#year 1 winter 1 btw C:

[tinytveit]

lorge

[undergaunts]

Call Me Baby (Chapter 1)

Sebastian Sallow x Ominis Gaunt (Modern!AU)

Summary: The text chat logs between Sebastian Sallow and Ominis Gaunt during their 6th and 7th year at Hogwarts. (or Sebastian and Ominis can't bear to be apart for longer than 5 minutes, so spend their entire summer, winter and spring breaks texting and calling each other)

Rating: Teen & Up (this will go up in the next chapters!)

Word count: 4.1k

Recommended to read on AO3 as the layout is better but it’s also below the cut <3

SUMMER

July 2nd, 2:08pm

SBSTN hey

Ominis Good morning.

SBSTN morning ?! it’s like 2pm

Ominis I’m aware. I was joking.

SBSTN OH

LMAO

sorry im half awake

Ominis At 2 in the afternoon? What a shock!

SBSTN alright grumpy

just because u already miss me doesn’t mean u can be mean

Ominis I don’t miss you. I’m enjoying the peace and quiet.

SBSTN oh im sure

brb breakfast

2:42pm

SBSTN k back

Ominis Did you enjoy your ‘breakfast’?

SBSTN ya it was basically just toast lol

Ominis You’ll spoil your appetite for supper if you eat so late.

SBSTN I could eat more AND still eat dinner

im a growing boy!

Ominis Horizontally or vertically?

SBSTN >:(

gonna ignore that

Anne says hello

Ominis Hello Anne, how are you?

SBSTN she says shes good

she asks how u r

Ominis Well, for where I am, thank you. Missing you already! 

SBSTN HEY >:(

u just said u don’t miss me

Ominis Indeed, but I miss Anne.

SBSTN piss off

she’s laughing at me

ur both bullies

Ominis :)

SBSTN >>>:((((

ok she’s dragging me out, imma leave my phone here cos solomon said he wont buy me a new one if i lose it again lol

speak later ?

Ominis Have a nice time. Speak later.

SBSTN phone?

Ominis If you’d like.

SBSTN kewl

BYE

Ominis Goodbye.

July 6th, 10:19am

SBSTN *image*

LOOK

wait

LOL

sorry

basically we saw this like albino cat and it reminded me and anne of u

it had little beauty marks and stuff as well

u sure ur not in feldcroft?

r u an animagus and u didn’t tell me ?!

Ominis Good morning.

SBSTN MORNING

prev mssgs plz

Ominis I’m most certainly not an animagus Sebastian.

SBSTN no i was joking

ik u wld tell me :P

not the point

CAT!OMINIS

Ominis Yes, very sweet.

SBSTN u ok?

Ominis Never been better.

SBSTN :/

sure ?

Ominis Yes, thank you.

SBSTN ok

sure ur sure

Ominis Yes, Sebastian. I’m perfectly well.

SBSTN Alright

July 9th, 12:30pm

SBSTN any plans the next couple weeks then ?

Ominis Much the same. Sit in my bedroom. Ponder life. I may even dare to eat some food.

SBSTN please eat lol

i can come to little hangleton and hang out if u want me to

@ GAUNT MANOR

lol mad ur family is so rich

Ominis I couldn’t think of anything worse.

SBSTN oi

being srs, floo straight in thru ur fireplace

bam, sebby and omi party time

if i was there u might venture further than ur kitchen lol

Ominis Absolutely not. I would send you straight back.

SBSTN :(

u wound me ominis

Ominis It’s not that I don’t want to see you. I’ve heard word is to.

SBSTN huh

Ominis Apologies. Damned speech to text. I was whispering. Some of these House Elves will report anything. Oh who cares. My mother and father are returning soon. Probably within the next week.

SBSTN oh

sorry :(

Ominis No need. I will do my very best to avoid them.

SBSTN i could still come for a day

b4 they get there

might make the next 2 months a bit bearable if u c me again

well not see me but u know what i mean

1:12pm

SBSTN hello?

Ominis Apologies.

I’d like to see you, but coming here is not a good idea.

SBSTN y?

Ominis You know why.

SBSTN ya but

surely having a friend over is fine right

i am also pureblood btw

Ominis Sebastian.

SBSTN well i am lmao

ik im not rich and there is probably some muggle blood in me from like … 5 centuries ago but

im all wizard, all man B)

anyway surely they aren’t even gonna be there for a few days yet

and even if they turn up i can just

bam floo straight back home

Ominis No.

SBSTN Ominis.

Ominis Sebastian.

I’ve said no. My decision is final.

SBSTN ok :(

Ominis but thank you for caring

July 11th, 6:00pm

Ominis Bye

SBSTN WHAT

WHERE U GOING

dude what

Ominis Sorry. Speech to text is truly not understanding what I’m saying when I whisper. I’m trying to find my laptop, hold on.

SBSTN bruh u scared me

♫i wish u would step back from that ledge my friend♫

that’s probably not funny but i laughed

comedy with sebastian sallow

one night only

Ominis ok on laptop now. sorry if typing is bad

SBSTN terrible :’(

Ominis what wrong?

SBSTN LOL

when you do speech 2 text i can hear u speaking in my head but when ur typing u just sound like me

Ominis easier to tyoe this way

SBSTN hell yeah brother

Ominis don’t call me tht

SBSTN what brother?

Ominis yes

SBSTN HAHAHA

XD

would u rather sister?

Ominis …possibly

SBSTN LOOOOOL

u weird

ANYWAY

what were u trying to say to me?

Ominis o, my mothr and father have come home

SBSTN ah

my condolences

how r they?

Ominis fine

SBSTN good

and how r u ?

Ominis fine

SBSTN :/

sure?

Ominis not entirly

SBSTN do tell

Ominis don’t want to burdem you

SBSTN rolling my eyes here

theyve popped out my head

bye eyes

enjoy ur life as free balls

lol

dude tell me

Ominis apprently they had beenin paris tofind suitable pureblood fsmilies or somthing

SBSTN what does that mean?

Ominis i think they trying to marry marvlo off

SBSTN OH

Ominis yes

SBSTN i mean it’ll get him out of ur hair right?

bye bitch

Ominis hopefully. think im jus nervous that once theyr done with him theyl look to me

SBSTN oh

Ominis yes

SBSTN ok well they cant do that until ur 18 and we r 16 so i think so we got time to think of a plan

if it comes to it ill kidnap u and we’ll go live in America or something

dw about it ok?

i got u

ok?

Ominis ok

thank you seb

SBSTN np

:)

July 15th, 1:18am

Ominis Are you awake?

1:26am

Ominis Sebastian?

1:31am

Ominis Hello?

8:42am

SBSTN soz i was asleep what’s up

9:32am

Ominis Nothing, don’t worry.

July 18th, 5:51pm

SBSTN sorry for such a late message 

how’s it hanging

Ominis Have you been busy?

SBSTN we went to London with Solomon

he left us at diagon alley for hours lmao

he said he had ‘ministry matters’ but i swear he just went and got drunk lol

he STUNK of firewhiskey 

i can still smell it and hes not even in the house

Ominis Perhaps it’s his cologne? They usually have alcohol in them, I believe.

SBSTN nah

Ominis Perhaps he had drinks with someone from the ministry?

SBSTN oh good theory

maybe

it’s fine

Ominis I can’t see him taking you and Anne all the way to London just for him to drink. 

SBSTN yeh ur right

Ominis As always.

SBSTN now now dear don’t go stroking ur own ego

Ominis Don’t call me dear, Sebastian. It makes me feel like an old woman. 

SBSTN sorry

sister :)

Ominis I’d like to wring your neck.

SBSTN dont tease ;)

July 21st, 2:13am

Ominis Are you awake?

2:17am

Ominis Sebastian?

SBSTN yep yep here

Ominis Sorry.

SBSTN what’s up ?

Ominis Nothing. I apologise. Go back to sleep. 

SBSTN wanna call?

Ominis I don’t want to bother you. 

SBSTN ur not

promise

calling

SBSTN is calling Ominis

Call accepted

Call ended, 1hr 6min

3:25am

SBSTN ill ask him in the morning ok?

but i don’t see why not

Anne will be happy :)

so will I

in a macho way.

Ominis Of course. Thank you.

SBSTN :)

go sleep

Ominis I will try. 

SBSTN sweet dreams baby boy

Ominis You too.

11:12am

SBSTN HELLO

HE SAID YES

U CAN COME WHENEVER U WANT BASICALLY! 

U COULD COME TODAY

YAY

11:17am

SBSTN haha solomon said he’ll take my bed so u can bunk in with me

ik u would probably rather share with anne

but i think solomon would kill u before he let that happen lol

and she’s a kicker anyway

11:25am

SBSTN me and anne r gonna go hogsmeade and get some stuff :)

u want anything?

i will make sure to put a little chocolate frog on top of ur pillow :)

hehe

1:09pm

SBSTN ok at HM now 

got a butterbeer sirona says hi

omgs if ernie lark doesn’t shut up imma make him

lmao

1:29pm

SBSTN Ominis?

Missed call from SBSTN

2:11pm

SBSTN yo can u just send me a message to lmk ur ok?

3:03pm

SBSTN Ominis

Missed call from SBSTN

3:48pm

SBSTN om

4:19pm

SBSTN OMINIS

ITS ANNE

WHY U NO RESPOND

Missed call from SBSTN

Missed call from SBSTN

SBSTN hey we are leaving hogsmeade, i got u some stuff anyway but just worried.

6:05pm

SBSTN made an extra dinner portion in case ur coming. 

call me when ur around ok?

7:41pm

Missed call from SBSTN

SBSTN ok, im hoping ur parents just dragged u somewhere today. hope ur ok. 

10:34pm

SBSTN im gonna try to sleep. really hope you’re ok.

July 22nd, 12:06am

SBSTN ok can’t sleep. 

here if u need me

2:38am

Ominis Sorry.

Ominis is calling SBSTN

Call accepted

Call ended, 28min

3:07am

Ominis I really am sorry. I didn’t mean to worry you. 

SBSTN ITS OK

dude i only worry cos i care about u

stupid they took ur phone and laptop

ik it’s muggle technology or whatever but everyone uses them nowadays

but yeah I’d wait a couple days to ask them

don’t worry if u cant talk for a bit, but u know where to find me if u need me

alright go get ur beauty sleep

Ominis Thank you, again. I really hope to see you soon. 

SBSTN u will :)

promise :)

Ominis Goodnight Sebastian. 

SBSTN goodnight baby boy

Ominis I think I don’t mind that name

July 29th, 7:14am

Ominis Good morning :)

9:22am

SBSTN HI GORGEOUS

ur back :)

missed u

no homo

lol

Ominis I am indeed back.

SBSTN r u ok?

Ominis I am. Are you?

SBSTN now that ur back !! 

again, no homo LMAO

no but srsly r u ok? been a bit worried, ik u were gonna lay low a bit but still

Ominis I’m fine. Good, even. My father has agreed for me to come and stay in Feldcroft. However, only for the last two weeks of the Summer. 

SBSTN OKAY!

THAT STILL GOOD

:DDDDD

Anne’s gonna be so excited

Ominis It’s a shame I can’t come sooner. I think these two weeks might be the longest of my life. 

SBSTN we’ve gone longer before my dude

we’ve just gone like 4 weeks so what’s like 3 more

Ominis Very true. You are wise sometimes, Sebastian. 

SBSTN flatterer

August 3rd, 10:14am

SBSTN ur right it’s dragging

anne is making me go to gladrags with her 

i want u here so we can do manly things

like skipping rocks on the water

long walks along the beach at sunset <3

LMAO jk but srsly haha I’m bored

August 5th, 12:36pm

SBSTN 2 weeks!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Ominis Could you not have sent more exclamation points?

SBSTN srry

Ominis It’s almost like you aren’t excited. 

SBSTN ill do better next time

Ominis I’m rather offended, actually. 

SBSTN :(

Ominis :)

SBSTN :D

August 12th, 2:47pm

Ominis One week, I believe. 

SBSTN UR RIGHT 

I’m dancing

u can’t see me rn but i am

Ominis I can’t see at all. 

SBSTN dude.

Ominis I saw the opportunity and I took it. 

SBSTN u didn’t see anything

cos ur blind

Ominis Haha. Very funny. 

