#i’m going to alaska next month :3

[housecow]

Would you want to travel sometime in the future? Not just the US, but the world in general? Europe for instance.

yes!! i actually have a trip to italy set up for next year :)) idk about much more than that, grad school will be a massive time commitment but… i will get to do some traveling due to the nature of the program, sooo 🥳

i’d love to visit germany, too!! so many cool fossils, i very much want to see the solnhofen limestone and the associated museums—where the first beautifully preserved archaeopteryx was found!!!

also, as a personal goal. i wanna go to mongolia…… i am a huge fan of wide open space and i want to eat horse in their native habitat

[aakeysmash]

Roommate or boss?

Pairing: f!reader x Katsuki Bakugou.

Warnings: a lot of yapping. Male masturbation. A bit of violence from Katsuki’s part when a guy tries getting in your pants.

Word count: this part is 2.4k, added to the others (part 1, part 2, part 3) it’s 8.9k.

Next part: part 5

"It's too hot" you mewl while lying on your couch. “Step back, it’s my turn to be in front of the fan” you add, getting up and walking towards Katsuki.

“Fuck no, it’s been 3 minutes since you had a go at it. Go back to the hell hole you came from, pest” your roommate answers while throwing daggers at you.

You poke your finger in his exposed bicep. He doesn’t budge. Damn, this man is hard as a rock.

“Come onnnnn! This is the time when you should be a gentleman and let me cool down my beautiful face. Do you really want to be such a brute, Mr. Bakugou?” you bat your eyelashes seductively, trying to convince him.

Bakugou stares at you like your face is green and you’re a slimy frog that just came out of a pile of mud.

“I don’t fucking care. You’re a big girl and I ain’t no prince charming. Step the fuck back or I’m throwing you on that damn sofa. Wait your shitty turn” he says, flicking your forehead.

You whine some more, whisper “bitch” (it gets you another flick) and then turn back to lay on the floor. It’s colder than the couch, at least.

It’s summer, there’s 41°C outside, and your AC broke the other day. It’s so hot that you take out the ice from the freezer and it melts in 4 minutes (max). You happened to have one old crusty fan, that you and Bakugou take turns using. You have been surviving on iced coffee and iced lemonades. You feel like you’re slowly dying.

“You know, this is the only time I really wish my boss would call me in early. He might be a ghost, but he sure uses money for the AC” you blabber while staring at the ceiling, contemplating booking a trip to Alaska.

“What do you mean a ghost?” the blond asks. He’s been much more talkative in the last few months, maybe because seeing you being so domestic was doing something to him. In the last few days he really wants to be your friend, but not because he’s suddenly nice: he thinks he could bribe you to gift him the fan if he’s kinder and breaks your defenses. He’s even planning on asking you to go to a cafe nearby and offer you one of those sweet fuzzy iced drinks you like so much. He’s scheming.

“A ghost because I’ve never seen his face. Can you believe that? My colleague says he’s an asshole though, so maybe that’s for the better” you answer. You get on your elbows to see him better, then squint and frown, “I feel like you could be my boss, you know. Seeing as you’re an asshole too, making me die here on the floor like a common drug addict”.

Yeah, screw the fan. He was asking you out to kill you.

“I hope he fires you”.

“Fuck you”.

“Likewise”.

You throw yourself back on the floor. The movement makes your boobs giggle, and he catches himself staring at your white tank top. You didn’t wear a bra since it’s indeed still your house and it’s indeed still hot as hell.

Things have been going so much better between you two. You now bicker like you’re siblings, but you do also take walks together sometimes, mainly to get groceries, and talk about stuff. You even convinced him to watch Keeping up with the Kardashians with you, and even if he doesn’t want to admit it, he likes the drama more than you.

At work you have a new manager and she’s super nice. Her name is Mina, and you found out that she and Kirishima are engaged, even if they’re 22 like you. She’s a great worker, and you’ve gone out for drinks a couple of times with her and Momo. She’s been at the cafe for 2 months, but you feel so much better already. She throws you weird looks sometimes, like she knows something you don’t, but you pay it no mind.

The timer on your phone rings, and you jump up before throwing your whole body on Katsuki’s. He’s distracted and you get him off guard, managing to move him away. He notices your tits touching his arm.

“Hah! My turn!” you say triumphantly, positioning yourself in front of the fan. The cold air makes your nipples harden. He seems to not be able to look away.

“Awh, Katsuki, cat got your tongue? Don’t worry, baby, the floor is not that bad” you snicker.

He snaps out of his trance and looks at your smirk. Baby? Did you just call him baby?

Fuck, what is he doing? The heat is getting to him. He hastily turns around and starts walking.

“Fuck off, I’m getting in the shower. You can have your fucking fan until I get out” he grunts while almost running away. He needs to have a cold shower.

“We’ll see!” you smile devilishly at him, not having noticed how he’s furiously blushing while slamming the bathroom door.

Katsuki puts his back on the door and slides to the floor. He rubs his face before staring at the obvious tent his semi is causing in his shorts.

Have you always been so hot?

He gets out of his clothes and jumps in the shower, hoping this feeling will go away once the scorching temperature of his skin gets back to normal. But after a few minutes the icy water does nothing to quell his desire, his fully standing cock a statement to that.

He curses under his breath, then wraps one of his hands on his shaft. He feels so dirty doing this, and the fact you’re one door away makes him feel even more embarrassed.

“Let’s get this fucking over with, fuck” he says to himself, pumping his member slowly.

He imagines the way your hand would feel instead of his, or your big eyes staring up at him like you did before, just that in this case you were forcing yourself not to cry while choking on his cock. His hand would be in your hair instead of on his dick, pushing your mouth snugly against his pubes. Your mouth would be hotter than the sun outside and he'd give you a reason to sweat. If you pleaded hard enough he'd fuck you too. He’d really throw you on the sofa, ripping your damn white top and sucking on your nipples. Fuck, what if you pierced them? Your tits would look so good covered in his-

He cums, grunting. "Fuck, this is the most embarrassing shit I've ever had to do to cum" he adds, whispering to himself.

He makes sure to scrub the shower wall clean before putting on the pair of grey short sweatpants he was wearing before. He decides on not to put his black compression tee on, since it’s drenched in sweat.

He exits the bathroom and finds you lying on the couch with the fan blowing directly on your face. Your eyes are closed, and the peaceful expression you're wearing makes his dick throb again.

"Oi, wanna go out? We're short on ice" he finds himself saying.

You open one eye, but when you realize he's half naked you hastily close it and throw him the pillow you were resting your head on.

"When has this become a whore house?" you scream.

He rolls his eyes. "You're such a prude. It's not like you've never seen a man naked" he scoffs, while throwing the pillow back at you.

You open your eyes again and glare at him. You know you must be as red as a tomato.

He looks so good with his hair still dripping wet. You've known that he works out, but now that you see his torso this close and with so little covering his whole body, you find yourself feeling shy. There's a particular drop of water that cascades just in the middle of his pecs, and you follow it with your eyes until it reaches his belly button.

"Earth to y/n. I know I'm hot, but stop ogling and answer my fucking question" your roommate says smirking, snapping his fingers in front of your face.

You throw the same pillow you threw before right on his smiling face. "I'm coming if you're not gonna be naked!" you say, hastily going towards your room.

"But wouldn't you like it, baby?" he mocks the tone you've used with him just 30 minutes ago.

"Fuck you. I'll be there in 10" you respond, slamming your bedroom door, feeling hot and bothered.

It must be the summer.

You and Katsuki go to a store nearby to get ice.

“When is the landlord gonna repair the AC?” you ask, since he was the one to make the call.

“He said he’ll come next week, probably even the next one. Said he’s on vacay or some shit” he grunts from next to you.

“I can’t survive 2 weeks like this” you whine. “Oh, you know those noodles you did the other day? The spicy ones? Want to make them for dinner today?” you change the topic, looking up at him.

He spares you a glance before smirking and saying “you just said you’re dying, you sure you wanna eat spicy things?”.

“It doesn’t matter, that’s not the question” you say, pouting.

He smirks again. “Sure. Go and take the noodles, I’ll get the vegetables. Call me when you’re finished if you can’t come back here, I know you get lost like a dumbass”.

You slap his arm. “I do not! This place is just big, asshole”. Then you turn around and march straight towards… the wrong aisle. Katsuki shakes his head. You’ll find a way. You always do, somehow.

After 10 minutes you’re still not back and you still haven’t called, so he sighs and gets his phone out.

He missed your texts from 3 minutes ago.

Y/N: Help

Y/N: I feel like a guy is following me

Y/N: I’m next to some spicy sauces, I guess

Y/N: Mom come pick me up, I’m scared

He raises an eyebrow. You’re usually too prideful to text him when you don’t find the ingredients he tells you to search for, so this situation is weird. He tries to remember where the spicy sauces are, and goes for that aisle.

Meanwhile, you were right and a creepy guy was indeed following you. He’s slim, not that tall and looks like a predator. For the past couple of minutes he’s obviously been trying to get in your pants, and you don’t know how to remove yourself from the situation.

“Come on, just give me your number. You got a boyfriend? Is this why you’re being so… spicy?” he says with a low tone of voice, walking towards you and effectively blocking you from the eyes of the people who are walking down your aisle. From outside, he just seems like he’s talking to you.

“I said I’m not interested” you repeat for what feels like the 10th time. Then you decide to lie: “and yes, I do have a boyfriend. He gets crazy when he’s jealous, I wouldn’t want to anger him if I were you”. You hope you sound confident enough.

“Awh he doesn’t have to now, baby girl. It can be our dirty little secret… I love spicy little things like you” he says seductively, touching your arm and licking his lips.

You’re just about to raise your elbow high enough to break his nose when you feel a familiar voice behind you.

“Step the fuck back before I break your fucking hand” Katsuki says to the man in front of you.

You snap your gaze to his eyes, but he’s looking at the guy with a murderous intent.

The slimy guy in front of you doesn’t let go, in fact he just strengthens the hold he has on your arm and you wince. Katsuki notices this.

The guy is definitely intimidated, but still manages to say “mind your business bro, we’re together, this is my bitch-“. But before he can finish the sentence he finds himself crashing on the sauces of the aisle.

“I said step the fuck back. I don’t like to repeat myself. Don’t ever call my girlfriend your bitch again, or next time I’m breaking your damn nose“ your roommate says while putting a hand on your small back.

He then looks down at you, and while he’s looking deep into your eyes, tells you “you good, baby?”.

You nod. You feel your knees shaking, but not because of the guy who’s currently on the floor.

Which, by the way, is now scoffing and declaring “oh so this is your crazy boyfriend? Nobody likes good guys anymore, huh”. He then stands up, adding “you were never pretty enough for me, anyway”.

Katsuki looks at him and suddenly he laughs. “You’re a pathetic ass bitch if you really believe someone like you could ever be near someone like her. You’re not a good guy, you’re an awful piece of shit who only tries to get his dick wet by forcing girls to have sex with him, and you’re obviously failing at that too. Go back to your room and rub one out on some shitty porn like you always do, fucker” he spits out. “You have 5 seconds to get out of my fucking face”.

The asshole thinks he’s joking, so he doesn’t move from his spot, but Katsuki is obviously not playing. He looks super scary, and he’s towering over the pathetic boy.

Katsuki is losing his patience. “5, 4, 3…”.

The guy gets that he’s serious and flees the scene, running with his tail between his legs.

Your roommate takes a big breath before mumbling “I hate people”. You snicker, before looking up at him. “Thank you, you know” you say smiling.

Your gratefulness blinds him, or maybe it’s just that you’re that pretty.

“You’re welcome”.

He doesn’t remove his hand from your back for the rest of your walk, and it feels so natural to be so close to him that you don’t say anything.

A/N: If you want to be put in the taglist make sure your age is visible on your blog first, and then tell me so in the comments <3

[babydollmarauders]

2 YEARS — MEDIA MANAGEMENT: SUMMER EDITION

notes: i originally planned this to be longer, but i have a headache the size of alaska and i wanted this to be out before midnight

y/ndevils00

liked by jackhughes, trevorzegras, and 22,648 others

y/ndevils00 happy 2 years to my best friend in the world (sorry trevor)

to the boy who made me wait so that he could change his hat before our date, the one who suffers through my camera shoved in his face (both in the rink and out), the one who let me drive a total of three times before telling me i should never legally be allowed behind a wheel and has never let me drive him again, the one who let me teach him taylor swift songs “so if the media ever asks again”, the one who once drunkenly told me that i have the greatest boobs he’s ever seen… and also that he’s seen a lot of them (thank you so much for that)

happy anniversary. you have exceeded any expectations i had of what love is. thank you for choosing to love me 2 years ago, i love you to pluto <3

p.s. sorry i didn’t get you a proper present yet, but i hope i’ve made it up by making you look like a loving boyfriend on the internet

tagged jackhughes

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jackhughes i love you so much, my sweet girl. happy 2 years, dove. thank you for making my life better ❤️

jackhughes i AM a loving boyfriend

y/ndevils00 yeah, and now i made you LOOK like one. you’re welcome 🤍

trevorzegras i’ll let it slide because you guys are too adorable. happy anniversary to my favorite couple!

y/ndevils00 i thought your favorite couple was ryan reynolds and blake lively?

trevorzegras they’re my favorite MARRIED couple, god y/n, keep up

user95 happy anniversary to y/n and jack!!

dawson1417 best friend has been with her bf for 2 years 🤯 haps annivers!

y/ndevils00 thank you best friend!! 🤍

john.marino97 was that last part even english?

y/ndevils00 @/john.marino97 leave baby alone, he’s trying!

dawson1417 yeah John, leave baby alone!

john.marino97 happy anniversary guys! favorite couple! definitely better than dawson and ryleigh

y/ndevils00 i feel like you’re jealous… do you need to go sit in the calm down corner?

john.marino97 yeah, i’m lonely

y/ndevils00 i know you are, honey. it’s okay 🤍

njdevils happy anniversary to our favorite devils couple!!

y/ndevils00 thank you summer media intern!! please don’t steal my job.

njdevils i wouldn’t dream of it -summer media intern

nicohischier he’s always wearing a hat

y/ndevils00 well actually i had to make him wear the one on the boat, i didn’t want the sun to burn his pretty face

nicohischier thank you for keeping his face safe, that’s obviously the most important aspect

user12 FAVE COUPLE IS 2 YEARS OLD TODAY

dougieham happy anniversary to y/n and her boyfriend that i met once! i don’t remember his name though 🤔

y/ndevils00 thanks ham sammich! see you next month, ginger snap!

[learnyouabiology]

Fun fact: Wood Frogs Survive Icy Winters via Frog-sicle status

The wood frog, Rana sylvatica, is scientifically referred to as “iconic” (source: Costanzo 2019). 

The reason they are iconic is because they are famously able to freeze into a literal block of ice in the winter, remain frozen all season long, and then thaw out in the spring without any of the expected dying of cold! Incredible!

(you can recognise a wood frog by they lil mask by its eyes! Naturalists call it a raccoon mask, and honestly, 10/10 excellent raccoon disguise, completely indistinguishable)

I’ve known about this for years, because I spent a not-insignificant part of my childhood OBSESSED with frogs, but even 8-year-old me didn’t know that these frogs live north of the arctic circle. 

