#last sentence obliterated me lmao

[power-chords]

"The weed bodega is becoming a recognizable type. Look first for innuendo in the name: Vibez, Cloudz, Exotic, Fog, Puff. A kaleidoscope of imported snacks is a big giveaway — Korean potato chips, rare Fanta flavors, Spanish Cheetos in the shape of soccer balls — as is a giant inflatable blunt, provided by the rolling-papers brand Raw, sitting in many windows like a homing beacon. The décor is street-art juvenilia with a stoner twist and an adolescent raunchiness. At an 'exotic snacks' store on the part of Fulton Street where Clinton Hill becomes Bed-Stuy, the guy behind the counter eagerly asked me to smell a nug of something labeled 'Stripperella.' On the walls, the Queens-based graffiti artist Hugus, a kind of weed-bodega Banksy who has worked in 50 shops in the last year and calls his style 'trippy cartoons,' has spray-painted Daffy Duck ripping a bong so hard his top hat has blown off and Rick and Morty swirling, heavy-lidded, in a cosmic sky above. On Nostrand and Dean, a store with the motto 'Read and Weed' also features Rick and Morty in a mural next to volumes of Camus."

[topgunreacts]

Last Line Fic Meme

Tagged by @icemankazansky. Here is me once in a blue moon actually doing the ask game because it's in a format I understand.

Taking the line from my IceMav soulmates fic: The Heart is an Empty Room. I started it on Tuesday and I'm 8300 words in, so you know. It's going well. As is my custom, I will not be posting until the entire first draft is done. But at this pace, it shouldn't be too long of a wait.

Rules: Make a new post, post the latest line from your current WIP, & tag as many people as there are words.

But Maverick wasn’t ready to face the reality of his soulbond, just as he wasn’t ready to face Iceman in class tomorrow, so he did what he did best: instead of addressing the true source of his pain, he stepped to one side and kept walking.

@icemankazansky broke the rules by giving three sentences, so I'm breaking the rules by picking a line somewhere from the middle in order to cause maximum damage. Just think--I could've done both, and then obliterated all life on earth.

Tagging @babybinxxx and @bluegrasskitty for some cross-fandom action. I'm not tagging 42 people lmao.

Here is an urelated gif of a seal:

[shinydixon]

the fact that the comments about gvd are being downvoted is so precious to me.

lmao i think this is the person who doxxed joe's spotify back when they tried to brainwash reddit into believing their bullshit and got obliterated instead. they pressed the same damn key about the song and i remember everybody was like 'that's just a word at the end of a sentence. it means 'your grace' as in 'your holiness' or the way someone carries themselves, you know, clumsily or with grace.' then they went on to add 'it's also fucking rude that you're posting a link to his account when it wasn't meant for any of you to find it.' i'm weirded out about how the vqs are stalking reddit now and trying to spread the word of the their lord and savior, vanquinn. that said...the fact they're posting comments and waiting on someone to take the bait only shows how bothered they are about alana. because we can rationalize that men and women can be friends and we have proof joe is on raya and gvd has (or had?) a boyfriend, but there's no way for the vqs to prove their ship is, in fact, dating. like, the pic with alana might be from october but the thing is? there is a picture of alana walking with joe back in october. i have yet to see the pics of joe and gvd hanging out during these last few months that wasn't during a con or that trip to the aquarium.

they have to be so fucking vague about stuff all the time. any kind of convo with them looks like this: 'everybody seems to think he's dating gvd and there's proof so....' 'alright, where's the proof?' 'we can't show you because we're respecting their privacy!!!!!' make it make sense for once PLEASE

except for the aquarium (which was when they were filming) Grace and Joe were never spotted hanging out together.

Even at the German con, Grace was with her father, Elodie and Raphael, no trace of Joe or Jamie

[doodler-jpeg]

hello! can i request a dream x reader :) i’m mexican so if there’s any mistakes plz ignore , maybe one where the reader breaks Dream out of jail because like she was manipulated by him and everyone tells her to stop and like aw he’s dangerous etc but she’s like lol no i love him but maybe make it where dream low-key loves her back tho lmao

For You [Dream]

Ooh this is a fancy one. I really like this one. I don’t know how asks work exactly though so if i mess up something, oh well :] also, kind of fluff with a good ending? Somewhat. This is kind of rushed?

⚠️CUSSING, GASLIGHTING?, TOXIC RELATONSHIP??⚠️

Pronouns: she/her

“I’m getting you out, Dream,” you murmured to yourself as you exited the prison, bidding Sam a goodbye as you walked off of the prison property. Sam looked at you warily, feeling something about you that just seemed . . . Off. You had been so happy to go to the prison, unlike the many others that had visited the manipulative bastard that was Dream.

“She’s up to something.”

//

You carefully placed the final potion, accompanied by some milk, in your inventory, making sure it wouldn’t be noticed too heavily as you closed your bag, walking out of the base you had spent hours working on. You made your way to the prison, passing by Tommy and Techno, who had been conversing amongst each other before you were walking.

You clenched your fist tightly, resisting the urge to start yelling at the damn child that had bothered to put your boyfriend in jail.

“Hey, [Y/N],” the teen yelled, waving you over. ““You’re finally out and about again. Isn’t that great?” You frowned, nodding a bit as the blond let out his signature laughter. Techno chuckled beside him, nodding.

“It’s been awhile,” the piglin hummed, glancing over at you. “”“What are you up to?” You out on a painfully fake grin, taking out your sword.

“I just got looting on this ol’ baby, so I wanted to test it out on some creepers to get gunpowder.” You explained, causing the two to nod suspiciously.

“Why do you need gunpowder?” Techno inquired, his hand hesitating over the sheath of his sword.

“To make TNT to mine for netherite. If I get tired of that, maybe I’ll clear some mountains to get some extra land to make a mansion.” You shrugged, slinging your blade over your shoulder. Techno nodded slowly, eyes locking suspiciously with your own.

Tommy coughed awkwardly, scratching his neck at the sudden tension in the air.

“Come on, Techno-”

“I need to talk to [Y/N] for a moment.” The blond was cut off by his brother figure. The PVP god pulled you over to the other side of the tunnel, glaring at you harshly.

“I know what you’re doin and I’m not gonna let it slid.” He hissed, pulling out the Orphan Obliterator as you grinned. ““He’s a manipulator! He nearly killed Tommy, threatened to kill Tubbo several times— he got Tommy exiled! What is wrong with you? He’s a dangerous creature!” His voice slowly got louder as he began listing reason after reason as to why your boyfriend was horrible.

“I don’t give a fuck, Techno!” You screamed, ““I love him and I’m not fucking losing him again!” Techno looked at you in shock, eyes wide in surprise as he tried to see if you were just lying to him.

“You’re jokin. Tell me you’re jokin or you’ll get stabbed! You’re on your last life, aren’t you?” You didn’t answer, taking your sword off of your shoulder and slashing at him. Striking his face quickly, you ran off in the direction of the prison.

//

““I missed you.” Dream’s voice tingled in your ears as the shackles connecting him to the cell clunked together. He opened his arms and you bit back your sobs as you embraced him. His hand went to the back of your head, his fingers combing through your hair as he held you close.

“I got caught-” your lover cupped your face with the hand that was previously in your hair, stroking your cheek as he looked down at you with so much love and adoration you could have melted right then and there.

“You’re with me now.” He stated, a smile on his freckled face as he leaned into you, pressing his forehead against yours. ““At least you tried.” You bit your lip, only to let out a nervous laugh.

“I got so readied up, too. Sam-” you didn’t even finish your sentence before Dream’s lips met yours. You kissed him back eagerly, feeling as if nothing at all was happening.

“Hello, Dream.”

[makeste]

BnHA Chapter 272: (Directed by Michael Bay)

Previously on BnHA: The My Child Soldiers Academia arc finally started to live up to its name as Tokoyami became the first (but I assure you not the last) victim of traumatic mental scarring courtesy of Horikoshi’s sick games! So he and Dark Shadow showed up to stop Dabi from murdering Hawks and were all “please don’t kill our mentor.” Dabi was all “AH BUT YOUR MENTOR KILLED SOMEONE ELSE, AND ISN’T THAT JUST LIKE THE HEROES THOUGH, THEIR HANDS ARE SO STAINED WITH BLOOD” and then he tried to set both of them on fire several times in succession. Hawks was all “Tokoyami just run away while he’s in the middle of his five-hour sermon” and so they tried but Dabi followed them! But then Geten was all “ALL RIGHT EVERYONE... CHILL” and fucking froze everything for no discernible reason, and Tokoyami fled the building with an unconscious Hawks in tow as the battle raged on. The chapter then ended with Gigantomachia being all “I smell my master!” and standing up, hahaha oh fuck.

Today on BnHA: Well you guys are not going to believe this, but it turns out that Tomura waking up is actually a very bad thing. A “worst case scenario” if you will! Because, get this, he has a quirk that can destroy anything, which spreads from whatever he touches to fucking everything and everywhere else. Gosh, if only we’d known about this since like 35 chapters ago. If only we’d had a spy among the villains who could have warned us, and three entire months to plan our attack, and literally every single hero in Japan on call to help us when the time came. Anyway so you’re really going to be shocked by this I’m telling you, but it turns out that when a crazy powerful person who wants to destroy everything finally wakes up, he immediately starts destroying everything with his crazy power. So X-Less dies and Crust dies and everyone else runs, and meanwhile the kids, who are on the outskirts of the city finishing up the evacuation, stand there in shock as the plot rampages toward them ready to swallow them whole. The chapter ends with Deku powering up to FORTY-FIVE PERCENT YEAHHHHH, and oh shit. Finally we’re doing this.

I am not even remotely done with all the shit I’m supposed to be finishing up, but fuck it, I need a break and reading the new chapter is by far the funnest thing on my current to-do list, so!

OH SNAPS MY BOY HAS FINALLY OPENED HIS EYES

IT ONLY TOOK HIM... OKAY LOOK I’M NOT GOING TO GO BACK AND COUNT ALL OF THE CHAPTERS, BUT LET’S SAY... FIFTEEN. ...HUNDRED. CHAPTERS TO FINALLY SNAP TO IT AND COME JOIN THE PARTY. BUT IT WAS WORTH THE WAIT! PROBABLY. AHH LET’S JUST READ ON

-- ohmygodohmygodohmygodohmygodohm --

[puts on glasses and unfolds map while poring through a mess of scribbles on post-it notes] -- hold up, if my calculations are correct, I’m pretty sure “somewhere a bit further from the hospital” is, in fact, where a certain THREE TROUBLE-PRONE DISASTERS ARE CURRENTLY HOLED UP. AHHH

can it really be true. are we finally rejoining our protagonist and his buddy cop friends after 97 years. how will everyone react to Deku reacting to Tomura waking up ahhhh

so Burnin’ is yelling at the civilians to let them know if they have any family or friends who need assistance evacuating

god I hate the fact that this is a fucking understatement

they’re not taking any chances after Kamino and Fukuoka huh. fool them once, shame on you. fool them twice, oh shit. but there will not be a third time! no one fucking destroys three cities in the span of six months on their watch, no sirree

(ETA: ...)

lol the kids are trying to get the elderly citizens on a bus to evacuate, but a lady is trying to give them candy and Kacchan and Ochako are of two different minds on whether or not to accept

Kacchan is absolutely right about Ochako’s motivations, but in her defense, who the fuck turns down free chocolate

IIDA!!

