#ghost swap 2019

[keeptober]

Keeptober prompts are here!!! 🎉🎉🎉

Feel free to participate in as many/few days as you want and create whatever kind of content you would like, whether it be art, writing, memes, etc! I cannot wait to see what everyone creates this year!!

Tag @keeptober or #keeptober2023 so I can reblog your creations!

Keeptober was created by Zoe (@fanartofthelostcities) and ghost (@ghostnxva) in 2019 and is run by Zoe.

Thank you so much to everyone who submitted prompt suggestions, including @ultralazycreatorfan @you-have-been-frizzled @everliving-everblaze @slozhnos @valentinerose529 @bookwyrminspiration @worldsunlikemyown @pleasereduceyourexpectations (sorry if I missed you!)

The prompts are typed out below:

Keeper of the Lost Cities

Exile

Everblaze

Neverseen

Lodestar

Nightfall

Flashback

Legacy

Unlocked

Stellarlune

Animals

Intelligent Species

Council

Black Swan

Foxfire

Family

Home

Landscape

Monster

Wings

Fire

Water

Light

Darkness

Escape

Healing

Talentless

Ability Swap

Plot Twist

You as an Elf

Halloween

[aziraphales-library]

Greetings and salutations! Thank you all for your hard work! I was wondering if y'all knew any slice-of-life style, character-driven type fics? Not necessarily plotless, just focusses on character drama over plot drama. Preferably on the longer, slowburn-y side and canon compliant. Sorry if this is incoherent, but I figured if anyone could help y'all could. Thanks again!

Hello! Here are some slow-burn/slice of life more character-driven fics for you...

Taking Steps by JoyAndOtherStories (G)

Crowley was in a state of shock. Admittedly, this shouldn’t have been surprising, given that his recent experiences included near-death, body-swapping, car explosions, bookshop conflagrations, and rebellious eleven-year-olds defeating the forces of Heaven, Hell, and independent contractors. But that had been two weeks ago, and though saying he’d recovered would have been not so much stretching the truth as utterly shattering it, his current state of shock was…something different. “Say—say that again, angel?” he managed. “You said…you wanted to try…new things?” Basically: Aziraphale wants to try new things. The first one he comes up with: Salsa dancing! Meanwhile, Crowley really just wants to snuggle with his angel. Fluffy pining ensues while they figure out that they actually both want the same thing.

Take My Heart (But Not My Hand) by Ghostinthehouse (T)

"You know he needs touch?" "Yeah," Crowley says, following Adam's gaze to Aziraphale. "I know. We'll figure it out, he and I. We always do. Eventually."

My Favorite Ghost by DiminishingReturns (T)

Decades after the world didn’t end, Heaven and Hell got their war — and nearly destroyed everything in the process. When Aziraphale finally manages to reacquire a corporation and return to Earth, he discovers he was gone longer than he thought and the planet has become unrecognizable. As he searches for Crowley and tries to figure out how he fits in a world that Heaven, Hell, and God have all wiped their hands of, nature works around him to reclaim the bones of an old civilization as the scraps of humanity build a new one. A lush and optimistic post-apocalypse story, told from the POV of an immortal who can't let go of the past.

Though Heaven Bar the Way by books-and-omens (T)

Nearly five decades after the Holy Water argument, Aziraphale is sent to a world-famous sanatorium in the Swiss Alps on an assignment that Heaven appears to care about rather more than usual—only to find out that Crowley, of all creatures, has already established himself there. Clearly, this cannot be good for anyone's constitution.

Pictures of You by AnnetheCatDetective (M) (WIP)

It starts with a well-meaning gift, and a hopeful invitation. Mod note: While this fic is technically a WIP that has not been updated since 2019, it does currently end on a satisfying note.

I Only Have Eyes For You by Twilightcitysky (M)

After narrowly escaping execution, Aziraphale and Crowley want to fly under the radar for a while. Worried that performing miracles will reveal their location to their former bosses, they relocate to the country and stop using their powers. Meanwhile, Aziraphale is ready to start moving faster... and Crowley has a secret. Can he keep Aziraphale from realizing what's changed while juggling moving trucks, furniture assembly, inquisitive mediums, attacks of Feng Shui, and the mortifying ordeal of grocery shopping? A fic about moving in together, finding yourself, and finding one another.

- Mod D

[stray-kaz]

Masterlist

Fandom works! So much here...

All reader inserts are female.

Marvel

Bucky Barnes

T.L.C.

Girl Dad

Reds and Whites

Not Even a Candle

Reparations - 18+

Prologue   One   Two   Three   Four

Snow & Ice - 18+

One   Two   Three   Four   Five   Six   Seven   Eight   Nine   Ten   Eleven   Twelve   Thirteen

Frank Castle

Kiss Cam

A Touch of Crazy

Brothers In Arms

Frank Castle x Family headcanons

Nobody Puts Baby in a Corner

Time and Time and Time Again - 18+

A Baby Shower for Frankie

Two Pink Lines

Two to Tango - 18+

Baby Talk

Paper Ring

Blooded

The Opposite of Soft - 18+

Gone Off Half Cocked - 18+

Butterflies On Fire

A Stitch in Time

Look Where You’re Going

I Do

Matt Murdock

On Blind Faith - 18+

ONE   TWO   THREE   FOUR   FIVE   SIX   SEVEN   EIGHT   NINE   TEN

Headcanons

Steve Rogers

I Love You, But... - 18+

Shadow and Bone

Jesper Fahey

A Better Distraction - 18+ - Completed

One   Two   Three   Four   Five   Six   Seven   Eight   Nine   Ten   Eleven Twelve

Kiss & Tell

A Good Shot

Ruse

Little Lantsov

An Unexpected Prince - sequel to Little Lantsov

Tender

Trigger

Swap With Me - 18+

He’s A Criminal and He’s Mine

Safe Inside, Out of the Rain

Laundry Day

The Law of Loss

You’re The Reason I Hate Champagne

There Goes My Life - An Assortment

One Two Three Four Five Six

Mal Oretsev

Twice Wounded - sorta 18+

Nikolai Lantsov

Patched - 18+

All Patched Up - 18+ - sequel to Patched

Monkey in the Air

Daddy and The Fox

To Be His Queen - 18+

Kaz Brekker

Stray - request prompt

A Murder of Crows - Miniseries

Part One Part Two

Memento Mori - request prompt

Green - request prompt

Love is a Battlefield

Set, Charge, Boom

The Magpie Verses - Completed

Take Off The Mask , Caught , The Crow and The Magpie , Unmasked

Aleksander Morozova

Trouble Just Walked In - sorta 18+

Matthias Helvar

Scrubbed Clean

Tolya Yul-Bataar

Awoken

Top Gun: Maverick

Bob Floyd

A Soft Landing - 18+

Red Flag Week

Baby. On. Board.

Jake Seresin

Out of Bounds I, II, III, IV, V, VI - 18+

Bradley Bradshaw

Jukebox Jive

Lockwood and Co.