SBSTN :D

1 WEEk!

August 18th, 6:04pm

SBSTN SO WHAT TIME U COMING

ill walk over and meet u

r ur house elves gonna bring ur school stuff later?

cos there’s not a lot of room here haha

but it’s cool if u need 2 :)

come at like just after midnight haha technically counts

ill wait up

Ominis I’ll probably come around midday, if that’s acceptable. I will have to speak to my father before leaving, I suppose. I am looking forward to seeing you. Very much.

SBSTN me too :)

we’ll have lunch and then maybe we can go exploring or something

there’s an empty cave down by the water that has all these old stones and bricks with weird patterns on them i think you’ll like

like they feel all weird 

good hand feel

oh and the Ominis cat is back so you two will have to meet !

Ominis I cant wait. 

SBSTN me neither

August 19th, 12:05pm

Ominis I’ll be on my way soon. 

SBSTN just helping Anne finish the pie then ill head over :)

Ominis Are you covered in flour by any chance?

SBSTN u kno it baby

im a messy boy ;)

Ominis Looking forward to seeing you like that oh that doesn't make sense

At least look presentable for your guest.

SBSTN but u can’t see me?

lol

will do, dw

12:21pm

SBSTN ok heading over now

Ominis And I am just leaving.

SBSTN c u soon <3

Ominis

<3

WINTER

December 20th, 9:24am

SBSTN changed their display name to xmaSeb

xmaSeb i have ur tie

found it in my bag

idk why i bought it home lol

gonna wear it like a bandana

Ominis How do you know it’s mine?

xmaSeb its got a little og on the inside

Ominis What is an og?

Oh. My initials.

xmaSeb i wrote it in all ur ties so they don’t get lost or someone else steals then

Ominis How sweet

Why didn’t you tell me this before?

Would it matter, as long as I had enough ties?

xmaSeb no

i guess not

i just like the house elves to know whose is whose

Ominis Well, thank you. I’ll collect it in a few days. 

xmaSeb :)

how r the gaunts

Ominis I don’t think you want to know.

xmaSeb probably not

tell me anyway

Ominis Cruel, vicious, muggle-hating? I think about that covers it. 

xmaSeb ah

so not much has changed

Ominis Of course not. 

xmaSeb at least it’s only like what a week?

Ominis 4 days, 5 if you count the day it took to travel.

xmaSeb remind me why they wanted you to come back so bad ? 

Ominis The family of the witch that Marvolo is supposed to be marrying are visiting tomorrow. 

xmaSeb right

Ominis So I had to be in attendance to prove we are a worthy family, stronger together. Always in Power and whatnot. 

xmaSeb right

Ominis So now I’m stuck here listening to my father rant about blood purity when all I want to do is to be with you. 

And Anne.

Even Solomon. 

xmaSeb lol

sure he’d be chuffed

Ominis I’d take 100 Solomon’s over one of my fathers. 

xmaSeb how many mes would u take

Ominis 0

xmaSeb oh

</3

xmaSeb devastated :(

Ominis You know I jest. 

xmaSeb :D

Ominis Excuse me. Apparently after breakfast I’m being taken for a suit fitting. I seem to have outgrown last years’ already. I’ll speak to you later. 

xmaSeb nice

send pics

xmaSeb ;)

Ominis You know I won't do that. 

xmaSeb :(

no fair 

speak later?

Ominis Call?

xmaSeb anything 4 u baby boy

5:36pm

Ominis *image*

I’m not sure if I even got a picture. But I’m sending this anyway. 

xmaSeb damn

u so fine

lol wear that at school and the girls will be all over u trust me

:)))

Ominis I don’t want

Do you really think

Thank you.

December 22nd, 12:32am

Ominis Thnk Merlin thts over

dmn key stuck

does  work?

        .

a a a 

xmaSeb mine a works a just a fine a

Ominis on my laptop stupid

xmaSeb phone?

Ominis dead

xmaSeb charge

electric spell mate tht wht i do

Ominis fool

guests

loud

xmaSeb O YE

im 2 pretty 2 think

anyway how was it

Ominis horrid

apprently marv was makin bedrom eyes at her

thts wat my sister said

xmaSeb LMAO

was she pretty

do you kno

Ominis sis said she looked a bit like a horse

xmaSeb HORSE?

like NEIGH?

Ominis quote ‘very long face with very long nose, lovely mane thoug’

xmaSeb why does he want to screw her then

Ominis pureblood

xmaSeb don’t need to say anymore lol

how was it tho

Ominis painful

spent the whole night trying to remmber french 

which i def butchered

and they kept grabbjng my chin to look at me and commenting about my eyes

but I coulndt hear them coming

xmaSeb LOL

so when u gonna speak to me in French?

ik some french 

bonjour mon petit croissant

but yeh that sounds sucky dude

why r they all so weird

its a wonder u turned out so perfect ;)

Ominis not

xmaSeb yes

perfect baby boy :)

Ominis no

xmaSeb yes :)

Ominis no

xmaSeb YES

stop arguing

Ominis fine

xmaSeb i win!

only 2 days now 

Ominis indeed

xmaSeb then u get to see ur bestest friend in the whole world!

Ominis anne

xmaSeb me!

oh

Ominis joke

xmaSeb im gonna sleep now v tired

Ominis talk tomorrw?

xmaSeb don’t even need to ask <3

December 24th, 10:43am

xmaSeb good morrow sire 

ur carriage awaits

(me, waiting for u to carry ur bag back home)

Ominis I shan’t be long. See you shortly.

December 25th, 4:52am

xmaSeb meryy chrismtas omii i lvoeu 

oh ur ruyght there

I stikl lovu

even if i dnttell u

SPRING

March 25th, 10:14am

xmaSeb changed their display name to seabass

seabass haha just seen those last messages

Ominis You love me?

Were you drunk? 

seabass noooooooo

tht just shows how drunk u were if u dont remember me being drunk

Ominis I was drunk too?

seabass we were all drunk baby

Ominis Merlin. 

How do I not remember this?

seabass dont tell me u don’t remember our passionate night together as well?!

Ominis What

What

Sorry, what?

What?

seabass wow

broken hearted

was this why we never discussed it?

Ominis I’m sorry, I really don’t remember, Sebastian. Why didn’t you mention this sooner?

seabass sigh

it was so amazing, so passionate

don’t think i could get u to stop talking about potions for a good hour

how much u HATE it

so much passion in ur heart!!!

Ominis I thought you meant

Oh, haha, very funny Sebastian. I was scared for a moment there. 

seabass what of lol

trust if we ever were passionate we would both remember VERY clearly ;)

Ominis Enough joking around. 

seabass never

but fine i’ll stop FOR NOW

how’s oui oui paris

(read tht with the french accent on paris so it rhymes plz)

Ominis Horrid. For the most part, I’ve managed to keep to myself, but this damned family might end up killing me. 

seabass which one lol

gaunts or delacar

or however u spell it

Ominis Delacroix. I just had to spell that out, this phone is really poor at spelling. 

Truthfully, it’s going to be one or the other. Marvolo is all over this Rosalié like a ravenous mongrel. Eleven year age gap, mind you. Their only topic of conversation seems to be about hating muggles in broken French and English. 

seabass the horse girl

oh so she’s like only a bit older than us?

Ominis Precisely. Only just finished Beauxbatons last year, apparently. She also has a younger sister, who is very timid, unlike the rest of her family, but I’m certain my mother and father are already hatching the egregious plan to marry us when she comes of age. 

seabass shit

i had to look up egregious lol

how old?

Ominis Eleven, I believe. Starting Beauxbatons in the Autumn if I understood her mother correctly. 

seabass oh gross

yuck

but that does give us time to hatch a plan and run away

Ominis I could very well be wrong, but I have sat next to her at every dinner we’ve had together so far. It would certainly not surprise me. 

seabass im so sorry baby

Ominis I’m here for another few days, then back home. I think I may not survive these two weeks. 

seabass plz survive

i wouldn’t be able to go on

itll all be ok, dw :)

Ominis Do you promise?

seabass on my life

March 30th, 8:27pm

Ominis Home now. 

seabass welcome back to to the British Isles

enjoy your tea and scones

me ol mucker

Ominis What on Earth are you on about now?

seabass haha

there’s this american muggle show thing and one of them is trying to do an English accent and its soooo bad

me and anne were watching it and couldn’t stop laughing

ill send a video hold on

u don’t have to see it just listen hold on

*video*

8:35pm

Ominis What did I just hear?

seabass HAHAHAH

absolute shambles

Ominis I think my ears may be bleeding.

seabass nooo don’t lose your hearing ur so sexy aha

Ominis Excuse me?

seabass meme

Ominis Clearly. If I did lose my hearing at least I wouldn’t have to hear you speak again. 

seabass if u lost ur ears how would i even communicate with u? 

:(

Ominis No communication with you? Sounds like a dream come true. 

seabass yeah but if we couldn’t talk at all i wouldn’t be able to do this

seabass is calling Ominis

Call accepted

Call ended, 2hr 3min

10:51pm

seabass <3333

Ominis Goodnight Sebastian.

seabass sleep well lovely <3

Ominis And you. 

<3

April 3rd, 11:36am

seabass good morning angelface 

Ominis Angel face. That’s a new one. 

seabass do u like

Ominis It’s not something I’ve heard before. 

seabass so u DO like it

Ominis Hang on, I never said that.

seabass what do u prefer, sister or angelface

remember that hahaha

Ominis I do remember. It was only a joke. 

seabass ikkkkk

k of all the names I call u what do u prefer

angelface

baby

baby boy

gorgeous

lovely

perfect

or dumbass motherfucker

Ominis You’ve never called me that last one. I dare not repeat it. 

seabass not to your face >:)

Ominis Really? Then to who?

seabass just in my head

to myself

whenever i look @ u

Ominis You are an idiot, Sebastian Sallow.

seabass i think my fave ones r baby boy and perfect because that’s what u r :)

Ominis I honestly can’t tell if you’re flirting

I’m really getting mixed signals

I think you’re more perfect

Such a charmer. 

I think I just prefer my name. 

seabass ahhh no fun :(

i only give u these pet names because ily :(

Ominis What?

Sorry

In what way

I love you too, I have for

Fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck oh stupid phone stop listening to me I’m not trying to

11:52am

seabass sorry was that weird haha

ur just my best friend and stuff

sorry

Ominis Oh, of course

Oh

I thought you meant

Idiot

Don’t

Don’t apologise, if I’m honest I don’t mind the names. It’s certainly better than some of the things I’ve been called. Haha. 

Ominis And I L Y too. 

So much

seabass :D

<3

i shall continue to give you cute little names then

Ominis Alright. Don’t expect any from me though. 

Sweetheart. 

seabass YES

hahaha

seabass changed their display name to sweetheart

sweetheart look

i changed mine

mine display name 

change urs baby boy

Ominis What?

Oh, I’ve just heard it. Really?

sweetheart CHANGE UR NAME SO WE MATCH!!!!!

Ominis changed their display name to Baby Boy

Baby Boy Did that work?

sweetheart YEA

haha

this is dumb

still love it tho

NEW MESSAGE

From Natty<3 to sweetheart

April 3rd, 11:55am

Natty<3 It's happened! Congratulations guys <3

NEW MESSAGE

From QUIDDITCHQUEEN to sweetheart

April 3rd, 11:56am

QUIDDITCHQUEEN So you finally got your shit together then?

NEW MESSAGE

From pops to sweetheart

April 3rd, 11:56am

pops just saw yours and Ominis’ names! :)

very sweet :)

happy for you both :)

NEW MESSAGE

From Gazza to sweetheart

April 3rd, 11:57am

Gazza always knew you two would get it on haha

NEW MESSAGE

From LEANDER1 to sweetheart

April 3rd, 11:57am

LEANDER1 r u an gaunt gay or smth wots wiv the names

not judging idc

April 3rd, 11:58am

sweetheart we can change it back lol

Baby Boy Why?

I thought you loved it

sweetheart idk

im gonna

sweetheart changed their display name to sebastian

sebastian leave urs then

Baby Boy OK.

sebastian k

gtg c u friday 

Baby Boy  Is everything ok?

Baby Boy changed their display name to Ominis

Ominis Ok, goodbye then.

Love you.

April 4th, 12:07am

Ominis Sebastian?

