I can't take myself seriously.

This is for the LU discord weekly prompt: "everything is the same EXCEPT ___" And I decided to make everything the same- except Time is a Muppet!

This turned into a full blown AU (/srs)

Trust

Director Hal Hartley Stars Adrienne Shelly, Martin Donovan, Edie Falco, Merritt Nelson, John McKay UK/USA 1990 Language English 1hr 47mins Colour

Revisiting my favourite film of 1991

If you were roughly my age and aesthetic ideology in the 1980s, one of the most notorious scenes in the movies was Ally Sheedy getting a makeover from Molly Ringwald in The Breakfast Club. The general view was  (and the internet suggests still is) that not only was it no business of Ringwald’s character to de-gothify Sheedy, but also that Sheedy more conventional = less attractive. 

More fondly remembered is the scene in The Big Sleep where Marlowe (Bogart) has an hour or so to kill during a stakeout and the manager of the bookshop he’s in (Dorothy Malone) indicates she’s more than willing to help him pass the time. He agrees, but then asks her if she’s OK taking off her glasses: ‘Little things like that make…’ She does, and loosens her hair, and he responds with a gratified, ‘Hello!’ (It’s far from the only movie in which a woman is perceived as becoming more tempting minus the specs, but it’s at least one of the best).

Trust could be seen as containing something of a riposte to both of these scenarios. Maria  (Adrienne Shelly) starts the film with a perm, mall-girl make-up and bright clothes. It’s her choice to let her hair go straight and wear in a messy ponytail, ditch the make-up and stick with the plain shirt-dress she’s nicked out of a closet. It is, admittedly, Matthew (Martin Donovan) who asks why she doesn’t use the glasses she obviously needs. Because they make her look like a librarian. ‘I like librarians,’ he says, and she wears the glasses through most of the rest of the film.

In the prevailing progressive ideology of the 2020s, devaluing the aesthetics of mall girls is just as bad as oppressing goths. But as the 1980s slowly gave way to the 1990s, the mostly self-driven makeunder Maria does in Trust seemed like a good thing. And, yes, within the vibe of the film and that of the people likely to be watching it, it was understood that Maria/Shelly looked better de-permed. And the aesthetics of Hal Hartley movies meant a lot to me in the early 1990s.

(Side note: I saw this film while I was at university, and knew a lot of women who had turned up in their first year with big curls – which had long been banished by their third years but embarrassingly lingered on the photoboards in the departments where they were studying.)

Trust is the second feature film Hartley made, and the first one I saw, having read about it in The Face magazine. My expectations were very high and fully fulfilled – I became a bit obsessed by it, or at least as far as I ever became obsessed by anything (I’m not an obsessive person). 

I’ve written about Hartley’s debut The Unbelievable Truth here. Trust is in some ways very similar. Both are filmed on Hartley’s home patch of Lindenhurst, Long Island (if you’re tracking these things, it’s about 18 miles further out from Brooklyn that Valley Stream, where Steve Buscemi’s Trees Lounge takes place.) Both star Adrienne Shelly paired with a guy who is a bit older* and is somewhat notorious locally. In both films, Gary Sauer plays the doofus Shelly’s character was going out with before she wised up, and much of the rest of the supporting cast is the same.

And yet, rewatching them after all this time, these films felt more different than I had remembered. Trust is (purposefully) less of a comedy, to some extent less stylised (although still very stylised) and maybe more… I both want to say and am reluctant to say: sincere? Heartfelt? 

Maria and Matthew are both floundering when they meet: she’s being kicked out of school, she’s pregnant, she’s having trouble with her parents. Matthew keeps losing jobs because he’s got too many principles/hang-ups but also is violent, and he’s still living with his father (John McKay), who bullies him (which he then takes out on the random people he punches.) It’s not quite an instant connection, but a fairly quick one. Matthew’s room is littered with piles of hardback books, and Maria dives deep into a self-improvement-through-learning kick.

Martin Donovan became a fixture of Hartley’s films – he’s imposing, he’s got good hair, a good voice, looks right stomping around in an overcoat, but there’s enough vulnerability there. But it’s Shelly as Maria who is the heart of this film – it’s her determination, ultimate fearlessness in difficult circumstances that makes this odd melodramatic story hold together. She’s so good in this movie. 

McKay as Matthew’s dad and Merritt Nelson as Maria’s mom are well cast, and Edie Falco is a real treat as Maria’s recently divorced sister.

