#they are wearing the exact opposite amount of clothes in each of these photos

[alovesongshewrote]

Almost A Thousand Years - 1700/1800 | Hisirdoux Casperan

Plot:  You’ve known Hisirdoux Casperan for almost a thousand years.  You’ve hated him for almost a thousand years.  And for almost a thousand years, you’ve been cursed to feel each others pain.  But somewhere in that time, things changed.  [Hisirdoux Casperan x Mostly Gender Neutral but Probably Female Presenting Based on How Historical Men Treat Them!Reader]

Word Count: 3,898

Warnings:  jack the ripper, reader is called a whore and a wench

A/N:  tis my longest chapter yet!

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You hid away for most of the eighteenth century.

You healed when you could, but what happened to Douxie scared you a little more than you’d like to admit.

So you hid.

You found ways to entertain yourself.  You read more, painted a little, continued your medical practice, and learned more about medicine whenever the knowledge became available.  You continued to keep tabs on other immortals.  It was pretty boring except for that time the Americans revolted.  You had to admit it was fun to keep tabs on the scrappy rebellion.  You couldn’t say it out loud as you still lived in England, but you gave a little cheer every time they fought off the British.  You didn’t like authority.  Neither did they.

On the other side of the continent, Douxie did the same things he always did.  Music, magic, work for Merlin.  He also read the book you’d given him.  He liked it.

It was a century of hiding, waiting, and having nothing much to do.  The next century would be the exact opposite. 

--

Jack the Ripper was a dick.

You really didn’t like him.

Douxie didn’t like him either.

And Archie didn’t like him.

So, like in every good piece of media that has a chapter in the nineteenth century, you protagonists teamed up to take down Jack the Ripper.  It was super effective!

You met up with your partners in the fog-filled streets of the White Chapel district soon after the second murder.  In your hands, you held a newspaper covering the recent events.  You approached the wizard and his familiar, but they didn’t see you.  They were caught in a conversation with someone you’d never seen before, a stocky man dressed in a dark overcoat and hat.  The stranger hadn’t noticed you either.  

Silently, you hid in an alley between two nearby buildings.  You couldn’t hear them, but from the stranger’s body language, he seemed a bit defensive, maybe even a little angry.  You sincerely hoped Douxie wasn’t doing anything stupid.

About a minute later, the man stormed off, leaving Douxie and Archie behind.  They still hadn’t noticed you, so you took the opportunity to sneak up on them.

“Hey!”

“Aaaaahhhh, jeez (Y/N)!  Don’t do that!  There’s a killer on the loose!”

“And he’s only killed prostitutes so far, so you should be fine.  Unless there’s something you aren’t telling me?” you joked, raising an eyebrow.

He gave you a small shove, too small to be malicious, “Very funny.  Have you learned anything new?”

“Mhmm, but first,” you turned to Archie, giving him a pat on the head, “Hey Arch, how are you?”

“I’m fine, thank you for asking,”

“That’s good!  That’s good, anyway, you know they think it’s a doctor, but they received a letter signed ‘Jack the Ripper,’”

“Very fun nickname,”

“Indeed, but it still isn’t much to go off of, the police already doubt it”

“(Y/N), remind me again what your sources are?”  the familiar was right to be suspicious, but you knew your sources were solid.

“I’ve told you Arch, a forensic doctor, he’s a friend of mine and he works with the police,”

“And how do you know you can trust him?”

“I don’t, but they’re publishing the letter soon, so you’ll see it then.  You guys got anything?”

“Not much,”

“Huh.  That isn’t great,” you took a moment before speaking again, “By the way, who was that man you were talking to?  He seemed angry,”

“Oh, him?  He’s just a resident of this area.  I’ve been talking to him for a while, I thought he might know something, but every time I even mention it he gets, well…”

“Like that?”

“Yes, like that,”

You looked out the way the man had gone, “You think he’s a suspect?”

“Oh yeah, absolutely,”

Archie nodded in agreement.

“Well then,” you said, returning the eyes to the face of your accomplices, “Keep an eye on him.  See you next Thursday?”

“Sounds good,”

By next Thursday, another girl was dead.

You met with your team in a (very) shady pub to discuss this development.  Thanks to some connections, you’d snagged a private room where no one else could hear your detective work.

“God DAMMIT, guys, how did we miss this?”  you said, pacing.  Your hands were on your hips, eyes fixed on the floor.  You seriously could not figure out how you missed this.  

On the wall behind you, you’d attached some photos and newspaper clippings to the wall, red yarn connecting them.  You were very ahead of your time.

“I really don’t know,” Douxie was sitting, upside-down, in a chair across from you.  He threw the ball of yarn up in the air, letting it fall, and catching it over and over again. Archie didn’t answer, he was focused too hard on the yarn.

You stopped pacing and glared at your conspiracy wall.  You followed the red string with your finger.  It lead nowhere.  You groaned and ran your fingers through your hair, something that Douxie found alarmingly attractive.  

Ever since you saved his life in the sixteen hundreds, he’d developed a bit of a soft spot for you.  It wasn’t something he was proud of.  But it was fine, you’d developed a soft spot for him too.

“Hey, it’ll be alright, love,”  he said, sitting up properly, “We’ll find this monster, so don’t worry yourself too much,”

You took a deep breath, leaning against your crime wall, “Thanks Doux.  I appreciate it,”

Your voice was slightly sarcastic, but you both smiled still.  Archie frowned, the yarn wasn’t moving anymore.

“So,” you said, turning again to examine the mess of photos and yarn, ”He isn’t an official suspect, but I think this guy, this James Maybrick, seems a little suspicious,” you pointed at his photo, “He’s going to be at this ball thing on Friday.  If we go, we can ask him if he plans on traveling, he lives in Liverpool, and-”

“I’m sorry, he lives where?”

“Liverpool, Arch, pay attention-”

“(Y/N), why do you think he’s coming all the way out to White Chapel to murder these women?”

“Well it isn’t his area, that makes him less of a suspect, and all of the murders have been on Saturdays and Sundays, which gives him time to travel,”

“You might be onto something,” Douxie said, standing and letting the yarn fall to the ground where Archie chased it around, thoroughly distracted, “We can go check it out, but how do we get in?”

You bit your lip, deep in thought, “My doctor friend, he knows the hostess.  He might be able to get us in,”

“Fantastic!”

“There’s just one thing,”

“Yes?”

“I’m pretty sure you’ll have to pretend to be my fiance,”

There was a moment of silence while Douxie considered this.  

You tried to explain yourself, “I-It’s not my first choice either, but high society doesn’t approve of-”

“I’ll do it,”

“And I know it’s inconvenient, but-”

“(Y/N)?”

“Yes?”

“I said I’ll do it,”

It was your time to consider, and you considered yourself super lucky to have an accomplice like Douxie.

“Oh my god, thank you!” you exclaimed, throwing your arms around his neck, “Thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you,”

You couldn’t see Douxie’s face, so he had no idea that he blushed before wrapping his arms around you softly.

“No problem (Y/N), no problem,”

--

Two days later, you were wearing fancy clothes, and freaking out a little.

This was nothing compared to Douxie who was freaking out a lot.  Mostly because you looked absolutely stunning, but also because there was a possible murderer inside the building.  You know, typical stuff.

The two of you stood outside the manor, looking up at the vast estate.  It was beautiful but intimidating.  You turned to your partner in crime-solving, “You ready for this?”

He nodded.

You closed your eyes, swallowed back your anxiety, and linked your arm with his.

“Let’s do it,”

The manor was, simply put, dazzling.  The size of it reminded you of the smaller cathedrals during the sixteenth century.  The floors were marble, the ceiling decorated with a mural, just like the cathedrals you now reminisced.  The room was lit with a large chandelier, the warm light covered the whole room in a glow the colour of honey.  Columns, the same marble as the floor, stood strong around the perimeter.  On one side of the space, an orchestra played.  The center was full of people dancing.  Some people stood at the side of the room speaking, others just observing everything else. It was a crazy party, but only by Victorian standards.  

The sheer amount of activity made you panic a little.  As if Douxie could sense your anxiety, he found one of your hands and squeezed it reassuringly.  You smiled a little, once again thankful for such an amazing partner in crime.

The two of you made your way around the dance floor, checking faces, looking for your suspect.  You didn’t see him.  You and Douxie made a full circle around the room, not seeing your guy.  You were about to suggest finding a higher viewpoint when the hostess of the party stopped you.

She was a plump, elegant woman, draped in the finest of silks.  Her hair shone, and her eyes sparkled.  She was perfectly gorgeous, and perfectly in your way.

“Ah, fuzzbuckets,”

“Oh, my dear (Y/N)!  It is so good to see you, darling!”

“It’s good to see you as well, my Lady,” you returned, bowing slightly.  Douxie followed your lead.

“‘Tis a pity the good doctor couldn’t be with us!  He works so hard, you would think he would come out and dance for an evening!  Just to relax!”  The woman laughed as if wishing the doctor was here was the funniest thing on the planet.  Maybe it was to her Victorian sensibilities.

You laughed an appropriate amount, plastering on a fake smile, and biting your tongue at the irony.  This was the least relaxed you’d been all century.

When the Lady stopped laughing, she noticed Doxie, “Oh, (Y/N), dear, you must tell me who this dashing young gentleman is!  How in heaven did you find such a match?”

“My Lady, this is my fiance, Mr. Casperan,”

“It’s lovely to meet you fair Lady, and might I say that the moon and stars dull in comparison to your eyes; even a goddess of beauty could not hold a candle to your visage,”

You tried to keep cool, but you felt your eyes widen a bit.  You had never heard Douxie speak like that before.  You weren’t sure how it made you feel yet, but clearly, the Lady enjoyed it.  A blush covered her face as she gushed over the wizard for another two minutes.  You spent that time subtly searching the crowd for Maybrick.

Clearly, you were not as subtle as you thought.

“Oh, dear, I see your partner is eyeing the dance floor,” the lady said, her face still painted with a blush.  Her words called you to attention.

“Ah, yes, my apologies my Lady,”

“No worries at all dear child, now go!  Dance the night away!”

“Thank you,” you said, once again bowing.

“It was wonderful speaking with you, my Lady,” Douxie said, following your actions before leading you to the mass of dancing guests.

“She’s watching us,” Douxie whispered to you through clenched teeth, “Can you dance?”

“Not super well, but enough to survive,”

“Just follow my lead,”

Douxie could dance pretty damn well, something you weren’t too surprised by.  He’d spent a lot of time learning music throughout the centuries, you’ would've been a bit surprised if he hadn’t known how.  He was so good, in fact, that you were almost certain he was making you a better dancer just by being near you.  You’d be lying if you said this wasn’t the most fun you’d had in a while.

“So, where’d you learn to flirt like that?”  you asked, your voice low so that no one else could hear you.

“I’ve picked some things up over the years,” he said, spinning you out and then back in again.

“I have to say, I was quite impressed.  I didn’t see that coming,”

He faked a gasp, “Why I’m offended!  You don’t think I can flirt?”

“Well, I didn’t until tonight.  But I stand corrected,” he dipped you, “You can flirt extremely well Hisirdoux Casperan,”

“Thank you, (Y/N) (L/N),”

You both smiled continuing the dance, scanning the crowd for the face of the killer.  And in between that, just staring at each other.

You almost regretted finding the suspect.

You hated to admit that a small part of you had hoped to just dance with Douxie for the next few hours, pretending that you were a couple and that you weren’t magic, and you weren’t immortal, and you hadn’t seen pain and suffering the world over, and he hadn’t been tortured two centuries before.  You just wanted to dance.

But you saw him.

And the good of the humans came before the things you wanted.

“Doux, I see him,”

“Where?”

“To your left and back behind you.  Don’t look at him.  We’ll get off the dance floor, and I’ll question him,”

“Are you sure?”  Douxie thought about elaborating.  About telling you that he didn’t want you to get hurt and that he too, wanted to keep dancing. 

But he didn’t.  And you were sure.

