#today I realised how many of the saved text posts on my phone would fit with Pete

[misspoetree]

KinnPorsche + Text Posts: Pete (pre-Vegas) Edition (because he's a big-hearted dumbass and I love him)

[bedtimebrain]

EXO D.O.: A Little Jealous Part 2! (Your POV)

This part 2 took me really long to get it out. I had initially written it in both Ksoo and Your ‘pov’ in one post. But it got too long! So i decided to change it to just your POV(the norm). I still haven’t decided if i should finish the one on Ksoo’s POV.

Edit: I continued Ksoo’s for fun without the intention to finish it, but I think it turned out pretty decent! So His POV’s part is also up now!!

Part 1 Part 2 Ksoo POV Characters: DKS x reader (+exo & random chr)

————-

Back at the team dinner

At the center of the circle, the bottle spun to minho.

‘Truth or dare!’

‘Truth’

‘Ok so, the team has been really curious. WHEN DID YOU AND Y/N STARTED DATING?!’ Ji Hye asked like she has been holding this in for 10 years.

The both of you were a little taken aback at the question, looking over at each other with a laugh.

‘We are just friends, what gave you that impression? We never dated and will never date guys’ Minho answered

‘No way! You guys definitely look like a couple!’

‘Comeon say the truth y/n! You guys are always hanging out together, i even saw you carrying y/n’s bag for you today’

‘yes yes! Weren’t you both holding hands that day?’

Everyone chimed in disbelief.

‘Didn’t know we appeared this way to you guys. Anyway I was just holding y/n hand to shake off this guy who has been bothering her. And I was just helping Y/N with her bag because she looked like she might die anytime just now’

While everyone was sighing and expressing their disappointment, minho made the next spin. You rolled your eyes at minho when it pointed to you.

You picked dare, wanting to divert the team’s attention to something else instead.

‘Ok then, pick from the dare box.’ You reached your hand into it and pulled out a purple strip.

‘Take a selfie with the person from the previous turn and upload to instagram with the caption ‘a cute us’

You almost had a heart attack reading that, this just fueled everyone’s enthusiasm even more.

Although you knew that kyungsoo probably won’t see this since he doesn’t have instagram, you can’t help but feel guilty and worried about it. You’re attached! (Though you can’t say it) and doing this just doesn’t seem right..

There’s absolutely no way you could get out of this. Denying doing this just makes things seem more suspicious between the both of you. 

Making it fast ,you did the dare and uploaded the picture. Totally forgetting the fact that other members followed you with their privates. You told yourself in 10minutes you’re getting out of here and deleting that photo.

-----

As usual, minho sent you back. After such a long day you can’t wait to just take a shower and flop down on your bed.

Heading to the shower, you screamed at the sight of a bug.

Running to your phone you sent a SOS to minho,

‘THERE’S A BUG PLEASE COME BACK AND SAVE ME I DONT CARE WHERE YOU ARE’

Just 2 minutes later the bell rang. That was certainly a little fast, you thought to yourself.

Running to the door, you shouted ‘MINHO YA!’ Opening the door, you were surprised to see kyungsoo’s face instead. 

'Oppa, why you here ? Did your photoshoot end early? You didn’t text me back tho...’

‘Uh are you expecting someone? Minho?’

‘Oh right, speaking of which I dont need him now, let me drop him a text. Oppa come in and kill the bug for me please!!’ You dragged him right to your shower and stayed far away while he rid the bug for you.

After the bug extermination, you can’t help but sense something’s not too right with kyungsoo tonight.

Hoping to loosen his seemingly tense frame, you reached out to hug him

‘Thank you, for killing the bug’ at the same time flashing him your sweetest smile.

Sitting down and linking your arms in his on the sofa, you asked,

‘Oppa, do you have something to tell me? You don’t look particularly excited or happy to be here today’

Kyungsoo looked to you, and for a good while, did not say anything. Instead, breaking the body contact, he reached for the glass of water on the coffee table; gulping it down as if it was his courage portion.

‘I saw that picture. The one on instagram.’ 

Your heart stopped, a wave of guilt washed over you as you started to explain yourself

‘Ah that.. sorry oppa, it was a dare I had to do at the team dinner, I tried so hard to avoid it but I couldn’t say I was attached either.. ’

‘But the string of comments sure made it sound like you guys are the most popular ship in your school?’ Kyungsoo replied with distaste lacing his voice

It dawned on you that you had never shown minho’s picture to kyungsoo, perhaps that’s why he was so upset about this. He must have thought the guy in the picture was someone special to you that you never mentioned.

‘Oppa that’s actually Minho in the picture. And you know we are just really close friends.’

At this Kyungsoo looked a little stunned. You could tell he was in the midst of processing his thoughts as a frown started to form on his forehead.

‘I don’t really like you hanging out with minho.’ Kyungsoo blurted out 

Now, you didn’t really understand the situation. What’s with kyungsoo acting like a possessive boyfriend? 

‘You were always okay with minho and i hanging out. Why does us taking a picture change that ?’ You were a little irritated, you stood up and started raising your voice.

Seeing that you absolutely lost your cool, kyungsoo didn’t hold back either

‘y/n do you know how i felt looking at those comments?! I am not okay with the whole school thinking you both are together when you’re supposed to be my girlfriend!’, he got up from the sofa in frustration

‘Ya! Even if i am not friends with minho, I can’t always avoid such situations! Because i can’t tell anyone i’m attached, guys still hit on me and people think they can pair me up with random guys because they think i’m single! 

To me, they can think whatever they want but minho is just a friend. Oppa, shouldn’t you of all people understand this the most?’

‘You’re asking me to understand when minho actually looks your ideal type? And i never knew about it?’

You were caught off guard at this question. Your ideal type? Tall, well built, sporty , fun... Suddenly realising minho does fit the bill for your ideal type.

Though feeling a little bad now, you were not going to give in to this ridiculous argument. Your friendship with minho was on the line. 

‘My ideal type? If we wanted to get together, we would have long ago ok! Why would I get together with you then him?!’

You both stayed silent for a little while, turning your backs on each other at the peak of the argument. 

Calming down, you told yourself this could go on and on tonight, or you could just take a softer approach towards your boyfriend.

Out of love, you put aside your frustration and hugged him instead. Leaning into his chest, you didn’t know exactly what to say either. 

Dropping to his low voice, kyungsoo muttered ‘When I saw that picture, it felt like my nightmare came true. Every night i get worried that you would one day get tired of dating an idol.. Or even dating someone like me..’ 

You never knew kyungsoo felt this way, he was never particularly expressive in the relationship. You knew he liked you and genuinely cared for you, but you never knew he loved you this much. 

‘we don’t spend alot of time together but you always get to be with minho.. so much that people think you’re both attached..’

At this point, you saw through him. You came to understand the picture triggered his insecurities and manifested as jealousy. 

You pulled him back down on the sofa and started 

‘oppa, i cannot promise you people will stop misunderstanding minho and i, but i will be more careful to draw a clearer line in our friendship for you. 

and i never thought of minho as my ideal type or saw him in a way more than friends. i know it might not put you at ease hearing me say this, but can you trust me? 

I have been friends with minho for many years and have met many guys too. But it’s you for me ok?’ you held onto his arm and looked in his eyes saying this, hoping he sees what you feel for him.

Poking him at his little belly, you continued light heartedly

‘though you may not be the most attractive looking man out there...’ causing him to look up at you as you say it.

Giving him a peck on the cheek you continued

‘but you make me feel comfortable and special all at the same time. saranghae oppa, you’re the only one.’

At your words, he pulled you closer and rested his chin on your head, saying

‘ Though i still don’t feel the best about our situation and about minho, but i know we can’t help this.. Just promise to stay with me please’

Raising your pinky finger and turning up to face him,

‘ i promise you oppa!’