If you like films with an austere, blue/grey look – and I very much do – this a kind of beautiful, perfectly composed picture. It’s easy to think of low budget films being inherently rough-and-ready, but Hartley’s films are – in look, in movement, in words – always precise. 

Trust, the consensus seems to be, is Hartley’s best film. Have now revisited this, The Unbelievable Truth, Simple Men and Amateur, I’ll go along with that – I like them all a lot, but this one is everything clicks the most.

*Robert John Burke in The Unbelievable Truth was about six years older than Shelly, Donovan nine, although I think Mathew in Trust is meant to read as younger than Josh in TUT. Shelly plays a high schooler in both movies but was in her early/mid twenties at the time.

Hal Hartley’s films are available for rental streaming from halhartley.com

Ok, this has been bouncing around my brain for who knows how long now so I’m going to ask.

In the war medic stuff, it sounded like Sky wasn’t particularly close to any of the other military Links, so what tipped the rest of them (and Time in particular) that the transition home was rough on Sky? Was it just “Sky never showed up for shift” “wait, we know this kid”? Did Time give Malon warning that he’s taking this kid home with him? Or was it a surprise?

I actually have a story for this exact situation mostly written out, haven’t finished it yet. But Sky, though he didn’t see Wars and Time as much, did get to know them fairly well during the war, especially after that one incident where Sky collapsed in Warriors’ arms because of blood loss and after transitioning to civilian life he will come down to linger in the ER when they fly to the hospital. Warriors is far more extroverted than Sky, so he snatched him when he sees him to introduce him to the others. Sky and Time definitely weren’t as close in the beginning, but the old man remembers him and has seen enough soldiers go through hell to at least be somewhat alert for an issue.

Malon got absolutely no warning, door opened and Time walked in with Twilight behind him carrying Sky, and Malon is so used to his shenanigans by now that she’s just like “….all right, so guest room or couch?” Because between essentially adopting Wild, dragging Twilight in bloodied and bruised on multiple occasions, adopting Wolfie on the spot, and helping her husband rehab a very drunk and not having a good day Warriors, she’s gotten pretty desensitized to the chaos.

It’s only a matter of time before the rest of the boys that Time talks about end up living there.

Earned- N. Patrick

a/n: This one gets angsty, oops. I’m on a NolPat thing right now, but when are we not? I’m honestly enjoying writing again, so I hope you guys enjoy this one!  

warnings: angst, mentions of sex/oral sex, swearing, divorced parents, drinking (i think that’s it)

------

Nolan loved his friends and family, hockey, and even on occasion Travis Konecny. This was enough for him. He had his close-knit group that he surrounded himself with and that was all he needed. It’s not that he avoided getting attached to people, he just hadn’t found anyone that he felt was worth getting attached to. He was young and focused on his career. Love would come eventually. He just didn’t realize how soon ‘eventually’ would be until he met you.

You met Nolan at a Post Malone concert. Your friend Grace had gotten tickets through her job and you couldn’t just say no to floor seats for Posty. Your seats just so happened to be right next to Nolan, Travis, and Kevin Hayes. You recognized the hockey players instantly, but your best friend just recognized that TK was hot and definitely checking her out. 

By the time Post was ending his show Grace was agreeing that the two of you would join the boys at a bar around the corner. You weren’t planning on going home with anyone that night, but Nolan Patrick was flirting with you and you were a woman of opportunity. So, you found yourself going home with a Flyers forward while your friend went home with another.

Grace was your polar opposite. She was an undying optimist, bubbly, and most notably a romantic. You on the other hand considered yourself a dedicated realist who was levelheaded and decisive. The thought of finding someone to spend the rest of your life with almost made you laugh.  You had no interest in settling for a mediocre relationship that would eventually combust or at best, just fizzled out.

The first night you went home with Nolan was supposed to be the only night you went home with Nolan, but just like the tale as old as time, it was far from a one time occurrence. Grace and TK kept seeing each other and their big personalities actually seemed to mesh well. Grace was happy and you were happy that she was happy. What you weren’t totally sure about was that their blossoming relationship meant you found yourself in the same room as Nolan more often than not. A couple of drunken nights together turned into a habit neither one of you seemed to mind.

Nolan was just as aloof as you when it came to romanticism. That was what you told yourself was the reason why you kept letting yourself fall into his bed every weekend. When he started texting you to come over out of the blue instead of your usual drunken hookups you decided it was time to lay down the law.