George Karim

Death and Doughnuts

A Personal Experiment - 18+

Stuck in the Middle With You - 18+ - requested

Oh Dear Baby - fic idea from @the-biscuit-agreement​

Oh How Time Flies - sequel to Oh Dear Baby​

Ghosts I Get, People Are Crazy

Anthony Lockwood

Between a Tree and a Lockwood - sorta 18+

Honey, I’m Home - 18+

Delirium

His Mistake

The Invitation

Walt de Ville

The Flower and The Serpent - 18+

one    two   three   four   five   six   seven   eight   nine   ten

Little Women (2019)

Laurie

Sugar & Spice - 18+

one

two

Zombies (Disney)

Zed Necrodopolis

Awkward Question

Betwixt

Midnight Resolution - 18+

Leo Grande

Three Day Hire - 18+

One   Two   Three   Four   Five   Six   Seven

A Very Grande Christmas

Austin!Elvis

Sky High

The School for Good and Evil

Rafal Mistral

The Sky Is Falling

Mirror, Mirror, On The Wall

Under The Blood Moon - 18+

The Heirloom and The Heir

Evil, Be Mine

You Shall Be Loved

Rhian Mistral

The Storian’s Favour

Back from the Brink

Bubbles

To Sleep and Not To Wake

Ben Hardy Characters

Billy / Four

Hold Me Close, Don’t Let Go - 18+

The Witcher

Istredd

Chasing Fire - 18+

One Piece Live Action

Roronoa Zoro

Buoyant

A Book and A Nap

Starless - 18+

First Kiss, Last Kiss

Keeping Watch - 18+

Double The Bounty - 18+ - Part One  Part Two

Sanji

Tall Blond Pacifier

Sand and Stars

Wind and Rain - 18+

Monkey D. Luffy

First Blushes

Usopp

In The Moment

OPLA Men

Dance With Me

Christmas Drabbles 2023

Scent of Pine - Shanks

Neatly Tied With A Bow - Mihawk

Sugar, Spice and Everything Nice - Sanji

The Perfect Excuse - Zoro

Fullmetal Alchemist

Edward Elric

Happy Birthday To You

Rest and Recuperation - 18+

Tale of the Nine Tailed

Lee Yeon

Need - 18+

Sweet Home

Cha Hyun-su

Sunshine Part One - 17+

Let Me Do It

A Shop For Killers

Jeong Jin-man

Breathing

Time - 18+

Misc.

Ready or Not - 18+

[found-family-tournament]

Found Family Tournament Round 2 Part 6 Group 28

Propaganda and further images under the cut

(Mod Note: For increased clarity, Ghost House’s name and photo have been altered)

Chimeron: Evan Kelmp, Karen Kieko Tanaka, Whitney Jammer, Sam Black

Bad Kids: Riz "The Ball" Gukgak, Adaine Abernant, Fabian Aramaris Seacaster, Gorgug Thistlespring, Figueroth "Fig" Faeth, Kristen Applebees (& Ragh Barkrock)

Chimeron:

They’re just my little guys I love them so so much :((( sweetest guys ever

Bad Kids:

before i start the pictures below are by isawiitch (https://www.tumblr.com/isawiitch), victor rosas (https://twitter.com/SirVictorThe2nd), and m0nomercy (https://www.tumblr.com/m0nomercy) respectively check them out they're very cool and also that middle guy did the official art for fantasy high its very cool

anyways

all of these dumb teens are just god they complete each other they're the most important people in the world to each other like fabian and gorgug meeting with a punch to the stomach and going on to share a hug in an evil forest and "DO YOU WANT ME TO BITE IT OUT FOR YOU" "the ball, wait" -riz and fabian and kristen's really bad inspiring speech (they're gonna get inspiring real soon) but they are inspiring because they're from the best and sweetest friend in the whole world and gorgug getting razzed a little for thinking random people are his dad and the sheer joy everyone felt for him when he met his real parents and RIZ THE BALL GUKGAK AND FABIAN SEACASTER THE DUO OF ALL TIME and adaine learning to be a normal teen and fig swearing she's not an open person when she pours her heart out to her friends every chance she gets and riz and adaine being the only two non-horny members of the team and bonding over that and being smart but terrible in social interactions together and "its called being gay, when you're here you're family" -kristen applebees, 2019 and fig starting a band with gorgug, one of the more socially awkward members of the party and "what would riz do" "you bite down hard on a piece of glass" and adaine's actual worst fear being what she would become after her friends passed and the KILL YOUR DAD chant and its gorgug keep going and all of them feeling each others' overcoming of fear in the forest of the nightmare king no matter how far apart they are and riz shooting off an incel's fingers for being weird about adaine (there was other stuff going on but you can't convince me that it wasn't at least partially because of that) and the gang not really letting gorgug and kristen forget that one time they died (they got better and were psychologically okay with it after a bit so this was lighthearted jabs and not straight-up reminding them of a big traumatic moment) and "my friends were warmer to me on the first day that we met than you were to me in my whole life" -adaine abernant, 2020

AND that doesn't even include all the crazy stuff with bad kids-adjacent found family members like gilear faeth getting his life back together thanks to these teens and jawbone o'shaughnessy being the dad of all time to the point where he actually adopts adaine at the end of sophomore year and aelwyn abernant holy shit (she's harder to justify here because her main important interactions are with her sister, unlike gilear who is technically fig's stepdad but is a core part of the found family in all directions) aelwyn abernant is trying so desperately hard to be better and ayda aguefort and adaine swapping homemade spells named after each other (adaine kills her dad with hers its a good time) and ragh barkrock getting over his internalized homophobia

SO IN CONCLUSION these guys have changed each other so much and every single combination of them, be it a duo or a trio or whatever has a distinct dynamic thats so so important to me. they're all family to each other, some of them more than even their real families. they are the guys of all time and my blorbos even and are a wicked good found family

Sometimes a family is the kids who all got detention together on the first day of school at adventuring academy.

And sometimes that family is:

A Half-elf-Half-Pirate rich boy who killed toxic masculinity by learning how to dance, and mercy-killed his father by stabbing him with a sword.

"The Greatest Wizard of this Age" (actually a Barbarian who took a level in artificer to boost his cellphone-reception to call and apologize to his satyr girlfriend) Half-Orc drummer who was adopted by Gnomes;

A bisexual Punk-rocker Tiefling who thought she was a wood-elf until her horns came-in & caused her and her adoptive father to discover that her biological father is actually an Archdevil;

The Elven Oracle (later just "The Oracle"/"Everybody's Oracle") who was adopted by the school's Werewolf Guidance Councilor after her evil parents disowned her (she later punched her evil bio-dad to death in a single round of combat, despite being a magic caster);

An aro-ace (un)licensed Private Investigator Goblin who carries a briefcase and ate the face of the dragon that ate his father;

And a lesbian ex-fundie human who met the corn-god her family worships, found out he sucks & left the church and her family, CREATED HER OWN GOD (of Buzzfeed listical symbols, known first as "YES!" then later "YES?"), only to then abandon that god to become the Saint of the long forgotten Goddex/Goddess of Mystery, Night and Magic.

(Optionally, add in the Half-Orc repressed-gay bully they befriended and helped come out)

And sometimes, that found family becomes a literal family, because over the course of the series:

Fig's mom starts dating Adaine's adoptive dad,

Fig's adoptive dad gets engaged to Fabian's mom,

Fig's biological dad starts dating Riz's mom,

Kirsten starts dating the niece of Adaine's adoptive dad/Fig's mom' boyfriend.

