#i was only skeptical because adult swim. and most of the shows it has i would hate. and then i find out it was intended for Cartoon Network

[purplemoonabove]

Me, after Amphibia and The Owl House finished: 🥺😭

Me, waiting for Season 2 of both Good Omens and Our Flag Means Death: 🥰😩😍😤😘🤬🫣

Me, spotting a woman that looks like an older Luz Noceda mixed with Voltron’s Lance McClain: …😯🫢🫣🤔

Me, finding out the character is Lois Lane: 😲🫨

Me, checking out the new show: 🧐

Me, now:

Guess who joined a new fandom?! 😍👍🏾

[angelsfalling16]

Swimming and Baking

I came up with the idea for this fic while I was in the pool this morning and it's a little rushed and barely edited but it feels so good to be writing again 😁 also, it's very small, but there's a mention of Simon's birthday at the end, so happy 25th birthday, Simon! 🥳🎂

Summary: Simon never learned how to swim when he was a kid, and when he finally decides to learn how, he's surprised to run into an old nemesis/crush.

Word count: 2182

Read it on ao3 or down below

Simon

It’s embarrassing enough that I'm 24 years old and never learned how to swim, but I'm even more mortified when I see who my swim instructor is. Bouncing from foster home to foster home, I never really had an opportunity to learn how to swim - no one cared enough to teach me - and now, seeing Baz pitch of all people, I'm wondering if this was a mistake.

Baz was the hottest guy at our high school. Not that I would have ever admitted that back then. I didn't begin to understand my feelings for him until it was far too late, and then we graduated and I never saw him again. Until now, at one of my most humiliating moments.

I want to turn around and leave, pretend like this never happened, but it's too late. He's already seen me.

He seems just as surprised to see me, but he's very professional as he explains to me the basics of swimming.

"For today, we'll just focus on learning how to float. To start, I'm going to have you lay back in the water, and I'm going to help keep you above the water."

I nod and follow his instructions. He places one hand under my back and the other under my legs. My body feels tense all over, as I try to react to the feeling of his hands on me.

"Relax," Baz says gently. "Just breathe and relax."

 Baz

In high school, I imagined a million ways that I could have my hands on Simon, but none of them were quite like this. It was surprising to see him after all of these years and even more surprising given the circumstances.

He's not the only adult we've had to teach how to swim, but it's weird how things have aligned in such a away that I'm his swim instructor. This is going to be an interesting few weeks.

***

Simon 

Shit. I'm running late.

"Tish," I call out to the front of the bakery, and a moment later, she enters, her blue and black striped hair swinging. Her color of the month.

"Yes?"

"Can you watch these cakes and pull them out to cool? Cal will be in first thing in the morning to decorate them."

They're a last minute order, but I couldn't say no to making one more pride cake. It is pride month after all.

"Of course," Tish nods, but I'm still skeptical. Tish is amazing when it comes to making cool and crazy coffee flavors, but she's the opposite when it comes to baking. "It'll be fine. Aren't you late to be somewhere?"

I sigh because she's right.

If Baz had just given me his number, I could have texted him to let him know that I would be late, but he refused, saying it was unprofessional. And now he probably thinks I flaked because of how terrible I am even though this will only be our third lesson.

 Baz

Simon is late. I shouldn't be so surprised. He was always late back in school, but since he's paying for this, you'd think that he would try to actually show up on time.

Maybe he quit. I can't tell if I want that or would hate that.

Seeing Simon again after all these years has brought up a turmoil of feelings in me. I thought I had gotten over him years ago, resigning myself to the fact that I'd likely never see him again. But then he walked back into my life, bringing those old feelings along with him.

Teaching him has been kind of difficult because I don't want to push him too far or make him feel uncomfortable by touching him too much. A lot of my instruction has been solely verbal, which is a struggle for him, but he keeps showing up anyway.

I should suggest that he find a different swim instructor, but I can't seem to find the words to do so. I don't want it to seem like I'm pushing him away, and if I'm being completely honest, I like spending this time with him and am not ready to see him walk back out of my life.

It's stupid, I know, but as long as he still wants to come, I'm going to let him.

***

Simon

"Who is that?" Sam says a couple of weeks later, loud enough that even Cal looks up from the cookies they were carefully decorating with rainbow stripes. We've been struggling to keep the baked goods that they've been decorating for pride month in stock for more than a couple of hours each day no matter how many I bake or they decorate.

I look up at the door to see who has just walked in and am shocked to see Baz here.

"Uh, that's my swim instructor," I murmur. They all already know I've been taking swim lessons, but it's still embarrassing to admit.

"Damn, he's hot," Sam says, only a little quieter this time. "I would have take swim lessons too if I'd known the instructor was going to look like him."

"Don't you have a girlfriend?" Tish asks from behind the register, where she's ringing up a young girl who is politely pretending not to be listening in to our admittedly too loud conversation.

"Yeah," Sam replies, "but I can still look."

I shake my head and turn my attention back to Baz who has joined the line to order. His hair is down today, falling in loose waves a few inches past his shoulder. I hadn't realized how long it was because he's always got it pulled up into a bun when we're in the pool. It looks really nice like this.

Tish clears her throat, and I jump. "Perhaps we should all get back to work," she says, looking pointedly at me and Sam. I nod and turn to help Cal with a few cookies watching Baz from the corner of my eye.

I can't believe that Baz is here. In my bakery. Well, mine and Tish's bakery. We opened it together a few years ago. But still, what is he doing here?

"I think he's watching you," Cal murmurs with a knowing smile after a couple of minutes have passed, right before Tish says, "Hey, Simon, will you cover the cash register while I make these coffees?"

It's obvious what she's doing, but I play along anyway. Baz is second in line now, and I force myself to keep my eyes off of him until he's standing directly in front of me.

"What can I get for you today?" I ask. At least, that's what I mean to say. Instead, it comes out more like, "What are you doing?"

God, I'm an idiot. No wonder Baz hates me. I can't even talk to him without making a fool of myself.

He raises an eyebrow at me, and one corner of his mouth turns up in an amused version of that oh-so familiar smirk that has my heart skipping a beat.

"My friend was telling me about this place, and I thought I would stop by and try it. I had no idea that you worked here."

"Actually, he owns the place," Tish says from somewhere behind me, apparently not too busy to eavesdrop on our conversation.

"Wow." Both of his eyebrows raise now. "That's cool."

I nod. "I'm not that stupid boy from high school anymore."

The corners of Baz's mouth turn down, and I wish I could stuff the words back into my mouth. Why can't I speak around him?

"I never thought you were stupid. I just thought you could have applied yourself a little more."

"Right." I don't want to get into this. Our past is messy, and I don't really want to relive high school right now. "So, what I can get for you?"

He pauses briefly, and for a moment, it looks like he wants to say something more but seems to think better of it. He orders some really sweet coffee that only Tish knows how to make and one each of our pride cupcakes and cookies.

Tish manages to wait until Baz has finished eating and left before confronting me, but as soon as the door closes behind him, she's dragging me into the kitchen and demanding answers.

"What's going on with you and Baz? And do not say he's just your swim instructor. Clearly, there's more to it than that."

I shrug, my go-to response when I don't know how to talk about something. I try anyway because Tish is my best friend, besides Penny.

"We went to high school together. I had a crush on him but never told him. We haven't seen each other in years. And now he's teaching me to swim. That's it."

"That's not it. There was some serious tension between y'all. Do you still like him?"

I shrug, then nod. Of course, I do. He's gorgeous and kind and funny, and I don't think I ever really got over him. But I know he could never like me back. To him, I'm still that immature boy who drove him mad in school. And now, the boy who never learned to swim.

Tish shakes her head at me. "I love you, but you can be really thick sometimes."

"What are you talking about?"

"That guy likes you. You should have seen the look on his face when he saw you behind the counter. I don't even know how to describe it."

I want to argue with her, but I know it's pointless. She may not be into romantic relationships herself, but she's really knowledgeable when it comes to this kind of thing.

It's hard to believe her, though. Why would Baz like me?

 Baz

I don't stray far when I leave Simon's bakery. I end up walking aimlessly around a small bookstore a couple shops down from it, but my mind is still at the bakery, watching Simon in his element, joking with his friends and relaxing in a way that he hasn't been in the water these past few weeks.

Maybe it was selfish of me not to tell him to find a new swim instructor. I thought that we could work through our past, but if he can't even be comfortable around me, there's no way I will be able to teach him.

Coming to that conclusion, I head back out onto the sidewalk and towards the bakery. There isn't a line this time, and Simon isn't behind the counter anymore. I could still turn back. But I don't.

The girl with the blue streaks in her hair is being the counter, and when she sees me, she rushes through a door to the back. A couple moments later, she comes back, Simon following behind her.

"Hey," he says slowly, tensely.

This is going to hurt like hell, but it's the kind thing to do. I have to let him go and quit holding on to my crush for him.

"Can we talk for a moment?" I ask.

His brows furrow, but he nods. "I'll be right back," he murmurs. Then he makes his way around the counter towards me.

Aware that his coworkers are watching and probably listening, I take a few steps away from the counter.

"Listen, I've been thinking about it, and I think that you should find a new swim instructor."

"What? Why?" He sounds hurt, but I'm probably imagining it.

"You obviously aren't comfortable around me, and I think you would be better off with someone else teaching you."

He doesn't say anything, just stares at me.

"I'm sorry, Simon," I say, then turn to go. I barely make it a step before he grabs my wrist and pulls me back around.

"Wait. I don't understand. I thought things were fine. I thought I was getting better."

"You are. I just think you would be better with someone you can be comfortable around."

"It's not that I'm not comfortable around you. I just—." He hesitates briefly, and his voice is barely above a whisper when he says, "I'm afraid."

"Of me?"

"No," he says quickly, shaking his head. "Of my feelings for you."

It's my turn to be stunned into silence. His feelings for me? What is he talking about?

"I like you, and I was afraid that you would find out. That's probably why I've seemed so closed off around you."

I don't know what to say, but I don't think words are necessary at this point. His hand is still on my wrist, so I bring my free hand up to cup his cheeks and with paper rainbows dancing above us, I kiss him.

 Simon

I should probably be at least a little bit concerned about kissing someone in the place I work, but I can't seem to find it in me to care in this moment.

Because I'm kissing Baz. The boy I never thought would like me.

I don't think he knows it's my birthday, but he's just given me the best birthday present ever.

[pop-punklouis]

top five HL fanfic!!!!

biiiiitch you all know how hard it is for me to choose only 5. but sigh FINE here’s my all-time favorite list that isn’t 5 sorry i can’t choose 😔:

• Here in the Afterglow (89k)

“If you hadn’t noticed, I don’t have many friends,” Louis whispers, the blossom of insecurity in his stomach unfurling and clawing its way into his throat.

Harry is silent for a long time, and then he speaks; a soft, slow uncurl that makes Louis’ stomach shake. “I’ll be your friend.” 1970’s AU. In a tiny town in Idaho, Louis’ life is changed forever by the arrival of a curious stranger.

• Coax the Cold (86k)

England, 1897.

English Professor Louis Tomlinson’s passion for the occult has been a source of mockery and derision for most of his life. When he hears whispers of a travelling freak show newly established in London claiming the existence of a monstrous sea hybrid, half-man, half-fish, Louis sees it as his ticket to credibility amongst his peers. The summer he spends undercover working on the show, however, gives him much more than that.

• Wild and Unruly (124k)

Harry is a cowboy sitting on the biggest oil reservoir in Wyoming, and Louis is the paralegal assigned to pressure him into selling his land.

• This Wicked Game (70k)

An AU in which The Bachelor is gay, Louis is a contestant, Harry is the bachelor, everyone drinks a lot of champagne, the entire world gets to watch them fall in love, and no one plays by the rules.

• Love is a Rebellious Bird (135k)

AU in which the boys still make music. Louis is the concertmaster of the London Symphony Orchestra, Harry is the New! and Exciting! interim conductor/ex-cello prodigy who "has made Mozart cool again" according to Esquire Magazine (Louis hates him immediately, which is definitely why he internet stalked him in his dark bedroom late at night that one time), and Niall is the best. Zayn and Liam are around too.

• Fixated On One Star (53k)

Louis is just a boy with the world on his shoulders, and Harry's just a boy from the wrong side of the galaxy. A little thing like love doesn't stand a chance against a thousand years of war, at least until the right two come along to break the mold.

Or: space Romeo and Juliet AU

• Finding Lou (60k)

Louis is the nomadic stranger who wanders into Harry’s bookstore. Harry is the skeptic who falls for him.

• California Sold

Notoriously closeted boyband member Harry Styles is famous on a global scale, meanwhile Louis, as his best friend, is back home in Manchester, living the typical life of a 24 year old. When Harry needs Louis with him in LA, a publicity stunt gone wrong changes their friendship forever.

A fake-relationship AU between two lifelong best friends.

• Empty Skies (134k)

For three years, Harry has been running from his past. Now, he is moving to London and pledges to fulfil his only dream -- making it big in the music industry. Not everyone has a place, though, and the competition is tough. As is his past catching up on him.

Louis is part of the biggest boy band of the world, and getting there had meant a lot of hard work, as well as sacrificing parts of his heart and soul. He's still happy. Maybe not as happy as he could be, but who is he to complain?

• And Then a Bit (159k)

“We’d like to give the fans what they want.” Magee states, placing his hand on the table in front of him and leaning forward. “We want to give them Larry Stylinson.”

Or, take a parallel universe where Louis and Harry were never together, mix in a two year hiatus and an impending comeback, pour in a dash of lost fans, two tablespoons of strong friendship and a Modest! employee with a good idea. Add a squeeze of pretending to be a couple, lots of kisses and a tattoo or two. Stir. Serve: the mother of all publicity stunts. (aka Harry and Louis fake a relationship for publicity. Eventually it becomes a lot less fake and a lot more real.)

• Dream Awake (31k)

The sun leaks through the tent wall behind him the way it leaks through eyelids, bathing the boy in an ethereal half-light as he croons. The crowd is mesmerized. Louis is mesmerized. This is the most important person in the world, he thinks wildly, and then can't figure out how to take it back.

On a hazy day in August, Louis sees Harry perform at a music festival as an unsigned act and convinces him to spend the rest of the weekend in his company. Harry gets signed; life changes. They never really wake up from the dream.

• Say You’ll Remember (93.5k)

au. louis and harry are best mates that are only half aware that they're also soulmates. alternatively, louis goes to university and harry travels the world, and they always manage to find their way back to each other.

takes place over nine years, in which they love and hurt, make mistakes and learn, and above all, grow.

• Outwit, Outplay, Outlast (61k)

Survivor All-Stars AU in which Harry and Louis are just in this game to win the million dollars, but they end up with something better.

Featuring Harry's yellow swim shorts, Louis in snapbacks, and OT5 shenanigans.

• Nothing Else But Us Right Here (35k)

Louis sighs and gives himself a mental pep talk as he smooths his jumper down over his hips. He can do this. He can resist the draw of Harry Styles, because he is a responsible, mature adult, and as much as he wants to tangle his fingers in that mess of hair and map those ridiculous tattoos with his tongue, he does not want to get his daughter’s favorite teacher fired.

• Wings to Break Your Fall (103k)

strip club AU. Harry’s work and family are keeping him busy. He really isn’t looking for a relationship, doesn’t want one. He just wants Louis. Problem is, Louis has other plans.

• Leave it to the Breeze (81k)

Louis couldn’t be prouder of his bake, but there’s something—there’s something. Something about Harry Styles and the earnest way he measures, pours, mixes, scrapes. Something about the tip of his tongue poking out of his mouth as he knocks the air out of his batter.

or a great british bake off au in which louis cares about winning and winning only, harry is made of sunshine and rainbow sprinkles, and niall sticks his nose into other people's business. also featuring liam as louis's best friend-slash-concerned mother, and zayn as a macaron connoisseur.

• You Come Beating Like Moth’s Wings (81k)

Harry smiles. He's only known Louis for about two hours, knows nothing about him past his first name, but he's nice and sarcastic and helpful and so, so pretty. And Harry's still got a few days left in Barcelona, and he thinks he wouldn't mind spending them with Louis.

Also known as, Harry takes the summer before uni to travel Europe and meets Louis in Barcelona, and they end up traveling together.

• Hold Me Closer (36.5k)

Louis Tomlinson is one of the most promising dancers of the English National Ballet, on track to become the youngest principal dancer in the company's history. That is, until forces conspire to significantly complicate his life, including: a surprise ballet, an unfairly attractive guest choreographer, and being pushed into a rivalry with his best mate. Featuring lots of wine, dancing, pining, and a happy ending.

• In Vogue (121k)

Fashion AU. Louis is the editor in chief of Vogue magazine, and Harry's running British GQ. Featuring Zayn as the crazy creative director and Louis' confidant, Liam as the sports writer that gets to sit front row at fashion week and DJ Neil as the only sane person in the whole story. (There are no skinny jeans in this fic)

• These Things Will Never Change for Us at All (1.5k)

The room falls silent as they stay wrapped up in each other. Harry can feel Louis’ soft breaths on his neck, and he almost thinks Louis’ fallen asleep until he says softly, “How did you know you were in love with me?”

