#it'd probably be jersey but imagine...

[steal-this-idea]

Finally got around to watching the second season of Yellowjackets. I'm still processing it but I do hope in the end there's not really a supernatural element to it: there doesn't have to be for the story to end satisfyingly.

Shauna's line seems like the throw-away of the very next victim of a standard supernatural horror film (the Darkness being them; that it's inside them because they're fucked up people who did fucked up things) but it'd be nice, I think, for that to be the overall truth and the seeming supernatural stuff actually having mundane explanations that wouldn't be seen (or knowable) to kids still in high school strung out on starvation. It's like how religion started (probably): a series of coincidences that proved useful to survival getting meaning imparted upon them

I would love for the "symbol" to just be some mundane cave marker or whatever that the girls gave a higher meaning to. Weird shit happens all the time, but that doesn't mean it has to be supernatural in origin.

These girls all have horrifying levels of PTSD (and mental illness apparently). If people can return from war all fucked up from their experiences, why can't the (why did no real town in New Jersey volunteer to be associated with this show) Wiyasocki Yellowjackets girls' soccer team also be that.

I don't know. It would just feel like a cop-out to make it have actual supernatural elements instead of just implied ones which, under more rational circumstances, would naturally be interpreted more mundanely

I think of Tolkien complaining in one of his letters about a BBC broadcast mischaracterizing his work, referring to Willowman as an ally of Mordor. His exact quote being, "Cannot people imagine things hostile to men and hobbits who prey on them without being in league with the Devil!"

Alright, I'm done talking out my ass now

[purposefully-lost]

Practice started in fifteen. She needed to be headed back towards the gym itself, get there early so she could change, but more importantly: the swim team practice also started in fifteen minutes. And Jack was going to show up at any moment.

She told herself that she just wanted to wish him luck. He'd joined just a little later in the season, but honestly, he probably wasn't going to have any trouble. He was well-built and tall, not that she'd noticed, and she imagined he'd fit right in once he got into the water. She imagined other things, too; a charming smile and bright blue eyes only accentuated between the blue tile and the water weighing his hair back, out of his face. Sitting on the side of the pool with a towel over his shoulders, strong thighs bare to the world. She'd noticed a peek of hair on his chest before and she wondered--

"Chris!" She was knocked out of the daydream by the voice of one of her teammates. Steph, with her dark hair tied in a braid and already dressed in her jersey, jogging up the hall to meet her. "God, I thought you'd skipped. Coach is gonna be mad if you're late."

"I've still got a few minutes," she replied, hoping the warmth in her face wasn't visible as she glanced back down the hall again, to the same place Steph had come from. Where was he? She wasn't going to be the only one late at this point. Steph glanced between her and the door to the pool across from them, her brows furrowing.

"Sure, but we could go now. You don't look busy."

Chris frowned, biting her lip. She was leaned against the wall, arms crossed, keeping her eyes on the hall. Maybe if she just didn't give her anything to go off of, Steph wouldn't pry.

A grin had started on the other girl's face, though. "Are you waiting on someone?" She asked. Chris sighed. Of course, Steph always pried.

"Maybe."

"I'll bet it's Jon Stone, isn't it?"

"What?" Christine jerked her gaze around, her eyes wide and face reddening. Steph was grinning now. Caught red-handed. "Okay, sure! Maybe. I was gonna wish him luck. He was supposed to start today."

"Never took you for a cheerleader." Steph nudged the taller girl with her elbow, her eyes bright. She hadn't known her long, but even so, she'd never expected Christine Prescott to end up with such a crush. "You know, you should ask him to the formal. I doubt he has anyone, yet."

"I'm working the formal," Chris said, her voice short.

"Only 'cause you're not going with anyone."

"Shut up!" Flustered quick, that was Chris. Steph stepped back a little, her smile softening. Though she did still roll her eyes.

"I'm just saying, it wouldn't be so bad! ..And it'd be a better place to talk to him than during our practice. Are you even sure he's coming today?"

"Why wouldn't he?" Chris looked over at her. She hadn't seen Jack today- she'd spent their lunch period in the library- but she hoped he wasn't going to chicken out. He'd seemed sort of into the idea. "He starts today."

"Yeah, but.." Steph's smile had fallen away entirely. She'd thought Chris knew, considering the tabs she seemed to keep on the boy. And she said she didn't have a crush. Still.. Steph crossed her arms, frowning. "He looked pretty bad this morning. He might-"

The locker room door down the hall shoved open. The girls both turned to look, finding the boy they'd been waiting on. "Speak of the devil," Steph said under her breath, but Chris didn't really hear her. She was more focused on Jack's face, bruised up and set in a stern frown. He didn't even seem to notice them as he trudged towards them. He wasn't dressed for practice, and after a moment Chris realized he was walking stiffly, like he was hurt.

"Jack," she tried, ignoring Steph trying to grab her arm in favor of pushing off the wall to take a few steps towards him. "Hey, are you.."

A glance. A dark, wary look in his eyes. Then he just walked past her.

Steph must've read the hurt look in her face, because she was moving to tug Chris down the hall in the opposite direction. Lucky, there wasn't much of a protest; Jack had already stomped off without glancing back. Maybe it was a good thing Chris didn't seem brave enough to ask him out. He seemed nice enough, when Chris talked about him, but he also never really kept himself out of trouble. "Come on," she said, tugging her again. "Let's just go."

[kcdodger]

I'm a blue collar worker, no matter which way you cut it. I trained at Hohokus School of Trades for a year for Plate Welding and I've worked Janitorial, Waitress, something-adjacent-to-manager (for those who just don't get promotions but the whole store trusts you, you get it), so on, so forth.

If you're wondering why that's at all relevant, it's because in the Coffee Industry, there's a lot of views and takes and a lot of stuffiness about flavor profiles and sources and so on. So, as someone with plenty of low-end experience just entering her thirties, who's lived a very frank life and is just getting into formally reviewing things, I figured why not start with one of my greatest loves?

That's coffee, in case that wasn't too terribly clear.

When I was a young lad, I was big into Yu-Gi-Oh and the Books-A-Million nearby was hosting tournaments. When I wasn't getting first-round-eliminated, I was hanging with my folks in the coffee section. Back when they sold those big monocolored iced cookies. I told my folks I wanted to try some coffee, they made some argument that I was too young for it, but I was persistent. I decided that I'd try some of my mom's and she gave in, bless her.

