primarily with you for your personality, but everyone deserves to feel like they look nice, so here goes: I love your silly, sly smirk. I love your cute little fangies. I love your untamed pink hair. I love when I can see just how deep-pink your eyes are. I love how much of a beanpole you are, and how much taller you are than me (even if it does mean you can’t carry me bridal-style for more than thirty seconds). I love how innocent you can look, and how you can look the absolute OPPOSITE of innocent when you want to. I love the way your face lights up when you’re happy about something, or when you’re being cocky. I love the way you wear your emotions on your sleeve, and I can always see how you feel just by looking (I’m bad at body language and reading between lines, after all). Do not ever doubt that is one handsome man looking back at you from the other side of the mirror! Because I could just watch your smile for so long, unbroken, you don’t even know.

           Thank you for being you. Thank you for letting me be me. Thank you for the fact that we’re our silly selves and we can be grown-ups without growing up in the gray space between good and evil. I can’t wait to see you more – in your own story, where I’m not; in the story just for us, in our own little timeline; in the TBTCverse Twilight Town where we are hounded by complex crossover lore; in the beautiful art everyone draws of you; in any other universe that may bring us together.

           And someday, the time might come that we have to part ways romantically. I’m not looking forward to that. I’m really not. I hope it doesn’t happen. But someday, we might not have the chemistry anymore, or you might find someone better, or I might have to put more focus in what I guess is the “real world.” If that day comes, I hope we can still be friends and mean something to each other. Zucchinis/QPPs, preferably. But if we have to be more distant…just so that I can think of you, and you can think of me, and we’ll both treasure those memories.

           I love you, Giovanni. Or should I say “Boss”?

 Sincerely, with all my heart,

Rachel “Composer” Scribere/Inlustris

(P.S. I wasn’t sure which universe’s last name I should put, seeing as I obviously am not going to write my last name in THIS world, so there, have both the ones you know me as.)

(P.P.S. “If there’s a place that I could be, then I’d be another memory. Can I be the only hope for you? Because you’re the only hope for me.” ~MCR, “The Only Hope for Me Is You,” Danger Days: The True Lives of the Fabulous Killjoys)

[thedenimdentist]

Truman Boot Co: Java Waxed Flesh MTO Review & 1 Year Update

Introduction

Truman Boot Company is an American boot making company founded in 2014 in Pennsylvania. They later moved out to Boulder, CO, and recently moved again to their current location in Eugene, OR.

This will not be so much of an in-depth review of the Java Waxed Flesh boot by Truman Boot Company, as an amazingly extensive and detailed review was already written by Nick over at stridewise.com. Instead, my goal is to provide a quick overview of my specific pair of Java Waxed Flesh boots (including the customizations I chose and their build quality), as well as provide detailed photographs capturing the patina they’ve developed over the past year. 

Customization

I designed these boots through an MTO order placed back in March 2019. The customizations I chose were as follows:

Last: P-79 last

Size: 11EE

Construction: stitchdown (+$100)

Vamp: cap toe

Heel style: standard, no pull tabs

Stitching: brown

Ankle style: plain

Tongue leather: dark brown

Hardware configuration: 7 eyelets

Hardware finish: antique brass

Toe construction: unstructured

Sole: commando

Sizing

When buying my first pair of Truman boots, I was having a really difficult time determining what size I should order. After speaking to Truman and multiple people through Instagram, it was recommended I buy a size 10EE (based on my Red Wing Iron Ranger size, 9.5EE). Man, was that off. I normally have to wear my boots with a full length orthotic, and I could barely squeeze my foot into the size 10EE boots without the insert. I had to send those back to Truman to be stretched (to a size they claimed was 10.5EE) only to find that it was still way too tight. I ultimately had to sell those boots, and ended up purchasing 3 pairs of size 11EE Trumans within 2 months. (Probably not the best idea, but luckily 11EE was my correct size, so it all worked out.)

Tl;dr: I’m a size 11EE in Truman’s P-79 last.

Above are the two lasts offered by Truman: the C-55 last and the P-79 last (image taken from the Truman website). The C-55 last was not available when I purchased my Java Waxed Flesh boots, and has more of a formal, almond-shaped toe. Unfortunately, Truman does not yet offer wide EE sizing in this C-55 last, so I wouldn’t have been able to choose it anyway.

Below I’ve listed my sizes in boots from other brands for reference:

Truman Boot Company - 11EE

Viberg (1035 last) - 10.5

Red Wing, Iron Ranger - 9.5EE

Thursdays - 10.5

Onderhoud - 44E

Parkhurst - 11

For a deeper dive into how my feet suck and why sizing is always an issue for me when buying any footwear, please refer to my Onderhoud review (here).

(Above are the orthotic inserts I wear in my boots. They’re full length memory foam, so all my boots feel like slippers. Available on Amazon.)

Above are my 3 pairs of Trumans (from left to right: Java Waxed Flesh, Black Waxy Commanders, and Aubergine Horserump), along with my Red Wing Iron Rangers. All 3 Trumans are size 11EE with unstructured toes. (I’ve heard others recommend dropping down a half size for Trumans with a structured toe box. I can’t say for sure since I’ve never tried, so don’t quote me on that.)