Or, Harry and Louis look back on five years.

• A Runaway American Dream (15k)

AU. they take route 66 with only each other and their secrets.

• Things Have Gotten Closer to the Sun (49k)

it’s strange, making the choice to face his past—it almost feels like he’s heading for the sun straight on, like he’s screaming come on and burn me, i deserve it.

when a solar flare is announced to end the world in twelve days, harry reunites with the people that he used to know better than the back of his own hand.

• Here (in your arms) (60k)

the one where Louis is a successful real estate agent and Harry works at a retirement home. They’ve never had a real home. Up until now.

(Starring Liam Payne as a fitness trainer, Zayn as an artist, and Niall, who busks.)

• These Inconvenient Fireworks (190k)

Future AU in which nobody tries out for X Factor but the boys end up finding one other eventually anyway. Louis is a jaded bastard who owns a cat named Duchess and teaches drama to teenagers, Harry is an idealistic aspiring photographer/part-time footy coach, Zayn teaches English lit and wears leather jackets, Liam saves people from burning buildings, and Niall is Niall.

• In Dreams (23k)

AU. When Harry moves to a new city, his new flat come with a number of sweet, anonymous gifts and surprises that brighten his days. Could it be a friendly ghost? Another friendly presence in his new building is his tattooed neighbor, Louis, who seems determined to put a smile back on his face.

• My Heart is Breathing for this Moment in Time (160k)

When Louis first saw Harry at the 2010 X Factor Auditions, he thought he was watching a peculiarly special stranger. But Harry has known Louis ever since he was five years old. Because Louis has a rare genetic disorder that causes him to Time Travel to important moments in his past and in his future - and to Harry, always to Harry. When they’re put into a band together, it seems like everything Harry has been waiting and wishing for has finally come true. Except for the small fact that Louis doesn’t know that Harry is in love with him- that Harry’s always been in love with him. Fate, it would seem, is just getting started.

A story about growing up and growing together, and the impossible love that makes it all worthwhile.

• Paint the Sky with Stars (63k)

On 10 April 1912, Harry Styles boards the finest ship the world has ever seen. Still grieving the death of their mother, he and his sister are being sent to America to live with a callous uncle who cares more about his business connections than family. Harry prepares himself for a long, disappointing voyage alone in his stateroom. Louis Tomlinson has borrowed and saved, and finally has enough to purchase a Third Class ticket to America. With all of his belongings in a single ruck sack, he boards the Titanic filled with hope for a brighter future. Never one to sit still, he can’t resist exploring the massive ship, and soon goes sneaking into First Class in a stolen steward’s uniform. By a twist of fate, Louis finds himself in Harry’s stateroom, entranced by the most attractive man he’s ever laid eyes on. He keeps returning day after day, even if he doesn’t understand what it is about Harry that continues pulling him in. That’s all right; Louis has a week to figure it out, and Harry is plenty willing to help. Except they don’t have a week. They have four days. Because on 15 April, their entire world will be turned upside down.

Or, the historically accurate Titanic AU with a happy ending.

• Through Eerie Chaos (102k)

For as long as anyone can remember, Old Hillsbridge Manor has always been believed to be haunted. Everyone in the village agrees and keeps a respectful, fearful, distance. New in town after a bad breakup and an internship that led to disappointment rather than a permanent job, Harry Styles figures taking pictures of the decrepit building could be a great new creative project. Or at least a much-needed distraction while he searches for a job and crashes at his parents’ new house. No one warned him about the apparitions though; about the music, the laughter, the people who flicker and vanish when you call after them, the echoes of a past that should be long gone… Harry has never believed in spirits but even he can admit that there’s something weird going on. What starts as mere curiosity evolves into a full-blown investigation and soon enough, Harry finds himself making friends with an aristocrat from the 1920s and struggling with finding the best way to tell him that he’s dead.

The Ghost Hunter AU where Niall lives to prove ghosts are real, Zayn is a skeptical librarian and Harry gets caught up in a century-old mystery and catches feeling in the process.

[whump-town]

BAU Pool Fic

I wrote @davidrossi-ismydad bau pool fic... it’s 3,000 words bro I took it way too far

“Jack Attack!” Emily Prentiss finds herself with an armful of overly excited five-ear-old. “How are you doing baby?” She brushes a strand of his hair back from his face, rubbing in a spot of sunscreen on his temple. She loves all her nephews. They’re her maternal outlet and Jack just eats it up. Even if that does crush both her and Hotch. 

Jack smiles broadly, “I’m super!” He moves, twisting so she can see the floaties on his little arms. “Look!” Jack points on his floaties, “Daddy got me floats with Cap’n ‘merica!” Sure enough, a cartooned Captain America is sitting on his bicep. “Uncle Dave is gonna let us swim!” 

Emily is nodding along, used to his quick pace. She knew about the Captain America floaties last week when Dave first brought up opening the pool. Hotch went from timidly sipping the Scotch Dave gave him to panicked because Target hadn’t gotten in their superhero floaties yet. Of course, in the safety of Dave’s office, she’d chuckled at seeing his DadMode activate. Then she had Garcia show Hotch how to order the floaties online, where they were in-stock.

“I know,” she agrees, trying to match his enthusiasm. “Are you excited to swim?”

Jack nods, “Daddy said he would too!” 

A sigh comes from behind her and Emily turns to find Hotch. He’s got a beach bag over his right shoulder while his left-hand twists his sunglasses by the side. “Buddy, I said I might swim.” He loves his team, really does, but getting in that pool with both sets of ‘the boys’ might be a bit much. That and he has to do his best to keep water out of his ears unless he wants to nurse an ear infection all summer long. 

JJ and Garcia laughter cut through any further conversation, coming in through the side door. Their drinks already in hand, sent by Rossi to greet whoever he heard just pulled in. The two of them had been expecting Emily, she’d sent a text as a ‘heads up’ when she stopped for gas on the way here. It’s just a pleasant surprise to find Hotch and Jack too.

“So, that’s what you’ve been hiding under all those suits.” JJ cocks her head to the side, smirking at Hotch. She, of course, knows about her best friends rocking bods. Everyone has seen Morgan topless, so he’s no big surprise. The real treat in today’s plans was 100% figuring out what Hotch and Reid hid under way too many layers of clothes.

Garcia agrees too, sipping some white fruity white canned alcoholic drink. “You look hot, sir.”

Hotch looks down at himself. He’s wearing a dark green, thin button-down with the sleeves rolled up to his elbows. He hadn’t buttoned the first three buttons, leaving a good bit of his chest visible. His trunks are dark blue and come up just above his knees. They were shorter than what he’d expected when he ordered them but pants are always a problem at his height. So he considered it an overall win they didn’t come up higher. 

Compared to his usual attire around them, he might as well be naked. Not to mention his pale skin which is startlingly bright in the light of Rossi’s parlor. Hot isn’t exactly what he’d seen in the mirror when he’d put it on. Just… clothes. 

“Thank you,” he responds, with a tense smile. He really needs to work on accepting compliments. “Nice… bathing suits.” 

That is the understatement of the year. 

JJ has on a one-piece that cuts up very high on her hips. She’d chosen the color maroon and damn if she wasn’t right about it being her color. It’s cheeky and risky and Garcia was absolutely here for it. Refusing to hear JJ’s excuse she couldn’t pull off bathing suits like this one anymore. She has a mom-bod.

Emily’s rebuttal had been that JJ was right. She does have a mom-bod because JJ is a total MILF.

With two hype-women, JJ had to get the bathing suit.

Garcia’s own is white with red and blue flowers. There’s a perfect triangle cut out between her breast, drawing tasteful attention to them. Her selection had come easy, ‘I don’t need your help on this one. It’s speaking to me’. She too looked killer but saves her boss any grief on his compliment falling short. 

Emily snorts at the comment but covers it up by addressing how her best friends had betrayed her. “Evidently, this year we were going one piece.” Emily gestures to her own body, to the bathing suit she’s hidden under a maxi dress. “I didn’t get the memo.”

Garcia caves first, “babe, we said we were sorry!”

Seeing this as his only ticket to get away from a conversation he has no idea how to be a part of, Hotch extends his hand to Jack. “Come on buddy.” 

Emily puts him down, patting his head as he takes Hotch’s hand and follows his father with a little skip. 

“See daddy,” he says brightly. “I told you, you looked han’some!”

Emily watches them leave, tucking her arms around her body. It’s protective and comforting. She smiles sadly at Jack’s comment, it turning bitterly into a frown

JJ cups Emily’s cheek, “we are sorry.” 

The worst part is, she’s not mad they got one-piece bathing suits. It’s about her own insecurities. JJ has smooth, perfect skin, and Garcia’s gunshot wound makes her look like a badass. The memory is… murky but she’s a fighter because of it. 

Emily’s scars are tainted. A reminder of just how awful their lives have been lately and when she takes her dress off it’s just going to be that much more in their face. She’s a walking horror film, a damn slasher movie.  

“It’s fine,” Emily promises. “I’m just…” she blows out a breath. “I’m in a mood, I guess.” 

Her arms are still crossed so JJ finds that a little hard to believe but before she can start to dive into a line of question and dredge up whatever is bothering her. 

“I didn’t know the party was in here,” Rossi states, stepping into the house. He sees the tension in Emily’s body, frowning when Emily places her hand over the one JJ has on her cheek. Squeezing the thin digits before moving them away. “Bella?” His relaxed smile falls, “is there something wrong?”

Pappa Rossi has come out and he’s a fierce mister to mess around with.

Emily shakes her head, picking up her bag and stifling all her concerns. “I’m fine,” she promises. She motions for the other girls to follow and she meets Rossi at the door. “You just worry too much, vecchio uomo.” 

Old man? She wounds him.

He’s dressed simply, no desire to swim in the pool with those little animals (whom he loves dearly but the point still stands). Dad jean and an opened button-down, he looks too good. He squints his eyes but his sunglasses hide his skepticism. “Mhmm.” He opens the door for them, “you’d better get out there. You’re missing out on a party.”

The party greets them before they can fully get out of the door. 

“Oh, Spence,” JJ covers her mouth, the only person merciful enough to hide her smile at the sight of him. “Honey, what did you do?”

Someone, definitely Derek, had pushed him into the pool. He looks like a drowned rat. An adorable drowned rat but a rat none-the-less and in his clothes too. He shakes his head, looking down at his wet clothes. “I got pushed in.”

“Uncle Derek,” Jack explains helpfully, padding up to them. He’s visibly wet, obviously an eyewitness given his pleased smile. 

“Yep,” Henry confirms from his best friend’s side. Smiling just as bright as Jack. “Untle Derek push’ted him in!” He jumps happily at the end, nodding his head to his mother. 

The uncle in question sneaks up behind the boys, grabbing them by their waists and hoisting them up. “Are you boys tattling on me?” One on each side, Morgan looks between them faking an angry frown. Both boys know exactly what he’s going to do and start squirming excitedly. Claiming simultaneous denial. 

Morgan’s face sobers for a split second, his attention on the adults. “Pretty boy had it coming,” he says like it’s the most obvious thing in the world. “I brought him a bathing suit and he wouldn’t put it on.” He shrugs and his playful smirk sinks back into place as he announces, “and since someone tattled on me… I’m forced to get my revenge.”

“No! No!” Henry and Jack shout, gleefully screaming as Morgan turns around and heads for the pool. 

“Hold your breath boys!” Morgan jumps in and there’s a large splash as all three submerge. The boys pop up first like little apples, laughing uncontrollably. 

Reid is standing in front of them shivering, looking rather pathetic soaked to the bone. “I pulled him in with me,” Reid states, moving to get past them. 

Poor Reid had not been expecting it at all. He’d gone to the pool’s edge to talk to Henry and Jack. They were chatting away, Jack showing him the Captain America’s and Henry telling Reid that he was gonna learn how to swim without floats with Uncle Hotch too. So he and Jack could both be big boys.

That’s when Morgan had come up from behind, lifting Reid off his feet in a swoop and throwing him in. 

In his mind, it was payback. Morgan brought Reid a very bright red speedo, a gag gift of course. After that fun had ended, the fun being seeing how red he got having to hold the atrocious garment in his hand, Morgan had gifted him light purple swim trunks.

So that he could swim. Except, Reid refused. So Morgan took the matter into his own hands. Then he felt guilty.

Offering Reid a hand up had, of course, been a mistake because the second the genius’ hand met his Morgan felt a sharp pull. Then he found himself in the pool. 

Jack and Henry, who hadn’t recovered from how hard they’d laughed watching Reid get dunked in were wheezing by the time Morgan’s head popped back up.

It seems as if they really did miss a party.

“Prentiss,” Hotch greets, walking up alongside her with a drink. “It’s a strawberry daiquiri, Dave said it’s your favorite.”

She takes the drink with a smile, watching her friends mingle and laugh amongst themselves. While she stands off to the side, isolating herself. She takes a small sip from the top, smiling. God, if Hotch and Rossi weren’t just the sweetest men she knew. Which is a strange thought to have once she considers it. Hotch is the bad cop to her good cop and Rossi is the reason they have such strict fraternization rules. 

“Do you think I can just be Emily, today?” she asks hopefully. 

Hotch smiles, nodding. “If I can be Aaron,” he barters. They tap their glasses together, a silent agreement. He takes a sip of his beer, watching the others around them. He’d gotten word, from Dave, about Emily and the bathing suit thing. She could play the other’s stupid but no one can lie to David Rossi. Not even Hotch. “Not swimming?”

She sighs and she knows exactly what this is. “Aaron...” she sighs, shaking her head but she can’t think of what to say. She can’t say he doesn’t understand. Her wounds might be larger but he had more. Quantity to quality and God, that’s awful. 

He takes her hand lightly, his eyes intense and sad. 

And she’s terrified. 

He lets go and she thinks that it. He’s going to let it go because they’re messing with demons here and she’s learned her lesson with stirring them up. But he does something so much worse. 

He takes his shirt off. 

“Hotch-”

His hands are trembling despite this being some act of courage because it’s only been two years and he knows the scars look awful and-

“Uh-oh!” JJ yells from the other side of the pool. She’s very drunk and drunk JJ is very supportive… and has no filter. “DILF alert!” She sends them two thumbs up and Will waves, a stressed smile stretched across his face. 

Hearing the commotion, Garcia turns away from Morgan and their current conversation. “Holy shit…” Garcia mumbles, pushing her sunglasses down to get a better look. “Does the FBI do a wet t-shirt contest or something? We have to get you boys in it.”

Hotch tilts his head expectantly.

“Oh shut up,” she rolls her eyes and sits her daiquiri down. She takes back every nice thing she’s ever said or thought about him. Especially that internal monologue from before about him being one of just the sweetest man she knew. In fact, she doesn’t like men at all anymore. 

Pulling her dress up over her head, she shakes her head.

That’s right, the Aaron Hotchner, a certified DILF, and federal agent had turned her 100% gay… well, until she forgives him. 

She frowns at him, realizing how dumb they both look just staring at each other mostly naked. “Satisfied?” 

He raises an eyebrow, playfully shaking his head, “are you trying to get us both sent to a sexual harassment meeting, Agent Prentiss?”

“Morgan and Garcia could use the company.” She’s trying very hard to keep her eyes on his face which is also making it hard to be mad at him. The scars aren’t even that noticeable and, while his abs might not be as defined as Morgan’s they are still visible. And nice. 

Before this conversation or frankly, anything else about this day, can get any weirder, Rossi calls out that the burgers are done. 

First come first served.

Which really means Reid, Henry, and Jack eat first while the rest of them fend for themselves. 

The chaos, as always, really gets going after dinner. 

JJ, Emily, and Garcia were standing and discussing whether or not Emily should get a different bathing suit for the beach trip her mother’s planning when the boys come from nowhere. 

Will, Reid, and Morgan.

All three girls end up in the pool. Garcia slung over Morgan’s shoulder. JJ scooped up by Will. Emily dragged kicking and screaming by Reid. It’s declared war and Emily, seeing Hotch chuckling at the sight of them, decides it’s against all of the men. 

The other three aren’t that hard to get. 

Will is lured in the way any man is into a trap, by thinking with the wrong head. JJ takes him out at the knees and Emily is the final blow. Execution style. Will considers it to be a bitter defeat.

Morgan is stupid. Emily sends off to get more drinks and together Garcia and JJ rush him as he walks past the pool. He goes in mid-wave to Jack and Henry, who are playing in the shallow end. 

Emily just picks Reid up, doing the same as he’d done to her. Ego soaring and the alcohol she’d consumed clouding her judgment, Emily takes on her main target. Aaron Hotchner. 

He’s standing at the edge of the pool, with his shirt back on but completed unbuttoned, and telling Jack and Henry to come to get another layer of sunscreen on. His back is completed turned when Emily pushes into him. She’s expecting to hear his body hit the pool water and then her name to be grumbled out when he bobs back to the surface.

It’s like hitting concrete. The man goes nowhere. 

He turns to face her, frowning disappointingly. “Is that all you got Emily?” He shakes his head and turns back to the boys, “chop! Chop! The faster you get out the faster you get right back in.”

Emily attempts to conspire with the others but they’re cowards.