FUCKING CHRIST JAPAN IT’S 200 YEARS IN THE FUTURE AND YOU STILL HAVEN’T SWITCHED TO DIGITAL RECORD-KEEPING? WHY IS THIS THE MOST REALISTIC THING IN THE ENTIRE MANGA TO DATE. MY GOOD SIR, IIDA IS LYING THROUGH HIS TEETH, ALL RECORDS AND BUILDINGS ABSOLUTELY CAN AND WILL BE COMPLETELY OBLITERATED IN THE CARNAGE TO COME. I’M SORRY TO BE THE ONE TO INFORM YOU OF THIS, BUT DAMN IT SOMEONE HAS TO TAKE RESPONSIBILITY

(ETA: I sure hope these poor bastards had good insurance.)

also. this man here who looks like Beaker from the Muppets, who presumably has the power of Doing Anything Those Wacky Flailing Inflatable Tube Men That You See Outside Of Car Dealerships Can Do. ...yes. that’s it. that’s an intentionally incomplete sentence with a subject but no predicate. I just feel like we should all sit and stare at him for a good thirty more seconds before continuing on with our lives

OH MY GOD

THEY’RE EVACUATING THE PETS TOO AHHHH. EXCUSE ME CERTAIN SOMEONES WHO THINK ALL HEROES ARE “DIRTY.” I SEE YOUR ARGUMENTS AND RAISE YOU THIS ONE SINGLE PANEL. YEAH THAT’S RIGHT. NOW WHAT DABI. AT A LOSS FOR WORDS I SEE. YOU JUST SIT AND PONDER THAT FOR A WHILE

is... this... a space shuttle man

is this literally just a man with a Boeing for a head. FUCKING QUIRKS THOUGH!!!!! ~*~wild~*~

OH MY GOD AND WE’RE BACK

time for some HORCRUX SHENANIGANS!! IS YOUR LIGHTNING BOLT SCAR BURNING DEKU. I CAN’T BELIEVE HE WHO MUST NOT BE NAMED IS BACK AHHHH

so now he’s slightly hunching forward with his hands pressed together and Todoroki is immediately sensing that something is wrong ahhhhh

(ETA from like 5 days later: I had that as “Tokoyami” instead of “Todoroki” for the better part of a solid week you guys. SHOUTO YOU WERE GONE FOR SO LONG I FORGOT YOUR FUCKING NAME whoop.)

here come dat angst. here comes Horikoshi’s hand beckoning the trio closer and welcoming them to the pain parade ahhh. from now on that’s how I’m ending all my sentences btw. it just seems right. ahhh

OH MY LORD OH MY

ladies and gentlemen, YOU WERE SAYING DEKU DIDN’T HAVE ENOUGH CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT LATELY? HE’S NOT INTERESTING ENOUGH AS A PROTAGONIST, IS HE? well maybe that’s because Horikoshi has been saving this one juiciest of plot nuggets for a rainy day precisely like this! BRING ON THAT CHOSEN ONE ANGST AHHHHH

anyway so yes it is indeed OFA speaking to him in the form of Lil Bro a.k.a. the first user

lol I’m trying to think of commentary but it’s difficult seeing as I’M ALREADY SCROLLING DOWN TO IMPATIENTLY READ THE NEXT PAGE

lmao the fuck

okay Princess Zelda. can you get any more flowery with those descriptions though. A TRANSCENDENT BEING. A SUPERLATIVE ENTITY. A SUBLIME, PREEMINENT ORGANISM. FREED FROM ITS SHACKLES. UNFETTERED BY ALL EARTHLY LIMITATIONS

OH MY GOD

it absolutely boggles my mind that this guy is somehow still alive. ??! how many chapters and panels has it been now. he’s like the goat in the t-rex pen in fucking Jurassic Park. WHEN ARE YOU GOING TO GET EATEN ALREADY

...

do you... want a blanket. ...?

(ETA: do you ever just. wake up and you’re like “ah shit it’s cold”, and then you destroy an entire city. mm.)

do you all suppose X-Less is fully aware that he’s about to die though? he hasn’t even moved. I imagine that sitting next to Tomura actually is much like sitting next to a giant t-rex. like he has to know there is no getting out of this alive. poor guy

damn Mic isn’t even looking back he’s just running back into the main room where all the rest of them are

wow this fight is still going on

I don’t know why, I just expected it to all magically be over all of a sudden now that we have bigger things to worry about. do you guys remember when we were all worried about the High End Noumus being the biggest threat. hahahahaha

(ETA: moment of silence for ALL OF THE FUCKING HIGH ENDS lmao. that did not go how I expected that plotline to go AT ALL, but at least we got the best fucking battle in the entire manga out of it.)

jesus CHRIST ENOUGH WITH THIS

WE GET IT TOMURA IS DANGEROUS AND SCARY AND EVIL AND AWAKE!!! JUST PLEASE GET TO IT ALREADY GOD I’M BEGGING YOU

FINALLY

goddammit. my reaction to this should have been much more “!!!” and “OH SHIT”, but he dragged it out so much that my initial reaction was one more of relief than horror. maybe it’s because of the way I read the chapters, constantly pausing to do commentary as I go along, but whenever a chapter has a ton of panels of people just staring into the distance awash with dread, it really stands out to me lol. there’s only so much I can write about that kind of thing. ah well at least we’re finally getting to the action

I genuinely can’t tell if Ujiko is frightened that he’s about to be disintegrated by Tomura’s quirk, or excited that Tomura is awake

maybe both lol. well don’t worry you’re not gonna die that easily, much as you would not catch me complaining if you did

thanks Gran

lol where was all this speed throughout the rest of this arc though. “we’re only competent when the plot necessitates it” huh. is that right

oh shit it’s destroying the rest of the lab

those are all of Ujiko’s collected quirks, right? someone please tell me if this is a good or a bad thing. on the one hand if they’re all destroyed it means Tomura can’t get them and Ujiko can’t make any more Noumus. but on the other hand this means they won’t ever be able to give them back to the original users (if any of them are even still alive). and also that’s a lot of evidence that’s being wiped out as well

oh shit they didn’t know about this?!

even after Deika City, you didn’t put two and two together?? even with all of Hawk’s intel?? what the hell did you think happened there?

well this explains why everyone was so la-dee-da-no-rush about capturing him though. well that’s on you guys. next time maybe don’t waste 20 minutes uselessly battling redshirt Noumus while Mirko has to do everything herself

anyway so I feel like people other than X-Less are almost certainly going to die here, and fuck. I’m not ready for any of this

AHH THE KIDS

BIT SLOW ON THE UPTAKE THERE KACCHAN LOL. FOR A MOMENT YOU HAD ME WORRIED THERE WAS SOMEHOW A COMPLETELY DIFFERENT THREAT APPROACHING FROM THE OTHER SIDE, BEFORE YOU TURNED AROUND TO LOOK WHERE THE OTHERS WERE LOOKING

ALSO JUST A FRIENDLY REMINDER THAT SHOUTO’S DAD IS IN THAT HOSPITAL, ALONG WITH THEIR TEACHER! HERE. COME. DAT. ANGST

LOOK AT THIS CONSPICUOUSLY INTACT BUILDING AS IT STANDS THERE ALL OMINOUSLY WITH THE NEARBY BIRDS AND CRITTERS FRANTICALLY FLYING AWAY

I want to see it crumble so bad. now this is the kind of foreboding cinematic disaster movie bullshit I can get into

FFFF WHY IS THIS PANEL SO HARD TO SEE

THERE’S TOO MUCH CHAOS AND TOO MANY PEOPLE LOST AMIDST ALL THESE SHATTERING AND FALLING TUBES, BUT I NEED TO MAKE SURE EVERYONE IS SAFE AHHH

...okay so I see Ryuukyuu in the top right, and I think that’s RockLockRock on her back. Thirteen is clearly there in the bottom center, but I don’t know who that is next to them. and then of course Gran and Mic on the left. and a bunch of others spread out in various other places, but... where the hell is Aizawa??

OH THANK GOD

FUCK YOU HORIKOSHI, I KNOW FULL WELL YOU’RE NOT JUST GOING TO KILL OFF THE WORLD’S PREEMINENT DAD STRAIGHT UP OUT OF THE BLUE HERE, AND YET I STILL FELT ANXIETY AT THIS LAST PANEL. HOW DID YOU EVEN

BITCH YOU BETTER LET THE FUCK GO BEFORE I --

!!!

oh my god I gasped in real life. stop making me fear for the lives of main characters!!

he. he --. crust. he. ...

I literally stopped reading and had to stop and cover my mouth with both of my hands I’m

silence. no screaming. no flailing. no freaking out. just silence

shit. rest in peace you old sedimentary bastard. respect to you for saving the father of my children in your last fleeting moments. I still have not the slightest idea how you rose through the ranks to somehow become the sixth fucking highest rated hero (HERO BILLBOARD CHART, IS EVERYTHING ALL RIGHT. ARE YOU FEELING OKAY), but you sure did go out with style though

also this may be tacky of me to point out during such an emotionally charged moment, but one second Aizawa is wearing his goggles like normal, and the next they’re suddenly pushed up onto his forehead so we can see the anguish in his bloodshot eyes. there was no reason to do that other than angst and we all know it. so yes Shouta you dramatic bitch, I am calling you out. why Horikoshi felt he had to add to your many accumulated traumas is beyond me. you don’t deserve this and I am so, so sorry

OH GOOD I WAS JUST ABOUT TO ASK WHERE THE FUCK ENDEAVOR WAS

seeing as we just went over this with Gran, I will take the high road here and won’t ask why you’re only this fast now and couldn’t have been this useful this ages ago back before Tomura woke up. oh wait does sarcastically saying I won’t bring it up count as bringing it up. well whatever. middle road, then

sob I’m getting flashbacks to the end of Return of the Jedi when they’re all frantically flying out of the Death Star as it explodes

friendly reminder that Ryuukyuu, clearly the fastest one here despite carrying like 20 people, was number 10 in the rankings for some unknown reason. again, r.i.p. Crust you well-meaning geriatric soul

also just a stray thought, I hope it’s clear now why it was so important to give Deku those additional quirks. at a minimum he needs Blackwhip and Float just so he doesn’t instantly die the moment he’s in Tomura’s general vicinity. sob I’ve joked so much about flying quirks and here they are becoming fucking prerequisites now

anyway so Ujiko is mourning the loss of his lab, which again, good riddance mostly. but r.i.p. that evidence though

(ETA: nah the “total loss” part is referring to how the heroes fucked up so soundly and thoroughly. anyway no one would blame Mic if he accidentally dropped Ujiko in the midst of all this chaos, I’m just saying. I guess they need any intel he could still provide now more than ever though.)

OH MY GOD!!

LAUNDRY HERO WASH?! THIS SUDSY BOI CAN ACTUALLY KICK ASS WHAAAAT

oh my god oh my god it’s still spreading??!

fuck fuck fuck at this rate it’ll reach the kids

(ETA: that happened really fast actually.)

-- oh FUCK NO you had better NOT FUCKING TOUCH FUCKING PIXIE BOB, I WILL MAIL MYSELF TO JAPAN PANDEMIC OR NO PANDEMIC. DO YOU NOT SEE THE SIGN THAT SAYS “OFF-LIMITS.” RESPECT THE SIGN

SOB SHE’S SO BADASS BUT IT LOOKS LIKE IT’S STILL DISINTEGRATING FUCCCCCK. FUCK MY LIFE, FUCK EVERYTHING

AHHHHH

I can’t tell if her earthbending was able to stop it or not?? god help us all if it didn’t, I’m not even sure what else could stop it at this point

SHUT UP UJIKO!!

they really did. only to fuck it up completely at the finish line. well, the man most singularly responsible for it is dead now, again r.i.p. Crust you useless old legend

lmao despite myself

“by a miracle, or maybe through sheer will” even he acknowledges that Tomura waking up was basically complete bullshit. yes blah blah yadda yadda got zapped by some exposed wires explanation science. because we all know that getting electrocuted will fix you right up when your heart has stopped and you have completely flatlined. you can definitely trust Horikoshi on this and there’s absolutely no need to google how defibrillators actually work

also is he somehow wearing a cape now. again by a miracle or maybe through sheer will

YESSSSSSS

(ETA: one has to wonder what Ujiko’s plan was, assuming this scheme had actually played out. were they just banking on Tomura not waking up cranky and disoriented and wanting to test out his power. his quirk doesn’t exactly distinguish friend from foe here I’m just saying.)

the part of me that goes all “ooh ahh” when all the buildings explode in Independence Day is singing inside. but never fear, the rest of me is appropriately horrified though. what was that Burnin’ was saying about the city becoming a large-scale battle zone? sob

also this page sure serves as a nice refresher for exactly why Tomura Waking Up Was Bad, which was inexplicably a topic of some debate in recent weeks. yes in spite of everything the villains are still the bad guys who’d have thought. almost as if the purpose of humanizing a character is to show that they’re human, not that they’re right

WHAT’S THIS NOW???