Linking your pinkies together, kyungsoo finally smiled back at you today and said

‘na do saranghae’ didn’t really turn out the way i thought it would for a jealousy story, haha. but still hope you enjoyed it!

on a side note, im thinking of doing this scenario for baekhyun too! i think his might be much easier to imagine, hahha. if you’re a baek fan please don’t expect too much tho! it won’t be as long as ksoo’s if i actually do it~

[bedbellyandbeyond]

Break Up

(Story Post)

“What about Ben? Yeah, I—No, but—” Jeffrey sniffled. “Well go then! Don't come back!” Nathan was just coming out of a meeting with Korsgaard when he caught the end of Jeffrey’s phone conversation. Jeffrey was in the hall carrying Ben strapped to his chest and after hanging up the phone, he just pressed his head against the wall and sobbed. “Whoa, hey…” Nathan rushed over quickly and placed a hand on Jeffrey’s back. “…What’s up? What happened?” Jeffrey flinched but relaxed when he realised it was Nathan. He quickly wiped his eyes. “It’s Bler… He just broke up with me…” “No way.” Nathan wasn’t surprised at all considering how little Bler seemed to be involved with his family based on what Jeffrey had shared in group, but he still felt bad for the boy nonetheless. “I’m so sorry. That’s terrible.”

“He did it through text too!” Jeffrey sniffled, holding up his phone. Ben was visibly getting upset as Jeffrey did, but he didn’t cry. “Who breaks up with someone over text?!” “You were just on the phone though…” Nathan remarked. “He texted me during my counseling, but I called him as soon as I saw it after…” Jeffrey said. Nathan didn’t even think young adults made phone calls anymore, but he didn’t bring it up. Instead he searched his pockets and found one of the twins’ toys, a little squishy octopus, and handed it to Ben. He hoped it would entertain him enough in the moment to keep his attention off his father’s breakdown. “…Break ups are difficult. Not to mention, it must be even harder when you have a baby between you… If there’s anything I can do to help, just ask.” Jeffrey slumped his back against the wall and wiped his eye again. “I… I just don’t know what to do…” Nathan nodded and rubbed Jeffrey’s shoulder. “Who’s picking you up today?” “No one…” Jeffrey answered. “Ollie’s at work until later and Korsy’s in, like, Montana or something… I took transit.” Nathan shook his head. “I’m not letting you go on transit like this. How about you have dinner with us? Then when your cousin gets off work, he can get you. Or Dax’ll drive you.” Jeffrey hesitated for second. “That’d be cool, I think… Thanks…” “I’m on wolf cycle which means I’m eating in the cafeteria this week which is good for us because we don’t have to go all the way home, but it also means you can’t stay too late,” Nathan explained. “But I’m headed to my room right now if you’ll join me.” Jeffrey nodded. “Sure.” Nathan offered to carry Ben for the way down and Jeffrey took the break thankfully. He was quiet the whole time as he was guided down to the resident floor, but he wasn’t crying anymore which Nathan hoped was good. Ben watched Jeffrey the whole time with his big wide eyes, almost like he was studying his father. When Jeffrey noticed, he pulled a silly face for him and pet his head. When they got to the room, Nathan let them in with his key. Wano, who had been watching the twins, got up from the floor by their play pen and came to the door. The tall stranger overwhelmed Jeffrey and he stepped back a pace before Wano was standing over him. “Who is this?” Wano asked, tilting his head as he scanned Jeffrey’s face. He glanced at Nathan and then pointed to Ben. “And this. This is not yours, Nathan.” “No, this is Jeffrey and his son Ben,” Nathan said. “He’s in my pregnancy group.” “Uh, Nathan… Who’s this guy?” Jeffrey asked. Then he lowered his voice. “You’re not sleeping around on Mr. Olivier, are you?” “What? No!” Nathan patted Wano’s arm. “This is Wano. He’s under my care at the moment.” “So… You’re fostering him?” Jeffrey asked. “Sometimes it feels that way…” Nathan chuckled. “But, no. It’s sort of like a sponsorship. He stays with us to get some more time outside of APID.” “But this is APID,” Jeffrey said. “Yeah, he still has to come back when I’m on my cycle, but when we’re home, he gets to come live with us,” Nathan said. Wano was still looking Jeffrey over. He pointed to Ben again. “You made this?” Jeffrey’s pride took over and he grinned. “Yeah, baked him myself.” “So, you are a parent?” Wano asked. “That’s right,” Jeffrey said. “Recently single parent.” Nathan watched how Jeffrey’s eyes flicked down Wano’s torso and a sudden realisation of what he might’ve just started filled him with worry. “You’re ra bit small, though,” Wano commented. “How do you fit a child inside? You’re not as tall as Nathan. He can fit two children.” “I think most pregnant people on Earth are usually closer to Jeffrey’s height or shorter actually,” Nathan said. “But I guess you haven’t met many parents here yet, have you?” “You and the fish,” Wano said. He looked at Jeffrey again and nodded. “You are closer to the fish size. I understand. Probably only one baby at a time then. That’s fine.” “I bet I could handle twins,” Jeffrey said, placing his hands on his hips. “No problem.” “Really? That is admirable,” Wano said. “I cannot carry children. I can only plant seeds.” “That’s totally fine by me,” Jeffrey said. “Okay, you know what, I’m really hungry,” Nathan said to try to slow the roll on wherever that conversation was going. “How about we go to the cafeteria now and I can text Dax to meet us there?” “Alright,” Jeffrey said. “Is Wano joining us?” “Of course,” Nathan said. “Wano, could you help me get the twins in their carriers, please?” Wano nodded and went to grab them. Nathan handed Ben back to Jeffrey so he could carry one of the twins while Wano took care of the other. He didn’t have to message Dax as the teacher came strutting down the hall to meet them at the door. “Hello!” he saved waving. “Looks like I’m not too late! Hello, Jeffrey. It’s nice to see you again.” “Hi, Mr. Olivier!” Jeffrey said quickly. “Or, uh, Dax, right?” “Of course! I'm not your teacher anymore. Just call me Dax,” he insisted. “Okay cool. Feels kinda weird but I guess I'll get used to it…” Jeffrey said. “Jeffrey’s cousin can't pick him up until later, so I invited him to have dinner with us,” Nathan explained. “Sounds good. I'll put my book bag down inside and then we can head over,” Dax said. They went down to the cafeteria all together and chose a table to sit at. Nathan left the twins with Dax while he took Jeffrey up to get food first. While they did that, Dax and Wano set up a highchair for Ben too. “The food's really good here,” Nathan said as they lined up. “If you don't have dietary restrictions, it's pretty much a buffet. Desserts are portioned out for the residence, but you can have mine.” “Do I have to pay for any of this?” Jeffrey asked. “No, no. It's free for anyone with entry into the facilities,” Nathan said. “Just tap your APID card at the end over there.” “Cool. Nobody told me there was free food…” “Yeah, it’s great. How old’s Ben? Can he eat solids?” Nathan asked. “Oh, yeah. He's big into Cheerios and yoghurt,” Jeffrey said. “And he’s ten months old.” “Ooh, a birthday soon, nice,” Nathan said. “They should have some options for Ben at the end by the desserts.” “This is pretty cool. I might come here more often,” Jeffrey said. “So uh, where’s Wano from?” “Um, Eclul. He’s Eclulan,” Nathan explained. “Listen, about Wano—” “Are they all purple like him?” Jeffrey asked. “More or less,” Nathan answered. “I’ve seen darker shades, but they don’t really vary in hue like Yulinians.” “Bler’s species wasn’t very different from us,” Jeffrey said. “His skin’s tiny bit green and his eyes are big, but that’s about it. Ben mostly just got his hair and eyes.” “Good for fitting in, I imagine,” Nathan said. “If that’s what your going for anyway.” “Yeah, when I go out grocery shopping with him or something, sometimes little old ladies come up and tell me my son has such beautiful eyes,” Jeffrey said. “But he could’ve also got that from me, ‘cause I used to get a lot of compliments on my eyes. You know, since they’re a little pink.” “They are a really nice colour,” Nathan considered. “Is that the fairy side?” “Ollie says so,” Jeffrey said. He looked back at their table. “I don’t think I could date another Prilarian…” “May be for the best,” Nathan said. “I think the best thing after a bad break up is to have some time to yourself. I didn’t even think I could ever date again after my last break up. But I guess, that was for more personal reasons.” “Maybe… Maybe not,” Jeffrey said. “And I’m thinking about