“Oh, no, princess. Not a chance in hell.” Morgan shakes his head, he already thinks she’s crazy for trying the first time.

JJ is too drunk to really tackle. 

Garcia thinks it would be cruel. Hotch has done nothing wrong.

Will is a coward.

Reid is scared of him.

Rossi is too old. 

“You’re all boring,” she pouts. So she tries again on her own.

The boys are back in the pool, Hotch asking when the last time they had some water or a juice box was. That alone almost stops her. Because it’s adorable. She decides she really doesn’t care and takes the approach of shouting his name and then tackling him.  

He catches her. She hits his body but he moves at the last second and wraps his arms around her waist. “Is this what you were trying to do?” Right over his shoulder she goes, plop- right in the pool.

The boys get a proper kick out of it. 

Emily, with a towel wrapped around her shoulders, sulking in a chair watches as Jack and Henry shout for Hotch. He pretends to be surprised as they run at him. They jump up and he catches them to his chest, making a dramatic show of pretending to be knocked back into the pool. 

When he comes to the surface he shakes his hair out of his face and she frowns, hating him for making that look hot. 

Ick... men.

The afternoon wraps itself up well. 

Rossi lures the boys out of the pool with sweets and movies. It’s a picture perfect moment. 

Jack and Henry are exhausted and the moment they settle in the living room, both sharing Uncle Dave’s lap in the lazy boy, they’re out like lights. There’s the smallest bit of chocolate smeared on their lips and Rossi dares Hotch or Will to take his boys away. They can stay the night.

And they do. 

Emily says goodbye to all three, pressing kisses to their temples.

“Did you have fun, Bella?”

She got free food. She got drunk. 

Her boss took his shirt off in front of everyone to make her feel comfortable in her own skin and then dunked her in the pool.

She laughed until she cried with JJ and Garcia.

She played a very dangerous game of chicken with Morgan and Reid...

“Yeah,” she admits. “I had a lot of fun.”

Rossi’s eyes crinkle, “mission accomplished then.”

[lovemesomesurveys]

“Like ships in the night, you keep passing me by”

Do you own a black leather jacket? A pleather one, yes. Something badass about wearing one haha.

Do you find musicians or athletes more attractive? I’ve been attracted to more musicians, but that’s cause I’m more familiar with them. I don’t see a lot of athletes as someone who doesn’t watch or care at all about sports. Although, guys in baseball uniforms are nice. haha. Oh, back when I was like 13 or 14 I remember thinking Andy Roddick, a tennis player, was hot. I saw his photo in a magazine. Are you better at spelling or writing? I think both. How many siblings do you have? Two. If you could have an ice cream sundae right now, would you? No.

Do you use emoji's? Yeah. I don’t go crazy, but I like to use them as I see fit. When was the last time you lost a tooth? I broke a tooth like 10 years ago and had to get it pulled. You ask this question like it’s the norm to loose a tooth when I’m pretty sure the people who take surveys are past the ages where you lose your teeth.  Do you like bendy or regular straws better? I like to use coffee stirrer straws cause the holes are small. If someone signed you up for karate lessons, would you take them? Uh, no. What's your favorite song? I have numerous favorite songs.

Click shuffle on any music device. What's the 12th song that comes up? Nah. What's your most used website? Tumblr and YouTube. Do you come on this website as much as you used to when you first found it? Not as much, no. I used to spend like all day on Tumblr back in the day. Now I typically just get on at night as part of my nighttime routine of Tumblr and surveys. That’s also when I watch the most YouTube cause I like to listen to ASMR at night. I feel like I probably go on YouTube more now than before or perhaps it’s about the same. Do you drink hot tea? Once in awhile. It’s usually when I’m feeling really anxious or really sick.

“& it’s too cold outside for angels to fly”

Is there anyone you want to see in concert really bad? I’m sad I never got to see Linkin Park. I don’t know if they’ll decide tour now, but it wouldn’t be the same without Chester. :( Do you like Abercombie? Nah. Do you still take a survey even if they don't capitalize letters? Yeah. Does your computer have word correct on it? It’ll do the red squiggly line if something is misspelled or it doesn’t recognize the word and if I hit control and click on the word it’ll offer a suggestion if it’s a recognized word. What's one of your wishes for 2013? Well, we’re towards the end of 2020 now and I just pray we’re able to get through the rest of the year without anything else crazy coming at us. Do you fight with your mom often? No, my mom is my best friend she and I very close. We just bicker sometimes. Would you rather have your son have the name Daniel as first or middle name? Sounds more like a first name to me, but meh I don’t really care for the name at all. I don’t even want to have children so it doesn’t matter lol but if I did I’d go with another name. Have you ever made up a food combo & everyone tired it & loved it? Pizza rolls and mustard. What was the last movie you watched? Would you recomend it to people? Bringing Down the House the other day cause I happened to catch it on TV. It came out in like 2003 so it’s not new, but I’ve always liked it. I think it’s funny. What is one word you cannot seem to spell? Every time this question comes up I always say “onomatopoeia” for some reason and damnit I have yet to spell it right without having to look it up. I don’t know what it is about that stupid word that I just can’t seem to remember lol. It’s a word I never use unless this question comes up, so I guess maybe that’s why, but still. I should be able to spell it. Were you born on an odd or even number? Even. Do you like Ed Sheeran? I like several of his songs. When you type, what hand & finger do you use to hit the space bar? I use my right index finger. I don’t type the proper way, I use my index fingers lol. I type really fast that way, too. Do you like to take pictures of you in the mirror? Only if I want to show the shirt or outfit I’m wearing.

“you are the best thing that’s ever been mine”

Have you read the book Lord of the Flies? Yeah, it was required in my 10th grade English class. Would you rather type or hand write notes? My handwriting is trash, but I feel like handwritten notes are nice. Do you like the number seven? I don’t have anything against it. Do you believe that when you go to heaven, you become an angel? No. I believe in angels, but not that we become one. Angels are another of God’s creations. They’re ministering spirits. They’re their own thing and humans are another. How much money do you plan on spending tomorrow? I don’t plan on spending any money tomorrow. Are you good at writing poems? No. I dabbled a bit with it when I was like 16 and angsty, but they’re so cringe. I still have the journal stored away with them and I’ve gone back to read them as an adult and yikes. Do you come on here daily? For the most part, unless I’m really not feeling well. What's one thing you wish you were perfect at? No one is perfect, but it’d be nice to be a functioning adult.  Can you play the saxophone? Nope. Does it bother you when people breathe loud? I will say I feel uncomfortable when someone has a breathing problem because it makes me hyper focused on my own breathing and I end up feeling like I can’t breathe.  Are you going to any concerts in 2013? Can you believe it's going to be 2013? I didn’t. The last concert I went to was back in 2009. Were you in love with the movie Mary Poppins? Not in love with it, but I like it. Do you like breadsticks? Yes. Have you ever been on a mountain? Yeah, I took a gondola ride up to one. If you had to get rid of one of your sense, which one and why? I’d really rather not.

“the first cut is the deepest”

Can you swim? Nope. Do you usually wear shorts around your house all year long? No, I wear leggings all year long. Do you remember Sesame Street? Of course. It’s also still very much a thing. Do you believe every word that comes out of peoples mouths? Of course not. You have to take some things with a grain of salt or healthy dose of skepticism. You gotta gauge what is being said and who is saying it, too, and make the judgment. That doesn’t mean I don’t trust my loved ones or that I think everyone is a liar or something, but people can give misinformation unknowingly, so it’s not always being done intentionally. It’s just not a good idea to believe every single word that comes out of people’s mouths. Do you like the questions that really make you think? Depends on my mood.  What are you asking for for Christmas? Just a few little things. What time do you plan on going to bed on Tuesday? I don’t have a set bedtime for any given day, I go to bed whenever.  I’ve talked a lot about my messed up sleep schedule in surveys. It’s certainly not planned. How many of your friends are online right now on here? I have no idea who’s currently on. I’m kind of the night owl of the survey community who’s up doing surveys while everyone is asleep like normal people. When they’re getting up in the morning, I’m going to bed, ha. :X Do you know what Je means in French? I do, actually. How often do you write in red pen? I don’t recall the last time I used a red pen. Do you cut your own hair? No. I used to trim my own bangs back when I had ‘em, though. Do you have any pictures in your room from concerts? No. Would you ever name your son Harry? Again, I don’t want to have children, but Harry is another name I don’t particularly care for. Have you ever had your nails done in french tips? Yeah, the one and only time I got my nails done, which was for my 8th grade promotion. Is it harder for you to type on a keyboard that isn't yours & not used to? Yes, for sure. I also don’t type as fast on my phone than I do on my laptop. 

“I wish I was a little bit taller, I wish I was a baller”

What shoe do you take off first? Hm. I think my right. What do you think a good teen couple name would be for a story? Uh I don’t know? If you were coming to the states from another country, where first? I’m from the states. Would you pay $82 for facial products? No. Do you get a lot of compliments often? Nope. It’s rare. Was Mean Girls one of the best movies in your opinion? I wouldn’t say it was the best movie, but it’s a favorite of mine. It’s just a classic, ya know? One of those nostalgic movies with a lot of memorable quotes.  If it was Sat, 2 in the afternoon, what would we find you to be doing? I’d most likely be asleep. Do any of your best friends have red hair? No. Would you like to be on the cover of Seventeen magazine? No. Or any magazine. Would you rather go to an Adele or Bruno Mars concert? I mean, I like songs from both so I wouldn’t be opposed to either one. Would you like to live in Sweden? No, but I’d love to visit. Are you concerned about your weight? Yes. I’m too underweight.   Do you know anyone who has the middle name Sebastian? I don’t think so. Do you remember where you got your first kiss at? Of course. Did you ever watch the show 8 Simple Rules? I watched it here and there cause it was part of the TGIF lineup that had other shows I liked.

“I hope you’re in the mood, because this is going to be a long ride”

Does your computer need to be cleaned? Underneath the keys badly need to be cleaned. Would you ever name your child Sushine, Raine, River etc? I kinda like Raine. Is it any of your friend's birthday today? No friends.  When is the person you like birthday? I don’t like anyone in the romantic sense. Do you like yogurt? Nah. When you type, do you ever mix letters around by accident? (EX: ot - to) Yes. Do you like butterflies? No. I’m afraid of ALL bugs/insects, even the ones people think are cute like butterflies and ladybugs. Nopeee. Do you consider the tomato a fruit or vegetable? Tomatoes apparently can be referred to as either one. I always thought they were a vegetable.  Does it rain over where you live? Yes. It hasn’t rained since like March or April, though. We Californians get excited when it rains cause it doesn’t happen often lol. I hope we get some soon. It’s been cold now at least, which I love. Is there any snow on the ground? It doesn’t snow in my city. :( Do you like soup? I only like ramen. When's the last time you made cupcakes? It’s been a few years. How many lamps are in the room your currently in? My lights are off. Have you talked the person you like today? Have you ever been bullied? No.

[nobleclover]

Silver Screen Sneak - In!

“What do you mean that I can’t see the new movie, Mom?!” CJ whined, his lips pursed into a sour pout.

             You’re probably wondering as to what movie he is so eager to see yet was forbidden to by his mother, Angel. Well, that movie just so happens to be Psycho, directed by Alfred Hitchcock and released on September 8th 1960 for all the public to witness while simultaneously terrorising themselves. Definitely not a film suitable for a ten year old cup like him.

             “Because you’re too young, you’ll get nightmares and school’s only just started! Now run along and finish your homework!” she ordered him before turning back to the row of oysters she gathered that day to make oyster sauce. As she began cracking them open, she heard her precocious little boy stomp up to the bedroom that he shared with his other three siblings and sighed. She didn’t like having to end a conversation like that, but, as his mother, she had to be firm with him, especially since he wanted to go see a HORROR movie of all things.

             In his room, CJ lied on his back across his bed glaring at the ceiling. He really wanted to see the movie after hearing about it from Sorrel, Cagney and Hilda’s teenaged son while he was learning some gardening. Sure, he knew that he was young, but he would hear of his other friends in school discuss scary TV shows that they were allowed to watch, like The Twilight Zone. He was a bit jealous of not being allowed to watch them like his peers, especially his own cousin Saffron, who was surprisingly into horror despite her demeanour. Even more infuriating, when he asked them for more details, they wouldn’t tell him as they “didn’t want to spoil anything.”

             Turning over, he crossed his arms and muttered, “I’m not that young! I’m practically a big kid! My age has TWO digits now, so that must mean I’m allowed to do more stuff!”

             Just then, a small voice from the doorway asked, “What are you sulking about?”

             Looking up, he saw that it was his older sister, Coral, who had just returned from a day swimming and fishing. He slumped back down on the bed muttering, “Nothing.”

             “Nothin’? Doesn’t look like nothin’! You kinda look like Mr. Flatfoot that swims under that arch near the observatory,” she noted.

             Sighing irritably, he sat up with a dead, sad look in his eyes and explained, “I wanna go see the new horror movie sometime soon, but Mom won’t let me!”

             “Ugh, yeah! You know what she’s like! A total killjoy!” she groaned, before climbing onto the bed.

             “You’re getting my covers wet, Fish Face!” CJ complained.

             “Simmer down, Gill Boy!” she retorted before explaining, “now look, I know that I can be a jerk sometimes, but geez, that look on your mug is just pitiable, and…I want to help you.”

             “Huh, that’s a first, considering that you’re a real narcissist,” he replied dryly.

             “Shut up and listen to me! Now look, you wanna see that movie, right? The one that you keep yappin’ on about? Well, most movies only last around three weeks in the picture house, but really SPECIAL movies like YOUR movie last for about FOUR weeks so that the public can get the chance to see it, at least that’s what I heard from Sugarelle!”

             “Really?!” CJ asked with his eyes sparkling with hope, “so I might get to go see it then! But I also heard that most of the time children should be accompanied by adults when seeing horror movies, so how can I get in?”

             Coral was now stuck for words as she couldn’t think of a good solution for him, and could only utter, “I don’t know…”

 One week later:

After much planning and crafting, CJ finally came up with a brilliant scheme: enter the theatre as a ‘short’ adult! He’d selected what he thought was the perfect disguise, some light brown pants, a grey tweed jacket with a hat, and, the most distinguishing feature that would convince people that he was an adult: a moustache.

             When Saffron and his eldest sister Juni heard of this grand plan, they each uttered the same response, “That’s the best you could come up with?”

             “Well…yeah! It’s not like they’re gonna ask me for ID anyways! They never do, that’s what I heard!”, he awkwardly exclaimed, half hoping that he was right.

             “How do you know they don’t?” Saffron asked, shooting him a skeptical look.

             “Be – because Coral told me! Yeah, she – she did!”

             “Yeah, well knowing her, she thinks she knows everything,” Juni responded, “why can’t you just wait until you’re older to watch a horror movie? I’m also pretty sure that they do reruns a few years after the actual release of some movies!”

             “Well, I wanna see it now and show everyone how well I can handle a few jolts and scares in a dark theatre, and I’ll also be seen as cool for once!” he declared, with a smug grin.

             “It’s okay to admit that you’re a ‘fraidy cat, CJ. I can handle some horror but not ALL of it. Besides, you could –” Saffron added before being cut off.

             “Well, I’m pretty sure that I’m more than a little old enough to watch a movie like Psycho, Saffy! Plus, come Monday morning, I’m gonna be pretty much the talk of the school, but I won’t say much as I don’t wanna spoil it for ya!” he replied arrogantly.

             “Not that you’d have anything to say because you’ll likely be covering your eyes during the scary parts of the movie!” Juni retorted.

             “Oh, SHUT UP!” he yelled, “I don’t need to prove to the likes of you that I can be brave, Juni! Anyways, I’m off to the theatre now and I’ll see you two later!”

             With that, he confidently strode off with the bag containing his disguise in his right hand. Saffron and Juni watched him go, with Juni stating disdainfully, “He’s gonna be screaming for Mom like he always does when he has a night terror.”

             “Well, hopefully that nobody recognises him,” Saffron added.

 Later:

CJ just about made it to the theatre. A huge queue trailed in front of the ticket booth as far as the eye could see, much to his dismay. He hadn’t taken the number of people into consideration, so he’d have to try a different way to get in. As he pondered good and hard on how to enter the theatre easily, he suddenly had an idea.

             As the lanky young man let the next couple in to see a movie, CJ ran up to the booth with a panicked look in his eyes and tapped on the glass. The ticket man looked down upon him and asked in a dreary monotone voice, “How can I help you?”

             “I’m so sorry sir! I really REALLY need to use the bathroom and I need to use it NOW! Can I use the one in the theatre?” CJ asked in a rapid manner.

             “Well…normally, I’d say you’d need a ticket to get in…buuuut…I think that’s cruel especially given the circumstances. Go ahead in,” he drawled.

             With that, CJ rushed into the bathroom and stood on the lavatory seat to put on his disguise when he stopped. He suddenly realised that he forgot the most important thing ever in his grand plan: what theatre was the movie showing in?!

             Just then, he noticed a discarded ticket on the floor of the stall and picked it up. Sure enough, it was for the movie Psycho and it was showing in Theatre 7! How convenient! He beamed. As if it was also a coincidence, the number of the theatre definitely showed his luck! As soon as the gentlemen had exited the bathroom, he quietly slipped out and made his way to Theatre 7. He coyly walked in past the usher and twiddled his fake moustache as he went along.