I wasn't big on it. But she said I could try to sweeten it. So, I did just that, and I'd keep doing just that. Over time as I grew up, I put less sugar and less cream in my brew. When I'd go out with my great aunt during my all too long stint in Illinois, y'know, twelve years long, I'd grab a mug or two to keep me going after a sleepless night of puttering about on the keyboard writing fanfiction.

Just like whatever fandom I was writing for at the time, I couldn't put down the beany brew.

Times change and so do I. Things happened in my life. I lost my home, had to quit my job, I'd just started Hormone Therapy and dating a wonderful Filipina from New Jersey over long distance, and I had to get out of state. Notably, to the aforementioned girlfriend who is now my Fiance three and a half years later. Of all the things I didn't lose, my love of a good cup of joe was still kickin'.

You can imagine my delight when she came home every evening, smelling of a far-too-busy Starbucks in suburban New Jersey. That was probably one of the best parts of late 2019.

But again, times change. COVID-19 hit, she had to leave her job, I struggled to find employment and to be frank, I was pushing 400 lbs (318 now!). Something had to give. So I started Keto on the off-chance it'd work. Researched what I could drink - luckily Tea and Coffee were on the cards but… No sugar.

That's when I learned to love my Coffee with just cream. Sometimes I couldn't budget out for cream or even milk. So I figured I'd learn to love it black. In my experience, that's a pretty common way to learn to appreciate Black Coffee. Something, somewhere, has to push you out of your cream and sugar laden comfort zone.

Now I can't start my morning without it.

I don't have to tell you about the rigors of 2019-2023. I don't have to cover the crushing financial breakdowns millions of people and their families had to deal with and I certainly don't have to go over all the little things we did and tried to comfort or re-learn to comfort ourselves. Between my betrothed and I, coffee was an ever present constant to the point that when we were out, it was distressing, and who needed more stressors in that time?

Things are stable now though. At least moreso. Now, I work as a Barista at a Barnes & Noble, a new trainee with a southern drawl, a busty chest I basically have to peek over to see shorter customers, since I stand at 6'3, and a Viking side shave and ponytail that hangs over my apron. My boss loves me and my customers do too, I got the singles-filled-wallet to prove it.

That's why I brought up the journey-thus-far, you might call it. Because it starts at a bookstore cafe and goes down a winding path towards one. Don't worry about my whole life story, I'm writing about that elsewhere, you're bound to see it if you stick around.

You're here for the laywoman's view about some seriously nice coffee.

Fogbuster was founded in 1994, and I'd be a wee toddler at this time. As far as Coffee retailers go that makes them pretty recent, so that they're sticking so long despite being so recent in the grand scheme is pretty cool.

Fogbuster caught my eye a few weeks ago when I was futzing about on twitter, referred to coffee as "Foreplay" and how I would not survive without my French Press. Fogbuster's account found that funny, commented and I saw the neatest thing. They were FairTrade and Kosher!

Remember how I said I have a Filipino Fiance?

Yeah, FairTrade matters to me. I probably don't have to tell you that I'm also quite a busy activist.

Anyway, I said "Send me a bag and I'll do a review" and well, here we are! Gotta' say though, if I'd known they had a Blonde Bombshell roast, I'd have gotten that just for the joke, on account of being, well… A blonde bombshell.

But, the stuff that's interesting about Fogbuster is how they handle the beans themselves. They do a cool air roasting technique where they successfully separate the chaff that other companies just kinda' fry with the bean, from the aforementioned coffee bean, clearing it of detritus and chaff, resulting in a much more clean flavor profile.

They ain't kiddin' either. That air roasting works wonders. These things looked like they'd each been individually polished when I opened the bag and gave it a hearty whiff. The initial sight's firmly stuck in my mind's eye.

'Cause that's part of it too. Packaging, how you open it, how it feels and smells, how it looks? That leaves an impression. I gotta' say, I really like the smooth zebra striped packaging. It's eye-catching and really cool to look at. 

The title and information about the flavor gets a colorful label to contrast with the monochrome packaging. Blondes get yellow, Mediums get blue, Darks get purple, you get the picture. Every category, and I do mean every category of roast, gets a colored sticker.

A couple days prior to my first shift at my new job and to penning this section of the review, my Fogbuster package arrived. At that moment it occurred to me that I didn't have a Coffee grinder and that had to be rectified as soon as possible. So, on my first day off from my job, my woman and I decided to go get one! The very first thing I ground was this lovely brew, so that honor goes to you, Fogbuster!

I use a French Press for my daily coffee that I procured from Wal-Mart about a year ago. It's always done the job and done it well. For the past while I've been using some out-of-big-tin stuff, mix of caf and decaf (look, I'm on a budget! Or I was!) to keep me going from the morning 'til the night. I made sure to clean it out as thoroughly as I could, cracked open my bag of Smoldering Volcano, brewed it all in my press and sat down with my Fiance to enjoy it as intended - black as night. When pouring, the stuff looked like liquid bronze, it was gorgeous. It sat in our respective cups, coarse ground particulate swirling into a very thin but visible film atop the coffee and Odin as my witness, that film all but shouted at me to observe and be reminded of the surface tension of water, hugging the inner side of my mug.

I was pretty excited.

Now, this may or may not surprise you but I made the mistake of trying it less than a minute after a full 8 minute steep. It was mostly heat and that's my fault. But, even then, my love and I deliberated over the flavor. Even if I couldn't quite make it out yet, one thing was clear. It was smooth. It wasn't watery, it wasn't weak in texture, no. It was gently smooth. Even in the all too eagerly consumed blistering heat, I could tell. We let it cool a bit longer and my lovely Fiance pulled over our bundle of Red Velvet cookies from 7/11 I managed to snag on my EBT and I grabbed some Ferrero Rocher white chocolate to see how it'd pair.

Whoa.

So, by now the coffee was a fair bit cooler but still hot. Putting the bite of cookie into my mouth and following it up with a sip and goodness gracious, let me tell you. Shoot, let us tell you.