Price & Shipping

The base price for these boots was $380. With the $100 fee for stitchdown construction, the final price came out to be $480 (plus $18 shipping). I placed my order on 3/15/2019, they were completed and shipped on 5/17/2019, and the boots were delivered on 5/23/2019.

Leather

Java Waxed Flesh is vegetable-tanned roughout leather produced exclusively for Truman by Horween Leather Company in Chicago. The leather starts as a rich, dark java brown color with a glossy waxed finish. This durable waxy coat makes this leather extremely durable and water-resistant. However, this glossy finish will scratch and scuff away with wear, revealing a roughout surface texture with a lighter, warmer color tone.

Waxed flesh is a great leather option for those who don’t want to worry too much about leather maintenance. Other than a quick brush down every once in a while, I have yet to apply any conditioner to my boots.

Unboxing & Initial Impressions

Unfortunately, when I first received these boots I had no intention of ever writing a review for them, and thus did not take very detailed photos. However, by looking at the photos I did take (and comparing to how they look now), these boots were constructed and finished very nicely. The stitching on the uppers appears to be very clean and neat, and the patterns are symmetrical between the left and right boots.  

Straight from the box, these boots felt like tanks. The chunky commando sole gave them significant weight and made them feel very rugged and sturdy. The leather was fairly thick and stiff with a waxy gloss finish, making it feel like armor when trying them on for the first time.

One area that I wish Truman had done a little cleaner is the two rows of stitchdown welt stitching. The spacing between the two rows is a bit inconsistent, with the outer row being a little wiggly in some places. It isn’t bad by any means. There are no loose stitches and the stitch density appears fairly consistent all around (I’ve seen far sloppier welt stitching out there on Instagram). That being said, I have no complaints about the durability and functionality of the stitchdown construction on these Trumans. I have no doubt that this welt stitching would far outlast the life of the commando soles, and will present no issues with resoling when the time comes. 

I admit, I have been told that I place a higher emphasis on the cleanliness and finishing of my boots than most (I blame Jake, @almostvintagestyle). I’ve come to appreciate the extremely precise and uniform stitching I’ve seen on boots by custom boot makers such as Rizky (@onderhoud.handmade), Peng (@flamepanda11), and Goto-San of White Kloud (@show_goto). I acknowledge that the precision and uniformity of a boot’s welt stitching mostly just aesthetics and has little effect on the durability/longevity of a boot (as long as it doesn’t fall apart or any cause issues with resoling in the future). However, I still believe that how cleanly a boot is constructed speaks to the craftsmanship and overall attention to detail of the boot maker, making me proud to own, wear, and post photos of their work.

(The very clean and uniform welt stitching on my Onderhoud derbies.)

1 Year & 139 Wears Later

As the header states, I have worn these Java Waxed Flesh boots 139 times over the past year (actually 11 months, but as the world is currently closed due to COVID-19, these boots probably won’t be worn much more over the next month anyway). The waxed flesh leather has broken in significantly and is much more flexible and comfortable. However, the leather still feels very thick and rugged, especially in comparison to my other smoothout leather boots. I admit, these are not my most comfortable pair. Even fully broken in, this waxed flesh leather is not nearly as comfortable as the Aubergine Horserump used on my other pair of Trumans (which were soft and pliable from the start). However, these javas are definitely my most heavy-duty boots. I feel like I could go into battle with these while still maintaining that slimmer, service boot silhouette.

You can tell by the rolls and creases in the leather that the leather has conformed nicely to my feet. Also, at this angle you can really see the uneven, asymmetric, and wiggly welt stitching that I mentioned previously (especially on the outside of the right boot). 

Here is a top-down view of the toe shape of the P-79 last in size 11EE (wide).

As I stated earlier, these boots are rugged tanks and can withstand quite a beating. However, being a dentist living in the suburbs, I don’t subject these boots (or any of my boots really) to the outdoor manual labor for which they were built. The smooth waxy coating has only really scuffed away in areas of high flexure (where my toes crease and around the neck of the boot where I wrap my laces). Other than that, the majority of the boots still maintain the glossy shine, even after nearly 140 wears.

Looking back, one thing that I might’ve changed is getting a dainite instead of the commando sole. I opted for the commando sole because I felt like it complemented the rugged aesthetic of the waxed flesh leather. However, as these boots are worn mostly at work in a dental office and walking casually around Target, the functional traction the commando soles provide has had little use for me. I actually prefer the dainite soles of my other Truman boots, as my feet feel more balanced and sturdy on the ground. (This may be because the width of the commando sole actually in contact with the ground is significantly narrower than my feet, as you can see in the photo above.) Ultimately, this is still just my personal preference. There is nothing wrong with the commando sole used by Truman. When the time comes for a resole, I’ll probably send them to Brian at Role Club for some half soles and a low woodsman heel.

I’ve read online that some people find the heel (counter) of Truman boots to be bulbous and wide, resulting in some heel slip. Personally I haven’t had any issues with the heel.