So, you left the dance floor and made your way to the suspect.  You made sure Douxie stayed far enough behind you for his presence to be non-threatening, and made your approach. 

“Wonderful party isn’t it Sir…?”  you waited for him to give you his name.

“Maybrick, Mr. Maybrick,”

“Mr. Maybrick.  A lovely name,” internally, you cursed God for giving Douxie all of the charm and leaving you none.

“May I ask where you’re from Mr. Maybrick?”  

“I’m from around here, Liverpool.  May I ask who's asking?”

“I-”

“(Y/N), dear!  Where have you put that lovely boy of yours!  I have some friends he simply must meet!” 

You could not believe that the hostess was interrupting you yet again.  This time, Maybrick actually ran from you.  You cursed under your breath.  The Lady was far enough away that you could pretend not to hear her.  You could still catch the suspect, you just had to run a little.  In the outfit you were wearing, it would be next to impossible, but you really didn’t want to talk to the hostess again, so you gestured for Douxie to follow, and you chased after Maybrick.

You ran through the ballroom, dodging patrons and maneuvering around dancers.  It felt almost like a fairytale; Cinderella if the princess had to chase down a dangerous serial killer instead of just flee the ball.  

The suspect ran out the front doors, and you followed him, Douxie close behind.  The night air was cool on your skin, a nice contrast to the warmth of the ballroom.  You lost a shoe, and your hair was slowly turning into more and more of a mess, but you didn’t care, you wanted to catch this guy.

You did not catch that guy. 

A horse-drawn carriage was waiting for him at the end of the lane.  There was no way you could compete with that.  Not unless Archie would shapeshift into a horse for the sake of catching a possible criminal.

A black stallion pulled up beside you.

It was Archie, shapeshifted into a horse for the sake of catching a possible criminal.  You manifested your hot girl mystery-solving arc.

“Get on!”  both Douxie and Archie exclaimed, Douxie offering you a hand up.  You took it, jumping onto Archie’s back, wrapping your arms around the wizard's waist, and riding after the carriage.

The night was dark, and the carriage moved fast.  Archie kept up pretty well for a familiar with two people on his back.  He went so fast that all you could do was cling to Douxie for dear life as the dark world blurred around you.  It was not for a lack of trying, but eventually, you lost them.

“You did good Arch, you did good,”

“Thank you, Archie,” you said, forehead buried in Douxie’s back.

“I appreciate the thanks, but it isn’t over yet.  We left all of our stuff back at the manor, so we should return,”

“That’s probably a good idea,”

The journey back showed you how far you’d gone.  Needless to say, you were super proud of Archie.  You’d have to remind yourself to get him some fish later.

When you arrived back at the manor, the party was still going.  You could hear the music from the outside.  You dismounted Archie and leaned against his side.

“All of this,” you groaned out, “for nothing,”

“Well it wasn’t exactly for nothing,” Douxie said, stretching his arms above his head, “Maybrick ran from us, that’s suspicious.  I think we can officially call him a suspect.  Here,” he threw your missing shoe your way, “You dropped this,”

You smiled, leaning on Archie for support as you slipped it back on, “Thanks,”

“My pleasure,”

You laughed.  The stars above you caught your eye.  They were so beautiful tonight.  The music was nice too.  Everything was so peaceful.

It reminded you of another night, centuries ago, when you’d been allowed to rant and rave, and the wizard just listened to you.

“Hey, Douxie?”  

“Yes, love?”

You hesitated, trying to think of something to say.  Eventually, you came up with, “We’re still enemies after this, right?”

He laughed a little.  It sounded kind of sad, “If you want us to be,”

At that moment, you didn’t know what you wanted.

That’s a lie, you wanted to kiss Douxie.

But you hadn’t figured it out just yet, so, for now, you just stared at his lips, wondering what that feeling was, and listening to the song end.

“We should head back,”

“I guess we should,”

Neither of you were satisfied with this outcome.

--

You wouldn’t be satisfied until you caught the killer, or as it turned out, killers.

You’d been back at the pub, obsessing over the crime wall, tracing the red yarn over and over again.  Doux and Archie were starting to worry about your health.  Then you cracked the code.

“What if,” you said, turning from the wall, “There’s more than one,”

“More than one?”

“Yeah, more than one killer.  There’s more than one person involved here,”

The wizard and his familiar exchanged a look.  Maybe you were sleep-deprived and in need of a nap, but maybe you were onto something, “Go on,”

“Think about it, we’ve got multiple leads, some doctors, some live in the area, some have the motive, some are just suspicious, but none of them have everything they need to commit murder.  What if they’re working together?”

“Keep talking,”

“Look, here,” you said, pointing at a photo of a suspect, “Johnson Druitt, he lives in the white chapel area and has the anatomical knowledge,” you moved to another photo, this one a sketch, “Barnett, his roommate works the streets, he’s in love with her and we know he hates her job.  If he killed those other women to scare her, he has a motive,” you moved on again, “And Maybrick,”  you stopped, trying to piece together his role in this grand conspiracy.

“He’d have the funds to cover it up, plus the interest in the case,”

You spun around to face the wizard, “Douxie, you’re brilliant!”

You took a step back from the wall, taking in your work, “So, what do we do now?”

“Simple,” Douxie said, resting an elbow on your shoulder, “We go after him,”

--

You didn’t mind being bait.  Really, you didn’t.  But you did find it boring.

You’d been walking around this general area for two hours now, this disguise was uncomfortable, and you just wanted something else to do.  Then your wish came true!

Two men approached you from the front, both short in stature with well-kept moustaches.  You hid a smile, the three killer theory proving itself correct.  You walked forward, your peripheral vision focused on the men.  

The three of you kept walking.

You passed between them.

“Lovely night, isn’t it?”

They stopped, you continued on.

“Excuse me, dearie?”

“Yes?”  you purred, turning to them.  

Then you were grabbed from behind.  Fortunately, you expected that little trick, grabbing the stranger and flipping him over your body.  The man landed on the pavement with a thud.  You grinned as the three men looked at you, faces full of shock.  Unfortunately, it wore off, and the three advanced.

The first one threw a decent punch, but you dodged, forcing him to punch one of his partners.  You swept the legs out from under the third.

The first two had recovered and were coming at you again, this time with blades.  It was this moment when you noticed the blood on their coats.  It wasn’t theirs, or yours for that matter.  Yep, these were definitely your guys.  

The first blade missed you, the second one just grazed your side.  You bit down a cry of pain, sincerely hoping that blade was clean.  You could see Douxie emerge from his hiding place; clearly, he’d felt the sting of the metal too.

But you didn’t have time to focus on Douxie, you had to fight.  

You threw a few punches of your own, knocking the duo back into the street and closer to the wizard.

“Gah, you wENCH!!” one of them exclaimed.

“Kill the whore!!”  

You could see the rage in their faces, but that wasn’t as important as the fact that you could see their faces.  Maybrick and Druitt.  Your theory was right!  Your excitement fell away as they advanced.

Then they both fell into limbo.  

The portal down glowed blue around them.  Douxie stood behind the gateway, looking very proud of himself.

You would have laughed at their misfortune and Doux’s pride if you hadn’t been grabbed from behind again.

You cried out in surprise, catching the attention of the wizard.

“(Y/N)!”

“Don’t come any closer!” you felt the cold of a blade on your throat.  This wouldn’t end well.

“Come on now, don’t make any rash decisions,” Douxie’s hands were raised in surrender, his eyes never leaving yours.

“I’ll kill the wench!  I’ll do it!”

“Hey, don’t-”

“My Mary is dead!  There’s nothing left!  I’ll kill her!”

“Wait, who's dead?”

“My girl,” the man sobbed, his grasp on you weakening, “My Mary Kelly, I’ve lost her!  She’s gone!”

You may have felt bad for this guy if he hadn’t been absolutely insane.  You took his distracted state as a chance and broke from his hold, pushing yourself away from him.

“Douxie!  Now!”

The portal to limbo opened under the man.  He had no time to react as he fell into the other dimension.

You looked down into the gateway, a blue pool in the middle of a dull cobblestone street.  You sighed with relief as the blue magic sealed itself shut, leaving the night dark again.

“Nice work,”

“Thanks,”

Lights came on in the windows around you.  In the distance, you heard shouting.

“We should get out of here,”

“Good idea.  See you next century?”

“Oh, absolutely.  Say goodbye to Arch for me,”

“Will do,”

And you slipped away into the night, excited by this latest adventure, but still wanting more.

[casualmaraudering]

What are some of your Remus x Fabian/Redwolf (?) hcs?

oh anon you know the way to my heart, asking questions like that,,,

when they first started talking, Fabian made a note of all the books Remus reads (and very often he rereads his favourites) - mostly muggle novels Fabian never even knew existed cause he's pureblood. he read them all just to have an excuse to talk to Remus

Remus is generally quite a sleepy person, but after the full moon, he's basically asleep 99% of the time for like two whole days. Fabian makes a habit of wearing something comfortable or generally warm during those days, cause Remus usually sleeps on his shoulder

Fabian wears suspenders a lot. Remus approves a great amount

the first few months of them dating, Remus spent a great deal of time making sure none of Fabian's dormmates will notice that he slept there or spent time there cause he'd hate to be the center of gossip, honestly. All of them know, cause Fabian told them, but for the sake of Remus's sanity they just pretend they don't notice the clothes he leaves or if he happens to bump into someone on the stairs

Fabian and James get along quite nicely - they're both Quidditch captains so they'll often banter about that

with Sirius, it takes a bit of time to get used to Fabian. he finds it hard to accept someone new into their group, especially someone he doesn't know, but with a little bit of time, they become really good friends. mind you, they're a type of friends that insult each other and bicker (mostly on Sirius's part) but it's all with love

they may or may not have scheduled to have Prefect rounds together. and then may or may not have sneaked off to make out in some random corner of the castle

once during a hogsmeade weekend, Remus mistook Gideon for Fabian. He walked up to who he thought was Fabian and stood on his tiptoes and kissed the corner of his mouth and then started chatting about his plans. in his defence, they are identical twins and were wearing casual clothes. but once Gideon explained that he is, in fact, not Fabian, Remus wasn't able to look him in the eye for like a month without wanting to die

Fabian actually found that quite funny tbh

Fabian is a person with a rather healthy diet, since he does sports. Remus,,,,,, Remus is not

their life habits are actually polar opposites. Fabian has a set, normal bedtime and gets up in the morning - Remus never knows when he'll go to sleep or how long he'll sleep. Fabian has a healthy diet, and Remus is content with eating popcorn for breakfast. Fabian is sporty, Remus would rather die than ever do any sport of any kind.

but they make it work. Fabian coaxes Remus to do some yoga and a little bit of running (it's actually not that bad once he's used to it, but Remus is never going to admit it), and Remus gets Fabian to loosen up a bit and convinces him there's nothing bad with having some junk food after dinner every other day

Remus sleeps clutching a pillow which Fabian finds unbelievably cute

Fabian sleeps with socks on sometimes. Remus has very strong opinions about that

Fabian is closeted when it comes to his sister and mother (Gid found out by accident once). his family is very important to him, and so he's terrified of them taking it the wrong way. but when he takes remus home for the holidays once (as a "friend"), everyone absolutely loves Remus, including Molly's kids.

and Fabian's mom isn't easy to fool. she knows. she's just waiting for Fabian to be ready to tell her

Hope adores Fabian but she adores every person Remus has ever dated lmao. she does genuinely think he's a good son in law material (Remus blushed all the way to his ears when she said that once)

Remus lives in a muggle home. and Fabian lives in a pureblood home. the cultural differences,,,,,, oh boy

Remus almost died when the mirror in Fabian's bathroom spoke at him. yes he's spent several years at Hogwarts but there's still so many things he doesn't know

Fabian thinks automatic coffee makers are the best thing humanity has ever came up with (they froth milk!!!!! and Remus has stencils to draw little hearts with cinnamon!)