My girl says she tasted a fairly sweet cookie gain an almost nutty flavor profile in tandem with Smoldering Volcano. But when I was done recovering from the explosion of flavor in my mouth, I articulated that a cookie with no dark chocolate in it whatsoever, suddenly tasted like it was made almost entirely of it. It was pretty incredible. We got somewhat carried away with this batch, consuming a couple of cookies to augment with the rich, full taste of SmolVol.

Which I have to say is pretty interesting! The further down our cups we got the richer the flavor was. She reminded me to aerate it a little and my goodness what a difference that made. I just had to try the increasingly flavorful coffee with some of that white chocolatey goodness.

How familiar are you with Hazelnut? 

I'm a fan of its flavor, how it tastes like breaking off a piece of maple wood might taste (Yes, I am aware of Maple's toxicity, please do not actually bite a piece of maple wood!), but good golly holly. When I pulled in a swig of SmolVol and got a bite of the Rocher, between the white chocolate melting instantly and the tangible release of flavor, as if I'd cracked open the world's richest hazelnut, I was two steps from the next life. 

My girl could and would tell you, my reaction was strong. It was like the chocolate square had puffed a shot of aerosolized hazelnut concentrate straight into my tastebuds. Thing is, that was only possible thanks to the rich, full contrast of the coffee.

I tried the chocolate alone later and… nothing, nothing like what I experienced with the coffee.

I don't know, dear reader. This coffee is extremely good and pairs amazingly well. Without the soot you'd find on other beans, this clean bean, as they call it, really does have the ability to bring out the absolute best of whatever you're pairing with it has to offer. I simply have to try it with tomorrow's breakfast.

The review does not end here by the way. Oh no. I was sent a free bag as a deal to review this coffee and as I told you in the first section of this review, I love coffee in almost all of its forms. I'm dating this right now, 04/19/23, so that you know I'm going through this every day I can to try every combination of ingredients I like to add to my coffee.

We did jump the gun a little, admittedly, with a ten minute steep and barely any cooling before drinking. Tomorrow, I'll have it with cream, steeped for 15, cooled for five if necessary, though creams tend to shave off the heat life of coffee.

…

So, it's been about a month since I started writing this review and I feel like that bears highlighting, because I started my job at B&N's Cafe and that's been very difficult to handle because my training manager left basically the week I got started… and it's been difficult to keep up.

I will say, I ended up stopping recording my findings. You might recall me saying that my beloved fiance isn't much of a coffee girl, and we did stop having morning coffee together. So it was up to me to write about it further… and dear reader, that's the most interesting part.

Budget hit me, and I didn't have a lot to pair it with. But I did have just the coffee, still. Every single morning, I'd take two and a half scoops into my bean grinder and mix it up. Generally on a finer grind, dumped straight in and brewed with my trusty french press. Eventually, I ran out.

My goodness, did I run out.

And I've missed it ever since.

No, dear reader, my mornings have not been the same or as relaxing without Fogbuster's brew. I'm back to Maxwell until my next paycheck, where I can grab a bag or two from Fog's and have the good beans once again… because you know what? Yeah. A month later, after not having the beans for a bit, they were really something special.

No shade on my current employer, but the coffee we serve doesn't compare. I think even the biggest fans of the place would agree, too. Where else can you get that lovely clean bean?

Because seriously, with what I've had lately, there's sooty muck at the bottom of my mug. I'm a cretin, a creature, an animal, and I put in a little water to get the last of it, just so I'm not missing any caffeine. A level of auto-debasement I never had to resort to with Fogbuster.

With it, my mug never had soot, never had sludge, never had residue. Every single cup was as clean as clean gets. Gang, it's something else and I can say firmly, comfortably, confidently, that Smoldering Volcano in particular, is best had iced with your creamer of choice. It's good sweet but it's best unsweetened in my opinion. It's rich, it's full, it's just…

I miss it. Pardon the drop of the professional reviewer veneer. It's the night of a hard shift and I'm up listening to my Viking Chill playlist on Youtube, tip-tapping away at my keyboard with a friend over my Science-Fantasy project, getting mentally ready for the next day of work, figuring out how to fix some of the troubles I've been facing… and one of the worst parts is that I'll have to do it without Fogbuster to wake me up.

Which is really unfortunate, because that coffee really is fantastic. Maxwell ain't wakin' me up, readers. It's not doing its job, I still need a kick from my job. But I didn't need that with Fogbuster. Just half a press was all I needed.

I don't know what magic Fogbuster is working over there. I can honestly say it's the best coffee I've ever had and I can reassure you, I wasn't paid to say that either, no. I got a bag of coffee and they wanted the thoughts of a stressed out transgender dog woman.

That's what you're getting, right now. Those thoughts, unfiltered.

I think this section of the review is important. I think this frank bookend is important. Because it's very unfiltered and I'm actually really, really sad I'm not waking up to that brew tomorrow.

Their work is unique. It's great. Every cup of Joe I've had since has paled in comparison. With Fogbuster I forged a memory and experience with my fiance that I'm not going to forget. I was peppy and ready to go in the morning! I could chug down Folger's, Maxwell, maybe even sigh in relief at hitting juuuuuuuust the right blend of cream, coffee and ice (let me tell you, I make one mean Iced Macchiato now.).

But it's not the same. The ritual of opening my bag, measuring out the beans, dumping them in my grinder, the brutally loud churr of the grinder getting to work, the fresh baked scent of Fogbuster's beans when I crack it open, and tap-dump it into my freshly cleaned press…

Max doesn't make me clean my press. I don't use my grinder. My coffee is, at this moment, extremely utilitarian, and I think, honestly, reader, that makes me enjoy life so much less.

Some months ago after a hard day and night, I told my love as I undressed, energy gone from my voice as I stood bare with just my amulets on, "The Rituals keep us here. They're important."

Every single night, I take off my Yggdrasil, Mjolnir, Aegishjalmur amulets, align their cords in a 90 degree bent to the left against out windowsill, and in the bend I place my bracelet where Skoll and Hati share a ring atop the table and I take out my earrings, Hugin and Munin, Odin's ravens, to rest in the bracelet.

Then, I go to bed. The following morning I shower, don my amulets - Aegishjalmur-Mjolnir-Yggdrasil, Hugin and Munin, Skoll and Hati, in that order.

And at this moment I recognize the absence of Fogbuster in a way I hadn't before. You see, I've been looking for beans to take home and grind, but I can't find any at my stores, and… I know they're not as good.