While my boot collection is still fairly small, I can definitely say that I prefer unstructured over structured toe boxes. I absolutely love the silhouette of a boot after the leather has broken in and the toe has fully collapsed, conforming to the shape of the owner’s foot. The toe boxes of these Trumans have partially collapsed, and I look forward to seeing how they continue to mold to my feet in the future.

Conclusion

Overall, I am very happy with the construction quality of these boots by Truman, as well as how they’ve broken in over the past year. They are by far the most rugged boot I own (other than my Red Wing Iron Rangers), and would be my first choice should I ever need to do anything outdoors (like hike, or go camping, or whatever). The waxed finish of the leather still has a lot of life to it (I’m guessing, based on the amount of sheen still left on the boot), and I look forward to see how they look after another year of wear.

In the Wild

Below, I’ve compiled a few extra photos I’ve taken of these Java Waxed Flesh boots as I’ve broken them in over the past year. For more photos of these boots, as well as the rest of my denim and boots collection, please check out my Instagram (@thedenimdentist). 

[zombryz]

A Drummers hands (Part 2)

~ Machine Gun Kelly as Tommy Lee Imagine ~

Just a heads up! Read before continuing:

I’m just writing and going with the flow, I’m not sure how many parts this will be so buckle up and enjoy the ride!

**There is cursing, smut, abuse, and multiple partners  **

Tags for my favs: @colsons-crue​ @stevenandsam​ @inthebackofmycarlaytheirbodies​ @lain-ee 

You woke up to yelling, you rubbed your eyes as you yawned yourself awake. “FUCK YOU AND FUCK YOUR MOTHER!” you hear Roxie yell. You stand up quick realizing something is wrong. As you walk down the corridor you hear Tommy yelling back now, “Get the fuck out!” and all of a sudden there was silence. You stop in your tracks unsure if you want to open the curtain to whatever shit show was going down in the front of the bus. Peeking your head out from behind the curtain you see Roxie bent over with blood in her mouth, she looked pissed. Tommy starts walking towards you and you close the curtain and jump back into your bed. He passes you with anger filled footsteps. You slowly turn off the bed and follow him to the bathroom “Hey Tommy, it’s (Y/N)... everything okay?” you say in the sweetest voice you can. You hear sniffling before the door opens. You look up to Tommy and lock eyes with him, it's so sad seeing his ocean eyes filled with tears. “Yeah I’m fine, Roxie is a cunt... I didn’t mean to hit her..” he looks down at his hand as its shaking uncontrollably, “Hey, hey, hey, it's ok... Shhh.” you grab his hand to try and stop the shaking, you look in the mirror behind him and notice that there is blood coming from his left shoulder blade. “Tommy, you’re bleeding,” you answer still with the gentlest voice possible. “Oh yeah, you can thank THAT BITCH!” He yells towards the front of the bus in hopes that she can hear him. You slowly push him into the bathroom and close the door behind you. You sit Tommy down on the toilet and tell him to take his shirt off. “uhh, ok,” Tommy responds with puppy dog eyes but in a matter of seconds he's tugging his shirt off. It's funny, he's so tall that even when he's sitting on the toilet his eyes are almost parallel to yours. You grab the hydrogen peroxide out from under the sink along with a bandage. “This might sting a little,” you say with the cap to the hydrogen peroxide bottle in your mouth before blotting the soaked cotton ball on his wound. “Ouch, damn.” he hisses. You cover up his cut and he turns around towards you to say thank you with tears still fresh in his eyes. “We haven't stopped the bus yet which means she's still on. Can I lay in your bunk until she gets off this fucking bus?” he tried responding in a smile. “Yeah drummer boy, I gotcha.” you giggle before twirling and walking out of the bathroom back to the front of the bus. Tommy whispers “fuck” under his breath but you didn't hear it.

You and the band arrive in a small town where their next gig was going to be. You haven't spoken to Tommy since the whole bathroom incident and you didn’t really mind, you and the band would play small pranks on each other like hiding the toothpaste and hanging the boys' underwear out the window. Tommy always got a kick out of your humor but operation Nikki was still in effect, at this point it was just fun being around all of the boys. Tom would get upset with you occasionally because this was his job and you kept fucking around. The band was sitting in the front of the bus when Tom tried to tell you to calm down. “Okay dad, whatever.” he rolled his eyes at you, you guessed that playing that baby powder to the face prank on him was a bad idea, oh well. “Wait, you call Tom dad?” Nikki turned to you with an intrigued look in his face, this was the first time he really acknowledged you so you took what you could get. “Yeah, but I could call you daddy,” you responded with a wink. Nikki got up and walked over to you, your legs were laid out across the couch seats and you were chewing bubble gum. He picked up your legs to sit down and put your legs back over his lap. “Hmmm, what else do you want to call me doll face?” he replied in an almost seductive manner. “Okay, okay stop” Tommy shouted in an irritated fashion. “What?” Nikki responded, this almost struck up a very awkward conversation for Tommy because he didn't know how to reply before the bus came to a sudden stop. The boys got up one by one before walking out of the bus, it appeared to be a hotel in the middle of nowhere. Looks like this was going to be your home for the night. You and Tommy were the last ones to get off the bus, “Do you really have a thing for Sixx, (Y/N)?” Tommy says with jealousy in his eyes. You didn’t really know why the drummer was approaching you, he still seemed fucked up over Roxie and he would flirt with girls every night after a concert. If there was really something there it would’ve happened already seeing as your both single. “What’s it to ya, Lee,” you reply with a pop of a bubble between your lips. The drummer fell back his last words before getting off the bus were, “Whatever, man.”