Ben here. He needs a dad.” “Well, is Bler not going to be around at least for his son?” Nathan asked. “Nope. He has to go back to Poland,” Jeffrey said. “He said Canada deported him back there because it’s where he landed and he has a criminal record or something… He doesn’t think it’s worth it to try and fight to come back because he could be deported off planet… Korsy warned me this could happen because it happens a lot to Prilarians since they tend to ignore the law. I just think Korsy hates him. He’s probably the one who got him kicked out…” “Wow, that’s… Well… I don’t really know anything about Prilarians,” Nathan said. “Yulinians seem to be the majority at APID.” “What about Eclulans? Are there a lot of them?” Jeffrey asked. “I think they’re like a far second,” Nathan said. “Yulinians are mostly here to work as ambassadors in their fields but Eclulans are mostly here to make a better life for themselves. The thing is that most of them are pretty stubborn and typically come to Earth under false VISAs because they won’t admit they’re refugees of war on their planet.” “So, they’re runaways?” Jeffrey said. “That’s kinda hot.” “I don’t know about hot, but it means a lot of them get deported,” Nathan said. “Wano himself is in the middle of getting deported which is why we insisted he stay with us so he can see a bit more of Earth before he goes.” Jeffrey frowned. “Oh no… You’re fighting it, right?” “Yeah, but all we could get so far was an extension,” Nathan said. “It seems like he might have to go back to Eclul and reapply to return. It’s hard to know he’ll be safe though if he goes back.” “Oh…” They got their food and headed back to the table. Jeffrey smiled to Wano as the Eclulan got up to get his dinner with Dax. Nathan wondered if Dax was picking up any of this, or if Wano was even aware of how interested Jeffrey was. Jeffrey got Ben out of his carrier and placed him into the highchair. He put out a bowl of dry cereal for the baby to try and Ben seemed more than happy grabbing from it and shoving pieces in his mouth. “What do you do for fun?” Nathan asked as he started to eat. “Play video games mostly,” Jeffrey answered. “I'm starting to stream. I'm hoping I can build up some fans again and make some money. Reggie's helping.” “Again?” Nathan asked. “Yeah. I used to livestream when I was pregnant with Ben,” Jeffrey explained. “People paid to see me getting bigger. They seemed to know before I did that I was pregnant though. I was just trying to gain weight. Turns out I'd been wasting my time since my fairy genes won't allow it. But I got Ben out of it, so there's always that.” “I see…” Nathan said. “So you've stopped making those types of videos?” “Yeah. APID pretty much made me delete my account,” Jeffrey said. “I did give birth to an alien on camera, so they wanted to shut that down pretty quick. I do miss it though. I really enjoyed being big and round and just so tight and full… I was hoping Bler would give me another child but it seems that's not likely…” “You want to get pregnant again?” Nathan asked, a little more worried. “Of course! Don't you?” Jeffrey asked. “Not even a little bit, no,” Nathan said. Jeffrey waved a hand. “That's fine or whatever, but I want to be pregnant again so bad. I loved just how big I was, just waddling everywhere. And I want Ben to have a sibling to play with.” “Don't you worry about that getting in the way of your ambitions?” Nathan asked. “That is my ambition. That's why I want to do the gaming thing,” Jeffrey said. “Gaming is something you can do from home and you don't have to worry if you're pregnant. It's not like there's a boss that needs you in the office or whatever. It's flexible. You're your own boss. You create content whenever you feel like it and make bank.” Nathan wasn't sure Jeffrey was being too realistic. “That's if you get really famous, right? Until you start making that money, if you're supporting a family, you need a day job too. It costs a lot of money to raise children.” “Well, that's why I don't want to do it alone,” Jeffrey said. “The sooner I start dating again, the sooner I find someone who can support myself and my kids. It’d be much harder alone.” Nathan reached over and took Jeffrey’s hand. “Listen. I still think it'd be best for you to take some time to yourself. Process your break up before you jump into anything you'll regret.” Jeffrey frowned and took his hand back. “I appreciate your opinion, but I didn't ask for it.” The others came back at this point but before sitting down, Dax tapped Nathan's shoulder. “Oh, I got the meat lasagna instead of the veggie. I’m gonna go back up. But Nathan, they had your favourite bagels out. Did you see?” Nathan looked up at his partner a bit confused but he saw the insistence in Dax's face and realised he wanted him to come with him. “No, I didn't see. If they're my favourite I should get one.” Nathan got up and grabbed his plate. “We'll be right back.” Nathan and Dax drifted off back over near the buffet and Dax dropped a hand on his shoulder. “What's going on here?” Dax asked. “Are we on a double date?” “Oh god, I hope not…” Nathan sighed. “So, you're getting that vibe too?” “Less of a vibe, more of a big blinking billboard,” Dax said. “Wano has been very explicit about how he'd like to bed Jeffrey and fill him with offspring.” “Ew… Now that Bler's officially dumped him, Jeffrey seems to be ready to jump into bed too,” Nathan said, starting to panic a bit. “I didn’t realise they’d be like this. This is all my fault for inviting Jeffrey to dinner.” “No, no. You were just being nice,” Dax said. “This happens, I guess. They're young. Or, actually… How old is Wano?” “Physically? I don't know. Emotionally, ten. Maybe thirteen, tops.” “Mm, well… They are adults. There isn’t much we can do,” Dax pointed out. “If they both like each other mutually, then it isn’t really our place to try to break them up.” “But if they do get together and they do have a child, what then? From what I know from our group sessions, Jeffrey already barely has the means to support Ben and Wano is literally getting deported. And, I mean it's not breaking them up if they haven't gotten together yet, right?” Nathan said. “It's prevention.” “I think at this point it's breaking them up,” Dax said, pointing past Nathan. Nathan turned around and sighed. Jeffrey had slid around to sit beside Wano and they were feeding each other their dinners. “Fucking hell…” Nathan groaned. “Well, Wano has to stay with you so technically, they shouldn’t really have much of a chance to be alone, right?” Dax said. “And when he's alone in the house, he has to watch the kids.” “You’re right…” Nathan was still a bit unconvinced. “But I’m still worried.” Dax pursed his lips. “Well, if you don't want them to start making out in front of the kids, we should probably get back.” “Yeah.” They rejoined the table and Nathan sat across from Jeffrey now that they were on opposite sides. “Hey, um. Have you let Ollie know you’re here with us?” “Oh, not yet,” Jeffrey said pulling out his phone. “I'll text him now.” “Who is Ollie?” Wano asked curiously. “My cousin,” Jeffrey said as he typed. “I can't drive but he picks me up all the time.” “Cousin?” Wano inquired, unfamiliar with the word. “Yeah. My mother's sister's son.” “Ah. You are blood.” “Yep.” “Wano, you ate all your green beans,” Dax remarked. “Good job.” “They were not disgusting,” Wano said. “Very tolerable.” “I'm glad to hear it,” Dax said. “Yes, Jeffrey made them enjoyable to eat,” Wano said. “He made spaceship noises.” “Oh...” “Shit, it doesn’t seem like Ollie can get me tonight…” Jeffrey interrupted after receiving a text message. “Dax'll drive you then,” Nathan said. “Right, Dax?” “Sure,” Dax confirmed. “I'd be happy to." “‘Kay,” Jeffrey accepted. “You guys are so chill. I always figured teachers were really boring and dusty, but you’ve always been pretty cool, Mr. Olivier. Or, Dax. Sorry.” “No, that's alright and thank you,” Dax said. “Let me know when you're done eating and then we can head out.” “Is there a rush?” Jeffrey asked, sliding his hand onto Wano's knee. Nathan tensed when he noticed. “Well sort of. You know, I have my condition. Too late and it could be dangerous for you.” “Does Wano stay in your room while you guys are living at APID?” Jeffrey asked. Wano shook his head. “I have my own room. It's smaller, but the wi-fi is good and the bed is nice.” “Well, if it gets too late, then I could hang out in Wano's room,” Jeffrey said. “No, no… Uh, doesn't Ben have a bedtime you wanna stick to?” Nathan mentioned. “Yeah, I guess.” Jeffrey patted Wano's leg. “Another time then?” “Yes. You can see my rock collection,” Wano said. “Ooh, are they really hard?” “Yes, they are rocks.”