WELL I’LL BE. IT’S BEEN AN EVENTFUL THREE MONTHS, APPARENTLY!??

HOOAHHHHHHHH

IT’S A BIRD IT’S A PLANE IT’S A BADASS OH SHIIIIITTTTTT

finally finally finally!!!!!!

THE SHIT HAS HIT THE FAN, REPEAT, THE SHIT HAS HIT THE PROVERBIAL FAN. THE PLOT IS FINALLY HAPPENING, REPEAT, THE PLOT IS FINALLY FUCKING HAPPENING AHHHHHH

and there is no one coming to save them this time. no one to arrive at the last second and say “it’s all right now because I am here.” they have to save themselves. they have to save everyone. the training wheels are finally coming off. the safety net has been removed. after 272 chapters, the story has finally reached a point where these kids, these children, who in spite of all they’ve been through have been protected and shielded from the worst of it up till now, will finally have to be the ones to save the day all on their own

and they are not ready. but also maybe they kind of are??! but they definitely are not. and oh god oh god oh god, FINALLY WE’RE REALLY DOING THIS. TIME TO FIX THE MESS THOSE SILLY GROWN-UPS MADE, CHILDREN. YOU GOT THIS

[unreachablevoice]

TRIPLE (technically fourth now) CELEBRATION!!!

Maribat Master List

Okay remember when I said that like Imma do a celebration? like... right heeeeereeee??? yeah Imma do that now. But like I bet y’all are wondering why “fourth now”??? Well my dearies that is simple, that’s because my beau’s birthday is coming up and I want to like use this as my way of like celebrating her birthday! because she can’t visit right now because of covid (technically she can but like... it’s complicated lol) so I’m just going to celebrate for?? with??? her by doing this!!!

So yeah, all in all, Imma do a quadruple celebration!!!! 

First is the one month delayed celebration for my birthday (last September 9) and even though it’s late I still want to celebrate my birthday with you peeps! because honestly speaking, my family and I did NOTHING... except eat a buttload of stuff lmao 

Second is a celebration for me having 300 followers!!! Whoohooo!!! but like this is a really reaaaally late celebration for this because I honestly surpassed this count like a month ago I think???? I’m not sureeeee

Third is a celebration for me NOW having 400 followers!!! YAYYYYY!!!! WHOOOOO!!!! I honestly can’t believe that so many of y’all are still staying here with me even though I only post garbage lol

And last but not the leastttt, is a celebration for my beau’s birthdayyyyy!!! On October 15!!!! y’all are gonna celebrate her birthday with me yayyyyy!!!! (´▽`ʃ♡ƪ)

Okay now enough of the chitchat (sorry I just wanted to give y’all an explanation) and let’s get on with it. Now the rules are simple...

THERE ARE NO RULES! 

All you have to do is look at the Prompt List that I so graciously provided and painstakingly made (it’s not that hard actually and I really liked some of them because it is so random and chaotic lmao) for you (it’s under the cut/keep reading so you can check it out later) and that’s it!

Everything is on your hands now! You want a specific pairing??? You want Dickinette? Jasonette? I gotchu bro. Oh, you don’t want a pairing at all??? Sure, I could work with that. You want salt??? Bro you gotta be more specific, I have the classic Adrien salt, Alya salt, and the all-time favorite Lila salt. I got tons of salt! You want <character> sugar??? Bro I got a bucket of sugar here in my house because I have a sweet tooth, that’s too easy! What else ya got?? You want angst??? Nice, whadya want, character death??? Breakup fic??? Happy ending or tragic????

So yeah, it depends on you on what kinda fic you want cuz this’ll be like my little gift to all of you! (as long as it’s within my capabilities and is in the prompt list that is) You can be as vague as possible (EXAMPLE: No. 25 with no pairing pls!!!!) or as detailed as you want! (*insert five paragraphs with 10 sentences each detailed explanation of prompt request*) It all depends on you!

This celebration will start at exactly October 15 at 8am sharp! That means I’ll start accepting asks on that day and time. I think I’ll keep this ongoing and my asks open (although it’s always been open but for like this specific thing is what I’m talking about) for ONE MONTH (perfect since I have 30 prompts). Meaning, this celebration will end on exactly November 15 at 9pm!

Hope you have fun! (technically I’ll be the one having fun and writing while you just sit back and wait and enjoy reading lol)

PROMPT LIST

"I don't know, you and your friends gain magical powers which lets you control the elements or some shit maybe?"

<Character>'s best friend (or someone you choose) dies, but lucky for them, they can see the dead

The Spin Until You Puke Game

"I said bark, Bitch."

Magical Girl Transformation

Black Knight/Black Rose (choose either one of the two)

Walking Skeleton

"I-I accidentally saved over your data... I'm sorry."

Grasmere's Flame - a flame that never gets put out

"I take back what I said, as a knight of the empire... I'll face you seriously."

Purple eyes

"You've finally revealed yourself... I will now obliterate you."

Necromancer [Title: Shadow Monarch]

Stealth Lvl. 5

"Don't get in my way."

Cat Ears

"If you're going to hit someone, then it ought to be the fat, jiggling meat of corrupted nobles/people!"

Chuunibyou

Reverse Trap

"What's that? A newly improved complicated enchantment that you just came up with on your own on the spot?"

Nickname: The Mad Dog Princess

"That's too long, I don't have all day. Summarize it in 20 words or less."

False Identity

Free Falling

"In the end I... I'm so glad I beat them all up."

Ballgowns and Corsets

Isekai’d to an Otome Game

"To replace a hero, one must simply kill the hero."

Blood Poison Skill

Musicals

You know if you read manga's and manhwas, you’ll know where I got most of these and understand why I love them lol

[handspoken]

LITTLE CHARACTER THINGS

just a fun little character game. fill in the below categories with 3-5 things that your character can be identified by. repost and tag away!

TAGGED BY: @dansiere like weeks ago lmao TAGGING: this is a good meme for insight, please steal and tag me

EMOTIONS / FEELINGS:

001. fascination; curiosity and astonishment.

002. dread; the all-consuming weight of frightful anticipation.

003. enthusiasm; pinpointed focus, usually at work.

004. wryness; sarcasm and the notable lack of emotion.

005. confidence; stupidly abundant.

GREETINGS:

001. a curt nod, and brief eye contact.

002. a short verbal greeting without looking up from his work.

003. a grand entrance and greeting speech, just to make the listeners embarrassed.

004. introducing himself first formally as the one and only royal scientist, of course.

COLOURS:

001. black and white; not only his character palette, but a symptom of his color blindness. the world appears washed out to gaster, as if a slight black and white filter was activated constantly.

002. red; the color of blood, and of a SOUL made of DETERMINATION. reminds him of the first SOUL he conducted experiments on.

003. blue and orange/red; the colors associated with his brothers.

004. brown; earthy hues and warn tones. the color when remembering the surface.

005. gold; of buttercups.

SCENTS:

001. ozone; metallic and burning, but sweet and headache-inducing.

002. rust; of blood and old iron.

003. wet earth; pungent mud, sour and bitter.

004. old coffee; long days in the lab.

005. baked goods; some friends remember he likes them.

CLOTHING:

001. lab coat; his uniform while in the lab, always stained with pen ink and pockets full of notes he swore to read and remember later. bought as a standard uniform, but turned into a near constant part of his identify. represents his work as a royal scientist, and his endeavors to keep pushing, keep exploring, and keep experimenting for better or worse.

002. black turtleneck sweater; the inner layer of clothes underneath the lab coat, and the usual choice of attire. not one to care for design or fashion, whatever is minimal and functional usually works. crimped close to his bones and long sleeved, the turtleneck is his favored article of clothing.

003. winter coats; though skeletons do not usually feel particularly warm or cold, the sting of Snowdin’s icy atmosphere made even the strongest things brittle and shatter, bones included. representing the hometown of the skeleton family, winter coats are the clothes that protect them from the elements and also add a cute layer of cushioning.

004. leather armor; his attire while fighting in the Monster-Human war, before being sealed in the Underground. though not a melee fighter, Gaster donned armor just for a level of protection that wouldn’t leave him exposed to the elements.much of his memory about the war is hazy, but the feeling of leather on his bones remains sharp.

005. house coat and slippers; the lazy outfit while at home, in the rare times that happens.

OBJECTS:

001. clipboard; most likely what you’ll find in his hands when at work. always writing, always scribbling or drawing, he takes notes about nearly everything around him and tries to document them. unfortunately his writing is messy enough to only really be legible to himself, and at a certain point it becomes a practice to just take notes in order to keep focus. it’s a gift from Gerson.

002. rulers and blueprints; strewn around his home office and lab office, to keep building blueprints for the CORE or his personal machine. 

003. old journal; a secret from anyone else, kept in his home office and filled with more drawings than words. his last entry is a drawing of three people, with the words “DON’T FORGET” written on it.

VICES / BAD HABITS:

001. pride / superiority complex; putting him in the role of Royal Scientist didn’t really help much with his humbleness, and his belief in himself to help monsterkind after creating the CORE skyrocketed to a point he at one point thought himself to be the savior or at least the key to freedom, especially when he started to focus on his work to create the machine that bypasses the Barrier. 

002. obsessive / borderline neurosis; his work into breaking the Barrier will eventually come across the multi-timeline theory and the possibility of FILE/SAVE/LOAD powers, which is such a phenomenon and an anomaly that he’d focus on it to unhealthy degrees. because it’s such a strange theory and mostly unbelievable he has few people to discuss this with.

003. refusal of assistance or self-care; ties into the last point. most of this is born from his frustration of not being able to talk to anyone else about his discovery of the multi-timeline theory and the mindset that he knows whatever he will eventually do will end up failing; he knows whatever he accomplishes will not be enough so he continues to push himself to go further in hopes it will reach a point of being enough, whatever that is.

004. disregard for self-worth and survival; ties again into the last point. he eventually works himself to near death and is the last test subject for his own machine, which obliterates him from existence.

BODY LANGUAGE:

001. hand gestures; with a face that hardly changes appearance, expression comes from other means. the easiest and most notable is the gestures his hands perform. sometimes signing to himself, especially if trying to figure out a certain way to word his next sentences. he uses his hands to simulate movement or pantomime scenarios.

002. posture and stance; Gaster is a taller monster, his height often rivaling boss monsters. he slouches often and makes himself small in order to both allow a platform for the boss monsters and to be more approachable to his peers. when standing tall, he gives something his full attention or admiration. it’s one of his more noticeable tells; Gaster is upright when he is serious about something.

003. head movement; like a dog, his head tilts when something confuses him. he juts out his neck when surprised or cranes himself when acting sly. it’s almost as if he were a puppet being controlled in a comedy show.

AESTHETICS:

001. science and work; the driving force of every minute of every day.

002. academia and language; he is an educated man, but not particularly cunning.

003. hands and fingers; touch and feeling.

004. darkness and oblivion; that would eventually be his fate.

005. chaos and confusion; that weighs him down.