Remus doesn't like to sleep in complete darkness, but he's also embarrassed about it. once Fabian connects the dots, he ends up researching spells and then eventually will just charm a few little firefly-esque lights floating at the top of the bed canopy

Fabian is notoriously late for everything. classes, study groups, prefect meetings, dates, you name it. once Remus learns that it is A Thing, he starts just outright bringing books to dates. he then points out how much of the plot he managed to go through in the time it took Fabian to arrive

Fabian takes up a healing class in school when he learns Remus is a werewolf. he thinks of Remus as someone who he's staying with in the long run, so he figures he might need to know basic aid spells

Remus didn't tell him immediately, of course. but Fabian isn't stupid, it wasn't hard to see that there was something up and all of Rem's friends seem to know what that is.

Sirius eventually told him, actually. Fabian was being a bit annoying about it, it made Remus feel bad (and, of course, Remus thought that Fabian will break up with him the second he knows), so Sirius was pissed and called Fabian out and then told him.

it took a bit of adjustment. but the longer Fabian thought about it, the more it made sense. and at that point he's pretty much in love so he can't just let something stupid like that ruin it

since then, Sirius and James deem him worthy to actually enter the Marauders. they show him the cloak, the map, let him in on all the secrets and all. they do still give him the whole "we'll kill you if you hurt him" talk, but he's now officially a friend

Lily has a habit of running in the morning, with Padfoot. Fabian eventually joins them

Lily and Fabian actually become the mom and dad of the group cause they're the only ones with functional braincells and all (there's something about ginger hair, they have smarts and self preservation instincts) - yes, James is a mother hen, but he's also impulsive and comes up with most stupid and dangerous pranks. Remus is smart but he also forgets to take care of himself. and Sirius is, well... Sirius

and Remus has actually dated both Lily and Sirius before, that's often a subject of jokes (especially James joking that he's the only one immune to Rem's charms)

Fabian is Scottish. turns out Remus is extremely weak about kilts

they both grew up basically in the middle of nowhere so they like to climb trees and take walks in fields/forests

Remus's patronus used to be, of course, a wolf. the first time he cast it, he understandably hated it and refused to cast it again. a few years out of school, on a university exam, he had to cast one again. and it changed from a wolf, to some type of bird he's never seen before

it confuses him a lot, and he spends a lot of time trying to figure out why would his Patronus change. it isn't until he talks to one of his professors and they say that it might change in an instance of true love, that he asks Fabian about his own patronus. which is a hawk (a red tailed hawk, to be exact)

Sirius James and Lily tease him for weeks

they both come from families of relative poverty (Fabian is a pureblood, but his father's death was a very complicated matter with a lot of bullshit from the ministry, so the family didn't manage to get any of his money) so they value work incredibly, and also work extremely hard during their first few years out of school. They still live with their parents during that time just to save up. buying their first house together is one of their proudest moments in life

Fabian is a professional Quidditch player and so he becomes the honorary favourite cause "sorry Moony, but he has free tickets to the VIP seats at all the best matches"

Fabian also loves photography (especially muggle cameras - he says they're much better than wizarding varieties). and usually he likes to take photos of nature and wildlife, but he has an entire growing collection of photos of Remus (even carries a small photo in his wallet, cause he's a sap)

[purplesurveys]

1106

survey by mickey-mouse

Who was the last person you couldn't take your eyes off of? I haven’t been feeling that way towards anyone, be it from real life or someone on the internet or a celebrity, for a while.

Do you drink the milk from the bowl after you eat all the cereal? I’ll try to drink some of it, since I do think milk tastes nice haha, but I keep it in moderation so that my stomach won’t end up being too upset.

Have you ever kissed anybody accidentally? Oh wow, how does this even happen? Hahaha but no I haven’t.

Who was the first person to wish you a Merry Christmas last year? Most likely a family member. My friends and I usually greet each other late into the evening.

Do you think it'll be the same person this year? It will probably be family again, yeah. I just can’t tell which one would be first.

Is your display picture in black and white? None of my profile photos on all social media are.

Do you know anybody who has had an online relationship? I don’t think so. I have some friends who met their SOs through dating apps, but I think all of them have since seen each other in person. I’m not sure I know of anyone whose relationship has been entirely online/virtual so far.

What food are you always in the mood for? No matter how full I am, I will always take a slice of pizza or two if it’s ever served at a table. That or chicken wings or spicy tuna salad.

When was the last time you played Guitar Hero? Safe to say more than a decade ago. I had always preferred Rock Band since I found it more fun that switching instruments was a main part of its gameplay, whereas you were stuck with the guitar on Guitar Hero.

What friend could buy clothes for you and not have to worry what they bought? Angela. We have nearly the same sense of style and we find the same things cute, so if I ever had to make a friend control my wardrobe for the day I will likely trust her the most.

1 thing that your guy best friend doesn't like about you: I don’t have a guy best friend. Hans is my closest friend of the opposite sex; while I don’t think he dislikes anything about me, I’m sure he thinks I’ve acted dumb about love and relationships many times before. Which is fine, we’re very honest and blunt about those things and I actually appreciate it when he gets brutally honest with me.

How about your girl best friend? Again, I don’t know if Angela doesn’t like a certain trait of mine but she’s well aware of my past stupid decisions i.e. staying in a harmful relationship.

Do you loan your friends money? No, but I’m ready to lend to my closest friends should they ever be in need.

Are Lucky Charms really magically delicious? I dunno, I’ve never tried.

When was the last time you had Lucky Charms anyway? See above.

Who is the last person you called long distance? I don’t do video calls with friends living in other countries, mainly because I’ve grown apart from them haha. My mom will sometimes start calls with relatives living abroad though; I believe the most recent one was a group video call with my dad’s side of the family, which included an uncle who lives in New York.

Do you sleep with a nightlight? No; I would find this too distracting and bright.

Is Lil Wayne really the best rapper alive? I never thought he was one of the best to begin with. Some of the songs he’s featured in are fine but I don’t like his slurred style of rapping very much.

What is the first text in your inbox? Like...the very first one in my inbox? I scrolled all the way down and it’s from Frances - an orgmate who has since disappeared off the face of the earth and blocked all her friends on social media lmao - asking about an org-related thing three years ago. Wherever she is, I hope she’s doing okay.

Are you taller than your siblings? I am the eldest yet smallest child in the family. My relatives get a kick out of it, which is fine because I do too HAHA

What are the first letters of your friends first names on your top 8? Myspace? Was never active on it.

When was the last time you almost cried from laughing? I can’t pinpoint an exact moment for you but this happens a lot when I watch 2 Days 1 Night, so this has probs happened recently.

Do you have “photoshoots” with your friends/family members? Not with me as the subject – I’m very camera shy and turn into an awkward stick once I’m asked to pose. But I love taking photos of loved ones, especially an SO.

Are you generous? To a fault.

Are you excited for Thanksgiving this year? I don’t celebrate that.

Are you excited for Thanksgiving ANY year? Yeah, I still don’t celebrate that.

Any plans for the weekend? I had plans to start a new series and spend a lazy day watching YouTube videos, but we haven’t had internet all day today and it’s felt quite deflating to have the first day of my weekend taken away from me. I’ve been running on data which is...fine, I guess, but I can’t use too much if I don’t want to keep paying for it. That said I’ve only been able to do surveys and stream music today. For tomorrow, I wanna go to a coffee shop and perhaps even treat myself to ramen because I’ve been craving.

Do you lay your clothes out the day before? Before Covid happened I planned out my clothes the night before, but I didn’t lay them out.

Who was the last person you bought a gift for? Andi; got them a dress and a skirt.

What was the last song you had stuck in your head? My Limb has been repeatedly playing in my head all day.

Are you ignoring anybody currently? Not ignoring, more of I’ve already given up on them.

Do you curse at your parents in a different language? I don’t curse at my parents in any language, lmfao.

Do you get the mailman a Christmas gift every year? We don’t have mailmen, buuuuut the maintenance staff in my village (trash collectors, security guards, those in charge of trimming the grass, etc) will usually hand each household an envelope in time for Christmas. My family and I help them out and place a certain amount in all envelopes.

Are you afraid of lizards? They are very common visitors in homes here so no I’m mostly not. They move very fast and get freaked out when they see humans though, so sometimes I’ll be shocked by them suddenly scurrying away.

How legible is your signature? I don’t make it legible at all so that it’s difficult to replicate. I actually get a lot of comments on it because my signature is mostly a lazy scribble and I don’t actually spell out any part of my name, which exactly fulfills my goal of making it hard to copy.

Do you think anybody else has a bedroom EXACTLY like yours? I actually live in a neighborhood where the houses are the same models, so I can confidently tell you that there are around 10-20 bedrooms that look similar to mine. But as for being styled and furnished exactly like mine, I doubt it.

How hot are your neighbors? Lol uh I don’t pay attention to this particular trait. All my neighbors are your typical suburban families with young kids, anyway.

Do you have pictures of clouds on your cell phone? A lot. I like looking up at the sky from time to time.

Do you send compliments through text message? Sure, when it’s appropriate and only with close friends.

Do/did your high school theme colors match? I never thought they didn’t go well together, that much I can say.

Do you own any Nike shoes? Several.

Have you ever rode in a VW Bug? Never.

How about a Mini Cooper? Never have, would absolutely love to.

What was the last fast food place you got food from? Yellow Cab. I got two pizzas and pasta for my family.

When you invite people to your house do you usually hang out in your room? I never invite people to my house because it’s too far compared to where most of my friends live, and it would only be a big hassle for everyone. As for my room, the only people who’ve been in it are Gabie and Angela/Hans, the latter only once.

Have you ever seen your crush/current bf/gf cry? I don’t have any of these.

Do you own any Spongebob merchandise? I’m pretty sure we have a Patrick plushie we continue to keep around.

Do you have any food traditions with any of your friends? My orgmates and I frequented a certain bar near our university; we went there whether it was to celebrate the end of an exam-filled week, or if we simply wanted to spend an ordinary Thursday with a few drinks. A few months ago they were in danger of closing because of the pandemic, but I hope life has been kinder to them recently.

Do you like Gwen Stefani? Erm, not particularly. Some songs of her I like, but I’m not a passionate fan.

Do you know anybody with a thick Jamaican accent? No.

Are you closer to your mom’s side of the family or your dad’s? Mom’s. Aside from being able to see them more often, our humor is also similar.

Have you ever been to a haunted house? I’ve stared at one, but never gone inside haha.

Yes or no: red eyeliner? Do whatever you want with your face and makeup, man.

Yes or no: red lipstick? ^ Still applies.

Would you ever own a pet black widow spider? No.

Do you wear holiday themed clothing? I don’t think I own any, so no.

At 6:00 tomorrow night where do you think you’ll be? On my way home, or preparing to head home, I hope.

Is it night or day right now? Evening.

What time did you get up today? Like 5:30. I fell asleep on the rooftop and got to see the pretty sunrise and the sky gradually change colors :)

[hoopdiddies]

I'm Not Over You // Ben Hardy x Reader (Part 7)

A/N: This is probably the longest I've written in this series. Again guys, thank you for the support, your comments and likes mean so much! My tag list is always open so feel free to ask. And on a slightly heavy note: the next chapter could be really angsty. Just a heads up right there uwu

Summary: You had always loved Ben ever since you two met in university and became the best of friends. That feeling went out like a candle flame when the two of you parted ways until he re-entered your life...but this time with someone who has already occupied his heart.

Warnings: Angst, slight drinking, slight swearing, (yeah the fluff is still present)

W/C: 5k-ish

Tags: @haendel-me-with-care

@mrsdoradominguez-barnes

@mickmoon

@lakef

@mrsmazzello

@valeriecarolinaw

@queen-turtle-boiii

Edited// I forgot to link the previous parts

Parts: 6 5 4 3 2 1

(Got the pic from Pinterest hhh-)

Storing the luggage bag you've purchased for a fair price in the spare room, you come across a small box of sundries tucked in one corner with cobwebs clinging to the sides. Your eyes light up with curiosity spiking within you, you pick it up and dust the webs off, blowing the particles away from the top. You squat on the floor and open the flaps, discovering small yet familiar items that had been lost in time– one of them being a sepia-toned polaroid of you and Ben posing dramatically with hilarious doodles drawn on your faces. You forgot about this, feeling a little guilty that you had hidden it away in a drafty box without remembering doing anything of the sort. You flip the picture over and spot a date and an unfinished sentence written in faded ink on the bottom left part. This was taken on Homecoming night.