[kittycatasaurus]

Hisirdoux x Reader // Word count:1.5k No warnings I don’t think?

This was purely self indulgent since there isn’t too much fic of my boy, decided I’d post it in case anyone else wants some douxie love but be warned I haven’t finished a fanfic in years so it might flow poorly and I have no clue how to write speech lmao. I’m pretty sure it’s genderneutral, please let me know if I used masc/fem pronouns for reader anywhere and I’ll make sure to check carefully if I post anymore fics. Hope at least one person enjoys it but anywho let’s go!

Today was a normal day, average in most every way (for being a day you dared to venture outside). The weather was pleasant and mild, the streets weren’t too busy, and soon enough you would be meeting up with a friend to spend the weekend sleeping over at their apartment. Fortunately for you they lived in the same area, hence you were familiar with the specific building of flats where they resided, however, it had been a while since you’d stepped foot inside one of said architectures. This, paired with the many urban legends you’d heard over the years of ghosts and spirits transporting folks into different dimensions, led to a paranoia of elevators in tall housing complexes. Five or less floors was as comfortable as you would desire ideally. But alas, your friend lived almost on the top floor, meaning it was the elevator for no more than a few minutes, or dozens of flights of stairs. As much as you had your fears, you didn’t feel like walking up all those stairs to arrive exhausted before your friend, so you sucked it up and boarded the elevator. The fact that no one else was inside both put you on edge and caused you to let out a sigh of relief, elevator journeys always feel awkward with a stranger or two.

As you were letting out your nervous breath with closed eyes, you failed to notice one other person board the elevator before the doors shut on their own. Opening your eyes after a few seconds, you were startled by the presence of a young (looking) man dressed in punk-ish attire. The embarrassing noise you let out startled the man as well who turned to face you, eyes wide and a question on his tongue, “Are, are you alright? Did I startle you? My apologies love.” The word ‘love’ broke you out of the trance you’d been under; simply gawking at the beautiful man before you, a blush erupting over your face at such a handsome person referring to you with such a term. Clocking that he’d genuinely asked you something before calling you love, you barely got out an answer, “YES! I mean, yes, thank you, sorry, I’m fine, just spaced out for a moment there…” Trailing off after that mess of a reply, you dropped your gaze to the floor of the elevator. Before the silence could settle the man chuckled before it shifted to full on laughter. Before you could even come up with your next thought, the man stopped his giggling fit to say “I hope that didn’t seem like I was laughing at you, I was really more laughing at your reaction to yourself, that was quite precious, the way you fumbled about with your words.” Honestly you’d probably be quite offended had he not said that with the sweetest smile you had ever had the fortune of witnessing. Still embarrassed, you simply gave a curt nod and resumed looking at the corner. The next few seconds continued in silence as you passed by over half the floors until the elevator came to an abrupt stop. When the doors failed to open upon this pause, it got you thinking something was unfortunately wrong. After a moment of holding your breath, the elevator still failed to either continue its ascension or open the doors, resulting in you letting an “Oh bother” slip out. The man seemed to just then realise the elevator was stuck himself and immediately hit the help button before him.

“Uh, try not to panic alright? I’m sure someone’ll be on their way to help soon so you don’t need to worry.” The stranger’s attempt to reassure and comfort you was greatly appreciated, however you weren’t so much frightened of being trapped in a tight and high up space as you were embarrassed to be in such an environment with a stranger, albeit a cute one. Not wanting to concern the kind man, you managed a somewhat more confident reply than earlier, “Thank you, but I’ll be fine, no worries, I wasn’t going to panic. Um, I really appreciate your consideration though.”

The man looked surprised for a moment before his mouth moved up into a smirk, “Huh, did I imagine our earlier chat or something, you sounded like a whole different person just now.”

His teasing once again caused your face to redden, but you didn’t let him shake you, rolling your eyes with an insincere huff.

“So, I don’t know about you but I’d rather we not spend the next however long in silence. How about we start with names? I’ll go first, the name’s Hisirdoux Casperan, but my friends call me Douxie.” He winked. This ‘Douxie’ character seemed to think he absolutely oozed charm (and he would be right but still) and despite not wanting to fall for it, you couldn’t keep the small grin off your face as he bowed dramatically.

“Nice to meet you Hisirdoux, you can call me (anytime) Y/N. So what brings you round these parts?” You replied.

The pleasant conversation kept up, you were amazed at how easy Douxie was to talk to. Normally the idea of having to talk to a stranger to fill up silence made you want to simply stop existing, but with Hisirdoux you found yourself wanting the chat to last forever. However, all good things must come to an end, you begrudgingly thought as someone finally showed up to pry open the door to allow you and Douxie to leave the elevator. Only then did you realise that the pair of you must have been stuck inside for a couple hours at least as your friend was nervously standing in the hall. Before going over to them, you stopped yourself, turning back to face Hisirdoux who was already looking at you forlorn. He snapped out of it the second he noticed you had turned back to face him though and you swore you could see a blush on his face. Jogging up to him you spoke with unbelievable confidence “I don’t know what I’ll do if I never see you again, so I’m going to have to ask for your number Douxie.”

Hisirdoux was both impressed and flustered by your bold line resulting in him writing his number on your arm with an uncharacteristically shy giggle. All the while your friend stood in awe mere feet away.

“I’ll call you tonight Doux?” You half stated, half asked as you backed up towards your friend. Douxie simply nodded in response as you both waved goodbye.

The second the door closed after you and your friend returned to their flat, your confident façade evaporated and your friend started freaking out as quietly as they could allow themselves to. “OMG OMG OMG” They started, “who was that? They were so cute? You were flirting!” The cheesiest grin was on their face all the while.

“Hush you! His name is Hisirdoux…” You grumbled, ever so embarrassed by their reaction. However, they were clearly not satisfied with the information given to them so you continued “We met on the elevator, what was I supposed to do after he started talking to me, ignore him? Besides you saw how cute he is.” The last part was muttered under your breath but your friend still managed to hear and proceeded to freak again. Deciding to ignore them for the time being, you pulled out your phone and saved Douxie into your contacts debating whether or not to text him yet. Your internal debate ended when you heard “do it” from your friend in a surprisingly soft tone. Looking up, you saw a gentle smile on their face, encouraging you to suck it up and send the boy a text, it was a simple line, just to do the job. “Hey Douxie, this is Y/N, from the elevator :)”, The text was sent before you could begin overthinking. After just a few moments, a reply came through “Thanks for specifying, I might not have remembered had you not mentioned the elevator we only got out of 20 minutes ago ;)” His sarcasm was just as pleasantly irritating through text as it had been in person and all you sent in response was a “>:p”. You pictured him laughing at that and could do nothing to stop the smile that overtook your face. Your friend decided to leave you to your daydreams as they returned to playing whatever game they had on, as Hisirdoux and you managed to continue chatting for hours until it became quite late and your eyes were struggling to stay open. As you let out another long yawn you heard your friend call out, “all right you, pack it in, you need to get to sleep now, say goodnight and finish up already.” After yet another grumble of reluctant agreement, you started on your last text of the night “Ugghhh my friend said I have to go to sleep now so goodnight I guess Doux. Sweet dreams, loverboy <3” Your tired brain had no filter for what was off bounds to say for having just met and you didn't think twice about sending a heart emoji before tucking yourself under the covers and closing your eyes, almost immediately zonking out. One last text came through, though you wouldn’t see it until morning, wishing you pleasant dreams as well, although Hisirdoux ended his message with ‘angel’, liking the name loverboy for himself.

[siarlas-does-words]

Toshi x G/N!Reader

A/N: So this woke me up one weekend at some hour which I barely accept when I have to get up for work. It wouldn’t leave me alone until I got up, got on the computer, and then wrote for, I think, the next two hours. I don’t know why it was so insistent. And now it’s been bugging me to post it for the last few months. So here it is.

This is a younger Toshi.

In the span of about a month, Toshi had saved me five times. Of course, I didn’t know it was Toshi then. He was All Might. The Symbol of Peace. The Number 1 hero. It wasn’t my fault of course. Wrong place, wrong time. You know what it’s like. Living in a world where powered heroes and villains are the norm.

I never had one of those celebrity crushes on All Might. Not like most of the other girls in the office. And a few of the guys. All those muscles did nothing for me. And that corny line he always said when arriving on the scene! What was up with that?? Ok, so the first time he saved me might have… well, I may have developed a little crush. I mean, the guy carried me away from the villains in one arm. I’m not light! The second time, he came out with another corny line. “We’ve got to stop meeting like this, ma’am,” he said.

“Not a ma’am,” I grumbled. More than a little red that the Number 1 hero would use such a cheesy line on me.

“My apologies,” he said with that irritatingly humongous smile. “What should I call you?”

“It’s y/n. Just y/n.”

“Well, Just y/n, try not to get in the habit of having me save you!” With his signature laugh, he leapt away. 

I stood there staring after him angrily yelling that I wasn’t doing this on purpose.

The third time, he winked at me. That arrogant little shit. Ok, he’s obviously not little, but YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN! This was getting frustrating.