(Gorgug is the only one who still isn't related to the others, but he did find his biological parents. And although he still lives with his adoptive parents, he is now in the famous band "Fig and the Cig Figs" along-side his bio-parents, Fig, and Fig's bio-dad)

Currently, Fig, Adaine, Kirsten, Fig's mom, Adaine's adopted dad, Kirsten's GF, Adaine's biological older sister, Adaine's sister's ghost fiancé, Ragh, Ragh's mom, and Fig's Half-Phoenix librarian/pirate GF all live in one giant haunted old Victorian-style Manor.

[absolutebl]

10 BLs With Bad First Impressions

BLs that sounded terrible in their synopsizes or trailers or in the first few episodes but really are worth watching.  

1. My Lascivious Boss

Vietnam (202) YouTube 

Not that we got much of a synopsis (Vietnamese BL isn’t listed on MDL) but from the trailer I was very suspicious. It’s now one of my favorite VBLs with fantastic queer rep. Yes, the seme is a drunken idiot most of the time, so you have to be okay with that, but it’s totally worth it for the uke character and his hella gay besties. They are beyond adorable. Full review here.

2. He's Coming to Me

Thailand (2019) YouTube 

I hugely dislike the my ghost boyfriend trope because China (and now Korea Peach of Time and Thailand Something in My Room) has made me expect it to be sad. HCTM is one of the few exceptions from GMMTV with two heavy hitting actors and one of BL’s greatest coming out sequences. Full review here.

3. Gameboys

The Philippines (2020) NetFlix?

Pinoy BL is not my thing. Also I didn’t want to watch anything about quarantine while in quarantine. But everyone said I should, so I did, and I loved it. (*whispers* I do like See You After Quarantine? even better, tho.)

4. My Esports Genius Brother 

China (2021) Gaga  

A strangely cute somewhat incomprehensible censored magical realism BL micro series about fated mates who balance each other out and must find the courage to stay together. Way more gay than I thought China could get these days. Full review here. 

5. Great Men Academy

Thailand (2029) ?

I HATE body swap. I love this show. Is it BL? That’s open to debate. But I liked it despite the premise and that’s real rare for me.

6. We Best Love

Taiwan (2020) WeTV 

I read the synopsis for this and I was like, really Taiwan? Have you NO imagination? Just stuffed with classic overused tropes. There is literally nothing unique about this show. Yet it worked out GREAT because WBL is a poster child for pair chemistry carrying a BL and it’s now one of my favorites of all time. Full review here.

7. DNA Says Love You 

Taiwan (2022) Gaga

Terribly weak first 3 episodes but stick with and you’ll be glad you did. As expected from Taiwan the acting and intimacy is on point it’s just the initial paranormal investigation arc is off - fortunately we switch focus to Amber and then it becomes and gloriously queer show. Full review here. 

8. Secret Crush On You

There cringiest cringe to ever cringe (and I watched 90s Japanese comedies, so I should know). Look this one was really hard for me to watch all along (I started and stopped 3x), but most watchers felt like it got substantially better after the 4th episode. The support cast is amazing, the queer rep unprecedented, and the chemistry is fantastic. But the cringe never really stops. Perhaps this is a case of “in knowing it better the cringe is better understood” (sorry Austen). Full review here. 

9. My Tooth Your Love

Taiwan 2022 Viki & Gaga 

Look the pitch was this is a “romance involving a dentist and dentistry,” and that’s true, which is hella weird. For many this was (and is) a turn off but I don’t have that phobia, and I enjoy medical dramas, AND I like Taiwanese stuff even when it gets odd. And ya know what, this is an absolutely wonderful show. My highest rated Taiwanese BL of 2022. 

10. Be Love In House I Do 

Taiwan (2021) Viki 

Apparently Taiwan really isn’t great at beginnings because a lot of them ended up on this list. The whole premise of this show is absurd and the incoming boss with his rubber gloves is creepy, but it becomes such a romantic bit of business once it finds it stride: ridiculously saccharine, domestic, and hella hot. Trust me, just watch it. This is peak Taiwanese BL, if you wanna know what Taiwan does well, this is it, this is what they do. Full review here. 

(source) 

[fallenstarsgc]

Hihi!! This is a blog dedicated to (mostly) the Fallen Stars, 2019-2021 Version!

This is kinda like an FAQ thing, tho I take it more as "For (almost) All Questions" than "Frequently..."

Asks are open!

Warnings are at the bottom of the post, before the "About the Admin", sorry!

I use mostly what I have from the Gacha community from back then as inspiration/goals for them/etc, tho they have a bit more character than just "emo uwu baby" or the like! I still place a lot of their characters into the old tropes.

This also means they don't follow the truly canon characters! A lot of it is made up and fanonised!

Another factor into this is that I also cannot find a lot of canon information to ALL these characters in the time span that I'd still be motivated to even do this, as it takes a lot of time. So it's headcanons and fanon mixed!

There are two Chara's and Frisk's in this team, one pair are adults and dating Sans (19 y/os) + she/her pronouns, the other pair is small Frisk and Ghost!Chara who both use they/them! Also I mix a lot of the ideas people have/had for both Star Sanses and Fallen Stars, this meaning the team'll end up pretty big!

This is like found family trope but instead of them just having a "family type" they're also dating kinda! Like a really big poly but unknowingly from some sides! They're confused but they got the spirit!

Small Character introductions here!

Shattered/Dream; a kind-hearted spirit and prior Positive Guardian that has fallen due to his brothers hatred towards him, and several other factors. No one besides the team knows he is corrupted. (he/him)

Ink; after his friends' disappearance and other friends' crash in the antivoid, his vials had been taken away. Occasionally at Error's for fights or "fights" still (he/they)

Blueberror; prior Swap, after being (more or less) forced to stay in the antivoid for just too long he has glitched out and became this version. Mocks Error often and has taken on a slight parental role, just more strict and rude. (he/him)

Unlust/Cher; used to be Lust, but after Events in his au and with Red, an underfell sans, she stepped up for themself and went with Yanberry into the Fallen Stars. His LV has changed her body drastically. She's also the tallest. (any pronouns)

Yanberry; named Blueberry prior to seeing his brother killed in front of her by his Chara. After the reset, he had somehow kept his memory, making him go mad and kill almost everyone in her AU. Shattered had found him and brought him into the Team while he was stalking Dust. (he/him w occasional she/her)

Frisk; since she is now an adult, she is casually dating Sans and Chara. Often goes onto "missions" with the team. She's more or less of a hypocrite and a bit mean, tho she tries to be nice still. Will attack you if you try and hurt Sans. (she/her)

Chara; since she is now an adult, she also started casually dating Sans and Frisk. She feels bad for what happened, and the yellow flowers blooming on her head are a constant reminder of her wrong-doings. (she/her)

Little Frisk/Fry; they're a little sweetheart! But they're also dangerous. Don't step on the bugs they'll kill you for harming their friends :( (they/them)

Ghost!Chara/Charm; they're nice, but also like your intrusive thoughts. And they don't leave Fry alone ever. Also their crush is chocolate fyi (they/them)

Cor!Classic; not a lot is known about him. all we know is he's LV20 and dangerous. (he/him)

Honorable Character mentions:

Sci (neutral ground), Outer (occasionally drops by), Core (had no true choice), Ghost!Dream (from another dimension)

The Bad-Now-Good Guys:

Nightmare; Usually really mean and rude, but is also the only one allowed to hurt Dream. Could possibly corrupt back but doesn't due to fear, most likely.