             Soon enough, he found a nice seat at the top of the theatre’s steps, that had a grand view of the screen. He grinned as he thought of how great his grand plan was going so far. He managed to find a way into the theatre without getting paying for a ticket, he got one for free (off a dirty bathroom floor, but still) and he’s now sitting in a swell seat, ready to watch his first proper horror movie!

             The crowd of people pouring in grew larger as each individual spread out to find available seats in the barely lit theatre. A taller gentleman soon approached the row CJ was sitting in, with a large collection of snacks he’d gathered up from the lobby obscuring his face. He was carrying large sodas, a bag of pretzels, some candy and a large bucket of popcorn. CJ licked his lips under the fake moustache as he saw how delicious the food was. He did have money, but he was sure that if he left the theatre just before the film began, they wouldn’t let him in. Apparently, any cinema that was showing Psycho would not allow anyone else in past the time the movie started. CJ irritably sighed and bitterly thought to himself, Guess I’ll starve then!

             The tall man then set the goodies in the seat beside CJ, further obscuring his face from him. As CJ wondered why a man like him would want this much food for himself, the man suddenly poked his head around the bucket of popcorn to reveal that it was none other than HIS OWN FATHER CUPHEAD!

             Cuphead looked at his disguised son with a smile and said, “I heard this is gonna be a killer thriller! Know what I mean?” followed by a gleeful wink.

             CJ was stunned with fright and could only muster up a little nod of his head so as not to appear rude. He sat back in his seat, his mind flooded with panic. He could only think, Oh my god, oh my god, OH MY GOD, OH MY GOD, OH MY GOD!!!! I’M DEAD MEAT IF HE RECOGNISES ME!! I’LL BE GROUNDED FOR LIFE IF HE --!!!

             Just then, the opening credits flashed on the screen, accompanied by rapid, tense strings with the words having to criss – cross each other to form coherent credits. Everybody braced themselves for what was going to unfold, while CJ was on high alert in case his father was to intercept his disguise.

             As the movie progressed, CJ, much to his dismay, found himself to be extremely bored by this movie. It was nothing but grown – up talk with very little action. Sure, the lady in the film stole a lot of money and took it with her so that she and her boyfriend can live happily ever after, but good lord, was it just coma – inducing. Meanwhile, Cuphead had his eyes glued to the screen, shoving popcorn, pretzels and candy into his mouth and chomping his goodies very loudly.

             The food was so unbearably good that CJ soon heard his stomach growling. Cuphead noticed and whispered, “Hey, old timer! I couldn’t help but notice that you don’t have any concession goods! Wanna share with me?”

             Despite his better judgement, CJ nodded and reached his arm out and received a handful of pretzels. Great, he thought, he’s gonna have to try and make it through the movie without dying of thirst and boredom now.  

             As he munched sparingly on the pretzels, the scene shifted to when the lady and gawky motel owner were having supper in the parlour. It was then that CJ finally began feeling that sense of unease that he’d been waiting for, especially as dark shadows cast over the walls and the owner himself. Finally, some decent tension, he thought.

             Alas, Cuphead had fallen asleep beside him and was snoring like a hippopotamus with asthma. CJ looked at him and softly groaned. His father was always like this after a big meal or a good number of snacks and needless to say, the noise was as ear grating like someone rubbing sandpaper against glass. The young cup tried listening to the dialogue as hard as he could but his father’s snores drowned out whatever noise was coming from the movie.

             Someone else got fed up with Cuphead’s snoring and got the usher up to the row where both cups sat and gently nudged him, jolting him awake. Looking around and stammering, Cuphead looked up at the usher startled and loudly asked, “Did someone die yet?!”

             “No, sir, but someone complained that you’re snoring too loud so that’s why I woke you,” the usher explained.

             Cuphead understood what he said and quietly assured with a smile, “Oh, okay! I’ll keep quiet don’t worry! Thanks for telling me!”

             CJ could feel a laugh welling up but suppressed it. It was truly amusing to see his own father act like a real goofball. Just then, Cuphead turned towards him and whispered, “Hey, old timer! You can have the rest of my snacks okay? Just so that I won’t slip into a food coma again! Sound good?”

             CJ nodded and gladly accepted the food between him and his father. He was pretty satisfied that he got free food and for the first time since his father sat down, he felt like he could relax and enjoy the film properly now.

             The film kept going and reached the infamous shower scene. Everybody, not just little CJ and his father, felt chills going down their spine once they noticed the door behind the shower curtain open followed by a blurry figure approaching closer. Soon enough, the entire theatre erupted into screams once the curtain was pulled back to reveal a seemingly old woman who’s face was obscured in shadows. Then, accompanied by shrill violin strings, everybody jumped and hollered in fright as the poor young woman met her demise. CJ’s eyes were fixed onto the screen in complete horror, while his dad gave out the occasional horrified yelp and gasp. The terrified boy suppressed the urge to scream as he was afraid of being discovered given his young sounding voice.

             Cuphead caught his breath and looked towards CJ and whispered, “JEEZ LOUISE! I wasn’t expecting that! Still, you’re definitely pretty brave sitting through a picture like this!”

             CJ nodded and gave a little thumbs up, still trembling quietly.

             The rest of the movie continued as the characters worked on solving the mystery as to what happened to the young lady with the money. Even with the scenes with a lot of talking, poor CJ was still shaken following the shower scene, and it certainly didn’t help when the private investigator turned up dead or when they found the skeleton in the basement. At long last, once the whole movie was brought to a close, everybody got up and walked home.

             CJ waited for Cuphead to move who was stacking all the disused food buckets, boxes and cups to dispose of them outside. Finally, the older cup got up and made his way down the steps. CJ trailed along after him, only to trip on a step and soon tumbled into Cuphead’s leg, knocking him down like a bowling pin.

             Cuphead looked at the mess around them and uttered, “Aww heck!” before going to clean it up. CJ stood up and realised to his horror that his moustache had fallen off. While Cuphead was picking up an empty soda cup, CJ scanned the steps quickly for his moustache, which thankfully had fallen down two steps ahead of him. He quickly grabbed it and stuck it back on his face before his father could notice.

             Cuphead was still gathering the discarded cardboard rubbish when CJ lent him a hand by carrying some of it to lighten the load for his father. When Cuphead took note of this kind gesture, he responded with, “Gee, thanks, sir! That’s really helpful of you!”

             CJ smile and responded as deeply as he could with a “Mmm – hmm!”

             Cuphead smiled back and headed down the stairs with some of the rubbish and began rambling on about the film as well as how scary it was, even noting, “Oh, man, if my youngest boy was there, poor kid would have nightmares for life! Kid ain’t missing anything!”

             This statement made CJ feel a little guilty, but also somewhat amused. While he did indeed sneak into the theatre without really paying and basically deceived his own father, he was honestly impressed that he was never found out. One could even say that he was even proud of having kept up the charade for this long with Cuphead.

             After discarding the last bit of rubbish, both of them stepped out of the theatre to find that the sun was still bright. Cuphead gave his stiff arms a little stretch before turning to his son and declared, “Well, I better hit the road. It was nice watching the film next to ya, old timer! Take care!”

             CJ gave his father a wave and, again in a deep voice, responded with, “You too, Dad!”

             To his alarm, he realised his error and before he could even move his father whipped his head around and walked over to him, echoing the last parting word in confusion, “Dad?”

             As if it wasn’t already humiliating enough, the moustache dropped off his face and was blown away by a small breeze. CJ watched it blow away before turning to his cross father and asking with a nervous laugh, “That was indeed a killer thriller, huh, Dad..?”

 Epilogue:

             Saffron was sitting on a bench in school eating lunch when CJ collapsed in the seat beside her, with puffy tired eyes heavier than lead. She was gobsmacked at how half - dead her cousin looked and asked, “Whoa, what the heck happened to you?”

             “Psycho happened.”

             “Oof,” she replied, feeling very sorry for him, “well, like I said before, it’s okay to admit you’re a bit of a ‘fraidy cat, cousin. Horror isn’t for everybody.”

             Dejectedly, CJ paused and uttered, “Yeah, you’re right. Still, it’s one thing to be grounded for two months for disobeying my Mom, it’s another when all your other siblings look at you weirdly when they hear how you EXACTLY got found out! Juni laughed at me for a whole hour when Dad explained what happened! Still, at least Coral was a bit supportive, though.”

             “Sorry to hear that, pal,” she empathised, patting his shoulder supportively.

             “It’s fine. I still wish I wasn’t too much of a ‘fraidy cat, mind you,” he sighed.

             Saffron suddenly got an idea and suggested, “Well, maybe when your grounding is over, you can sleepover at my place and I’ll get you into the Twilight Zone. I don’t think it’s scary as Psycho but I think it’s a good start for getting into horror without being too traumatised.”

             CJ thought for a moment and replied smiling, “I’ll consider it. Thanks!”  

             “No problem!”

 The End

[gplewis]

to memory’s landscape

I used to be feral, committed, foaming at the mouth when holding a keyboard

like Ezra Pound said, “Reading should make man intensely alive. The book should be a ball of light in his hands” — writing was that for me, the recycling of nested angst, unresolved childhood rage at unrecognition, not being seen as my therapist said...the same old beautiful white male coastal elite angst (anxiety, depression, fear of not having enough, fear of loss, fear of not living up to some imagined father’s expectations, fear of disappointing, fear of not fitting in, fear of losing housing and healthcare and food budget because I didn’t do enough good work, fear of falling behind

but what you remember saves you:

https://www.jamievaron.com/

Is it true I just haven’t web-designed myself? monetized and profitized and productized myself? gotten enough clients? fans? followers? patrons? do I even want to talk to anyone? do I even want to share my darkness and secrets? or is it so banal that I would not want to even be seen taking up space as if what I have to say is worth hearing? I appreciate your time, I do, and if I could fill it or suggest what to fill it with, I probably wouldn’t put my writing there. I’m becoming increasingly suspect and skeptical that “what I write” and “what I would suggest you read” have anything to do with each other; I don’t know that I’d recommend me — I’m still working it out, still doing therapy in every text box I encounter

all I write about is what I’m not, maybe — or maybe that’s just the dirt I pile to the side of where I dig; maybe where I’m going has nothing to do with what’s coming up; maybe the dirt I pile up next to my active burrowing has nothing to do with what I’ve found or what I see, only what I must clear away

“The more the marble wastes, the more the statue grows.” — Michelangelo

it’s not easy to be T.S. Eliot. I wonder if it’s harder to be G.P. Lewis, this thing I’m driving, trying to earn anew if thou wouldst possess it to quote a favorite line of Goethe ~ but I wonder what good this spectacle is of creative man raging against his limits, his inertia, churning up the chorus of opposing critical voices in his head: it’s boring, every man has them, but perhaps other men are trapped, addicted and beseeched by this desire to possess and control, to own and to win, to hold power, to be safe, to ensure safety through money, property, status whereas the poet knows all those safeties are illusions and always stripped away — men keep going to the office and putting on the clothes of their known identity (conceptual clothes; ways of posturing, speaking in a way that holds up power structures) to keep from facing the barrenness and nudity of having to stand with only your soul, with only your way of seeing, your memory and your skills, having to be seen completely by the world, and worst of all, yourself.

Surely a safe career (at least held in the mind as such) is just to keep from looking at yourself. One can say it’s for money, for the mortgage, for the children’s education, and it might be. But when night falls and everyone’s self gets blurry and disintegrated (as the cosmic summons back all its children for a night’s rest) we become aqueous; there are no walls, no one owns a thing...and the poet returns to his daytime work, the hammering, chiseling and engineering of a thing on a canvas (or in a file, or at a URL like this Tumblr post) that might make such men of industry see that they must become poets, initiate a softening, a milkifying, a creaming ~ becoming a different kind of material, being open to the ecstatic, the tender...I am here, perhaps, to rescue men from taxes and accounts, from holdings and balances (or maybe I just need to be rescued from them? Wouldn’t I clamor if a corporate woman came and wanted me as her house cat? Wouldn’t I be glad not bringing in revenue, being a homemaker, raising the child, even having some help to come in every morning so I could write? Is it possible? Is it almost here? Have I just not wanted it enough until right now? Is this what I want?

I think that’s the most spacious question one can ask: what do I really want? And it’s at war against just one enemy: what is expected of me; outstanding credits on the account of you, your becoming, where you think you’d like to go, what you think you’d like to do. What’s allowed. And this is where art must become the central force of any adult’s life (rather than checking work email or social media, hunting for inconsistencies or apparent facts that threaten one’s sense of what should be happening...perhaps the poet’s sensibility is that no one knows and no one can really know what ought to be happening, that it’s still an open question, that we are all swimming in that question and in fact we should leave all our clothes on the shore and swim out, trust our nakedness, trust the water, forget the fear we’ve had of each other, forget the fear of being touched...putting ourselves in each other’s hands, forgetting nations, forgetting governments, forgetting private property and accounts...can we do it? Mustn’t we? Is this not essential work? The work of shedding what we’ve been afraid of, cracking the shell of our scared ego and letting us become full-fledged spiritual beings having a human experience? Can we see a hundred years out? A thousand?

So what if this is an unhinged rant? Don’t we need some visionaries who insist on saying what they see even if there’s no profit motive, no agenda, no “trying” to “get” something? This is all proof that nothing can be gotten, that none of us get above being a floating eyeball reporting what it sees and what it feels. We are naked. We are only just beginning to see the light, crawl to shore and make our first night together with our bedfellow: patience, faith, solitude, gratitude, awe.

These are the nouns a poet must reclaim. These are the nouns that should fill the mainstream airwaves, that the young people should dance to and text about. But everyone does it themselves — I did. I listened and learned and took notes and lived in those notes, eschewing other ladder-climbing. No, I descended, I did not climb. The real estate upwards is all contested; only in the deep descent would I find no friction ~ and so I left the workforce. My LinkedIn profile is true (Geoff Lewis 🎨 ✍🏻 I think I’m called there) but I walked away from seeing myself in terms of organizations — the only aristocracy I’m interested in is the aristocracy of passionate souls: painters, poets, actors, musicians, composers, scientists, madmen, freaks, sideshow clowns...independent contractors, public amateurs committed to the form and the flow and the lineage and their own seriousness — yes, seriousness is a home, a hearth, a homeland. I want — no, I long, I yearn to meet and be with my countrymen. Need we go to war? Against what? The U.S. government not giving us another stimulus check? The array of paperwork and bureaucracy keeping the money out of our hands? Need I really turn back and brand myself, take up the arms of calendar and email and prostrate in front of a potentially paying customer? Why does money rankle me so deeply? Am I existentially furious that I’m intertwined with commerce which is necessarily about oppression and domination and withholding? What can my passion do? Is it OK that my passion only shows itself in silence? Maybe this voice of mine could animate you, a young activist, someone who doesn’t aspire to spend five hours a day every day in silent solitude reading and writing...everybody needs a job. 

[trashcankitty12]

I want to know what ‘holidays’ the other realms celebrate around this time of year? Like I know most of the Witches celebrate Yule and all, but what about say... zenith? Or solaria? You don’t have to do every realm, just like.... the main ones. Please?

Okay so I already did Domino, so that one will be given a miss. (I’d link the post, but I’m not sure I can on mobile.)

Solaria:

Yes the witches of Solaria mostly celebrate Yule. Yule is like an overarching holiday among witches. 

Anyway: Solaria doesn’t exactly have winter like other realms do. They’re two suns sort of make it hard to have coldness. (Stella’s family goes off-realm to enjoy winter sports/activities, and she was like six before she really saw snow.)

They do, however, have a week where the moons of Solaria become more prominent and dominant in power over the suns. This causes Solaria to go down in temperatures (mostly light jacket weather, but because Solarians are just a tad ‘extra’ and so super use to the warmth, the tend to bundle up as if it’s snowing.)

This week is called Resetting of the Suns. (This is the translated version of the name, but in Solarian it’s far more elegant.)

Lights from gems and Star Light fueled lanterns are crucial during this time. Often done in remembrance of the power split in the cosmos, the lights are used to power up the Solarians who draw their power more from the sun so they don’t get too weak. (The Solarians more drawn to the moon have their powers increased during this time, and this is their time to ‘shine’.)

Stories are retold over and over about the love between the suns and moons, how they have to share their power for the greater good and they must never come into direct contact, ‘lest their children die in the flames.

Romantic/holiday movies are usually released and shown throughout the week.

Festivals are held in honor of the Moons and Stars all around Solaria. Candies and cookies in the shape of stars and moons are handed out, jewelry created of star dust and moon stone are given to loved ones, and ribbon dances are performed.

(Stella, as the crown princess of Solaria, performs the ceremonial Moonstra Dance with her mother, dressed in traditional lunar fashion with the Tiara of the Moon giving her an aura of peace. She was a little rusty with it at first, but now that she’s more sure of herself and in tune with her body more, partially thanks to Layla’s dance practices, she’s so good at it. Brandon finds himself in awe of how beautiful and elegant she and her mother are in the dance.)

Foods tend to be meaty and hearty to help the Solarians, especially the more solar powered ones, nice and warm on the inside.