“Ok, so just to be clear, because I don’t want to be the reason for any broken hearts and more importantly, I don’t need any lost Flyers games weighing on me, this is just sex. Like we’re not going to be those stupid kids that say it’s just sex but then end up falling madly in love. I don’t do that, and from what I’ve gathered, you don’t do that either. So, if this is going to happen again, or keep happening, then it’s strictly business.”  You’re barely even looking at Nolan as you explain your position. He had quite aggressively ripped your clothes from your body when you arrived at his place tonight and you can’t seem to locate your second sock as you scour his room.

Nolan was still laying naked on his bed, catching his breath, as he watched you in your adopted routine of rushing out of his apartment. He had met girls who were okay with a quick hookup with a famous NHL player, but you were different. You were bold and definitive. You weren’t here because he’s famous, you were here because the sex was good, and that’s why Nolan was here too.

Nolan didn’t make a habit out of hooking up with the same girls more than a couple of times, max. If you hadn’t been so good in bed and so open to just having sex, he probably wouldn’t have entertained the idea at all. You couldn’t deny that having Nolan between your legs a few times a week wasn’t a good thing. In fact, it was a great thing.  Nolan might not spend much time talking, but he definitely knows how to use his mouth. You both left each other at the end of the night tired and satisfied, and that didn’t seem like a bad thing. 

“Mkay. I promise I won’t fall in love with you. My track record is pretty good, so if you need references, I can probably get you their numbers. They probably wouldn’t be thrilled about you calling to ask them about how I’m a heartless asshole, but you can give it a swing.” You can’t help but laugh as your brain deciphers the mumbles that just came from the half sleeping body in front of you.

The second or third time you hung out with the boys you were at a party. You were teasing Nolan about all the girls who were trying so hard to get his attention, and he replied that they probably wouldn’t try so hard if they knew how their short lived fling would end.  He had a bad habit of accidentally leading girls on, thinking they were on the same wavelength but then being met with a pissed off girl who thought “they had something special.”

“Perfect. And if you somehow end up falling for my stunning good looks and amazing personality, just do me a favor and let me know so I can run for the hills.” And with that you gave him a wink and were out the door. Nolan couldn’t hold in the laugh that fell from his lips as he continued to take in the personality you had begun to share with him.

—————

It’s been two months since the two of you settled your business deal and things were good. Grace and TK had made it official and she insisted on bringing you with her to team gatherings and games. You and Nolan went over to each other’s places when the other called or texted, and the sex was still as good as it was the first time.

The two of you developed a friendship and your post sex talks began to last a little longer on topics that were just a little deeper than the time before. Nolan would ask you about the douche that likes to hit on you at work and you would ask him how hockey was going.  Then he told you about his sisters and and eventually told you a little more about his migraines. When it felt right you would ask him questions that he always provided thoughtful answers to. Nolan Patrick was much more pensive than you initially thought. To be honest you hadn’t really given his personality much thought at all, but as you got to know him you realized his aloof exterior was maybe just misinterpreted.

To his surprise Nolan genuinely liked spending time with you. Unlike most people, you weren’t constantly urging him to be “more social” or outgoing, and even though you were using each other’s bodies for sex, you weren’t greedy. You didn’t ask too much of him or expect certain things because of who he was. He felt like he could breathe around you because he wasn’t constantly trying to satisfy any unattainable expectations.

Even when he talked to you about hockey, he felt like he was just talking about any old 9-5 job; zero pressure to perform for you. You would ask him how it was going even though you already watched the games, and you would let Nolan guide the conversation to where he was comfortable. In many ways Nolan did the same for you. He didn’t press about why you didn’t have a boyfriend or why you didn’t want one. He did query over why you gracefully steered the conversation away from your family. He didn’t pry into things that were too personal, that for some reason, so many people thought they were entitled to.

There was a level of respect present between you that neither of you had experienced with anyone else. In both of your past relationships people always wanted to go fast, immediately trying to see if you were compatible. You and Nolan were just friends having sex with no other expectation, and somehow that allowed the two of you to slowly peel back each other’s layers.

You were oblivious to all of this until one night when your post sex talk didn’t come after sex. It came before. Well, actually the conversation came but neither of you did that night. You were at Nolan’s after a game that hadn’t gone as well as they had hoped. He was tired and you could see it in his eyes. Instead of jumping each other’s bones as soon as he greeted you at the door, you cracked a bottle of wine and settled on the couch.