That’s right! They live in Alaska! Where winter lasts more than seven months.

Wood frogs are actually the only amphibian in North America to live this far north. (there are a few species in Eurasia but THIS ISN’T ABOUT THEM 😉 source: x). 

(I’m not saying Ohio wood frog are wimpy, but I AM calling them “““““delicate”””””. Image from Costanza 2019)

As winter approaches, wood frogs create little furrows in the forest floor, just big enough for them to wedge themselves into, and cover themselves with fallen leaves and other forest detritus (Costanza 2019). They then settle into their little shelter and begin to go through what I assume is a traumatizing experience.

(she loves a good furrow)

The furrow provides a small amount of insulation from the outside air, but even inside their shelter, it can get pretty cold. 

In fact, wood frogs can survive temperatures as low as -16°C (3°F for the people who use the other system). 

Generally, if you are a water-based organism, being exposed to temperatures so far below the freezing point is... bad. And if the water inside of a water-based organism freezes? That is Extra Bad.

Luckily, wood frogs have a foolproof way to stay safe: they are absolutely FULL of sugar and urine. 

(I would have said “piss and vinegar” but the vinegar part is technically untrue 😔)

Specifically, the frog increases the concentration of urea in their body tissues before winter sets in. Urea, which is what urine is made of in humans, is commonly used by amphibians to protect themselves from losing too much water to the environment (Costanza 2019). However, wood frogs take it to the Extreme. 

Additionally, as the frog begins to freeze, the liver begins to break down the glycogen stores that had been built up in advance, releasing high concentrations of glucose (aka sugar) into the bloodstream of the frog, (Costanza 2019).

By changing the properties of the internal fluid, the urea and glucose protect the frog’s cells from being damaged by ice, protecting various internal structures and even helping to regulate their metabolism (Costanza 2019). 

(there’s also some stuff with nitric oxide and membrane adaptation but it’s A Lot and if you’re interested I recommend Constanza 2019. see bottom of post for references!)

(frog: *is flat and frozen*)

While frozen, the frog doesn’t need to eat, or even to breathe, because their metabolism is comes to a near-standstill. Their heart stops beating, and they can survive having up to 70% of it’s body fluids completely frozen (Costanza 2019).

There’s still a little bit of metabolic activity happening, just to keep the frog alive, but this allows the frog to live for months while frozen (nearly) solid until the spring melt comes! 

The frog will generally stay in its little burrow for a few hours as it thaws, presumably processing the trauma of what just happened (also making a few physiological changes to survive the transition from ice cube to frog, I guess), before heading outside to immediately reproduce with the snowmelt.

(a photo of bliss)

This has been fun fact friday!

Hey y’all! As winter turns to spring, I wanted to do a little series of how animals survive cold, snowy winters when they are unable to migrate. Today was a frozen frog, and next I’ll talk about how turtles survive under the ice all winter long!

Stay tuned!

References under the read more

Smithsonian channel (2015) Frogsicles: Frozen but still alive. https://youtu.be/pLPeehsXAr4

Costanzo, J. P. (2019). Overwintering adaptations and extreme freeze tolerance in a subarctic population of the wood frog, Rana sylvatica. Journal of Comparative Physiology B, 189(1), 1-15. doi: 10.1007/s00360-018-1189-7

Kuzmin, S.L & Tessier, D.F. (2013) Amphibians and reptiles. In: Arctic Biodiversity Assessment 2013  http://www.arcticbiodiversity.is/index.php/the-report/chapters/amphibians-and-reptiles

Layne Jr, J. R., & First, M. C. (1991). Resumption of physiological functions in the wood frog (Rana sylvatica) after freezing. American Journal of Physiology-Regulatory, Integrative and Comparative Physiology, 261(1), R134-R137.

[tennessoui]

i've had a glass of wine on an empty stomach so feel free to ignore this but, you know what i think about, what haunts me late at night? the lumberjack au. like. the kind of deep-set sorrow both of them have, obi-wan dealing with the loss of a child while trying to isolate himself, anakin finding a way to seep in through the cracks without obi-wan noticing... aaaa it's so good, hope you end up writing it some day <3

in my ideal fantastical future I write many many books and then when I’m 55 years old I tell my publisher or whatever that I need to go live in Alaska for a few months for research purposes for the next one and they say please go ahead take some money and this fluffy blanket and then I write the lumberjack anakin au 💙

[motzyworships]

Reaching the end of a family vacation to Arizona, but I wanted to share some admirations I felt, connections I made, and general happenings from throughout my trips. :)

BEARIZONA: We went to this hybrid drive-through/walk-through zoo on the first day and all I could think was the far-shooting twins, Apollo and Artemis. I saw Artemis in the wilderness and its many creatures, and Apollo in the roaming ravens. All I could think of was the idea of them comfortably lingering in each other’s company.

HIKES: Gaia and Artemis, together, make every hike (although short) beautiful. I’ve never been so grateful to have committed to cardio in the months before my trip so that I had the endurance to go on and appreciate such beautiful walks and sights. Demeter and Rhea deserve some love and credit, as well. <3

RAVENS: Before this trip, I had only ever seen crows up close, despite both crows and ravens being my favorite birds. This entire trip has been full of ravens and I have loved every second of it. It felt like Apollo was everywhere! It was an ego-boost every time my grandma trusted me to know whether it was a crow or raven, honestly (it was always a raven).

The warmth I felt, both in my soul and my body, was amazing. Granted, the heat could be unbearable, but without the light of the sun, so many beautiful things would have been lost to the darkness. Bless Apollo!

For a trip, I had some pretty good sleep. I struggled to adjust to the time difference (two hours behind mine) and kept waking up at 6 AM, but, nevertheless, the sleep was great! Bless Morpheus for my ease of sleep and the occasional dream <3

DREAM: I had one dream in particular that stuck with me, which I loved. For context: I’m switching daycares (for pay reasons) in early August, and there’s two specific kids (siblings) that I adore and am extremely sad to leave. In the dream, I had run into them and their mother at the store. They were being obnoxious and I offered to sit and watch them so their mom could finish her shopping, and the entire time they were cuddled up to me and being absolute angels. It was just a sweet dream and I adored it. Bless Morpheus <3

I’ve been obsessively playing Sudoku (sometimes in competition with my family)—bless Athena for the fun of logic games and puzzles! I’d lose my mind without them.

Not one I worship, but bless Hera for the fun I had with my family—especially tonight. I finally started to bond with my younger cousin, a moody, 14-year-old boy, and had loads of fun getting competitive with my family in a game of skip-bo.

Other things I enjoyed on my trip! :)

The Grand Canyon Railway—we got “held up” by some robbers and appreciated some beautiful old-timey music from one of the musicians.

Shopping, and the excessive amount of miniature animals I bought (carved soapstone, crystals, etc.)

Swimming and finally finding the confidence to start getting my hair wet again! Big step for me.

Seeing my two cousins from Alaska, one I’ve only seen once in the past few years and other who I haven’t seen in at least 6. Happy to know I’ll see them again next Spring!

So many sweets! Probably too many, honestly. My poor stomach.

My trip was fun, but I’m glad to be heading home in the next two days to see my own bed and my dog!!

[jenringwrites]

WEEKEND ARTINGS: Arts and culture experiences to enjoy with family Thanksgiving weekend

Thanksgiving weekend is fast approaching. Maybe you already know where you’re taking your out-of-town family members, or maybe you don’t. For those still deciding, here are some of the best last-minute arts and culture experiences you can share with family in Tampa Bay this weekend.

1. Sanding Ovations encore in Treasure Island. When are your aunt and uncle from Alaska ever going to see professionally-sculpted sand if you don’t take them to Sanding Ovations encore on Treasure Island this weekend? Here’s a preview from 10 Tampa Bay.

2. “The Nature of Art” at The Museum of Fine Arts in St. Pete. There’s a lot to see at the Museum of Fine Arts in St. Pete, especially if you’ve never been there before. If you have been before, this weekend’s a great time to revisit, as the MFA opened “The Nature of Art,” their first campus-wide exhibition, on Oct. 28. I have many things to say about how you should experience “The Nature of Art,” but you’ll have to wait for my Creative Loafing review for those extra words. In the meantime, check out this video snapshot from ABC Action News.

3. “From Far East to Far West” at The James Museum in St. Pete. Given from Far East to Far West’s focus on ancestry, it’s a great show to visit with family. Maybe you’ll learn some of your family’s history in the process. Here’s what I wrote about the exhibit for Creative Loafing.

4. Florida Stories Walking Tours. Celebrate local stories with a “Florida Stories” walking tour of St. Petersburg, Ybor City, Tarpon Springs, or Safety Harbor. The Florida Humanities Council hired local writers to help with the scripts for their self-guided walking tours, accessed through the Florida Humanities Council’s Florida Stories app.

5. St. Pete Mural Tours. There are still some spots left in Florida CraftArt’s original walking mural tour this Saturday.

And if that fills up, you can always download a map directly from the SHINE website and do your own driving tour.

6. The Clearwater Marine Aquarium promises a “Sea of Holiday Joy” and art this weekend. Get there early Friday morning, 8-10 a.m., and you might catch Santa diving with the dolphins. In addition to the usual marine attractions, CMA offers holiday crafts and activities for kids during “Sea of Holiday Joy” weekends. And thanks to a collaboration with the Morean Arts Center, Level 4 of the CMA Visitor Center hosts a collection of marine-inspired artwork for the next several months.

7. Fairgrounds St. Pete has extended hours this weekend. They’ll be open until 10:30 p.m. on Friday and Saturday night. That gives you plenty of time to immerse your out-of-town family members in Florida culture via locally-made art. Locals should know that the Fairgrounds holiday experience, Scents of the Season, doesn’t open until Nov. 30. If you still don’t know what Fairgrounds is, I’m going to refer you to my 2021 Creative Loafing feature where I interviewed the founders before Fairgrounds opened to the public.

8. Impressionism on both sides of the bay. People don’t always agree on art, but everyone loves impressionism. And that’s why “Frontiers of Impressionism” at the Tampa Museum of Art and “Dali and the Impressionists” at The Dali belong on this list of things to do with your family this weekend.

9. Brew culture. We brew a lot of beer in Tampa Bay, and it’s more than good enough to introduce your relatives to. From citrus-forward IPAs to tropical lagers and Florida Weisse styles, Tampa Bay has its own unique beer culture. I like to pick up a few six packs from Crooked Thumb in Safety Harbor before family visits from out of town so they can sip on local flavors during their stay. I have yet to try their beer, but Grindhaus Brew Lab hosts a Holiday Maker's Market with Author Josh Ginsberg this Sunday in Clearwater.

Find a brewery near you using Visit Tampa Bay's Tampa Bay Brewery Map.

[alsjeblieft-zeg]

254 of 2023

A Achievements:

I came back to my work after brain incident, kept the same job for the last 9 years, got the university degree, got married.

Age:

I’m still 32, about to be 33 next month.

Are you planning something right now?

No, I came back home, it’s evening.

Arizona or Alaska:

I don’t care about the US.

B Birthdate:

1990.

Build:

My body? I’m long and narrow. Kinda slender.

Babies, do you have any?

Do our cats count as babies?

Blonde or Brunette:

I have dark hair, but shit happens.

C Childhood sweetheart:

I didn’t have any.

Current mood:

Content, but a bit tired.

Children, are there more in your future?

There are none in my furure, past and present.

Coke or Pepsi:

Coke, but I honestly can’t taste the difference.

D Dad’s name:

Stefaan.

Dating anyone:

I’m married.

Do you plan on having lots of money?

WTF. I’m happy with what I have and proud to be (upper) working class.

Dogs or cats:

Miauwtjes. I’m definitely a cats person.

E Elementary School:

Lombardsijde.

Eye color:

Grey.

Ever going to China?

Why would I?

Early or Late:

Early.

F First Crush:

Probably Jay, but I’m not sure anymore.

Fears:

Death, failure, losing.

Future goals:

To be happy and healthy.

Funny or Serious:

You’d better know when it’s time to be funny and when it’s time to be serious. It’s called emotional maturity.

G Grandparent’s names:

Sofie, Joris, Stephanie and Johan.

GPA:

Belgium doesn’t do GPA. We have percentage scores here.

Going anywhere this weekend?

I go somewhere almost every day.

Giver or Taker:

I’m more of a giver, if that’s the question.

H High School:

Our education system doesn’t work like that.

Hair color:

Brown.

Hate anyone for life?

Nope, it’s stupid.

Hairspray or Gel:

Hair wax.

I In 8th grade, who was your best friend?

Our education system is entirely different.

Is ignorance bliss?

No, ignorance hurts others.

Is there anything you wanna share?

I’m sleepy and I’m saving a back up from my phone.

Ice Cream or Cake:

No, thanks.

J Jumped rope for fun:

...and?

Junk around you right now?

I don’t know how about you, but I keep my space fairly clean.

Joining anything anytime soon?

No? Weird question.

January or July:

July, the best month of a year, together with June.

K Killed anyone:

This question is so dumb I’m not even gonna answer it.

Keeping a secret?

Doesn’t everyone in some way?

Kicking someone off your top friends today?

Lolwut?

Kiwi or Apple:

Neither.

L Lost anyone close to you:

Yes, my beloved grandma died of lung cancer 12 years ago.

Last kiss, when and who:

An hour ago, my husband.

List 3 people that you’ll love forever:

My parents and my sister.

Lover or Fighter:

Both, in some sense.

M Middle School:

Our education system doesn’t work like that.

Marital Status:

Married.

Mom’s name:

Ellen.

Music or TV:

Music.

N Northernmost state you’ve been to:

I’ve never been to any state.

Nickname:

Jelle.

Name your future boy and girl:

No children, thanks.

Naughty or Nice:

I don’t really understand what this choice is about.

O Opened a piece of mail that wasn’t yours?

No, it’s awful.

Occupation:

Rail electrician.

Owe anyone money:

Not that I know of.

Outgoing or Shy:

Why are these always put together?

P Place you most want to be?

My hometown.

Purposely destroyed someone’s life?

What kind of person are you? This is disgusting.

Planning a major trip?

To my parents soon, I hope.

Pink or Black?

Black, but sometimes it goes well with pink.

Q Quit a class:

Once or twice.

Quickly…the first word to come to mind:

Godverdomme.

Quitting your job soon?

Why would I quit a job I love and I’m very good at?

Quiet or Loud:

Quiet.

R Riding in an airplane:

What about it?

Ride, tell me about yours:

I take trains every day.

Running for any political office in the future?

You kidding me. I’m not even remotely interested.

Rain or Snow:

Neither, omg. I’m sick of rain already.

S Siblings names and ages:

Julie, 28.

Shoe size:

European, it varies between 41 and 43, depending on the brand.

Shave daily?

Every other day, to be precise. I’d rather have a smooth face than show my stupid facial hair.

Shower or Bath:

Shower, it’s quicker.

T Turning 21 was (will be):

21 isn’t any milestone in Europe.

Texas, ever been?

No, never been to the US.

Think you’ll live to be 100?

I’m not overthinking it.

Tame or Wild:

In between.

U Unique quality about you:

My handwriting.