That night, he turned up at my house. I don’t know how a seven-foot whatever tall muscle-bound idiot can look so small and sheepish, but he did. I was about to yell at him for following me and slam the door in his face. Well, I would have if his hand wasn’t on the door stopping me.

“I uh… I had… my umm…  my assistant do a little research. Um… I-I uh, I just wanted to make sure that you uh, that you were ok,” he said while rubbing his neck.

Was All Might blushing? And stuttering? What happened to all that confidence?

“Uh, yeah. Peachy.”

“I don’t… I mean this isn’t…. Shit… I don’t normally do this! Believe me! It’s just...well… today was the third time and I know this isn’t your fault and I suppose in this city there’s probably other people I’ve saved more than once but I usually don’t notice with all the saving and the villains and the fighting and saving…”

“You said saving already”

He stopped rambling and stared at me. “Huh?”

“You said ‘saving’ twice.”

“Oh… well…”

I had to take pity on this poor idiot. “Would you like to come in?”

Ok, now The Symbol of Peace is just standing, stunned, on my doorstep. I think I might have accidentally short-circuited something in his brain. With a sigh, I reached out for his hand and led him inside. He barely fit. His… what do you call those things?? It’s a fringe, but not a fringe… those two ridiculous bits of hair that stick straight up almost touched the ceiling. Does he use an inordinate amount of gel on them? Why? For what purpose?

As I stared at the not-fringe things, All Might seemed to regain some of his composure. There was a slight tint to his cheeks.

“I apologise for being so forward, y/n. I just wanted to get to know you. Talk to you. Maybe over a coffee?”

Wait, what? Did I hear that right? “Are you asking me on a date?” I asked. Completely in disbelief. Do Pro Heroes date??

“Well, seeing as you invited me into your house, I thought we could just have coffee here and talk, but I’m quite happy to take you on a date. Unfortunately, I don’t think we would be able to get much talking done. I seem to attract a lot of attention.”

Was that a smirk? That bastard is smirking. I’m red, aren’t I?

“Oh, yeah. Of course.”

Not knowing what else to say, I went to the kitchen to make our coffees. After checking how he took his, I sat us on my couch. I didn’t think my poor chairs would handle his… size. They were just old wooden ones. They creaked even with just me on them.

We ended up spending hours talking, moving from one topic to the next without even realising it. About our work (his is way more interesting than mine!), hobbies, family, friends, movies, books…. He was so easy to talk to, I hadn’t realised just how late it was.

It wasn’t until I yawned, that All Might stopped mid-sentence to frown and ask what time it was. Taking out my phone, I saw that it was after one in the morning. We’d even missed dinner.

“Goodness! (who says ‘goodness??) I’m so sorry, my dear (wait… what did he just call me??) I didn’t mean to keep you up so late!”

As he got up from the couch, he took my hand to… I guess to help me up? I was still repeating ‘my dear’ in my head.

Walking us to the door, he opened it before turning back to me.

“I’d like to do this again if that’s ok? Work permitting of course”

“Yeah, I’d like that.”

He quickly leaned down and kissed my cheek.

He was gone before I could even register it in my brain.

The fourth time, he got me away from the danger first. After planting me a safe distance from the action, he cupped my face with his, quite honestly, huge hand.

“It’s good to see you again,” he said as his thumb gently rubbed my cheek.

“You too,” I said smiling up at him.

“Wait here for me?”

I nodded and he was off. Back into the action.

I’d never actually stuck around and watched any of the heroes take on the villains before. Not like a lot of others.

He was beautiful to watch. Even if he did come out with those ridiculous phrases.

After the villains were defeated and handed over to the police, All Might walked over to me. At least he tried to. Like he said, he attracts a lot of attention. I think I found a new source of entertainment. Watching All Might get flustered. It was adorable really. I can see he loves his fans even as he tried to extricate himself from them. So many wanting an autograph or a photo while he tried so hard not to be rude.

After watching this for about ten minutes, I decided to turn the tables.

Walking over, I maneuvered my way through the throng of people and positioned myself in front of All Might, facing everyone else.

“Ok, everyone. All Might needs a break after that fight. He’s very appreciative of all your support, thank you.”

I grabbed his hand and led him over to a cafe I’d noticed when I was waiting.

Thankfully his fans were respectful and let us through. I did notice a few holding their phones toward us, taking photos I presume,

Taking in the look of relief on his face, I remarked, “Looks like it was my turn to save you.”

He let out a booming laugh, “Yes, I suppose it was”

After a coffee, he offered to take me home. Let me tell you, his way of travelling is freaking terrifying! He basically leaps, propelling himself to afford a sort of temporary flight. As I clung to him for dear life, my face buried in his chest, I could feel the rumble of his laugh. It was a comforting feeling. So much so that I could almost forget that we were quite a way off the ground. Almost.

Back on my couch, tea in hand, we were talking about the recent fight before moving on to other subjects. After some time of this, he paused and reached out to move some of my hair back behind my ear. This guy was going to be the death of me. I may or may not be a little touch-starved and all these little gestures were slowly killing me.

“I’d like to show you something. I like you, y/n and I think if I want to keep seeing you, I think you should know.”

I’m pretty sure I just stared at him with my mouth open. All Might wants to keep seeing me? All Might likes me?? Next thing I knew, steam was coming off of him. “All Might! Are you…”

In the blink of an eye, he changed. Still tall, , still built, but nowhere near as bulky as All Might… I mean, himself…. Other self?

“What the fuck??”

“This is me. What I truly am. All Might is my powered-up form.”

“So does this form have a name?”

He chuckled. I was really learning to like his laughs. “My name is Yagi Toshinori. Most just call me Toshi.”

“Toshi, huh. I could get used to that.”

And then he kissed me. I may have let a little moan out. He was so warm and soft. I could feel his smile. Pulling away from him, I slapped him on the arm. Holy geezus that’s some hard muscle there.

“Stop that!”

“I’m sorry... I didn’t mean to… I got ca…”

“Not the kiss you idiot. I felt that smirk!”

“Does that mean I can kiss you again?” He had the biggest grin on his face.

Yup, I was definitely red.

We ended up ordering home delivery and cuddled up on the couch watching a movie.

Semi-consciousness came with the morning light. I felt warm and fuzzy and had a grin on my face as I snuggled into the blankets. Remembering what happened last night, I opened my eyes to find myself in bed and a note on my bedside.

You’re adorable when you sleep.

(0422) 75-3765

Goddammit. Reaching for my phone (which I presume he thoughtfully left next to the note), I saved his number before sending a quick text.

[y/n]: I’m so sorry for falling asleep on you!

Then I added:

[y/n]: Also, not adorable 😛

Grumbling, I got out of bed (still in yesterday’s clothes. Obviously. What a gentleman) and headed for the shower. Hooking up my phone to the speaker, I choose one of my favourite playlists.

While absorbed in whatever random thoughts were running through my head, I heard the message tone interrupt the music. Then another a minute later. Then a third one.

With a sigh, I finished up my shower and checked the messages while drying off.

[T] Very much adorable

[T] It’s not a problem. I liked having someone so pretty in my arms

[T] Dinner again? I can pick you up from work?

Definitely going to be the death of me.

[oddity-writes]

Grounded Ch.1 Pt.2

Decided to post this on Ao3 as well. (Mainly cause tumblr's character limit) I will continue posting to both tumblr and Ao3. If you guys want the link to it on Ao3 let me know.

Edit: Someone on Ao3 let me know that I accidentally kept switching around Virgil's username, so I fixed it! It's Blackwings, not Darkwings. (Not really sure how I even made the mistake in the first place. My mind must have wandered.)

Tag list: @nerd-in-space @thebaagelboy

The first month of staying in the apartment and paying for everything was terrible. Even with the paychecks just about every week, Virgil still had to work himself to the bone to pay for the rent, food, clothing, and any other daily nessesities. After the first rough patch, though, he had a stable life. He was even able to put aside some money to buy a crappy computer and a cheap drawing tablet.

Using these, he would draw when ever he had free time.

"Wow," Virgil stared at his computer screen, "people like my drawings that much?"

He was honestly suprised. He's been drawing for a long time, so he decided to post some of his works online. That was just a few months ago. Now he has some devoted fans that love his works. Some even asked if he would open up commissions.