I know full well they are not as good.

So, soon, I'm going to rectify that. This time in a couple of weeks, I'll be waking up, putting my jewelry on, heading downstairs, throwing on the kettle and getting Fogbusters ready to steep. I wonder if they'll ever get a source from The Philippines? To have something from The Visayas would be quite special, I have to admit.

Even still.

My mornings have not been the same without Fogbuster. I will rectify that as soon as possible, because I can say in earnest, this is my favorite coffee brand. Their stuff is ethically sourced, damned tasty, freshly prepared and ready to brew. The only way you can mess it up is by botching it yourself, because honestly they've done 90% of the work for you.

And that last 10%..?

That's the ritual that keeps you here. When you take a sip of that freshly ground coffee you're enjoying the fruits of your labor, your rituals, your life, just a little more. It's a special feeling.

It is one I long for.

Thanks for the beans, Fogbuster. You've got a lifelong loyal customer.

-------------------------

If you want a taste of what I had, feel free to follow this link here, 

Like I said before, best had iced. It's really good that way. Which is somewhat ironic given its name, but the best part of a volcano is that glossy, glassy obsidian, in my opinion. You only get that once it's cooled.

[ltwharfy]

9, 17, and 23!

9. Do you write every day? If you wrote today, share a sentence of what you’ve written!

I don't write every day. Since I have been feeling pretty burned out with my work recently, I make it a point to not make my hobbies feel like additional work. And that includes not saying I should do something every day unless I have the energy and motivation for it. Also, I spend a lot of time thinking about what I am going to write before I write, and I probably think about stories almost everyday- but I usually don't write until I've got things pretty planned on in my head.

I didn't write a story today, but did write down a story idea that I've been thinking about since this weekend, so here's that: “Ain’t It Funny How Some Things Don’t Change?��: In their mid-30s, platonic friends Rudy and Louise reunite in Seymour’s Bay to catch up and get in a little mischief.

Admittedly, that's a pretty vague idea. But (as much as I love shipping them) I am excited about the idea of writing a story about Rudy and Louise as platonic friends in the future. It was kind of inspired by having lunch with a woman I've been friends with for almost 20 years, and just realizing how special long-running cross-gender platonic friendships can be, and thinking it'd be fun to explore that with Rudy and Louise.

Also, I'm thrilled with the title, which comes from the song "It's Been a Long Time" by Southside Johnny and the Asbury Jukes (with Bruce Springsteen and Stevie Van Zandt), as there are a number of musical artists from New Jersey that I love and I keep trying to think of song lyrics from them that would work for one of my Bob's Burgers fics because of the show's New Jersey setting, and I finally did it this time!

17. What’s something you’ve learned about while doing research for a fic?

I loved learning about Jewish/interfaith wedding ceremonies for my Rudy/Louise wedding fic- even though almost none of it actually ended up in the story! My favorite thing was finding out that both members of the couple are walked down the aisle by both of their parents- which just sounds so much nicer and equal and more inclusive than the "father of the bride gives away his daughter" thing that I'm more familiar with (which can be beautiful in practice, but the thought behind it seems a little old fashioned to me).

23. How do you choose where to end a chapter (if you have multi-chapter works)?

I haven't written anything multi-chapter (at least, not yet!) If I do, I imagine that, at least initially, I might treat my chapters like the short stories I'm more used to writing. So, I'd probably end a chapter when it feels like a specific scene or issue has reached its end point. I'd probably try to keep my chapters short-ish and focused on one specific thing and not cover multiple days or settings in one chapter. But I don't know, that's all just speculation about something I haven't tried to do in earnest!

[mainveyn]

《 unspoken love 》 suna rintarou x reader

wc : 1.3k

genre : soft angst that u guys can handle :)

a/n : finding a divider that match w the picture is much harder than i thought 

series : silent love ▪︎ unspoken love ▪︎ nebulous love ▪︎ ardent love

practice was already over about an hour ago, but you insisted on staying back for free practice by yourself. your captain and teammates are concerned to have you clean up the gym all by yourself but you reassured them. after all, you need to stay back late enough to not cross paths with suna on your way to the school gate. surprisingly, you heard from his teammates that he went home quite early since the past few weeks but you didn't question it. you probably knew the reason already. 

even so, you still tried to avoid him at all costs. you didn't show up at your usual spot for lunch nor did you walk past his classroom anymore. he texted you daily but your replies are short and uninformative at all. you knew he probably noticed it but if he is not mentioning anything, you think it's better this way.

but it's not, not when you missed his presence so much. you missed those days when he walked you home and held your hands to cross the street. you missed him stealing food from your bento when he lied that he only brought chuupet for lunch. you missed him telling you to drop by his class and ask you to tutor him before he has to take an english test in the next two hours. you didn't realize he had involved himself in your life that much that you can never get him out of the picture anymore.

you regret for missing out all the opportunity to clarify your doubt with him. as much as you loved this wordless relationship with him, you didn't expect it'd throw you into the trouble of wandering to yourself just what exactly are you and suna. is he just being nice? does he only think of you as a friend? yeah, you should've asked while you had the chance. but now you can only imagine him rejecting your love when he already have someone in his heart.

the walk to your clubroom was pretty dreadful but you still dragged your feets toward it. the hallways are really quiet and peaceful now, which used to be your favourite place to take a stroll. but now you want nothing more than to quickly change out of your sweaty jersey and go home. you’re reminded of how you're totally off game today in practice as your mind only wanders around the memories of him. disappointment is just an understatement because you can't believe you're losing both the most important person in your life and the sport that you took pride in.

your hand stopped at the doorknob as you lifted your head to stop the tears that were threatening to fall, taking deep breaths in the process. you gave yourself a few minutes to steady your breathing before putting up a facade, trying to act normal again. as if god hates you right now, you caught someone round the corners of the hallway and halted a few metres away from you. and it's definitely the person that you didn't want to see right now. 