Nikki walked over to you and put his arm around your shoulder before whispering in your ear, “I’m going to sneak into your hotel room tonight,” he bit your ear and it sent shivers down your spine. You reached up and licked his neck in response, “Okay babe, I’ll be waiting.” Nikki winked at Tommy who was walking behind the two of you, he was pretty upset seeing Nikki being flirty with you. Nikki had a type and it wasn't you, you were just going to be another fuck to Nikki. Tommy was a hopeless romantic and he was starting to fall for you and he couldn't stop himself.

You went up to your hotel room, Tom came to apologize for being so mean to you earlier. You hugged him and told him you loved him. The two of you agreed to get breakfast in the morning as a makeup date for not being able to spend time with him for the past few weeks. You showered and lotioned your body. You were ready for Nikki to come upstairs, you hear a knock on your door and go to answer. You opened the hotel door to a tall lanky figure with shaggy dark hair, definitely not who you were expecting. “Tommy, what are you doing?” you walked back into your hotel room leaving the door open as an open invitation for him to come in. “Listen, (Y/N) I love Nikki but you don't want him.” You can’t believe how upset he is. “Tommy, I-” you start to say before he cuts you off as he's pacing around your hotel room. “No, he was talking about fucking you all night and I couldn’t take it. I don’t want you to be someone's sex toy.”  You were sitting on your bed in a towel and he was so heated he didn’t even notice. You stood up and placed your hand on his shoulder to stop him in his tracks, “Tommy, I don’t care about being his sex toy. I just want to have sex, it doesn't matter to me if he never talks to me again. I don't want to be in a relationship. You don’t have to worry about me okay?” he doesn’t say anything for a minute, he looks hurt. Tommy was a hopeless romantic and you didn’t like seeing him hurt. You figured you’d comfort him in the only way you knew how so you let your towel drop to the floor. Tommy looked you up and down before moving forward and cupping your face into a kiss. It was longing and sweet, it felt loving, nothing like anything you’ve felt before. Tommy was so tall you had to stand on your tippy toes to kiss him, he must’ve known that it was a struggle for you because he picked you up and you ended up wrapping your legs around his torso. You were kissing him on his neck and his face, anywhere that you could plant a kiss you did. You bit his lip as he walked you over to the bed and placed you down. You saw those blue-green ocean eyes you loved so much. You hated that you actually did want to be in a relationship with Tommy. It felt like this could be a forever thing. He reciprocated kisses and made his way down your neck and you let soft moans escape your lips. You suddenly jolted at the sudden knock at the door causing you to bump heads with Tommy. It was Nikki, it had to be. Tommy stood up fast and you sat up on the bed looking for your towel. You were so heated you just wanted Tommy to come back to bed. For some reason Tommy walked over to the door, you could still see his bulge inside his tight leather pants, it was honestly already bigger than any other boy you’d been with. “It’s Nikki,” Tommy states peeking through the peephole, “and he has-” You mind wandered, he has what? “He has flowers..” Tommy’s voice broke. Flowers? Why did Nikki bring you flowers if you were just going to be his “fuck” for the night? “You have to let him in (Y/N), I’ve never seen him so giddy,” Tommy said looking down at his feet. “UHH, just a second you yelled through the door. You were face to face standing with Tommy at the door now, he looked so sad and all you wanted to do was kiss him and tell him everything was ok. Now that you had tasted his lips you craved more. “What are you going to do?” you asked before Tommy shrugged not knowing himself, “I’ll sneak out while he's in the bathroom or something!” “Okay,” you agreed shoving Tommy in the closet. You grabbed one of Tom’s oversized band T-shirts and threw it on over your body to greet Nikki at the door.

You opened the hotel door yet again and met Nikki who seemed so eager to be in the room with you. “Hey Nik,” you started grabbing the flowers he handed you. “Hey Dollface,” he kissed your forehead before walking into the room. You’ve never seen Nikki like this, it was almost like he was love struck and you didn’t know why. Nikki sat on your bed before turning the TV on. “Hey Nik, can you come kill a spider that was in the bathroom with me earlier?” you called from inside the bathroom giving Tommy his cue to leave. Nikki walks into the bathroom and looks for the spider. Tommy sneaks out and walks back to his hotel room in distress, he didn’t want to leave you. You looked so beautiful and he wanted nothing more than to spend the night with you but he also didn’t want to hurt his best friend. He closed his eyes and hoped to god that you wouldn’t fuck him.