'I'm not going-' it says, clearly discontinued next to the date. Silly to think that the picture somehow represents a puzzle piece torn away from its board.

You were bound to graduate the week after and barely a day after, not see each other for several years due to your career paths and post-college choices.

You pull on the hem of your shirt, clearing the picture of dust and any more impurities, finally fitting it into your back pocket to finally treasure it the way it was always meant to be treasured.

The door clicks as you bring it close, your eyes gluing themselves at the hardwood floor seconds to having self-pity billow over you at how quickly your tears surface in the corner of your eyes from the memory of Ben spinning Rosy around - the exact way he did with you -and kissing her like she's a pouch full of life.

You clamp down on your bottom lip, trying your hardest not to stain your cheeks with your pooling tears. "Jeez, you just-" you pace back and forth in frustration, balling your fists as you gesticulate lazily, "you just don't get it, Y/N! Ugh, you're so- fuck, just get over it..." Knowing your harsh soliloquy would be getting you nowhere, you snarl strongly at yourself and roughly wipe your tears away with the back of your hand.

"He loves Rosy. F-freaking deal with it!" The reminder takes a hiss from your quivering lips for it to sink in; you have your own place in his life– a place behind the line you'd drawn in the years prior. The friend zone couldn't be any more hollow and cold than it already is.

And a polaroid pic is the only remnant left of how inseparable you and Ben were in the early days.

At the same time you're feeling your heart tear itself apart, Ben pulls out a picture - similar to what you've found - from the inner pocket of his old varsity jacket in the middle of rummaging through his wardrobe. He leaves his room in his pajamas and tosses himself on the couch next to a sleeping Frankie, softly apologizing to the little beagle for disturbing her cat-like nap. As he cuddles Frankie close, he scrutinizes the picture and it's also from Homecoming, but in it both of you are beaming widely with your arms slung around one another– the doodles ever-so-present on your faces. Behind it, the date and the continuation of the trailed-off sentence written at the back of your share of the memory.

'-anywhere at all.'- it ends in Ben's part of the duality. He grins fondly at the long lost picture, feeling twice as guilty for not keeping it safe and...close to his heart, just as he had promised you that night.

- - - - - - - -

In the convenience of Lucy needing some company to shop with for awards season just as she had returned from her get-away with Rami, she drags you along happily, having to pass through you insisting that you stay at home and study but purposefully ending up under her mercy anyway. You couldn't say no to her, she's basically your sparkly, glam counterpart and you're in need of her life-altering sparkles as of now. Especially since you're going to be tagging along with them, mainly as Joe's date cause you know, you're his 'girlfriend' and all.

You're at the mall, in a stylish boutique full of lines of voguish clothing and shoes that could span miles if not compressed together. For once in the hours you've spent scampering around the mall with Lucy to hoard dresses, skin products and make up, you admit that this is the most aesthetically pleasing space in the entire building.

You traipse along a section with black dresses fashioned into different forms, silently praying that what you have with you will amount to at least one of the varying prices.

Lucy's on the opposite side, ogling at the most colorful section in the boutique for a piece to wear. She peers over at you to make sure you've chosen your 'fighter'. A few swishes of the dresses lined up and you do, holding it up high to evaluate the appropriateness.

It's a sleeveless, halter neck satin that's just a few inches above the knee. Utterly backless but it ends right up the small of your back. The fabric is stretchy enough to move around and breathe in as it simultaneously hugs your shape. You love it but gulp as you prepare yourself for the price. Flipping the tag over, you suddenly wish you could let out the biggest, girlish squeal the human race has ever heard with how surprisingly affordable it is.

"Finally picked out yours?" Lucy pokes her head up playfully and you nod, quite speechless but giddy. She makes a grabby hand at your dress to examine it for herself.

Well she's the fashion guru so why not? You hand her the dress and as she trails her eyes from top to bottom, her mouth falls at the simple yet elegant details. "This is perfect! I highly doubt that it's not going to catch every exposed eye present at the event."

Your flush profusely at her comment. "Thanks but I'll be bringing a coat with me."

That triggered her, but of course you're only teasing. "You better effing not." She warns you and you chuckle, taking the dress from her and evenly brushing the skirt.

"I won't, you can sleep soundly tonight."

You assure her of the possibility. As you exit the boutique with a few bags you're not used to holding, Lucy takes out her phone and gasps, her face contorting with a little disbelief. "Uh oh, this might ruin your mood." She hands you the phone and you gape at her confusingly before taking a quick look.

Ben's posted some updates on his wedding preparations, shockingly tagging you, Joe, Gwil and Lucy in one photo. He's pretty busy alright; unable to text or call you for days but miraculously tagging you out of nowhere.

You come to disregard it until you notice one minute but important detail hidden in plain sight in all of his posts– there isn't a single one with him and Rosy together alone. None of such as well on his new ones.

The only post he's had with a close girl is the one with you, which is at the very bottom of his Instagram feed. You won't admit it but it warms your heart a little. Actually, a whole lot despite wondering why there's none of him and his fiancee. You hand Lucy her phone back and tilt your head to one side, suddenly finding the eagerness to go on shopping. "Let's go."

The following week comes as a radial blur contrasted to the slightly moderate one you just woke up from; your manager phoning you up to take the earliest shift you've had in years at the expense of your allotted time to rest, the heavy workload and rush hours in the upcoming hours followed by the slowest progress of filing your travel documents and visa needed for your departure on the 26th. You've got tons of missed calls from your parents and Joe, who's requested for you to pack up early since you'll be leaving for LA with Lucy on the day of the awards but earlier.

Also noting that you still need to double check the costs for flying to LA and back, ruling out the one exclusive for your flight on the 26th.

For mere days you feel as if you could lose your sanity as your life spirals into madness with everything you're required to do– whether or not you're obliged to do it.

But they are effective distractions for that problem you are still very much preoccupied with. That's a matter noteworthy of later discussion. Amidst all the chaos happening, part of you wishes for Ben to reply to your messages or even talk to you in the slightest. You never bothered to call this week since he's tied up but the least he could do is let you know how he's doing, if he's thinking of you once in a thousand passing seconds.

You give up for a day waiting on him and drown yourself in work.

- - - - - - -

Securing your phone between your tilted head and your shoulder as you indulge in your talk with Joe through the line, you crouch and zip your luggage bag close. Your eyes fixating themselves on two, separate luggage bags for two, separate travels.

"Was that all of it?" Joe's disembodied voice asks. You spring up and take your phone between your fingers. "Pretty much. I better have a kick out of something by the time we touchdown tomorrow– it's my first visit to the US." You inform him, leaping into your bed and landing comfortably.

He chortles softly and ensures you. "I know and you can be sure to expect a good par- ow! Bad kitty!" His smooth transition to a yelp amuses you for split second.

"Are you alright? "

"No. I'm finally feline food to my kid." He refers to his pet cat that has taken a small nibble on his finger, in which Joe returns with a light ruffle to its fur. You can't help but giggle heartily at him.

"Anyway, I'm picking you and Lucy up from LAX tomorrow." He gives you that heads up and you bring your hand up to your forehead. "Where will we be staying?"

"I've booked a hotel earlier so you've got nothing to worry about the moment you land." A faint crunch can be heard from your end and you mind to ask Joe about it. "Are you- are you eating?"

To answer your question, he bites down on his food sloppily and guarantees you of what you heard. You smack your lips together as your eyes narrow in bewilderment.

"Does that answer your question?"

"Sometimes you make it easier for me to hit you with a pillow."

"Is that how you treat your boyfriend?" He taunts at you and cackles, his distorted voice bouncing off of the walls of your room. You sigh, defeated by the fact that this charade is still going on. It's silly and immature yet you and Joe somehow managed to stick to the act.

"Speaking of boyfriend though– would he be furious if I told him that I couldn't be there on his wedding day?" Since you're rested and got nothing else to distract you, you pop the question to Joe.

"Ben?"

You hum softly.

"There are two scenarios that we need to consider," on his end, Joe taps his finger on his lips as he thinks of said scenarios, "Best case scenario- he would get discouraged and slightly unmotivated, and obviously sad, but he'd still support you cause that's your dream."

You sit up and twirl the ends of your hair around your finger, swallowing. "And worst case scenario?"

Joe falls silent before exhaling harshly. "You'd crush his soul, heart, everything ranging from physical to spiritual and it would take a toll– and I mean a substantial toll on your friendship."

"Joe, don't make it sound like a prospect! "

"That is, " he adds strongly, "if he finds out that you had meant for him to be oblivious to it." And he's right. But you had a reason. You still do. Even if you do end up telling him and he supports you, you need a great deal of space to move on.

As long as he's committed to Rosy and you're in the sidelines still in love with him, it's just something toxic. You couldn't love anybody they way you do Ben and you feel like you'll never love someone like him ever again. Albeit how clueless he is sometimes and clumsy, you both had survived every storm and wave. So sticking around to witness him give his hand and heart to someone else is torture for you.

"I'm gonna be direct and say-" just as you begin talking, your phone shrills to another caller, cutting you off from Joe.

One look at the screen and your heart begins racing. Speak of the devil. You reserve an explanation for cutting off and answer Ben, clearing your throat. "You're late."

Ben's gruff chuckle welcomes you back. "I know, I'm so sorry. Busiest week I've had and the lady at Starbucks signed my cup like a snail."

"What are you doing tonight that requires coffee?"

"Call me dramatic- or do so, given that I'm an actor- but I just want to stargaze right now." You hear a light rustle coming from his end, like he's seated out on his lawn.

Silently giving him the 'oh really' look, you spread one side of the curtain to let some moon light in. "Ben, you're leaving early tomorrow."

He hums, seemingly enjoying himself. "But that's not an excuse to not enjoy the night." This boy can not get any cornier. You cast your gaze upon the moon, sighing profoundly. "How did the wedding planning go? Good?"

"Hm, yeah. Church wedding, big reception. Whole lot of booze binging planned out. And a killer bachelor party the day after the awards. " He jokes through the line and you tell him off in a playful chide. "Benjamin Jones, you better-"

"I won't. I won't." You sense his gentle smile from your end, checking the time and reluctantly coming to the decision to hit the hay since you'll be leaving early as well. As much as you want to recreate those late night conversations you once had with him, you can't.

"Hey?" You coo somehow.

"Yeah?"

"I gotta sleep. I have to meet Lucy at the airport at 5."

He gives out a throaty grunt as if he's pulling himself up. "Tragic. I'll see you in LA then, love."

Your lips curl up into the gentlest smile with the moonlight blessing it from the window. "You too. Tell yourself and the rest- especially Brian and Roger- that I'm gonna be rooting for you guys to get up on that stage."

"I will. Thanks for the motivation, Y/N. All the words coming from you just mean so much to me. To all of us." And in his voice, you can hear his utmost sincerity and fondness just highlighting his tone.

"Anytime. Now let me sleep, you bloke. "

"Haha, alright. Love you tons, love."

Shifting your eyes to the sky once more, you reply, allowing the words you're about to say to mean more.

"I love you too, Ben. Good night."

- - - - - - -

24th

You had promised Lucy you'd arrive 10 minutes earlier than her and you really didn't hold on to that promise. As soon as you arrive at the airport nearly bathing in sweat and deaf from the multiple rings Lucy has given you, you both take off to the waiting area with your heavy luggage where you spend an hour and a half waiting for your flight to board. Joe has sent two texts telling you that he's still in the middle of having coffee and it's a questionable action since he's 8 hours behind you and is expected to be asleep by now.

You reply with a simple, "See you there" before heeding to the call of your flight number from the speakers.