"hey," his gaze focused on you entirely, retrieving one of his hands from his pockets to wave at you. you merely gave him a side glance and faked a smile at him. "i'm gonna go get changed first. bye su-" "i'll wait for you," he cuts you off with his unfaltered stare as if he is telling you he won't take no for an answer. you could feel your shoulders tensed up at his stern tone but you knew you can't run from him now.

you didn't expect a confrontation would happen so soon nor are you good at it too so you find yourself shrinking under his stares. an exasperated sigh from you made him move closer to you, but he stopped as you turned to face him fully now. "you don't have to. aren't you supposed to be home early today?" you decided to go against him today, so that it's easier for you to reject his kind offer in the future. you insist it's better this way.

suna averted his eyes to the side for a moment before quickly bringing his eyes back to trace your feature. you didn't look angry or uncomfortable but he didn't miss the sadness swirling in the reflection of your orbs. "did i...make you upset or something? i don't remember i did anything but," he rubbed the nape of his neck out of nervousness before he continued.

“i’m sorry if i did. so stop avoiding me already," his stoic expression remains but you perfectly captured his emerald eyes laced with concern. he did nothing wrong and yet he is here apologizing because he is worried about you. you really didn't have the heart to push him away. probably never.

everything seems normal, like how you guys used to. you both walked in silence, except for the fact that your heart is getting heavier at each step you take. you two walked past the same convenience store, it's neon light sign lightened up the street in the dark just like every other night. suna stood in front of the same junction, eyes scanning for any cars even though the lights flashed green for you both to cross. he does it every time, making sure it's safe for you to cross before offering his hand for you to hold. you expected it so you walked ahead of him, not giving him any chance to do that.

you didn't notice you start picking up your pace as the distance to your house is getting closer. but you do after you feel a firm tug from the sleeve of your jacket. suna gave you an unamused look, but you tried to feint innocence and told him "i'm reallyyyy tired today! just wanna get home and rest." you hoped your smile was convincing enough.

you stiffened at the sight of his annoyed expression because he obviously doesn't believe it. you almost regret letting him into your life too much that he can read you so easily. he didn’t spare you a second and grabbed your hand instantly, ignoring that you tried to retract it and only held his grip on you firmly. the warmth from his palm is so comforting yet it hurts. but you’d exchange anything for his touch, including your heart. 

for the first time, the silence surrounding you two is unbearable. your house is just right in front you, yet he has no intention of letting go. you didn’t have the courage to speak up, just silently giving him side glances. suna looked up to the sky like he was thinking of something to say. you noticed his lips trembled a little so you squeezed his hand, trying to get his attention.

“what’s wrong, suna?” you whispered softly but he still remained in the same position. at this point, you loved him too much that you can’t leave him alone even though you’re hurting under his presence. even if you can’t be with him, you want him to be happy.

he turned to you swiftly, shifting both of his palms to your cheek now and pulled you in closer. you hitched at the sight of his face being just inches away as you balled your fist on his jacket. “y/n,” you watch his eyes drooped into a pleading look, his forehead touching yours now with so much affection. you didn't know what to expect, but you could feel he held back all the words he wanted to tell you before moving away with his shoulders slumped in defeat.

“there’s an important match tomorrow,” he said with his gaze on the floor, shoving his hand into his pocket to hide his nervousness. if you think you’re the only one who is afraid of rejection, then you’re wrong. because suna is afraid too, at least for now. 

“will you come and watch me tomorrow?” you can never say no, not even your heartache will allow you to do so.

reblogs are very much appreciated <3

[cherryxcadbury]

Chocolate Wars-Christian Pulisic

hey all! Welcome back to this Christian pulisic imagine! Literally love him sm and I tried to make this vv cute and fluffy!

Context: It's both yours and your boyfriend's day off, and you two have decided to compare American and British treats. More specifically Hershey's and Cadbury. Fighting ensues especially because he's from Hershey Pennsylvania

Your name: Camila Lopez

First person POV

I took a bite of the chocolate bar and let the minuscule broken pieces touch my tongue. Two seconds was more than enough time for that wretched chocolate to be in my mouth. I immediately spit it out.

"Babe! What are you doing?" Christian groaned.

I shook my head, "That thing is absolutely disgusting. How you guys call that chocolate is pathetic."

I examined the wrapper and looked at it disapprovingly.

"You're out of your mind Camila. Hershey's is a staple. The best chocolate in the world!" Christian defended.

"Clearly you have low standards then." I mused.

I rolled my eyes at his shocked look and picked up a package next to me.

"Here try this." I commanded, giving him a package of the original dairy milk chocolate bar.

Christian pushed away the package and shot it a dirty look.

"I could never put that into my mouth."

"Christian! You've been in London for like two years and you still refuse to eat Cadbury!" I exclaimed.

"I can't! It'd be like cheating on Hershey. I refuse to be unfaithful." He reasoned.

"I'm dating a god damn five year old." I mumbled to myself, astounded but not really surprised at his actions.

Christian just shrugged his shoulders and tried to escape to go play fortnite.

"No! Sit back down! We're doing this! We've been dating for almost a year, we need to get past this!" I commanded.

I was an English girl, he was American. I was a die hard Fulham supporter, he was a Chelsea player. I made him kind of like Fulham, he made me wear a Chelsea jersey that happened to be his.

"Yeah sure. We'll be able to get past it once you realise Hershey's is superior to any Cadbury product." He replied nonchalantly.

"You've clearly lost your mind." I groaned.

"Okay Christian. I had the Hershey's now you have to try the Cadbury. Otherwise I will throw out every Hershey product in this house. It's as simple as that."

When Christian heard his beloved Hershey's being threatened, he gulped with nervousness.

"Fine." He gave in.

"Yay!" I jumped up and down cheering.

I opened the package for him and broke off a small piece for him so he wouldn't over react like I did.

He rolled his eyes and cautiously plopped the piece into his mouth.

I patiently waited to get his feedback on the dearly beloved chocolate.

"Y'know, it actually doesn't suck." He concluded.

A huge smile worked it's way into my face as I jumped up to hug him. He smiled softly, hugging me back, his hands clinched around my waist, my arms around his neck. Christian placed a small kiss on my forehead to which I smiled at.

"So what do we do now?" I asked.

He shrugged his shoulders, "What do you wanna do Mila?"

"Anything but fortnite." I murmured.

"I'll never understand why you don't like that game babe. Especially when I'm goated at it." Christian answered.

"You're probably good at it because you're playing a bunch of twelve year olds." I snickered.

"Way harsh Camila." He feigned hurt.

"The truth hurts Christian." I smirked.

"You wanna go to bed?" He suggested.