12:19am

Ominis Are you there?

12:28 am

Missed call from Ominis

12:32am

Missed call from Ominis

12:40am

Ominis is calling sebastian

Call declined

[asbealthgn]

here is the last one!! thank you so much to everyone who has read these it’s been a delight but also i am NEVER posting a fic like this again lmao (this one can be read alone btw!)

Winter 2007

Steve wakes from fitful dreams to an empty bed and briefly panics. Even after twenty years, he’s still haunted by memories of the Upside Down. He still gets worried when he wakes up and can’t see Eddie. 

He pushes back the covers and gets out of bed, feet hitting the cold hardwood floors. He tugs a robe on to combat the cold and then opens the bedroom door. As soon as it’s open, he hears Eddie’s voice singing quietly and he relaxes. Steve pads softly down the hall to the living room. It’s dark, but he can see Eddie by the window, silhouetted by the streetlights. He’s rocking their daughter in his arms.

Steve leans against the entryway and listens to his husband sing in his soft, husky voice. “There’s a place I like to hide, a doorway that I run through in the night. Relax, child, you were there but only didn’t realize and you were scared. It’s a place where you will learn to face your fears, retrace the years, and ride the whims of your mind.”

The floorboard creaks under Steve’s foot as he shifts his weight, and Eddie stops singing. 

“Hey,” he whispers, looking back at Steve. Steve pushes off the wall and moves over to the window to join him, putting one hand at Eddie’s waist and the other on his arm by their daughter’s head. 

“How is she?” Steve asks quietly.

“She’s good,” Eddie murmurs. “She was crying, but she’s her father’s daughter so she went right to sleep when I started singing Queensrÿche.”

“What a good girl.”

Smiling, Eddie turns his head to kiss Steve. “Go back to sleep, baby,” he says, “I’ll be there in a minute.”

“Take your time,” Steve says. He bends over to press a kiss featherlight to their daughter’s forehead, then kisses Eddie once more before heading back to their bedroom. 

Before he closes the door, he takes one more look at Eddie. He’s started softly singing another song. Steve takes in the sight—his husband and his daughter. There are still nights when he wakes up screaming from nightmares, nights where he’s not sure if he’ll ever see the sun again. But nights like this when he gets to watch his little family that he’s always wanted and didn’t know if he would ever have, he feels so happy he could burst. 

On nights like this, life is beautiful.

(part 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21)

taglist: @adashofaroace @spectrum-spectre @girlwhoknewtheoriginoflove @cupc8keblonde @cinnamon-mushroomabomination @leeahpuppet @bidisastersworld @axltheedaddy @crushed-like-an-ant @whimsicalwitchm @hollysimone @awolfnamedaliac @gay-little-bitch @duckyreads @nelotegreitic @henderdads @iamsotiredman @thegingervulcan @mezmatch @stranger-poets-society @official-insanity-c @briceslayed @ohwelsh @lonestarcowpoke @lycriza @bejeweledbaby @a-huge-nerdy-nerd @cnfsd-bisexual @cheeseaddict-12 @wrenisflying @swimmingbirdrunningrock @sadcanadianwinter @ash-a-confused-enby @grtwdsmwhr @edgelordesworld @vecnuthy @lightwoodbanethings @soulminyg @notbatman00 @steve-the-hairrington @lizisodd @artiststarme @queerbeansworld @thegingerrapunzel @ceaselessly-watching @idkwwhatimmdoiing @ashlynjessi @yes-im-your-mom @steddie-there @thefailcollection @beeing-stuupid @anteaterballs @crunchiestdonut @xpaperheartso @messrs-weasley @absentlurker @panicatthediaz @thing-a-ling @bornonthesavage @momotonescreaming @slit-wrist @ironwolf11 @camachameleon @evix-syne666 @hotluncheddie @steddio @desert-fern @rotato-potato @captain-daryn @birondragon @alienace

(once again just reminding you that an extended version of this is being posted on ao3. i have 5 chapters up right now and i’m currently writing chapter 8 :D)

[eccentric-nucleus]

(where i'm at with the numbers, btw, is that currently the tool is saying...

given 10 square miles of arable land, 6400 acres, that would produce 768,000 'food units' (enough food for one person for one day) in a year, which would support ~2100 people.

(already this is a huge abstraction b/c this is currently calculating an all-wheat diet, which nobody had. there are different numbers for oats, barley, rye, and millet; wheat was more for rich people and did not seem to be a huge part of the crop in medieval europe. also 'enough food' is very debatable given all sorts of historical nutrition and calorie requirement numbers)

this is the result of farming 3200 acres per-year, with the rest being fallow. to plow 3200 acres within a 42-day plowing season (which is a total guess on my part; all i know is that plowing did frequently take more than a month) you'd need ~150 oxen, and i think those could be kept fed between grazing on fallow fields + eating hay from the harvest

my current numbers say that it would take 19,200 man-days of labor to do the reaping, or ~9.14 days per person across the entire settlement. that doe seem like a low number to me, but that represents full labor utilization: absolutely everyone, man woman and child, would drop whatever they were doing to work on the fields. if we say 50% of the population is doing harvest work, then that doubles to ~18.28 days, which seems... more reasonable? i think grain harvests lasted under a month? also there would be a slight bump b/c not everybody would be directly involved in agriculture, but i think it was still like 80-90% farmers for towns with a population around 2000 people. so that would increase the numbers slightly further to around 20-22 days of harvesting.

that being said i think these numbers i'm using merge spring and fall harvests into one number, so actually i'd want to split them into uhhh 1/3rd and 2/3rds since there was some vague mention that summer wheat had roughly double yields to winter wheat. which would drop the numbers to ~7 days for the spring harvest and ~14 days for the autumn harvest

basically i have a lot of numbers here but there's no sense of which factors are immediately relevant for this calculation. this isn't even getting into what a "man-day" of labor is, since there was a pretty big variance for that, too.

...

)

[chiliadicorum]

Glorfindel and the Balrog (Again)

Glorfindel was a badass and I need to talk about this AGAIN.

I thought I was done waxing poetic about Glorfindel's fight with the Balrog after the last post. I mean, what else was there to say? Joke's on me. Because I just had an epiphany recently concerning that duel that I realized is so grossly overlooked because, you know, epic battle and badass awesomeness that takes priority over anything mundane (I'm guilty of that. Refer to: said post).

I'm going to dredge up some popular fanon again and declare that it's canon. Let me ask y'all a question:

DO YOU KNOW HOW HOT FIRE IS?

Hear me out. Yes, simple question and yeah, everyone knows fire is frickin hot. As I said though, it's a mundane detail and as a result, tends to be overlooked. However, my attention was drawn to it when I recently took part in a brushfire.* Do not confuse this with a typical bonfire. This brushfire was to burn dead brush gathered over the course of several years and can only be burned in the middle of winter. It's way hotter, way bigger with way more fuel burning. I'd seen a brushfire before but I'd forgotten what it felt like.

We all had to stand, at minimum, 20ft away (30ft or more was better). The fire itself was impressive, but the intensity of that heat was insane. We maintained a safe distance, but our faces still turned pink from the heat. My actual eyeballs began to burn and I had to either back up further or turn away completely. The heat converted the 1°F air (-17°C) into something comfortable to breathe even that far away. But I have to emphasize that, no matter where you walked, you could not get safely within 20ft of this fire without proper apparatus. It was too hot for your face and eyes to tolerate.

Guys, that Balrog was a beast of living fire and Glorfindel grappled with it. I mean, he was already in proximity close enough to engage in that combat. Let's recap: struck the Balrog's head (impressive btw, considering Balrogs are twice an Elf's height), hewed off its whip-arm, and drove his sword through the Balrog's shoulder, not to mention all the other blows he landed in the combat:

"The ardour of Glorfindel drave that Balrog from point to point, and his mail fended him from its whip and claw.” 

But remember, when he struck the shoulder and the sword caught, the full-on brawling on the mountain pinnacle began:

“Then sprang the Balrog in the torment of his pain and fear full at Glorfindel, who stabbed like a dart of a snake; but he found only a shoulder, and was grappled, and they swayed to a fall upon the crag-top.”

....This is actually blowing my mind a bit. How has this not clicked before? Because this speaks volumes to Glorfindel's determination to see the demon killed, to save his people. Glorfindel wasn't a safe distance away shooting arrows or hurling spears. He wasn't 20ft away. He was fighting with a sword. And he was literally embracing that creature of living flame in a fight to the death. We don't know the literal degree of how hot the Balrogs burned, but by intuition alone, I think we can deduce that they were a lot bigger and hotter than some mere brushfire. Let's recall some details from the book in The Bridge of Khazad-dûm:

"The flame roared up to greet [the Balrog], and wreathed about it; and a black smoke swirled in the air. Its streaming mane kindled, and blazed behind it. [...] The dark figure streaming with fire raced towards them. [...] Fire came from its nostrils."

From The Letters of J.R.R. Tolkien, #144:

"The Balrogs, of whom the whips were the chief weapons, were primeval spirits of destroying fire [...]"

Balrogs were their own self-regulating and self-sustaining inferno, with "hearts of fire". Peter Jackson may have exaggerated the height of the Balrog in the movie, but he nailed the physiology, imo. Balrogs never laughed, never spoke, but they could control the amount of fire and darkness/shadow they emitted.

Getting back to that fanon I mentioned, it's a popular idea that Glorfindel sustained burns or caught fire in this fight, something like that. It's a notion regularly used in fanfic for years but always something relegated to the fanon category, an "unconfirmed" theory. I've enjoyed those fics, still do, but there's always been the back-and-forth about how accurate it is, if at all. I was on that fence too because Tolkien never explicitly stated it happened.

But guys, it's canon. Glorfindel got burned in that fight. Even if he never came in contact with its living flame (he did), even if he never brawled with the Balrog (he did), the heat alone would've burned him from the proximity of fighting with a sword. That's the whole point of this post.

This is the one time I'm not giddy about declaring a fanon is canon. It's so awful. Of course, it's left to the individual imagination as to the severity of his burns and where they occurred. Elves are not humans and I submit to the idea that there can be a difference in tolerance with such elements (such is the case with cold temperatures), but Tolkien still made it clear they're not immune to fire. I recall wondering if Glorfindel ever got burned, but it was such a passing thought I think because I put too much focus on this text:

"The ardour of Glorfindel drave that Balrog from point to point, and his mail fended him from its whip and claw.” 

Tolkien made it clear that Glorfindel obtained no fatal/serious injuries in that fight, which is significant and should be recognized precisely because it's a testament to Glorfindel's insane skill and speed. But Tolkien says it, or rather omits it, right there: "his mail fended him from its whip and claw". Tolkien doesn't mention the fire. He's talking about the attacks the Balrog is trying to strike Glorfindel with and failing abominably. It's so easy to ignore a mundane factor like temperature when there's so much epic action to fixate on.

Because before Glorfindel even began grappling with the Balrog and came in contact with its fire, he was getting burned.

And it never slowed him down.

Have you ever been even minorly burned by fire before, like a candle flame or heat from a stove? I have and it's the mildest as far as burns go but IT HURTS. It gets your attention like nothing else and makes you yank back on pure instinct. Yet Glorfindel never yanked back. He wasn't fighting any candle flame, yet he never faltered or stepped back at the searing touch of that heat. Let alone the actual fire later.

Glorfindel was plainly hell-bent on saving his people from this threat. No one can argue that, particularly when he was the one to pursue the Balrog. But this new aspect just further drives home that single-mindedness of that determination. That desperation. That's a better word. For as calm and in control of that fight as he was, despite being seared by that heat which would cause a normal person to falter, he never once retreated even for a moment to regain ground (he had room) or wait for aid (Elves were rushing to help him, Tolkien said) or reassess (he had time - that Balrog was terrified of him at that point and was actively trying to run away from him). My conclusion? Glorfindel was desperate to kill it. Frantic in that calm, disciplined way that's terrifying. Grief from Gondolin's destruction, grief from the massacre of his people, anger and uncertainty at their dire state, and now this demon was coming to finish off what remnant was left?

No. Soon as Glorfindel "leapt forward upon him" there was only one objective in his mind, one end: that Balrog was going to die now. And nothing would stop him or slow him down until it did.