Nikki was down on his knees looking for the spider under the sink, you were sitting on top of it. You almost forgot that you weren’t wearing any underwear until Nikki reminded you, “Oh wow,” he said looking between your legs as he stood up from the floor. “Is that for me?” he asked you didn’t really know what to do so you responded with “mhm” as you bit your lip. You couldn’t stop thinking about what just happened between you and Tommy. What would happen tomorrow? What do you do right now with Nikki? These thoughts were racing through your head. You stopped thinking when you surprisingly felt the bass player’s face go between your legs. Wow. His tongue felt good, you spread your legs letting him do his thing. You grabbed the mirror behind you and moaned in response. He stood up and started kissing you while you still sat on the counter, you didn’t want it to stop. All you wanted was to feel good. Nikki ran his hand up your thigh and under your oversized t-shirt, he stuck his fingers inside you and started sucking on your neck. You kissed him back hard but thought about Tommy. You finally realized you had a splitting headache. Nikki stopped and asked if you were ok. “No.” you replied and Nikki brushed your hair out of your face. “You’re so beautiful, (Y/N). For you, I’d be willing to wait” He sounded sincere. Nikki carried you to bed and invited himself into bed with you. He fell asleep within minutes while you laid awake. You had blue balled two Motley Crue boys in one night. You didn’t want to believe it but you somehow got yourself into a love triangle. “Fuck,” you whisper under your breath.

[the-arg0naut]

Snowberry

hi okay so @tulipscomeinallsortsofcolors i wrote a thing for english class and i actually really like it so ee

quick thing tho it is an AU, where virge was never put under and the boys just Exist