Gifts tend to be lunar based. Moonstones and stardust and lunar fashions. (Light-weight and airy clothing designed in blue, white, and occasionally a pale yellow. Hair tends to be done up in star dust glitter and crescent moon shaped head pieces, like ponytail holders or ribbons or headbands.)

Songs singing the praises of the moon are sung among ‘carolers’ and concerts are even dedicated to the moons and stars.

Andros:

There’s two holidays that occur on Andros during the ‘colder’ seasons, aside from Yule.

The Merpeople celebrate Narshala (Nar-shal-a). 

Not much is known about this holiday other than the merpeople gather in the Palace and sing the most haunting songs, reminiscent of the Siren Songs and water particles and bubbles can be seen floating up into the air, bursting in different colors.

(Layla won’t tell what her dad’s family does during Narshala, as it’s a very private celebration among the merpeople and she knows better than to share with outsiders, even her friends. Nabu, however, will be celebrating his first Narshala along with his family.)

Land dwelling Androsians celebrate Nereidisa (Ner-a-dis-a), the Celebration of the Ocean Waves and Winter Solstice.

Andros is sort of a windy place anyway due to the ocean currents and sea breezes, though it’s usually super warm near the beaches.

However, during this particular time of year, even the beaches become chilled and clothing may need be made of warmer material.

Bubble-based lights are lined around the castle walls and the villages and cities of Andros, the lights glowing in different colors based on how close they are to the castle. (They become more and more seaweed green the further from the castle you are, but the closer to the castle you are, the more oceanic blue the bubbles become.)

Seafood feasts are prominent, often with dashes of sweeter tastes. (Like mint.)

Specialized water-based fireworks are shot off on the beaches during night before Nereidisa, as a welcome for the waves. Designs include merpeople, water birds like seagulls and pelicans, different types of fish, selkies, and seashells.

Seashells and fish scales that have been thoroughly cleaned and shined are used to create jewelry and clothing items that tend to be worn at this time.

The royal family tends to dress in various shades of green or blue, their hair braided into seashell bands and streaks of blue or green bubble colors are mixed in. Crowns or tiaras (in Layla’s case) of coral are worn. (The crowns are very much alive and form a temporary symbiotic relationship with the wearer, giving them a power boost while eating the dead skin on their face. It sounds weird as hell to outsiders, especially to Stella and Musa, but it doesn’t hurt the wearer and in fact helps their skin seem even smoother and healthier.)

Dances and plays are a prominent part of this holiday. Children typically perform the plays, detailing the first time an Androsian communicated with the Ocean and discovered it’s true power.

Dances are done by all ages and are done while wearing traditional Nereidisa clothing. (Kelp and seaweed based shirts and leggings, with shells and fish nets used as accent pieces or skirts. Bubbles/morphix batons are used to twirl and create the effects needed.

There is a swimming competition, though only the most advanced swimmers are allowed to participate as the ocean is a bit rough during this time of year.

Games are played with shells and bubbles. Usually simple children’s games; like a version of hopscotch or catch, but there are more complex ones similar to simon says and bop-it with morphix/bubble tech. 

If a new king or queen has stepped up within that year, they are to dress in the attire the first Androsian wore to commune with the waves (a simple shirt and trouser set, usually plain in color.) They are then to walk into the ocean and allow it to overtake them.

They then return to the surface, considered ‘new’ and ‘purified’ by the ocean, a chosen leader.

Melody:

Melody celebrates The Day of the Muses. This holiday celebrates the goddesses of music and their Singing Whales.

Every Melodian knows the call of the whales and as is tradition, they go to the nearest wharf or pier or beach to watch as the whales go by and they try to sing along.

It’s actually pretty warm this time of year, so its not uncommon for Melodians to wear short sleeves or skirts or shorts. (Typically in festive purple or red shades.)

To be really festive, they wear clothes with the print of the Muses on them. (Typically the notes that correspond with the notes the whales sing for their song.)

Dances and parties are often the main way to celebrate. All music types are welcome as this is literally the celebration of music and the inspiration music brings.

This is also typically when prospective musicians of all types (singers, guitarists, classicists, pianists, etc) show off the projects they’ve been working on all year with their family and friends. (And sometimes potential producers.)

Sweets are the main dishes for Day of the Muses as the music goddesses are known for their sweet tooths. (Especially if the sweets are imbued with telepathic magic that allows the taster to hear the music.)

Movies depicting those ‘inspired’ and ‘touched’ by the music goddesses are often shown during this time, hoping to bring a message of hope and perseverance to any Melodian who hasn’t quite found their song or rhythm yet.

Gifts aren’t necessary, but if they are given it’s usually only to immediate family and close friends. (And it’s typically a collection of music that the giver knows the receiver will really flourish from.)

Zenith:

Zenith, being a realm that thrives on logic and numbers, doesn’t really see a point in celebrating the ‘gods’ or ‘goddesses’ or any other being that hasn’t been proven to exist. (In fact, they’d be skeptical of the Great Dragons if it weren’t for the fact that they’ve seen the Dominans and Obsidinites in action before.)

But because of their dedication to logic and ‘the truth’ and their technology, they have a holiday known as Sarpava (Sar-pav-a).

Families get to stay home with each other and they share what they think the most important thing they learned that year was. Sharing knowledge is the big thing for this holiday.

Soups and other warming foods are the main dishes, as Zenithians aren’t fond of sweets typically and their realm is always so cold that their dishes tend to be spicy to compensate... (And keep their bodies warm.)

The Royal Family usually has a major party in the palace, open to the public, where they display an algorithmic light show for the children and hold a major trivia game for the adults and teens. (Broken down into many subcategories. If you win these trivia games, you tend to earn a favor of some sort from the king, be it advanced knowledge of future tech or perhaps even a call into that job you were hoping for.) 

There are also competitions for inventors to enter their new creations in. The winner gets a patent and an opportunity to have their creation developed further. (This was how Tecna’s dad got his company started up. Magnethia was so proud.)

Games of other sorts are often played, though many games to revolve around memorization, skill, mathematical or scientific genius, and trivial knowledge.

Linphea:

Mianea. (Mia-na). (The name is different in Linphean, but this is the translation.)

This is the literal celebration of both ‘death’, ‘renewal’, and ‘rest’. 

Linphea has a month where it’s basically ‘winter’, especially in the more mountainous regions.

Snowfall isn’t much, and hail hardly happens, but it’s there.

Various plants and animals go into hibernation during this time, and some sort of ‘die out’ during this month, but soon ‘regain their form’ during the thawing season.

(Like I said, Death and Renewal.)

Family usually gathers and discuss their family history and how it’s tied in with the nature of Linphea’s being, how they came to be and where they’ll go once they’ve passed, how they’ll once again be part of Linphea’s cycle even in death.

They talk about those who have passed and give thanks for them, leaving little wreaths around the burial sites as a way of tribute.

Sweets are the main dish as a way to soften up the hearts and remind others that life is most definitely worth living.

Some sweets have a little kick to them, such as cinnamon.

Any animals or plants eaten during this time are given praise and thanks, a way to remind the family that sometimes sacrifices have to be made to let others grow and live.

There’s a major festival in the Heart of Linphea’s realm where they dance to Winter Harmony (a ballet-esque dance) and allow their magic and auras to connect with the realm, giving it the strength to renew itself later.

The entire realm feels even more alive with the magic of it’s inhabitants just pulsing through, giving it more meaning.

Gifts aren’t necessarily given, but some families do.

Clothing of wilted petals and half-dried leaves are typically worn as a sign of mourning for the plants and animals lost during this time (and throughout the year). 

Memories and stories of loved ones are shared with the family and a feast is usually held. 

The Evergreen trees are often decorated with colored lights and hand-made ornaments, a show of reverence and finding light even within such a dark time.

Eraklyon:

Eraklyon celebrates Flames and Shields Day. (This is the translation of the holiday.)

Dragon riders, streamers, balloons, candlelight decor, and fireworks.

It’s an all-out, 24 hour party on Eraklyon during this day.

The army and royal guard show off their moves and their weapons. Parties and festivals line the streets.

Vendors selling carnival food and dragon races and levibike races.

Ballroom dances, reenactments of famous battles, fancy clothing.

Classical music and artwork gets shown off.

At the end, there’s a major fireworks display, a grand speech made by the King, and a feast the entire realm is invited too. 

(This is also the best time for normal residents get to air their grievances to the king and ask for certain things to be fixed or to get better.)

It’s a fairly beautiful event and it definitely gets plenty of media attention as the ‘Party of the Year’.

Isis:

Solstice of the Soul.

This is going to sound weird, but this is a holiday of self-reflection and self-discovery.

The people of Isis gather the gemstones that truly ‘speak to them’ and that they draw power from.

They set up mini-circles around themselves as soon as dawn breaks through, using the sun’s power and their own to charge the gems and open up ‘portals’ into their own souls.

This is meant to make them reflect on the past year, help them realize if they’re still on the right path and if they’re where they’re meant to be.

Sometimes people find new gems to speak to or find themselves drawn to new pieces of life.

It’s not much of a family based holiday, but it that’s just how it is.

At dusk, there is a gathering for the Isisians where they power Isis’ Diamond heart to keep the realm safe from harm for another year.

Callisto:

Since this is more of a touristy realm, they tend to accommodate for other holidays instead of having any of their own.

Obsidian:

This may be the opposite realm of Domino, but they celebrated very similarly with lights and flames to worship the Great Dark Dragon.

Traditional Dragon Dances are done, flames used as dancing partners and accents to the dance.

(They typically have more Yule like traditions.)

A major feast at the Palace is often held. Fireworks and family are celebrated.

Mostly though, it’s the unadulterated worship of the Great Dark Dragon and the birth of dark magic.

Plays depicting the Great Dark Dragon’s reign are often shown, as well as the original banishment of the Ancestral Witches.

Grand snowball fights are held. (Mostly for children.)

They also tend to have major balls and more ‘dressed up’ events for the nobility to attend.

Gifts aren’t exactly customary for Obsidinites as being alive and able to feel the Dragon’s Flames are meant to be gift enough. (Though children tend to get at least a little something from their parents.)

Sweets, especially cakes, are the go-to for Obsidinites.

There’s also a bit of a “Trial By Fire” that the one bonded to the Great Dark Dragon has to go through. Basically, they get engulfed in the first flames the Dark Dragon spewed and become ‘purified’ from the flames. This only happens once the Great Dark Dragon’s new bonded has been properly given the crown.

Sword fights and dragon races take place often during the festivities.

The night usually ends with a fireworks show and the promise of the Great Dark Dragon’s protection for another year.

Inseca:

Cocooning Week- (again, another translation done as best as possible.)

This is a week of transformation and renewal. The Insecans try to purge themselves of what they consider to be their worst parts during the last year. They do this by getting rid of clothing or pictures or toys that remind them of something horrible or upsetting that happened. 

(This is also when they let out their worst emotions. Anger, hatred, self-loathing. All of it is aired out and set loose into the world to be lost and forgotten as the Insecan tries to make themselves a better person.)

During the middle of the week, they make a list or ‘focus board’ of who they want to become and the qualities they want to try and gain. Many seek out various friendly ‘spiders’ or ‘spider-like’ creatures to cocoon them for that last night before the end of the week.

At the end, they emerge from their cocoons and typically feel a sense of renewal as they try to become better people than they were at the beginning of the week.

(A feast with family is usually held at this point, along with any gift giving or parties. Meals in the shape or form of various insects are made.)

Tides:

Tides actually has very similar traditions to Androsians because of how close their realms are to one another. 

Honestly the main difference is the tattooing of Tidisians of ‘that age’ (usually 16 or 17 year olds). 

The tattoos are done on the arms, legs, and sometimes backs of the youth, done in the same aura color of their magic and in the flow their magic runs in. (Usually in line with the flow of the tides in the realm.)

[kaylia1991]

There is a space between Ziva’s departure in 2013 and Ziva’s return in 2019... 

When Ziva reappeared, it felt sort of surreal to me. To be honest, it still does. I still cannot believe that she is actually back on screen. But what baffles me most is the issue of time between her last appearance in 2013 and her latest one in 2019. It’s been almost 6 years. 6 years and nothing has changed, but yet everything has changed. 

In 2013 I was 22 years old. I felt so grown up. In truth, like many of us, I was nothing but a baby trying to find something online that I was lacking in my actual real life. My shows, my online platform, my friends… they were an escape. A pleasant escape from reality. It felt like the end of the world when Ziva left the show. Emotionally speaking I was in chaos. This character and her relationships with the other characters were a fundamental part of my life. They felt like family to me. And the people who felt the same way about her, the show and the rest of the NCIS team became my substitute online family. This shared feeling of community provided me with an escape. I kept avoiding a lot of pain. And I feel like a lot of you did, too. When you are so invested in fiction, there is usually a reason for that. Our common coping mechanism forged powerful bonds. Friendships. Some of them would last. Some of them would not. But in the end I would argue that most of us appreciate the good old times or actual friendships that developed through this coping mechanism. It is rare that you find people in this world who share your state of mind. The internet offers countless opportunities for that. 

But the only constant in life is change and things would change dramatically and fall apart. I kept a few good friends that are very special to me. But the community changed significantly. And it partially fell apart. Ziva’s sudden departure left a void. Some of us had never been able to fill it and turned their backs on it. We had to learn to live without this aspect of our lives. Our coping mechanism was gone. To me it was much like learning to swim without armbands. After a while it gets easier and at a certain point you rarely think about wearing them again. I guess this process is called adaption. It is part of the human experience to adapt to circumstances. Much like the period right after a break-up or an actual loss where it feels like you cannot live without the other person...but with time you realize you can. But the process of adapting to these new circumstances sucks.

So Ziva was gone. The community partially fell apart. And I grew adept to these circumstances and learned to swim on my own to the point where I made peace with the situation (especially after they ‘killed her off’). I really never would have thought that Cote would ever come to an agreement with the producers. Too much water under the bridge. Apparently I was wrong.

Almost 6 years after her departure and 3 years after her being ‘killed of‘ she is back. And you would think that the void is filled again. That everything is back to normal. Ziva’s return was not something that shocked me fundamentally. Moreover, my lack of an emotional response was the actual true shock to me. I felt numb. I felt almost nothing. Actually, it felt like the return of an ex you’ve never expected to see again. I was at peace. Suddenly, I have to deal with this again. 

In 2016 Ziva ‘died’. Shortly after her ‘death’ on screen I was forced to face actual death. The past 3 years have been the worst of my life even though my life has never been easy (hence the escapist notion). As a kid I would imagine being characters or part of a fantasy world because I could not bare the thought of remaining in the actual world. This coping mechanism has been part of me right from the start. It has always worked for me up until 3 years ago. Ziva’s TV ‘death’ was terrible. Much like Tony’s departure. And my hopes were crushed again. No coping mechanism left. And then real life struck and I hit rock bottom. I am still at rock bottom. Things have not improved much since 2016. Actually they got way worse in 2018. My personal life is a big mess. And there she is. My coping mechanism is back. But it feels like such a cheat to me. This is not how life works. I feel like I am protecting myself from being dragged back into this spiral of hope. My faith in the show and some of its actors is completely diminished. 

6 years...and I feel hollow inside and numb. 6 years and I am 28 instead of 22. I am an adult. And somehow I assume some of you might feel the same way. 6 years and the show plus Ziva attempt to fill the void again. But they fail. My faith in them is completely gone. I am very skeptical about this whole thing. And it makes me sad that I feel almost nothing but fear of getting my hopes up. I used to be this optimist believing that everything is going to be alright. That part of me is gone. And yet, I am back here. Wondering and waiting along with you. Hoping to rediscover that part of me again. I guess I am in desperate need for a coping mechanism. Or a happy ending. Even though my faith is completely destroyed. Time does make a huge difference indeed. 

There is a space between Ziva’s departure in 2013 and Ziva’s return in 2019... and that space changed me fundamentally. Changed us. The world is a different place right now. And yet everything feels so familiar at the same time... how are we back here again?

[captainnellbatoast]

SHARKS, SHARKS AND MORE SHARKS

The subject area I'd like to choose for my FMP is shark attacks which is a theme that I'm really interested in and have a pre-existing knowledge of. The subject of shark attacks is full of incorrect preconceptions that’s been majorly informed by the portrayal of attacks in cult films such as Jaws. These have completely moulded the culture of swimming in the sea worldwide, and the overall view of sharks. 

In particular within this subject I’d like to investigate the conflict between human and shark, exploring the villainization of singular sharks which has been heavily influenced by pop culture. I’d like to adopt a process focussed on pacing, suspense, conflict while introducing tone of voice and possibly conversational dialect to the language.

Before 1916 there was skepticism if a shark could even take down a human. In the summer of that year that would be immensely disproved as 5 people were attacked in 11 days on the shore of New Jersey, 4 of which were fatalities. This spree of attacks, which inspired Jaws, birthed the idea that there is a sole shark out there hunting humans, when in fact it is far more likely that a group of sharks moved into that area due to a migrational change, and at the height of summer and beach bathers there happened to be 5 attacks from a collection of sharks. More coincidence than not.