All the rushing and you haven't had a bite of breakfast yet. An eleven hour flight doesn't sound so bad, as long as you make sure you don't reel everytime you get up to use the bathroom and acquire jet lag the moment you land from a direct flight without any pit stops. The flight is long as you are awake but by the time you fall asleep in between hours, it shortens the duration. The pilot announcing your arrival wakes you and Lucy from the latest nap you've had on the plane. After gathering your luggage and answering a couple of phone calls on you way down the plane, the arrival area is where you spy Joe behind the red tapes, a scarf around his neck and an eager look plastered on his pale skin, just waiting for you and Lucy to step in. His eyes crinkle as he sees you both treading towards him with a handful of luggage. He greets you both with a tight hug and ushers you to his car, assisting with the transport of your things.

He's booked you in the hotel he's staying in to, of course, avoid some minor inconveniences especially since the awards start at 7 pm and you drastically need Lucy to help you prepare. Upon reaching the hotel, he leads the both of you up the second floor and into the hall for your rooms.

Apparently you and Lucy will be sharing which is the great and Joe will be staying in the room right across yours.

After giving yourselves a brief tour of the room, you settle in and unpack your essentials.

"Y/N, bring out your fighter!" Lucy declares with a giggle, pulling the dress she's chosen from her suitcase. It's a purple, off-the-shoulder, crepe satin and black velvet gown that cascades gracefully against the stable air.

Your eyes widen in awe at how it looks against the light. "No need for a match, Luce. You win," you raise your hands up in surrender, "that's- that's catching more eyes. From Rami of course."

"Oh shut it. You'll look smooth in black." She clicks her tongue and smoothens it at the edge of the bed. You whip out yours and hold it up high, wavering a little at how you'll look like in it tonight. How fortunate you were to find 3-inch, black pumps closeted when you were 'panic packing' the night before. You take it out from your suitcase and set it aside before striding towards the blinds, pulling it up and beholding the breathtaking view of Hollywood before you.

Your first visit to the US and you're already headed to the Oscars. This isn't the real life. This is just fantasy.

- - - - - - - -

"We're having a dinner party afterwards, I don't see any reason for two sandwiches before the ceremony." Staring blankly at how Joe's handling waiting for you and Lucy to emerge from your room, Rami purses his lips quizzically– he's come by to pick up his girl as well. The two men look dashingly handsome in their black tuxes and slick hairstyles– their individual charm strong as they highly anticipate for your appearances.

Joe swallows the chunk in his mouth before speaking. "I'm stressed."

"About what?"

He bites down on his last sandwich, dusting his hands off crumbs as he reasons out. "It's the Oscars. Biggest ceremony of the year."

With a shake of his head, Rami opens his mouth to protest but pauses as the creak of the door behind them butts in their conversation. Lucy - exquisite in her cascading satin gown and look dotted in light to moderate make up - emerges with her purse in hand and eyes heady on Rami.

Joe wishes he could loosen some hinges in Rami's jaw since the latter has got his mouth agape at her girlfriend's evening look. To him, she is his ultimate award and he wouldn't have it in any other way.

"Hey, babe." Lucy smiles delicately and kisses Rami's cheek, to which he responds with a breathless, "Luce, you look..." His starstruck silence finishing his compliment for her. Joe hums, agreeing with crossed arms. "I wish I was as pretty as you, Boynton."

"You boys look handsome, too." Lucy giggles softly and Joe begins to wonder. "Where's Y/N?"

"She'll be out in three...two..." As Lucy deliberately pauses her countdown, you come out of the room, head down as you feel a bit hesitant to continue but you regain your confidence and look up timidly– your appearance putting Joe in the same position Rami was just in with Lucy. The dress really agrees to your form, contouring every curve of your body in a semi-sensual way, guaranteeing that you'll be snagging some looks tonight. Your (H/C) hair frames your face intricately with your light make-up emphasizing the color of your eyes and lips. The light brush of air against the skin of your exposed back makes you clutch your purse tighter, deeming it uncomfortable.

Lucy smiles proudly at her work and that is you. "Well, how does she look Joe?"

Joe lets out a hitched exhale, hazel eyes wide as a sinkhole and a slacked jaw struggling to budge. "Like my girlfriend."

"You wish." You can't help but retort playfully and he brings his finger up to his lips, hushing you. Rami compliments you as well and you thank him as the four of you make your way to the elevator– your arm on Joe's and Lucy's on Rami's.

You've taken a limo for the sake of convenience, since Joe and Rami wanted to propose a pre-toast - with the champagne present in the vehicle - to their successes and hard work in the past year. You have faith they'd bring home an Oscar; considering how spectacular their work was portraying the members of Queen. You're also thrilled that you're about to meet Brian and Roger.

The limo parks just across Dolby Theatre and the four of you climb out, making your way arms-in-arms into the place crowded with paparazzi and attendees. You see yourself as a small fish swimming in a sea full of majestic dolphins. This is the big leagues right here and you're not even one bit of a celebrity– at least you feel like you aren't one. After a couple of shoulder brushes with either familiar and unfamiliar faces and escaping the blinding flashes of the cameras, the four of you reunite with Gwilym who has Roger and Brian present by his side. You are introduced to the two Queen members by Joe and you couldn't be any more happier to meet them in person. A couple of moments of interacting with the rest of the crew and cast, Ben joins the 'party' looking sharp and admittedly drop-dead gorgeous in his white tuxedo blazer and slicked back hair with Rosy by his side.

Before he could even reply to the greetings of his friends, he lays his eyes on you and for a while– his pupils dilate and his expression flits faster than he can command it to. He can't believe what or who he is seeing before him amidst all the glam. Letting go of Rosy's hand for a minute, he steps close to you, indescribably captivated. "Y/N...h-hey."

You keep your composure, musing back. "Hey. You look left out, outfit-wise, and a like a million bucks."

It takes him nearly five seconds to reply with the way hes has his eyes transfixed on you. It's like he's seeing you for the first time. Your evening look setting him back to Homecoming night and something inside him just tweaks. You avoid his mindless gaze and break the silence, trying your hardest not to flush. "Ben, please talk. It's just really-"

"You look...beautiful." He breathes out like he had just gotten up from under water.

[ultsracha]

Idol!Changmin (Q) x Model!reader Fluff

Anon:  Yes! We need more the boyz writers! If I may request, could you write a bulletpoint piece model!fem reader and idol!changmin/q meeting and falling in love? ❤️ A/N: Ahhh thank you for the request! changmin is my bias and so i would absolutely love to write for him so im glad this was requested. *disclaimer* this is the first thing ive written in a very long time and im sure it’s not the best, im sorry for that but hopefully i made up for it with adding other members cracky content as well <3 

being a model was never what you intended to do when you grew up but you started posing for photography students during school and from there more and more people want to take your picture 

now, 3 years later it’s a whole career and you get to work alongside some amazing brands and creators to promote stuff 

one week, you were sent to seoul for a shoot with numerous other people to promote a clothing brand 

usually you didn't mind flying out to new places, in fact it was the best part of the job once you got over the language barrier 

but this time, you were completely alone, your manager couldn't come due to family problems and all of your friends had work

so you were completely alone going to this event

and little did you know it wouldn't just be a small shoot, tons of people were there from all over the world 

they had actors, singers and models from tons of different places and companies 

and most of them were older than you which made things more stressful

so, first day there and everyone’s being told their schedules and what they need to be doing 

when you’re given your schedule you see you’ve been put on the same shoot as a boy group and a handful of other models 

not that you minded because maybe you could make some friends seeing as you’d be there for a while 

luckily your shoot wasn’t for a while as they didn’t choose you as one of the major people involved with the project so you ended up in a backroom with a few other people minding their own business

it was reasonably quiet in the room, people chatting away and on their phones until the door burst open and a group of boys walked in

all of them were, well

very very very very cute

its uwu time

no wonder they’d been picked for this project, who wouldn't want something modelled by them 

They walked in together, one following behind the other. The final boy to walk in looked around at everyone until his eyes met yours

and when i say awkward eye contact, i mean awkward eye contact for about 6 seconds before he accidentally walked into his group member in front of him

followed by some profuse blushing and apologising 

they proceeded to disperse into the room and sit down

the one who made intense awkward eye contact lingered for a second, looking around before settling into a seat opposite you 

Now there were around 18 people all sat together, not really talking very much

and the air was, awkward. 

Until the organiser of the event came in to introduce himself and explain what you were all meant to do

The whole time he was introducing himself you felt someone looking at you, but whenever you searched everyone's faces no one was looking 

everything was going fine and dandy until the guy explaining the concepts and the activities you guys would be doing for the shoot asked everyone to introduce themselves one by one 

it wouldn’t usually be a problem, you’re a confident person and modelling has certain helped that but when surrounded by so many beautiful humans it’s scary as hell 

so, they all introduced themselves. one of the members called Hyunjoon even threw in a cheeky wink at the end of his introduction 

like who ??? let you be so cute 

but then it came to the one who held the awkward eye contact

he seemed dead set on never looking at you ever again after that first moment up until the second he stood

he looked right at you as he introduced himself 

explaining that he didn't mind being called Q or Changmin 

what a freaking cutie pie 

when it was your turn you felt the most amount of butterflies in your stomach since probably your first kiss back in primary school

introducing yourself as calmly as possible, only looking up from the floor briefly to see Changmin staring into your eyes with keen interest 

oof that was enough to set your heart on fire 

Finishing your introduction of where you’re from and how old you are, you sat down quickly feeling the heat in your cheeks increase when you saw two of the boys whispering together 

once the man was gone it was a lot easier for everyone to chat and discuss how they thought the project would turn out, excited to be part of such a unique shoot 

Changmin was glancing your way every few seconds, looking like he was having an internal battle with himself 

You decided to just be a bad bitch and go speak to him yourself 

he was with Hyunjoon anyway and you needed to congratulate him on winning the best introduction of the team award!! 

when you got there they both abruptly stopped talking and looked at you, waiting with wide eyes for what you were going to say 

“so you’re part of a boy group yeah?” you ask

might as well ease in gently yanno

they both looked at each other before Hyunjoon answered and began explaining their roles in the group

he explained in great length that Changmin was the main dancer 

speaking very briefly of the other members in order to explain that Changmin can sing and dance so well and he’s super amazing with fans 

Changmin all the while stood there blushing and trying to disagree with him 

honestly a sweet but strange interaction 

until finally Hyunjoon was called away by another member of the group 

leaving just you and Changmin alone 

you’d moved to a couch nearby by now so for a few moments you sat there admiring him as he watched Hyunjoon walk off 

when he turned back he rushed to say “I’m sorry about him, he loves to hype us all up. I’m not really that cool’ 

“No, I think you’re pretty cool...” You shrug, trying to pass off the compliment slyly which didn’t go unnoticed by him. 