*descriptions of the battle on Cristhorn from “The Fall of Gondolin” HoME II.194-5 *(disclaimer to ward off comments: this fire was in the middle of a field of snow, was law-abiding, was city-approved, etc. It was a controlled burn so no worries)

[anosci]

(61-75 albums etc that I’ve listened to this year, copied from twitter) (now with art. [1] [2] [3] [4] [5] [6])

names and thoughts below cut

61/ PROGedia - Diõscuri (2023) holy shit what is this. prog hip hop? 6???? insane bangers out the gate why is this from R&S? feels like brainfeeder 💯 massive.

---

62/ Sampling Masters - Never Float (2001) this sounds a bit ahead of its time. its not just me right? does this sound like 2001 to you? 2005 maybe… this is a good thing btw

---

63/ VA - D3: Diverse Style from "B" 3rd style Normal (2001) this feels a little dated and amateurish (affectionate) it's a complete mixed bag in style and quality but an all around lovely time. "R4" maybe fav song? there's a lot of good here…

---

64/ VA - D3: Diverse Style from "B" 3rd style Versus (2001) kinda the same story as the "normal" version. maybe a bit weaker overall. the last two tracks are a really strong closer

---

65/ Autechre - AE_LIVE (2016) weird case im not rly including this thoroughly but i found fanmade CUEs and titles for the AE_LIVE releases. so obv i gotta split and organize them. relisten a bit… not to all of it. its cool to have "names" to my favs! (drunk), ceramic, c7b2 slip…

also my least favorite: (rave) get EQ'd gdi

---

66/ Autechre - AE_LIVE 2016/2018 (2020) weird case #2. turns out the newer sets are dif material. fewer beats. it is. RLY GOOD. again with the CUEs and fan IDs, some fav tracks: (flash) holty shit reflected ;_; (cyclone) (2016 ver)!!!!!! "(cosmos) - flute" i could swim in this

---

67/ Herbie Hancock - Future 2 Future (2001) i still have Herbie Hancock associated with like. the old jazz greats. a constellation fixed in the sky. so its wild to me to hear his explorations afterward. smokey jazzy sound sprinkled over breaks and even some bleepy styles. chill.

---

68/ VA - D4: Diverse Style from "B" 4th style (2001) wild variation. putting the diverse in Diverse Style i suppose. im just gonna list some standouts: "Funky Modelling [ATM Remix]" hypnotic! "WOW WOW 220" jf adventure! "manmachine plays jazz [ex.MIX]" classic beat!

---

69/ Initial Y - Dance X 2002 (2001) oh, cheese. i probably shouldve seen that coming based on the artist name. overall not a fan, but also… lol track 6. "Last Regrets -Winter Night Mix-" and (especially) the hidden track are the only ones that truly vibe with me

---

70/ VA - side-c (2001) yeah its another wild ride of genres. im having a good time! standouts: "Believe～Flirtation" sexy garage! "RG14" fun!!! "terrolist_egoist" hits a nostalgic spot "ヒッポカンパス" l u s h, ahead of its time even "雲海に棲む鳥" grasslands rpg vibes!

---

71/ Casiopea - Main Gate (2001) no words just jams

---

72/ Holly Waxwing - The New Pastoral (2023) beautiful and elegant. i feel like i need to study this to learn restraint and intent in design.

---

73/ 4 Hero - Creating Patterns (2001) (i have decided to be extra harsh on dnb albums.) …oh the dnb is stripped back. a sexy jazz fills the space. im still picky about vocals but some of them feel right to me. not quite Groove Aramda but ya. "Eight" is my fav here i think lol

---

74/ VA - Metalheadz Platinum Breakz 03 (2001) (i have decided to be extra harsh on dnb albums.) VA here means Various Alignments with my taste. im far more into the jungle jazzish portions than the darkstep(?). overall: ok. (this is me being harsh)

---

75/ The Railway Raver - You'll Never Get Anywhere By Spending All Day Playing Around With That Bloody Drum Machine (2001) i love railay raver's ear for sound design. id say "gentle synth feel" but this deviates from that a bit. acid tho.

---

[dojae-huh]

Hi

I wanna ask your opinion.

Do you think the jobs that the members do are given by the agency, the members themselves are looking for it, or are outsiders asking certain members to participate?

Dy said he got a Japanese ost because the director wanted it? And he got a role in the musical because he auditioned. Then what about drama?

So what if an outsider in the industry offers a job to a certain member, can the agency refuse it? What is the reason? What else if the member has no activities

Taeil slept 14 hours today. And fans say that SM doesn't give him solo jobs even though he only depends on group activities They hope he gets a job for a drama or variety show ost.I myself thought that variety shows would not suit Taeil's personality. But if it's ost, obviously taeil had a good ost before even a pretty good chart. However, he is yet to appear on the soundtrack again.

In contrast to Taeil, Dy got a job, even though for me I haven't yet reached an iconic, even famous, soundtrack. As for the quality of his acting, it is good, but it hasn't reached the point of being suitable for the main character, even though he continues to grow.

Taeil fan obviously wanted Taeil to have a solo album before enlistment. But of course the company cares more about revenue than anything else Even though fans say talent > popularity Taeil clearly has a loyal fan, but not as strong as some of the other members both in Korea and internationally.

So do you think the agency doesn't care about each member's solo job? Or just give it to the members they like? So he got the title Nepo baby. lol. Thanks for your answer btw

You listed the ways. From Doyoung we know that: a) he gets jobs from SM (duets with other SM artists, participating in charity UNESCO songs), b) singers, tv directors contact the company and ask for him specifically (Rocoberry, Midnight Cafe director, that Japanese drama director, Lee Mujin show, "Maniac" song, "Fallin'"), c) Doyoung's manager looks for opportunities and offers Doyoung to try and apply (one of the recent OSTs), d) SM gives him a short gig opportunity, Doyoung impresses everyone and is asked to stay and continue (MITH, music show MCing), e) Doyoung wants something and asks the management to arrange it if possible (KoMS, covers for YT, basking in metro, his birthday singing live).

From Mark we know that he wanted a solo project for himself at the end of a difficult and exhausting for him year to "find himself". So he got "Child". Haechan wanted a radio show, he got YT version of it for NCT channel. Johnny makes JCC. Taeyong writes and produces a lot and posts some stuff on soundcloud. Kun composes and also posts on soundcloud.

SM can refuse a group to appear somewhere, but when it comes to solo projects it refuses after discussion with the artist (schedule problems). Maybe it was different in the past, but there were no cases of neos saying the company ripped them of something (the only time I remember was Doyoung complaining he didn't get to sing in one of NCT's songs, he sang it on his BD live later).

I know in other companies 1 or 2 members in a group might get everything and others are neglected. So I get where the worries come from, they are not groundless. However, we need to look at SM's conduct. And without bias (SM is evil and wants the worst).

If Taeil is the unloved child, why did he get to sing in SMCU Winter album when Jaehyun didn't participate? Why was he given to sing Kun's song instead of Kun getting a proper solo for NCT Lab? Why does he get to participate in special stages?

Taeil has (at least) 6 OSTs (not all solo) and 2 collabs. (Jaehyun 3 OSTs, I think?)

....

Solo albums can't be released all at once, and there are different factors that influence the order of members going solo. SM wanting a return of investment and the idol being able to promote the album is a big part of it. Albums are not cheap. Other times it is about members themselves not being ready.

I also expected an album for Taeil before his enlistment, but then Covid happened, and then the feud happened... Taeil probably got unlucky here, he missed a timeslot and now has to wait untill he finishes serving in the army. (Probably, maybe SM will pull a surprise like it did with Dream's winter songs or SMCU winter album).

Does Taeil want to act? Have he ever expressed such interest?

[chicwishblog]

Unfiltered Opinions: 3 Candid Chicwish Reviews for Your Fall Fashion Fix

Every year, when mid-August arrives, those who are interested in fashion notice a subtly changing atmosphere. Shorts now don't seem quite as appealing, and every time a wardrobe is opened, their attention is drawn a bit longer to the jacket that hasn't been worn in a few months.

No matter how much you enjoy the warmer weather, the prospect of wrapping yourself in a warm sweater and switching your sandals for a pair of comfortable loafers is a pleasant change after weeks of heat. Fortunately, that transition is almost here. This is the time when people start looking for fall clothing pieces that can give them a mix of two seasons – heat is going to end and winter is here to welcome.

Unmatched excitement for fall season in brands and fashion lovers!

Various clothing brands come up with their fall collection every season to woo the fashion lovers. ChicWish is one of them. Being a reputed and reliable online fashion store, it never misses a chance to feature its beautiful and versatile fall clothing items for sale, that too with exciting deals and discounts. Whether you have been looking for a cool moto jacket for an outdoor trip or a cargo pant, ChicWish would never disappoint you. Apart from offering a huge collection of fashion products, the brand takes the environment seriously and adopts green business practices on every front. Don’t believe? A candid Chicwish review given in the next section will reveal the truth.

If you are looking for fashion products that are trendy, beautiful and durable, ChicWish is where you should explore the same. Here are some honest ChicWish reviews for fall clothing that you must read. This would give you an idea about the overall quality and experience of buyers. So, let’s look at them below.

Chicwish Reviews On Some Of The Best Fall Clothing Picks:

1.       EDGY FAUX LEATHER MOTO JACKET IN BLACK

With this striking jacket, keep your style quotient high while driving at top speed. This important piece of clothing features a classic silhouette with an edgy fake leather construction that creates a collared neckline with notched lapels and epaulettes on the shoulders for a stylish update on the traditional. Asymmetrical front zipper and zippered cuffs add moto-cool accents to the cropped bodice.

ChicWish Review – “This is my new FAVORITE article of clothing! I have wanted a leather jacket for some time now but have been disappointed with all I have seen. This jacket is cropped to the perfect length, on me, slightly above or at my waistline. (I am 5'6".) The faux leather looks and feels real, very nice quality! The fit is true to size and comfortable, not too boxy or too tight. I am so happy I found this! BTW, I found it on a ChicWish ad on how to wear a mesh skirt!”- Margaret.

2.       EBULLIENT RED FLOWER PRINTED MAXI DRESS

Embrace the vibrant spirit of fall and make a stunning entrance at any event with this dress. This piece is the perfect blend of bold colors, enchanting floral prints, and a flowing silhouette that will make you feel like a goddess as you float through the room. Accessorize it with a pair of strappy sandals and a statement necklace to complete your look.

ChicWish Review – “The vibrant red color and floral print are stunning, and the fit is incredibly flattering. I've received so many compliments on this dress, and I can't wait to wear it again. Highly recommend!” – Lily RO

3.       LIGHT WASH BLUE BELTED FLARE JEANS

These jeans are an essential part of every stylish person's outfit. It has an appealing fit-and-flare style and is made of premium denim. Along with adding some elegance, the belted waist also offers a comfortable and personalized fit.

ChicWish Review – “I have received the pants. They are of good quality and feel soft and comfortable to touch. The fabric is thick and soft. They are comfortable to wear and the size is suitable.” - Johanna

The Conclusion

If you are looking for high-quality fall clothing for 2023, Chicwish is one name you can always trust upon.  Chicwish is a top-rated clothing store where you can explore all types of clothing at affordable rates. You can easily find a ChicWish review online.