SONGS / PIECES:

001. Real Thing - tUnE-yArDs and what you are, you're simply not / aren't you tired of this game?

002. Birth Of A Wish - NieR: Automata OST this cannot continue / become as gods

003. Coalescence - Risk of Rain “...and so he left, with everything but his humanity.”

004. When He Died - Lemon Demon they found a message etchd into his spine / that said when he died

005. Charlie’s Inferno - That Handsome Devil i really don't belong here, i know you've heard the tune before

[hoopdiddies]

I'm Not Over You // Ben Hardy x Reader (Part 10)

A/N: I am so sorry that I have not been on for a full week. The phone I had used to edit this in broke and I had to buy a new one plus this is the last chapter and apparently the longest, regardless of my recent claims of the previous ones being the longest lmao. I hope this won't disappoint, I couldn't think of a more consistent flow due to the days I've been without my phone to type some ideas in. I hope you guys will enjoy this last part anyway, and thank you so much for supporting this entire series! I have a new series in mind but it's a WIP. Thanks again for all the love! IMPORTANT NOTE: I WILL BE CUTTING A PART IN THIS CHAPTER AND PUTTING IT UNDER A PART 10.1 IMMEDIATELY AFTER I POST THIS FOR THE SAKE OF THE LIMIT. TAGS WILL BE MENTIONED IN THE COMMENTS

Summary for this part: A wedding brought you apart and it will be a wedding that will bring you back together.

Warnings: A good balance of fluff and angst, mention of injuries and alcohol and some long ass writing.

WC: A whopping 10k

Parts: 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

You are painfully a feet away from the door and yet here you are, frozen after having turned 180 degrees only to stumble upon those eyes you had hoped to gaze into again. One swallow from you and you begin gliding along the tiled surface towards him, checking through every pad whether or not he's really awake.

After stopping at his side, you are now certain you're not anywhere close to dreaming. "Ben?" His name leaving your lips like an answered prayer. He's staring back at you with his left eye half-open – taking into account his current sensitivity to light– but with the same energy he exudes everytime you're together.

His chapped lips curl into a smile so slow yet so sweet at the same time; almost an upgrade to his classic 'Benny beam' which you had fun dubbing back in the days. "Y/N..."

And once again, you disrupt the orderly function of your tears and let them gush down, quickly but carefully wrapping your arms around him in bittersweet joy, exclaiming his name thrice into his hospital gown. "You...you bloody idiot! I thought you'd never wake up..."

Having just woken up from a coma, his voice comes out extra breathy and brittle but full of life, chuckling at how you're greeting him back into the conscious world. "Is that...is that how you welcome your best mate back?"

You shake your head ardently, sniffling against his chest and taking in the scent of mint. "Shut up. You frightened us!"

He really wakes up seconds before the clock strikes 'it's too late'. The convenience is hardly believable.

"I'm gonna call the doctor and tell him you're up." You act swiftly on your feet but a grip as strong as you least expected it to be hinders you from taking a step away and you turn around at Ben who's woven his fingers around yours. You give him a concerned yet quizzical look for it.

He sighs deeply, closing his logy eyes for a brief moment before opening them to you– gazing up at you meaningfully as he draws you close with the little, physical strength he has left. "You frightened me, rather."

"What... are you talking about?"

You won't admit it now but the way his fingers are currently snaked around yours could make your heart palpitate any second now.

His green eyes bore into yours effectively, suddenly invalidating your surroundings and making it seem like it's just you and him on the face of the entire planet.

He struggles to swallow before repeating. "You frightened me. You're still leaving..."

His voice crack as he said 'leaving' obliterates the fragments of what was once your soul, punching a gaping hole as a replacement. How is he able to remember your emotional outburst at the after party when he has just woken up and should at least forget a few details?

But then you realize you've been talking to him a lot as he was out of order.

You nod unfortunately, laying your hand on his which is still fondling your other one. His skin has warmed up a notch and that's a progress. You need to clarify this to him again since the last time you did, you both ended up in  disarray and in the middle of the road.

"I...I've already told you everything."

"I don't wanna- I don't wanna lose you."

"Ben..." You cut off as your hopeless gazes meet like lightning, his irises  darkening at the manner in which your eyes have transfixed on his.

"Please..."

Worried that his stable condition might shift due to the rising agitation he's showing, you sit beside him and bring his knuckles up to your lips, hearing the beeping of the heart monitor quicken which sounds incredibly alarming, an indication that his heart rate has elevated due to his induced stress.

You press your lips into his pale knuckles with your eyes thoroughly shut hoping to soothe him through it, tears trickling from your cheeks and onto the back of his hand as you choke on your words. "Ben...come on. You know I can't stay, you have to understand that."

He slowly shakes his head, biting his bottom lip as he grimaces at the bitterness, softly but agonizingly begging for you to reconsider. "You have to. Please, love. I need you to. I want you to."

Do the short term effects include stubbornness? Cause he's really determined to get you to stay no matter what. Joe must be tortured with waiting by now and at any given moment, he's bound to consider barging in.

You kind of hope he would. God, you should be out there notifying his attending physician about his regained consciousness and for goodness sake, Rosy ought to be here for this. She can't just wander out whenever she likes when her fiance's an injured man struggling to recover.

While keeping his trembling knuckles close to your lips, you move closer and question him, your voice downsizing to an unsteady whisper. "Why? Ben, I'm leaving primarily to pursue a career. Not just because of some heartbreak, this is a dream come true. I'm finally a stair close to reaching it. Why aren't you at least happy for me?"

"I am..."

"Then you have to let me go."

"It's not that easy..."

"Do you think it's any more easier for me? No! But this is what must be and you have to trust me on this," it's as if your heart is in your mouth from feeling so harrowed by all of this, but you have to make him see that this is the only way and that it is also important that you leave, "I'm sorry if I said some things that night that weren't exactly the way I felt. But I have to leave. You're getting married to Rosy soon, you know. Don't worry about me..."

He wishes he could just sit up with ease and cage you in his arms but all his incapacities at the moment are inhibiting him from doing so. Knowing he can't do anything about it emotionally deflates him.

He withdraws his hand a little and presses it to your flushed cheek, kneading your delicate skin as he shakes his head gently to prevent the dressing around his head from becoming less taut.

"I think I know well enough who I want to marry now..."

You can't distinguish what present beating has accelerated; the heart monitor's, your own heart, or at best both. But you're sure as hell his words weren't a product of your own imagination, your eyes drifting from one of his orbs to the other in a daze, looking for any sign that would prove that it's not you he's directed it at but it does otherwise.

"What are you saying?"

The skin of the front of his neck moves along as he swallows dryly to assure you the realness of his words, his thumb traveling up your face to wipe  the moist corner of your eye. "I'm a bloody wanker for taking so long to see...that you're the one who has always kept me grounded, who has always made me feel more like myself. Even as far as making me feel like I don't need all this fame to lead a good life, " his breath shortens between each sentence and your jaw goes slack as he exploits the atmosphere to continue, eyes buried deep into yours as if the space in between doesn't even matter anymore.

"I'm an idiot...for not realising sooner that it's always been you."

"Ben-"

"I love you too, Y/N L/N, more than the way I used to. How could I ever be happy without you? We promised neither of us is going anywhere, right? "

Definitely not in the context of mere friendship. For a moment, you make it your quest to find your voice to react and you do.

"You can't. You can't- I mean, what about Rosy? Surely your feelings for her wouldn't just go away like that-"

"It's been doused for so long with the ones for you growing," he's thumb is now gingerly stroking circles on your cheek, the green in his eyes gleaming, "that dance at the after party put me in my place and I asked you if you were still coming to my wedding because...it was my way of telling you how I felt at that moment."

Despite the idea coming off a little incoherent, you immediately get the bottom line. It would've been like coming to your own wedding. You study his gaze confusingly before coming to believe that he actually does love you back in the way you always have.

The words have been built up from the moment he whipped out his share of the polaroid and reestablished his promise as the way he felt towards you took a dramatic turn.

Yet no matter how badly you want to stay and finally work some things out with him, he's engaged and you're leaving in 45 minutes.

And what of Rosy? Hopefully Ben wouldn't think of just fragmenting her like that.

Your deafening silence puts Ben under a heap of worry as he painfully anticipates for your reaction. You shake your head at the unlikelihood of your present situations, bringing your eyes shut as you respond in the only way you can without any words needed to express how sorry you are and how much you've waited for him to say it.

Against your better judgement, you lean your body towards him and catch him off guard with the most bittersweet, goodbye kiss anyone could ever exercise on a moment's notice.

You can tell his positive response with how rapid the heart monitor pulses are becoming and how his lips have begun moving passionately against yours.

His eyes flutter shut in return, tangling his fingers in your hair as he dares to deepen the kiss, eager to feel every inch of your lips as he knows that you still won't be staying after this.

Wait for me to come home...

You pull away catching your breaths as you rest your forehead on his, his hand stroking the back of your hair for the little time you have left in your hands.

This feels so wrong yet so right at the same time. Howbeit strong the desire to stay put, you break away before the spark between either of you becomes magnetizing enough to change your mind.

"Please tell me where you're going...please." He pleads yet you refuse to tell him where you're headed to avoid a fuss, shaking your head apologetically with the space between you both increasing.

"I'm so sorry." You whisper, retreating quickly to the door as you ignore his broken pleas and just in time to be welcomed by the doctor, Rosy and some nurses who are here to conduct another assessment. Your pulse picks up at the sight of an uneasy Rosy along with an extra glimpse of a tuft of red and a head of blonde hair overtopping from behind her, eager to check up on whatever is occurring.

Joe and Lucy.

You clear your throat as you utter quickly to the doctor, unable to set your gaze steady. "He's awake." Your update stirs them to hasten on their steps inwards and you don't bother to stop to give Rosy a glance as she brushes by you, with you feeling the slightest, if not an immense amount of guilt for kissing her fiance– your best friend, who now has to make a troubling choice in choosing between you and her. Most importantly, you wouldn't dare to contend with Rosy over this, you'd rather let it happen naturally and see where it would lead but that's the least of your priorities.

You've whizzed a meter past Joe and Lucy but freeze in your spot at Joe's frail call of your name, your shoulders relaxing after a brief pause. "Y/N...how did- how did it go?"

You remain static in your spot, just wanting to leave the building and basically see past everything.

"Let's just go."

Of course he and Lucy half expected your last conversation to be balanced on a scale of nonchalant to vehement but it went off the boundary of vehemence. With one more look at the closed door, the two catch up with you on your way out with a plan on revisiting Ben on their way back from the airport.

You lengthen the sleeve of your sweater and dab your eyes with it, striding towards the car and slipping into passenger's seat gracefully with the two trailing from behind. Once they climb in after you, they begin bombarding you with questions you'd expect them to drop but being so exhausted from all of drama just lessens your likelihood of elaborating your answers. With a few questions dismissed, you ask Joe to just step on it and he complies sadly.

Lucy gives you a sympathetic, lopsided smile and however stagnant your expression is at the moment, you return the favor as the car accelerates on the road ahead.

You bother to give the distancing hospital one last look; giving him one last look.

At the same time the doctors are asking Ben some questions and performing a few physical tests on him, you make it to the airport with some time to spare. Joe and Lucy accompany you into the waiting area agreeing to stick around just until your flight number is announced.

Propping your luggage bag against a vacant seat next to the ones Joe and Lucy are seated on, you dig through your pocket and pull your phone out to check if there are any calls you've slept on. So far nothing of the sort but a dozen texts from friends and acquaintances wishing you the best on your flight to Spain, though you still have to return to London to collect your essentials.

Their words coax a small smile on your lips and after pressing the button to your home screen, the wallpaper brings a small tear to your eye– you and Ben with your arms wrapped around each other beaming goofily at the shutter of the camera.

In this instance, you begin wondering why photos and pictures

have become such a recurring emblem in your friendship. Joe and Lucy notice the sadness spring out of your eyes and cloud your features as you gaze one last time at your phone, and they instantly figure out what you were looking at. Lucy gets up and turns you around softly by the shoulder, prompting you to talk it out to them prior to leaving. If it unloads the stresses you're under then you agree to it, telling them what went on inside the room not too long ago.

Upon mentioning the bit where Ben confessed to you and was insistent on not letting you leave, Joe breathes out a firm, "I knew it" and Lucy shakes her head incredulously at Ben's 'perfect' timing but overall they're both glad he's opened his eyes– in a metaphorical and physical sense– to the person who has always been worthy of that spot in his life. As your conversation comes to a close, the announcement of the boarding of your flight number limits your bittersweet goodbyes however you do promise that you'll call them as soon as you touchdown.