A faint blush was working it’s way up his neck when the organiser walked back in with 3 sheets of paper 

“I can see you’ve all got to know each other more and now, I want you to divide yourself into teams as evenly as possible. I don’t want all the girls put in one team though because there are less of you” 

He then leaves the sheets on a table and walks off again leaving you to find the courage to ask Changmin if he’d want to be in the same team as you

Because I mean you’ve only known him for about 45 minutes but he’s already showed how sweet he is and you can’t help but feel excited at the idea of spending the next few days working with him

“So would yo-” 

“Hey could w-” 

You both tried to ask each other to be on the same team in the exact same second

Both of you burst into laughter and write your names on the paper one under the other still giggling the whole time 

The rest of the morning goes by just like this, giggling together and gradually getting to know one another more and more

by the time the afternoon rolls around he’s basically your best friend

You both love the same movies, same books, enjoy similar music 

Even as hair and makeup is being done you don’t stop talking and giggling

Lets be real here, a crush was growing 

It’s like within the space of 4 hours you’d become inseparable 

When the photos were being taken your teams connection together was so genuine

Working for a brand that’s entire concept is friendship and having fun together it was hardly surprising that the laughter didn’t end there 

The rest of the time you were there your cheeks never stopped hurting from how much you smiled and laughed 

Not just from Changmin but also from all of his groupmates too

Such a wonderful, fun group of people to be around 

You truly felt like one of them by the end of the shoot 

but lets not ignore the lingering glances you and Changmin exchanged, or how he always managed to find an excuse to be stood with you and how whenever he’d walk you to your hotel room door he would try and make the conversation last as long as possible and always, always end the night with a hug 

okay lets be real again, a crush had definitely formed, grown up, moved in and was now decorating the kitchen in your heart 

Like you couldn’t get enough of his happy energy and humour 

At the end of the final shoot when you’re all stood around talking and laughing Changmin grabs your arm and pulls you away

Clearly you don’t resist because like anyone would accept some alone time with Changmin 

Gently he leads you to a couch in the corner of the room and sits down

His cheeks are already rosy when he starts to speak, his hand starting to get clammy against your own

“y/n, will you go on a date with me?” he blurts out quickly and then opening his eyes wide as if he was surprised he said it

and in that moment 

your heart

burst and stopped and did a trip round the globe 

“Of COURSE” you literally scream

His face lights up immediately and he jumps up hugs you quickly and darts off back to the others

you hear them all cheer and see them start hugging and pushing around a very, very blushy Changmin 

Later that evening he arrives at your hotel room door, still wearing that same red hue on his cheeks 

You go to the arcade together and the whole evening is wonderful

it’s no different than how you guys have spent time together the last few days but this time Changmin insists on holding your hand every second 

As well as hugging you from behind when its your turn on the claw machine

Unfortunately you claw machine skills are... 

Limited 

But of course, your knight in shining hoodie and jeans swoops in and wins you the stuffed animal you really wanted 

After you’d played every arcade game and taking endless amounts of cringey pics of each other you walk home slowly still hand in hand 

“You know, I’m really glad I met you” he states out of the blue, still looking ahead of him

“Me too, I feel so complete with you around me” you reply back, swinging your joined hands slightly 

From then on, you were never apart

Literally like the brand you did the shoot for hired you permanently for big moneys and a promise of a successful modelling career a few weeks after your first date with Changmin

Which you graciously accepted for only that reason

Not the fact the love of your life happened to live down road from your new apartment 

and all you wanted to was hold his and forever 

plus the rest of the group fully accepted you as one of their own 

like seriously it was hard to find any moments alone with your boyfriend when hanging out at the dorms because hyunjae liked to ask what you’re doing every 3 minutes 

as well as father maknae line demanding your attention every second you were there

not that you complained about any of it 

because who would complain about a family like that 

and a boyfriend like Changmin 

really out here living your best life huh

[charlion-em]

Home Sounds Good

For @thefangirlhasarrive who won the 2nd place prize from the giveaway <3 This was such a cute prompt and I had a blast writing it!  <br>

Pairing: Peter Parker/Harry Osborn (parksborn) Rating: G Summary: Home is where you can drink milk from the carton - and also where you keep your pants. Warnings: none Words: 1,652

A/N: This was such a treat to write. I forgot how much fun it is to write these two!

It was all very domestic, and with sudden clarity Harry realized that was not a bad thing. For as much as he loved Peter, there was always a part of him which was afraid of continuing the cycle of dysfunction he came from, something which always held him back from asking for more. Though Norman was far removed from his life now, a part of Harry worried he would someday begin to mirror his father’s behavior.

Yet here they were, together for nearly a year and not a sign of slipping into the abusive behavior he grew up with; in fact, it was the exact opposite, and he thanked his lucky stars for the sunshine Peter always brought into his life.

From his seat at the dining table he watched as his boyfriend fumbled with the lid of the milk carton then tipped it to his mouth. Harry half expected the contents to drip down Peter’s chin, but the other man had plenty of practice with the savage act. He didn’t comment, and hid his fond smile behind his coffee mug.

“You’re out of milk,” Peter said. He tossed the now empty carton into the sink and sauntered over to Harry.

Harry hummed, mentally correcting ‘you’re’ to ‘we’re’. “Maybe I should start buying a whole gallon instead of a half gallon? Seeing as I’m always buying milk.”

Peter had the sense to duck his head. “Sorry Harry. I guess I’ve been spending more time here than at home. I’ll pick you up another half gallon after work, okay? Don’t worry about it.”

“Just get a gallon.” Harry grabbed an apple from the fruit bowl in the middle of his table. “You’ll drink it anyway- you practically live here.”

“No I don’t.”

Harry eyed Peter’s coat hanging by the door. It was July, and the garment had been there for months. “You can move in, I don’t know why you keep your apartment.” It was more of a flat than apartment, seeing as how the living room doubled as the bedroom- but Harry kept the comment to himself.

With a shrug, Peter walked around the table to grab his bag. He turned to Harry, who was still in his boxers. “If you don’t get going you’ll be late again.”

Harry waved him off, “I’ll be fine, pros of being the boss. I do have a later meeting, so I won’t be home until around 7.”

“Oh…” Peter paused with his hand on the door. “I’ll see you tomorrow then.”

He left before Harry could offer a late dinner. “Oh, Peter.” He shot of a text instead. Peter was right, he should get dressed and get to work.

Now that he was looking, he found a lot of Peter’s belongings intertwined with his own. It must have happened slowly, because without specifically looking everything felt in place.

They belonged.

Peter’s toothbrush wasn’t surprising, but his favorite facial lotion was. How long had it been on his bathroom counter?

Extra clothes were normal to keep at your boyfriend’s place, he probably had a spare outfit at Peter’s. But two whole drawers were full of Peter’s clothes. And the suit Peter wore to that event at the museum three months ago hung next to his in the closet.

If he wasn’t already running late, Harry would have continued to search for Peter’s things. Seeing as he would probably be alone for the evening, he would have plenty of time to look later. But what would he do with this new information?

Harry groaned as he pushed into his condo. Meetings drained his energy, and his usual mood charger had declined his invitation for a late dinner. The silence of his home was unnerving, and it was now Harry realized how long it had been since he spent a whole evening alone. Without Peter’s constant chatting or his tinkering on some new project, the condo felt empty and too large for just one person.

He decided dinner would just be a quick sandwich, nothing fancy or requiring effort. All he wanted to do was ease his growing hunger and fall onto his couch and watch reruns on t.v.. He could go over the meeting reports tomorrow when he had Peter to distract him from their monotony.

He opened the fridge to grab the lunch meat and paused, hand outstretched. On the middle shelf sat two fresh half-gallons of milk.

“Peter,” Harry sighed. He closed the door without gathering the ingredients for a sandwich. Instead, he pulled out his phone to text a quick ’really?’ to Peter. Quickly followed with ’it is cheaper to just get a gallon.’

A few seconds later Peter’s reply came through. ‘it’s called compromise.’

“OH MY GOD PETER,” Harry shouted at the ceiling. He growled, sending off another text as he began to pace. ‘just come home, pete.’

‘i am at home.’

Harry stopped in his tracks. Home. Despite his hangups, at some point he had started to consider this their home. And he thought Peter had as well. Especially given the time he spent there and the amount of belongings which were woven among his own.

Peter’s belongings.

Harry stomped into the bedroom, easily re-locating the items he’d found that morning. He aimed his phone at them, snapping quick photos of each location Peter had claimed. Peter’s clothes in the drawers and in the closet, the various hygiene items in the bathroom, and the old camera bag tossed on the chair next to the bed.

He searched the condo, snapping photos of every last bit of the evidence Peter lived there. It would look so bare without Peter’s things.

He text the photos to Peter one by one with no words of explanation. Just a slew of photos of random items which held no meaning by themselves, but spoke volumes in the context of their conversation.

After those photos were sent, Harry turned the camera around to his face. He easily morphed his face into the saddest pout he could muster.

Harry hit send with less force than he had with the other photos and fell face-first onto the couch, tossing his phone onto the floor nearby. How Peter reacted would probably determine the direction their relationship would take. Would they continue as they had been- in a limbo between casual and serious commitment- or would they push forward, take the next step? Not long after he had pushed his face into the decorative pillows, the sound of keys jiggling in the door broke the silence of the condo. Peter was the only other person to have a key. Harry rolled over enough to see the door, wondering just how Peter made it across town so quickly. It was fast, even for him.

Peter entered quickly and shut and locked the door, biting his lip when he turned and saw Harry on the couch. For what it was worth, Harry was proud he was able to hold back a burst of laughter when he took in Peter’s appearance.

He pushed himself up so he was sitting on the couch. “What are you wearing?” Harry couldn’t keep the mirth from his voice.

Peter picked at his neon yellow shirt with ‘swag’ scrawled diagonally across the chest. It clashed horribly with the dark purple and orange polka dot swim trunks and snow boots. “The shirt was Sam’s ‘gift’,” he made air quotes, “during one of his ‘get Peter to not dress like a nerd’ ‘projects’.”

Ah, Harry remembered those ‘projects’- which usually backfired since Peter managed to make anything look nerdy just by wearing it. The ‘swag’ shirt didn’t seem to be any different.

“So, uhhhh.” He shrugged, looking sheepish as he looked anywhere but Harry. “My clothes got sorta disintegrated along with my backpack… and uh, I guess my all good clothes are here?”

Harry dropped his head into his hands, knowing better than to ask why Peter’s backpack was disintegrated. Peter always gave too many details, he preferred the watered down version of Spider-Man’s exploits that the news gave.

Peter’s weight dipped the couch cushion. “And, you’re here too. I’m saving that picture as your caller ID, by the way.”

Harry sighed. “And you’ve had a key for like, ever.” He pulled his head back up, meeting Peter’s gaze. “Why are you so afraid of moving in?”

“I guess I already have, huh?”

“Peter.”

“Okay. Okay.” Peter bit his lip and scooted closer to Harry. Whenever they had a serious discussion, Peter snuggled as close as possible to Harry. “I guess, I don’t know, it’s like I’d be admitting I can’t do it myself? I’ll never be able to afford a place like this. I don’t want to be a kept man.”

“What’s mine is yours, Peter.” Harry wrapped an arm around his shoulders. “You put your life on the line for this city everyday, you deserve to be happy. So what if you don’t make a lot of money? You’re worth isn’t based on that.”

They stayed pressed together for a few moments before Harry turned and kissed Peter’s forehead. “If your only objection is the price of this place, we can shop around for something else.”

Peter shook his head and buried his face in the crook of Harry’s neck. “Are we ready? Like. It’s a big step, right?”

Harry held him tight. “I guess we decided we were ready a while ago, hmm?” Probably around the time Peter kept the spare key after Harry got back from a business trip.

“Yea, I guess my jeans knew better than I did.”

“Speaking of…” Harry pulled back and eyed Peter’s ensemble. “How about you change and we’ll go out to dinner to celebrate officially realizing you moved in?”

Peter’s smile was bright as he flipped over the back of the couch. “How about pajamas and we order take out? Stay home?”

“Home sounds good.”

And they were finally home together.

Thank you for reading!

[notesfromthepen]

Bell Bottoms, Hammer Pants, Evolution, and our Addiction to Novelty

For as long as I can remember I've been cursed with this insipid and ridiculous need to know. It's never been enough to just live. I have to know how and why everything works. And for just as long, as a side effect of this maddening affliction, I've had these seemingly random ponderings forever rolling around in my head, like those steel balls they put inside of spray-paint cans to keep the paint from clumping together. Sometimes these little steel balls start as ideas, but most often they come in the form of questions. They sporadically tumble from my subconscious mind into waking contemplation where they rattle around, for as long as they have to—sometimes for years on end—until I'm able to reach an understanding on the subject that satisfies itself. At which point my paint can—at least momentarily—feels a little less crowded.

I wanted to share one of the little steel balls that, for years, did its part to keep my paint from clumping together.

It started with fashion. Well, kinda. I was thinking about what it is that dictates the perception and status of style. Ever wonder how something like a hairstyle, for example, or a pair of pants, can go from the coolest shit you've ever seen, to absolutely, unequivocally, embarrassingly and unwearably  horrendous…in the matter of a few short years?