END OF THE DOCUMENT

[loubatas]

How to keep your house cool when there’s a heatwave and you don’t have A/C

So, some of my North American friends are having unusual high temperatures righ now, and as someone who grew up and lived for more than 25 years on the Mediterranean coast, with normal summer temperatures between 36°C and 40°C (97°F – 104°F) and temperatures above 40°C regularly, all without A/C (or even fans for the first 18 years actually), I thought I could give some advice on how to keep your house cool

1 - DO NOT, under any circumstances, let the sunlight enter your house. Close your shutters/blinders/curtains to keep your whole house in the shade. The shade is cool. The shade is your friend. If you don't have shutters or opaque curtains to block the sunlight, use safety blankets (the kind you have in your car, you know?) , aluminium foil, even cardboard will do. Cardboard is not too shabby actually Just block the sun from entering as if you were a vampire and even the minimum amount of sunlight will kill you. Block it even before the light hits your windows directly : reverberated light will still heat up your house

2 - CLOSE ! YOUR ! WINDOWS ! when the temperature outside is higher than the temperature inside ! You live in a place with cold winters, which means your walls and windows are well insulated. So use this insulation to keep the COLD inside instead. I see a lot of advice saying “open your windows for air flow”, but the only thing air flow from the outside will do when it’s hotter outside than inside is to make the inside temperature go UP until it matches the outside temperature. You don't want 35+°C (95+°F) inside your house, you'll get a heatstroke

Blinders/shutters/curtains are shit at insulating, unless they're insulating curtains or thick (5cm+) wooden shutters. And even those aren't insulating enough for when temps go above 35°C. Glass windows however, especially if you have double-glass which I hope you do considering your winter temperatures, are well better for insulation

Plus, the layer of air trapped between the window and the shutters/blinders will act as an extra layer of insulation, which is good because air is actually the best insulating material 3 - OKAY, now that you're in a litteral shadow bunker, what do you do? You try your best to not make the temperature go up from the inside. This means :

- No cooking. Cook at night, when the temperature is cool. Prepare your food for the next day in advance so all you have to do is take it out of the fridge. You probably won't be hungry much btw. On that point, it's better to snack a bit 4-6 times a day than eating only two big meals - No exercising. Who the fuck exercices during a heatwave without A/C anyway you'll kill yourself ! - Keep all the doors between rooms open, and if you have fans turn a few of them on in different rooms. This will create a nice cooling air flow inside your house - Speaking of fans. You can put cold water, or ice, or a humid towel in front of your fan for extra coolness - Turn your computer off. Not only your computer generates a fuckton of heat when it's on, but it won't even work properly and will probably end up shutting down in the middle of your (unsaved) work because it's overheating - Go to sleep. No seriously, the best way to go through a heatwave is to sleep through it. There’s a reason why in most Mediterranean countries and cultures, people nap between 12 and 16 p.m. and are a lot more active at dusk and late in the evening. If you can, go fully or partially nocturnal. Sleep at least during the hottest hours (from noon to 16 p.m.) so you can stay up later at night or wake up earlier in the morning, but the longer you can sleep during the day, the longer you can stay up at night when the temps are a lot cooler

If you have to work during the day because of capitalis-eeh, because your workplace won't let you reorganize your schedule, pack your laptop, get out of your house (still in Shadow Bunker mode) and find a place with A/C to work in. My mom used to go to work at the local library during the summer

OKAY, the sun is setting, the temperatures are going down, now what ?

4 - Only once the outside temperature is lower than the temperature inside your house, OPEN YOUR WINDOWS! OPEN YOUR SHUTTERS! OPEN YOUR DOOR ! Let the cool air in! And keep it open for as long as the temperatures are cool. Now you can also do all the things you couldn't do during the day (work on computer, cook, etc.)

If you've gone fully nocturnal, you can stay up all night and let everything open all night as well. If you're splitting your sleep between night and day, depending on your situation you may not want to let your windows and doors open while asleep. In this case, I recommend you to close your shutters while keeping the windows open (remember, shutters are shit at insulating so the cold air can still come inside a bit) and getting up one or two hours before sunrise. Temperatures will go down all night until sunrise, making the hour before sunrise the coldest hour of the day, so take advantage of it and use that hour to cool down your house and trap as much cold as possible inside before sunrise comes and you have to turn your house into Shadow Bunker Mode again

I will not go into 'how to cool yourself' territory as many other people already gave good advice on that point, and there are so many ways it would be too long, but general advice : stay hydrated, wear loose clothing made of natural fibers (linen's the best, cotton is good too), don't eat too much fat, don't eat too much at once, take a shower, take a bath if you have a bathtube, etc.

TL;DR : - live at night, sleep the day - don't let sunlight go into your house - close everything (including windows) when outside temperature is above inside temperature - open everything (especially windows) when outside temperature is below inside temperature Stay safe, friends!

[miyaoniku]

secret keeper [oikawa x female y/n] [soulmate!au] pt. 1

[author: chae]

a/n: hi guys c: i’m not going to lie, i forgot that i even wrote this for a fat month. it’s going to be a spin-off to the mafia au that was posted just before this was. that mafia au was the entire reason why clowe and i decided to start this blog, and this is just the start of a long project that i just randomly decided to start and hopefully will stick with until the end. as of me posting this, i do not have a solid premise of the story and i do not know where i’m going with this, so everyone is in for surprises. this is the first multi-part story i’m posting online, so hopefully that will give me the drive to see this until the end. hopefully, you’ll join me on this enigma of a ride :) (btw this is unedited like all of the stuff i write)

~*~

“some things are better left unsaid.”

[soulmate!au] [mafia!au] [oikawa x fem!reader]

masterlist | next

Everyone has their own darkest secret. It’s something they would keep to themselves, never to be shared with the world. Depending on how dark the secret is, one wouldn’t even share it with their soulmate. 

However, there exists a soulmate bond that is dangerous on both ends. This rare type of soulmate bond allows both parties to see each others’ darkest secret when their eyes first meet. Studies done by notable soulmate researchers have shown that this specific bond only occurs in about one pair out of a hundred soulmate pairs, a mere one percent.

Even with this low percentage, Oikawa Tooru had never made proper eye contact with strangers. He knew that he didn’t have a visible bond such as a red string or a timer, so he knew that his bond had to be something intangible. 

Whenever he needed to get something, he always wore the darkest shade of sunglasses he owned so he would never have direct eye contact with someone. That way, there is a barrier between him and the person he’s talking to. He may be able to see their eyes, but they can never see his, so the “secret exchange” wouldn’t happen. The only people he does make direct eye contact with are the people he knows aren’t his soulmate, as he had made eye contact with them prior to learning about that soulmate bond and hadn’t had visions of their secret. 

Oikawa had managed to avoid direct eye contact for years. Ever since he found out about that bond, he successfully dodged the eyes of anyone new that he came across. Everything was going fine, until he ran out of milk bread.

It was an hour to midnight when he realized that he ran out of his favorite comfort food. He was alone tonight; everyone he lived with was out doing their own things, preparing for what they would have to do the following week. And so, that left him to get his precious milk bread by himself. He had to ditch the sunglasses because he wouldn’t be able to see while he walked to the convenience store, so he settled on a pair of fake glasses instead. Even if they did nothing to protect him from eye contact, it still gave him a sense of security. He wasn’t too worried about making eye contact with the cashier because he knew she had already found her soulmate, as he determined by the tattoo on her left wrist that last time he went. 

Coincidentally, you were also going to the convenience store to buy milk bread. You wanted to have it for breakfast the next morning, so you decided to buy it now instead of later. You wrapped a scarf around your neck before stepping out of your home. 

The sound of footsteps trailed behind you as you walked to the store. Your breath was visible during the cold winter night, so you pulled your scarf up higher. A cold breeze swept past you, which made you shiver. You blew on your hands and rubbed them together to generate heat. 

Because you were so focused on this, you hadn’t realized someone turning the corner. The two of you bumped into each other, and his glasses fell on the ground. 

“I’m so sorry.” you said as you knelt down to pick up the glasses.

“N-no, it’s alright-” he said, as he also knelt down to pick up his glasses, only to bump heads with you. 

During that brief moment, you had met his dark brown eyes, slightly illuminated by the lights seeping out of the convenience store window. 

Your vision turned white before forming into scenes. In those scenes, a boy no older than 19 stood in front of a counter. He dropped an item in a small tray before the man on the other side slid him an envelope. The scene faded to white again, and brought you back to reality. Sitting across from you on the pavement was the man you bumped into. His hair was the same color as his eyes, and was swept outward, slightly messy from the breeze that blew past. He wore a cream turtleneck sweater and black slacks under his long, black coat, a plastic bag in his hand. Normally, you would admire someone with good looks like him, but this was a different case.

The two of you were soulmates, and the looks of horror on both of your faces were slowly starting to become more evident.

“Y-you’re...” your words were caught in the back of your throat, desperately trying to escape. You couldn’t tear your eyes away from his. The look in his eyes was something unreadable to you. You were too focused on his eyes that you didn’t notice the way his Adam’s apple moved when he swallowed.

Oikawa had regained his composure before you. He stood up, patting himself off and stuffing his glasses into his coat pocket. He sighed, his breath visibly disappearing into the night sky. Milk bread in hand, he turned around before speaking speaking again.

“We need to talk.”

[ask-the-zukos]

Same F! anon here. "The answer to your first question is because us readers/anons have not only the Avatar last Airbender book 1-3 but also another brother fic is free for anyone. Btw both of you are great grandsons of avatar Roku. Oh and sokka found out who his spirit guide is on the winter solstice. Ya know when he was stolen by hei bei. How do you feel about fanfics in general both of you?"

AB stares and then blinks a couple times in confusion

AB: I have no idea what any of that means, and frankly, I'm not sure I want to.

C: Wait.., what was that about Avatar Roku?!

AB: Apparently, we're both descendants of Aang's predecessor. I don't know how I feel about that.

AB: Oh, and I wanted to ask you, the anon mentioned something about a dead cousin being Sokka, the water tribe boy's spirit guide. Do you have any idea who that might be?

C: The only person I can think of is Lu Ten, Uncle Iroh's only child. Why would he, or his spirit rather, be involved with the likes of HIM?

AB: Your guess is as good as mine.

AB: As for your last question, if by fanfics, you mean other stories about us, they are undoubtedly interesting, and I can safely say that I never would have imagined most of these ideas in a million years.

C: Honestly, I agree.

[titconao3]

tagged by @beguilewritesstuff​

i’m going to change the formatting bcs i’m evil like that and must ramble on, feel free to ignore. as usual, i take these things way to literally and i don’t understand the questions, probably.

tagging: whoever’s into this!

indoor plants or gardens: depends on whether we’re talking in my place, or everywhere. If everywhere, both. If my place, none: i can’t be arsed to take proper care. also i’ve tried to have plants in pots and i tried to Do Things Right and it didn’t work out, so... i gave up. know thyself and thy limits etc

cloud-watching or star-gazing  both yes both, as long as i have proper eye-protection from the sun for option 1.

water or fire ...uuuh.... watching a fire in a hearth etc (i mean, not Nero style, obv) is great? but the ocean too? i don’t understand T_T

paperback or hardcover hardcover: too heavy. but i often use an e-reader.

running or hiking: omg neither. running means dying lungs, Extremely Painful Knees, etc very quickly. Hiking is... idk, everything is bad: i get all the branches in my face, all the rocks start moving when i step on them, etc. Put me in a city and i can walk for hours; put me in nature and i #suffer. i have also been somewhat traumatized by people claiming “Oh come one it’s a small easy walk not even a HIKE” and it was in fact climbing up a small mountain with very narrow, gravely, unstable paths hugging the side of the mountain and if you stumbled, ti meant a fall so SOMEHOW i have become Extra Wary of the word “hiking”

sleeping with socks or without socks although with wouldn’t be a problem. i use a hot water bottle in winter.

fruit or vegetables fruit only if i can use them in a salad, or cook them LIKE a veg.

hanging plants or succulents see above re indoor / outdoor plants. succulents also mean repotting etc; they’re not care-free.

dark wood or light wood both yes both. i have both at home, in the same room.

handwritten or typed typed is way easier to read. ofc if we’re talking postcard, personal letter etc, handwritten is more pleasant, personal touch etc. my handwriting is terrible, btw.

instagram or pinterest: neither. who wants to see my face or what i eat? no one, not even me. pinterest: i don’t even really understand what it’s for apart from thing to filter out of my google & co searches.

braids or pigtails: on me, neither. my hair refuses (because length when it’s short, because it’s not thick enough if not, and in any case it just Won’t Stay In Place)

dc or marvel i’m not super familiar with DC, although Batman is my kind of character.

books or movies why would i choose? my attention span has drastically reduced since childhood, but it means it affects both. 

oceans or meadows: meadows > flowers > sneezing.

forests or fields: see meadows above

sweet or salty oh yeah i’m def not one for sugar.

ice cream or chocolate you... you (person who created this) do know there’s chocolate ice-cream, right? but i’ll go with DARK chocolate. DARK only, 70% cocoa minimum. i can accept salt / pepper / coffee / mint if i MUST, in it. D A R K

hoodies or sweaters: tbh both but a hood is def good at times.

piercings or tattoos: i have or want neither. they’re cool on other people, but i don’t really feel a need for myself. If for other people, both, if for myself, neither.