Underwear on?

No. You asked for it.

Under your bed lies:

Travel suitcases.

Under or Over:

WTF is this question about?

V Virgin?

No, I’m not.

Vacation time left?

It’s barely April.

Voting in the next Presidential election?

Lol I live in a kingdom.

Volleyball or Swimming:

Neither.

W Went white water rafting?

What is that even?

Wearing right now:

Black hoodie, black wide leg trousers, black platform boots.

Write a sentence about you:

Mijn naam is Joeri en ik hou van jullie allemaal.

West Coast or East Coast:

I’m European.

X X-Rays in the past month:

None.

X-Mas plans:

Visiting my parents.

X, does it mark the spot?

...what?

X-Tina or Britney?

I couldn’t care less.

Y You lost “it” when?

With consent, at the age of 24. Without consent, at the age of 12. This is the reason of all my self-disgust.

Your favorite song:

Shared it in many surveys already.

Your favorite place on Earth:

Middelkerke <3

Yes or No:

Yes, but no.

Z Zodiac Sign:

Taurus.

Zodiac Sign:

You didn’t hear well enough?

Zippos are neat, agree?

What are they even?

Zoo or Circus:

Neither.

[splotchy-sketches]

Roscoe,

I was woken up by the sound of house static, the bustle of motion filling the next room. I felt the warm weight on my chest. My hand is buried in black fur. I sat up to hear my joints crack, letting off a heavy sigh as my cat, William jumped down.

“Morning hun, you’re up a bit late. Eat your breakfast quickly” My mom greeted me as I stood at the kitchen's entry.

I grunted and slumped down in front of the plate of eggs and oatmeal. I looked down to see the black cat hair still on my shirt.

“Remember, you’re going to be on your own for a few months.” My dad reminded me as he shuffled his newspaper.

“Why can’t one of you stay? This place has a heavy workload.” I asked as I rinsed my plate.

“Roscoe, you know the circumstances. Your mother’s got to settle the affairs for your grandpa and I’ve got to fly out to Finland for product development.” My dad narrated

I felt guilty that I couldn't be more present for the final days of my grandpa, but he had been far out of it so I couldn't have helped much. I finished cleaning my dishes and started getting ready for the day. I put on one of my flannels and some dark-wash jeans. My “bobcat feed” hat over my hair. William was stretched out on my bed hindering my ability to fix it.

I shuffled off outside to start the chores. The goats were bleating for food. I chucked 3 flakes of alfalfa from them. They lunged at the mess of dried grass, grappling over each other to get the fresh cuts. I threw some scratch for the chickens and let our horses, Wonder Boy and Blossom out to the field. I wiped my boots before heading back inside. William was watching me from the window, his eyes lively. I switched my shoes for school and fixed my bed. The old floorboards creaked tiredly as I stepped.

“I love you, Roscoe, we’ll be back before you know it,” My mom said as she hugged me

“I know, I can handle it” I muttered into her shoulder

My dad patted me on the back before I headed for the door. I replenished William's food bowl and pet him before leaving. The dusty country driveway caused a sniffle in the nose. I was picked up after a long amble stroll to the bus stop. It’s seven fifteen am. I’m always the first on the bus since I live far away. No one knows where I live. Not a soul at school.

The bus ride feels slow today. After me, it picks up the kids in the surrounding suburb, the apartment-complex dwellers, and finally the people just close enough to still need a ride. I feel like there’s an extra person on the bus but I’m not sure. I don't pay much attention to who’s getting a ride with me. My eyes typically gaze blankly out the window watching the world pass by. The bus halts in front of Bobcat county high school. I always wait for everyone else to get off the bus first, it’s just polite. All the usuals have left now, there is someone I don't recognize left. I was right, an extra person. He has jet-black hair in a curly mop over his head. He’s got a slim build and is wrapped in layers upon layers of jackets. I adjust my glasses and blink to get a more straightforward look. He’s smiling at me, It’s a genuine smile, the kind of someone who’s yet to experience hardship. I look up to meet his eyes, the left is grayish brown the other a blue. Both are hiding behind a pair of thick squared glasses.

“Are you off here?” I ask, knowing that’s a stupid question

He nods and gestures for me to get off first. I feel the corners of my mouth rise to a grin. I’m not sure why I’m smiling, I don't care much for people generally. Hell, I'd argue to only have one close friend in my cat with a few loose ones.

I step down in front of the school, it’s eight now, and the bell ought to ring in fifteen minutes or so. The stranger steps behind me.

“Are you from around here? You look like you’re headed for Alaska.” I ask turning toward him

“My family's from Peru, but we moved to Arizona when I was born, and now we’re here in Oregon.” He explained, this was the first time I’d heard his voice. It had a gentle sound to it. I nodded as he said it.

“What about you? You look a bit out of place as well, you’re dressed like a farm hand or something.” He asked in return

“Oh, my family owns the farm thirty-five minutes out, Happy Cat Farm. We raise goats and sell a few seasonal crops locally.” I responded my voice still deep in the morning gravel

“How interesting, might I ask your name?” The stranger inquired

Before I could answer one of the teachers approached.

“Hey, Mr. Pickett, we need you in the office for your schedule” Mr. Douglas announced

Mr. Douglas was by no means a cruel teacher, he held a tall frame and a reassuring smile. He dressed a bit more preppy compared to the other teachers, having a simple wardrobe consisting of sweater vests and solid-colored dress shirts. He walked with the stranger to the office. I gave him a little wave before finding something to busy myself with for the morning. I headed over to the side of one of the buildings and leaned up against it. Not enough time to be productive, too much time to do nothing. I might as well people-watch for a bit.

The students chatter amongst themselves, some look like they’re joking others like they're sharing their life happenings. And here I stare like a creeper at people who should be my peers. The bell finally rings and I head off to the first period. I start with Spanish.

Rainer,

I followed this teacher to the Bobcat County High School’s office. They hand me a schedule detailing where I am to be at all points in the day. I don’t much care for the controlling nature of school but I must abide. First period I’ve got Spanish. I see the farm boy from the bus sitting cross-armed at the back of the classroom. Leg tapping in a fast rhythmic pattern. He looks distracted and uncomfortable.

“Mind if I sit here?” I ask him

It seems to startle him a bit, his eyes snap toward me and his leg stops twitching.

“Oh, yeah go ahead” He stuttered readjusting his hat

We sit quietly for a moment before who I assume to be the teacher walks in. She carries herself smoothly, steps morgue silent. Waved light hair stops at her shoulders, leading the eyes to a half-curved smile.

“Buenos días clase, hoy tenemos un nuevo alumno!” The teacher announced standing at the front of the room.

I understand a good deal of Spanish. Seeing as my parents lived in Peru initially, they still speak it occasionally.

“Este es nuestro nuevo alumno Rainer Pickett!” She announced, a pristine smile plastered on

“Gracias, espero trabajar con usted este año.” I replied

She looked surprised at my quick response. She began teaching the lesson and printing copies of the assignment. I looked over at the farm boy, he was already looking at me. Chestnut eyes glossed over me as though I’d done something incredible. His body posture had changed drastically in those few minutes of class. His hands now rested on his knees turning facing me.

“Did I do something wrong?” I ask ruffling my hair

He was silent a moment, turned away letting out a light laugh.

“Everyone in this class is going to be cheating off your assignments all year,” He said with a laugh

I laughed before returning to the assignment. ‘Write a paragraph about what you did this morning. Use the yo form twice, usted form once, and nosotros form once.’ Pretty easy. Just before I put my pencil to the paper I’m stopped by the rubble voice of the farmboy.

“What’s up with your eyes? Err sorry, that sounded rude…” He muttered

“I was hit in the right eye with lye as a baby. I’m almost completely blind in it.” I explained

He nodded now only looking at my left eye. I looked over at his paper, he had nothing but the title of the assignment written on it. I started writing my paragraph.

Esta mañana tomé el autobús a la escuela. Hablé con un granjero. Él es agradable. Podríamos ser amigos.

Easy assignment. I look over to see that the farm boy has started writing. It’s almost illiterate but he’s trying. I lean over to read the top corner of his paper. ‘Roscoe Fritz’

“I know, I suck at Spanish,” Roscoe said quieter

“No no, you’re quite alright. I just wanted to see your name.” I explained all too flustered

“My name? I only just learned yours when Ms. Carpa introduced you! It’s Roscoe all the same” He chuckled as he extended his hand between the desks.

“As in Deerwood?” I asked, feeling a dopey bantery smile fortify on my face

“Yeah, go on say yours proper” He prompted

“Rainer, Rainer Pickett” I replied, shaking his hand.

For a farmer, his hand was oddly soft.

Roscoe

The bell rings for the second period, Rainer is standing beside my desk looking down at me.

“Waiting for something?” I asked a tone of sheepishness in my voice

“What’s your next class?” He asked, bending over to his backpack

“I’ve got math” I replied

He nodded and pointed out the same class on his schedule. He was being so friendly, no one is ever just nice for the sake of nice. What has he heard about me? He’s just ambling along at my side walking to math. Why me? My mind starts to drift, we keep walking to math, and I hear his voice break the crowd chatter.

“I’m not keeping you from your friends am I?” Rainer asked looking slightly up to meet my eyes

“No, normally I’m a bit of a loner, to be honest” I replied, I hate talking like that. It sounds so pathetic.

“Why haven’t you got friends?” He asked

I stayed silent. I didn’t have a good answer for him, I just didn’t ‘click’ with anyone in my grade. I’m not a jock by any means. Not quite a nerd, not able to blend in with the normies. I’m just Roscoe the quiet might be a murderer farmer. We sat down in math class. Rainer was just at the desk next to me. I feel oddly comfortable with him around. I can’t quite explain why, and I can't quite say I trust him yet but, if he is just genuinely kind, he’s more than welcome in my space. I don't mean to act stuffy about it but, I don't like people around me. Maybe it’s antisocial or whatever but it’s just in my nature.

“FRITZ!” Our math teacher, Mr. Kaizen barked

I scrambled at my papers and scratched down notes. I’m pretty good with math and English and absolute garbage at Spanish and Physics though. Mr. Kaizen was… a flaming peacock of a math teacher. His thick brown hair was swooped to the right, a royal purple flannel draped too long over his arms. His right ear was pierced, his smile a blinding white. He was a well-intentioned individual, although very reactive at times.

“Hey, do you understand how to do this at all?” Rainer asked, he’d drawn a bunch of confused dogs with question marks all over his paper.

“Yeah sure, I can help you with that,” I said, moving to kneel next to him. He showed me the problem and I explained it to the best of my ability. Eventually, we finished the math, and he smiled at me, a somehow more earnest expression than before. His eyes were crinkled, his top teeth showing a bit. A strange part of me wanted to pull him close and hug him tight. I don’t know why I wanted to. I held myself back, I’m weird enough as is.

“Do you play any instruments?” He asked putting his math book away

“Yeah, piano” I answered

“I always wanted to learn piano, but I was more into drawing” Rainer replied

I nodded, and moments later the bell rang. We had English next.

Rainer

“Good to see you again Mr. Pickett” Mr. Douglas greeted

I looked to the whiteboard to just see the writing ‘Free work day’ scrawled on the board in nice cursive. Roscoe had put his stuff down and left. I looked over to see some groups talking. I walk over.

“Dude, that new guy is such a fucking homo”

“Like bro, be fucking normal why leech onto the creepy farmer? He’s so weird”

“Yeah like he never speaks… It’s off-putting”

“Hi…” I say standing behind them

“Oh shit, you were right there…”

“...” I didn’t have the words for this situation. I don’t know why I took such a liking to Roscoe. All I know is that he’s nice, knows how to do the math, and has soft hands. I walked back to my desk to doodle a bit.

“I mean he’s not denying being a massive fucking homo…”

What’s so bad if I don’t have much of a preference? Ever consider that? Such a nasty word to be made an insult. Just because I’m nice to someone doesn’t mean I’ve got a thing for them. Although… no… There’s no way… but…

I love the way he smiles at me…

Roscoe

I feel a bit bad for ditching Rainer in English, but he should get a chance to talk to some other people. I’m kind of a bummer to be around. It's the fourth period now, time for physics. I’m terrible at it, all these numbers and formulas. It’s like math but if you overproduced it. I sit down in the front of the room, I’m told to because of my lousy grades in the class. Rainer is sitting in the back of the room looking at me, a bit of disappointment staining his face. I wonder if he's angry with me, I wonder if he thinks I ditched him. I wonder if I’m thinking about it too much.

Our teacher bludgeoned himself into the room. Mr. Clam was rightfully named. He always looked drenched in sweat whether it was a broiling August or Polar January. Wherever he walked a trail of a bayman’s stench was left. His voice sounded angry and shaky, stuttered reprimands, and screeched instructions. He didn’t much like me, when he was displeased with an assignment, I’d be guaranteed a face full of that sour fish-coffee breath.

He started his ramble for the class, barking about first the laws of motion, then about how this generation has no hope. Despite his yapping, he’s not difficult to tune out. He slams his nineteen sixty-four science book on the desk signaling to start the assignment. Page 118, questions 1-48, weekly homework. I navigate to the page, it’s a bunch of encrypted nonsense posing as schoolwork. Before I can start the questions I’m stopped.

“FRITZ! Get your lazy-ass over here!” Mr. McClam shouted. I’m four feet from the desk. He didn’t need to do that. I stood in front of him in silence.

“What kind of bullshit answers are these? ‘Four? Yes? I like birds?’ I’d say you’re better than this but you have yet to prove it.” He screeched, loud enough to grab everyone's eyes.

“I’m sorry…” I started. I know my answers were bad. I didn’t need him broadcasting it. I just want the number. The number is silent,

“You ought to be ashamed of yourself, you’re already gonna be another nowhere hobby farmer, and you’re letting yourself be a dumb one at that!” He continued, his sickly hazel eyes narrowed, thinning hair disheveled

I would not consider myself a strong person. I’m not new to Mr. McClam’s public embarrassment, but it’s never been that cruel. I feel my hands tremor before walking outside to remove myself from the screaming. I sit just next to the door on the ground, feeling frustrated and stupid. A bit of time passes before I hear something… someone.

“Mr. McClam is a wad.” That now familiar soft voice spoke

I look up to see Rainer peering down at me. I wouldn't want my regular classmates to see me like this but, is that the first person to be nice to me? There’s no way he sees me as respectable anymore. His face looks a bit sad, a matter of hours having lost the enthused gleam it once held.

“Are you alright? You seem sad.” I asked, a bit shaky from the shouting

“I’m not the one who was screamed at in front of the entire class,” he replied

“It’s fine. He does it all the time.” I replied as I stood

“Well, he shouldn’t.” He said looking back through the classroom’s dusty window.

No one had ever come to check on me unless it was to inform me that class had ended. Strangely knowing someone noticed I left in the first place was nice. The somber tone to his face had lifted, but the brightness had still been lost.

Rainer,

It’s lunchtime now. Roscoe seemed a bit odd during the fourth period. A teacher couldn't be that harsh to a student without anyone saying anything right? He headed off with the rest of the class for lunch. I don’t care for it. I hate the feeling of people watching me chew. I wander around campus a bit, I see the group from English class shoving each other around with more similar people.