'They want to commission me? Really?' His mind had trouble proccessing the info it received. He had nothing to lose. Not only would he be drawing for people that love his art, but he would be paid for it. Opening up his blog, he let his fans know that he would, in fact, be opening up commissions. Many instantly replied to his post saying to link them to the commission page when he's ready. His fans where always so supportive. Hes not really sure why they are, but their support has helped him make it though tough times.

Once Virgil was done setting everything up, he instantly got two commissions. 'Well, I'm free today, might as well work on these now.' He sat at his desk prepared to start when he realised that the first commissioner is his first fan. Not only that, but they gave him a lot more money then he asked for. "Oh, my god. They gave me 50$!?" He almost yelled.

His first fan is a user that goes by the username "TheRoyalPrince". They are the first person to find and support to this day the drawings that Virgil posts. They are also the first fan to suggest to open up comissions. 'Why did Prince give me 50$?'

His comissions info only went up to 20$ as the highest amount. TheRoyalPrince gave him 50$. Virgil, after snapping out of his shock, read the TheRoyalPrince's commission info.

Commission 50$ made by TheRoyalPrince:

'Hello, Blackwings! I would like to commission a royal kingdom. Make sure this kingdom has a handsome prince, but other then that I would like to see your take on a royal kindom. Also, I have been a fan of your works since the day you first posted. The extra 30$ is to help you live better and to continue making more art in the future! :)'

Virgil sat there, dumbfounded. 'Prince really likes my art.' Starting to tear up, he grabbed the tablet pen sitting a little to the left and opened up a blank page. After pondering for a moment, he got to work. This isn't the first time Virgil has talked with Prince. Awhile ago, he asked his fans for ideas, since he was having trouble drawing. Prince, was somehow the first one to give him an idea. So he knows a few things that Prince likes.

Vibrant reds and golden yellows started to streak across the blank page. Virgil's hand moves gracefully across the tablet, leaving different colors in its wake. By the time he was done it was pretty late in the day. He started around 9 in the morning, so it was suprising to see that it was 1 almost 2 p.m. He got up and stetched. 'That...was really fun to draw. It even looks good. I hope Prince likes it.' Virgil was genuinely happy with the result of the commission. It was a vibrant white and red kingdom with a bit of a golden yellow. The viewpoint of the drawing is on a hill looking down at the large kingdom. A little bit off to the left of the hill, is a majestic looking prince on a white horse with a mane that has a tinge of yellow. The prince looks like he is ready to defend the kingdom from what ever dares to attack.

Clicking on the submit button, the drawing got sent to Prince.

"Okay, before I start on the next one I really need a shower." He hadn't taken a shower for a little while, so he could save on the water bill.

Walking over to the bathroom, he started to get undressed. Taking off his shirt he sees his reflection in the mirror that's just above the sink. 'My marks.' He sees his soulwing marks almost everyday. He doesn't go out much other than to do his part time jobs, so he doesn't really have any friends. His marks are his only comfort. They prove that there is at least one person on this world that won't hate him or call him a freak.

He finishes getting undressed and jumps in the shower. Quickly getting in and out to save as much on the water bill as possible. After drying himself and getting clothes on, he finishes the other comission by night time. 'Okay, i've got work to do tomorrow, so if I want food, I better go to bed.' Although, it's pretty late, he doesn't have to go to work very early, so he should be fine. Not only that, but he's used to getting little to no sleep, if the bags under his eyes are any indication. He lays down in his bed thinking back to Prince. 'I hope Prince liked the drawing.' Virgil mulls over the bright red and white kingdom as he doses off.

The next day he wakes up late, but, he really doesn't have work early so he had about an hour before he had to leave to another job. Rising from his bed like he was zombie, he got up and made a simple breakfast of an omelet. He is not a master chef, but living on your own forces you to learn how to cook. He has decent skills, when he is not dead tired and actually feels like cooking instead of just making ramen. Grabbing the hot omelet and flipping it onto a plate, he sits down at his desk and checks his phone. He has a notification from his art blog. Tapping on it showed that Prince had responded to the commission. 'Prince? Did he not like it?' Slightly scared that he disappointed his first and longest time fan he opened up the response.

TheRoyalPrince replies:

'Blackwings!! Amazing! I could not have asked for anything better! I love it! It's the perfect thing for my room. I just gotta print it onto some poster paper, and voilá! It will fit on the wall as if it has always been there.'

'What?'

Virgil opened up his account 'Blackwings' and started to reply to Prince.

Blackwings: 'I'm glad you liked it. I spent a lot more time then expected to on it.'

He didnt expect Prince to reply right away, so he started to set his phone down, when it buzzed.

TheRoyalPrince: 'Oh, but of course I'll love it! Just about anything you post is magnificent!'

Seeing the reply, had him start to tear up, again. He felt like he was wanted for once. His family always treated him like he didn't even deserve to live, but Prince even though they don't even really know each other, seems to actually want him or at least the things he can create.

Blackwings: 'l...thank you. You and my other fans support has helped me through...some hard times. So, thank you.'

Blackwings: 'Also, I'm not accepting the extra 30$. I will send it back. I don't deserve it. I completed your commission that was for 20$. I don't deserve the get anything extra.'

Virgil was not going to argue with Prince about the extra money. He really doesn't deserve the it. The 20$ was enough.

TheRoyalPrince: 'I'm glad my support has helped you through tough times! It's the least I can do. However, I am not going to take back the 30$. I gave you 50$ for a reason. I remember, in the past, you posted something about not being able to afford food, so you had to go on hiatus. Back then I wanted to help you, after all it is what a prince should do, but you didn't have anything open. Now that you do, I'll give you all the money I want to give you. And I am not taking no as an answer.'

He could tell he didn't have a choice. Even though he really did want to give the money back, he could tell, feel, that Prince would just send it back. If Prince doesn't want the money back, Virgil can't give it back. After all Prince has to accept the transaction.

Blackwings: 'Fine, I won't take the money back, but is there something else I could do? Like maybe, another commission? I want to at least earn the 30$.'

TheRoyalPrince: 'Something else you can do?'

...

Virgil waited for a response.

TheRoyalPrince: 'Actually there is something you can do.'

Blackwings: 'Really? What is it?'

TheRoyalPrince: 'Be my friend!'

'What?' "What?" He was so dumbfounded that he voiced his confusion outloud.

Blackwings: 'You want to be...friends?'

TheRoyalPrince: 'Of course! I actually wanted to talk to you for awhile now, but didn't know how to start.'

Reading this, Virgil didnt know what to do. He hesitated for a moment before replying.

Blackwings: 'I'm not worth 30$. Trust me. But if that's really what you want, then okay.'

He truly believed, at this point, that he wasn't worth anything. Although he is happy, because he would get a friend, or at least someone to talk to. He's scared. What if after talking for awhile, Prince finally realises that he isn't worth it. He doesn't deserve Prince's friendship.

TheRoyalPrince: 'You're not worth...? Well of course you aren't worth 30$! You are worth so much more. Everyone shouldn't have a price tag attached to their life.'

TheRoyalPrince: 'It seems as though you have convinced yourself that you are not worth much. I will change that!'

TheRoyalPrince: 'Here's my phone number: 727-371-XXXX. Just text me and let me know that it's you.'

TheRoyalPrince: 'and don't talk about yourself that way. I may not know much about you, but I'm sure you don't deserve to be hated by yourself.'

At this point, it's almost time to leave. Virgil finishes up his omelet, picks out neat looking clothes, and fixes his hair. Just before he leaves his apartment, he sends a text message to Prince.

'It's Blackwings. I'm heading of to one of my jobs. I'll let you know when I'm free.'

He assumes this text should be good enough, so he opens up the front door, ignoring the slight happiness, that Prince's last reply, left in his heart.

[hlr-mv]

Last Train Music Video Evaluation

Pre-Production

Back in January, when I was initially given the brief, I instantly knew that I wanted to collaborate with my Dad’s band, Bargain Blooze. Previously, I had  filmed their rehearsals and performances on a number of occasions but I had never worked on a music video for them as they currently only perform cover songs. My Dad had mentioned a few times that he had some songs that he wanted to record which I thought would be perfect for this project. Unfortunately, due to everyone’s busy schedules, it would have been almost impossible to record a new song in the space of a few months and film a video in time for the deadline. A couple of weeks later my dad came up with a solution; we film a music video for a song he wrote with his previous band, Devils River Blues Band, specifically the song Last Train (Rainford, 2005). I listened to some of the other songs from the album Dead Man’s Canyon (Devils River, 2005), but I felt that I could produce more of a narrative music video (which was the style I wanted to use) with this song. I also wanted to include a performance of the band as there are three members, using only the lead singer for the narrative sections of the video, then all three during the performance.