durant doesnt exist bc he doesnt deserve rights

~~~

Everyone in little Wickhills, Ohio, knew about the Sanders’ changeling boy. The whole town had been called on that night. They knew about the fae woman who’d tried to trade her son for theirs, and was then refused either child by Dot, their mother. Most townsfolk didn’t approve, thinking it was “bringing the enemy into our midst.” However, everyone in Wickhills also knew to keep their mouths shut, unless they wanted to find themselves wandering into a fairy circle and never wandering back out.

It was on Halloween night. The Sanders boys were about 16, and were elated to finally be allowed to go trick-or-treating without their parents hovering behind them (well, it was more Thomas who was excited. Logan didn’t much see the appeal in dressing up and asking strangers for candy, but it made his brother happy). Thomas was dressed in his favorite Spiderman costume, and Logan Frankenstein’s monster. Even with the prosthetics and makeup, though, it was still impossible to ignore Logan’s pointy ears and quicksilver eyes. That was the only thing differentiating their appearances; changeling children take the form of the child they replace. Since he was never given back to the fae woman, he just passed off as Thomas’ twin. Closely enough.

They’d left Mrs. Coughenour’s house with the weirdest candies they’d ever seen. Wrapped in bits of parchment paper, they smelled of some strong floral flavor. 

“I think it’s lavender. This one is, at least.” “Lavender? Why would there be lavender candies? Who makes those?”

“Mrs. Coughenour, apparently”

Logan popped said lavender candy into his mouth. He would never admit it, even once fully grown, but those were his favorite. They relaxed him. Sometimes it just seemed to serve as yet another reminder that he wasn’t human, but he tried not to think about that.

“Whatever. I just hope Ms. Gage has good candy.”

“It’s Ms. Gage. She’ll either have really good candy that Roman will hijack, or, as you say, ‘old people candy.’”

“Okay, look, it’s always the old people that have those caramels. I’ve never even seen them at the store, so they’ve gotta just appear in their candy bowls once they hit 80.”

“Ms. Gage is seventy.”

“Close enough!”

They continued to bicker back and forth, as brothers do, as they walked down the road to Ms. Gage’s house, unaware of the two bright purple eyes watching them from between the trees. 

After they had been walking for a good twenty minutes, Thomas muttered a little suspiciously, “Haven’t we been walking for just a little while longer than it usually takes?”

Logan paused. He was right. Usually, the walk was only ten to fifteen minutes max, and they weren’t by any familiar landmarks.

“Logan, what time is it?”

“12:02 AM”

Thomas shuddered. “Midnight.”

At this Logan rolled his eyes. “Come on now, Thomas, sure it’s late, but even if one of the Good Neighbors is playing a trick on us, it doesn’t make it any worse that it’s midnight. It’s just a time of day, arbitrary to even the fair folk.”

Thomas nodded, unconvinced. “Can we just walk a little faster then? I wanna get to Ms. Gage’s”

“If that’s what would help ease your fear, then of course.”

They quickened the pace, Thomas clinging close to his brother. Five more minutes without anything they recognized, Thomas was beginning to get a little hysterical, spouting off all kinds of things that could happen if the Good Neighbors had decided they had done something to offend them. Logan did his best to dissipate and alleviate those fears, but truth be told, he was starting to feel some of them himself, especially when they turned a corner and found themselves upon the street they had just walked off.

They had just passed under an old street lamp when they saw it; a silhouette. It was impossible to see any physical features in the dim light, but they somehow knew that it was watching them. They blinked and it was gone.

“Well, that was a bit alarming.”

“Yeah, you think?!” Panic was quickly rising in Thomas. “We’re stuck in an endless loop of nothing but,” he glanced at the street sign, “Morningside Drive, and we just saw someone or something staring at us and then, poof, gone. I think we’re well past ‘a bit alarming,’ Lo-”

Logan cut him off, pressing a hand to his mouth. “Quiet for a second. Listen.” Thomas listened. Muttering against his brother’s hand, “I don’t hear anything, Lo. Have you gone completely bonkers?”

Logan muttered something about humans and poor hearing before grabbing his hand and running. “Logan! What’s going on?”

“A hunt, I could hear the horses! Just run!”

Oh god, why tonight, why when we’re just the worst equipped ever- oh gosh I can hear it now oh gosh we are so dead, we can’t outrun horses, what do we look like, fae? Well, only one of us, and even then what the hell am I supposed to-

He tripped over a tree root, sending him sprawling across the ground. Logan pulled at his arm, telling him to get up, but it was no use. The hunt was upon them. Thomas just curled up in a ball and waited for the inevitable. Logan wrapped his arms around him, trying to shield as much of him as possible. The whoops and hollers of the fae were deafening and that was all they could hear and could they please just get it over with-

And then there were screams. But it wasn’t their screams. Logan tilted his head up in confusion. A figure (was it the same one we saw earlier? Logan thought) was standing over them. When Thomas later recounted the story, he said that the shadows themselves seemed to morph and shift, surrounding the hunters, sometimes killing them, sometimes just vanishing them into thin air with the mysterious figure seemingly controlling all of it. Logan could only sit and stare, his arms still wrapped around his brother. 

Before long, the whole hunt had either run away or been killed, leaving the shadowy figure standing alone in front of them. It turned, revealing those same purple eyes. It crouched before them, speaking softly so as not to scare them any more than they already were. “Are you two alright?” Logan seemed unable to form words, so Thomas stuttered out a “Y-yeah, we’re good. Who, if you don’t mind me asking… who are you?” 

The shadowy figure pulled their hood down, revealing moonlight pale skin and sharp, pointed ears, the same as Logan. Both boys immediately knew they were in the presence of another fae, as if the previous display hasn’t already convinced them enough. The fae boy (Was he really a boy though, Thomas later argued, because fae are immortal. He could’ve been a thousand years old! Logan had rolled his eyes, saying He appeared as an adolescent, even by fae standards.) smiled at them, saying “You can call me V.”