“Oi, look at that it’s the new gayboy”

“Where’s your creepy farmer boy? Where’s your boyfriend?”

I just looked at them and their moronic commentary. I felt my fists ball, my cheeks felt hot.

“Oh look he’s blushing”

“You’re not gay for us now are ya, are ya?”

I looked one of them in the eye, the sneering smile, the polar blue eyes. I acted without thought, my arm moved without my mind’s command. I punched him right in the nose. Bad idea. The group ganged up and started throwing attacks from all directions. I just coiled to the ground trying desperately to block any of the hits to no avail.

“Get off him!” a new voice shouted

A hero. A shorter person, with reddish brown hair, came in. They shoved the pile of guys off me. They scattered away like ferrets filing back into various nooks and crannies.

“Here, are you okay?” They asked as they bent down to evaluate the injuries

My nose was bleeding, and my left eye was swollen. It hurt but nothing too serious.

“I’m okay, who are you?” I asked, looking up at them through my swollen face.

“I’m Joel, those guys are pretty nasty. I’d keep it clear if I were you.” They said rustling through their backpack

They pulled out some bandaging first aid stuff and started patching me up.

“I don't think I’ve seen you before, what’s your name,” They asked

“It’s alright, I’m new. My name’s Rainer.” I said,

“So, what’s this about you and the quiet kid?” They asked donning a cheeky grin

“Oh, we’re friends… I think. I hope we’re friends.” I stumbled over my answer

“Be careful, he’s a bit of an odd bird” Joel said

“Why does everyone say that? He’s fine. How is he creepy?” I asked holding down a bandage on my elbow

“I’m not quite sure. He’s always just been a bit of an odd guy. He hardly socializes at all. Silence tends to suggest secrets.” Joel explained

So there’s no reason then? This guy is just publicly disliked for no real reason. This is only serving to spark curiosity. I shouldn't care this much. I know that much, but I can’t help but want to know him better.

“I’m a senior but I’ve got Junior music, so see you then?” Joel asked with a friendly smile

I nodded, as I got up. I gave my best smile through my battered face and started heading off to history.

Roscoe

I couldn’t find Rainer at lunch. I ended up doing what I normally would, sitting next to the guys from music class in that echoey cafeteria. They’re nice and all but I mostly just listen. I sit down in the back in history class, shortly after Rainer walks in. He looks terrible and yet is somehow beaming. His face is a disturbing shade of plum, his left eye is swollen shut. He’s got a sleeve and a pant leg rolled up showing fresh bandages.

“Jesus, what happened to you?” I ask, deep concern in my stomach

“Some gnarly fellas from English class…” He said looking away

It’s a small school but still a public one. People fight, I know that. I’m not a violent person normally, but I found myself wanting to find out who did this.

“It’s alright, one of the seniors helped me,” Rainer said in a futile attempt to nullify my concern

“Why were they picking on you?” I ask staring hard at his dusky-blue eye

He opened his mouth to speak but his words were mute. He turned away from me fidgeting his hands. My chance for pestering was halted at the arrival of our teacher. Mr. Crust was old. He started teaching when he was twenty-seven years old, he’s eighty-six now. His hair is a clean snowy white, green eyes are like a german forest. For his age, he’s quite articulate and quick-witted. He steps next to Rainer to introduce himself.

“Good afternoon sport, I’m Mr. Crust. History’s easy to teach when you live through so much of it yourself” He said with a grin, his hand extended although plagued by a Parkinson’s tremor

“Nice to meet you, sir, I’m Rainer,” Rainer said shaking his hand

“Have you been fighting boy? You’re all roughed up.” Mr. Crust asked with a slight scold

“No, just… fell” Rainer lied unconvincingly

Mr. Crust seemed satisfied with that answer and started yammering on about Vietnam.

Rainer’s lack of detail was deeply concerning. Who could he have made enemies with on day one? Who could hurt someone like him? I can understand if I was beaten up for weak reasons but, Rainer? He’s so nice and creative, and he smells like coffee all the time. Not that I smell him… It’s just nice.

“Why were you nice to me in the first place?”

He looked up at me squinting. Right, he’s nearly blind in that eye.

“You seemed like the right kind of person to become acquainted with,” He said very matter-of-factly

“But why? I’m just the quiet weirdo who sulks around campus. Hell, you know more about me than most of these friend groups know about each other.”

“Tragedy isn’t it? All these people acting like “besties” and yet they couldn't tell you each other’s last name” Rainer philosophized

“I suppose that’s true. I’d rather be around someone who took the time to know me rather than a bunch of people who know next to nothing

“Exactly, I could never have this conversation with some random person from Spanish. You think about stuff like this, you are worth spending time with” Rainer explained, a heavy dash of pep in his voice.

He looked a bit silly, with a huge smile on a bruised face. Quite an endearing face in all honesty.

“Who was the senior that helped you?”

“I think their name was something like… Joe? I want to say. Pretty short reddish hair.” Rainer recalled

“Oh, I think you mean Joel. They’re in music class with me”

He nodded, as he started filing his things away in his backpack

“I know I come off as grouchy and unapproachable but… I am really glad for your company”

[tragic-shadows]

24. Family in town from the plot prompt?

Title: Family In Town

Word Count: 2082

Warnings: implied parental abuse

Pairing: GibbsxReader

A/N: Sorry for taking so long. Exams suck and I'm so, so tired.

“Y/N!” Gibbs barks, slapping you in the head with a magazine. “Go sleep at home. It’s late.”

“Uhhgg.” You groan, pulling your face away from your keyboard. 

“Ew,” Gibbs retaliates, reaching up to your face and peeling off a used napkin. 

“Thanks,” you grumble.

“Ya’ alright?” Gibbs questions.

“No,” you state plainly. “My mom and sister are coming into town for Christmas in a few days.”

“What’s so bad about that?” He shrugs and takes a seat at his desk.

“Haven’t slept since, they’re only coming to meet my boyfriend.”

“Didn’t ya’ break up 2 months ago?”

“Yup.”

“And they don’t know?”

You sigh. “Nope,” you mutter. “My mother is very.. interesting. Austin and I were dating for 3 years before I found out he was cheating. I guess she just assumed we would get engaged this year and since we haven’t, here come the questions.”

“And she’s never met him?”

“No, luckily. She lives all the way in Alaska. Her and my sister go on amazing adventures and what not.”

“So whatcha gonna do?”

“Fantastic question,” you sneer, putting your head between your hands. “If she isn’t impressed with me, she’s going to stop funding me.”

“Funding?”

“Only way I’m living in DC. The ‘probie pay’ I get isn’t nearly enough to afford my apartment with the rates of inflation.” 

“She ever seen him?”

“What?”

“Have they ever seen him? Pictures or something? What’s it called where you put those little things on the internet, they only last a short period of time?”

“Snaps?”

“Sure.”

“She doesn’t have any social media, nor a phone. She reached me by a dang landline at some rest stop. Gibbs, if I don’t impress my mother and convince her I’m getting engaged, she’s going to make me move back home. She’s a crappy person and a crappy mother. My sisters no better.”

“When they gettin’ here?”

“Tomorrow I think. At least I hope so. The sooner the better and I can get this done and over with. I’ve been setting stuff up, in case I need to move, for the past week. Thats why I’m so tired.”

“Tell ya’ what Y/N. Call me when they arrive and I’ll make something happen, kay?”

You look at him quizzically, trying to figure out what he was talking about. “What do you mean?”

“It’s late, go home, get some rest. Don’t even need to come in unless we gotta case.”

“You sure boss? I can handle it, I’ll be fine.”

“I know ya’ will, but it’s alright.”

-

-

-

The next day when your mom arrives, she immediately turns her nose up at where you live. 

“An apartment, really Y/N? I’m paying you my own good money so you can live in an apartment?”

You grumble something under your breath, taking her and your sisters suitcases and wheeling them to the guest room.

“Ew, this won’t do,” your sister shakes her head as she pushes down on the mattress. “It feels like I’m going to fall right through!”

“Sorry Amanda,” you say very unapologetically. “This is all I got. You can either take the bed or the couch. Heck take the floor. I didn’t ask you to come so it’s not my job to tailor to your needs.”

“Keep that attitude in check missy,” your mother waves her hand in front of your face and you roll your eyes. “Now when is that hunk gettin here? What’s his name again?”

“Adam? Alex? Arthur?” Amanda tries.

“Austin,” you groan. “Well, actually..” You figure it’s best to get it out. Maybe they’ll just leave. “Austin and I-“ you were cut off by your phone ringing. “One sec,” you say, taking the call.

“Gibbs!” You exclaim. “They just got here. I was gonna let you know but I was bombarded with questions as soon as they walked in the door. Apparently a soft bed isn’t good enough for my hoity toity sibling.”

“Go to your front door.” Is all he says before hanging up.

You frown, unsure why he was so cryptic. But knowing your boss you bypass your family and click the door open. To your surprise, Gibbs is standing there, holding a bouquet of flowers. 

“Hey, Y/N. Your parents here yet?”

“I just told-“ but again you found him cutting you off, this time though it was because of a gentle kiss on your mouth, and then a whisper in your ear.

“I’m Austin,” he said. And then you understood.

“I’m so glad you could be here,” you said almost breathlessly. Gibbs had kissed you. Gibbs had kissed you. Gibbs had kissed you. Gibbs had kissed you. Gibbs had kissed you! “They’re in here.” You lower your voice. “Thank you.”

He put his hand in the small of your back, letting you lead him into the living room. “Mom, Amanda, this is my,” you hesitate. “Boyfriend. Austin.”

“Nice to meet you,” Gibbs extends his hand to your mom.

“You’re older than I would have expected.” She put her head close to him. “She’s not using you for se-“

“Mom!” You growl. You take a deep breath and calm yourself down. “Why don’t you go ahead and unpack, Austin and I will find something for lunch.”

“You’re the host Y/N,” Amanda frowns. “You should be unpacking.” 

“I’m going to pick up food. With Austin. Don’t break anything, don’t rearrange anything. Just unpack, and sit down. TV remote is right there, cable hasn’t been working so Netflix is your only choice.” With that, you grab your wallet and Gibbs by the arm and drag him outside. “What the hell?!” You exclaim, not angry just really really confused.

“Ya’ serious about them. Ya’ need to learn to stand up for yourself, not gonna lose you cause of some stupid money problem. I’m here so you can stay.”

“Are you sure?” You ask. “In order to do this we need to sell it really well.”

Gibbs reaches into his pocket bringing out a small box. “How’s this?”

Wow that was a nice ring. You whistle. “Dang. I think that’ll do it.”

“Yeah? Well let’s go pick up some food. Tell me ‘bout your folks.”

-

-

-

When you arrived home, you found your mother in the kitchen, making herself some coffee while Amanda lounged on the couch, watching some weird reality show. 

“Mexican,” you say, plopping down bags of takeout. You feel Gibbs squeeze your hand gently before he starts unpacking. 

“Your daughters a good host,” he comments nonchalantly.

“Good to know she can do something right,” your mom comments. “I’m Victoria, if I didn’t already say.” She sits down with her food, starting to eat. “Food’s fine,” she tells Amanda who begins eating after her mothers approval. “So Austin, you think you’re good enough for Y/N?”

“She thinks so. I hope so. Been together for almost three years.”

“What do you do?” Victoria asks.

“With the way his hands work he’s gotta be some sort of woodworker,” Amanda guesses.

Gibbs smiles, impressed. Although your sister was a pain in the behind, she was brilliant.  “Boat in the basement.”

“Really?” Your sister lit up. She was studying marine science so everything about the water fascinated her. 

“Mhm.”

“Whats her name?” 

“Y/N/N,” he says, winking at you. You feel yourself suppressing a blush.

Gibbs takes your hand on the top of the table as you continue to eat, rubbing slow circles with his thumb.

“So how old are you, Austin?” Victoria asks, almost causing you to spit out your rice. He just squeezes your hand again, letting you know he didn’t mind.

“Doesn’t matter.” He answers.

Your mom nods. “Well lunch was decent. I’m taking a nap.” 

She goes into the bedroom, leaving Amanda back to her show and you and Gibbs to clean up. 

-

-

-

“Was thinking we’d go to the park later?” Gibbs asks. “Propose then and don’t worry the rest of the week.” 

“Good idea.”

“Mind if I kiss you?” He asks. 

“I think that’ll be better,” you respond, handing him a plate to dry. “Thats what people in love do when they get engaged.” You however didn’t realize he meant now. Pressing you against the counter, his lips meet yours. You immediately melt against him, taking your hand to his neck and kissing him back. You feel a vibration from his pocket just as you were getting comfortable. You bite your lip to stop from protesting as Gibbs pulls away, answering the call.

“McGee,” he mouths to you. “Gotta go.” 

“No,” you whisper, pulling him back to you. You then heard the TV shut off, knowing your sister was probably coming to get a snack. So you kiss Gibbs gently again. 

“Ew..” You hear Amanda say. “Dang Y/N, maybe you do have game. You too old man.” She looked Gibbs up and down before speaking again. “Mom wants to know what time we’re going to the bar.” 

“Bar? Amanda we have a case, we have to go.”

“No case,” Gibbs answers, sliding his hand into yours. “Wanted me to show him how to season a turkey.”

“Seriously?” You and Amanda ask at the same time. 

“Bar!” You hear your mother yell from the living room. She comes in with a face full of makeup.

“Thought you were taking a nap?” 

“Need a drink. Got the.. what’s that called? When you’re tired from a plane?”

“Jet lag?” Gibbs all but laughed.

“Yeah, what Justin said.”

“Austin,” Gibbs corrects. “You guys go. I’ll help McGee.”

-

-

-

The bar was packed and it smelled like weed. For some stupid reason you’d let your family pick the spot, even though you knew it was bad. The food was adequate but the atmosphere sucked. You let them out to do whatever they wanted and took a seat at the bar, ordering a drink and chugging it down. 

After about a half hour of doing absolutely nothing but drinking, you felt a body slide into the booth next to you. “Sorry bout that. Delilah’s very particular.”

“Yeah..” You say not really paying attention.

“Ya’ want me to help ya’ cook tomorrow?”

“Hmm..” 

“Then we can drown in lava.”

“Sounds cool..” You mumble in response. 

“Y/N/N,” Gibbs puts his hand on your arm, turning you to him. “Why’s it so important you impress your mom?”

“I already told you, the-“

“No. Other than the money.”

“I- because I’ve been second to my sister since the day she was born. I’m older, she’s hotter, smarter, funnier. Everything er. And I’m.. me. They’re both angry because I supported my dad. When we found out my mom was cheating I went with him, then he died a few years ago and I had to rely on her instead. I hate her!” You yell, feeling tears welling in your eyes. 

“You’re drunk,” Gibbs realizes. “Where the folks?”

“Can we go home?” You ask, staring right at him. 

He looks around the bar, seeing no sign of your family he takes your hand, leading you out onto the chilly street. “Ya okay?”

“Fine,” you stumble, grabbing onto him for support. “Walk home?” You ask.

“Sure.” He rubs your back gently. 

“Austin?” You ask. “Do you think I’m hot?”

Gibbs laughs, realizing you were more drunk than he had initially thought. “Of course I do,” he answers.