"You better do well out there! Don't forget to call us every once in a while. Or everyday, damn it!" Joe calls out after blowing multiple kisses to you, he and Lucy bidding you an effective farewell.  You wave back at them with a reassuring grin before disappearing into the crowd of bustling passengers, huffing sadly underneath your breath as you trail your finger smoothly across your bottom lip– where Ben had left his precious, goodbye mark for you. Something you ought to hold on to dearly for the moments you'll be missing out on.

Many months later

During your first day in the University of Barcelona, you could've sworn it was all but a dream and at any given moment you could've awakened; but it wasn't. It was right before your eyes and you were standing upon the solid concrete that held those opportunities. In the first days you were but a foreigner; merely wandering around the campus with your textbooks in hand making your journey to the lab and cafeteria a noble quest. Like your life depended on finding your way through every twist and turn on a day to day basis, asking fellow students where particular rooms were as you struggled to maintain good eye contact.

It was an everyday uphill battle for everyone.

However things have improved immensely in the following months, you have gained new friends in most of your classes, developed a good sense of direction around the campus and you've scored solid 90's in your classes which you thought would be bumpy the first time but attainable anyway through nights spent with ounces of coffee, extensive reading and episodes of academic agony.

Despite the pressures in your first year, you still keep in touch with your friends and family back home, especially with Joe and Lucy to whom you had once swore to always call. They're glad to know you've been at your peak in the past few months plus they wouldn't stop making a fuss about how much they miss you and long to have some sort of reunion once you decide to go back for a break. They've been well too– Joe's planning on producing a new movie although he's not certain with the details yet, Gwilym has talked to you as well and he's thriving with new projects which you were quick to congratulate him on and Lucy - oh, darling Lucy- apparently Rami had taken her out of the country again and popped the question out of nowhere just two months after you left.

Of course, when she told you the news the hot brew you had nearly swallowed came spewing out of your mouth in surprise thereby catching the attention of the people you were with at that time. But that was out of happiness too, she's invited you to her wedding –a few months after breaking to you the news of her engagement– which is to take place two weeks from now, something you're unfortunately unsure of attending since you are steadfast on getting heaps of classwork done.

But you promised to update her if ever you found an opening on that week to squeeze in a flight.

"Aren't you coming with us? They're waiting downstairs and it's our only night off this week. " Ava, your roommate and closest friend among the others, asks as she slips on her cardigan, ready to leave for a night out. You've got a book propped up in front of you and you were just getting immersed in the lines you've taken your eyes off of. "Er, it's kind of a cold night out. You girls have fun anyway."

"You sure?"

You nod, flipping your pen in your fingers. "Just bring me home a smoothie while you're at it."

"Get your butt off the chair and do it yourself!" She whines as she throws a nearby ball of cotton at you and you giggle lightheartedly, wishing her and the girls good luck as she heads out, shutting the door behind her.

You're just relieved they can communicate fluently with you or you never would've gotten around the city easily. Just as you begin turning your attention back to your book, you suddenly lose the interest to continue and just close it for the night, picking your phone up and tossing yourself on the bed with a small jounce as you land.

You shift on your spot as you check through your messages, emails, some posts from friends and whatnot to pass the hour, eventually noticing a message from an unknown number sent just earlier today. Curiosity peaks in you and you don't think twice before clicking on it to read.

You've changed your number weeks prior anyway so it could be from someone you know whose phone number you haven't asked for yet.

Hey, Y/N.

I know this is out of the blue but it's been a while since I've heard from you and in all honesty I didn't even bother to contact you the first time out of the assumption that you might have busied yourself a lot and don't have the time to check your phone. But I've become so worried then that I had to decide to ask you how you're doing. How you're holding up wherever you are. If you're not overworking yourself since you tend to do that a lot. I know it's been months since we've last talked to each other but I just miss you. I miss seeing you, having those late night conversations that got you late in the morning for work, hanging out and your voice. I kind of want to call you but you might be occupied and I don't wanna be a bit of a bother.

I miss you so much, love. Every single day. I'm trying to distract myself with the new project I've taken but you're just impossible to sleep on. When will you ever be back?

Why does the tone of the message seem familiar?

You reread along the last lines and your heart comes to a stop at one word that gives away the possible identity of the sender.

The lingering silence in the room making it possible for you to hear the elevated throbbing of your heart. It's been a while since he's slipped into your mind and even until now, the love you have for him is still flourishing wholly. Even when you had your mind set on your studies, your heart unknowingly had some other priorities.

So has he called things off with Rosy because if he hasn't yet, the tone of the message wouldn't come off as sincere as this.

That's a question you don't need answered for the meantime however you wonder how he was able to text you when you've pretty much changed your number.

You hope he's fully recovered from that head trauma though it's been nearly a year since that happened. Your thumbs hover over the keyboard, thinking about replying.

Hey. Ben if this is you, it's great to hear from you again.

Your eyes dart to the send button, taking a brief pause before hitting it and discarding your phone to the side at least hoping he wouldn't respond immediately because then it would lead to a conversation that might just turn awkward.

Never have you had an awkward talk with him so it's something you wouldn't want to acquaint yourself with.

You grab your pillow and press your cheek against it in uncertainty.

"Don't even start...thinking about him." You mumble groggily into the pillow and lay flat on your back as you begin wallowing in your own doubt, your eyes becoming droopy at every second spent on staring at the pale ceiling with your right arm and leg thrown over the pillow like you're never gonna let it go.

You never even considered seeing someone else because deep down, you still hoped for him. Though you had exchanged some stares and 'interactive' words with a few guys in your classes, none of them ever came or would ever come close to Ben.

- - - - - - -

This week's lab work gave your brain a mild whiplash with all the hustling you were required to do.

Every morning, you either had breakfast or not and it all depended on how early you had to be there. Provided that you had to take off in the early hours, you had to skip a good  bite nearly every morning; plus you were all being assessed closely by your professor and so a downshifted movement was every bit as unacceptable.

At least now that you had just gotten off from your last period you can reward yourself with some good Mediterannean food that should be the ultimate dinner of your night.

You and Ava are seated around a table laughing and enjoying each other's companies with your plates and glasses half-filled with leftovers after a quick chow down, but your attention is quickly divided as a text from Lucy surfaces. She's asked you about your availability next week and you ought to re-check your schedule for it. Once again upon pressing your home screen button you can't help but let a longing smile take form on your lips at your wallpaper and with you being oblivious to Ava noticing, to your demise, she takes a sly peek at what you're looking at and disrupt your train of thought.

"Who's that?" Ava asks with a cheeky grin to which you quickly recoil with your phone held loosely in your hand.

"Nothi- no-one. "

As nosy as she is tenacious, she swiftly

snatches your phone from your weak grip and dares to unlock it, the  wallpaper of you and Ben making her swoon in delight. "Y/N, how on Earth did you get Ben Hardy to hold you for a photo like this?" Squealing like a schoolgirl, Ava grills you with an inquisitive look. You've never bothered to tell her or any of your new found friends anything about your friendship with him and so now she thinks you're a fan who merely got luck in her favour for a picture.

If only she knew.

"I don't know? How'd you know it's him?" You speak up your mind, a fleeting blush crawling its way to your face.

" Bohemian Rhapsody was a hit, of course. Queen rocks and I was all for it," she gesticulates as a matter of fact and winks playfully, "and later on we were all for the cutie who played Roger Taylor."

You try your very best not to let a single squeak of laughter escape your lips as she begins drooling over him. What are the chances of her finding out, right? You would tell her about it and have her meet him however your situation is too dire to act in. Come to think of it, you haven't received a reply to your reply to his message. He could be juggling a lot in his hands at the moment, perhaps.

"Cutie. Yeah, he's cute. But the guy seems clumsy enough to drop your heart." Here you are throwing a sportive shade all the way from Barcelona.

As if she's taken a fake offense at your comment, Ava overdoes a gasp. "Is that how you say thanks?"

You respond with a one-shoulder shrug, your voice neutral to keep yourself from giving away the screams of your heart. "I'm just saying. What are we doing next week by the way?"

"As I've been told by Mr. Gomez, the school will be hosting an array of meetings with the BOD and so we're given a time off."

You blink thrice at her. "Seriously? Like a week?"

She forks a tapa from her plate and bites down on it, nodding at you. "Three days max." So you don't have the entire week off, but that's great. Given that you had told Lucy you'd update her about your availability during that time and now that you have a few days to spare, you're conditioned to go. You quickly get up from your chair and excuse yourself from Ava, making your way to the terrace to dial Lucy who you hope is reachable at the meantime.

"Hello?"

"Lucy, hey!"

"Y/N, thank goodness you called!"

"About my weekly update?" You bite down on your lip in excitement, swinging your leg back and forth aimlessly.

"What about it?"

"I'm free next week."

- - - - - - -

"And cut! Okay everyone, lunch break. We're not cleaning up the rubble yet so we'll leave it there for the next scene." At the sound of the clapperboard slamming, all stunts have been ceased until the next roll and the main actors retreat individually to their own trailers, one of which is Ben who is walking back within beads of sweat dripping from his forehead as a result of a car stunt he had to perform on set. He's glad he can finally swing his left arm with unbridled ease after disposing of the sling just two months back although he's left with a few scars; the primary one on his forehead from the trauma he had.

A PA hands him a bottle of water and he thanks her for the save, cracking the lid off and chugging away. He waves at his fellow co-stars before entering his trailer and slipping out of his sweaty shirt, dumping it on the edge of the bed.

He places the bottle on a coffee table and swipes his phone from his drawer, being welcomed by a heap ton of messages, one days older than the next. He scratches his head at the result of his constant business; not being able to find time to reply thereby impregnating his inbox with miscellaneous messages.

Three from Lucy which he is 'obligated' to check first and foremost. Ben's lips twitch to an uneven smirk as he reads her messages, amused that he's been invited to her wedding, along with other people.

He replies with a simple yet sincere, "Thanks, I'll mark it on my calendar" before proceeding to put his phone down on the bed. He sighs, taking out his wallet from his drawer and opening it to pick out something, the dual polaroid he's folded in catching his eye and all of his attention; and for a moment, his heart stops.

He pulls it out from its slot and unfolds it, the tape used to stick it together  crinkled but still an effective adhesive. Without taking his eyes off of the polaroids, he plops down on the edge of the bed and wipes his forehead, hiding the ridiculous smile he now has on his face behind his hand. The memory still does things to him apparently and he has never let go since the day you kissed him goodbye. He can still feel the touch of your lips linger on his and admittedly, he traces his finger across the spot every time you cross his mind. The things you had said to him while he was unconscious ultimately stuck in his mind and he just longs to hear your voice once more. There are multiple times he forgets that you're not around to vent to or watch a good game of rugby with or do whatever you used to do together, no matter the trouble.

Generally speaking, he just yearns to be with you.

On a side note, he had long called things off with Rosy, exactly a day after he had awakened. Of course, she didn't take it easy but he knew damn well who he loved.

A heavy sigh leaves Ben's lips as he lowers his head at the frustration he feels for never owning up to his feelings.

She probably has some other guy in her life now. What are my chances? He thinks dryly to himself. "Hey, Ben? Break is over." The assistant director knocks on his trailer door and he tells him that he'll be out in a few. Tucking the polaroids back into his wallet, he snags the fresh shirt that's been laid out on the sofa across him and pulls it on, combing his blond hair back with his fingers before heading out to get the day done without realizing that he has skipped your reply.

With the days leading up to Rami and Lucy's wedding, they have never been more busier about any other event in their entire lives. They've decided on a beach wedding and to hold the reception there as well. Lucy has made you one of her bridesmaids yet you declined at first because that would mean you would have to fly in early for a practice down the aisle but she's assured you that practice wouldn't be necessary. She has taken care of the dresses and such and all you need to do is just fly down to California, again, to attend. Speaking of dresses, you bought her a little wedding gift yourself. It's something small but it's bound to suit her look.