I got to thinking; what determines our appreciation and affinity for a certain style for a brief period of time, only to inevitably have our collective, as well as personal, affinity for said style not only expire, but to rot to the point of revulsion? It is an interesting thought, and the fact that an immediate and satisfying solution alluded me, ensured that this would be a thought that would stay with me for some time.

The most interesting aspect of this condition concerning fashion isn't the clothes or hairstyles, it the fact that a fashion trend is almost like a mass hypnosis. Think about it, a large part of our population decides, subconsciously, without planning or organization, at relatively the same time, to collectively agree, and genuinely believe, that bell bottoms and afros, or tube tops and mullets, or patent leather and corn rows are aesthetically pleasing. And then after a certain amount of time (I'm sure you could calculate, with precision, the average time it takes for a style to turn from appealing to revolting that would show little to new deviation with each new fad) The same group decides, collectively, that the exact same hairstyle they previously, though genuinely, found appealing is not only no longer aesthetically pleasing but is now revolting.

How is that possible? 

It is completely fascinating for me to think about this strange, mass group, social behavior. This variance doesn't happen with smells or tastes, or pain or pleasure. A punch in the balls isn't painful one day and then pleasing on another. Shit doesn't smell like, well, repulsive shit one day and like appealing shit the next. So how does a hairstyle have the ability to look so amazing at one point in time that it alone could increase your chance at a sexual encounter with another person one day, only to have the opposite affect at a point in the future.

My first attempt to satisfy myself with an explanation was to say that, when it comes to style, there is an industry that creates the fashion trends and an industry that tells the public what to like, when to like it, and when to hate it.

This simple solution betrays Ockham's razor. It's a partial truth.Though there is an industry that appears to create styles, and an industry that attempts to tell us what to like. It seems much more accurate to say that these "creators" are merely at the cutting edge as witnesses to what is already becoming popular in the cultural zeitgeist, they recognize the upcoming look and simply do their best to ride the coming wave by designing in the vein of said style.

Which historically speaking, the newest upcoming style trends tend to come from a young, most often, urban subculture. The fashion designers are just the ones who keep their ears to the street, and are often the only ones with the ability to exploit the upcoming trend with finance, marketing, and production. After discovering what the next style shift will be: a mullet, drop-crotch pants, skinny jeans, or a thumb in your ass, the fashion designers do play a role in perpetuating the fashion. But do not mistake the exploiter for the creator.

I point to punk rock and hip hop fashion as quick and easy examples of this point. They started at a street level first, and only later were adopted and exploited by companies. 

How is this mass decision made, because from my own experience it isn't merely conditioning. I wasn't pretending to like Christie Brinkley's feathered hair in the early eighties; I genuinely liked it. And I'm not pretending that it looks ridiculous to me today, it does.

So, after letting this question rattle around for a few years, something came to me. As far as I can tell, our predictable change in the acceptance and rejection of fashion (the time it goes from fresh to stale) is just a small by-product of our programing; it's less of a decision and more of an interesting result, which is why it happens like clock work, over and over again.

I believe we will eventually find that, somewhere in a set of nucleotides in our DNA, we are programmed with an addiction to novelty. This programing isn't just in the individual but relies on the group to be successful. This gene, or set of genes, would be responsible for, creatively, what natural selection did for biological evolution. Our Addiction to novelty is the "random mutation" tool for ideas, theory, and invention necessary for continual growth, to ensure that--eventually--we will hit upon the next best is idea, which will lead to the next best theory and invention...etc.

In the natural world our genes had countless organisms to try countless variations of different mutations to find one that worked, at which point that gene was passed on to the next generation, and so on. This addiction, to the new and novel, ensures that we are ALWAYS trying new things and new ideas and, as a group, are eventually turned off by the old and useless ones.

Only the most useful, novel, ideas are immune from going stale, and no fashion fad thus far meets this criteria. Which is why every style inevitably goes from fresh to stale.

Fashion is just a tiny, rather trivial, byproduct of this programming, an indicator, not the purpose. But because fashion isn't the desired end result of this gene (or set of genes), we can watch this predetermined cycle play out and then determine the half-life of our addiction to novelty, how long it takes before we tire of the pleasing affect of the novel and go from fresh to stale. How long it takes for bell bottoms to go from exciting and attractive to boring and drab should point to the length of this programmed cycle of novelty.

This addiction is why a handlebar mustache can look amazing for a time and then be horrendous at a later time, and then, by the time it is beyond the memory of a new generation, a douchey hipster can think it's cool again. But I suspect the law of diminishing returns applies. The second wave of handlebar mustaches will have a significantly shorter half life than the first, because it's only ironically novel...Thank God!

So the next time you look at an old year book photo and feel like shit, wondering how you could've ever thought a mullet was sweet, remember, its not your fault, it only ever looked good or bad because of our addiction to novelty.

And if you're still wearing a mullet, you've either broken your addiction, or your initial high was so great that you couldn't put that mullet shaped needle down; I'm not quite sure which. Or maybe you're the equivalent of the giraffe without the gene for neck growth, either way, keep rockin' that Kentucky waterfall, you're in the middle of its ironic resurgence.

[cakestco]

4 EASY BIRTHDAY GAMES FOR WINTER BIRTHDAYS

These great winter birthday party game ideas will have your kids and their guests laughing and playing in the snow for hours.

1. Snow Rope Tug of War

To play this game, organize two teams of even numbers. You will also need a long, thick rope to play this game. Simply tamp down a large and wide trench in the snow. The trench will serve as the midline. Place each team on the opposite ends of the rope. Countdown from 10 and allow the tugging and towing to commence. The winning team is the team that pulls the entire opposing team over to its side of the trench. It’s a good idea to make sure each player is wearing gloves before playing this game. Gloves will protect the hands from getting rope burn.

2. Snow-Boot Two Step

Each player will need winter clothes and snow boots. You will need at least two or more players. This game is best played on an even ground that has freshly fallen snow. Snow-boot two step is very similar to the classic children’s game follow the leader. To start off, the leader will need to make a path in the snow. The children following the leader must then try to step in the exact same spots as the leader by stepping in the leader’s boot print. The object of the game is to make it look as if only one person has walked the path in the snow. This is a perfect winter birthday party game to test each child’s agility and balance.

3. Snowman Building Race

Kids and adults alike love to build snowmen! It is one of the most classic winter games. To get this game going, put together two teams. Make sure each team has an even number of players. Assign an adult to keep track of the time (each race should be around 10-15 minutes or so). Once the adult yells “GO”, watch as the children scurry to put together their snowman masterpiece. The team that completes their snowman in the shortest amount of time, wins the race! Don’t forget that a complete snowman includes the body, hat, and nose.

Photo by Ethan Hu

4. Musical Snowflakes

Musical snowflakes is similar to the old favorite party game musical chairs. To properly play musical snowflakes, tape large snowflake cutouts on the seat of each chair used in the game. Ensure the chairs are lined up and that there’s enough moving room around them. Aim to play winter-themed music instead of ordinary music. Have the group of children pace around the group of chairs while the music is playing. Once the music stops, each child will need to run to sit on one of the available chairs. The child who is left without a chair is then eliminated. Make sure to remove each chair one-by-one as players are eliminated.

Once the winter wonderland games have come to a close, celebrate and reenergize the little ones by chowing down on a delicious DIY birthday cake. A cake decorating kit is the perfect way to take the stress out of baking!

The post 4 EASY BIRTHDAY GAMES FOR WINTER BIRTHDAYS appeared first on Cakest.co -The Best Do It Yourself Cake Kits for Kids Birthdays.

[resultsfitnessbyram]

My New Found Love For Fitness | My Exercise Routine & Fave Gym Wear

Hey men! Firstly I am SO sorry for such a very long break from posting in my blog. I have had the busiest few weeks (beginning a new job being a main part of what I will write about in another article) and I have just felt exhausted and tired to write blog posts, if I’m totally honest. I hate putting things up on my site if I’m not 100% pleased so I guessed taking a rest are the smartest choice until the writers block passed. Well, I’m happy to say that I think that it may have finally gone away as I’m bursting with content and ideas I want to talk with you men !

Now I wish to talk about gym and also something that I never thought I would hear myself say: my new found love because of this. Yep that’s right, I have captured the insect and I’m so pleased about it! To give a bit of background to you – growing up I was always the kind of person who never had to watch what they ate. I mean I used to work at Pizza Hut and would eat pizza at least 4 times a week whilst fitting in a size 6-8 with gut. Yep, I had been living the fantasy. Fast forward to the age of 25 when I had been put on medication for depression and anxiety and my weight began to creep upward. I could no more eat whatever I wanted and that I began to see changes in my body, changes I was not happy with. Basically, I did not like what was staring right back at me in the mirror. I had gained about a stone in a year and even though it is not a enormous amount, it had been enough for me to detect and enough for me to wish to do anything about it. When your jeans are tight that the match pops away (yes this actually occurred to

me while sitting on a bus – mortified x 100) that you know that it’s time to get your work together, even if other individuals tell you ‘don’t be silly, you look nice’. It’s all good and well other folks thinking you look nice but if you don’t feel happy on your own, what anyone else believes is immaterial.

With this being said, I decided it was time to begin exercising. It’s something which’s never interested me earlier as I hate the feeling of being sweaty and out of breath – 2 of those things that obviously go hand in hand with exercise. However, I had always aspired to all those women. I knew I was not going to look like them without adding exercise into my lifestyle, and so I chose to contact a local PT about helping me reach my goals. I had been recommended him by the woman who does my nails and I’m so glad that I took the plunge and booked several sessions because it’s honestly changed my entire outlook on exercise.  

Before beginning my sessions that I constantly watched exercise as a chore and something I’d dread but that’s because I was not doing the appropriate things – working on a treadmill for 45 minutes is not what I would look at a fun workout. I’m now doing what’s called ‘practical fitness’ which is a combination of moves with body weight or weights – essentially the exact same as training. High intensity intervals where you do X number of repetitions of an exercise for 3-5 sets which a brief break between each group. It really makes your heart rate up, which makes me feel as hell and on top of that, burns fat and builds muscle which is exactly what I want! Additionally, it is much more interesting that jogging on a treadmill – yes it is difficult and sometimes I feel like collapsing in a pile on the floor but when I’m finished, I believe 10x better. That feeling of achievement is unbeatable and that’s why I’d never go back to a sedentary lifestyle.

I’ve only been in my ‘journey’ if that’s the ideal term for 2 and a half an hour but I know that this is my life today and something I will adhere to long term. I have dropped around 8 inches out of my body, my clothes fit better and I generally just feel far more confident in my own body! Who would not wish to feel like this? I still have a very long way to go till I reach my personal goals – I want to build more musclebuilding, look more defined and also get my diet considerably cleaner than it is presently whilst still allowing myself snacks here and there. One thing I have learnt because exercising more regularly is that the scales mean absolutely nothing in regards to tracking progress. Since I began, I have only lost 3 pounds in line with the scale but my body has completely changed shape and what’s more company. My PT said that because I’m building muscle, I likely won’t find a significant drop over the scale as the fat I’d is being replaced by muscle which is denser than fat significance you look smaller whilst still weighing the same. I don’t know the exact science behind this but it’s been fine to quit worrying concerning the scales too far and simply concentrate on what I see in the mirror and how my clothes fit which is a far better indication of progress.

Another matter I’m absolutely loving about visiting the gym is that the outfits – yep, I consider outfits when visiting the gym, haha. I never understood how many amazing gym kits were out there and all of the awesome fitness brands to choose from. My absolute visit brand at the moment was – that I absolutely love the design and fit of the things. They fit like a glove and so are extremely flattering also. The grey coral and set sports bra I have on in those photos are my favorite at the moment – those leggings literally hide a large number of sins and suck me in at all the appropriate places. I believed gym wear would be unflattering using it skin tight but it’s really the total opposite. I feel my most body confident at a gym kit. It makes me feeling to be an independent woman ready to take on the world, haha. Anyone else?!