I raised my eyebrows, "It's 6pm."

"And..." Christian started.

"Good point." I agreed.

Just as I was about to start walking to the room, I felt Christian hoist me over his shoulder and carry me there himself. I was so startled that I was squealing the whole way there. Finally, I felt relief when he put me down.

"That was terrifying. And you're not even that tall." I breathed.

Christian smirked at my terrified appearance, "Karma's a bitch."

"What'd I even do to get karma in the first place?" I sighed.

Christian just shrugged his shoulders before getting in bed with me. We ended that night by cuddling and just staying in each other's arms the whole night.

***

@camila_lopezz

Liked by @cmpulisic10, @gioareyna, @reecejames24 and 3,648 others

@camila_lopezz: He's just sad bc he's realised Cadbury>Hershey

Tagged: @cmpulisic10

Comments:

@cmpulisc10: jokes on you because Finley agrees with me🥰

↳@camila_lopezz: dogs can't eat chocolate you twat. still ily though💞

@gioareyna: ayo favourite couple check😍😍

↳@camila_lopezz: ayo favourite usmnt player checkkkk😘

↳@masonmountt: I better be your favourite England player then @camila_lopezz

↳@tammyabraham: if it's not me, then we gonna have some problems😬 @camila_lopezz

↳@sanchooo10: wait Mila it's me innit? 🥲@camila_lopezz

@camila_lopezz: I hate to break it to y'all but reece is my fave💗💗

↳@reecejames24: YES MA'AM😁

@west.mckennie: wow 😍😍 @cmpulisic10

↳@cmpulisic10: thanks Wes. Love you bro😘😜

↳@camila_lopezz: even through a phone screen I'm third wheeling✋

[gamegrumpiess]

Don't Forget About Me PART ONE?

Its been a fucken minute. I've been working a lot really. Trying to get my place together since I moved and what not. I have free time again! So here you go. Also! If you want me to continue this, let me know!

Dan x Reader

Warnings? Might be a bit sad, but nothing worth crying over.

You can request some shit!