One thing that really fascinates me about this is the vilanization of a single shark which has led to the strange misconception that if you catch a shark around the time of an attack, especially if when gutted it has human remains inside it, your shore will now be safe. The relationship between sharks and humans widely exists as hunt or be hunted even though most people won’t ever encounter a shark in the wild. Does this fear stem from a power complex or is it purely survival instinct induced? Is the fear that we will be hunted or killed? Could this inform a discussion appreciating sharks as hunters and gorgeously engineered killing machines, through an act of respect? 

The chances of you being killed by a falling coconut are higher than both being fatally injured by a shark or surviving the attack. Despite most people having a grasp on this concept, or similar, the fear takes over when swimming in murky or even clear open water to the point that many people are fearful and have doubts whilst swimming on even British coasts.

How has culture informed this fear? Jaws has scarred many many children and adults from young ages due to Spielberg’s masterful avoidance of the 12 rating. It is quite hard to believe that it was, and remains, a PG rated film. When speaking to those who were born in the 70s about their first memory of Jaws they often remark how they left the cinema during the screening or how it took a long time to come to terms with their experience of it as they were shit scared. Some note not even wanting to get in the bath. I remember watching the opening scene at 9 on Youtube and then really struggling to grow a pair and get into the sea that summer which I found profoundly odd as I had always really liked monster movies and tended to be a very fearless child when it came to stuff like that. Films like King Kong, Jurassic Park, Coraline, Monster House, which a lot of kids had issues watching, I couldn’t get enough of, but what was different about Jaws though was it could be real. I was able to establish the impossibleness of the other films, but 9 year old me couldn't get it out of my head that unless I never got into the water again I would never truly be safe. I’m still not sure which bit of being attacked by a shark I was more scared for at that point, or if it was just the concept and visual of Alex’s raft floating back all bloody and solo- that stuck with me more than the gorey death bit because I found that kind of cool. Luckily for me peer pressure took over that summer and I got into the water and kind of eliminated that fear. It wasn’t until I went snorkelling in the Caribbean 2 years ago in deep open water that I had to confront this feeling again. Not being able to have 360 vision constantly in crystal clear water was almost scarier than being in murky waters. I have now decided that I think the scariest part of being attacked by a shark (for me) would be if I was in clear water and seeing it swimming straight at me from a distance because at that point nothing is going to be able to stop it. 

I could find legs in this concept of fear and begin a tonal conversation on disaster in general and how it is responded to, both culturally and socially. It also begins to beg questions of why are we so scared of the shark species specifically and not say jellyfish when the stings kill way more people annually than sharks. Is it all down to the teeth; the engineering of the shark? What is the land equivalent of the shark? - is there one? or is the shark far superior to any other creature to currently exist? And how has the term been reappropriated to describe a type of person - “he’s a lone shark” “you shark”

I really enjoy watching shark attack documentaries. I like how they remind me how powerless humans can be in a world they dominate, especially when they’re taken off land. By entering the ocean you’re on a shark’s turf at the end of the day so if you get got can you really blame the shark? The varying amount of damage each species can do really shows the dominance of sharks and how perilous an encounter can be. The fact that great whites remain as one of the only animals that humans cannot keep in captivity without them dying almost immediately is a credit to the species.

I also like shark attack programmes because of the suspense and gore that’s recounted. Some of the injuries seem so alien that they come across as fictional and like they’re part of films. I’m not squeamish so on the rare occasions they show in detail injuries and footage of the attacks it’s my lucky day.

As well as accounts of attacks, documentaries often cover and explore preventative measures in shark ‘hotspots’ which has increased my fascination in the species itself a lot more recently. For example, surfers are now encouraged to wear blue patterned wetsuits that mimic the surface of the water as black wetsuits make you look like a seal (shark food). The other issue with black wetsuits, and also patterned, often neon ones, is the shark’s inability to see colour due to its single long-wavelength sensitive cone type in the retina, which means any high contrast in the water is easy to identify and track.

Recently I’ve been researching how climate change will impact shark migration and therefore attacks. The warmer a shark is, the more energy it has for hunting and migration, and with ocean temperatures rising sharks are become more active and migrating to new areas now that the sea is warm enough to be inhabited. Sharks currently found off the Spanish coast and in the Mediteraean are predicted to move north for the first time ever, meaning they could be entering British seas by 2050. Sharks predicted to follow this migration pattern include white hammerheards, blacktips and sandtigers. I wonder if British coasts homed sharks what the cultural and societal response would be to this. This could also spark a speculative investigation into the future of the shark.

I still stand by my 10 year old self’s opinion that death by shark is probably the coolest way to go.

[ayellowbirds]

Keshet Rewatches All of Scooby-Doo, Pt. 12: "Scooby Doo and a Mummy, Too"

("Scooby-Doo, Where Are You", Season 1 Episode 12)

AKA "We Forgot One Universal Monster Last Episode"

The episode opens on a view of a university campus, with the usual spooky musical sting in spite of nothing being visibly eerie... until we cut into a building identified “DEPARTMENT OF ARCHEOLOGY” (sic). Inside, a professor is introducing the gang to the mummified remains of Ankha, an ancient Egyptian ruler who was once “the most feared ruler”—though we’re never given a reason why he was feared. What did he do that was so terrible?

I’ll note that the subtitles spell the name as “Anka”, but the Scooby Doo wiki gives the more standard-looking “Ankha”. As is oddly typical of adults who are not the culprit in a given episode, the Professor is never given a name, though he introduces his colleague as Dr. Najib, who helped bring the mummy over for the university’s replica of Ankha’s tomb.

A middle eastern man with narrow eyes and permanently lowered brow, voiced by Vic Perrin in an almost exact duplicate of his portrayal of Jonny Quest villain Doctor Zin, Najib raises the subject of the curse of Ankha, relating his hope that it did not follow them. I’ll say it right here, because it’s not much of a spoiler when so many flags are triggered right away: Najib is the culprit, and it’s another example of casual racism this season. The thieving, scheming Arab was a popular villain trope of the day, and while Najib isn’t quite as overt as some other variations on the trope, he’s far from a deconstruction or a subversion.

As Najib makes his exit, the gang agree to help the Professor, and Shaggy lays his filthy mitts on an ancient golden medallion the entire cast identify as a coin in spite of a lack of any evidence that it is currency. As Shaggy manhandles priceless ancient artifacts, the Professor explains it’s part of an unsolved mystery, and suggests the gang pick up some sandwiches on his dollar in order to satisfy Shaggy’s appetite.

While they’re gone, the Professor hears a crash, and comes out to find the mummy gone and a mummy-shaped hole in the glass doors. Meanwhile, Shaggy receives an order of three burgers and three sandwiches—liverwurst, à la mode. The chef spoons bright pink ice cream onto three open-face sandwiches, and Shaggy hands him a dollar bill and a half-dollar coin... that is actually the ancient Egyptian coin! 

Shaggy has unconsciously pocketed it, demonstrating kleptomaniac tendencies that are never commented upon. The gang pay properly and Fred suggests they grab the sandwiches and get back to the Professor to return the coin. I’ll note that the food is clearly served on dine-in plates, rather than to-go containers, and when the food is taken from the counter off-screen, it makes a plate-rattling sound. Did they just walk out with burgers and open-faced sandwiches in-hand, sans any kind of container or wrapper?

When the gang return, they find the Professor in his office, where he’s been TURNED TO STONE! “14-karat stone”, Shaggy quips. Velma, bastion of rational, scientific skepticism, observes that only one person could be responsible: the mummy.

The gang look outside and find the busted glass, but Velma notes that it’s broken in rather than out, making it clear this wasn’t an exit. Fred orders the gang to split up and search for the mummy, and Shaggy soon accidentally discovers the bandaged terror hiding in the Janitor’s Closet. Locking him in, Shaggy, Velma, and Scooby flee in terror, instead of doing the reasonable thing and making sure the mummy is properly trapped.

Thus ensues the usual hide-and-chase sequence, although the mummy only groans and shambles slowly rather than running. Of course, there’s still extensive damage done to priceless museum artifacts by the B Team’s attempts to hide. Eventually cornered, the mummy begins to demand, “coin... coin!!” and nods and grunts in the affirmative when Velma suggests he means the old Egyptian one, and not the quarter Shaggy offers him.

When Velma insists they don’t give him what he wants, it falls to Scooby to defend them, and he demands a hefty price of Scooby Snacks.

I believe this is the first time we see a box of Scooby Snacks, which are drawn as being about half the size of previous appearances, and the box simply reads “SCOOBY SNACKS”. It’s also the first implication that “Scooby Snacks” is the name of a product on the market, rather than just what the gang call dog treats, or a home-made specialty.

Emboldened, Scooby tries taking a swing at the mummy with his left foreleg, but there’s a sound like a steel drum being struck, and Scooby’s metacarpals collapse and fold inward like a limp accordion tube. This does not deter the carb-loaded canine, who dashes offscreen and returns in a karate gi, and begins to yelp out kiais so badly stereotypical that the captioning refused to display them as he chops at the motionless mummy. It’s no more effective, so Scooby tries one last attack: 

A little of the old razzmatazz.

At first, the soft-shoe routine seems to be Scooby’s attempt at desertion, but in spite of Velma’s shock, the dog sneaks back in behind the advancing mummy and nails his rags to the floor with a hammer.

Once again, the trio flee without making sure that Ankha is captured, even though Velma says they’re going to tell Daphne and Fred that they just did that. Meanwhile, Fred and Daphne are exploring outside, having found what look to be the mummy’s footprints going into a construction area. They discover Dr. Najib’s car, with what appears to be the doctor turned to stone, and wonder if Shaggy and Velma have run into the mummy themselves, not seeming to be concerned that their friends could be turned to stone any moment.

Having returned, Shaggy and Velma find that the mummy has escaped and disappeared, and inspect the piece of bandage left nailed to the floor. They retreat to a laboratory to investigate the new-feeling wrappings and determine its actual age, where an unattended Scooby drinks three large glasses of a chartreuse liquid. There’s an odd screen-filling animation of an explosion that fades in and out, and Scooby’s head has turned into that of a frog!

He lets out a few confused ribbits, and the effect reverses, explosion included—without Shaggy or Velma noticing. Meanwhile, the mummy reappears, demanding the coin before Velma can finish her analysis. While the two humans flee the room in an improvised smokescreen, Scooby is left behind, and the duo only realize as Daphne and Fred rejoin them. The room is empty except for evidence of a struggle, and a window is left open in the back. Fred worries that he’ll end up like the Professor and Dr. Najib...

...and sure enough, the gang discover a stone Scooby back outside. As Shaggy mourns the loss of his friend, the real Scooby digs his way up out of the ground to join him in tearfully weeping over the sad scene.

“Look, Scoob! You’ve been turned to stone!”

Rather than questioning Scooby about what happened to him, the gang decide to backtrack and ignore the great huge clue right in front of them.

Investigating the Professor’s office, Velma learns that Ankha was also the wealthiest ruler of ancient Egypt, and thinks she’s discovered the solution to the mystery of the coin, finding a photo of a statue of a hippo-headed figure that may or may not be a badly rendered representation of the goddess Taweret (understandably lacking the usual large sagging breasts of images of that deity; this is a kids’ show). The likeness of the coin appears with some other symbols on the statue’s belly, but just as the gang realize it, Ankha busts down the office door.

Retreating to the second floor, the gang duck into the wood shop, where—i’m sorry, why is there a WOOD SHOP in a university’s DEPARTMENT OF ARCHAEOLOGY?

Fred tells Daphne to hit the lights so  that they can hide in the darkness of a room full of sharp objects and heavy machinery, but Daphne hits the wrong switch and turns on a handheld, corded buzz saw that spins to life and climbs up the wall by cutting through the surface of it.

Now, in addition to majoring in anthropology and library science, i took an elective class in the extremely well-appointed woodworking facility at SUNY Purchase College, and i have at least a basic sense of shop safety. So i speak from something of a position of experience when i say, WHY WOULD YOU PUT THOSE SWITCHES NEXT TO EACH OTHER?

As the saw cuts across the ceiling, back down the wall, and past the mummy, it moves on to circle the gang, cutting through the floor and sending the gang dropping down to the floor below... where there’s a swimming pool. 

WHAT KIND OF ARCHAEOLOGY DEPARTMENT IS THIS? A WOOD SHOP? A SWIMMING POOL? WHO DESIGNED THIS COLLEGE, MC ESCHER?

The enraged mummy tosses the saw down at the gang, and its improbably long power cord reaches far enough that the saw moves through the water, chasing the gang as they paddle for their lives. Kudos to the saw’s manufacturers for so extensively waterproofing it, but i really don’t think a 100 meter power cord is a necessity.

Continuing to flee the mummy, Shaggy and Scooby enter the construction area from before, stumbling into a work space where Shaggy notices bags of “Quick Drying Mold Cement”, and “spray molds” that actually appear to be just wooden crates with cement poured in around an empty space in the shape of a standing human being.

“Ruh-huh!” Scooby replies. You could’ve told them that, Scooby. It would have been helpful.

I’ll note that the mold is in the shape of someone standing or laying straight, and all the “stone” figures we’ve seen so far were sitting down. This is what happens when you don’t communicate plot details to your art department, people.

The mummy of Ankha catches up, and the boys flee into a groundskeeper’s shack. When Shaggy peeks out to see if the coast is clear, however...

FOR THE LOVE OF GOD! Yes, for the love of god.

Ankha continues to demand the coin, but meanwhile, Scooby and Shaggy find the Professor bound, gagged, and stuffed into a bag in the corner. Shaggy pulls down his gag, and asks, “are you alright, Professor?”

“I’m fine!”

“Groovy,” Shaggy replies, putting the gag back in place. “Be back for you later.”

The duo make their escape and the chase scene starts up again, now involving a ride on an improbably speedy lawnmower through an empty gymnasium, and a bit more in the way of trampoline antics. This show loves trampoline antics. Mid-bounce, Scooby, grabs onto a pair of gymnastics rings, and uses his hind legs to kick the mummy across the gym, dunking his bandaged butt into the basketball hoop.

It’s stuff like this that led to the Globetrotters crossovers, i’m sure.

The gang unmask "Ankha”, who, as i’d spoiled ahead of time, is Dr. Najib. He had faked his own petrification as part of a plan to get his hands on the coin—actually the key to the statue in the photo from the book. The gang and the Professor discover that a slot on the back of the statue serves as the keyhole, because apparently no-one was ever diligent enough to examine the back side of this stone figure, and its mouth opens to reveal a “glass beetle”.

Not quite, says the Professor.

There’s no resolution about what happens to this obscenely large “diamond”, identified as such at a glance without any kind of testing of its hardness. Scooby finds the whereabouts of the real mummy of Ankha, and the gang celebrate as Dr. Najib is probably in the midst of arguing his diplomatic immunity somewhere downtown.

And once again, no “meddling kids”, not even a scene of the authorities arriving. All we see of Najib unmasked is the usual silent, glaring fuming, and the explanation falls to the gang and the Professor relaxing calmly in the epilogue.

(like what i’m doing here? It’s not what pays the bills, so i’d really appreciate it if you could send me a bit at my paypal.me or via my ko-fi. Click here to see more entries in this series of posts, or here to go in chronological order)

[very-grownup]

Can you believe a kraken STILL hasn’t eaten Nitori over summer vacation?

I'm going to talk about Free! Dive to the Future now that three episodes have aired.

I have not seen any of the films produced between the end of Eternal Summer and the start of this third series. They are not available on English streaming services and I'm going to be real with you: in 2018 there is so much media to consume that is legally and easily available, I'm disinclined to figure out how to obtain fansubbed anime in this the year of our lord 2018.

I loved Iwatobi Swim Club and Eternal Summer. They were well done, tight, self-contained coming of age series, one about a character overcoming an angry and isolating adolescence, one about a character learning to overcome the inertia of fear that often grips young adults when they're confronted with the inevitable change of going from adolescence to adulthood, of having to make a choice. The first two series were masterfully directed by Hiroko Utsumi and a breath of fresh air: a show helmed by a woman, for young women, and not based on an otome game or another property centered on the relationship between the male characters and a female avatar.

Hiroko Utsumi did not direct any of the film entries in the series and is not directing Dive to the Future (she's directing the incredible Banana Fish anime) and I admit, when I read Utsumi was no longer involve the series, I became skeptical about its direction and quality.

Now that I can actually watch an entry in the series made without Utsumi, I don't have to be skeptical. The kindest thing I can say about Dive to the Future is that it's obviously floundering for direction. But this is the internet, so I can also go into a far more thorough and much less kind discussion of missteps, questionable choices, and things that are actually not good.

There's one problem that stands out for me, because a lot of the others can be bracketed with expectations of what sort of show Dive to the Future is trying to be, but this one part, a small fraction of the runtime of the three episodes, undoes, or at least undermines, something the first two series did in the characterization of one of the only girls in the series. Gou, the younger sister of protagonist Rin and manager of Iwatobi High School's swim club. Gou has no romantic interest in any of the boys on the team, unlike the female manager in (shounen) sports series. Gou isn't interested in swimming, either; this isn't a substitute or displacement because there is no girls' swim team. Gou initially becomes involved in Nagisa's desire to start a swim club in their high school as a tool to reconnect with and help her distant, unhappy brother.