summer or winter well, the cold is easier to deal with than the heat because once you’re naked you can’t take your skin off, but longer sunlight is good? probably??

boots or sneakers WhaT Am i DOinG How Am i SupPoseD tO KnoW

cars or motorcycles: public transportation ;-) but i have a licence for cars only, not motorcycles.

curls or straight hair: i have curls, if that is the question; on other people, idgaf

castles or cottages to visit? to live in? i mean, castles are super expensive to maintain... and what kind of castle? European Middle Ages? even among those, there is a Wide Variety in architecture. if we’re including more geographical & historical areas... 

sunny days or storms: once again, *bafflement* storms are really cool to watch but can be destructive, and sunny days can be too hot or painful if i don’t have sunglasses but are pleasant if mild...

reptiles or birds: as pets neither. i don't want to be responsible for a living thing, and end up not caring for them properly because i’m too tired / not in the mood etc. otherwise, i’m totally cool with both. however... birds are dinosaurs are reptiles (private joke moment!!! @pixelbypixelfanfic​ do you remember that museum). a baby bird pooped on my once, idk if that counts. oh and i got adult bird poop on me too. this hasn’t happened, yet, with reptiles.

disney or nickelodeon: (what about if you’re not the USA) i have never been into what we think of Disney (princesses and THE CONSTANT SINGING), and don’t have nickelodeon here

strawberries or watermelon: well i’m not into fruit or sweet things, as previously established. Watermelon can go into salads, and strawberries one in a while are okay i guess?

essays or posters... i don’t understand. posters go on wall? do you people put essays on walls??? what IS the question *sobs*

phones or laptops or desktop desktop because big screen, big keyboard, separate mouse: more comfortable. if not, laptop. if i’m desperate and far away from both, phone.

glass or stone i drink in glasses, i wear glasses, i have Pretty Decorative Stones. ik, what are we talking about?

dark or light: if it’s a computer screen setting, dark. if we’re in winter and outside, light, otherwise it’s too cold. i need context!!1!1!1!

photos or paintings: uuuuh. i have a few paintings from my grandfather around, but not photos. that's, um. i mean. photos... that’s... old? or are we talking about stuff that stays on your hard drive? i have a bunch, from trips. as long as my face isn’t there, cool; i take them to remember. i’ve found that the action of taking the pic was enough to help me remember, not necessarily looking at them again: because i make the conscious decision of taking the pic, thinking about what i want to preserve,et c, somehow it sets the brain drive into memory mode, at last better than if i didn’t take pics.

circuses or theatres: neither; RL, live shows make me uncomfortable.

reading or writing i do both but i only write fanfic.

dogs or cats i like both, i would have neither.

poetry or novels poetry just leaves me cold. i know, i know, how dare i.

monsters or ghosts why choose?? (shaniac though)

thrift shops or libraries: i like browsing through thrift shops, and i’ve lost my voracious Real Grownup Book reading obsession that i had in my younger years. i like looking at silly mugs and cute objects and sometimes i’ll buy something, and Do Good at the same time when they’re charity shops!

fiction or non-fiction both, although these days fiction is mostly fic.

[walkingtothegrave]

How would Resident Evil 8 be in this case, from my perspective, that I make the story for RE8, here’s how the game is going to be.

How would I structure the story:

1. Like Resident Evil 6, the game features four separate campaigns that happen simultaneously with each other. The main protagonists would be Leon Scott Kennedy, Carlos Oliveira, Billy Coen and a newcomer to the franchise, Elijah Harper.

2. There would be a time where the protagonists wouldn’t be playable due to certain event to be played out, leading the side characters to change the role as the protagonists.

3. At some point, the stories of the main characters would end in the same location, some of the main characters, in this case, I suppose.

4. The characters will also have a different endings due to player’s choices, it would decide of what actually might become of them.

5. The game will be a hybrid person point of view, in other words, either 1st person or 3rd person view mode, that choice is the players to make. Not the structural 1st person view from resident evil 7, due to some complaints given to capcom and I myself too decided to address to this situation, like honestly, if some can’t play in 1st person view, Capcom has to listen and not ignore.

6. With no current plan whatsoever, Ethan Winters will not make an appearance for RE8, as he and Mia left off...

7. The side characters/secondary protagonists of the game would be:

1. Chris Redfield & Jill Valentine (Carlos Oliveira)

2. Helena Harper (Leon Scott Kennedy)

3. Rebecca Chambers (Billy Coen)

4. Sheva Alomar (Elijah Harper)

7. This game would mark the last appearance of Chris Redfield.

Campaign Summaries:

1. Leon’s campaign: 2 years has passed since the events of RE: Vendetta, as we see Leon attempt to settle down and live a normal life, alongside her partner-then-spouse, Helena Harper. As we all see Leon leaving his obsession on Ada right in the past, he attempts to tell how he felt for Helena, as they are immediately been invaded and captured by the unknown group called the Connections (the group mentioned in RE7). Apparently, trouble seems to find Leon no matter where he goes, one way or the other, he would become a target, as Helena reveals that she was carrying his unborn child, Leon must attempt to escape from the Connections by any means necessary.

2. Carlos’s campaign: After the events of RE7, Chris Redfield has completely disappeared off the grid, no trace or last known whereabouts of Chris, it is revealed at some point, Blue Umbrella wasn’t exactly Umbrella, but was much worse than the former company that was no more. Having no other option, Carlos was Jill’s only option. Jill, however 4 years since the events of RE5, has fully recovered from the virus and apparently returning back to normal. As someone informed that Chris might be dead. Jill had no other option but to seek help of an old friend, Carlos Oliveira, much to his shocking reunion, to seek out the truth of what might have really happened to Chris.

3. Billy’s campaign: Years has passed since the events of RE: Zero, Billy Coen, has since been on hiding from the government, and has realised the man who framed him had connections with The Family and The Connections. Jonathan Carver, the man who had framed Billy Coen for the murder of 23 people in Africa, has somehow resurfaced as Carver disappeared off the grid after Billy was sentenced to death. Billy, however seeks that opportunity to seek revenge on Carver for what he has done.

4. Elijah’s campaign: Elijah Harper after 3 years of working for Umbrella, has disappeared off into the grid, leaving his past behind. Elijah had to go through a lot of misery, especially leaving her youngest sisters behind, Helena and Deborah. Guilt that time had ran onto Elijah ever since. Years has passed, Elijah had resurfaced to the public attempting to make up for the mistakes he had done. Finding Helena Harper, her only family member, is what had mattered to him ever since. But once he had realised that her remaining family had been captured by the one group he had attempted to get rid of, The Connections, had kidnapped her sister, Elijah seeked out help from one of the BSAA members, Sheva Alomar to track down the Connections, and Elijah ending them once and for all.

MAJOR DETAILS:

1. The main villain of the game is the Connections leader, John Simmons, a relative of Derek C. Simmons, alongside Jonathan Carver and Alex Wesker.

2. Helena Harper is revealed to be pregnant and married to Leon Scott Kennedy, two years after the events of RE: Vendetta, and had a brother she never wanted to mention, Elijah Harper.

3. The game marks the reappearance of the long disappeared character, Billy Coen.

4. One of the antagonists is a B.O.W in disguise, similar powers to the former villain Albert Wesker.

5. Jake Muller is mentioned a few times in the story, but however does not make appearance in the game whatsoever.

6. Leon and Elijah’s story take place in the same time.

7. Billy and Carlos’s story take place in a different time, but whatsoever, are related to story of one of the main villains, Jonathan Carver.

8. There would be major deaths and some departures in the game.

That’s how i was going to set up the Resident Evil 8 storyline.

(Btw I removed the RE: Village logo, it took me a while but please give me credits if you’re going to repost the pic)

[sleepless-rain]

Karasuno studies! – View from the first years (Part 4) –

Translator: Leo | Sleepless-rain | Leoppii

Editor: San | Naffnuffnice

  Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5

“Damn that Tsukishima… comparing me to an animal...” Even after practice Hinata was still fuming. 

Yachi followed closely behind. “There, there, animals are cute! And when you jump like ‘bam’! It gives off a very animalistic aura,” she piped.

“... Animalistic?”

 TRANSLATORS NOTE:

Please do NOT repost this translation ANYWHERE. If I see the whole thing elsewhere I will stop translating novel chapters and delete all chapter translations I have done. Sharing small snippets are okay but not the whole thing. Please link back to this tumblr post if you want to share it.

    Perhaps Hinata was imagining a puma or a tiger pouncing, which had him grinning.

Speaking of jumping power, it is said that cheetahs and pumas can leap one hundred and fifty times their body length, but that is a topic for another time.

“Wait a second, was it really about that? I don’t think Tsukishima meant it that way…” 

Yachi turned to Hinata who was frowning again and replied wholeheartedly. “Hinata you should think about everything positively! I’m trying to practice looking at the bright side of things too, even though it is a little bit difficult… If I let my guard down, thoughts of death begin to plague me.”

“That sounds rough.”

“I try my best.”

Both of them stopped to show respects to each other’s problems by bowing their heads before heading off again. The dry winter air began to tug at their cheeks, and to stop the cold from nipping at him, Hinata readjusted his scarf.

Grabbing his bike and leaving the parking lot, Hinata looked up at the already dark sky, stars glimmering. “All the third years sure are studying hard.” 

“Well, they are taking university entrance exams. I’m sure that’ll be us in no time.” Yachi nodded in agreement, and for some reason Hinata reeled in shock. “Even though we’ve just started high school!?”

“Not at all, it’s almost been a year.” Yachi laughed nervously.

Second term was ending soon and as soon as the short third term ends they’d be second years. The current third years would graduate and new students would come.

It was hard to believe.

“Time really does fly.”

In response to the deflated Hinata’s words, Yachi replied, “Study hard while you are young, boys grow old easily and it makes learning harder.” She nodded but suddenly turned pale, shouting, “Wait! That means even if I’ve avoided danger up until now, I’ll encounter something dangerous in my senescence*!? ”

“Huh? Sentence?” Hinata asked, but Yachi, with the face of a cornered animal, clenched her fists. 

“Hinata, let’s study while we’re still young!”

“Wha-!?”

“There’s no time to waste! Let’s go!”

Yachi suddenly broke into a sprint, with Hinata fumbling to get onto his bike to follow after her.

                                                              ***

 “W-where are we!?”

The two stopped at a book store by the station which closed late. Looking at the shelves filled with books, Yachi sighed, “There are so many books… do you think I can get through all of these before I die?”

“I’ll take this one.” In Hinata’s hands was ‘Learn through manga for High school entrance exams – Math edition’. Was Hinata going to retake the high school entrance exam? 

However Yachi calmly nodded. “It’s important to find something that matches your own ability.”

“I see. You’re right. Then how about this one…” Hinata pulled out one of the many past university entrance exam question books lined up on the shelf.

“Do you think the third years are solving all these past questions for their preferred universities?” asked Yachi.

“Past questions?”

“These books have all the questions that were in the past entrance exams.”

“There isn’t much point looking at questions that have been in past exams is there?” Hinata asked curiously. 

If he were asking Tsukishima, he would have gotten a glare from him before he left the room, explaining nothing. But it was Yachi who was described as “amazing” by Tsukishima. She would explain so Hinata could understand.

“There may be questions that are similar to past ones, so if you understand the general trend of the questions you can formulate some strategies to answer them. Just like in volleyball where you watch previous matches of the opponent you’re up against.”

“Ohh, so that’s what it means.” Now understanding, Hinata flipped through the book nonchalantly. “I see. I see. Even I can do this.” Before quickly shutting up. “…Hm.”

  To not hurt the frowning Hinata any further, Yachi shyly spoke, “These are for National universities …So it would be difficult for everyone, not just you.”

But Hinata’s difficult expression didn’t change as he glared at the book. “W-wait a second.”

“Huh? You know the answer?”

“No…” he replied, swinging his head to face Yachi. “This question asks about wheat and peppers and apples and rice…doesn’t it all sound delicious?”

Delicious?

Were entrance exam questions ever about whether something was delicious or not?