“Yeah? That why you’ve been flirting with me lately?” You blink flirtily at him. 

“Kay, let’s walk faster.”

“Nahhh,” you say, stopping and running your hand up his chest. “I hate my family. And I hated Austin too. I lied, you know that? I didn’t love him. They made me date him. Made me marry him, but I broke it off. They still never met him so that was good. And so—“

Gibbs kissed you again, pulling you in under the light of the street lamp. He ran his hands through your hair, and you grabbed him in by the waist, not sure what was going on but not wanting it to stop either. 

“What are we doing..” You whisper, looking into his blue eyes.

“Stop letting them push ya’ ‘round,” he said gently, pushing your hair behind your ear. “I’m not gonna be Austin, but I’m gonna be me. They’re just gonna have to be alright with that. Kay?”

“What are you saying?” You everything but plead for him to tell you. 

“I’m here for you, Y/N. Your mom doesn’t approve? Good thing my mortgage was paid off over 10 years ago,” he chuckled, taking you under his arm and rubbing your back. “Love you, Y/N/N. Always have.” 

TAGS: @aleck-cross @ah-blossom @ilovemark1951 @marennnx @originalsoulcollector @hotch-meeeeeuppppp

[aquanova99]

Playing with Fire (Demetri x Reader)

Part 3

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A/N: wow two fics in one night who would have thought. Not me. Sorry if this one is a little short.

A/N: thank you to everyone reading this new series I’m getting so soft for Dem lately. As always requests are open and if you like please reblog 💛

┏━•❃°•°❀°•°❃•━┓

Any conversation between you and Demetri was interrupted by your phone going off again. You sighed. You debated answering but Sam wouldn’t call again unless it was an emergency.

“I’m sorry. Just one second.”

“Take your time cara, we do have forever.” God, was he cocky. You didn’t deny that it was endearing. His kind of confidence was attractive.

“Hey Sam. Is ever—”

“Y/n, we saw one of them.”

“A vampire? Yeah, my imprint is—”

“No, y/n. One of the Cullens is back. Jacob went after them, we think it was Bella. Be careful. Some of us are already heading your way.” He hung up right after that. You heard Demetri growl next to you. You were frozen. Demetri was included in the treaty, and what if Bella wanted to fight you? There were too many variables at play.

“Demetri you need to go. Now.”

“Not a chance. If Bella gets here and uses her shield I wont be able to find you.”

“Yeah you said something about that earlier, what do you mean you wont be able to find me?”

“The Cullens aren’t the only gifted vampires, sweetness. I’m able to find anyone I’ve ever met at any time. Or anyone they’ve met as well.”

“Except Bella?”

“And anyone she’s shielding. We’ve been trying to find the Cullens for months to ensure they aren’t planning an attack on our home. With Bella, theres been nothing.”

“And her daughter?”

“She took it hard at first, but shes been enjoying playing princess of the castle after we got back from the amazon.”

“There’s a lot more questions I have but not important right now. Can you track anyone else? Any other Cullen?”

He began to concentrate, his face scrunching “All of the Cullens are up in Alaska right now. It must be just her.”

“It is.” Bella appeared at your doorway. Before you could react Demtri pushed you behind him.

“What do you want Bella?” He hissed at her

“Relax. I just want to go back with you to Italy. Please.”

“And why should I believe you.” He asked

“Look, Edward is trying to round up the witnesses again to storm the castle. He had told me we would go to Volterra and figure everything out so we could be with Renesme. But he lied. He’s more focused on revenge. I just— I want my daughter.”

“Jacob said you basically gave her up, that you would rather stay with Edward.” You weren’t really that surprised, Jacob had become unhinged. Still the question escaped your lips

“W-what? No. I just didn’t want her to get hurt. I told Edward and Jacob there we needed to think about her first. I would never—”

“Bella.” You stepped out from behind Demetri, “I believe you.”

“You do?”

“Yes, and I’m sorry I couldn’t testify but… well you know why I couldn’t. Right now both of you need to go.”

“I’m not leaving you again cara.”

“You don’t understand. Jacob is furious with me. With all of us. If he finds out you’re here and aren’t planning on bringing her back… he’ll try and hurt you. He’s been trying to pick fights since everything went down.” You felt Demetri tense at this.

“Will you come with me? To Volterra? I can protect you there.” You desperately wanted to go, there wasn’t really anything holding you back. Well, the pack had grown close to you but you also knew how they felt about imprints. Up until recently, you’d been alone pretty much your whole life. Going with Demetri, living in a palace, it all seemed too good to be true.

You didn’t get a chance to answer. Jacob burst through the door. God we really needed to take this outside.

“You!” he growled at Bella

“Jake, calm down. Let me explain.”

“Unless you’re here to tell me Ness is back. I don’t want to hear it. You let them take her.”

“Shes not your object, shes my baby! I wanted to make sure she would be okay until I figured out how to be with her. I didn’t want any unnecessary deaths. You should understand that!”

“Shes mine! She was born to be mine. Shes my IMPRINT!”

“Jacob relax. And Get out of my house.” You warned

“Of course you’d side with her! Stay out of this for once. Dracula over there is lucky I haven’t torn him to shreds yet!”

“Bella. I’ll deal with Jacob. You two go to Italy.”

“No.” Demetri said, “Bella, go and tell Aro what you’ve told me. I hope he believes you but that’s the only way to see renesme. Shes fine. I’m not leaving you.”

“You’re not going anywhere Bella.”

Bella turned to look at you, you nodded at her and she ran through the side of your house. Well, now you definitely had a reason to leave. Jacob began running after her, but you jumped and tackled him on his side. You needed to give Bella as big of a headstart as you could. Hopefully, the pack would be here soon. You could stall, but beating Jacob was another issue.

The two of you faced off, “Hey.” You turned to talk to Demetri. “Don’t interfere, okay?”

His lips formed a tight line but he nodded. You turned to look back at Jacob who was now furious. He began phasing and you did the same. Jacob lunged first but you were faster. You knew you wouldn’t last long, the adrenaline would wear off soon and fatigue would take its place. The two of you were snarling at eachother, when you finally collided you felt Jacob sink his teeth into your neck. You heard a whine escape your mouth as he threw you to the ground. You got back up, you were going to have to outrun him. You saw Demetri take a few steps forward but you shook your head at him. The thought of him even coming near Jacob began making your heart race. You didn’t have to worry for long, both of your heads snapped at the howl coming from a distance. Sam. God you were really running up a tab on how much you owed him. The rest of the wolves began flocking to your sides. Jacob couldn’t beat everyone. He bared his teeth at you one more time before running off.

‘You good?’ Paul asked

‘Yeah. I need a nap though’

‘Duh,’ Quil joked, you laughed at this and went behind your house to get your backup set of clothes. The wolves agreed to let you actually get to know Demetri. When they said they would try and keep Jacob away you were able to relax for a bit. You weren’t expecting to get scolded the second you stepped back into your now very broken house. Demetri’s eyes were pitch black as he began yelling at you.

“Do not EVER do that to me again. I was seconds from snapping that dogs neck.” If you were worried about him while you were fighting, you couldn’t imagine what it was like on the other side of things.

“I’m sorry, you’re right. I shouldn’t have been so reckless. But can you please yell at me tomorrow, after I sleep. I’m exhausted.”

His gaze softened, “I’m sorry, I just worry. I don’t want to lose you. Can we go somewhere where he won’t bother you?”

“I guess we probably should. I don’t think this place is safe for you.”

“We could go to my home.” He offered again

“Demetri, you have no idea how much I want to go. But, I’m not technically an immortal. I don’t even know if you can change me, or if the venom will kill me. I’d be walking in quite possibly the most dangerous place for me. The others wont like my smell—”

“No one would dare touch you. We can figure out the rest. I promise” The worst part is that you believed every word. You knew it was dangerous and you didn’t care. You just wanted to follow him.

“Okay, youre driving though.”

“Of course.” He was suddenly next to the passenger door and held it open.

“Wow, such a gentleman.” You teased

“I have my moments.” He winked at you. As the two of you drove off you saw concern etch his face.

“Is everything okay?”

“Yes, I was just thinking about what you were saying earlier. Have you really been getting into fights with that guy.”

Attentive, you thought, “Hes tried a few times. I’ve gotten really lucky that the rest of the pack has had y back recently.”

“You realize if I ever see him again and hes not on the reservation I wont hesitate to end him.”

“No, Demetri please. He’s not worth it and I don’t want you getting killed.”

“Oh darling, I’d love to see him try.”

Taglist: @adaydreamaway08 @artaxerxesthegreat @aunt-pipie @avyannadawn @imtoanonymousforyou @lacychick @minghao3o @raindancer2004 @quarthly @venusdelaroix @volturiwolf

[morganelise35]

I can’t sleep because I can’t get the night I met bit out my head.

As a last hoorah before my friends and I went off to uni we decided to go to a NoahFinnce gig. Half of my friends had never even heard of him. The other half of us had never heard of the band opening for him.

I’d heard Fresh Concrete in one roadtrip playlist my friend (the only one of us who can drive) made. The playlist is named Adventure Time. I didn’t really connect to fresh concrete. I was just a bit confused tbh.

On to the stage of the Manchester Deaf Institute walked Bears in Trees. I remember falling in love with the one in the middles dinosaur tshirt. I was also a bit confused because from the very little I did know about the bear band (from watching one or two of their tiktoks), I had assumed Nick was the lead singer.

I had never heard reverberate before but I found myself screaming the words I had only heard in that moment at my 3 best friends. It was joyous in ways I don’t think I’ll ever experience again.

Also the guy in the dinosaur shirt doing the whistley bit and having a little dancey dance to a song about flying to Alaska? Chefs kiss.

My friend had parked her car in the car park of a Mormon church? They only accepted cash. So after the Noah gig ended one friend and I convinced the security guard to let us back into the venue hoping the people at the merch stand would do some sort of cash back kinda thing so we could get change to pay. Alas I was too shy to ask to swap a card payment for cash and instead bought a bears in trees tshirt.

Iain was living their best life dancing away to the music the venue was playing through the speakers as Callum and co sold their merch. I was so surprised when I was given a free sticker. Nothing comes for free these days???? Iain may or may not have hinted about the arg after I (am ashamed to admit it) lied about being an active member of their discord. I joined the discord. Yes. But had nothing to add to any conversation because I had no idea what this bear band was about.

Fast forward to today and there is not a lot that brings me more happiness than BiTs music, what they represent, the community they’ve built, and the friends I’ve made through the sandbox.

I wear that tshirt whenever I’m feeling meh and it makes me feel not so meh.

And everybody else smiled back is a gorgeous album that makes me feel so many emotions and helped me realise the emotions I am feeling are actually okay to be felt? Thank you bears in trees for all you do. See you next month where I will know every single lyric and scream them back at you with as much passion as I did when I first heard them in Manchester.

(P. S I am now a full believer in fresh concrete supremacy )

[parkers-gal]

Hi! How are you?

First I wanted to say that I love your writing and I wanted to ask you if you could write something about Tom and maybe the boys reacting to the 34+35 remix mv please? It's okay if you can't

Thanks and have a good day or night 🙃

love youu <3

requests are open

—

“Didn’t Doja leak her verse a few months ago?”

You’re seated on a loveseat facing a large TV that’s planted on the wall. Harrison and Harry have taken the couch, Tuwaine sitting in an armchair after bringing out a few beers. Tom is rubbing the back of your hand and your knuckles with his thumb.

It’s release night. Again.

Tom won’t tell you why he’s so excited to see this music video, because it’s merely just another collaboration with powerful women. But, he loves your positions era. He loves how comfortable you are with being sexual in your music and in your videos. He also knows that the entirety of this video might just be you in lingerie, an opportunity he can’t pass up.

Currently, you’re watching your Q&A countdown, which was pre-recorded with Tom in the room. He’d nearly laughed a total of seven times during your takes. Needless to say, it took longer than expected to film.

“Did you go searching for leaked shit?” Harrison replies with a scoff, Harry’s eyes widening. Tuwaine and Tom gasp dramatically, and you try not to laugh at the encounter.

It’s a rule now, to not go online to find leaked content. Last time it happened, Harrison had stayed up until three in the morning searching youtube to win a bet. He’d lost miserably after the news broke that he cheated.

“No! But it was all over my timelin-”

“Yeah, sure.” Sam sneers at his twin, and they end up slapping each other on the arms. Tom chuckles deeply, the sound reverberating through the air, and you can’t help but join him.

Before you know it, the video countdown has officially reached zero, and your voice rings through the air. A scene is displayed on the television: you’re laying on a lounge chair by the pool, and suddenly Doja and Meg are beside you too. You’re wearing sexy clothes, and Tom just knows you’re powerful in this one too.

When the luggage carrier scene comes, you hear Harry gasp. You laugh at his expression, and you can tell he’s probably trying to focus on how the camera is moving and focusing, rather than the girls twerking.

“I cannot believe you actually got to sit on one of those things.”

“Yeah,” Harry agrees with Tuwaine, rolling his eyes. “Last time we tried that, we got kicked out of the hotel.”

You blink in surprise, but laugh nonetheless.

“This is- this is the scene from your Instagram post!” Tom cheers excitedly at the staircase scene where you’re laying there, just as you were in your pictures.

“Yeah.” You laugh.

“I can’t believe you got to work with the Megan thee Stallion.” Harrison gruffs in his seat as he watches her twerk again. You can’t help but laugh, but you have a surprise for him, so you won’t tease him too much.

“Is somebody jealous?” Tom grins, shoving his shoulder jokinging. Harrison grumbles a “no” in response and the two of you birth laughter, loudly.

To everybody’s surprise, Harry starts rapping with Doja Cat. He’s watching her, of course, but he’s hitting every word with a rasp in his voice. Tom’s jaw drops below sea level, and you laugh, still impressed.

“Damn, Harry!” Tuwaine raises his glass of beer. “Show off.”

Just as the verse ends, your hand comes into the shot, and you hear Tom’s breath hitch. You’re speaking into the call-machine, and the mention of baked Alaska makes him blush with a chuckle.

“I cannot believe you actually included that.”

“What was that?” Sam inquired.

“We were in a restaurant,” You started sharing the story, and Tom groaned in response. “And I was talking to the waiter about baked Alaska, but I'd obviously forgotten what it was called. And Tom was so sure he knew, that he yelled ‘baked Alabama.’” When you finished the story, Tom’s head was in his hands in embarrassment.

Your attention is turned back to the TV when Tom gasps. It’s the scene he’s most looked forward to: the bed & room service scene. You’re eating licorice and dancing on the bed while Meg sings her part.

Harrison points at the TV in shock when he sees you sitting on the vintage television. Harry’s mouth drops wide open when he sees Meg in the marbled bathroom. He’s internally freaking out, and externally getting redder by the second. You have a feeling him and Harrison are really big fans, so you make a mental reminder to give them their gifts later. You’d gotten them personally signed records, courtesy of Meg of course.

“Aww,” Tom pouts. “That was so cute.” He’s visibly softening as he watches you and Meg sing “34, 35 we can sixty nine it.” You giggle, head tilting in thought.

“Really?”