Killer; more of a malevolent person to the Stars. Knows Cross's dirty little secret but keeps shut about it so he stays still about his own. Nightmare's right hand

Horror; Usually stays at Farm's place, but is also still more than not in the castle, usually by Murder's side. Keeps out of missions a lot but is pretty brutal when it comes to it.

Dust; A somewhat nicer version of Murder. Unaware of Yanberry's stalking&yandere behaviour towards him.

Murder; Stays with Horror a lot. His face is just gone and it unnerves Yan. Just as brutal as Horror and Killer, with LV20.

Cross; Stayed by Nightmare due to not wanting to come over as a traitor. However he is a traitor by simply dating/loving Dream. Keeps undercover.

Honorable Character mentions:

Error (doesn't care a lot), Farm (kind, neutral side character), Color (tries salvaging Killer, it doesn't work)

Please stay kind for all of this! I'm still learning how to do blogs such as these.

I might end up drawing human version instead of skeletons, and this doesn't really have a lot of big meaning, I just felt like drawing humans that day XD

Dust and Murder are two seperate Dust's/Murder's to me. This is why Yanberry can stalk Dust while Murder will be left untouched by this.

This account will mostly run off asks, so sending them in, no matter what they may be, is appreciated!

Also if there's text instead of a drawing to an ask, then that day I wanted to reply but could not find the energy to draw one! It's not because I favour anyone, I just have changing energy/motivation.

Updates can vary, due to me not having my computer and tablet with me 24/7

Possible triggers/warnings/might mention: self-harm/sh, past abuse, yandere behaviour, genocide routes (UT-way), death

(more to be added)

About the Admin!

↳ Orange ; they/them ; main - @orange-dreamzer

↳

-

(always updating) Videos from that time range:

How Bad Sanses found out... - Link

Bad Guys react + Passive... - Link

Bad Sans Meet... - Link

Bad Sans react... - Link

Fallen Stars meet Bad Sans - Link

Singing Battle(s) - Links one ,

Other memes: Lambada , Stars+Fallen , Angry Too ,

[sattlersquarry]

Steve Harrington x Reader Fics

�� orange juice - (Post Season 4 AU) Steve's world changes in the worst way when he loses you. He struggles to move on...but he learns he might not have to when he miraculously gets a second chance with you.

🫀 the great divide - (Sequel to Orange Juice; Post Season 4 AU) After your miraculous return to the land of the living, you aren't doing well. [READ THE WARNINGS!!!]

🔪SuperFreaky - [AU inspired by Freaky (2020); modern body-swap-with-a-slasher AU] The Hawkins Hacker has been terrorizing your town for years now. What happens when he digs his hooks into you is surprising. It's shocking. It's downright superfreaky.

🌸🪻🥀 bloom - (Series; Completed; Post Season 4 AU) In the summer of 1987, you and your mother travel to Hawkins, Indiana to plan the event of the season: the Byers-Hopper wedding. (garden center!steve x wedding planner!reader)

🔥 the view between villages, part one: good bones - (Season 3) Armed with nothing but a GED and a small sum of inheritance money, you move to Hawkins, Indiana in March 1985 for a fresh start. ... It seems that the town has a strange history with science experiments and government cover-ups, but that’s all in the past...right? (this is a choose-your-own adventure fic with about 10 possible storylines.)

💀 the view between villages, part two: haunted - (Season 4) Things in Hawkins are much calmer than they were over the Fourth of July week. ... Wait a minute ... have you been experiencing any strange symptoms? Nightmares, headaches, nosebleeds? (this is a choose-your-own adventure fic.)

🍓 forget-me-not - (Post Season 4) Steve Harrington broke your heart almost a year ago. You think it's only right to still hold a grudge, despite how good he seems.

📼 the video store frame-up of '86 - (Post Season 3, lightly inspired by Romeo & Juliet) You and Steve fall in love, despite working at rival video stores. Things get complicated when the two of you are prime suspects in a Blockbuster video vandalism.

🖤 the end is here - DIRECT FOLLOW-UP OF VIDEO STORE FRAME-UP OF '86 - (Season 4 adjacent) Your boyfriend Steve Harrington is keeping secrets from you, and you aren't sure how much longer you can take it.

🍃 & now i’m covered in you - (Post Season 3, inspired by Taylor Swift's "ivy") Despite having a boyfriend, you find your feelings for your best friend Steve Harrington growing tenfold over Christmas break, 1985.

👻 Worse Than Ghosts (Series; Completed) - Y/N is a producer on YouTube's most popular ghost-hunting show. When she and the Spirit Search team travel to Hawkins, Indiana to film their second season premiere at the Creel House, they discover that some things are worse than ghosts. [Modern Buzzfeed Unsolved AU]

🎶 Elegia (Series; Completed) - (Season 4 AU) You get a call at 6 in the morning from your coworker Steve Harrington, demanding to know your favorite song. 

🎲 Remedial Chaos Theory 2.0 (from July 2019) (Series; Completed) -  Steve Harrington’s life takes a turn for the weird when Dustin tries to set him up with his babysitter, Y/N.

Part 1 / Part 2 / Part 3 / Part 4 / Part 5 / Epilogue

RCT 2.0 Moodboard

🏀 A Study in Self-Sufficiency (Series; Kind of Completed; Sequel to RCT 2.0) - Steve is tired of his parents deciding everything for him; he and Y/N bond over controlling parents and Y/N shares a secret about her past.

Part 1 / Part 2

Non-x Reader Stories

🍕 Remedial Chaos Theory 1.0 (from 2018) (Completed) - A normal night of D&D turns topsy-turvy when the party has to choose one person to go upstairs and get the pizza. Based on the “Remedial Chaos Theory” episode of NBC’s Community.

Prologue / Lucas / Will / Max / Mike / Dustin / Eleven / Epilogue: Steve and Roxanne

[thefirstknife]

So do u have a favourite Ghost shell? Or ghost shells, plural?

My beautiful baby, Nine Lives shell. It's a Festival of the Lost shell so it should be up for grabs every FotL if you don't have it. It meows when you pull your ghost out. Also when your Ghost shows up when you die. The meow alone makes this the best shell ever for me.

My baby boy getting lost in the sauce of finality. I grabbed that shell the first year it was up (2019) and I have never ever swapped off from it on my Hunter since. The shader I use is Cryptic Insignia because it makes the shell kinda creamy-white and paints the inner shell blue to look like a blue eye: it's a tribute to my old cat whom I had for almost 18 years and over half of my life. So this shell is not only my little baby boy Ghost that meows for me all the time, he's also my cat that I lived with for 18 years. Also, the projection is a kitty cat too. I also have a kitty sparrow, with the same colour scheme.

Overall I really like most of the shells. They're super cute, especially when they're a little bit silly and look clearly hand-made. I also love when they just have clothes. My Titan uses this one. It's just a hat. The Ghost just has a little hat:

[capswarmedals]

CHAPTER 5 IS OUT!!!!

angst? ANGST!;!!! side characters? YES!!!!! this is a swap au which means a certain character has swapped... ATTITUDES. MWHAHAHAHAHA

enjoy.