Yachi took the book from Hinata’s hands with a “let me have a look” and laughed in relief. “Oh it’s just a geography question. The prefecture indicated as number 1 on this map is Aomori prefecture… here the production of wheat and apples is the highest, so the answer is b. The one marked 2 is Niigata prefecture and with a high production of rice the answer would be c. Oh and number 3 is Miyazaki prefecture so it’s peppers. Due to the effects of the Japan Current the weather is warm here, even in winter, so they can be produced out of season. So the answer is peppers.”

“C-come again?” Hinata’s face went pale and he took a step back. Yachi panicked and looked over the book again. “Sorry, did I get that wrong?”

As Yachi muttered to herself, pouring over the book, Hinata asked with a serious expression, “Are you planning to take over Japan?”

“What?”

“Why are you so well informed about every nook and cranny of the country?”

“Huh?”

                                         ***

 In this bookstore there was another member of the Karasuno volleyball club. With the ‘Monthly Volleyball’ volleyball magazine in his hands was Kageyama. Standing before the shelf of sports magazines he muttered to himself, “Yachi-san…tako-pho...”

At that moment Kageyama’s stomach rumbled. The image of Yachi making an octopus version of pho** surfaced in Kageyama’s mind.

  TRANSLATION NOTES:

-          * senescence: Here Yachi uses a very uncommon word for ‘old age’ pronounced as ‘rousui’ which is the exact same pronunciation for the word that means ‘water leakage’. So I tried to pull a similar joke in translation.

-          **Tako-pho: please let me explain this in detail - Hinata uses the word 牛耳る gyuujiru, meaning ‘to take over’. But in this case Kageyama thinks of the Japanese dish 豚汁 tonjiru, or a soup using pork, but a beef version of it, which would be 牛汁 gyuujiru with the exact same pronunciation. I did my best to replace it with a similar play on words DESPITE Kageyama probably not knowing what pho is. Btw pho is pronounced similar to fir (or fur) (please say take over really fast). Please don’t criticise my pun making skills.    

  As a small disclaimer:  I have taken some liberties in translation to make the novel read smoothly. So please don’t quote specific words as canon. That being said I tried my best to stay faithful to the original.  For this reason I will not allow translations into another language using this as the base text. I apologise to anyone who is keen on sharing it in another language but please do so using the original Japanese text.

Anyway, if you enjoyed this chapter please consider supporting Haikyuu and buying a copy of this novel (volume 11) ! I may consider doing more novel translations in the future!

 I do have a Ko-fi so if you do feel like it, please donate!

[seb-owns-these-tatas]

Lost (B.Barnes) (Pt. 2)

PART 1

Characters: Bucky Barnes x Female!Reader

Warnings: Buck having one of his triggers. Tony being Tony. Steve being Steve. Some Buck and Sam fight as per usual? 😅 But, with his favorite knife involved. Uh-oh. (Btw, I suck at action and there's probably lots of errors and such. 😢😂)

Words: 2,000+

A/N: I feel so loved by you all! THANK YOU! ENJOY THIS SECOND PART OF ‘LOST’! 

Disclaimer: GIF'S and pictures used are not mine. Only the edits are and the oneshot of course. 😉 Credits to the owners of the GIFS.

Tag list for this oneshot: @justlovelifeblog​ @wolfiegal98​ 

"H-Help..please," Dirt, grime and blood. You were covered with bits of glass that scratched your clothed body. Your suit ruined and slashed from the bombing. Everything that happened was too fast, catching you completely off guard.

"Go, Sam. I'll catch up." You shouted, running in a fast pace. Your partner, Sam Wilson flying above you. "Wha-What?!" He did a double take, and before he knew it you were gone in a flash.

"Damn it, Y/N." He uttered through the blue tooth. Flying back towards the Quinjet as he saw Natasha carrying Clint around his waist. All bloody and wounded. Sam could hear your staggering breath turn louder as you run back towards the underground compound. "What are you doing?!"

You huffed, breathing out of your mouth as you saw the little girl whom was trapped inside a small cage who was named Nadia that had a tattoo of a red octopus on her tiny, frail arm. Hydra. "Saving a little girl's childhood, Wilson!"

"Barnes is gonna kill me when you ain't here with me!"

"I can manage, Sam! I'm capable of taking care of myself!"

"Y/N--" The line was getting choppy and so was your eye vision. No. You couldn't faint right now. Not in the middle of a battle. The little girl sobbed harder when the both of you heard the earth rattle above you. "Shh, shh. Don't cry, little one. I've got you,"

"Get out--" Then the line went dead and so was your signal. You grabbed onto the little girl who was sucking her thumb, her violet eyes all red and completely swollen from crying all day.

There was something about Nadia that made you go back.

Thus, it was a huge mistake because there was only a second before the bomb went off.

"C-Cap?" You whispered so quietly that even one single word could pain you inside. Every move that you wish to do was left undone because you were wounded, weak and bleeding as you laid on the rocky ground, holding Nadia in your arms.

The kid was still alive, had a pulse but she definitely fainted from the shock and impact.

"J-James?" The tiny shake of the ground made your broken hopes heal, followed by faded foot steps which made you peacefully enter a different rialm that had Bucky, you and Nadia in it.

The snow made everything difficult for the hunt. Yet, nothing can stop Bucky Barnes when he was in the hunt for you. Especially when he knows you've been bombed and probably wounded or to make his heart shatter..you were already dead without him knowing.

"Barnes," Sam landed with a thud after the three of them did. Barnes couldn't help but scowl as he heard his voice. He was her partner. He trusted her that he'll be with her by hook or by crook but what happened? "You don't get to talk, Wilson."

Bucky unclasped the parachute and dropped it with a loud thud. The scowl turning nastier when he felt Sam walk closer to him. "I couldn't contact her--the signal's been jammed--"

"I trusted you with her, Sam!" He barked back, glaring at the Falcon with a nasty glint in his eyes. Oh, he was in rage. "Jesus Christ! I fucking trusted you with her because you've been her partner since day 1!" Bucky spat with venom in his words. Completely heedless that he was grabbing onto the body of his knife that he kept on his pocket.

Sam was unaware that he was grabbing onto his beloved knife, he was entirely focused on his fiery Steele blue eyes that suddenly turned a shade darker, in a blink of an eye, he could see that the person in front of him wasn't Bucky anymore and that made his heart skip a beat in the most frightening way.

Bucky was entirely kept uncompromised and so they didn't saw how fast he went to attack their co-Avenger, gripping him by the neck with his metal hand that made him growl as he fell on the ground with Bucky's weight on either side of him, tightly clutching onto him like a wild cat. Choking him and wanting nothing more than to stop him from breathing. The sharp tip of his knife right above his pulse, dipping it in the right amount that made it ooze blood.

It wasn't Bucky who was acting all hostile right now and they were all too shocked from the sudden change of character.

"S-Steve...N-Not--" Sam groaned, tugging onto his metal fingers wrapped around his neck. Groaning out the pain he could feel as Bucky was pressing his knife on his pulse, dripping more blood. Every second turning like he was drowning in hell because Bucky was also choking him tighter. "--B-Bucky!"

"Buck, stop!" Steve began to intervene, about to pull him away from his friend Sam but the man in front of him was faster to hit his core with his elbow, making him back away from the impact. "Damn it," Steve muttered beneath his breath and he noted how Tony finally decided to jump in and help after minutes of being awol.

"Language, Rogers." Tony spoke through the intercom, making everyone hear what he said. "Momma' will be so disappointed in you, Capsicle."

Steve could feel him get thrown on the ground, making him whimper. Bucky had him by the neck now, leaving Sam coughing out air as he tried to recover. "You're my mission,"

Tony was flying above the air, trying to search for you as well, however he got too distracted by what Bucky said because he could sense that Bucky wasn't entirely Bucky right now and it made him roll his eyes. "Oh, God. Not this again," Steve screeched from the sudden attack that Bucky did as he was his next target aside from Sam. Everybody who was in his way was like a Bull being taunted with a red cloth in front him. He was in for the kill. His fingers tightened around Steve's neck, using his legs to unstabilize Steve's right hand, pinning them on the ground with his knee that made him cry from how it was insanely twisted.

"It's amusing to watch him murder you, Cap." Tony uttered with amusement. Trying hard not to laugh out. "Damn..you..Tony! He's not...Bucky right...now!"

"I could tell," He mused, slightly chuckling as he watched the fight  from above. "Hey, Natasha--" Tony started, but was immediately cut off with a quick message as Natasha turned the intercom's after. "Not now, Tony. Get them to stop while I find Y/N." Toot.

Well, what a chirper.

Tony sighed, enthusiastically having his best hero landing beside Bucky who was planning to murder his 100 year old best friend. "Manchurian Candidate, step away from the grandpa," Iron man welcomed before he was kicked on the core, making him fly towards a dead tree.

Tony began to gather himself, standing up in a hot second like nothing happened. Guess he wouldn't turn back that easily. "Why do you always have to be so hostile, Barnes?" He asked more to himself, immediately detecting where Bucky was before he came to attack back.

Tony propelled forward till he pushed Bucky away from Steve. Bucky instantly rolled on the ground with an angry growl that made the snowy ground shake.

"Cap, will you do the honor? Or you're still going to be a little pissy because I basically ruined your moment with your best friend?"

Steve gathered himself, standing up from the ground and helping Sam go up on his feet, lending a helpful hand to pull his friend up. Tony eyed Bucky who seemed to had the 'I'm going to murder you' gaze that made him cuss in the back of his genius mind. "He's not stopping," He stated the obvious. Glancing back at Steve and Sam who were dusting the cold snow off their clothes. "Bucky, you gonna stop or??"

Apparently, Steve sounded so unamused. "He's not gonna stop, Tony."

"And you're letting him kill me next?"

Bucky was marching towards his way, grudgingly marching towards the man of Iron while stretching his metal arm that made a satisfying sound. Tony rolled his eyes, feeling the fatigue hit him hard. They were battling for days and now they didn't need another one of Bucky's triggered, Winter Soldier phases. "Christ. I'm blasting him off to bring him back,"

"Tony--" Steve started, stretching his twisted, slightly injured wrist, yet he was too late to react.

"Yep. Totally blasting him off."

He brought his armoured hands halfway, the familiar sound of his blasters turning on. "No--"

"Sleepy-bye, Barnes." His target turned red, and before Steve knew it. Tony just blasted his best friend off out in the air, making Bucky fall inside a hill full of snow that made him blackout. Well, he'll wake up any time soon. So, it was definitely not a problem.

"Yeet."

He heard a loud sigh came from Sam's place and Tony knew it was Steve and he was trying his hardest not to give him a little of his scolding. "Precautionary measures, Cap." Tony quickly saved himself from the long scolding from the famous Captain America. "Atleast, I didn't blast his robotic arm off,"

"Tony," Sam begun to start for Steve, and Tony opened his mask to see them face to face. He had a ridiculous look that made the both of them shook their heads in disappointment. "What? What was I supposed to do?!" Tony responded, pointing towards where Bucky flew and it was only a few meters away from them. "He was giving me the murder gaze!"

Steve tried to turn on his intercoms, tapping his ear as he tried calling out for Natasha. About to ask where she was because she was suddenly gone in a flash. "Nat?"

Tony decided to answer for him. "She turned the blue tooth off. Noting that I finish your kiddie games with Barnes and Noble over there." They could hear somebody's feet scratching the snowy ground, in their peripheral vision. The three Avengers could see a metal armed man lying prone on the cold, hard ground.

He stood up on his own, groaning at the same time as he grudgingly dragged his feet to where they were. A skeptical look on their heroic faces. "What the hell?" Bucky rasped, his head pounding from the fall. "What happened?"

"You were being the terminator again, Barnes." Tony answered for the three of them. "Oh, God. Was I?"

Their intercoms went static, it screeched that made the group of heroic walking testorerone wince from the sound. Something was bugging up their connection from Natasha.

"Nat?" Bucky decided to talk through the static connection, ceasing once he did.

"Winter was triggered that your princess was hurt, Barnes." Natasha breathed through the intercoms, her breathing loud before it quickly faded and turned normal. "Never worry, though." She added lightheartedly, "Cause I already have her in my arms,"

She promptly stood up from her position, as she knelt beside you a while ago. Caressing your bloody hair with pity and dread. "But she isn't in a very good condition," She spoke through the intercom, sounding like she was in a hurry.

"As well as this kid,"

Bucky's heart fell because he knew Natasha wasn't exaggerating and he'll be facing the consequences once you'll be brought back to the headquarters.