“Yeah.” He smiles. “You’re really pretty, y’know.” He’s cheeky but shy about the compliment, and you bring him closer for a goofy hug.

“That’s a lot of champagne, you know.” Sam eyes you and the TV with a knowing look.

“Yes, yes, thank you for hooking me up with it.” You give him credit. The chef of the family he is, so you were sure to jump at the opportunity for some local help. It made work during the pandemic a little easier.

“Yeah yeah.” He smiles, waving you off. You’re grateful, though, even if you play it off coolly.

“And thank you, mister.” You hug Tom tighter as his brows furrow.

“For what?”

“For telling me which set looked best.” You smirk at him, and he rolls his eyes.

“Don’t out me like that.”

“Gross.” Harry sticks his tongue out, sipping a beer in disgust at the couple.

“Don’t ‘gross’ me,” You sass him. “I have a present for you, but if you’re gonna be a brat about it-”

“No, no, no, no.” He rushes out, setting his cup down as he leans forward. “What’d you get me?”

“Well…” You reach behind you, grabbing a bag before two vinyls emerge. They’re the first and only copies, as you had not planned on releasing a vinyl copy for the remix. “They’re personally signed.” You carefully hand one to Harrison and one to Harry. Each has a message from both girls, and Harrison and Harry squeal in delight.

“Where’s my present?” Tom pouts. What comes next only makes him grow redder.

“I’m wearing it.” You smile cheekily. “Think you can wait a few hours?”

His eyes go wide as he nods feverishly. Luckily, he doesn’t have to wait too long.

[lexacoolfox]

How danganronpa characters act with kittens with their S/O.

Kazuichu Souda

I think he would like hanging out with kittens

I just think you would have to remind him to tone done his volume and excitement

You also have to tell him to be gentle with them

“Their so cute! I thought cats were just jerks. Looks like I was wrong!”

“Why did you think cats are jerks?”

“Well I see people talk or post about how cats are, kinda entitled or mean.”

“Hehehe well that can be true. Cats can be like that. It might be because of the breed or the way their raised. I should know I have had plenty of cats.”

“Ooh! Babe! How about we get a cat!”

“I don’t know you know their a big responsibility.”

“Please babe!”

“Fine I guess.”

“Aw thank you babe!”

“Which one should we get?”

“How about this one!”

“Yeah! What should his name be?”

“How about Garfield?”

“Basic.”

“Ok ok. Stripes?”

“Nah.”

“Ok.…Ginger!”

“I kinda like that name!”

“Ok, Ginger! Your coming home with us!”

You to leave the pet store with cat food, cat bed, a small scratching post, some toys, water and food bowl, litter box, and a collar that says ginger.

You guys absolutely adore the cat. He actually very well train, he uses the litter box, the scratching post, never scratches furniture.

When you get home from your part time job you find Kazuichu playing with the kitten or him petting it while it takes a nap on him.

Your friends were surprised that the two of you got a cat. Most of them thought Kazuichu was more of a dog person. He claims that he likes cat and dogs. But for now he had just a cat.

“Hey babe, thanks for letting me get ginger.”

“No thank you for convincing me to get ginger.”

“Hehehe, I love this little guy!”

“I just hope he doesn’t steal you away from me.”

“Of course not! I have enough love for both of you.”

“Good to know.”

Makoto Naegi

You guys decided to visit a friend who’s cat just had kittens. You guys just went to look at them but makoto got a little to attached to all the kittens.

“S/O do we have to go so soon!”

“Naegi we can’t stay here forever.”

“But their all so cute!”

“Naegi…”

“Oh come on! Just a little longer. Pleeeaassee!”

“Ok a little longer.”

25 minutes later...

“Naegi, my friend is saying we have to leave.”

“Nnnoooo!!!”

“Come on cutie let’s start getting ready to leave.”

“S/O how about we adopt them.”

The cat in question had 3 kittens.

“Naegi I don’t think that’s a good idea. If you didn’t know cats can be quiet a challenge to take care of. Not mentioning 3”

Your friend came in and said you can take them, but she just had to mention whatever kittens we didn’t take she would put in an animal shelter.

You mentally screamed in your head

“S/O! We can’t let them go there! These sweet babies wouldn’t survive!”

“Naegi-“

He had a cute sad puppy dog face. It looks like you have three kittens now

So when you guys got home you put some tuna on a plate and used a bowl nobody used for water. And used a blanket for them to bundle up in

“Ok naegi. How about you name the black and white one, I name the orange and grey one, and both think of a name for the gray one.”

He nodded his head in agreement

He named the black and white one ace

You named the grey and orange one mochi

And the gray one you both agreed on the name faith

Funny enough, you actually spent most the time with the cats.

Naegi would sometime joke and say

“I think you love those cats more than me.”

But then he would also lay down and play with them.

Faith was a very friendly cat, she got along with your friends fine, she loved affection, she often slept with you guys

Mochi was kinda territorial, she would growl at your friends at first, maybe fiercely scratch them or loudly meow at them, she was also a little adventurous, one time you guys couldn’t find her until you heard a meow from the window and saw she had a mouse in her mouth, still alive mind you. You quickly took it out her mouth and let it outside.

Ace was a very lazy cat, he only really got up if you had food or he wanted to lay in the sun, he would let you pet him. He would also lay in your lap if your not doing anything and would pet him.

You guys loved your cats and don’t regret your decision getting all three

Hajime Hinata

Hajime was a bit skeptical when you brought a kitten home and said “come on honey, let’s just take care of it for at least a week or two. You might like it.”

While your at your job he just took care of it, feed it, gave it water. That’s it.

For the first like three days

After a while the kitten would jump on Hajime’s lap and just curl up and sleep. He found it so cute.

He would also start petting it

Using a laser pointer and playing with it

He would softly laugh when playing with it.

You were starting to think Hajime didn’t like the cat. Cause you never saw him do anything with it when you got home.

You came home on the last day to take it back cause you thought Hajime didn’t like it. But you couldn’t find him or the kitten

To your surprises you found Hajime sitting on the bed and playing with it. With one of those dangling cat toys.

“So you do like the kitten?”

He turned to you surprised and then his face went a little red with embarrassment. He slowly nodded.

“So do you want to keep her? If not I can take her back.”

“No I really like her! She cute and fun!”

“Ok let’s decide if a name for her!”

“Hhhmm how about muffin?”

“I do like it. But what about other names?”

“Kitten, missy, misty, mocha, Roxie, muffin-“

You about to tell Hajime he already said muffin before the cat meowed and looked at both of you

“…Muffin.”

The cat crawled towards Hajime after he said muffin.

“I guess our cat name is muffin.”

After playing with muffin for a while, you both got ready to sleep and mitten sat in between both of your faces

Who knew Hajime would like cats

Kokichi oma

Kokichi was just walking around minding his own business when he saw a kitten, covered in dirt, crying and very skinny. Now Kokichi can be a jerk but he isn’t heartless. He picked up the kitten and ran straight home. He got some soap (the kind that is safe for animals.) and turned on the sink and washed it, not to hard to hurt but enough to get the dirt off. Then he got a towel and put him on the floor. Then got a plate put some tuna on it and then got then a bowl of water. He let it do it’s own thing but after it was done the kitten rub against Kokichi leg. Throughout the day the kitten would follow him wherever he went around the house.

“Kichi, babe I’m home.”

“Hey S/O look what I found in the in the alley!”

He came in and showed you pure white cat.

“Can we keep him please!”

“Kichi, I don’t know.”

He started shedding some tears. Of course they were crocodile tears. But the fact that he acted sad, must mean he really wants it.

“Ok kichi we can keep him-“

“YAAAY!”

“But we have to take it to the vet to get him nurtured, and make sure it gets all his shots”

Kokichi agreed to you term and the next day you guys go get him nurtured and make sure to get his shots. Well you did. He went to go buy some toys, cat food, a bed, etc. after you guys were done you brought him home and started thinking of a name for the pure white cat

“How about snowball?”

“No that’s too generic.”

“Casper?”

“No, he’s not dead.”

“Alaska?”

“If it was girl maybe.”

“Glacier?”

“No.”

“How about blanco?”

“What’s that even mean?”

“It means white in Spanish.”

“Blanco…blanco…blanco”

“I think I like it!”

“Alright blanco it is.”

Kokichi loved the cat. He always feed it, gave it water, and he loved to play with it.

Funny thing about blanco he was quite the mischievous cat. He loved to push things off shelves and scratch up furniture. But he was so cute

Sometimes Kokichi takes him to DICE meetings. he has him in his laps. While talking about whatever plans he pets him like a super villain

You and Kokichi also loves it when he cuddles up with both you when you prepare to go to bed

Kokichi sometimes walks around and on his shoulders is blanco.

As we all know mui and Kokichi. Hate each other. So anytime he walking around with blanco with his shoulder and mui insults him or something. Blanco will jump off his shoulders and attack mui until she runs away. Which Kokichi praises him for(even though you tell him multiples times it’s not ok for blanco to do that).

I saved the best fact for last. Kokichi had somebody make a mini scarf like the one he has. Which when you saw, it felt like you heart almost exploded.

You both love blanco so much!

Nagito Komeada

You were leaving for a trip in two months, and Nagito wasn’t too happy about that. He didn’t voice the fact that he was really gonna miss you. But you knew anyway. He was always kinda lonely when you go away. Sure he has…friends…or whatever he has with his classmates.

So you decided to get him a pet, you thought a dog might be to much. So why not a kitten.

A black kitten with yellow eyes caught your eye. You thought how funny it would be to get her since black cats are bad luck. You also wanted to get her cause the owner said that kitten would go to a different shelter soon.

You poked a holes in a box and put her in with a bow on top

“Nagi!”

“My hope! What’s that in your hand?”

“It’s a gift! For you my love!”

“Oh! My hope! Getting trash like me a gift. Your too good for me!”

“Nagi, my love, your not trash. Come on open it!”

He opened it and the kitten jumped right out onto his chest. He was quite surprised

“My hope! You got me a kitten!”

“Yeah! I know how lonely you get when I go away. So I got you this kitten! Do you like her?”

He picked her up and looked at her. He titled his head sideways and the cat copied him. Then he smiled and hugged the cat.

“I love her!!”

You squealed cause it was so cute.

“What do you want to name her?”

“Mmhhh…Lucky! I want to name her lucky!”

“Hehehe I’m not to surprised.”

Nagito was really happy. He wasn’t too sad when you had to leave.

Him and lucky were always together. He loves that kitten like his own child. He always let her sleep with him, eats with her and sometimes walks around with her.

His classmates notice the kitten and they asked question about it. He told them how you got him this kitten.

Lucky was a very interesting cat, he seemed to bring Nagito such good luck, but others not so much.

Like for example, fuyuhiko said something not to nice to Nagito, lucky was just there sitting on Nagito’s shoulders. When fuyuhiko walked away he tripped on some stairs. It was a lot of steps but it he was still kinda hurt. A couple of bruises and scraps.

He sometimes likes to pick up lucky and boop their noses together.

Ibuki took a picture of the moment and sent it to you. That picture become your new phone background.

He like to call lucky his good luck charm.

When you get back from your trip he at the airport with lucky on his shoulders.

“It’s seems you two got close.”

“Yeah! My hope! Lucky is the best gift I’ve ever gotten! Thank you so much!”

“Gotten any bad luck lately?”

“Nope quite the opposite!”

“Really?”

“Yeah! She’s my good luck charm!”

“I’m glad you that she brings you that much happiness.”

“Yup! now that your back and with lucky here. I feel on top of the world!”

“Heheh I love you nagi!”

“I love you more.”

*meow*

“We love you too lucky!”

You all got in the car and snuggled up together. Lying your head on Nagito’s shoulders and putting his head on top of yours. With lucky on top of your laps. How cute!

[and-it-freezes-me]

Little Red Lies - Chapter 1

Or, AUgust 2021 Day 10 - Fake Dating

{Next}

Words: 5,439

[Booked tckts yet? virge wants 2 check u still need 2 places 4 reception dinner]

Trash Rat 22:57

[cant w8 2 meet ur new ~date~]

Trash Rat 22:58

Roman stared at the messages for several long seconds, then groaned.

[Of course I booked tickets. Yes I still need the +1 seat.]

Roman 23:04

[cant believe u havent even sent a pic or yk a name]

Trash Rat 23:06

[no shame if ur still </3 ovr remy]

Trash Rat 23:06

[even tho its been 2 yrs now]

Trash Rat 23:07

[Of course I’m over remy. You’ll meet my boyfriend when we get there. He’s shy.]

Roman 23:07

Roman seriously considered throwing his phone across the room and booking a plane ticket to Alaska rather than Manhattan. That way, he wouldn’t have to go to his brother’s wedding and admit that he was most definitely single and most definitely not over his ex boyfriend (of seventeen months - two years was an unfair exaggeration).

[u kno virge h8s not knowing whos coming to his wedding right]

Trash Rat 23:10

[I know, I know, I’ll apologise as soon as we get there. He’ll be first to meet my bf, promise.]

Roman 23:11

[book ur fuckin plane tckts ro, I know u didnt do it yet]

Trash Rat 23:11

Roman threw his phone across the room.

It bounced off of his Heathers poster and landed on his desk, which was covered in scripts, textbooks, empty takeout containers, balled up bits of paper, crumpled drinks cans, and pens, and Roman buried his face in his pillow and groaned.

Ten months ago, Roman’s sister had flown down to Los Angeles, dragged Roman out of bed and announced that he was actually Roman’s brother. Almost sooner than Roman had been able to take this in stride, Virgil had added that he was marrying his boyfriend in December and would Roman mind being one of his groomsmen? While Roman was still reeling from the bombshell that was the fact that their gremlin of an elder brother Remus was Virgil’s best man, Virgil had leaned forward and asked if Roman was doing alright because he couldn’t help but notice that his dorm room resembled ‘the result of an explosive going off in a pigsty’.

Roman had blinked dumbly at him, nodded, and then started pressing for details about Virgil’s wedding. Eventually, his brother had promised that he’d get Patton, his fiance, to call Roman to discuss every detail, from location to napkin frills, and Roman felt that he had managed to avoid the topic of how he was doing.

When he and Remy had first broken up, midway through last July, Roman had gone to pieces. He had spent the end of the summer holiday between his first and second years locked in his room and listening to the same few songs on loop until Virgil, who was three years older and had been packing his things to move into his new apartment, had put his fist through the wall between their rooms. Then Roman had put his headphones on. It wasn’t Virgil’s fault that he was too uncivilised to appreciate the wonders of ‘Michael In The Bathroom’, ‘Someone You Loved’, or ‘Impossible’, after all.

Then Roman had gone back to university, where he had tried to drown himself in reading for his degree, and instead ended up sleeping through lectures after all-night crying sessions. He had tried to submerge himself in his essays and instead ended up daydreaming about his ex-boyfriend in study sessions. He had tried to get involved in theatre productions, but every audition had gone sour, and he often ended up thinking about the few times he and Remy had met up over the previous year rather than learning his lines.

Everyone had said that long distance relationships would be hard, but Roman, the romantic fool that he was, had insisted that they could do it.

They couldn’t.