[hypnoneghoul]

Hii, sorry, what's the bus swap thing about?

it's ghosts bus assignments from 2019, the first section is the band so all the ghouls, papa...and someone named shaun apparently

[little-cereal-draws]

In 1612, Humphrey Bone was hung for the federal offence of witchcraft. How did this happen? He doesn't quite know either.

-

This was inspired by a role swap au drawing by @spacerangersam. Pat's a WW2 home guard, Kitty's a Victorian lady, the captain is a Regency poet, Fanny is a MP, and Humphrey was hung for being a witch. I'm reading a book rn that's made of a compilation of primary documents from witch trials in England and North America, 1582-1813, so Humphrey really caught my interest. (Basically, I just wanted to infodump abt everything that I've learned while also relating it to my other special interest rn lol)

[angels-heap]

*raises hand* I want to know about the barney/Lauren fic!

OKAY SO. In late 2019/early 2020 while I was writing The Ghost in You, I was also writing a companion fic in my brain that followed Lauren, Barney, and Gordon pre-rescas, from the time they all met until the day after the Incident. Working title was “Every Breath You Take” because (1) I suck at titles, (2) I’d already titled two fics in that series after 80s songs and wanted to stick to the pattern, and (3) the whole concept was that Lauren thought she was successfully spying on Black Mesa and uncovering conspiracies – which she was, to be clear – but the G-man was also watching her.

I kept telling myself not to start earnestly drafting the fic until The Ghost in You was closer to done, both because I didn’t want to manage two longfics at once and because I felt the prequel would hit harder after readers learned more about Lauren through post-HL2 Barney and Gordon’s recollections. Then, of course, the 2020 fandom bullshit happened and I basically scrapped the idea, though it lives on in my head and in a handful of drafts and phone notes scattered across my devices.

It’s highly unlikely that I’ll write the fic at this point, despite my renewed interest in the fandom, mostly because my 9-5 job (which is really more of an 8-10 job) won’t allow me the time or flexibility to take on another project that big. So, for anyone who’s curious about what could have been…

Context: Lauren is a food service/cafeteria worker at Black Mesa, assigned to the cafeteria near Sector C at the time of the story. This is how and where she met Barney (as explained in The Ghost in You). A running theme of the prequel was to be how service workers (especially female service workers) were essentially invisible at Black Mesa due to the various -isms and prejudices of the time, which meant Lauren could get away with a lot with a little stealth and social engineering.

I’ve forgotten and/or never got around to drafting a lot of the connective tissue between the major plot points, but here’s a rundown of all the important beats I can find/remember:

Story opens with Barney telling Lauren about “ponytail guy” (Gordon), the new AnMat scientist who always eats alone and never seems to talk to anyone. Lauren challenges Barney to approach ponytail guy and to her surprise, they hit it off. Barney won’t shut up about how nice and interesting his new friend is all night, and the next day, when Barney shows up to help her move her stuff into his apartment, he brings ponytail guy with him! Lauren’s wary of him at first, due to a general distrust of scientists, but eventually warms up to him through dunking on Barney and a mutual interest in sci-fi.

Lauren’s team caters a working lunch for Dr. Breen and other higher-ups. She inadvertently overhears something she shouldn’t have about the Lambda Complex’s unacceptably high casualty rate. She recalls hearing rumors and noticing that some of those scientists have gone missing recently, but had assumed they quit/moved/retired. Now she’s not so sure. She vows to keep closer tabs on Lambda Complex scientists in the future and decides not to mention any of this to fellow conspiracy nut Barney—at least, not yet. Not until she has proof.

Interlude: Lauren and Barney have a conversation about who they’d want a “hall pass” to sleep with, no questions asked, without it affecting their relationship. After some back-and-forth, they decide to write their choices down on scrap paper and swap them. Lauren picks Leonardo DiCaprio. Barney picks Gordon. He instantly protests that he didn’t understand the game, but Lauren knows better. She’s also not surprised, and she likes Gordon well enough, and she feels secure enough in their relationship that she doesn’t exactly feel threatened that Barney’s also attracted to Gordon. In fact, she finds the whole thing kind of hot, but she’s not inclined to tell Barney that yet. It’s more fun to let him squirm and see where things go.

Over a span of several weeks, Lauren hears rumors that several more Lambda Complex scientists have suddenly disappeared. She starts casually asking around and gets stonewalled at every turn, which only raises further suspicions. She asks Gordon what he thinks and he shrugs the whole thing off as a rumor. On her way home from Gordon’s apartment, she sees a pale man in a blue suit watching her from a distance. He makes eye contact with her, straightens his tie, and walks away.

Lauren picks up extra shifts as a custodian to gain access to Sector E facilities, based on a hunch. She pretends to get lost and strategically “stumbles across” one of the specimen labs, where she discovers Xen fauna in various stages of dissection and skims some unsecured lab notes. When she's caught by a condescending scientist who's clearly in a hurry, she simply plays dumb and gets escorted back to her work area with a warning. After that shift, she returns to her and Barney’s shared apartment to find that he and Gordon are celebrating the news that Gordon’s up for a promotion to the Lambda Complex team, pending a letter of recommendation from Dr. Kleiner. Lauren instantly knows that this cannot be allowed to happen and starts scheming.

Next time the three of them get together, Lauren casually asks Gordon if he knows about Xen, to which he replies, “Zen? I’ve never relaxed a day in my life.” (This conversation is also referenced in TGIY). This confirms that he has no idea what he’s about to be sent off to do, so she resolves to set her plan into action. After Barney and Gordon conk out on the couch, she steals Gordon’s swipe card and manages to convince the guard in Sector C (a friend of Barney’s) that Gordon asked her to drop something off in Kleiner’s office. He escorts her in and looks away long enough for her to steal Gordon’s letter of rec out of Kleiner’s outgoing mail tray. She smuggles it out, rips it to shreds, and flushes it down the toilet. G-man watches her leave.

(Somewhere in here, Barney and Gordon attend the infamous Christmas Party referenced in The Ghost in You, where they get super drunk and end up making out with each other while Lauren is out of town. Barney calls Lauren the next day and she just knows something happened between them, but she’s not mad. Barney hands Gordon the phone, and she gives him a minor heart attack by saying something along the lines of “Next time you decide to make out with my boyfriend, can you at least invite me?” This whole debacle could’ve been—and almost was—its own fic.)

Gordon’s transfer never goes through. Everything goes back to normal. Lauren continues to snoop around and becomes increasingly paranoid that the blue-suited bureaucrat is following her around (because he is). She mentions this to Barney, who shrugs it off (“Black Mesa’s crawling with suits”) and suggests that maybe she’s seeing things because she hasn’t been sleeping well. Lauren realizes he’s right, and maybe there’s more to her nightmares and restless sleep and constant body aches than the stress of uncovering an interdimensional conspiracy that she can’t talk about with anyone. She takes a pregnancy test. It's positive.

(Insert a scene referenced in The Ghost in You: Either the one where Lauren tells Barney about the pregnancy and he freaks the fuck out, or the post-Galaxy Quest conversation where Lauren asks Gordon if he thinks Barney would be a good father, from Lauren’s POV.)