Logan, regaining his ability to speak, said, “Well, thank you V, for saving us. Had you not appeared, I believe we would have been, in the modern vernacular, ‘toast.’” V laughed at this. “Yes, I do believe you two would’ve been ‘toast.’ Come now, I’ll help you get where you’re going, without any more… Rude interruptions.” He held his hand out, standing. The twins shared a look, doing their “mind-reading thing,” as Roman always put it. Then, simultaneously, the reached their hands up at him, Logan’s perhaps imperceptibly shaking a little more than Thomas’. V’s hand closed around theirs (Gosh, he had a big hand -- He was tall, tall people just naturally have larger extremities. Although perhaps his fae nature only assisted in that), and they seemed to melt into the shadow, reappearing behind a tree near Ms. Gage’s house.

V released them, gesturing towards the little cottage. “Go on now, and don’t let me see you running from any more fae.” It would’ve sounded like a threat, but he was smiling, and Logan couldn’t even fathom how he would be scared of him. Thomas laughed a little, a little stumbly from the ‘shadow-melty-transportation,’ as Thomas phrased it, saying “No promises. C’mon, Berry!” He ran (kinda) off towards the cottage, but Logan hung back. “Berry? What a cute name.”

“It’s not my actual name, of course, we’re not that dumb as to give you our real names, and neither are you. Berry is simply a nickname for me, just as Bug is my nickname for him.”

“Good. You two are smart. Use those smarts next time, and bring iron. Or,” and he paused, casting a smug eye on him, “Perhaps not. You are fae, are you not?”

“Couldn’t tell from the pointy ears and silver eyes? My, perhaps it was a good choice to not give you our names.”

“Ah, don’t get too smart with me now. I did save your hides.” “That you did, and I am eternally grateful, your majesty, let me shine your shoes and kiss your hand, blah blah blah, I’m going now.”

“Very funny, very funny.”

Logan turned to go, V silent behind him, before saying

“...Will I see you again, Snowberry?”

He paused at the nickname, turning a little pink. “... I suppose I could not stop you if you visited me. Though hopefully not under such dire circumstances again.” “One can hope.”

Logan smiled a little and nodded in farewell. V waved a little, and Logan turned, walking towards the cottage. V sighed, watching till he was out of sight, before melting into the shadow.

[sybcritics-blog]

( lee jooheon, cismale, he/him, 24. ) — CHOI JUNGWOO, better known to the authorities as VULCAN, has been working for the kumiho for around SIX YEARS as a JANITOR. rumor has it, they can be DARING & KALEIDOSCOPIC but also IRASCIBLE & SYBARITIC which is why blood-stained hands, all black wardrobes, crooked smirks, and weaponry makes me think of them.

hey  demons,  it  me,  ya  girl,  gem  ...  back  at  it  again,  only  this  time  my  character  is  worst  than  the  first  one.  which  is  saying  something  because  oof  minwoo  was  an  absolute  disaster  !  so  if  that  gives  you  any  idea  as  to  how  this  shithead  is  gonna  be,  that  should  be  a  clue  !  

again,  his  whole  backstory  isn't  completely  figured  out  but  i  have  what  i've  already  figured  out  below  the  cut,  as  well  as  his  basic  information,  personality  &  some  wanted  plots  i  have  for  him  ! 

if  you  want  to  plot  with  this  lil  pyro,  smash  that  like  button  &  i'll  come  to  you  !  or  of  course,  if  you  like  d*scord  better  than  tumblr  feel  free  to  add  me  on  there  (  @𝕨𝕚𝕟𝕂𝕃𝔼𝕍𝕠𝕊𝕊!#9330 )  &  we  can  plot  from  there  !

                                         BASIC INFORMATION.

full  name:  choi  jungwoo. nickname(s):  jun,  woo. age:  twenty-four. date  of  birth:  october  31st. birthplace:  daegu,  south  korea. current  location:  seoul,  south  korea. ethnicity:  korean. nationality:  korean. gender:  cismale. pronouns:  he  /  him  /  his. orientation:  pansexual. crew  position:  janitor. occupation:  instagram  model  /  youtuber.  (  eboy  basically  ig  ) language(s)  spoken: korean,  english,   chinese,  japanese,  spanish,  greek,  thai  &  french.

                                    PHYSICAL  APPEARANCE.

face  claim:  lee  jooheon  (  joohoney  )  of  monsta  x. hair  color:  changes  frequently,  currently  dark  brown. eye  color:  brown. height:  6  '  1  ". weight:  175. build:  athletic. tattoos:  far  too  many  to  count. piercings:  multiple  in  his  ears,  a  tongue  piercing,  nipple  piercings,  a  scar  on  his  right  brow  from  an  old  brow  piercing.

                                                       HEALTH.

physical  ailments:  alcohol  abuse,  drug  abuse  & lactose  intolerance. neurological  conditions:  back  pain  &  occasional  migraines. allergies:  pollen,  mold,  dairy,  shellfish. sleeping  habits: 3-4  hours  a  night,  restless. eating  habits:  mostly  junk  food,  fast  food  &  take-out  but  he  does  enjoy  going  to  fancy  places  every  once  in  a  while  as  well  as  cooking  meals  at  home. exercise  habits:  jogs  every  morning,  is  in  a  boxing  group  that  meets  every  week. body  temperature: hot  natured. addictions:  alcohol,  tobacco,  drugs  &  sex. drug  use: frequent. alcohol  use: frequent.

                                          PERSONALITY. ( PT 1. )

label:  the  cataclysmic. positive  traits:  daring  &  kaleidoscopic. negative  traits:  irascible  &  sybaritic. fears:  large  bodies  of  water. hobbies:  boxing,  card  games,  video  games,  reading,  cooking,  comic  books,  jogging. habits: tbd. quirks:  tbd.

                                                 FAVORITES.

season:  fall. color(s):  black,  red,  green. music:  isn’t  super  picky,  doesn't  care  for  country. movies:  mostly  action,  suspense,  horror  &  comedy. sport(s):  watches  baseball  &  hockey. beverage(s):  anything  but  sparkling  water. food:  fast  food. animal:  dogs.

                                                     FAMILY.

father: tba. mother: tba. sibling(s):  younger sibling, nineteen. children:  n/a. pet(s):  german  sheppard  puppy. family’s  financial  status:  upper  class.

                                                     EXTRAS.

zodiac sign:  scorpio. mbti:  entp-a.  (  the  debater  ) enneagram:  type  eight. (  the  challenger  ) temperament:  choleric. hogwarts  house:  slytherin. moral  alignment:  chaotic neutral. primary  vice:  lust. primary  virtue:  pride. element: fire.