Eight months ago, nine months after the two of them had broken up, two months after Virgil had announced his wedding plans, Remus and his partner had flown into Los Angeles and tried to stage an intervention. This had involved Remus trying to seduce the campus security guard and almost getting reported to the police (Roman had always insisted that his mustache only made him look sketchy), followed by Janus sneaking past the pair of them and into the building. Remus had somehow managed to join him moments later, and the two of them had somehow made their way up to Roman’s floor without alerting anyone else of their presence.

Roman had been woken by a furious hammering at his bedroom door at a little after four in the morning, and had to wade through a mess of papers and laundry to find that the two of them had knocked on every single door on his corridor, unable to remember which was his. He had not been popular with his dormmates the next day.

Their intervention had involved sitting on Roman’s bed and sharing the leftover pizza that had been on Roman’s desk for the last three days, and telling him to wash the dirty clothes all over his floor. Then they had tried to persuade him to accompany them to a bar to hook him up with somebody, and Roman had quickly concluded that the pair was somewhat drunk.

He had vehemently refused, and when Janus had eventually rolled onto his back, dark hair dangling off the edge of the bed and onto the sticky patch of carpet that Roman had spilled soda on three weeks ago, he practically whined that Roman was being very difficult when all they were doing was trying to help him.

“Trying to help me? You’ve disturbed the people I live with at fuck-o’clock in the morning! I have class tomorrow!” Roman was sat at his desk chair, trying very hard to ignore the stack of textbooks he was supposed to have read and hadn’t.

Remus rested a hand on Janus’ hip to stop him from rolling off the bed, and raised a lazy eyebrow at him. “Cut the bullshit, little bro. We all know you haven’t been to class in… How long, Jan?”

“Two months, three weeks, and four days,” Janus sing-songed.

“How the fuck do you know that?” It sounded about right, anyway, and Roman had a feeling that if he denied it this would just take even longer. He spun around in his chair and picked up a pen from his desk. “It’s my business if I don’t go to class.”

“Called my sister. Jannie takes all your classes, you know…” There was the sound of shifting fabric, and when Roman glanced back, Janus was sitting up and tucked under Remus’ arm again, looking very much as though Remus had just placed him there.

“You’re right, Ro. It’s not my business if you’re not going to class.” One of Remus’ hands trailed slowly up and down Janus’ arm, so casually Roman could almost believe that his brother didn’t realise he was doing it. “But it is my business that my little brother isn’t taking care of himself anymore. You haven’t answered my calls since before winter break. You obviously haven’t been eating healthily - this pizza tastes like you fished it out of the garbage, by the way, and I would know - and you look as though you haven’t seen the sunlight since last July.”

The assessment wasn’t quite fair. Roman might have been skipping classes, but it wasn’t as though he had just been lying in his room and wasting away! “I went to the gym last week. And I auditioned for the musical in March. I’m fine, Remus! Can I go to bed now?”

“No! We’re going to a club!”

Janus had nodded enthusiastically at Remus’ words, then rested his head on his partner’s shoulder as Roman shook his head slowly. “I don’t want to go to a club. I want to go to bed. I have class tomorrow.”

“Nope.” Remus’ hand rose to tangle absently in Janus’ hair. “We’re going to a club, and you’re gonna find some hottie to fuck all the yearning for Remy right out of you. Then you’ll feel much better!”

“You’re pulling my ha-”

“Fuck no. We’re not doing that.” Roman pressed his palms into his eyes, then stood up and jerked his door open. “Can you go now?”

“Give me one good reason why you getting laid is a bad thing right now, Ro, and we’ll leave.” Roman had gotten as far as opening his mouth before Remus interrupted. “See? You can’t. You need to move on, man. Clinging to Remy is clearly unh-”

“I have a boyfriend.”

“-ealthy, and- What?”

Maybe it was because it was four in the morning. Maybe it was because Roman hadn’t been sleeping well anyway, and Remus had managed to step on the last of his fraying nerves. Maybe it was just because he wished it was true.

“I have a boyfriend,” Roman repeated, and felt a strange sense of satisfaction at the obvious shock on Janus’ usually impassive face. “Three months. Met just after term started. It’s pretty serious, actually.”

“Bullshit.” Remus looked half impressed.

Now it was irritation that flickered through Roman. Was it really so unbelievable that he could have found somebody else? “It’s not.”

“You fucked yet?”

“Remus…” There was a warning note in Janus’ voice, and Remus sighed.

“None of my business. Got it. Do we get to meet him?”

“He’s shy.”

“Which is another way of saying he doesn’t exist.”

“Asshole. It’s another way of saying that it’s four in the fucking morning and he’s asleep. You’ll meet him at the wedding, anyway - I’m going to ask him to be my plus one when Patton sends out the RSVP date.” The words had been out of his mouth before he had had time to regret them, and Roman had spent the last eight months trying to sidestep questions about his non-existent boyfriend.

He had later found out that Remus and Janus hadn’t really come down to see him. They had gone to Los Angeles to celebrate their two year wedding anniversary and decided they might drop in while in the area. (Just because they had eloped rather than holding a big party, Janus had commented idly, didn’t mean they couldn’t celebrate it).

But now it was December, and Roman was partner-less and running out of excuses. His lie had gotten out of control, and he had ended up asking Patton and Virgil to include his partner in the guest numbers. He had invented dates they had been on for his mother when she had asked, and he insisted that his boyfriend was shy and had practically no internet presence anyway, so knowing his name wouldn’t help anybody.

He could just say that the two of them had broken up and go home alone, of course.

But that would mean disrupting the meticulous wedding seating plan Virgil and Patton had been making for months.

Besides, Roman was fairly certain that nobody in his family really believed in his mystery boyfriend, and failure to produce one after months of insisting that they would meet… Well, he didn’t want to open himself to that sort of ridicule.

Of course, it didn’t look as though he had much choice.

He hadn’t managed to make many friends at college.

In his first year, Roman had spent a lot of time trying to keep on top of his schoolwork and working toward the various theatre productions the school had put on; all of his free time he had spent planning dates for when he and Remy finally visited one another, or else video calling his boyfriend. There simply hadn’t been time to make many friends during that.

His second year… Well, Remus had been right. He had spent most of his time in his room, eating junk food, watching sappy romance films, and missing Remy.

So far, he had spent his third year trying to bring his grades back up to something more respectable… And missing Remy.

He knew it was pathetic. It had been almost a year and a half since they had broken up, and he still missed being able to call someone to talk about nothing at all at two in the morning, missed planning extravagant dates, missed the feel of hands in his hair and lips on his.

At least his floor was cleaner than it had been last year. And he had eaten slightly less fast food this semester than the previous one.

Roman’s phone chimed again. With a frustrated groan, he made his way over to his desk.

[Looking forward to seeing you on Monday!!! <3 <3 <3 !!!]

Pops 23:25

Patton.

[Me too, Padre! I’ll bring some of that fudge from the shop you love!]

Roman 23:26

[eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee <33333333 Can you get some of the currents+salt? Vee loved it last time + I want to surprise him]

Pops 23:26

[Will do. Looking forward to seeing you too!]

Roman 23:27

Patton would probably be the most understanding if Roman decided to come clean about his lying - but Patton was the worst secret keeper Roman had ever met. He and Virgil had been dating for almost three years, and in that time the thin voice actor had managed to spill every single plot twist in every single show he had watched or acted in. Roman had no doubt that Virgil would know that he was bringing home fudge within the next hour. If he admitted to Patton that he had been lying about having a date for the wedding, Roman would get Patton’s kind - if confused - reassurances, and half an hour later he would get the mixture of mockery and horrible pity that would come with the rest of his family finding out that he still wasn’t over Remy.

Roman let his phone slip through his fingers and land on his desk once more. Three days, and then he’d have to come clean - until then, he could just avoid thinking about it. Collecting the overflowing basket from the corner of the room (he had been putting off doing laundry for a while now), Roman left his room and headed toward the building’s basement laundry room. Term had finished last week and it was almost midnight - he doubted anybody would be down there now. Most people had probably already gone home, or were making the most of the free time to go out rather than spend it doing chores.

The light was off in the basement when he got there, so Roman left it that way as he loaded his clothing into one of the machines.

Moving around in the dark was far more of a Virgil move than a Roman one, but he couldn’t help himself. There was something comforting about the-

“Sweet fucking Shakespeare!” Roman’s hand flew up to cover his eyes as light burst through the small room, quickly followed by the strong smell of coffee.

“Sorry! I was unaware that there would be anybody in here.” As Roman dropped his hand, blinking owlishly in the sudden light, the newcomer made his way over to the machine on the far side of the room from him. “Most people prefer not to fumble around in the dark.”

Remus or Remy would have made some comment about how fumbling around in the dark could be quite fun really. Roman just shrugged. “It’s been a long day.”

He had expected the other man to say something; instead, silence fell over the room, broken only by the sound of the powder tray being opened, filled, and closed again.

Roman didn’t mean to stare, but he couldn’t help it. He had seen the person in the room next to him only twice so far this term, and only knew his name because the mailroom was organised by room number rather than alphabetically, and the name Roman Prince was right next to Logan Ursa.

Logan looked more tired than he had on either of the other times Roman had seen him. There were deep bags under his eyes, the shadows almost deeper than Virgil’s had been at the height of his eyeliner experiments, and the black ponytail that hung halfway to his waist was missing, replaced with what could only be described as a thicket of tangled hair. It looked as though he had been outside even less than Roman had in the past few months: his skin was so pale it seemed to glow under the fluorescent laundry-room lights. There was a steaming mug and a thick book on the lid of the machine beside him, and Roman had the strong feeling that it wasn’t the first coffee Logan had had that evening.

The washing machine Logan had been loading began to rumble, and as the other student straightened up and picked up his book, Roman made himself duck back down to finish his own task.

He’d have to come back to collect his clothing later - Roman suddenly regretted deciding to get this done now, when it meant he would have to return at almost two in the morning, but there wasn’t much he could do about it now.

“Do you want me to leave the light on?” He was more trying to make conversation than anything else: Logan was perched on one of the machines in the corner, nose already buried in what Roman could now see was a heavy medical textbook.

“Obviously.” 

Yeah, he probably should have guessed that.

-

Logan was still in the laundry room when Roman returned to collect his clothing two hours later. He was still sat on the same machine, although now he was speaking into his phone in what sounded like rapid Italian. (It definitely wasn’t Spanish: Roman was almost fluent in Spanish). (The languages were similar, but although he could guess at a few words, he had no idea what was going on). (Not that he was eavesdropping, of course). Logan’s hair was even messier than it had been before, and out of the corner of his eye Roman caught him jerking his free hand through it once or twice.

Roman pulled his now-warm and dry clothing from the machine and dumped it into his laundry basket, doing his best to ignore the way Logan was practically shouting behind him, but couldn’t stop himself from startling at the wordless, frustrated yell that came from the taller man a few minutes later. He was halfway to the door, but paused and glanced at Logan, who was stuffing his phone angrily into the oversized hoodie he was wearing.

“Everything okay over there?”

“Family stuff,” came the snappish response. Roman watched for a few seconds as Logan knelt in front of his own machine and began jerking clothing from it, folding pants as though he wished he were ripping them to pieces instead, then throwing several dark shirts over his shoulder and stalking over to one of the ironing stations.

“Pretty loud family stuff,” Roman commented, then wondered why he was bothering. It had been clear from his first meeting with Logan that the other student wasn’t there to make friends: Roman had been carrying a large cardboard box into his room the day he had moved in, and bumped into him in the hallway. Logan had looked him up and down, said something like, “Keep the volume down. I’m here to work,” and marched past him as though Roman were no more interesting than a hat stand.

Sure enough, Logan didn’t turn to face him, instead ironing a shirt in a manner that strongly hinted that he wanted to make it beg for mercy. “None of your business family stuff.”

“Are you-”

“None. Of your. Business.” This time, Logan actually did glance over his shoulder, and fixed Roman with a scowl that suggested that if he didn’t drop it, his face was going to be the next thing under the iron.

Roman left quickly. He had done his best to be friendly, and if Logan wasn’t interested, that was his problem. He didn’t seem like the sort of person Roman would really want to be friends with anyway.

Logan’s haggard expression lingered in his mind as he made his way back up to his dorm room and began stuffing his now-clean clothes into his wardrobe. He should probably start packing - his suitcase was sitting open and empty against one wall - but he had plenty of time.

Besides, he was exhausted.

Roman had changed into a pair of sweatpants and gotten into bed by the time he heard the door to the room next to his slam shut. Clearly, Logan was still annoyed by whatever ‘family stuff’ had had him first yelling into his phone and then taking his frustration out on his laundry and somebody trying to be friendly.

How long could Logan hold a grudge? Was he the kind of person who would calm down after a couple of hours of sleep, or would whatever he had been arguing about be hanging over him for the next week or so? That would make the winter break uncomfortable…

Or maybe he wasn’t going home. He had looked pretty invested in the textbook he had been studying earlier, despite it being almost midnight and no longer termtime. Maybe Logan was going to stay in the dorms over the winter break and use the hours without lectures for private study.

That sounded like a lonely way to spend the next three weeks.

The idea struck Roman suddenly, and he sat bolt upright in bed, the kind of elation that only comes with golden inspiration coursing through him. He would persuade Logan to come back home with him for the holidays! If Janus took it to mind to ask Janine about him, she’d be able to verify that Logan didn’t socialise much; all he would have to do would be show up briefly for the wedding, and he could spend the remainder of the holiday studying all he wanted, away from ‘family stuff’!

He would ask Logan the following morning, and when he agreed, Roman would book the plane tickets home - he’d pay, of course. Or rather, he’d use the money his mother had sent him so that he could bring his fictional boyfriend home. Either way, Logan wouldn’t have to spend any money himself!

Laying back down, Roman pulled his thin blanket back up to his neck and rolled onto his side, satisfaction warming him more thoroughly than any hot drink could.

This was the best idea he’d ever had.

-

“That is the worst idea I have ever heard.” Logan glanced into the hallway over Roman’s shoulder as though expecting an audience for a practical joke. “I cannot believe you have wasted my time listening to you.”

“Is… That a maybe?” Roman tilted his head and gave Logan his best puppy eyes.

Alas, Logan’s heart must have been made of stone. “No.” He made to slam the door.

Well, Roman couldn’t have that. It had been difficult enough to get Logan to even open the door in the first place, and harder still to get him to listen beyond the initial “I need you to do me a huge favour, okay, but it works out for you too.” In hindsight, maybe he shouldn’t have led with that. But then he had explained, and for some reason Logan was still trying to close the door on him.

“Ow!”

“That was entirely your fault.”

“You just slammed the door on my foot!”

“You did put your foot there after I had begun closing the door. My point stands.”

Technically, Logan was correct, but Roman wasn’t there to quibble over technicalities. “You got the part where I’d pay for your flights, right? All you have to do is show up for one day in something resembling formalwear, and in return you get rent free accommodation and food all holiday! Plus company!”

“I have too much to do to pretend to be your boyfriend for three weeks for no reason. Find somebody else.” Logan made to close the door again, and this time Roman caught it with his hand.

“There is nobody else!” Roman was aware that he was beginning to sound desperate. “You’re like, the only person I know!”