Flash forward to the day of the incident. Lauren’s in New York when she hears news that something’s happened at Black Mesa. She starts calling Barney’s apartment phone (no answer, no answering machine) and Gordon’s (no answer, and she discovers that Barney recorded a goofy message on Gordon’s answering machine without his knowledge). Hours drag on with no news, and the rest of her family eventually goes out to dinner, leaving her alone, dialing Gordon’s number over and over, even after she knows in her heart that he’s never going to answer, just to hear Barney’s voice. Eventually, the line is disconnected mid-call.

(If you’ve read The Ghost in You, you probably have your suspicions as to how everything ends. I’m intentionally leaving this vague for now, just to preserve the ambiguity, but suffice to say that Lauren’s experience of her last phone call with Barney was a bit different than his. If anyone’s actually read this far, I welcome your theories.)

So, that's the fic! I'm sure its final form would've been much more interesting and cohesive than this outline, but I was proud of it as a starting point and it gave rise to so many of my cherished headcanons. Make of it what you will.

[onlycodcanjudgeme]

Fic Exchange Friday

Over the past week, you’ve sent us your highlights of fics to show off, and looked forward to reading and reviewing new fics buried deep in the pile of the Cal of Duty fanfic archives. And we have made it our mission to collect and compile them all for your convenience. Now—the moment you have all been waiting for!

Drumroll… 🥁 🪘

The Big Fic Exchange Friday!

available to you by OnlyCODCanJudgeMe

Thank you to everyone who participated in this experimental event! We hope you'll find some new fics to fall in love with, and we’d love to hear if you’re interested in seeing this event again in the future!

Without further ado: please enjoy our masterlist of fanfics galore!

@alidravana

Wednesday Pick Me Up — When the Green Team takes over running the coffee canteen at the Santa Monica base, a particular blonde barista catches Keegan’s eye…and maybe his heart. We Break So Beautiful — An exploration of the importance of touch in Mitchell's and Gideon's continuously evolving relationship. Partners in Crime — AKA 3+1 times Logan was completely oblivious, and the one time even he couldn’t miss the signs in front of him. Waiting on that Morning Sun — While Keegan lays wide awake at night, Logan wrapped around him like a cuddly octopus, he reflects on the changes in his life since Logan Walker appeared in it. The Sky Burns Red — Against all odds, Roach and Ghost make it out of the pit.

@mikk1n

The Plagued Capital — After his death in Prague, Soap MacTavish wakes up in a city both alien and familiar. He stumbles across a pub and a conspiracy. Watered Elixir — Plague breaks out on a ship bound for Karnaca. As luck would have it, Makarov falls ill.

@samatedeansbroccoli

Scale of Fear — Verdansk saw a dragon, but Woods only saw a man in pain. Dragon!Adler x Woods. Shabbat Meal — Having taken up a job as a Death Row cook, Lazar talks to Sims about the past. Tili Tili Bom — After Solovetsky, Belikov ensures Bell gets the best care away from prying CIA eyes. Belikov/Bell if you squint. Together — When the odds are stacked against him, Édouard Conteau finds an unlikely ally to help him out. Ghost/Templar if you squint.

@samithemunchkin

I had a thousand bad times, so what’s another time to me? — Mitchell knew, deep down, that in his situation none of that mattered. He was about as unfit for duty as a toddler. Or, the beginning of fics following Mitchell and Gideon's life after the fall of Atlas

@satan-incarnate-666

Fall Into the Sky — A set of angsty Modern Warfare Two oneshots!! i can't believe how far we have come — A feel-good 141-shot (get it? im hilarious really) with lots of found family fun!! I'm Almost Me Again, She's Almost You — Mason/Woods post-Black Ops One angst ft. baby David and Mrs. Mason!! Hold On, My Dear, I'm Coming Home — Post-canon hurt/comfort for the Modern Warfare 2019 ensemble!! Heaven And Hell Were Words To Me — MW2 But They're A Bunch Of Immortals au!! Features Ghost/Roach/Soap; Currently on hiatus but I'm writing for it again!!

@tokillamockingbird427

Placeholder — A "What if..?" scenario set in the COD: Ghosts universe where Rorke, the antagonist of the cannon uni, and Elias, the protagonist's father, are swapped. Results in many interesting and tear jerking hijinks. (The "What if..?" being: "What if Elias was the one to fall instead of Rorke?").

@weavergrigori

Operation Greenlight, Redlight — Takes place after the duga ending, in a timeline where things can somehow get far worse than just nukes in europe. It's heavily zombies focused but has a strong link to the bo1 and bocw campaign !

[neochannel]

i7 2600k 3,8 GHz vs 4,5 GHz vs 5,0 GHz Test in 14 Games or E3 1270 vs i7 2600k OC

CPU benchmark Intel Core i7 2600 3.8 GHz vs i7 2600k 4,5 GHz vs i7 2600k 5,0 GHz in 14 Games or Xeon E3 1270 vs i7 2600k OC Comparison of 2014 Intel processor at 3.8GHz, 4.5GHz, 5.0GHz. And how does overclocking affect the 4-core i7 2600k. p.s. Detailed graphs with CPU benchmark results. One of the best on youtube. 👇👇👇 Look at what bonuses I offer to sponsors: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCO346ZpBN8jnD0fsqgF2stA/join Voluntary donations for the channel: https://www.youtube.com/c/NeochannelNeochannel/about

Timecode: 00:00 System configuration 00:32 Metro Exodus (2019) 02:49 Assassins Creed Origins (2017) 05:30 Crysis 3 (2013) 08:35 Far Cry 5 (2018) 10:02 Need for Speed: Payback (2017) 12:24 Tom Clancys Ghost Recon Wildlands (2017) 13:50 Watch Dogs 2 (2016) 17:10 Shadow of the Tomb Raider (2018) 20:35 The Witcher 3 Wild Hunt (2015) 23:50 Assassin's Creed Odyssey (2018) 25:32 Battlefield 5 (2019) 28:37 Grand Theft Auto V (2015) 31:07 Gears 5 (2019) 32:35 Borderlands 3 (2019) 34:50 All benchmark results

System configuration: CPU 1: Intel Core i7 2600k (3.8 GHz) CPU 2: Intel Core i7 2600k (4.5 GHz) CPU 3: Intel Core i7 2600k (5.0 GHz) MOTHERBOARD 1: Asus P8P67 (rev 3.1) RAM 1: DDR3 TEAM GROUP Vulcan (2х8 Gb), 2133 MHz GPU: GeForce GTX1080 8 Gb (GDDR-5x) GigaByte AORUS SSD: M.2 Team T-Force cardea 240 Gb (SWAP files) HDD: Seagate barracuda 5900 rpm,  2 Тб (Games) Cooler: Custom water cooling (rad 120x240 mm) Power: FSP EVEREST 85PLUS 800W

I apologize in advance for the quality, youtube reduces the quality in some places.