You've told Ava about the wedding– excluding essential details like whose wedding it is specifically– and she's a little disheartened that you wouldn't be around to hang out with for the week but you've reassured her that you won't be long; considering you'll also be reviewing for upcoming tests.

"Okay, so it's a beach wedding? Drastic times call for some drastic measures, chica!" She exclaims and throw her arms up in the air, springing out of her bed and rummaging through her wardrobe as you throw what you can into one, just one luggage bag.

She pulls out a black two-piece bikini from the drawers and upon beholding it, you feel your eyes burn to a crisp. "There won't be any swimming, as far as I'm concerned."

"You'll never know. Just toss this in, it might come in handy." You swear you saw a mischievous glint in her eye as she said that. You press your lips into a tentative, hard line before surrendering,  grabbing the pair from her and stuffing it in the unreachable depths of your luggage.

"Happy?" She nods vigorously and you sigh in defeat, zipping your bag close.

The day came and the jet lag is still real. You've flown in a day prior,  exactly the day of Lucy's bridal shower and well, a literal bone crushing hug welcomed you on your way into the arrival area. She looked really fresh and bloomy before you arrived but afterwards, it was a messy head of hair and a waste of makeup, not to give it a stretch but it was. She's shed a few tears from how long you've been gone and you couldn't help but shed a few yourself, awfully missing her and the rest.

She's prepped a hotel for all her bridesmaids to stay in and you had some thoughts on how much she's spent but it's her wedding so who are you to question? As she helps you settle in your room, she pauses and brings you in for another big hug.

"Aww, Luce." You chuckle over her shoulder, rubbing her back.

She snaps her eyes shut and hums. "Oh Y/N, I've missed you. We all have. I know we call a lot even from a distance but it's been so long since we've last seen each other."

You sigh heavily, still holding her close.

"LAX. Yeah. It's only been a year but it feels like forever," you pull away deliberately, hands still firm on her shoulders with a heartfelt gaze, "Congratulations, Luce. You and Rami better make wonderful babies."

She smacks your arm lightly as an appropriate response to your little tease. "Shut it. Tell me everything."

"Everything?"

"Yeah," she planks down on the edge of the duvet and crosses her legs, leaning her body forward, "how's Spain? How's the school? The agony? Been seeing someone?" The last bit catches you by surprise; as if she's emphasized the question enough for it to be the main thing you have to answer. You disregard it for a few seconds until she brings it up again. You turn to give her an incredulous brow lift, something she returns with a curious grin. "Are you seeing anyone?"

In your mind, she should know that you've only ever had one guy in your heart but knowing Lucy, she just wants to hear you say it yourself .

You huff underneath your breath, planting your hands on your hips as you perpend on saying the following. "Spain is amazing. School is both heaven and hell. The agony exists in every divot, and no, I'm not seeing anyone."

"That's good."

You glance sideways awkwardly. "Okay? Is what good?"

"Everything, except the agony part, especially the last."

"I'm not seeing anyone?" You repeat and she nods with a blossoming smile. You don't say anything else since it's obvious that she's keen on letting you talk about Ben but today's not the day that you do. It's the day before her wedding and every present air particle should be all about her.

"Regardless, Miss Boynton. This week is all about you so," you alter your stance and skip to your luggage bag, unzipping one compartment and pulling out your wedding gift for her, "it's not much but I figured this looks better if it's on you." You hand her the palm-sized object and she lets out a little gasp at what you got her. It's a hair comb adorned with two, white roses and pale rhinestones that glimmer under the spilling light.

Something that would upgrade her sun-kissed beauty on a clear day. You try it on her and step back to picture her with the full ensemble as she walks down the sandy aisle tomorrow. "Good lord, look at you all grown up." You pretend to tear up and she tilts her head back in a burst of laughter, walking to you with welcoming arms and green eyes that are nearly brimming with tears.

"Oh I love it, Y/N! I knew something was missing in the outfit but you've completed it. It's perfect." She mumbles happily against your shoulder and her contentment tickles your insides.

"I'm glad you like it."

After giving you a look of what you'll be wearing tomorrow and a few, friendly  introductions to the rest of the bridesmaids, the bridal shower is where everything is at. Ranging from colorful streamers to champagne to cake strippers, the latter putting you under uneasy situations when you just wished to enjoy your drink and your own space. At the same hour you're enjoying yourselves, on the other side of town is where Rami and the boys are on full swing with his bachelor's party. It has the same vibe, only without the strippers and streamers and constant belly-aching movement.

You just pray none of you will be waking up with hangovers at the hour you'll be fixing yourselves.

And indeed none of you have.

You've all waken up like ladies but clumsily as the realization of the time nudges you out of your beds. Ceremony starts at 9 and you're 5 hours early to ensure that everything progresses smoothly.

It's a condensed hustle within your separate rooms; the pattern of getting ready ever so similar. Shower, makeup, hair, dress, and retouch; all done in complete unison. With all the bridesmaids, including yourself, conditioned outfit-wise, you all gather in Lucy's room to assist in psyching her up for the big day. Her mom's in too to witness every precious second of seeing her daughter fly off on her own.

She's still in her robe but her hair and makeup have been beautifully done by one of her makeup artist friends. She's about to step into her gown, a sight the girls are just dying to see.

"Alright, Lucy. Let me just zip up the back." Says one of the girls who has helped with her makeup as Lucy stands confidently but nervously in front of the mirror, scanning her reflection. You fold your hands together in anticipation, gasping as she turns around slowly with the skirt of the gown gracefully following her turning motion. Her radiance could put the sun's to complete shame.

"Well, say something, girls." She prompts with a chuckle and as expected, it is followed by the uproarious squeal of everyone in the room including yourself. Rami is guaranteed to have his gaze super-glued to Lucy the moment she reveals herself. After having a dozen compliments shower her, you and the rest of the girls retreat outside to give her and her mother a time to talk. As you lean against the door frame, you fish out your phone from your purse and check your messages; coming across your reply to Ben which hasn't received another one from him yet.

You wipe off the downhearted smirk on your expression as the girls' murmurs increase as Lucy steps out holding a bouquet of flowers with her mom on her arm and the edge of her gown lifted by two assistants. She turns her head to find you and crooks her finger at you upon seeing you inclined against the frame, letting you walk by her side.

You notice she's sporting the gift you've given her and the sentimentality makes you want to tear up but in doing so would ruin your makeup and so you decide to save it for the kiss.

You lean in close to her and whisper in a flat but playful tone, your words making her giggle. "Rami's totally getting it."

"I'm not the only one who's getting it today." She winks at you and leaves you questioning what she meant. She made it sound like it's something you have to find out for yourself later on. The weather is fine and not as humid as you thought; the ideal atmosphere to marry under. The bridesmaids are to ride in a separate vehicle that will follow up behind the one Lucy and her mom will be taking. To say that your ride with the the girls to the resort turned out fun and noisy is an understatement; you couldn't be any more conscious about smudging your makeup as you busted your guts laughing at your topics. The driver had given you weirded out looks but you know he was just trying to feign a laugh. By the time you arrive at the resort, a gust of wind from the seaside welcomes you out and nearly messes up your hair though you've put it up in an elegant bun with your tendrils hanging loosely from the sides of your head. You traverse closely behind the rest of the girls and find the venue nearly packed with attendees in their most sophisticated dresses and suits. The altar is set meters away from the shoreline and a red carpet has been rolled out to serve as the aisle between lines of pillars decorated with tropical flowers. A gentle music piece is being played by a violinist and a cellist situated on the left side of the altar with waiters serving some four-seasoned refreshments for the guests to enjoy as they wait.

With all these people around, you can't help but wonder if either Joe or Gwilym made it. You haven't contacted Joe about arriving, given that you wanted to surprise him with your arrival. You peer down at your wristwatch and it's only an hour before the ceremony starts. Rami's nowhere to be seen and you badly want to congratulate him on this, but either way, he's probably attending to some other people and so you put that chance on hold.

As you had wished for yourself to be void of any mishaps today, you bumping into a tall figure as you turn around to walk away deters that possibility and mortifies you for a moment.

"Oh man, I'm so sorry-" You quickly apologize but cease as a familiar face meets your lifting gaze.

"What- Y/N?!"

"J-Joe?!"

"Y/N!"

"Joe!" After shamelessly screaming each other's names, you put no thought into the action of jumping into his arms for a tight hug. He's crushing you in one anyway. "Oh my g- what- when did you arrive, you little sneak? " He exclaims and lets you go for a split second, careful not to ruin your satin outfit. "You're going to murder me for this but yesterday."

His brows furrow in disbelief as his mouth hangs agape. "How dare you not tell me? I mean, I knew Lucy would invite you but...actually how dare you both for not telling me." He whines in a joking manner and you respond with a quick shrug. "Surprise, surprise."

"You sure did and wow," his eyes travel up and down your outfit and you click your tongue at him as he does, pointing your finger to your eyes that are aimlessly roving around his suit in the same manner. "Hey Mazzello, eyes here."

"Hypocrite, eyes here." He mimics your action mockingly and you take eye-rolling to the next level.

"Damn it Joe, I've missed you."

"Missed you too. Been a year but it feels like a decade and you look beautiful, by the way, in that outfit as a bridesmaid." He places his hand on your upper back and leads you into the lounging area that is close to the pool but not far from the event area.

"You don't look so bad yourself for a groomsman. "

"How'd you guess?"

"This is Rami's wedding. I'd know."

You got an hour to talk before you take your positions anyway so catching up would be vital. You settle down on the sofa and fit your talk into the time limit, telling each other about what went on in your lives for the past few months. A lot of interesting stuff has happened to Joe and he's absolutely lively as he talks about it however yours hasn't been much, just adaptation to a new environment and the academic agony. Your talk takes an interesting turn as Joe asks you a question related to something you haven't thought about for a few days.

"Since you're pretty much still on the market, you ever think about...you know."

Your brows crease at him. "What?"

"You know," he lifts his shoulder in a half shrug, "Ben."

"Oh." Is the only thing you can say. The answer is pretty clear, you do think about him but not on a daily basis. He comes across your mind when you've drifted off into oblivion with your thoughts or when something that may remind you of him catches your eye.

"Sometimes I guess. But not as deep as I used to."

"I know you miss him, Y/N, and he misses you too. Believe me, he tells me everytime he calls."

You cast him a short gaze but look back at your fingers, a little comforted by the thought and it motivates you to ask. "Is he still with Rosy?"

Joe scoffs, mildly amused and wholly relieved at the contrary. "That's the good news. He's broken things off with her long ago. Just a day after he regained consciousness."

"Really?" You won't admit it but part of you feels bad for her.

"Yeah and I'm not spoiling you the rest," he rises from his spot on the sofa and reaches out for your hand, pulling you up gracefully. "The thing's about to start." He gestures to the chairs that are beginning to get occupied by the people as the priest arrives. You walk back out alongside him, leaning in to ask out of curiosity. "What do you mean you won't spoil me the rest?"

"You'll see, now go skedaddle to Lucy. She needs her crew." He pats your shoulder with a crooked smile on and you sigh inwardly, waving at him as you divert paths; with you headed to where the rest of the bridesmaids and the bride herself are gathered.

"Gwilym! You're just on time." Spotting Gwilym making his way to join Sami – Rami's brother– at the front row of chairs on the right wing as one of the groomsmen, Joe greets him with a brief hug and takes his place next to him. Sami greets the two men as well, exchanging some remarks before being joined by Ben who had been caught in traffic on his way. "Benny!"

"Ben!"

"Hey, you guys! Am I late? Did I miss the vows?" He asks with a hint of irony as he takes the spot between Gwil and Joe, shaking hands with Sami at the same time. Not a minute longer they are joined by the remaining groomsmen and Rami who has finally garnered up the physical strength to stand on the altar without breaking a sweat.