Gou continues managing the swim club because she unabashedly enjoys looking at muscular dudes. Again, she isn't interested in dating any of these boys. She just enjoys being able to look at these living swimsuit pinup boys. She's a teenage girl vocalizing an aspect of her sexuality and keeping it for herself. She loves muscles. They're hot. While the narrative is about the boys, Gou's presence acknowledges that a lot of girls in the audience are watching this for very simple, non-narrative reasons.

And that's okay.

In media targeted at women, especially young women, the acknowledgement of sexual desires as a component of a romantic relationship is still relatively new after centuries of women's feelings being portrayed as chaste. In a post-Twilight world, media is starting to allow that maybe girls are as sexually attracted to that boy they're crushing on as it's given that boys are to girls.

Gou's characterization says: it's normal to be attracted to boys, even if you aren't interested in dating right now. It's a quite, understated bit of characterization and representation, but it's appreciated. Gou's presence really cements the sense in the first two series that this is something being made by a woman for other young women.

Dive to the Future introduces a Japan-obsessed Russian swim coach who is fixated on Rin and wants to work with him, and only him, in Sydney, Australia. He's an authority figure who is overly focused on an eighteen-year-old boy who is in a foreign country, away from his friends and family. Although this may, understandably, raise some concern and discomfort, Free! is not the kind of series that is going to be dealing with something as serious as authority figures taking advantage of young athletes sexually. This character is just a joke, a goofy, out-of-touch adult who thinks he's cool and is also slightly camp. He's very obsessed with muscles.

In episode three this is brought up again, as Kirishima, a wandering swimming hobo, tries to bribe the coach, Mikhail, into taking him on, offering up various sexually exciting photobooks and magazines featuring muscular young men. Cut to Gou back in Japan, trying to convince her new kouhai of the importance of the same photobook. An equivalency is drawn. Coach Mikhail and Gou are the same, their interests are the same, they provoke the same reaction. A comical obsession, a gag, an out-of-touch character who can't read the room. A teenage girl's interest in the bodies of teenage boys is the same as a grown man's interest in those same bodies.

It's gross.

The most charitable reading still sees Gou's healthy, normalized if quirkily expressed attraction being reduced to a gag, robbing the character of the understated, positivie representation of adolescent sexuality she offered originally. It's unneccessary and unkind to girls in the audience like Gou.

The idea of the carnivorous woman who knows what she wants, sexually, is not equivalent to an older man in a position of authority viewing the vulnerable individuals around him as a source of voyeuristic pleasure.

After unburdening myself of the surprising level of anger resulting from a single scene, nearly blink-and-you'll-miss-it length, the other problems with Dive in to Future seem less important, but they all concern larger elements of the program. It's just that they're problems of something not being done very well, not the problem of the reveal of a potential hostile or contemptuous attitude toward a part of the audience.

Nevertheless.

Dive in to Future doesn't know what it wants to be. I stand by my assertion that Iwatobi Swim Club and Eternal Summer were never sports anime. They were coming of age journeys for two different characters who had different problems to work through. They were, quite simply, never structured to be a series like Slam Dunk, Prince of Tennis, Kuroko's Basketball, Haikyuu, insert-your-preferred-shounen-sports-series-here. The focus isn't on a team, it's on a group of characters, four of whom are going to the same school and are in the same club. At the end of Eternal Summer, Haru, Rin, and Makoto, three of the five core characters, are going to be graduating, moving on to the next stage of their life, Rin in Australia, Haru and Makoto in Tokyo. That transition, those three characters growing up and away from their younger friends, is a major component of the story told in Eternal Summer, culminating in a teary happiness. It's sad they won't be friends in the same way, but it's natural, inevitable, and full of potential excitement for the new things these changes will bring.

There are a lot of directions that could have been chosen in doing a third season. Staying in Iwatobi, focusing on the changing, growing swim club. Going to Tokyo with Haru and Makoto, building upon those themes of change and growth as two codependent childhood friends find their own, separate paths. Going to Sydney with Rin, a protagonist returning with new eyes and confidence to a place where the festering anger and unhappiness that burdened him in Iwatobi Swim Club originated. You could follow any of those threads and double down, focusing on one of them, on turning the series into an actual sports series with a large cast and rival teams and tournaments and competitions. You could continue telling the story of these specific friendships, five boys in three different places, figuring out how their friendship can evolve and continue in some form.

Dive to the Future seems to be trying to do all of those simultaneously, not wanting to commit to a particular focus because it would mean sidelining some of the characters. It's about Rin in Australia but it's also about Haru and Makoto in university and also Haru's university swim team and maybe actual swimming competitions for that university swim team with maybe a rival university of evil swimmers but also the club back in Iwatobi and after three episodes I couldn't tell you which of all those the series is actually going to be about. Maybe Haru's university swimming life will more clearly come forward. But it could easily go on like this, a jumbled series of characters and incidents without any underlying thematic glue bringing things together. There are solid individual scenes scattered through these episodes (Rin's morning routine in Sydney from the third episode stands out for me) but as someone who loved the first two series, the overall impression is ... that it's fine.

Dive to the Future also sees the introduction of characters from the films, specifically the prequel film made after Eternal Summer. The first episode of Dive to the Future feels like they dumped all these new characters into the mix at once, a sensation I'm sure is exacerbated by my not having seen the movies. There are also new characters in Iwatobi so the swim club can continue. There are boys swimming with Rin in Australia who have names, probably. More characters on Haru's university swim team. The previously mentioned evil university. All the characters from the first two series.

It's so many characters, all at once, with little regard for their significance.

For comparison, Rei is introduced in the third episode of the first series, after we've had a chance to become familiar with the characters who have a history together.

The unfocused narrative and the glut of characters go hand-in-hand, an ouroboros of problems.

Finally, another disappointing undercutting of what's come before: in this mess of characters and plot threads, a lot of screen time does seem to be devoted to characters being concerned about childhood friendships that were lost as kids moved to other parts of Japan and other countries. There's an obsession and guilt over it, instead of recognizing it as a natural thing that happens. The desire to reconnect with those people is also guilt propelled and it feels like a retread of the attempt to reconnect with the angry, distant Rin from the first series and a complete memory wipe of the lessons of growing up Makoto and Haru specifically learned in Eternal Summer. There's a worrying sense that with Dive to the Future, despite the name, is going to see characters who aren't allowed to grow and learn and move forward and change, but instead just go through variations on the same beats in an increasingly bland animated purgatory.

The final product is fine, I suppose, but fine may as well be failure when the previous product managed to achieve excellence.

[alexiela73]

Can you do junkrat, mccree, Hanzo & genji with an s/o who can't swim and is scare to start trying? Can you do hc please?

Junkrat

Would totally understand if you told him

For one, he hates swimming

Gets rid of that protective outer layer of grime he has going

But he does know how, as Roadhog does feel it a necessity for him to know

There are the rarest occasions when he actually WANTS to swim

Usually those are on the hottest possible days

One time he and Roadhog take you to a lake to cool down, at a private section

When you decline getting into the water, Junkrat thinks your just being shy

Sooooooo he throws you in

When you scream and start floundering, Roadhog just kind of face palms at Junkrats stupidity as Jamison realizes his mistake

Diving in, Junkrat catches you around the waist

“Darl’, you gotta breathe. Stop that movin’ an’ just hold on to me,” Junkrat said, holding you in one arm while the other moves in the water and keeps you afloat 

You can’t fully hear him, terror gripping you as you struggle

“y/n!” Junkrat yells, catching your attention. Immediately his voice gentles. “Stop yer squirmin’. Wrap yer arms around me neck, darl’, and just kick at the water gently, okay? I got ye, i promise.”

Wrapping your arms around his neck, you try and do as he says. You can feel his legs moving in the water and try to time your strokes with his

With you now calm, though shaking, Junkrat starts to paddle over to the shallow end of the small beach, past the dock he’d thrown you off of.

“I’m sorry, Darl’. Didn’t realize you didn’t know ‘ow to swim, or i’d ‘ave tried not to throw you in the water…” Junkrat said sheepishly, holding you. “But now that yer in ‘ere, why don’t you let me teach you?”

Considering you were already in the water, you finally nodded and bit your lip. “Okay,” you mumbled, a bit embarrassed by your reaction in the water, especially considering your now floating a bit in the water by yourself

Junkrat just gives you a kiss on the head. “you’ll be an expert in no time!” he says with a crazy grin.

McCree

Isn’t much or a swimmer either, to be honest

If he didn’t have Ana to push him to do something like learn how to swim, he might not have

It was more of a necessity for Overwatch to know how to swim in case of any situations that can occur

So when he hears you can’t swim, he offers immediately to help you learn

For you, its rather embarrassing that you don’t know how to swim as a grown up

It had just never come around. You’d once been in a pool with floaties on but that is the most of your knowledge

So you avoided it, until that moment where McCree tricked you into going to a pool with him

He held up a bag with swims suites, towels and sunlotion

Immediately you swallowed hard and tried to walk away

Immediately he was in front of you, fingers lacing with yours

“Darlin’, I know your not a fan of the water,” he said gently. “And i know you think its embarrassing to have to learn as an adult but..it really isn’t. Its good to learn new things and like Ana had said, if anything ever happens-”

“Then I’ll drown,” you said simply, a spark of fear in you. You really did not want to drown.

McCree took of his hat and scratched his head briefly. “Thats kind of the point of learning this. You don’t have to drown, sweetheart. I know your a bit afraid but…please, let me try and teach you?” McCree asked gently, taking your hand.

You looked at the pool, the sun shimmering on the surface. You did not want to swim.

But right now McCree was giving you that puppy look that he gave only when he wanted something really badly

And for a cowboy, his puppy look was pretty damn cute

“Fine,” you muttered in defeat, and looked away when he grinned. “But only on one condition.”

McCree looked pretty pleased with himself. “Okay, name anything.”

Sighing, you turned and hugged his chest. “Its my turn to choose the movie tonight.”

A warm laugh rang out and he stroked the hair from your face. “Deal,” he said, and the rest of the afternoon was spent with him teaching you how to swim.

Hanzo

Is surprised to learn you don’t know how to swim

And of course, you aren’t the one who told him

So now he’s curious. Subtly he tried to bring up swimming, to see if you actually know how to or not

Either way you manage to avoid telling him about your fear of swimming

Hanzo is one of those people who feel like swimming is a bit of a basic life skill that everyone should know

Finally he challenges you, asking if you want to go to the beach with him

Brazenly, you agree. After all, going to the beach didn’t mean you had to swim

When the two of you arrive, Hanzo insists on swimming first. You just say you’d rather go make a sandcastle. Later, you’d rather go find shells. After that, your hungry.

Hanzo frowns, noticing your avoiding the water. In fact, you won’t even get close to it.

“Y/n,” he says finally, the curiosity killing him. “You do know how to swim, right?”

“Yes!” you lied, feeling a bit defensive. You didn’t want to tell him. It was embarrassing to you and you didn’t want Hanzo to judge you.

Looking skeptical, Hanzo crossed his arms over his broad chest. “Okay. Then why don’t we go look for starfish? Over in the shallow water?” he suggests, eyeing you. Swallowing, you didn’t want to give in. So you agreed.

The two of you headed for the water. You stepped in to your ankles, and it was fine. To your calves, it was fine. To your knees…

Hanzo watched you start getting nervous, saw the light tremor in you. He noticed when you wouldn’t go beyond your knees, and he finally decided that you couldn’t swim. And honestly, he felt kind of guilty for pressuring you into doing something you weren’t comfortable with.

“y/n…I’m sorry, “Hanzo said finally, coming over and taking your hand. “I shouldn’t have asked you to do this. I know you can’t swim and I can see there might be a little more to it. Will you forgive me?” he asked gently.

Looking up at him, you were surprised that there was no judgement or ridicule in his eyes

Face flushing, you took a deep breath. “Of course. I’m…I’m sorry I wasn’t honest. I..I wish I knew how to swim but honestly…it scares me a little,” you admitted, sliding your arms around his waist.

It made him feel guiltier then he had moments ago. “Do…do you wish me to teach you?” Hanzo carefully suggested. He wouldn’t force you. He was prepared to spend the rest of the day on the beach, looking for shells and enjoying your company where you were comfortable.

You’d never really thought about letting anyone teach you. “…Okay,” you said determinedly, to both of your surprise. The rest of the day was spent with him giving you lessons, and kisses, and eventually the two of you did find the starfish you were looking for.

Genji

Genji did not have to find out by another means

Nor did he have to trick you or dump you in the water like others

You loved and trusted Genji,  a person who sometimes was just as hesitant as you

One day you had gone up and asked to speak with him

You’d told him of your fear of swimming. You’d had a bit of an accident in your childhood that had made swimming scary

But everyone else was getting excited about going for a beach day and you wanted to be able to hang out and swim with everyone else…

So…you asked Genji if he’d be willing to teach you how to swim

It had surprised him, mostly that you felt he was the person to ask

But it also made him extremely happy

The two of you went early one day to a private pool for the two of you to learn in. Genji was the first of you both to get in, without his mask and wearing as little of his suit as he could.

It was cute because he was even wearing swim trunks

“It is your turn, my love,” Genji said, voice full of affection as he swam over and held out his hands to you

Now that you were in front of the water, the fear was much more prominent and you found you couldn’t move, your eyes locked on the water

Genji noticed how you seemed frozen in fear and after a moment, he reached out and took your hand

The feeling of his wet hand surprised you and quickly you started to pull back, but he didn’t let go.

“Just wait a moment. Please. Here, try sitting down. Put your toes in the water only,” Genji suggested, watching you with gentle eyes. “You know I will not let anything happen to you, y/n.”

For a moment you did nothing, but finally you listened and sat. Putting your feet out ahead, you dipped your toes in the water.

“Now scooch closer. Slowly. Just put a bit of your legs in at a time,” Genji said gently, and you listened. You stopped every moment you felt uncomfortable, but managed to push yourself to put a bit more in, till finally…the water was to your thighs and your legs dangled in it.

“I’m such a baby,” you whispered glumly, feeling a bit down about this. This had taken 45 minutes by itself.

Shaking his head, Genji came over and moved between your legs, arms wrapping around you. “You are not a baby. I think you are very brave,” he said, before pulling you in.

A scream left you and you clutched him, practically sitting on his chest with your legs around his back. It was fine though, as Genji was holding you up so your upper body was still out.

“I’m going to slowly lower you, okay? I’ll be holding you the whole time. The water will only come to your neck,” Genji said gently, and after a moment you just stared at him. You realized how much patience he was showing you, and how sweet he was actually being.

“Genji…” you said after a moment, looking away.

“Yes?” he asked, looking up at you

Face pink, you stared at the water, unable to stay tense in his arms.

“Thank you.”

[happytinylouie]

MERMAID!AU FIC REC

Coax the Cold by MediaWhore (86k)

England, 1897.

English Professor Louis Tomlinson’s passion for the occult has been a source of mockery and derision for most of his life. When he hears whispers of a travelling freak show newly established in London claiming the existence of a monstrous sea hybrid, half-man, half-fish, Louis sees it as his ticket to credibility amongst his peers. The summer he spends undercover working on the show, however, gives him much more than that.

Purer Than The Water (like we were) by FeelsForBreakfast (33k)

Louis is a merman and Harry is a boy. The lake is a good place to fall in love. 

Louis wants the boy to wade deeper, deep enough that Louis can go under and wrap his fingers around his ankles for just a moment. Pull him under. Just touch skin, for a second.

with your love we could breathe underwater by luminescents (29k)

Harry’s brow furrows, a look of confusion spreading over his face. “But I am real. I exist, see,” he says, raising a hand out of the water and wiggling his fingers at Louis. Louis finds himself relaxing a bit. Harry seems harmless really. And he’s quite cute, for something that’s not supposed to exist. If Louis is indeed having a hallucination right now, at least it’s a cute one.

AU where Harry is a mermaid, Louis is a human, and they both discover a lot more than they anticipated.

my head's under water (but I'm breathing fine) by infinitelymint (13k)

Harry's a merman, Louis is a prince. Sometimes happiness can be found at the bottom of the sea.

(not a 'The Little Mermaid' AU)

seaside improvisation by tinyweirdloves (6k)

“I’m not from here,” Harry says. He’s silent for the space of a breath. “I’m from… I’m from under.” He stares right at Louis like he’s willing him to understand. Louis looks back at him, confused. A tiny crease forms between Harry’s eyebrows. “Under,” he repeats stubbornly, and Louis’s struck by how young he looks in that moment.

“Under where?” he says, and Harry looks at him like he can’t figure him out.

“The water,” Harry says, like it should be obvious. “The sea.”

[harry is a mermaid who has lost his tail and he lives in louis's bathtub for a month.]

Wandering Free, Wish I Could Be (Part of That World) by eli_ssabeth (8k)

“I’m going mental,” Louis whispers to himself. “There’s no way this is real. I’ve actually gone mental.” The merman tilts his head at Louis, still smiling calmly at him as he continues his freak-out. “You’re a merman. You’re a mythical creature. A tiny, tiny mythical creature in a tank, staring at me. I must be mental, there’s literally no other explanation.” The merman tilts his head slowly in the opposite direction, his eyebrows weaving together in confusion. “You probably can’t understand me. Great.” Louis throws his hands up, seriously considering driving himself to the psych ward just to be safe as he finishes feeding the fish.