____ #intel #i72600k #E31270 #i72700k  #i72600  #corei72600k  #corei72600 #stock  #benchmark  #corei5 #GigaByte #aorus #gtx1080 #AsusP8P67 #Asus #z390  #intel #farcry  #assassinscreed #metroexodus  #assassinscreedorigins #crysis3  #farcry5 #needforspeedpayback #shadowofthetombraider   #thewitcher3wildhunt  #assassinscreedodyssey #battlefield5  #gears5  #borderlands3

[hallmark-movie-fanatics]

New to Hallmark Movies Now - November

November 

Redemption in Cherry Springs (2021)  Starring Rochelle Aytes, Keith D. Robinson, and Frankie Faison.  Hallmark Movies & Mysteries 

Murder, She Baked: A Deadly Recipe (2016)   Starring Alison Sweeney, Cameron Mathison, Barbara Niven, Lisa Durupt, Gabriel Hogan, Juliana Wimbles, Toby Levins, Kristen Robek, and Viv Leacock.  Hallmark Movies & Mysteries / Movie 4 of 5 

Garage Sale Mysteries: Murder in D Minor (2018)  Starring Lori Loughlin, Sarah Strane, Steve Bacio, Eva Bourne, Connor Stanhope, Kevin O’Grady, and Matthew Harrison.  Hallmark Movies & Mysteries / movie 15 of 16 

Garage Sale Mysteries: Search & Seized (2019)  Starring Lori Loughlin, Sarah Strane, Steve Bacio, Eva Bourne, Connor Stanhope, Kevin O’Grady, Matthew Harrison, Johannah Newmarch, and April Telek.  Movie 16 of 16 

Baby, It’s Cold Outside (2021)  Starring Jocelyn Hudon and Steve Lund.  Hallmark Channel 

Mystery 101: An Education in Murder (2020)  Starring Jill Wagner, Kristoffer Polaha, Robin Thomas, Preston Vanderslice, Caitlin Stryker, David Jame Lewis, and Steve Bacic.  Hallmark Movies & Mysteries / Movie 5 of 7 

Just in Time for Christmas (2015)  Starring Eloise Mumford, Michael Stahl-David, Christopher Llyod, and William Shatner.  Hallmark Channel / Hallmark Hall of Fame / Countdown to Christmas 

The Christmas Secret (2014)  Starring Bethany Joy Lenz, John Reardon, and Susan Hogan.  Hallmark Movies & Mysteries / The Most Wonderful Movies of Christmas 

Paper Angels (2014)  Starring Josie Gresiuk and Matthew Settle.  UPtv 

A Holiday in Harlem (2021)  Starring Olivia Washington, Tina Lifford, and Will Adams.  Hallmark Channel / Countdown to Christmas 

November 2 

Roux the Day: A Gourmet Detective Mystery (2020)  Starring Dylan Neal, Brooke V+Burns, Matthew Kevin Anderson, and Bruce Boxleitner.  Hallmark Movies & Mysteries / Movie 5 of 5 

Our Christmas Love Song (2019)  Starring Alicia Witt and Brendan Hines.  Hallmark Movies & Mysteries / Miracles of Christmas 

The Perfect Catch (2017)  Starring Nikki DeLoach and Andrew Walker.  Hallmark Channel / Spring Fling 

Christmas Encore (2017)  Starring Maggie Lawson and Brennan Elliott.  Hallmark Movies & Mysteries / The Most Wonderful Movies of Christmas 

Trans-Siberian Orchestra Presents: the Ghosts of Christmas Eve The Best of Two and More 

A Cookie Cutter Christmas (2014)  Starring Erin Krakow, Miranda Frigon, David Haydn-Jones, Jill Morrison, and Lara Soltis.  Hallmark Channel / Countdown to Christmas 

November 3 

Sister Swap: A Hometown Holiday (2021)  Starring Kimberly Williams-Paisly, Ashley Williams, Mark Deklin, Keith D. Robinson, and Kevin Nealon.  Hallmark Channel / Countdown to Christmas / Movie 1 of 2 

Christmas in Dollywood (2019)  Starring Danica McKellar, Niall Matter, Krystal Lowe, and Dolly Parton.  Hallmark Channel / Countdown to Christmas 

Aurora Teagarden Mysteries: A Very Foul Play (2019)  Starring Candace Cameron Bure, Niall Matter, Lexa Doig, Marilu Henner, Peter Benson, Miranda Frigon, Dylan Sloane, Ellie Harvie, Catherine Lough Haggquist, Kristen Robek, and Matthew James Dowden.  Hallmark Movies & Mysteries / Movie 12 of 18 

Once Upon a Christmas Miracle (2018)  Starring Aimee Teegarden, Brett Dalton, Lolita Davidovich, and Steve Basic.  Hallmark Movies & Mysteries / Miracles of Christmas 

A Gingerbread Romance (2018)  Starring Tia Mowry-Housley-Hardrict, Duane Henry, and Giles Panton.  Hallmark Channel / Countdown to Christmas 

Three Weeks, Three Kids (2011)  Starring Anna Chlumsky and Warren Christie.  Hallmark Channel 

Holiday Engagement (2011)  Starring Bonnie Somerville, Jordan Bridges, Shelley Long, Sam McMurray, and Haylie Duff.  Hallmark Channel / Countdown to Christmas 

Love, Of Course (2018)  Starring Kelly Rutherford and Cameron Mathison.  Hallmark Channel / Fall Harvest 

November 10 

Christmas in Harmony (2021)  Starring Ashleigh Muray, Luke James, and Loretta Devine.  Hallmark Channel / Countdown to Christmas 

November 17 

Under the Autumn Moon (2018)  Starring Lindy B both and We Brown.  Hallmark Channel / Fall Harvest 

A Christmas Melody (2015)  Starring Lacey Chabert, Brennan Elliott, Kathy Najimy, and Mariah Carey.  Hallmark Channel / Countdown to Christmas 

The Christmas House 2: Deck Those Halls (2021)  Starring Robert Buckley, Ana Ayora, Jonathan Bennett, Brad Harder, Treat Williams, Sharon Lawrence, Michelle Harrison, Matthew James Dowden, and Teryl Rothery.  Hallmark Channel / Countdown to Christmas 

[tnmeem]

I Deleted My Stories Blog So Now Tumblr Can Be The Garbage Can For My Brain: Let's Start With Something Really Really Gay

Monday, 9th February, 2019

Sun pierced the grimy windows. The street was empty except for the parked cars that never seemed to move. A few people would jog or walk past once in a while but other than that, it was quiet. Peaceful. Calm.

There was something so unnerving about it. I looked closely at all the edges of the buildings. If this wasn't real, there would a sign right? My imagination couldn't possibly conjure up a world so detailed.

Right?

A hand fell on my shoulder and I screamed. In a moment, I turned towards the intruder and shoved.

Irene cried out as she slammed into the closet next to my room door, "Ow! Why do you always react like that? I even made noise this time, it's not my fault you were zoning out." She was wearing a shockingly low cut V-neck and tan leggings. She could've been naked and I wouldn't see any more of her body than I already was.

I tried desperately to keep my eyes fixed on her face.

"You can't just rock up here like a creep." I grabbed her hand and pulled her up to her feet, "How'd you get in anyway, did my parents let you in?"

Irene lifted her hand, revealing the silver front door key, "Your mum gave me a key." She walked over to my bed and fell backwards onto it, "She said I come here so often, I may as well have one."

"Great, now I won't even have a warning before you storm into my room and start harassing me!" Irene was my best friend in the whole entire world. But the idea of her being able to enter my space without any forewarning irked me.