"You got this, mate. Just don't look down. Your boutonniere looks nice if I might add." Gwilym simultaneously advises and compliments an already nervous Rami hoping to appease him yet earns a quick yet teasing smack from Joe for making a small joke out of the situation. To show them that he's actually better on every possible level, Rami stands tall and rests his hands on his front to exude that confidence and excitement of being minutes away from watching his soon-to-be Mrs. Malek grace the aisle with her presence.

The guests simmer down with their chatters as the first ones who will be walking down the aisle take their positions. The musicians stop playing as they wait for the cue to initiate the main piece in accordance with the first walk.

Among the ones that will be walking before Lucy's big entrance is you and though you'll be joined by your fellow bridesmaids, it somehow just quakes your nerves, tightening your grip around the small bouquet of flowers you've been given as a prop.

You can't understand why you're feeling nervous; you're not the one that's getting married but you just don't know why. The musicians are given the cue and they begin playing a familiar song, something contemporary but heart-achingly romantic.

"You okay?" Asks a fellow bridesmaid and you nod, telling her that you're a bit anxious. She reassures you with a smile and it unknots your tension. The guests and attendees turn their heads towards the threshold of the aisle and the sponsors begin walking down first. Next are some of their relatives, then you– the bridesmaids. There are at least seven of you and you come in fifth. As you begin sauntering down the aisle, you feel relaxed yet piercing eyes trail your movement yet you beg to differ and keep your head up with a mellow smile on your face as you keep your eyes ahead, your unsteady gaze fleeting from the altar and to the groomsmen seated at the front row of the right wing.

Your eyes land on Joe and Gwilym who start giving you bright beams as they notice you in an instant. If you weren't trying to walk sophisticatedly with all these people staring, you would let out the loudest, most awkward giggle. It's nice to see Gwilym again though. Just as you begin turning your unwavering attention away, you take a subtle double take at a certain pair of eyes that has found you long before you found them. You are meters away from reaching your end of the aisle and yet it seems as if you've only started walking with how the music has turned up and how you're exchanging astonished yet longing gapes with Ben who knows he is seconds away from exploding with who he's finally seeing. You're here as a bridesmaid for Lucy and yet ridiculously, you feel like the bride.

Of course he's here. Of course he's one of the groomsmen. Of course Lucy and Joe wouldn't tell you. Of course this is the thing Joe didn't want to spoil about. Why didn't you think about any of this earlier? It would've saved you the shock regardless of it being so obvious.

You gather the strength to break away from the trance you've put yourself in and stand next to the girls, using up all the willpower in your body to avoid risking a peek at the groomsmen– at one groomsman rather. It's the same struggle for Ben who is every bit as stubborn as the next person and does the contrary, going as far as tilting his head to one side just to cop a longer view of you, an action Joe notices and slaps his hand for. Ben winces a bit and gives Joe a questioning look for two reasons.

"Save it." Joe whispers flatly and yet Ben dismisses it and feels his breath hitch in his throat as the sight of you appeases his worries yet makes his heart run a mile. With the ring bearers and flower girls at the edge of their walk, everyone rises up at the reveal of Lucy. The music slows down to fit the pace of her walk with her mother by her side, her eyes finding Rami's and establishing a home in them. You glance at both of them and feel your heart inflate at how strong their love for each other is, something that usually only exists in novels and fiction. Lucy's eyes well with joyful tears as she reaches the altar and her mother finally surrenders her hand to Rami.

It's too much.

With you being too distracted by the spark between Rami and Lucy, you overlook Ben's unbreakable gaze at you. The moment you grew a smile, it invalidated everything else surrounding him.

The priest requests everyone to finally sit down and witness the lifetime commitment blossom. Throughout the ceremony, you can't help but feel his eyes sear through you yet you stand your ground and fix your gaze at the happenings on the altar, briefly failing every once in a while by finding yourself looking back at him. The moment has come for them to exchange their vows and you listen intently at every word sincerely uttered by the two. There are parts in their vows that make the people giggle and tear up at the emotion put into every word expressed. It seems surreal to you that the moment Rami tells Lucy that he's never going anywhere, your gaze meets Ben's and it becomes undeniably bewitching, Rami's words acting as a call back to your promises. As the rings are exchanged and the "I do's" are said, the priest pronounces them husband and wife and you tear your focus away from Ben just in time for Rami and Lucy to share their first kiss as a married couple. Cheers and applauds fill the air and even more tears of joy are shed at the start of their lifetime bond. They both couldn't look any more blissful, with the pair of them giddily flaunting their rings with grins so radiant and bright it undermines the power of the sun upon them.

The cheers and excitement continue at the reception which, of course, is hosted at the very same place. After the ceremony– you, the girls and Lucy took off to the rooms you've booked in the resort for the meantime to change into the appropriate apparel to match the vibe of the venue and even the venue itself. Rami and the boys drove back to their respective hotels to change as well and it was a bit hard for the newly weds to go their separate ways for a few hours just to change clothes. Now that you've all rejoined for the reception, lively doesn't even begin to cut it. It's just like any other wedding reception and like any other wedding reception, it's upbeat, smooth and a little haywire on the egdes. After going through with dinner and a couple of toasts and remarks about the funny side of Rami and Lucy's relationship, the dance floor is open for business. At first glance, the girls take you for someone who is in need of a lot acquainting with the dance floor and they're right; because of that they haul you in themselves and you end up enjoying moving around to the music. You decide to refreshen yourself with a glass of iced tea before returning to your fun. One gulp is all takes to replenish the energy lost and you turn around to head back but freeze in your spot at the sight of Joe with his hand out, asking you for a dance.

"Seriously?" You're not surprised but your brows shoot up in question.

"It's my way of saying 'I need to talk to you'. "

"We can do that outside." You gesture to the vacant space yet Joe insists that he dances with you as you talk. You purse your lips together, letting him take your hand and he pulls you along with him almost too abruptly, eliciting a ticklish squeal from you.

"Don't do that!" You whine as you both settle among the multitude of dancing people. He lowers his head in laughter and twirls you under his arm, drawing you close afterwards. You rest one hand on his shoulder as he holds up the other. "Where's the fun in talking outside now, huh?"

"Alright," you grin ridiculously, spotting Rami and Lucy in each other's arms as they slow dance near the mini stage, looking and feeling at one with the other. "Hey, doesn't it just warm you?" You poke Joe and gesture to the  newlyweds. He peers over at them and hums in a heartwarming way. "Yeah. Man, it's like they're communicating with each other merely through their close-knit heartbeats."

"Speaking of communication," you clear your throat and give him a direct look, " what did you want to talk about?"

He snaps out from gauging at the two and leads you on a gentle sway as he swallows, increasing the volume of his voice just loud enough to cut through the music and for you to hear. "Right. About the thing during the ceremony," you immediately catch on to what he's trying to say and interrupt his next words.

"Okay, thanks for implying, but are you kidding me? Giving me stroke by hiding Ben's attendance?"

"It was for dramatic effect," your eyes flatten puzzlingly at his defense. "What was so dramatic in that besides the awkward... staring?" You know the truth and it really wasn't awkward; in fact it felt like time dilated between you both.

Joe ping-pongs his gaze from one end of the place to the other and back to you. "You paused after 'awkward'. You liked it." The smile on his face teasing you. He's really that sensitive to the nuance of your voice, making it easier for him to figure out how you actually feel about anything.

You evade his prying look and clear your throat, trying to keep up with the transition of the rhythmic music to a slow tune. "So what if I did?" You mumble intentionally.

"Nothing bad. Just Ben wouldn't stop fidgeting in his spot after seeing you. He was this," he makes small jerky movements with his upper body as to imitate Ben's inability to keep still during the ceremony, "antsy and I was this close to losing it."

You snort as you let an explosive laugh overcome you, recollecting yourself shortly as you are flattered by Joe's report. "I felt the same. It took every cell in my body to prevent myself from launching at him honestly."

"I'm glad we sat in separate tables or else neither of you would function like regular...human beings." The grin on Joe's face fades in the same manner as his last words, staring off at a figure approaching from behind you. He regains his voice in a matter of seconds, only with a sly twinkle in his eyes this time.

"You okay?" You ask him, slowly removing your hand from his chest and he nods vigorously, taking position to whirl you off but with a sneaky twist.

"I'm fine. Just... Gwilym wants to dance with you and he's right behind you so I'm going to spin you off to him, sound good?" He lifts your arm up and you shrug in agreement, going with what Joe's planning to do.

"Ally oop!" He twirls you around and releases your hand just in time for you to cling onto a firm frame, giggling at the rush you felt. "Hey Gwil! Good catch, that was a strong spin-" You take a hard pause the second you lift your eyes up with the expectation of meeting Gwilym's sapphire blues, greeting a pair of forest, green orbs instead and it becomes more than what you've bargained for. His veiny arms have caught you with ease and you're sinking, both literally and metaphorically, your arms awkwardly thrown over his shoulders for support.

He helps you regain your balance and smiles the smile you had craved to behold again, breathing out your name like he hasn't said it in a long time. "Y/N, hi."

You find your voice just in time to reply. "Ben...h-hi." He's looking quite good in an all white attire. His white dress shirt is tucked in and has three buttons undone, exposing a lot of his clavicle and a preview of his pecs and the way his white pants just hangs loosely around his legs– you've lost the proper words to describe the sight.

Joe, you crafty asshole.

[thejapanesemapletree]

A l l O f T h e m. 31: Seiya/Shiryu 42: Ikki

Okay, wig

1: How long have you been in the fandom? Like uhhhh a month or two, from around the mid of November.

2: Favorite character? Aiolos because I adore He.

3: Favorite Bronze Saint? JABU. I love him because he is so fucking stupid. Himbo Rights.

4: Favorite Silver Saint? Marin!

5: Favorite Gold Saint? Aiolos! I also like Mu because he is a good dad.

6: OTP? (Me/Aiolos) Hyoga/Shun is the only one I have read fics for, so probably that lmao.

7: Other ships? I think Camus/Milo is funny because they seem like that couple that has constant explosive breakups and then get back together the next day.

8: Favorite Saga? (Sanctuary - Asgard - Poseidon- Hades) I luv the classic Twelve Temples Arc and meeting all the Gold Saints.

9: Favorite Female Saint? MARIN MY GIRL

10: Favorite God/Goddess? (Hades - Athena - Poseidon- Odin-ETC) I vibe with Apollo and the armor crop top he has going on.

11: Favorite Movie? If the Hades OVAs count... yes.

12: Headcanons you have? All the female saints are bisexual and you cannot change my mind.

13: How did you join the fandom? I was researching anime/cartoons that are popular in Latin America for a school project, and lo and behold... Saint Seiya.

14: When did you join the fandom? When I was doing the research in November or so.

15: Why did you join the fandom? I decided to watch a few episodes of the anime on Netflix to Get Woke about it in order to discuss it, and then I was sucked in never to return.

16: You have a crush on a character? Which one? HHHHHH I love Aiolos;;; 

17: Saddest character death? AIOLOS!!! He did not deserve his fate :(

18: Saddest backstory? If you don’t say Ikki here then you’re wrong.

19: Saddest/Most tragic Love Story? Miho and Seiya because Miho treated Seiya better than Saori usually does lmao. There are not a whole lot of canon love stories so IDK what else.

20: Opinion on Athena/Saori? I like how her coming into herself as a goddess also parallels her becoming a better and more caring person, especially towards the people risking her lives for her.

21: Manga or Anime? Anime. All-The-Bronze-Saints-Being-Related? I don’t know her.

22: Do you want to cosplay as anyone? I’m planning on making an armor Shun cosplay and a Kiki cosplay for a con in August uwu

23: Moment that made you cry? Not cry really, but Aiolos’ death and the kiddies finding his last writing in his temple were both OOF

24: Moment that made you laugh? When Misty ripped his clothes off for his vain, dramatic scene, and Seiya just rose out of the ocean and basically said, “You put your clothes back on and let’s finish this.”

25: Moment that made you Facepalm? ALL THAT REVERSE BLOODFLOW ACUPUNCTURE BULLSHIT. LEARN BASIC MEDICINE PLEASE. 