I hope hope you enjoyed this short insight into what I have been doing at the gym as I’ve had numerous questions about what I have been performing since posting the strange movie on Insta stories. I would love to hear what a gym workouts are how you got in shape so please leave me a comment below :-RRB-

The post <p>My New Found Love For Fitness | My Exercise Routine & Fave Gym Wear</p> appeared first on fitness.

from fitness http://www.resultsfitnessbyram.com/my-new-found-love-for-fitness-my-exercise-routine-fave-gym-wear/

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Post P: Evaluation

1) The aim of my Artifact:

In Post A, I said that “ I will create a film sequence totaling no more than two minutes in duration that is based upon / influenced by aspects of my textual analysis and my planning”. After I later found out that the maximum amount of time I was allowed for my short film was 2:18 minutes I allowed myself to extend 2 minutes exactly, which I did. The most important aim of my artifact was to replicate the micro-technical aspects used in ‘Enemy’ (Villenueve, 2013) and ‘Anomalisa’ (Kaufman/Johnson, 2015) to replicate the tone in both films. There is commonality between the themes and atmosphere in both films so I aimed to explore those in order to create my short film.

To achieve this I planned to write out a Textual Analysis, based on two scenes from each film which I decided were best suited for analysis, to framework the main theme of my short, and which aspects of cinematography, editing, sound, and mise-en-scene were most crucial when trying to duplicate the common macro themes of my two films. The theme that I decided to focus my efforts on was Identity. In order to properly understand this theme in-depth I studied multiple theories, both film-related and psychological, such as: Foucault’s theories of identity.

2) The Codes and Conventions, identified in my Textual Analysis, used in my short film:

Cinematography:

Much like in the photo above, the over-the-shoulder shot here was used to convey The Director’s dominance over The Actress. Furthermore, the fact that his face is hidden creates a feeling of uncertainty, which tends to cause unease in viewers.

The intention here was to place The Director like Adam because he is not abiding by any framing methods (E.g. Rule of Thirds) which in turn makes the shot feel awkward, thus making the audience member sympathize with the character, however, I accidentally did use the Rule of Thirds in my shot due to not framing the shot properly with a cat. However, by taking it from a high angle I did manage to create a feeling of oppression on The Director, that oppression being the burden of existentialism.

Mise-en-scene:

I used the whiteboard in the background to be self-referential, as is a trope of Existentialist Film, but also because in my Textual Analysis I mention how Michael Stone runs into the shadow, only to be greeted by a harsh artificial light on the other side of the door, as if to convey Michael can’t escape his problems. The intent of the whiteboard was also to create this affect, as well as providing the audience with the information that The Actress in the previous scene was a delusion.

Wedding Ring: This ties in closely to a common theme in both of my TA films - Promiscuity. If you look closely, you can see that The Director only wears it in bed, before taking it off, but not in the delusion. Similarly, the Adam side of Anthony doesn’t wear a wedding ring either (see the image above), eluding to the fact that Adam is the promiscuous side of Anthony and that he is trying to distance himself from it in order to feel less guilty; my character does this too by replacing guilt and apologies with anger during The Rant.

Existentialist Clothing: Both my ‘The Walking Dead’ shirt and funeral jacket feed into the idea that my character sees himself as only a person who will exist until they die, with no real meaning attached to their life. This isn’t exactly linked to my TA films, but is important to my genre of choice.

The Whiteboard: The whiteboard creates a self-referential feel, thus breaking the 4th wall, much like the mouth plate removal and spider imagery. This is a common feature in Existential Film.

Sound:

Sound Bridge: A sound bridge is used towards the end of the nightmare sequence in ‘Anomalisa’. I used this to establish that the scene was about to change, but not necessarily to a related scene.

Accented Foley noises: These are used in my TA to make the scene uncomfortable, and therefore more impactful. In my short this mainly comes in the form of a drone from the whiteboard projector during The Confession.

Dialogue: My dialogue mainly contains lines hinting at existential themes. For instance, The Director constantly digs at The Actress for being “just like everyone else” and so it is hypocritical to perform a monologue about the futility of life - existentialists believe that humans try to distract themselves or bring purpose to their lives by partaking in tasks that seem to matter: this is known as ‘The Absurd’.

Editing:

In my short film, I play other shots relating to the first scene over The Confession, so the audience are able to understand that The Director is married to The Actress (the plot twist is conventional to Psychological Horrors).

3) How planning materials were used in the construction of my short film:

The costumes I planned during pre-production feature in my film and still hold the meanings I applied to them when I designed them.

The initial storyboard allowed me to gain a basic understanding of how I wanted my short to play out, thus allowing me to build upon it and create a better film. I did abide by the basics of my storyboard, but I later decided to add further context and the plot list at the beginning and the end.

When I further expanded upon my storyboard I created a shot list with detailed explanations of what I wanted in the scene. I followed this almost religiously while filming, as you can see in my actual final product.

This allowed me to keep track of what I filmed. The ‘Success Rate’ section allowed for me to learn from my mistakes and to try and be much more efficient with my time and planning. Unfortunately, several interruptions occurred during the filming of my short and so things were left kind of last minute.

4) How successful my artifact was in meeting the aim:

I personally feel mixed about my final product. I feel that I explored the themes and theories I talked about in my TA quite well considering it had to be condensed into 2 minutes and 18 seconds, although I didn’t actually manage to fit it into that time frame; no matter how quickly I tried to shoot my shots I couldn’t shorten it enough without jeopardising the flow and themes I wanted to tackle. I set out to tackle the theme of identity like the two films I analysed and I feel I did that well, while still managing to include my own style and personality. However, I think the acting could have been better, especially mine. My delivery and inflections, along with my weak voice, made my character seem unconfident, which was the exact opposite of what I wanted. If I were to redo it I would definitely have someone else play the part. Furthermore, I wish the script I wrote were better. I personally feel that it was pretentious and overly-poetic - “a sea of clones”. I suppose in a way it would be necessary for a somewhat elitist existentialist to be a little pretentious but it was cringy to me. Others didn’t seem to mind, in fact after I showed my first draft my teacher said the script was “very Kaufman-esque”, which was reassuring considering how big a fan of his she is.

I received no complaints about my short apart from two pieces of feedback that stated they were confused as to what my subject matter was. On one hand, my short, much like my TA films, abides by Barthes’ Enigma Code and so it isn’t meant to be easily understandable, however, it could be that my script wasn’t as clear as it should or could be while still maintaining its enigmatic nature. Any other comments were about the sound levels, which I fixed for the Final Edit.

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Photo: Pongpat Unsamai 

Summer Ready: 9 Tips For College Students To Shine On The Beach

Have you ever wanted a body that every eyes will be staring at you on the beach? Well, now it’s your chance.

I’m often being asked about how I stay fitted, motivated, and disciplined throughout the year and still top form in school. Here are some of how I manage my life with everything...

1. Balance Your Schedule

          You must know how long it will take you to get your homework done or at least an estimation. Also, you must know how long you will be at the gym. Once you have everything planned out. Try to have them spread out equally. When you first start, it will be a bit hard. But once you get the hang of it, it’s not only will make you proud of yourself of how productive you are, but it is also make your body look even better shirtless. In addition, balance your life with other activities as well. Activities that can entertain you and you love to do it. 

2. Stay Healthy

          One thing I have to admit that it’s hard to keep up with is to stay healthy as well as eating healthy. First of all, being in college you will not have time to get food at the right hour. Not enough meals being consumed per day. Lack of sleep. Fast food on the go and so on. That’s why we will always go back to #1 where you have to balance your life. Don’t go out and party all night then, hang over the next day. You’re already wasted the entire 2 days right there. Nothing productive. Thus, less party, more time to do homework, more time to workout and more hour of sleeping.

3. Sacrifices

          You never know what’s gonna be assigned for your homework each week. It might be more or less than usual.  But if there is more homework than usual you definitely have to skip the gym part and get your homework done first. Then if you get everything done you make up the day you missed the gym by doing more intensive than what you usually do and do just only the main exercises. For example: if it’s your chest day today, but you can’t go because of the homework. Then the next day you go is suppose to be your shoulders day if you were to do chest the day before. Since you didn’t do it you can do chest and shoulder in the same day. Pick the main exercises that work best for you for chest and shoulders. Then, you do it with what we call “super set” it’s where you don’t really take rest in between each set. Since, shoulder and chest are opposite muscle group you can easily do it.

4. Supplements

          Give your body recovery is the main reason to have a beach body. Meaning taking supplements can effect a lot on your body and muscle growth. We can all start with only taking protein shake. I usually take one after I woke up and one before I go to bed. I feel like it’s quite effective in term of recovery and muscle growth. But if you are more advance now you can add multi-vitamin, BCAA, Pre-workout, Post- workout, Creatine, Casein, and Fat burner. For what I just listed I’m not gonna explain each of them on here about what it is and how it works, but I’m more than welcome to answer and give you advises if you inbox me.

5. Stay Motivated

          “Because nowadays being a regular designer is boring” said me. Well, first of all I start lifting ‘cause I want to look good when I either have clothes on or no clothes. Second, you will get a lot more attentions than you usually get before because majority of people in college are not that masculine. So, it will make you stand out. Sometimes, it happened to me where I lost my motivations. I still go to the gym, but I just feel so done, just want to leave after 5 minutes. Well, here are some tips, make some friends at the gym and going to the gym will not be boring anymore, follow people you like on social medias, the people that have your physiques’ goal. Start to think about the outcome. 

6. Routine

          Workout routine can also effect your muscle growth. The best way to stay on track is to measure your body, each muscle and record them. Try your routine for couple of weeks. Go back and measure your body again to see if there’s any changes. If it’s stay the same or you getting smaller. Then the second thing is to check your body fat. I might be your muscle getting smaller because of you lost your body fat and now you have lean muscles. But if that’s not the case try to switch to an intensive workout routine for couple of weeks to bring back what you lost. Then, make your new workout routine this time is not the intense one it’s the one that you will do it to kind of take a break from working out so hard for the last 4 weeks, but you still remain the weight you usually lift because you don’t want to get smaller. 

7. Food

          Food is the most important reason to keep the muscles. But I usually don’t think about the nutrition that much because school is enough for me to be concerned. So, I usually eyeball the calories and other nutritions I would get from that meal. But one think I promise to myself is that whatever I eat it has to be at least some sort of protein in it which are beef, fish, chicken breast, egg white, etc. Well, if we are going to talk about the actual fact then, you will get protein from any sources, but what makes it different is following by how much calories and cholesterol you would get from those sources as well. For example, pork or shrimp of course you can get a decent protein from them but following by higher in calories and cholesterol. Lastly, eat what you want but make sure you burn them out afterwards. 

8. Treats

          “A Donut a day keeps stress away.” If you notice from #7 I don’t really care about what I put inside my body in term of food. As long as you burn them all out. So, I usually eat something that makes me happy or I love to eat even though it’s not as healthy. I didn’t graduate from Med. school so I can’t tell you what is good or bad things you get when you eat sweet. Well, one thing I’m pretty sure I know what I say is that you will never get any disease from eating sweet if it was consumed in a good amount. And also, who wouldn’t want an ice-cream on a hot day, who wouldn’t want pop corn while watching a movie?, and who wouldn’t want chocolate? So yes as I said consume a good amount per day and you won’t have any problems. 

9. Style Up

          Lastly, by this time you should feel more comfortable with your body. Now, you go out and buy nice clothes, swimwear is a must. Because that’s what you’ve been working for for the last 4 months. Look up some new trends that are coming or at the moment to see what people are wearing. You don’t have to wear exact the same as those people. But it’s kind of give you a sense of what you should be looking for to buy. But, if you feel like you know your style, no need of the reference, you are a fashion forward then, go ahead and rock your style. 

If you like this post give me a shoutout. You can also shoot me messages if you have any questions or comment down below. And don’t forget to follow me and stay tune of the next post.

By a college student