(y/m/n) - your mom's name

(y/l/n) - your last name

(h/t)- home town

~~~~~~~

~1992~

Young Danny's POV

"Dan! Dinners ready!" My mom yells from downstairs. "I'll be right there!" I pause my game and make my way down. It's been freezing in my room lately, New Jersey winter really taking a toll on our house. The heater isn't installed yet, though I wish it was. I only have so many blankets.

"Dana, Leigh, there's new neighbors across the street. They've been here for about a week, I met the woman and her fiance last night, but her kids weren't home. I think it'd be a good idea to welcome them all. After dinner we'll all go down together. Is that a good idea?" My mom and dad have always been really nice like that. I feel wave of anxiety rush over me, it's not that I don't want to meet them, I just feel weird going to their house just to introduce ourselves. Dana nods her head and goes back to eating her soup, so content with her life. I'm not looking forward to this...

After we all finish eating, my mother tells us to get ready and look decent for the neighbors. What would 'decent' be? A regular shirt with jeans? I'll be in my jacket so I guess it really doesn't matter. After I get myself together, I walk downstairs to see Mom and Dad waiting for me and Dana. "Alright, let's go guys!" Dana comes out of her room dressed and ready as well. "I'm ready!" She yells with her childish voice. At least she's excited, because I'm not.

*ding ding dong ding*

A woman opens the door with a smile. "Oh, hello Debbie! What brings you here?" My mom smiles back at the woman, "I thought we could all come welcome you to the neighborhood!" The woman looks shocked a bit before she opens the door wide and invited us all in. "So this is my husband, call him Avi, my daughter Dana, and my son Leigh. He likes to be called Daniel, though." The woman smiles and shakes my dad's hand and mine. Dana has gotten a little bit shy, so the woman kneels down to her height. "Hi Dana, I'm (y/m/n). I work with kids your age all the time! You know, we have a pet turtle, his name is Cheesy. Would you like to meet him?" Dana's eyes light up at what (y/m/n) said. She nods her head frantically as the woman points to a glass talk with rocks and a little bit of water. "He's right there. Go ahead and talk to him!" As Dana runs to look at, what I assume is Cheesy, the woman turns back to us. "My fiance is at work right now. But my daughter and son are here. Y/N!" (Y/m/n) yells upstairs. "I'm coming!!" A little voice yells back. A girl came downstairs into view. She looks my age, but I haven't seen her at school, is she new? "This is my daughter, y/n. My younger son, Jacob is taking a nap in his room. Shes been working on her room all day." My mom smiles at y/n, "hey y/n! How old are you? Do you go to school here yet?" Y/n looks down, clearly a little shy. "I'm 12 years old... I don't go to school yet here, I'm new, I kind of don't want to." She states truthfully. She's only a year younger than me, but she seems very mature for a 12 year old. Then again, I'm kind of mature for a 13 year old.

As time goes on, y/n and her mom start breaking out of their she'll a little bit. Ms (y/l/n) says they just moved here from (h/t), she left her husband a while back and met a man who lived here. So I guess the man who lives here now isn't y/n's and Jacob's actual dad. Something about that is really sad to me, I have both of my parents. I can't really imagine what it's like to only have one in your life. "Is y/n going to go to the same school as Leigh?" I knew that question would come up. And turns out, yes she will. I'm not really complaining. At least she'll have one person she knows. I'm not entirely popular at all, but at least she won't be alone. Y/n looks at me and smiles. She really does have a sweet smile.

~later that night~

"Debbie, she's out there again! Poor kid, I hope she's okay." My dad calls out to my mom. "She's out there almost every night. Do you think she's okay?" I get curious and look at the time. 10:18 pm. Who would be out this late? Sure, it's a Saturday, but it's so cold outside this time. It's probably going to snow soon. I walk out to my mom and dad to see what's going on. "Who's outside?" Mom points out the window and I look out to see a figure sitting in the empty driveway across the street. "Almost every night, y/n just sits on the cold driveway. Her mom works graveyard shifts a lot. I wouldn't doubt it if she's home alone, poor thing." My mom puts her hand over her heart and looks down, her motherly instincts kicking in. "Leigh, could you please go out there and see if she's okay? She's always out there for hours at a time." I comply to what my mom says, mostly because I don't want to disappoint her by saying no. Also, I'm a little curious as well as to why she's out in the cold so late.

Y/n POV

Space is so cool. I've loved the stars and planets since I was a baby. On the nights when my mom is working, Jacob stays with my stepdad at his place. He's only 5, I get it. At this point I'm used to being alone. It's not a bad thing. I like it. When I was younger my dad would always leave me by myself so he could work. I was old enough to take care of myself though, little 7 year old me. I would do this back then as well. Sit outside and look at the sky. Even on days when the sky would be covered by clouds, I'd still stare In wonder above.

I hear a door close across the street and a skinny boy huddled up in jackets walk out of it. I hope he's not coming here, I'm not good with boys one on one. They make me feel awkward. Plus, he's a good looking boy. That makes it way worse. "Y/n, right?" He's standing right above me. I smile slightly, "Yeah, that's right. Aren't you cold?" He's very skinny, probably doesn't have body heat of his own like me. Im on the thicker side of the wall when it comes to looks. I'll probably always will be, but that okay. "Yes I'm freezing. But I saw you out here and I thought I should ask if you're okay."

I look up at him, "I'm okay. I just like looking at the stars. I'd rather be out here looking at the sky than in a quiet house." I tell him truthfully. "Are you home alone?" I nod and smile. "Yea, my mom works at the children's hospital and my little brother is with my stepdad at his house. I dont go because my stepsisters don't really like me. Which is fine, I don't really like them either." He sits down by me, criss crossed and hands in his pockets. "Are you okay on your own, though? My mom is worried too." His mom? Why would she be worried about me? I guess I am out here a lot. "Tell your mom im fine, and thank you for worrying. I appreciate that." He looks back to his house and then to me again. "Do you want me to sit here with you for a bit?" I smile again, "Sure. Just don't get frostbite in my driveway." He laughs and I join in as well.

~1997~

Y/n POV

I've known Dan for almost 6 years now. Since that night he'd be sitting on my driveway with me any chance we could. He's grown up a lot, but so have I. I'm proud of him, really. He just graduated high school, the only thing is, he's leaving for college. I still have 12th grade left. It sucks, my best friend is leaving. In the 6 years I've known him, I've grown to have a massive crush on him. He's gotten a lot taller, his hair has grown more, he's just this tall silly nerd. I'm not one for cliche cheesiness... But I really do love him. The times hes had girlfriends, it's been pretty painful. There's been more than a few nights when I'm on the driveway alone, or I'd have to eat lunch with Joe and Dylan alone because he'd be out with his girlfriend at that time. I'd be in pain, but I would never let it get to me. If he's had other girlfriends, it's clear he doesn't like me like that. And that's fine, I'm okay with just being his friend. As long as he's in my life at all I'm okay.

But he's leaving.

Dan's POV

My last night here in New Jersey is tonight. The flight for Boston leaves tomorrow morning, early as hell too. I'd have to go to bed soon if I really want to catch it. My room looks so empty... All my memories of growing up are in this exact house. I went to go see Ms (y/l/n) earlier today and say goodbye before she went to work, even said bye to Jacob. Y/n wasn't there, (y/m/n) said she was at band practice. I told her not to worry, I'll probably see y/n tonight since I usually sit with her in her driveway at night. Luckily, it's not cold anymore. Summer weather keeping me cool enough to not wear shorts, though. I walk out and see y/n sitting where she usually sits. Except now with a cat in he shirt to keep the cat warm in the cool weather. She looks up at me and waves, and I can't help but smile a little and wave back before starting to walk over.

If I had a choice, I'd take her with me. She's my best friend, I don't want to leave her alone. Joe and Dylan are leaving as well, she'll be alone at school and she'd have no one to sit with at night in her driveway. 6 years spent with her, and I wouldn't want to change it for the world. She's a really good friend.