The song is about social conditioning, feeling trapped in the 9-5 work day and wanting to find a way out. I wanted to portray this topic in my narrative by interpreting the lyrics slightly. The genre of the song is blues. I went on Youtube.com and watched a couple of blues music videos to give me some inspiration on the style of video I should create such as Purple Haze Jimi Hendrix (1970) and Tears in Heaven Eric Clapton (1992).

Purple Haze, Jimi Hendrix (1970).

Tears in Heaven, Eric Clapton (1992).

When I was watching these videos, I was looking specifically at the camera techniques including composition, movement and transitions. I noticed that the use of fades was common. Another element which I picked up on was the fact that music videos for blues tend to use darker colours which I took into account whilst colour grading later on in post-production. I wanted to follow the same techniques. To further my knowledge of the codes and conventions of music videos for the Blues genre, I attempted to do some research online however, I struggled to find any information and therefore I had to rely on the videos I had watched. 

Another video which I looked at was Happiness (Steve Cutts, 2017). The video tells the story of trying to find happiness and fulfilment in today’s society. The reason why I watched this video was to fully understand the theme in order to portray it in my music video effectively. It was this video that inspired me to include time-lapse’s.

Both my Dad and I had very similar ideas for the video. The only differences being, he wanted to include the quote by Charles Bukowski which can been seen in the opening of my music video and also, the two books which are shown; Brave New World By Aldous Huxley (Huxley, 1932) - a story set in a futuristic society which is based on science and efficiency and I Am Legend by Richard Matheson (Matheson, 1954) - a novel focusing on the character Robert Neville who is supposedly the only survivor of a worldwide apocalypse. Both of which are very popular novels which my target audience will hopefully understand, the correlation between these stories and the narrative of both the song and music video.

Being completely honest, I did not write any notes whilst I was planning my ideas as I am more of a visual thinker. I planned it in my head by analysing the lyrics, listening to the song repeatedly and conversing with my dad. Throughout this process, I tried to visualise each scene, and building it up until I had a general idea of how I wanted this music video to look. 

As soon as I had my idea, I began my production folder (each stage can be viewed in my previous posts). 

Production

Whilst I was filming the scenes on the train, going towards Liverpool, I was supposed to have an extra appearing. As it happens, he got on the train after the one I was on so unfortunately he did not appear on the shoot as planned. Despite this, as we were travelling during rush hour, there were plenty of commuters in the background, on their phones which is what I wanted to capture anyway so this wasn’t really an issue. Once we arrived in Liverpool and has captured the majority of the footage that I wanted for my video, I began filming the time-lapses. I decided to add a few more locations specifically ones which portray commercialism and the rush of people heading to and from work. I had already planned to film on Church street and decided to film more time-lapses in other locations. I moved onto Liverpool One by John Lewis and then The Capital building which contains many offices for various companies. This time-lapse took ten minutes to film and my dad turned 360 degrees a couple of times to represent his character being engulfed in social conditioning. Then I moved onto Rainford Square as a little homage to my surname. When I began to situate my sequence together in post-production, I realised that I needed to film another time-lapse as the total duration for this section was not full as I had planned during pre-production. I went back into Liverpool the following week and filmed it while my dad was on his break from work. Originally, I planned to film this outside the Old Hall Street entrance of Moorfields Train station however, it was absolutely pouring down with rain so we got onto the train and went to Liverpool Central and filmed inside the station instead. 

Another change I made during production was for my final shot of the train driving off with the sunset in shot. I decided that as there is currently construction going on next to the train station, the view of the sunset would not appear in frame much. I went to Fisherman’s Path which is by Freshfield train station in Formby. I have walked around that area many times and knew it was a great alternative. I also saved money on travel as this location is closer to home. 

Finding the time to film with Bargain Blooze in their studio came with more difficulty than I expected. I kept asking my dad to make the rest of the band aware of my plans in order for us to schedule a suitable date to film. However, the band came across an issue concerning their drummer not being able to attend all gigs meaning, they had to bring in a new stand-in drummer. With many upcoming gigs quickly approaching, it was vital for the new drummer to have as much time as possible to rehearse. This delayed filming and dates kept changing and subsequently, the shoot was left to the last minute. Due to this, I began feeling very anxious about filming, successfully, in time for the deadline. I ended up filming the band in their studio a week before the deadline which wasn’t ideal at all incase I needed to capture more footage. All in all, the band only gave me twenty minutes to film for my music video which I wasn’t happy with at all since I had been planning this for so long. I also got the impression that my dad hadn’t given the other members much detail about what we were doing; for example, they had to learn the song there and then which understandably, made them a little uncomfortable due to the lack of preparation. Fortunately, I had filmed some of their rehearsal and I’m glad I did because I wasn’t able to capture everything I wanted for my music video. Therefore, I had to use some of the rehearsal footage in my music video in a way which syncs up with it. 

In both past and recent music videos, I have seen a lot camera movement,  some of which was very interesting. I wanted to incorporate this into my music video by being more experimental in terms of using gimbal moves that I have not used before to keep my target audience engaged. The video below gave me a lot of inspiration and I tried to copy some of the techniques used.

As I was filming a music video using a song from my dad’s old band which his current band mimed, it caused a bit of tension within the band. The bassist was not happy about filming and asked for the music video not to be shared on their Facebook page. Understandably, he’s being protective however, the rest of us could not really understand his issue as the band perform covers anyway so it doesn’t make too much of a difference. Despite this, the video has been shared multiple times by family and friends on Facebook and has almost 200 views on YouTube after one week. 

Post-Production

The post-production process was very straight forward. The only technical elements that I used were; cropping a few of the time-lapse shots to align their composition, use of on-screen text and colour grading. I particularly focused on colour grading. I wanted my music video to follow the codes and conventions of a blues music video as the song fits into this genre. As I mentioned earlier, I was unable to find any information on this so I looked at the use of colour in similar videos. I decided to make this video slightly cold looking. I used a LUT which I downloaded called Industrial STD. by Bubvisuals. I then went onto adjust the contrast, highlights (making them warmer by using orange shades), and a vignette. 

(Before)

(After)

In conclusion, I am pleased with the way my music video turned out. I found the production process slightly challenging however this pushed me to work harder in order for this project to be successful. I would’ve liked to have experimented with skilful techniques that I haven’t used before however due to the genre of music and from watching similar videos, I found that music videos of this genre are very simple and straightforward in terms of both the style and editing. I will definitely take this into consideration for future projects. I especially enjoyed researching past music videos as I have always had an interest in history. Previously, I had no desire of working on music videos as a career but since completing this project, it has become an interest of mine. 

After completing my practice music video, You (Dan Morgans, 2018), I have been contacted by a friend of Dan Morgans to film a music video for him which I will be working on over the summer. 

[mnemememory]

Cold Things

cross-posted on ao3 

Summary:

Trini aches for this to be real.

Or, a conversation between Zach and Trini that is 90% monologue. 