It will be one heck of a consequence that could break Bucky's healing soul.

TELL ME WHAT YA THINK ABOUT THIS ONE SHOT, TATER TOTS! THE FIRST PART IS LOCATED AT THE VERY TOP OF THIS ONE SHOT! I’VE INCLUDED THE LINK THERE! THANK YOU FOR ALL THE SUPPORT TATER TOTS!

XOXO, TATA  ❤💕

[scarletwelly-boots]

Books Read 2020

I started off really good this year, what with quarantine and all. And then I got sidetracked by reading one hundred and forty-nine fanfics (and counting) (mostly Destiel; CW can kiss my ass). 

I read 30 books this year, which I thought was bad, but apparently I only read 24 last year, so not awful. I did the Popsugar reading challenge for the fifth year. There were 50 categories this year, so 60% isn’t too bad. So without further ado, let’s get started under the cut.

1. The Mermaid, The Witch, and the Sea, Maggie Tokuda-Hall (a book that’s published in 2020). This book, y’all. My god. It has it all: pirates, queer relationships, genderfluid characters, an intense plot. This book was so good. I definitely recommend this book. Pirates!!! And gay!

2. Somebody Told Me, by Mia Siegert (a book by a trans or nonbinary author). I don’t know how Siegert identifies, but I know they use they/them pronouns. This book was... okay but frustrating. A bigender teen, Aleks/Alexis, has a traumatic experience and moves in with their aunt and uncle, who is a newly converted Catholic priest. I liked the queer rep, but sometimes it felt like the author had these assumptions or prejudices about the Catholic church. Some of them were right, granted, and I’m not a practicing Catholic anymore so I don’t know why it pissed me off, but it bugged me anyway. So I guess if you don’t mind it seeming like the author did little to no research on Catholicism, then it’s a good book.

3. All the King’s Men, by Nora Sakavic (a bildungsroman). Who, me? Rereading my gay comfort trilogies during quarantine? It’s more likely than you think. Love the All for the Game trilogy. This is the third book in the series. It’s the best book in the trilogy. It is a series about a college sports team who play a made up sport called Exy, which is basically a more violent version of lacrosse. I’m not a huge sports fan, but the way she writes Exy matches had me on the edge of my seat. The team is made up of all “at-risk” students, the main character being a kid on the run from his mob boss dad. Trigger warning for the series for violence, sexual assault/rape, abuse, drug use, I may be missing some things. It was so good though.

4. Captive Prince, by C.S.Pacat (a book with a map). Back again with the gay comfort trilogies. This is the first book in the Captive Prince trilogy, and whoops, did I say love All For the Game? Love this series more. It’s awesome. It’s fantasy and gay and romantic. But the romance isn’t even the central part. Laurent is my favorite asshole. Damen is so sweet and sassy as fuck. HIGHLY RECOMMEND. Seriously. I can’t do this series justice.

5. The Foxhole Court, by Nora Sakavic (a book recommended by your favorite blog, vlog, podcast, or online book club). First book in the All for the Game series. What are you still doing here? Go start this trilogy!

6. Ella Enchanted, by Gail Carson Levine (a book that passes the bechdel test). This is such a good book. It was one of my favorite books when I was a kid. It’s basically a retelling of Cinderella, and if you’ve seen the movie version with Anne Hathaway, the book is way, way better. 

7. Loki: The God Who Fell to Earth, by Oscar Basaldua (a book with the same title as a movie or TV show but is unrelated to it). God, I cannot WAIT for the Loki show. Anyway, this is a new comic about Loki (obviously). I love anything with my disaster wife in it, so 100% I recommend it. 

8. As Drowning Men Clutch at Straws, by EA Roisin (a book by an author with flora or fauna in their name). Okay, so. Roisin is an Irish name that means rose, and EA Roisin is my (unpublished) pen name. In my defense, the manuscript is 186 pages long and it felt like an accomplishment when I finally finished rereading it for the first time since I finished it in 2015. Do I recommend it? I’ll let you know if it ever gets published.

9. Red White and Royal Blue, by Casey McQuiston (a book that won an award in 2019). I’m still rereading this book. I got interrupted because my sister wanted to read it and then I got a new book for my birthday. But this is, far and away, my FAVORITE BOOK. It’s so beautiful. It was very romantic (once they stopped “hating” each other), and gay. The premise sounds far-fetched: First Son of the United States falls for the Crown Prince of England. But, guys, it’s soooo gooooood. Highly, highly, highly recommend. 

10. A Beautifully Foolish Endeavor, by Hank Green (a book with only words on the cover, no images or graphics). This is the sequel to An Absolutely Remarkable Thing. This was just as great as the first, but I spent a good chunk of the book vibrating with anxiety. The stakes were way higher, and I don’t think I’ve been scared while reading a book since reading Jade Green (Phyllis Reynolds Naylor) in junior high (which was fucking terrifying, btw). But I definitely recommend it!

11. Crush, by Richard Siken (a book with a pun in the title). Guys. I read this book almost every year, because it’s quick and gorgeous and the title is accurate because it absolutely crushes me. This is a collection of LGBT (more specifically, gay) poetry, and OH MY GOD. This is in my top five favorite books. I read it all the time. This is the book that made me fall in love with poetry, back in high school.

12. The Raven King, by Nora Sakavic (a book with a bird on the cover). The second book in the All for the Game series. Trigger warnings for All the King’s Men apply to this one, too. 

13. 1014: Brian Boru, by Morgan Llewelyn (a fiction or nonfiction book about a world leader). If you know me, you know I’m a complete Irish history nerd. This book is about a very important battle that took place in Ireland, and the last great High King of Ireland, Brian Boru. High Kings are mostly just an elected title, who get paid via taxes from provincial kings and chieftains, but Brian was the only one who saw as close to a united, free Ireland as it got until 1921 (although since the island is split between the North and the Republic, it’s still not totally unified). I recommend if you like history.

14. The Magnolia Sword, by Sherry Thomas (a book by a WOC). Oh. My. God. So this is a retelling of the ballad of Mulan. Mulan is a very important story to me anyway (tomboy as a child, genderfluid, bisexual as fuck), and this retelling was so good and interesting. It also features one of my favorite tropes, Surprise Gays. I highly, highly recommend.

15. My Own Ways Through This Life, by Chris Viau (a book with at least a four-star rating on Goodreads). Okay, so it miiiight have a four-star rating because of me and my camp family all rating it, but it counts. This is a mixed media autobiography by one of my camp friends. He has written at least three books, and all are available on Amazon. This is the only one I’ve read so far, and it was really interesting. I definitely recommend it. 

16. Insomniac City, by Bill Hayes (a book you meant to read in 2019). This book was beautiful and heartbreaking. It was a Christmas gift from my brother. It’s a memoir about Bill’s time in a relationship with Oliver Sacks, a famous neurologist. It’s sweet and melancholic and funny. Huge recommendation.

17. Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens’ Agenda, by Becky Albertalli (a book about or involving social media). Still such a wonderful book. Better than the movie, I’m telling you. It was really good, and I definitely cried. If you liked the movie, read the book. It’s different in several ways. I think if you’re thinking in terms of trueness to the book, the movie was maybe not as good, but they’re both good as their own standalone things. But I highly recommend both.

18. Loki: Agent of Asgard, by Jason Ewing (a book that has a book on the cover). This is such a good series. It’s a great characterization of my disaster wife.  I love this graphic novel series. I love how they depict Loki, how he finally gets a goddamn redemption arc. It’s a really fun read. Check it out.

19. Kings Rising, by CS Pacat (a book with a made up language). This is pushing it, since they never actually speak in the made up languages on paper. But UGH. Third book in the Captive Prince trilogy, and hands down the best. Laurent and Damen finally let go of the goddamn longing and actually do something about it.

20. The Deep, by Rivers Solomon (a book set in a country beginning with C). This is pushing it, because it’s about mermaids (basically), but I think they’re in the Caribbean. I loved this book. It was so interesting. It’s based on a song by clipping., Daveed Diggs’s group. The premise is the wajinru (the mermaid people) originated as the infants from pregnant Africans that died and were thrown overboard during the slave trade. So like, it’s a pretty heavy book. But it’s heartfelt and sweet, too. Also more Surprise Gays, which came at an excellent time (November, post-Supernatual finale) for me. I highly recommend.

21. Written in the Stars, by Alexandria Bellefleur (a book you picked because the title caught your attention). I just finished this book tonight and it was so. good. It’s basically a modern, lesbian, fake dating rendering of Pride and Prejudice. And let me tell you, if there’s one thing I love more than Pride and Prejudice, it’s lesbians. It’s really really great. I highly, highly recommend. 

22. Running with Lions, by Julian Winters (a book with a three-word title). Thanks to All for the Game and movies like Handsome Devil and Boys, I have discovered that I have a huge thing for queer sport stories. So this book was really, really good. It’s got friends to enemies to friends to lovers, which is great. It’s got soccer, which is way more homoerotic now. And it’s got gays, which is really why I picked this book up. But it’s well written and the story is interesting, too. I definitely recommend.

23. The Prince and the Dressmaker, by Jen Wang (a book with a pink cover). Oh my god. AHHHHH!!! This book is amazing. It’s a graphic novel, so it’s a quick read. It’s fantasy and feels a little Cinderella-y, but that’s not the best part. The queer relationship is amazing, but that’s not the best part. The prince is genderfluid! Like me! And his mask name is Sebastian! Like me! (Okay, so my name is Bastien, but close enough) This was so so so good. I got it at a convention in February, and I was practically vibrating with excitement as I read it. I highly highly highly recommend. 

24. Girl Crushed, by Katie Heaney (a book by or about a journalist). I think I’d have liked this book better if it wasn’t so...similar to my life. The main premise is the main character is getting over a sudden and painful break up, after being dumped by her long-term (maybe first? I can’t remember) girlfriend. The ex has the same initials as my ex and acted very similarly, so maybe I ended up picturing her when the character came up in the book. The ending pissed me off. It was very gay and that wasn’t the entirety of the book, so maybe you’ll like it more than me. It was just too true to life for me and opened up some old wounds I didn’t want to open up. The author is an editor at Buzzfeed, so that’s how it fits into this category. 

25. Date Me, Bryson Keller, by Kevin van Whye (your favorite prompt from a past POPSUGAR Reading Challenge--a book published this year). This might be my second or third favorite book, goddamn it’s that good. It’s queer, obviously, and sort of fake dating? Bryson is dared to date someone new each week. He’s assumed to be straight, so all the people he dates are girls until Kai asks him. It’s really sweet, and there’s some issues with coming out to your family that don’t always sit well with me, but overall it was really good and it ends well. I definitely recommend.

26. Loki: Where Mischief Lies, by Mackenzi Lee (a book written by an author in their 20s). AAAHHHH!!!! Fuckin.... Okay, y’all know I have feelings about Loki. He’s my spouse and I love him to death. This book was so, so good. Loki gets sent to Victorian London to solve a mystery and meets a group of humans who know about Asgard and basically keep Midgard in order for Odin. Loki is canonically pan and genderfluid (as he should be), and Theo is a sweetheart. I wrote a 10k fic coming out of reading this book (Phantom Limb by Irishavalon on AO3, check it out.). I seriously recommend!

27. Because of Winn-Dixie, by Kate DiCamillo (a book by an author who has written more than 20 books). I read this with my third graders at the beginning of this year. Such a good book. I read it as a kid too. The movie is great but as always, book is better. Recommend.

28. Adventures of Charls, the Veretian Cloth Merchant, by CS Pacat (a book with more than 20 letters in its title). This was a reread of a short story that comes after the Captive Prince trilogy. Charls, the cloth merchant, was such a great side character in the CP trilogy, and telling the story from his perspective was great. It doesn’t have to be read after the other CP short stories, but at least the trilogy should be read first.

29. Fence vol.1, by CS Pacat (a book from a series with more than 20 books). I’m pushing it with this category. I read the first volume, but this is a comic book series, so the 20 books is more issues. This is very good too. It’s another gay sports story, and is probably going to be enemies to lovers, but they’re still enemies by the end of volume 1. Still recommend. 

30. Prince’s Gambit, by CS Pacat (a book with a main character in their 20s). Book 2 of the Captive Prince trilogy. Very very good.