26: Favourite pair of brothers? Shun and Ikki!

27: Favourite pair of twins? Saga and Kanon are the only ones I really know lmao

28: Thoughts on the “Galactic Tournament”? YOU’RE MAKING 13 YEAR OLDS FIGHT TO DEATH ON TELEVISION EXCUSE ME??? MA’AM???

29: Least favorite character? Let Deathmask and Shura know,,, I just wanna talk.

30: If I could make two characters interact more, who would they be? I wish Poseidon and Hades had some interaction just so I can see Ancient God Brother shenanigans lmao 

31: Opinion on [ship name] [Seiya/Shiryu]? TBH when I first watched the series and Seiya and Shiryu were acting all goofy and nice with each other I was like damn... they should kiss. But then Shunrei appeared lmao

32: If you could kill a character, who would it be? I would kill Shura again just because I’m that spiteful. But also, Tatsumi should get a fucking prison sentence for how he treated the Bronze Saints as kids lmao

33: Saga or Kanon? Kanon

34: If you could bring a character back to life, who would it be? Me, leaning into the mic: Aiolos. (But also his bro, Aiolia)

35: Marin or Shaina? Why would you pit them against each other they’re GFs :(

36: Favorite character backstory? Hyoga’s backstory with his mom is so OOF, but also so good

37: Least favorite character backstory? RIP to Shion turning his back to Saga for one second and getting obliterated but I’m different (I also think the plot point of a character having TWO PERSONALITIES AND ONE IS EVIL UWU is so overrated smh)

38: Do you have any merch? I just ordered some pins >:)

39: Favorite chapter? Seeing the backstory with Aiolos training Aiolia... chefs kiss

40: Character you wish hadn’t died? Aiolos  Cassios did not deserve his his fate either :( And Esmerelda!!! Damn!

41: Character you would give more Screen Time? MY LASS, MIHO (And also Jabu)

42: Opinion on *insert name* [Ikki]? The Watchful Twunk over a pack of feral teen Twinks... he is a dearly needed part of the team

43: Favourite Teacher/Sensei? At the risk of saying Marin again, I also like Dohko because he LOVES HIS KIDS

44: Most wasted character? All the other Bronze Saints besides the main ones tbh

45: NOTP? If you ship Saori with people TWICE HER AGE, or people MYTHOLOGICALLY RELATED TO HER, you will die by my hand

46: Favorite AU? AU where Aiolos lives I think an AU where Aiolos actually becomes the Pope and raises Saori/Athena as his own bean would be cool

47: Favorite character from the Hades Saga? Pandora is Goth GF material

48: Most attractive character? Aiolos Shaka, despite being the world’s largest prick, is also very beautiful. Shaina is also an attractive young lady.

49: Favourite Song? PEGASUS FANTASY (the Latin American Spanish version is lit)

50: After Saga’s death… who would you nominate to be the New Pope? Mu, following in the footsteps of his master, is a Gold Saint with his shit together, as seen by his parenting of Kiki, and he therefore would make a good Pope.

[saltyfilmmajor]

FUCK YOU @ineverhadadoubt, I’M NOT INTO SUBMISSIVE MEN IT’S MORE COMPLICATED THAN THAT

A slightly humorous critical response to @ineverhadadoubt on my irrational attraction to Daniel Kaffee 

A bit of context before the main argument. I’m known on the Benthan Discord Server as the Resident Kinkster, not because I’m kinky per se, but because I don't shut up about them. As well as my very peculiar thirst objects: Rolled Up Forearm Sleeves, Voice Kink, Rope. Jk lmao. (or am I, you don’t have proof). And Well, look. I really like Danny Kaffee and this post by @academicgangster slightly inspired me to write this. Also because I have a lot of thoughts and I need to get this out and defend myself from Libel™ and False Narratives™ from @ineverhadadoubt and @misstangle about kinks I don’t have. 

So, having watched A Few Good Men three and a half times over the course of three days has led to various conversations and speculations on the film. Mainly centering on the character of one, Daniel Allister Kaffee. In this essay, I will be responding the frankly egregious accusations the Mainstream Media™(e.g. Ruth) that the author is into subish men when the reality is a far more nuanced and complex situation having to do with the themes present in the film and the characterization of Daniel Kaffee in particular.

Firstly, the film deals in the philosophical discourse of “good” men, loyalty, honor. In essence, it’s a dive into what happens when men follow their own code. Jessup, the motherfucker, believes himself to be above the law and in the most famous scene in the film he demonstrates the ideology clearly through his anger at the question Danny presents to him, “Did you order the code red?!”. He takes offense at it, stating that he “defends a country” much like how at the time of writing Trump takes offense that he is an agent for Russia, but that’s another can of worms.

While on the outset the film is set up as a classic courtroom drama, with a plucky attorney and obviously evil character, that is forced a little more into the background and follows more on the character of Daniel Kaffee and how he overcomes his insecurity in order to do the morally right thing and in essence come to understand what honor and code really mean.

So, with this in mind, we can begin to unpack Daniel Kaffe’s character arc. He begins as the Smartest Smartass to ever Smartass in the history of Smartassery, litigating a plea bargain over softball practice, getting the deal he wants. This is his establishing moment. Thus, in the mind of the audience, he is in control and gets what he wants, despite being facetious during the entire process. He is cocky, young and doesn’t care but he’s good at his job. At the prospect of being handed the case by division, he still does not take any of the case seriously, at least at the surface level. He appears to be obfuscating stupidity or rather obfuscating disinterest. But at the minute at being yelled at by Joanne, he begins to take a more proactive approach to the case.

You see Daniel Kaffe’s whole character is one who desires control and yet despite outward appearances is always under the thumb of other characters. Division? They hand him the case. Joanne? Makes him take it to trial. Sam? Makes him wear the whites to Cuba. Jessup? Makes him “ask nicely” for the transfer file. Jack? Also goads him into taking it to trial and points it out to him later on in the narrative. He is pulled and pushed into moving in one direction or another but is dependent on those around him to make the choices he makes. This comes as a result of the insecurity that Kaffee has from living in the shadow of his father’s legacy. Joanne in their second meeting calls out Daniel’s current behavior as a “brilliant, but lazy” lawyer, and by bringing up the legacy of his father causes him to push himself to confront his insecurities and meet with his clients.

So being that he’s insecure, he lets everyone control him to varying degrees, with Jessup being the most prominent example. The whole point of Jessup telling him to “ask nicely” in the narrative is to show he knows he’s under suspicion but there is nothing Kaffee can do to him. So Kaffee must submit to established authority in order to do his job. The turning point in this conflict is when Sam tells Kaffee that is Kaffee who is lead counsel, not himself or his father. With this Kaffee is starting to be free from the shadow of his father’s legacy. This is finalized on his final cross-examination of Jessup, where he breaks from everyone’s control going against Jo’s advice and as he looks to Sam disagreeing, he decides to go for it. He rolls the dice, and for the first time makes a decision of his own volition ending with justice being served. This ties into the idea of Free Will™, and is a military man truly free? Is any man ever free to do what is right?

With this interpretation of the film being established, we can begin to unpack the misrepresentation of the author’s attraction to Daniel Kaffee.

For Fuck's Sake. Ruth. Ruth honey. DID, Did you think about this sentence before you typed it out? THIS JUST MAKES IT SEEM THAT IM HAVING FANTASIES OF BEING A SUB, which unless you have direct evidence of, do not accuse me of this kink. This is Libel™.

Ok, look. The reason I keep saying The Sub™ Scene is because he submits to authority. And the authority is not attractive or likable at all, so I’m not including Jessup in this interest. It’s a personality thing. Kaffee, the Smartest Smartass to ever Smartass, being forced into politeness and courtesy to prove a point is just. Hot. Because his establishing moment is getting what he wants being flippant, coasting by and doing just fine, makes the audience understand that this is his everyday normal base behavior. He’s used to doing whatever the fuck he wants when he wants (within reason anyway) and he’s used to litigation going his way. He has an inherent issue with authority, established when he meets Jo for the first time, his superior. When she calls him out the second time they meet does he start taking his job a little more seriously. Jack also very accurately observes and breaks down his personality in the movie twice. See he goads him into going trial, as well. And when he discusses putting Jessup on the stand, he perfectly states that Kaffee was “bullied into that courtroom.”  Kaffee unable to accept it starts shouting at him.

Kaffee is a very Covert Sub™, it is subtle because his forefront personality is always in control and commanding attention. AND TO ME THE AUTHOR, THE FACT THAT HE GETS PUT IN HIS PLACED AND HE HAS TO TAKE IT IS JUST VERY INTRIGUING. His Harvard trained mouth can’t help him because he is ultimately trying to do his job, and he can’t damn all the consequences. Smartasses being put in their place is the hottest thing don’t @ me. But in the Final Cross-examination, when his Harvard trained mouth can finally be taken seriously by authority, he goes all for it making a point that all the frustration and forced submission he’s gone through will have been very much worth it because he’s going to absolutely obliterate Jessup on the stand. So, he speaks low and carefully, much like how Jessup does early on in the film. And when he has Jessup where he wants him, he starts shouting. And the last thing he says to Jessup face to face is “The witness is excused.” Making it clear that Jessup may be a colonel, and he may think he’s above the law, but this is Kaffee’s domain and he’s the authority Jessup must answer to.

In short, my attraction to Daniel Kaffee cannot be attributed solely on to his submissive moments, rather how his character is set up as a man who is used to getting what he wants his way, who has to submit to the authority he has a problem with to in the end get what he wants. Also his eyebrows, eyes and Class A™ Navy Uniform is very nice. AND HE SWEARS. Also when he has to submit to authority, he gets quiet™ and I love it when Tom’s voice gets quiet™

( @sweetbouquetartisane  i proofread it lmao.)

[fizzabel]

Wait so what happened? What started the argument and why were you shut down?

Oh boy anon get ready for a story. One of my friends in uni has the attendance record of a broken bulb. Basically never comes. He’ll work semi-hard but only if you tell him everything that he missed.

Semester starting January we have a group project. For some reason in this module it’s only ever 4 of us who turn up?? Three of us live together, broken bulb dude doesn’t he commutes and never gets his ass outta bed. So, he just assumed he was in our group the one week he decided to turn up, the week after groups got decided. Two of us are his friends, I’m closest (or at least was) so I thought well me telling him will cause an absolute shitstorm. We discussed it the three of us, I was on the fence, one was like ‘yeah I don’t really want him’ and the third was an outright ‘I’m not working with him’ lmao.

La de da it’s now January. Groups were decided in December before the holidays. We wanted to tell him on the last week but he bought everyone a gift... talk about guilt trip... so we didn’t. Even our lecturer knew we didn’t want him in and tried to convince him but oh my god bulb dude was having none of the not-so-subtle-hints.

Couple days ago, the ‘outright no’ Guy is half forced into breaking the news. I just didn’t have the heart, other guy felt too awkward Cus they don’t really speak outside lectures which is totally fair. I didn’t know he told bulb, so after a day out with my Nan I get this vERY PASSIVE AGGRESSIVE MESSAGE about not being in our group. One sentence, it’s all I got, and an emoji which was basically ‘if looks could kill I’d smash ya head in’. The empty smile 🙂

After talking it with awkward friend about holy shit he’s pissed what do I do I made a message and hE COMPLETELY MISSED THE MESSAGE. I use ‘heh’ as an oops this is embarrassing he did nOT READ IT LIKE THAT.

I got called cold and to never contact him. We might still have that lecture together, and worse we REPLACED HIM WITH ANOTHER GUY WHO I DONT ACTUALLY KNOW (but I genuinely trust to be friendly and hard working).

So yeah I got fucking obliterated because being broken bulb’s ‘only friend’ (his own fault, a story for another day) I got 100% blame.

Hope you enjoyed reading that, everyone and anon, but as of next week I shall discover the dire consequences of this

The tldr; argument started because we kicked a broken bulb out of a work group and I got shutdown Cus I got the 100% blame