Trini & Zach brotp & mild Trini/Kim

“What are you even doing out here?” Trini glances up from her phone, not bothering to move. Zach has managed to somehow drape himself over one of the rocks in a position that means he’s either boneless or used to extreme muscle pain, his back bent at an odd angle and his feet kicked up high. “What, here?” she says, glancing around with faux surprise. They’re both sitting above the gold mine, half-hidden by the rocks and some low scrubs. People swarm around like ants below them, cleaning up Rita’s destruction, but there’s not much point. All the gold is gone, and with it, most of their jobs. Trini’s just thankful no one in her family is a mineworker; she doesn’t think she can handle moving again. Not this time. “Where else?” Zach says, and he’s grinning. He’s got a nice grin. Trini almost wishes that she was attracted to it, because that would make things so much easier. “I needed a break,” she says, going back to scrolling through her phone. It’s old, but sturdy – it’s somehow managed to last through three trips to Zordon, but she doesn’t think it’s going to be around for much longer. She’s going to have to invest in something more expensive, something waterproof. Though when phone companies say waterproof, she doesn’t think they mean Go ahead and go the veritably equivalent of cliff-diving every other day, this phone will 100% survive the impact. “I get that,” Zach says. Trini thinks back to the campfire, to the way his voice echoed raw over the rocks. My Mum is the BEST. She gives him a pointed look. “I wanted to be alone.” “I get that, too,” Zach says, but he doesn’t move. Trini’s half grateful, half aggravated. Being alone used to be so much easier, before she had people who actually wanted to take up her time. She used to slot it between her family and school, climbing around the mines when things got too loud. Talk more, her mother said, talk, talk, TALK. We want to hear about your day, except we don’t, because we want you to say what we want you to say. Do you have friends? A boyfriend? Please tell me you have a boyfriend. When Trini was little, she liked playing dress-up. It was an easy way to get a quick smile from her mother; she would put on the dress, twirl around, and then breathe out when she was allowed to take it off. Easy, easy. She liked yellow the best, but her Mum liked white, and pink. So beautiful, she cooed. My beautiful baby girl. Somewhere along the line, she’d stopped smiling. Somewhere along the line, Trini had done something to make her mother stop smiling. She used to think, If only I could figure it out – the exact day, the exact moment, the exact action. I’ll fix it. I’ll fix it. Zach doesn’t push, doesn’t pry, doesn’t try to pull answers from her that she doesn’t want to give. He stays there and he stays silent; he lets the world rush in and fill the gaps. The people below them are so far away; they’re ants. Trini wonders what they’re going to do now that their jobs have been rendered obsolete. All the gold scattered across the city streets is long-gone; the largest pieces trucked away by the council, the smaller pieces smuggled away into pockets and under flower-pots. “My parents,” she finally says, and she’s not forcing the words out. She’s talking because she wants to, because she likes Zach and she wants him to be here. “I’m fighting with my Mum.” “Yeah?” “I’m coming home late,” she says. “They think I’m getting involved in stuff that I shouldn’t be involved in.” Zach laughs at her. “Well, aren’t you?” “Being a Ranger is a little different from being in a gang,” Trini says dryly. “Are you sure?” Zach says. “I mean, we have uniforms and everything. Rules. We’re a gang of superheroes! How cool is that?” “Sure,” Trini says, rolling her eyes. “And besides, this is Angel Grove. Do we even have gangs?” “We’ve got delinquents,” Trini says. “I mean, none of us are exactly saints.” Zach gives a loud sigh, flopping both his arms dramatically to either side. “We already saved this stupid city,” he says. “What more do they want?” “Insurance liability?” Trini says. “I don’t know how many clauses there are for ‘Giant Gold Alien Attacks’.” “You’d be surprised,” Zach says. “But yeah, maybe it’s a good thing no one knows who we are. I mean, we didn’t exactly skimp on property damage.” Both of them cringe. Trini still has nightmares about that, about piloting her zord and stepping on people. Trini still has nightmares about a lot of things. “So why are you here?” Trini says, when the silence has stretched long enough to be a little uncomfortable. She’s so used to doing everything without talking, without explaining – it always drives her mother crazy, the way she doesn’t respond. I’ll talk if you’ll listen, she wants to say, but asking to be listened to is as pointless as screaming. I’m a superhero, she says, and her mother says: Oh my gosh, you’re doing drugs. “I don’t want to go home,” Zach says, shrugging. Trini give shim a once-over, eyes narrowing as she takes in his dusty jacket and hollow cheeks. There are dark circles tattooed underneath his eyes. “Did you even go home last night?” she says. “Of course,” Zach says. “I had to make my Mum breakfast.” Trini thinks about asking, Did you sleep there? But she already knows the answer to that, and she’s never been one to waste people’s time. “Are you sleeping out here?” she says instead, gesturing around. Their bonfire place is a little ways off, unused for the last few nights. They try to keep it a regular thing, but the others have parents they don’t want to piss off. Jason’s been freaked over his Dad since the fight, and Billy doesn’t want to leave his Mum alone. Trini doesn’t know what’s going on with Kim. She doesn’t want to know. Kim’s long and lean, all muscles and edges. She’s got eyes that are sharp enough to cut. Trini doesn’t want to look at her too long, because she’s always done stupid things for pretty people. Pretty girls. Kim is most definitely one of the prettiest girls she’s ever seen, and Trini’s already done stupid things for her. “It’s comfy,” Zach says. “There’s no roof. I can see all the stars, up here.” Trini tilts her head back and considers the sky. It’s slightly overcast today, the sun burning behind a thick layer of grey-skinned clouds. If she closes her eyes, she can imagine the night sky, sparkling with thousands of pieces of white light. The moon hangs low in the sky, silver and fat. “You ever think about it?” she says. “All of this? There are aliens.” Zach sits up, stretching his arms high over his head. Trini really wishes she was attracted to him. “Of course,” he says, twisting to smile at her. It’s hard to get Zach to smile – at least, to smile for real – and Trini feels an almost unfamiliar pang of accomplishment. This is what it’s like to have friends, she thinks, and almost wants to throw up. “Of course I think about it. I mean, with Rita and Goldar and – everything. This is so crazy. All of this is so crazy.” He reaches into his pocket and pills out his power coin, holding it up to the weak sunlight. It burns a black hole in the sky, and Trini feels her own pocket tingle with sympathetic energy. The night after the car crash, Trini woke up in her bed. She woke up without a scratch on her skin, with her clothing in shreds, with her head aching and her fingers itching for – something. For something. She got out of bed and looking around, stomach doing summersaults and backflips and everything in-between. Then she realised she was holding something. The yellow gem seemed so small in her palm, almost fragile; it fit so well against her skin. It was pretty. Trini didn’t bother going to school; there had never been much point on the best of days, and this wasn’t even close. She was alive, but she didn’t know why, and she was going to find out. The black glass held no answers, only more confusion; the coin in her pocket tugged her forward, tugged her upward, until her fingers were scraping against the rocks and she was propelling herself onward and upward, faster than anything she had ever done before. This is freedom, Trini thought, leaping forward with new muscles. This is it. I’m free, I’m free, I’m free. Trini’s phone dings. It really is a good phone; reception up here is always spotty, so she’s never really sure if she’s missing out on something. She used to like it that way. It used to be her excuse, her getaway; Oh, sorry Mum, I didn’t get your call. The reception here is horrible, haven’t you noticed? She can’t believe that’s changed. She can’t believe that now she keeps to the places she knows will have reception, just so the others can keep in contact. That’s crazy. That’s insane. She’s changing herself, slowly and surely, and she doesn’t – she doesn’t know if that’s going to be enough for them to stick around. It gets worse the longer it goes on. Like, God, we’ve made it this far. This is going to hurt so much when it all falls apart. It’s Kim, and it’s short – most of Kim’s texts are short. you coming today? Kim doesn’t like texting them. She doesn’t like calling them, either, not when there’s any other option. More than once, she’s leaned over and asked Trini: Hey, could you ask Jason if he wants to come hang out with us? or Billy, or Zach. It’s illogical, because Kim has a phone, but she does it anyway. It was the pretty face. Trini’s always been stupid for a pretty face. (it’s the rest of her, too). Sometimes, Trini can still feel the way the campfire singed her skin. If she’s thinking about it hard enough, if she’s trying to drown out everything else – the noise (Why won’t you just TALK to me, Trini?), the people – she drifts backward, lets her mind detach from the present. She doesn’t have to do it so often, now, not when there’s more here and now than there ever was before, but sometimes – Trini thinks of: Not me. Skip me. She thinks of: Boyfriend problems? Girlfriend problems? It was so easy, when she didn’t have people to care about. Emotions are so messy. “You going to school?” she asks, sitting up. Her usual workout routine hasn’t even made a dent into her energy levels – nothing much does anymore, outside of sparring in the pit. She almost misses it, the burn of her muscles, the stretching of her skin. Working out seemed so much more satisfying when she could feel the way it built up her body; now it’s a routine, a route, something she does to pass the time. Everything seems harsh and jagged and almost out of place, but not quite. It’s frightening, the way things are slotting in around her, the way these people are slotting in around her. I’m going to leave, she wants to tell them, I’m going to leave, I always do. You’re going to leave, you always do. It’s still early, so if they rush, there’s still time to make second period. Zach looks like he’s thinking about it. Trini leans back on her elbows and waits for him to answer, doesn’t push, doesn’t pull. “I guess,” he finally says, jumping to his feet. “I promised Billy I’d be there for science today.” Trini doesn’t laugh at him, but it’s a close thing. “Of course,” she says. “Come on, I’ll race you.”