OR Louis works at a pet store and ends up getting a lot more than a pay cheque out of the deal.

The Importance of Body Language by zimriya (12k)

Harry really has no idea how he’s going to get out of this one. After the little incident with the fishing wire, he’d been told that under no circumstances was he to visit the surface of the water, as he is the heir to the throne and his safety is essential to the continued existence of their underwater society. Or something. Harry loves his mum, but there’s really only so much talk of royal duty a prince can take before he does something drastic. Like purposefully disobey her strict instructions to stay under the sea for the rest of his natural life, and instead swim too close to a human ship and get himself spotted by none other than the unfairly attractive Prince Louis Tomlinson, for example.

Needless to say, Harry is fucked.

A Little Mermaid AU. Sort of.

Drowning In Your Eyes by smittenwithlouis (45k)

"Capt’n Styles, are you certain of this? They be attracted to man-made light."

"What is? Sharks?" The young blonde asks in terror.

"Worse than sharks, lad. There'll be flesh eating mermaids upon us in minutes, mark my words!” Paul huffs as he continues to wave the bright lantern in front of him, “And Captain Styles here, has us bait!”

Or: The Pirates of the Caribbean inspired au where Harry is a fierce pirate who holds the heart of a beautiful merman.

To Embroider Your Waist With Corals by smittenwithlouis (101k)

The first thing he notices is the light cyan wings and the humanoid body with bird like feet, clearly a harpy, a child one at that. Harry thinks the best thing to do is to grab him and pull him above water as quickly as possible, so air can make it into its struggling lungs. That was his plan, until he made eye contact with it for a split second and that’s all it took for a flood of emotions to hit him like a sailfish.

Or: All harpy Louis has known is the sky, all merprince Harry has known is the sea, except when they're together.

Sirène by iwillpaintasongforlou (5k)

Harry stumbles across a strange and beautiful creature -merman Prince Louis of Sirène- as he walks along the beach one night. When a bit of magic Louis had never dared to believe in has him trading in fins and scales for real human legs, Harry takes it upon himself to show him exactly how this new human body works.

(Louis is a merman who turns into a human and Harry takes him home and takes him to bed.)

at least as deep as the pacific ocean (i wanna be yours) by writtensoul (9k)

louis is the very entitled prince of the seven seas!! harry is a goofy sailor boy!!! a lot of hijinks ensue involving slippery mermaid tails and happy fun little sea creatures!!

You Can Make Me Whole Again by embro (12k)

Harry loudly announced "Speaking of turning negatives into positives and making the most of a dire situation, I was thinking I'm going to try having a proper swim after work tonight. See what mermaid me has got. Want to come watch?"

"Umm – I don't know. It's still a bit freaky for me. And I feel guilty every time we talk about it, I don't know what seeing it is going to do."

Harry rolled his eyes. "Quit being so bloody selfish. All you have to do is look at it, I've got to live it."

Or the one where Harry loves Louis, Louis' not exactly interested, and all hope is lost when Harry grows a fish tail one day. Typical.

i will be the sun (i will wake you up) by tomorrows (10k)

"You're quite cute when you get all fussy about true love, you know that?"

Harry’s conviction falters for a second. “Thank you,” she deadpans. “It means very much a lot to me.”

AU where Zayn gets turned into a mermaid, Harry and Louis are soulmates, and everyone's a princess.

chances under the purple sunrise by loupancake (29k)

“You’ve been taking my shoes?” Louis asked, scoffing. “I paid a lot for them!”

“How unfortunate for you.” Harry smiled bitterly. He peeked over Louis, eyeing the hook that still had the worm.

The red box was open right next to him. Harry saw that inside, it had a couple of transparent containers that were filled with worms, too. He eyed Louis skeptically before nodding. “Right. I’ll give you your, er…. little boats back if you let me have the tub of worms.”

A groan crawled out from Louis, his head falling back and his eyes landing up at the clear sky. “I need those.”

“They’re food for myself and others, not to be used as bait.”

Or the one where Harry is a merman, prince of the Atlantic Ocean, whose curiosity and healthy envy takes over him and he steals Louis' shoes every time he fishes.

Wings and Fins, Feathers and Scales by zianourryloves (3k)

They said: against each other you should stand. One could fly and the other one, swam. Wings and fins, feathers and scales. Who would’ve guessed that Water would fall for Air.

OR: The one where Harry is a merman and Louis is a harpy and against all odds they get together.

I Know All Your Colors by someonethatsfunny (35k)

The one where Louis is a mermaid and Harry meets him as a five year old boy. What happens when you meet a merboy at the tender age of five, but no one believes you? Will you listen to your parents and other adults who all tell you that you’ve imagined him or will you hold onto the memory of him for a lifetime, never willing to let him go? What if you can’t let him go because you’re pretty sure you were destined to meet and to be a part of one another’s lives? Maybe it’s down to fate.

♡ the seas be ours ♡ by coffeeandissues (3k)

there, in the middle of the abyss and holding on to the boat with long pale arms, is a mermaid.

or the one where louis is a sailor and harry is a mermaid and nothing goes as planned.

Poor, Unfortunate Soul by UpAllNight (21k)

Louis, drunk and confused, falls off the side of the cruise ship. Harry, who had been following some dolphins who had been following the cruise ship, rescues him and takes him to a small island until help arrives (as it always does, because Louis is not the first drunk to fall off a boat). But until then, it's just Harry and Louis. Oh, and Harry is a very handsome, shy merman. Who might have a thing for humans. And Louis, apparently, has a thing for mermen.

Your Wounds and My Sutures by offwiththeirheads (54k)

Louis is a harpy who lives in Nog and has never seen the outside world. He is content living with his clan and his unusual childhood best friend, Niall, a Baunny. Yet somewhere deep within his soul, there’s an emptiness he feels during the night sky. He meets Harry, a beautiful merman one night.

Mer-creatures are the devils of the sea or so they say according to the stories but Louis’ never been one to resist his curiosity and Niall’s got the youth and joy of a fawn that he finds fascination just as wonderful as Louis but he’s more cautious.

Along their journey of love, friendship, trials and tribulations, two creatures of the wild find their souls blending into one and five friends learn to have each other’s backs.

dreams and permanent summers by nouiszouis (4k)

louis is a mermaid, clueless to the world around him and only friends with a small fish. harry finds his lagoon one day and it's something like fate.

[avengerdragoness]

Shy & Feisty [Jason Todd x Reader] [Collab Part 2]

Prompt by anon: “Jason with an introvert reader??? Like at first she doesn't talk with him but when they know each other a bit more she starts to act like a crazy Lil shit full of sass, enough sass to shut the fuck out of Bruce when he's being a bit too overprotective of his batsons. Extra happiness if reader is Dami older sis😆🙏🙏 ″

A/n: Hey guys! So here’s part 2 to the collab with @keepjasontoddsafe​! We had a lot of fun writing it and I hope you love it!! <3

@wynterrobin I believe you asked to be tagged!

Part 1

_______

“How does a date sound?”

Jason’s eyes widened at the question. Did you just ask what he thought you just asked? He noticed as you slightly shied away at his silence. “I mean that was out of the blue, you don’t have to if you don’t wan-” You began to recant before he cut you off, “I’d love to.”

“You would?” Asking in disbelief, that was just a rush of confidence you never thought he would say ‘yes.’ You knew Jason was a stud before you just met him. Damian had a habit of complaining about him in his letters to you. Though you figured Damian was always overreacting. You can tell Jason is rough around the edges but no more than your little brother himself.

Jason smiled and nodded, “Yeah, I really would. How about I pick you up tomorrow and introduce you to Gotham? Well, the better parts of Gotham.” Grinning back you answered, “I think that’s a great idea.”

“Alright, then it’s a date.” He said before looking at his watch. “Shit, I have to go. I’ll pick you up at noon tomorrow.” Jason stood from the couch and made his way out of the living room. He was happy to see the hallway empty when he walked to the door. Happy they had actually given you both privacy.

You beamed as you fell back on the couch, a small squeal escaping your lips. You’re going on a date with Jason, with Jason!! Probably the most attractive and funny guy you’ve ever laid eyes on.

“Why are you squealing? Did Todd do something?” Damian looked over the couch at you. Your brows furrowed, “What? No Dami. I’m just excited.” You swung your legs off the couch and stood up.

“Tt, why are you excited? You just had a conversation with Todd.” Damian scoffed, actually confused at the idea. “Because little bro, I got a date.” Grinning at him before disappearing from the room.

“A date?” Damian questioned to himself, “She just got here, who could she…?” he trailed off as he came to a realization. “No no no!” Damian ran after you. Finding you in the room Bruce had given you for until you find a place of your own. “You are not going on a date with Todd!”

“Sorry to burst your bubble but I’m 21 and more than capable of deciding who I can and cannot date. I get that you’re protective Dami but I’m an adult. You trust me don’t you?” You ran a hand through his hair. You had always been close to Damian. Even if your fathers are different, you share the same mothers, he’s your brother. He sighed, “Of course I trust you, it’s Todd I don’t trust.”

“But you trust me, and I can handle myself. I promise nothing is going to happen.” You chuckled while placing a hand on his shoulder. “Fine” he huffed before turning and exiting your room. You shook your head chuckling, living with Bruce has helped with this sharpness but he’s still protective as ever.

The following day you got up early. Having some things to do before you got ready for your day with Jason. When you were doing your make-up Damian knocked on the door and came in. “Hey Dami.”

“I still don’t approve of this” he crossed his arms. “I know, but I actually like Jason a lot. So, I’m asking you to trust Jason and I, Damian.” He huffed again, crossing his arms.

However you heard footsteps come up to your open door, “Wow, you look great [F/n].” Looking up you saw Jason standing there in jeans, a black v-neck, and his leather jacket. You blushed, damn he’s handsome. “Are you ready to go?” he offered you a hand.

“Yeah, see ya Damian” Smiling at your little brother before taking Jason’s hand and letting him lead you out of the manor. “He’s not fond of this is he?” Jason laughed.

“No, not at all.” Shaking your head. He laughed again, “I guess it’s a good thing that I don’t give a fuck then.”

You pushed his shoulder, “What?” he grinned. You rolled your eyes, “That your bike?” nodding toward a rather nice looking motorcycle parked in front of the manor. “In fact it is” He grinned before handing you a helmet. Though you hesitated for a moment, not that you didn’t like motorcycles just that how close you would be to him. “Something wrong?” his voice broke you out of your hesitation.

“No, no.” You shook your head while taking the helmet. “Just thinking” Smiling while tapping your fingers on the surface of the helmet. He nodded before swinging his leg over the bike and pulling his own helmet on, “Ready to go?” Beaming you put your own helmet on before climbing on behind him, your arms wrapping around his waist. Feeling heat rise up to your cheeks.

He revved the engine a few times before accelerating. Your grip on him tightening, making Jason smile contently. You admired the buildings as you drove into the city, you’d only ever seen Gotham at night. Having been here a few times on League business, but you never got to see it in daylight.

Your eyes continued to wander until Jason pulled the bike to a stop. He took off his helmet and looked back at you, “So how about some lunch first?”

“What’d ya have in mind?” Asking while retracting your arms from his waist and climbing off the bike. Jason followed suit. “Well there’s a bakery & deli about a block from here. They have some good food.” He pointed in the direction of their destination. “Alright then, lead the way.”

Jason chuckled at your enthusiasm before offering you his arm. Interlocking arms you allowed him to lead you down the sidewalk, laughing when he would make a joke or countering with a joke of your own. Both unbeknownst to green eyed assassin watching you closely.

Damian had been following you since the moment Jason pulled out of the driveway. He sneered the moment you took Jason’s arm. “Stupid Todd, stupid charm” he mumbled under his breath. “Damian, what are you doing?” The young Wayne froze at the voice behind him, looking over his shoulder to see he himself had been followed. “Grayson, Drake, what are you doing here?”

“Hey, we asked first. Are you spying on Jason and [F/n]?” Dick crossed his arms, ready to scold the boy. Damian rolled his eyes, “I don’t trust Todd, I’m making sure he won’t make any moves on her.” He turned back to watch you both. “Damian, [F/n]’s an adult, she can take care of herself. Besides, Jason won’t do anything she doesn’t want him to do.” Tim reasoned.

“I don’t care, she’s my sister and I will not leave her unprotected.” Dick sighed and looked over to Tim. “Fine, but we’re staying to make sure you don’t interfere in anyway.”

Damian scoffed, “Fine, but don’t give me away.”

“Are you kidding? Damian I’ve been doing this since before you were born.” Dick laughed while Tim simply nodded. “If we’re going to stay on their tail, we better follow them.” Tim said while pointing to the both of you.

You were walking out of the deli, both of you having gotten a couple sandwiches, and now Jason was showing you to the bakery. “What looks good?” he asked as the both of you walked in. “Um, all of it.” Laughing, while looking at the glass case.

“Well, that’s a bit out of budget. How aboouut, these?” He asked while pointing to a couple of cinnamon rolls in the case. “Those look delicious!” You smiled, “Yeah, let’s do it!”

He chuckled before calling the person behind the counter over. Being the gentleman he has turned out to be, he payed for them both before leading you out of the bakery.

“You didn’t have to pay for everything, I could have.” You pouted while looking at him. “Come on, what kind of date would I be if I made you pay?” Jason laughed while wrapping his arm around your shoulder, your only reply being a laugh.

“Where are we going now?” Questioning while looking around the streets. “That is a surprise.” He smirked which only left you curious.

The rest of the walk you bombarded him with questions, trying to figure out where you were going. He only answered with vague answers or none at all. Until, he lead you to the outside of a park entrance, “Okay, close your eyes.”

You looked at him skeptically, “Why?” He smirked again, “Just do it [F/n], you’ll ruin the surprise.”

Reluctantly you did so, letting him lead you through the park. Coming to a stop he told you to open your eyes. Looking around you saw you were in a secluded part of the park, the only noise coming from the ducks swimming in the pond. Noticing a blanket laid out on the grass. “What is all this?”

“Well, I know you can be a bit shy and I thought you’d appreciate a more private place rather than a busy one.” He shrugged with his hands in his pockets. “Jason, you’re such a sweetheart” You beamed before pecking his cheek. Catching him off guard by the gesture but recovering quickly to meet you on the blanket.

You both ate, and talked, and laughed. Ending up sitting there for hours just conversing. Jason told you stories about the Outlaws and some funny things that had happened on patrols. You told him about some of the few nice moments you had with the League. It was amazing, you’d never had a relationship like this with someone before.

“Jason, can I just say that I really appreciate all of this. I mean, just making sure we had privacy because of my shyness means a lot. No one has ever done anything like this for me.”

“Really? The League didn’t give you any sort of privacy?” He asked, brows furrowed in confusion. You shook your head, “Not really, stuff like that had to be earned.” Jason’s expression softened, “Well, at least you’re away from there. Have you found a place to move yet?” You shook your head, “No, the thing is I don’t want to intrude on Bruce much longer so I want to find somewhere soon.”

He nodded in understanding, “If you want I can help you look, there are a few places around where I live that are up for rent.” His offer made you eyes light up, “You’d do that?”

“Yeah, I like spending time with you.” Beaming you quickly wrapped your arms around his neck pulling him into a hug, “Thank you so much!” Pulling away you caught his blue hues with your own. He held your gaze for what felt like forever, “[F/n], can I --?” He began before you interrupted him, “Yes.”

He grinned before eagerly closing the distance between your lips. His hands cupped your cheeks as he felt you smile into the kiss. You both were in a state of pure bliss before you heard a quiet squeal come from behind you. Pulling away you looked back, “Did you hear that?”

“Yeah, let’s check it out.” Jason said before helping you to your feet. Making your way over to the sound, finding Jason’s three brothers, Tim and Damian were covering Dick’s mouth. “What the hell are you three nimrods doing here?!” Jason yelled seeing the three.

“Damian! I thought we had an understanding!” You scolded your younger brother. “I can’t believe you kissed Todd!” He yelled back, a disgusted look on his face. “Yeah, well I did and I’ll do it again! Shall we Jason?” You smirked mischievously up at him.

His smirk matched yours, “Whatever you like doll.” As the words left his mouth he connected his lips to yours again. Dick and Tim simply laughed watching as Damian grew more disgusted. “Tt, That’s it I’m out of here!” Damian growled before turning and walking away.

Dick and Tim ran after him laughing, “Don’t have too much fun you two!” Dick yelled behind him. You and Jason chuckled, “Well that worked.”

“Yeah, now we know what to do to deter Damian now.” Jason smiled, his arms still wrapped around you. “I’m sorry” An apologetic expression on your face. Jason waved it off, “It’s okay, he’s protective, I would be too. You’re special [F/n], I just hope he realizes that I’m here to protect you now too.”

Giggling you replied “I appreciate it,” before kissing him again. Though pulling away you mumbled, “but I could kick your ass.”

“Yeah whatever” He chuckled before smiling into the kiss, putting you both back into that former state of pure bliss.