“That sounds like your personal problem, not mine.” Several strands of hair had fallen from the impressive tangle around Logan’s ears and into his face, and he blew them out of the way. His breath smelled like coffee - bitter coffee. Roman wrinkled his nose. “Let go of my door.”

“Come on, Logan! What else are you going to be doing this holiday?”

“Studying! I have exams to pass!”

“You can study at my place. You won’t have to pay holiday rent there!”

“I won’t have to pay holiday rent if I go to my mom’s place, either! Let go of my door!”

Roman finally pulled his aching foot out of the way, but didn’t remove his hand from the wood. “You don’t want to go back to your mom’s place, though, do you? The phonecall -”

The glare that Logan sent him could have frozen the insides of a volcano, and his voice was suddenly cold enough to make Roman shiver. “Good day, Roman.” This time, Roman jerked his hand out of the way, and the door snapped shut in his face.

Shit. Maybe he shouldn’t have tried to use Logan’s ‘family stuff’ against him. He made a note of that for future reference, then hammered against the door again.

“Please, Logan!”

Silence.

“I’ll be forever in your debt!”

More silence. Maybe Logan would prefer something a little more extravagant?

“I’ll sing of your virtues from the rooftop every night for the rest of the year!”

Nothing.

Okay, maybe that had been a little much. Logan had made it clear that he was there to work and didn’t want to be disturbed in his caffeine fueled study crusades, so something excessive was possibly the wrong way to persuade him to do this.

Oh-

“I’ll pay for your coffee for the rest of the year?”

Roman held his breath and waited.

And waited.

Just when he thought that he had been wrong and that Logan really wasn’t going to be persuaded, the door opened the tiniest of amounts. Logan was still frowning at him, but some of the ice was gone from his expression.

“That’s your dealbreaker? Coffee?”

“I drink a lot of coffee.” A slight deepening in the crease between Logan’s eyes told Roman not to push the subject. “You need a date to a wedding. In return, you pay for my flight there and back, provide accommodation for the duration of the winter vacation, and keep me supplied with coffee for the rest of the year.”

“Well, a wedding, the reception, any pre-wedding parties, and keeping up the act while we’re around other people,” Roman corrected, counting on his fingers. From the irritated twitch of Logan’s left eye, he got the feeling that he hadn’t mentioned the reception or the potential stag night in his initial pitch.

“Blue Moon or Red Planet.”

“What?”

“The coffee. I like Blue Moon or Red Planet coffee. They’re more expensive, so I don’t expect them every time - maybe a ratio of three regular jars to one nice jar.”

Roman blinked. “Uh… Okay.”

Logan nodded once. More hair fell over his eyes. “I’ll draw up a schedule and provide you with estimated projections of my coffee habits for the rest of the year so you can budget accordingly. When do we leave?”

“Um… Monday.” Still reeling from Logan’s sudden and complete 180, Roman cast around for something to say, but the long haired man got there first.

“Monday. That gives us approximately two and a half days to draw boundaries and fabricate enough pictures and stories to give our deceit credibility.” Logan closed his eyes, and Roman realised that he was staring again. He hadn’t expected the other to take this in stride so quickly. “Given that I have work to finish today and you will likely need several hours on Sunday evening to pack… Have you told your family how long we have been romantically involved?”

“Uh, since January. But I told them you were shy, so we don’t have to have any pictures or anything - we can say that all our dates were just pizza and Netflix, and…” He tailed off at the incredulous look on Logan’s face. “What?”

“You expect them to believe that we have been dating for eleven months and you haven’t taken a single photo? Roman, I have listened to you belting the lyrics of more break-up songs than I care to count.” Roman shrugged, and Logan rolled his eyes. “You are quite clearly a romantic. Had we really been dating, the number of pictures you would have taken on whatever extravagance you planned for our six-month anniversary alone would be infinitesimal.”

He had a point.

Roman had already stretched his family’s belief in him to breaking point (and probably well past it) by refusing to share even the smallest thing about his ‘boyfriend’ over the past eleven months; if he didn’t get home on Monday with at least a couple of dozen photos to share, their charade would be over before it could ever really begin. “Right. You’re right. We’ll need to spend the weekend planning, doing a photoshoot - it’ll be fun!”

“You,” Logan started, already retreating, “obviously have a different definition of that word than I do. Eight thirty tomorrow morning, The Roost. Bring a notepad, your phone, and a couple of changes of clothing suitable for various weather conditions.”

“Eight thirty? A prince needs his beauty-”

“Eight thirty. We are going to do this properly.”

Roman’s phone was in his hand barely seconds after Logan’s door had closed (albeit more gently than before).

Groupchat: Princes and Co.

[Can’t wait for you to meet logan!]

Roman 09:58

[a name!!!!!!!!!!]

Trash Rat 09:59

[we have a name!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!]

Trash Rat 09:59

[such a nice name! can’t wait either, ro!]

Pops 10:01

[About time! I’ve been stalling on the place settings for weeks waiting for this name]

Emo Nightmare 10:02

[Was about to fly out to LA to strangle it out of you]

Emo Nightmare 10:04

[he was. i had to physically restrain him from doing so yesterday]

Padre 10:04

[bet u both enjoyed that ;);););););)]

Trash Rat 10:04

Several people are typing…

[Suck a dick, Remus]

Emo Nightmare 10:05

[we did, actually]

Pops 10:05

[would but janjans at work :((]

Trash Rat 10:06

[Didn’t want to know, didn’t need to know.]

Roman 10:06

[Pat!]

Emo Nightmare 10:06

[Logan Ursa??? 4th yr medic??? Coffee addict???]

Snake Eyes 10:06

Roman stared at his phone for a second. That was faster than he had expected.

[u knew????? jan u held out on me??? the luv of ur greyspec life???]

Trash Rat 10:07

[You told Janus?! I’m your brother! He’s not even related to you!]

Emo Nightmare 10:07

[No I didn’t tell Janus!]

Roman 10:07

[I’m omniscient.]

Snake Eyes 10:08

[Plus I just asked Jannie for a list of all the Logans you could have associated with.]

Snake Eyes 10:09

[You and your sister scare me]

Roman 10:11

[He has surprisingly little internet presence.]

Snake Eyes 10:11

[Told you. He’s shy]

Roman 10:12

Sliding his phone back into his pocket, Roman returned to his room and picked up his laptop, this time to actually book the tickets he was supposed to have booked weeks ago. He had no doubt that they would arrive on Monday to discover that his family had already unearthed everything there was to know about his fake boyfriend - should he break that news to Logan before or after they were on the plane? Making the man paranoid might make their weekend photoshoot a lot more difficult.

Their photoshoot! If Logan was really on board, Roman would have to make this as easy as possible for him - and the performance of a lifetime for himself. Given that he was expected to bring a notebook to their meeting tomorrow, they were going to have to do a lot of brainstorming, so he might as well start coming up with ideas now. He already had a few as he grabbed a notepad from the mess on the floor and started hunting for a pencil.

No matter what his fake date said, this weekend was going to be a lot of fun.

[juliathephantom]

JATP Fanfic Recs: Multichapter Edition

* indicates complete

'Stupid Cupid, Stop Hitting On Me' by Bluefire510

Juke

Luke, a troublemaker cupid, meets Julie, who is also one of Love HQ's toughest cases to crack.

She claims to have no desire to fall in love.

But Luke is always up for a challenge.

Let's see if he could get Julie to fall for her Perfect Match by next Valentine's Day.... and maybe teach her all about love while he's at it.

*Operation Hashtag Rulie by where_you_go

Reggie/Luke/Julie

“Explain yourselves,” Caleb ground out.

“Uh…it’s not what it looks like?” Reggie tried, wincing.

“Oh really, Reginald? Because it looks like two of my most popular band members from a family-friendly band are fornicating in public!”

-

Julie and Reggie get caught up in a PR misunderstanding that leads to them "dating" for a few months. It's not a big deal, or at least it wouldn't be, if Luke would stop acting so weird.

*Unexpected by Phantom_Lover

Luke is determined to breeze through his senior year and onto mega stardom (which means avoiding school, and Principal Lessa, as much as possible). That is until he's forced to work side-by-side with quiet good-girl, Julie Molina, on the big end-of-the-year talent show. The two struggle to see eye to eye, and meeting the all-important deadline seems impossible until something unexpected happens between them.

keys to the cage (and the devil to pay) by HearJessRoar

Juke, Willex

Julie Molina has always thought it would be rather exciting to meet a pirate.

Unfortunately, she's right.

"Julie, Julie Patterson, I'm a maid here in the governor's household," she bluffs. And she wishes that Luke's name hadn't been the first that she'd come up with, because the long-haired pirate's eyebrows raise immediately.

"Luke got married?" he says, sounding oddly betrayed.

His blonde companion looks equally gutted. "He didn't even tell us."

Piss Off Your Parents (Date Me To Scare Them) by TheNameIsBritney

Willex

Alex Mercer doesn't want to go home for Christmas; but if he has to, he's certainly gonna raise a little hell. Enter: Willie, the cute guy in his history of English class who would be the perfect fake boyfriend candidate.

So if you wanna piss off your parents, date me to scare them, show them you're all grown up. If long hair and tattoos are what attract you, baby then you're in luck.

*i'll hold your music (here inside my hands) by musicals_musicals

"Your soulmate must love music just like you do”

Julie is 3 years old, enthusiastically playing a small plastic piano, the first time she sees her string.

It makes sense that music would connect her to her soulmate.

or

How Julie finds her way back to music, joins a band, falls in love, and meets Luke Patterson (not necessarily in that order)

*a masterpiece in motion, more beautiful every day by fairylightsandrainydays

Willex, Juke

Alex Mercer is a merboy with a fascination for the human world. Willie is a prince who he saves from a storm. And Caleb Covington is the sea witch who is going to make Alex's dream come true.

So long as Caleb gets what he wants.

*days go by and seasons change (lets try again next winter) by itsagamefortwo

Juke

julie's ready for a year away from home, studying and trying to re-find the magic in music. luke's about to start on a summer tour around europe opening for a band. they meet one night, sparks fly and emotions run high. now they've just got to try and see if they can maintain a long distance friendship.

Who Could Deny These Butterflies? by xxPrettyLittleTimeBombxx

Juke

“I know this is going to sound kinda crazy…but, could you maybe pretend to be in love with me for a few minutes?”

—

When Julie Molina approaches Luke Patterson at a bar and asks him to pretend to be her boyfriend, she never expects to find herself in a position where she and Luke have to keep up the ruse for longer than five minutes. Figures that out of all of the strangers she could have approached that night, she’d gone and picked the one guy who just so happens to be in a rock band that’s on the brink of blowing up.

*relight that spark by @ruzek-halstead

Juke

julie molina has had nothing but a tough life. after losing both her parents early on, she was left in the care of her step-monster karen and her two step-daughters. while working at her late father's diner, completing household duties and being at karen's beck and call at all hours, julie was well on her way to getting accepted into the college of her dreams and having enough money to move out.

and then one day she received a text message from an unknown number. it started out innocent, crossed wires based on a flyer she put up three years ago.

this is the story of julie molina and her prince charming, and everything in between.

i never saw you coming (and i'll never be the same) by ruzekhalstead (@ruzek-halstead)

Juke

julie molina, a new student to uc berkeley, secures a job at a tiny, run-down grocery store, where she meets a group of people who inadvertently become some of the most important people in her life.

there's nothing like suffering in the workplace with your co-workers to solidify a bond.

a look into julie's life in a brand new city, as told by the customer service experience throughout the months.

an oddly specific grocery store au that no one asked for but i'm writing anyway to satisfy my brain

*Love Drunk by captainkippen

Juke

Thirty-two missed calls. Fifty-eight texts waiting. Over one hundred various social media notifications. A deep sense of foreboding took over. Julie swallowed. Slowly, she lifted the phone back to her ear.

"Flynn… what happened last night?"

After a night out in Vegas, Julie and Luke wake up to find themselves married. Hijinks ensue.

*So that's how it happens by echocharm (@echocharm17618)

Juke

But it had to be today. Julie had this crazy feeling in her stomach. Not nervous butterflies. More like fireflies that were trying to zap her (Do fireflies electrocute people? She should google that). It felt like that moment her parents spoke about all the time. The day they met. And when they first spoke to each other. Her mom always says that an intense zap went through her whole body.

Are you new or nervous? Julie has been waiting a (short)lifetime to hear those words be said to her.

She walked down a few more steps in the auditorium and found a spot. It was one of the few seats left in the room that wasn’t all the way up in the back. She sat down and settled into the uncomfortable, hard, plastic chair and took a deep shaky breath. The prof was nowhere to be seen. But there was a cute boy in the seat next to her. He had sort of long brown hair that was covered with a grey toque. And he was wearing a cut off t-shirt and you could see his very nice arms. Julie’s breathing was still shaky, and his attractiveness wasn’t helping the situation.

*we're too young to know things like love by Ephemeral_Joy

(@lydias--stiles)

Juke

The various ways and situations people notice the connection between Julie and Luke, whether that be a close friend or a complete stranger.

(started as a 5+1 fic and then i kind of went rogue. oops.)

*and i know i've kissed you before, but i didn't do it right (can i try again?) by Ephemeral_Joy (@lydias--stiles)

Juke

Some things just can't be fixed with a song.

(Julie and Luke break up.)

*The Infamous Tale of Luke and Julie's Grand Trip Across America by Ephemeral_Joy (@lydias--stiles)

Juke

In any normal situation, Luke wouldn't let this random girl hitchhike with him across America.

Then again, he wasn't normal. And neither was she.

(or: the roadtrip!au no one asked for)

*We Found Wonderland by ICanSpellConfusionWithAK (@pink-flame)

At the end of season one Julie isn’t able to save the boys and they are jolted out of existence. But what if there was another way? Julie finds herself back in 1995 with a chance to stop the boys of Sunset Curve from ever dying at all. But will she be able to find her way home afterwards? Will she want to? Or has Alice really gone down the rabbit hole this time...

A Moment of Quiet Conversation by JackONeillisTheMan

Juke

Julie and Luke talk about how he was the one who introduced her to rock. Then just fluff, more and more fluff.

*Feels like I've opened my eyes again by ICanSpellConfusionWithAK (@pink-flame)

Juke

After the whirlwind her life has been since the boys showed up it’s not that surprising that Julie would be a little tired. But is it normal that she’s more exhausted than she’s ever been? With Nick acting weird, Alex and Reggie both wrapped up in their own problems and her relationship with Luke still a big question mark, she has her work cut out for her if she’s looking to sit back and relax.

Basically my ideas and speculation about what season 2 might hold, or at least some of the things I would like to see.

find the strength, find the melody by sunset_phantom

Juke

An AU in which the boys are alive, Julie has been kicked out of her music program, and she somehow ends up falling in love with Luke in three days while he simultaneously brings her back to her first love of all: music.

after silence, wake me up by Vargynja

Juke

Julie hasn't been able to make music after her mother's death. She lives in New York working as an assistant for Luke, working hard to move forward in her career.

Luke finds out he's about to be deported back to Canada. A panicked lie leads them to fake a relationship to get married so he can stay in the country. Despite working together for two years they aren't close but a trip to Alaska to visit Julie's family might change that

Based on the premise of The Proposal (2009)