She sat up, pouting, "Hey, you're supposed to be happy to see me."

I walked over to the bed and lay down beside her. She didn't hesitate to pull me into her arms and push my head into the crook of her neck.

"Anyways, what were you philosophising about when I got here." She stroked my hair, "Did you find the meaning of life in the pattern of the tree bark?"

I snorted, "If only it were that simple." I sighed, "I was thinking about how much I hate the quiet." I began to braid the tassels on her shirt.

She laughed, "You want to swap with me? I can't even sleep sometimes. All I hear are cars going past and sirens." She groaned, "Whoever decided to put the police, ambulance and fire station so close together seriously needs to re-evaluate their career. I feel like I'm in a detective show." She shifted me from the crook of her neck to her elbows and turned on her side to face me, "I can't even watch horror movies at home anymore."

I turned on my side, "Didn't your parents visit the place before they signed the lease?" The longer I stared into her brown eyes, the softer they appeared, "I wish I lived in an area where people actually interacted instead of acting out a ghost town."

"I don't think I'd want to interact with my neighbours. Too much effort." She shrugged.

"It'd be nice."

"Oh just kiss already!" my brother stood at the open doorway with a smirk on his face. His twelfth birthday had brought out a new version of him. A version that thought it owned the place and never knew when to shut up.

I picked up my shoe off the floor and threw it at him. But the little gremlin ran into his room the moment he saw me bend over and so all my shoe hit was his just closed door.

Irene got off my bed abruptly and made for the door.

I grabbed her wrist, "Hey, where are you going?"

She pulled her wrist out of my grip and turned to face me, "What's so disgusting about kissing me?"

I blinked, "What?"

"Why did you react like that just then? Is the thought of kissing me so bad you have to resort to violence?"

"No- I just didn't want my brother to make you uncomfortable."

"I'm not uncomfortable at the idea of kissing a girl. Why are you?"

I held both my hands up in surrender, "Irene, I would react like that with anyone! I don't have a problem with you being a girl, I just don't want my brother to make my friends uncomfortable. Because you're my friend and obviously we would never kiss."

"So, you don't have a problem with me dating another girl?" Irene took a step towards me. I could feel the warmth of her body and for the barest second, my eyes flickered down.

No! Bad Lakshmi! Don't ogle your friends.

Suddenly, it felt as though I was breathing around a fist, "You're my best friend. I want you to be happy." I quickly stepped to the side and walked to my desk.

She laughed, "Every time I kiss a girl in front of you, you flinch. Whenever I try to get you to meet a new girlfriend, you find an excuse not to come." She held her palm out in a stop gesture, "And don't say it's because you don't like PDA. I've seen you around other couples. Straight couples. They could have sex right in front of you and all you'd say is "Get a room". I don't understand why you can't do the same with me."

"You're being paranoid, I have no problem with you dating women."

"I'm going to go home now." Irene snapped, "I cannot handle this conversation and I especially can't handle your avoidance."

Ian walked out of his room just in time to see Irene stomping down the stairs, "Man, what did you do?"

"I didn't do anything!"

"Wow you're more hopeless at relationships than I though," Before I could throw my other shoe at him, Ian darted back into his room.

Sunday, 10th February, 2019

My favourite thing about Irene is that she was a sucker for chocolate. One time, I had popped her favourite piece in my mouth, and she had just taken it back out with her own. It shocked me so much that I didn't even push her off. Just let her take it from me.

I was now climbing into her room through a window with a backpack filled with chocolate at 6 in the morning on a Sunday.

It was only a matter of time until she got a restraining order against me. Or I got one against her. I guess we were both awful at boundaries and common sense.

She was curled up in bed in the foetal position with the blanket slipping off the bed. I kissed her forehead and pulled her into a sitting position. She groaned.

"Can you guys' kiss and make up later?" The Ahmad's latest foster child called from the next bed over. She was a tiny girl of 14 and had been here for the last three months. I only knew her name was Mariam because Irene told me. Except for school, I had only seen her out of her room a few times. This was the most she had said to me.

"Sorry, I'll be quiet."

"It's fine," she sighed and pulled the blanket over her head.

My chest squeezed tightly. I shouldn't have barged into her space like this. I, of all people, should know better.

"Why are you here?" Irene's voice was gruff. It was probably just from sleep. She rarely stayed mad at me for longer than a day.

I brought a coconut flavoured chocolate bar out of my backpack, "You're going to be worshipping me soon."

She snatched the bar out of my hands before breaking off a small piece and giving it to me. I didn't waste a moment before shoving it into my mouth. Irene frequently changed her mind about sharing and I rarely had the energy to fight her on it. I moaned as the chocolate melted in my mouth. It was a lot better than the rum flavour I'd tried. That had tasted like someone dried overripe berries and then juiced them. Despite checking it three times, I had been convinced it was expired.

"I'm sorry."

"You know," she smiled, "I have the opposite of what most gay kids face. My parents and school accept me but my best friend doesn't."

"Irene, I don't have a problem with you being gay."

"Really?" She smirked, "So you wouldn't care if I started making out with another girl in front of you?"

"It would make me a little uncomfortable," I sighed, "But that's only because we've grown up together. I still remember when you were obsessed with barbies. It's just hard for me to process sometimes that you actually have a," I cringed, "Love life." I took another bite of the chocolate. Maybe the sweetness would take my mind off the stinging in my eyes.

"Would you come to my wedding at least?" I froze, "I'll probably get married one day and I'd want my best friend to be there."

I forced a smile onto my face, "Yeah, how can you have a wedding without the maid of honour?"

She laughed and kissed my cheek.

"Guys!" Mariam whined.

"Sorry, we'll shut up now." I called and let Irene pull me down on the bed so that we were lying together.

***

"Shit!" Irene jolted me awake as she scrambled out of bed. In the light of the morning, her waist length hair looked as though a bird had been trapped in it and then spent all night trying to break free.

I groaned, "What's wrong?" I grabbed her elbow to stop her from going too far away. I was rewarded by her jerking my entire body out of bed, making me fall heavily on the carpet.

"I'm going to be late!"

I rubbed my eyes, "It's Sunday."

"Not for school dummy!" She pulled me up and I chose to lean against her side rather than stand on my own feet, "I'm working today!"

I crawled back into her bed, "Why do you keep going there when you hate it?"

She attempted to pull me back up, "Come on, keep me company while I work."

"No thanks, I don't like fast food."

I groaned as she sat on my stomach, "I'll give you free brownies." She got up and sat back down, "Now come on, you told me you would come."

"Urgh," I attempted to push her off me with my useless arms, "I don't care about food right now, I just want to sleep.

"Lakshmi come on," she whined.

"Leave me alone woman." This time, I managed to dislodge her with my shove. I turned on my stomach. She could sit on my arse and I would still not agree. I hadn't slept this well in two weeks. Nothing short of a house fire was getting me out of this bed.

I groaned when my phone began to ring, "Can you take that cursed thing with you?"

"It's your mum." A moment later, "Hi Mrs. Wilson, how are you?"

Traitor.

AN: So, I started writing this when I was 17 and if it reads like a Wattpad story, that's because it is. Like most millennial and Gen Z writers with access to a phone, I started writing on Wattpad. I honestly doubt anyone will recognise me but if you do, shush!