"Hey.." she says, careful not to wake the cat in her lap. "Hey, I'm leaving tomorrow morning.. I wanted to come say bye to the cat." I say jokingly. She rolls her eyes and nudges my leg as I sit beside her. "Shut up, Dan. I can't believe it, you're going to college." I can't help but agree. I shake out my hair a little bit. "Yup. I really want to be a musician, but my dad said hed pay for my college if I go into advertising. I really don't want to, but I cant pay for myself on my own." She pets the cat again and shrugs. "Soon enough, you will be a musician. You'll have thousands of fans, be on stage rocking out like you've always wanted. You'll have people recognize you in the street wanting a picture and an autograph. You'll be so successful, as long as you put your passion in it." I can't help but smile at her. That is my dream, always has been. "It's gonna be weird without you guys. Senior year... I have one more year before I leave too," she looks at the sky again. "It's kinda scary. I won't be a kid anymore. Growing up in general is scary." I grab her shoulder and look in her eyes. "Hey don't talk like that. You're gonna be a great voice actress like you've always wanted to be. You might even become a singer too. You have to put passion in it too. You'll be in all your favorite anime shows, and video games. You can do it too. Don't forget that." She looks down and nods. "I will. Hey promise me something though." I look at her and encourage her to go on. "Don't forget about me. I know you're gonna grow up and find all the success in the world, just don't forget about this time in your life. Our friendship, who you are. Don't forget, please." I give her a sad smile and lean in to hug her. "I could never forget about you. You're one of my best friends. Don't worry. I'll keep in touch as much as possible, I promise." She smiles and hugs back. I start to walk back to the house when I hear her call my name again, "Dan!......." I turn back to her and she looks down before looking back up to me. "Be safe out there." She stares at me and I nod. "You too, y/n.."

To be continued?~

[retrogarden]

Colors (Jeremy Heere x Reader soulmate AU)

You have been completely color blind your entire life and only see in shades of grey. You come across a stranger that appears in all color.

A/N: hi hello this is my first fic to post to Tumblr. X reader's and writing with things that aren't my ocs is a different feeling so I apologize if anything doesn't appear as canon I guess? I hope to share more writings in the near future on this site yeet but plz enjoy this. I also wrote it all in one night and proofread it in the morning. Also I apologize if it's a bit short.

Warnings: possible swearing, maybe some big words used more than once, and I think that's it?

Also bless this gif he is such a sight 2 see

Living an entire life of colorless nothing didn't seem that bad, considering color didn't exist in your mind. It wasn't a thing to think about or dream about for you. It wasn't some glorious thing you'd been etching to indulge yourself into. It definetly was no match to the bedtime fairytales your father would read to your five year old self. You were probably too young to need to understand it.

You'd hear some love story of two hearts in love, speaking in the name of color but you really never understood it. It wasn't something that could be explained and only an element to be seen. You're parents exclaimed to you that you'd been "colorblinded" which left you pondering. How could you be blinded to a concept you never ever knew of? You went on with your life with ease, not driven by made up fate. You felt happy anyways as any kid should. The factor of love was a grown-up thing and your mom told you to not worry about it until the time was right.

It wasn't until you'd moved when you were eleven years old. Living with your aunt on the outskirts of Pennsylvania. You'd been in that transition phase from kid to tween, so the franchise of Barbie and Cinderella were getting a bit old. Living with your aunt had also open your eyes to the wonders anew of what colors were, but not literally. You'd learnt more of what the taste of it was suppose to be like when you moved in with her. She spoke through her wrinkled smiles, speaking the colors of the rainbow. You smiled at the thought of seeing whatever colors were, but dismissed it as some mythical happenstance. How was someone called your soulmate suppose to endorse your world in something colorful.

"One day you're going to find that one charming young kiddo who'll change your world, literally." She'd tell you. She spoke of how when she'd finally met your uncle she felt a nourishing haze of greatness. A feeling of no other and a sight a dreamer only imagined.

Your days of fantasizing and entrancing yourself in your aunts stories ended when high school begun. Filling yourself with the probability of factorials factorials alongside Romeo and Juliet's tragic love story instead of the fantasies in your younger youth. You'd been preoccupied by the rushing dwelling of your teenage experience too much to try and figure out what the soulmate theory was. It wasn't like it'd even matter to you, why out of anyone in the world would someone choose a soulmate for you.

Your aunt wanted to move, once again, to New Jersey. It wasn't that bad and you didn't mind it too much, accept for the fact it was right at the beginning of your senior year. It felt awkward but it wasn't like you'd been super close to anyone else previously back in Pennsylvania. You felt refreshed with change anyways and probably needed it. Your old schools were always so dull.

This new school, Middle Borough high, was seemingly interesting. A bunch of students were gangling around in and outside the schools premises. Halls swarming with chatter and the rustles of black and white commotion. A few kids bumped into your shoulder, muttering a meaningless apology before scampering on their way.

Upon wandering around your new school you stumbled upon two boys. One of them with patches littered on his sweater along with a pair of headphones around his neck, the other much shorter with a darker strip of grey in his hair.

"Excuse me?" They both turned in your direction to look at you. Both of them scanning you, looks of confusion on their faces. You cursed yourself quickly for being so cringe.

"You're new?" The shorter one spoke quickly as you nodded. Their demeanors changed into a more knowingly presence and allowed you to speak.

"Yeah, I actually have no idea where this class is and you guys looked, well friendly." You lightly yet awkwardly chuckled at your additional comment.

"Oh yeah!" The taller one went on to point in the direction of your destination. You thanked them for being kind and continued on with your navigation.

You decided to keep your head down low, to avoid the sneering eyeing glances of your newfound peers. You bumped into a faceless figure, due to him turned around you couldn't identify him but heard his almost inaudible "I'm sorry." Shrugging it off, you continued your mission on getting to first class.

The day went on with the ticking clock, slow and uneventful. Given syllabuses and grazing your attention over the first day of school lectures. You'd also had the boy you'd met from earlier with the headphones in English. In that moment you'd wished to have asked his name because he didn't seem too bad. In one of your classes, youd spent most of your time gazing out of the window like some anime-movie cliche. Not paying attention to much and not much interaction, the loom of school was finally over and you were given the okay to go from the Bell.

Students filed their ways out of the classes, everyone else but you knowing these hallways all too well. On the way out you'd passed headphones kid once again, him flashing you a smile as you returned it. It was too late to noticed he was accompanied by the kid you saw earlier. Shrugging it off you continued walking out of school and to your aunts house.

The next few days and weeks appeared to be sluggish. School shifting its gears to normality and you adjusting to the new territory. You'd also figured out that headphones kid's name was Michael and his friends name was Rich. At this point you decided against making any friends and stuck with finishing your homework in the library.

On a particular day, clear skies ahead and were left to your own devices at lunchtime due to minimal homework. You thanked the homework gods in giving you freetime to relax for thirty minutes. The You settled on some Netflix to watch for pass time. Nothing like some good old (insert your favorite show).

"E-excuse me?" You trained your attention to the lanky boy in front of you. You were about to pull out your earbuds, slightly annoyed from being interrupted but something interjected that thought. In almost an instant you felt a slight tinge in the back of your eyes and it was as if the world swerved on its axis.

He was painted with a new vision to your eyes. The swirling tones and shades on the shadows of his facial features to every last stitch on his clothes beamed in front of you. Curls in his hair bouncing in a new light and seething with eye candy. He was eye candy to you at least because not only was he cute, but endorsed your vision with something magical. He himself was a still for your eyes to bask in. His figure drenched in this new sight plastering a shocked look knitted in your eyebrows. For a moment, this kid was the only thing you could look at. This boy was a magnificent hue of everything you could've dreamed of. You both had faces tinted with awe and gawked at each other. He and everything around you was beautiful and you relished in this newfound presence.

"H-hello?" Your voice dripped with surprise mirroring his tone from earlier.

"You're seeing it too?" He asked. You nodded, gazing all around as the library danced in colors of their own. Still, they didn't compare to the deeply saturated glowing boy in front of you. You also recognized his voice when you'd bumped into him on the first day of school. Radiant, he was absolutely radiant.

"Yeah, yeah I see it!" You smiled and he blushed. You offered him to sit across from you and he gladly took it.

"Well I guess this means we're destined to be together or something?" He inwardly laughed. In this situation you couldn't find yourself to avert your eyes from him like you did with everyone else. Each freckle on his face emitted with the color of his hair. His wonderous eyes matched the glow of the sky from the window.

"Y/N." You smiled and held out your hand, he returned the gesture taking his hand in yours to shake it.

"Jeremy." That was it, the moment of truth. All of the dreams and wishes your aunt spoke of stood themselves in front of you. Every cliche and unrealistic fairytale seemed to make sense looking at Jeremy. You were enticed by every second of it.