                                                BIOGRAPHY.

born  in  daegu  sk  to  a  lawyer  and  a  police  officer,  jun's  life  was  always  pretty strict.

they  always  made  sure  he  was  living  like  they  wanted  him  to,  cracking  down  and  making  sure  he  was  behaving  &  that  his  grades  were  at  the  top  of  his  class.

little  did  they  know  that  their  son  found  ways  around  having  to  obey  everything  they  said,  sneaking  out  of  his  bedroom  window  to  roam  the  streets  of  daegu  in  the  middle  of  the  night  &  things  like  that.

that's  also  where  he  first  found  his  interest  in  fire,  seeing  people  mess  with  small  bonfires  /  fireworks  all  the  time  caused  him  to  grow  curious.

so  one  night  on  one  of  his  adventures,  he  approached  a  group  of  kids  that  were  probably  only  a  few  years  older  than  him  and  they  allowed  him  into  their  group  &  allowed  him  to  start  messing  with  the  fireworks  himself.

it  was  from  that  moment  on  that  he  started  to  rebel  a  little  bit  more  with  each  day  that  passed,  eventually  sneaking  out  &  staying  gone  the  entire  night  only  to  sneak  back  up  through  his  window,  get  2  hrs  of  sleep  and  then  head  to  school.

parents  never  figured  out  about  it  though,  he  was  good  at  lying  to  them  &  anyone  with  any  sort  of  'authority'  so  he  was  able  to  continue  pleasing  them  &  pretending  to  be  this  pefect  son  all  while  living  the  life  he  actually  wanted  to  live.

the  only  thing  that  came  as  a  shock  to  his  parents  was  him  moving  out  at  the  age  of  sixteen,  getting  his  own  apartment  and  whatnot  so  he'd  stop  having  to  hide  how  he  wanted  to  live  or  have  to  sneak  out  of  his  own  home.

however,  to  them,  they  just  thought  he  wanted  to  become  more  of  an  adult  &  so  they  never  really  questioned  it  or  checked  up  on  him  without  warning.

he  had  just  turned  eighteen  when  he  was  approached  by  the  mastermind  after  getting  into  a  fight  at  a bustling  club,  leaving  the  other  person  laid  out  on  the  ground  while  jun  barely  had  any  injuries  whatsoever.  

the  mastermind  offered  a  job,  keep  people  quiet  or  clean  up  after  the  ones  who  can't  and  you'll  get  paid  shit  tons  of  money...  who  was  jun  to  turn  that  offer  down?

a  few  months  after  that  is  when  his  instagram  persona  started  forming,  posting  his  outfits  on  the  app  started  to  cause  people  to  follow  him  &  ask  for  more...  n  before  he  knew  it,  he  was  getting  agents  messaging  him  offering  to  be  HIS  agent  &  allow  him  to  make  even  more  money  just  by  posting  the  simplest  of  things  on  a  daily  basis.

again,  who  was  he  to  really  turn  down  the  offer?  especially  considering  the  fact  he'd  already  grown  a  taste  for  all  things  expensive.

&  thus,  jun's  double  life  began  once  more,  though  this  time,  both  sides  of  his  life  were  things  he  truly  enjoyed.

                                       PERSONALITY. ( PT 2. )

the  Worst...

short-tempered  as  heck,  will  snap  on  people  for  breathing  in  his  direction  wrong  if  he's  in  one  of  those  moods...

loves  violence... it's  a  problem.  will be  that  asshole  who  starts  bar  fights  just  so  he  can  fight  someone  ksfjghsdf

.... if  you  haven't  figured  it  out,  the  boy  loves  to  play  with  fire.  constantly  burns  stuff,  always  tries  to  take  things  of  other  peoples  to  burn  them.  also  likes  to  ... possibly  set  empty  buildings  on  fire  only  to  watch  them  burn  down.  yike.

can  be  extremely  goofy  &  joking  one  moment  and  then  the  biggest  grumpy  asshole  the  next.  all  really  depends  on  his  mood  at  the  time.

when  he's  in  a  good  mood  though,  he  loves  to  mess  with  people  &  joke  around  or  just  go  explore  the  area.  day  trips  are  his  favorite  thing  in  the  world  even  though  he  won't  admit  to  it.

however,  when  he  isn't.... don't  mess  with  him  bc  he  will probably  try  and  snap  ur  head  off  or  yell  at  you  for  the  dumbest  shit.  probably  figures  out  he's  being  a  dick  a  little  too  late  but  will  still  own  up  to  it  and  apologize  eventually.

a  bit  of  a  wild  card,  honestly.  you  never  know  what  mood  he's  going  to  be  in  or  what's  going  on  in  his  head  at  any  given  moment.

a  heaux,  shock  shock...  but  like  actually  really  bad  abt  it,  constantly  has  some  new  hook  up  or  something  like  that.

this  is  a  work  in  progress  as  well  so  that's  all i've  got  atm

                                                   PLOT IDEAS.

someone  from  his  past  who  knows  that  his  father  is  a  police  officer  &  constantly  gets  on  his  ass  for  all  the  stupid  shit  he  does  bc  they  don't  want  him  getting  caught  let  alone  his  own  father  finding  out.

his  go  to  person  for  all  things  stupid  as  fuck.  getting  high  on  the  roof?  check.  getting  drunk  &  dancing  on  the  bar?  check.  walking  around  seoul  at  4  in  the  morning?  check.

the  fire  &  ice  combination  we  all  want  for  our  muses,  they  fight,  bicker,  try  to  throw  hands  w  each  other  even  but  at  the  end  of  the  day,  they  actually  care  about  one  another.

someone  who's  able  to  see  the  softer  side  of  jun,  either  by  just  being  around  for  his  'down'  days,  or  finding  out  that  a  sleepy  /  just  woke  up  jun  has  a  tendency  to  be  soft  and  a  tiny  bit  needy.

the  jokester  friend  who's  always  pranking  jun  &  jun  tries  to  one  up  them  &  get  his  revenge.

the  LOATHING  plot...  idk  what  it  would  be  for  but  they  just  literally  can't  stand  each  other  &  they  make  sure  it's  known  to  the  world.

someone  who  puts  up  with  his  instagram  persona  and  goes  on  shopping  trips  &  appears  in  the  dumb  videos  he  uploads  to  both  instagram  &  youtube.

speaking of,,,,,  the  'dating'  rumor.  basically  they're  really  close  friends  &  are  seen  by  the  media  together  a  lot  so  people  just  assume  they're  a  thing  &  start  getting  hashtags  about  them  trending  as  well  as  all  the  other  fun  stuff  that  goes  along  with  that.

will  add  more  as  they  come  to  mind  !