It was nice. It was two friends having conversation over a bottle of wine. You didn’t talk about hockey or work; it was just talking about nothing. You talked about the lady who gave you one of her extra coupons at the grocery the other day. He explained how he made a sweater once in home ec. ( You’re still not sure if you believe him.)

A couple of hours later, and halfway into your second bottle of wine, Nolan’s curiosity got the best of him.

“So, is there a reason you’re so anti relationship or are you just a serial heart breaker like me?”

Once he asked the question, he realized that he probably shouldn’t have. You hadn’t talked about it before and that probably meant you didn’t want to. You were surprised but his smug joke still made you laugh. Normally you would be a little annoyed by the question, but you felt like you knew Nolan. You knew he wasn’t just trying to get to the juicy part, he just genuinely wanted to know, so you told him.

“Well, if you must know, I am most definitely a serial heart breaker, but that’s just a result of why I’m not thrilled about relationships, not the actual why.”

You take a breath before going on, “My parent’s marriage was horrible. They fought constantly and I don’t think I ever saw them genuinely happy together. They insisted on staying together. Their families, my grandparents, were both pretty ‘well-to-do’ and I’m pretty sure my parents were just staying together to save face with them and their circle of rich friends. I’m not sure why, because none of their marriages seemed any different. They’re all divorced now, and remarried to even shittier people. But before that, it became more of a game than anything else. — it started getting bad when I was in middle school.”

You look out the window in front of you. Through it, you can see the city of Philadelphia. A city you came to for college, with the hopes of leaving your old life behind. 

“My mom started to go out to the country club and wherever else, and then she’d come home in the middle of the night, drunk, after doing god knows what or god knows who. My dad would go on business trips just to get away, and I’m pretty sure he was cheating on my mom too at that point. I never really saw them, and when I did they were always fighting. We didn’t have fun holidays and if my brother wasn’t there no one was in the stands cheering me on at my soccer games. Hell, by that point I preferred no holidays and no parents at my games. They didn’t care about me or my brother, and once Caleb went off to college I was on my own. I don’t blame him, I got out as fast as I could too. All we had was each other and we were always close. He’s in New York now, and we still talk pretty regularly, but being at home alone sucked, and being home alone with them sucked even more. I wasn’t always so pessimistic; I’ve dated a handful of guys but obviously they never worked out. Then I met a guy in college, and I thought wow this guy is unbelievable. He was perfect— Josh was his name. He was in grad school and he was smart and funny and said all the right things. I was young and naive, and I think I just wanted someone to love me, so I let him. And I let him take advantage of my time and energy. I let him lie to me and I let him cheat on me. And when I finally woke up from whatever trance I was in I realized that I had been looking at the world through rose colored glasses. I promised myself that I was never going to let myself do that again. I wasn’t going to rely on anyone but myself… I wasn’t going to give all of myself to someone just to wait for it to fall apart… The proof was in the pudding, relationships just don’t work, and that is why I’m so anti-relationship.”

You hadn’t looked Nolan in the eyes since you started in on your monologue, afraid that you may have just scared off your friend. Nolan was still taking it all in, reveling over the years of your life you had just laid out for him.

He had grown up in a loving family where his parents did everything they could to give him and his sisters the perfect childhood. They spent every weekend driving around Canada for hockey tournaments. He still talks to his sisters almost every day even though they’re thousands of miles away. His mom insists on carry out whatever holiday traditions she can even with Nolan in Philly. And here you were with a childhood that couldn’t have been more different than his. He didn’t want a relationship because he couldn’t find anyone he felt was worthy of his time and energy, but here you were, closed off to the world because you thought that unconditional love wasn’t real.

He didn’t say anything. There wasn’t anything he could say, so instead he pulled you from your side of the couch to his, where he wrapped you up in his warm arms. You sat like that for a long time, not saying anything, not even moving, just letting him hold you. You didn’t even realize you had started crying until you felt Nolan’s hands wipe away the tears that were staining your face, and that small gently gesture was what made you snap. That’s when it boiled over, when it became too much too fast.

“I’m sorry... God. I shouldn’t have even said anything. And now I’m crying like a fucking idiot. It’s probably just the wine. It’s late, I should get going. Just forget I said anything, ok?”

And just like that you had grabbed your coat, faceted your shoes, and were out the door of his apartment. Nolan’s brain couldn’t keep up with yours and by the time he heard his door slam shut it was too late to tell you that everything was okay.

—————

Nolan tried calling you after that night, but he couldn’t get a hold of you. You couldn’t talk to him. You knew you couldn’t look him in the eyes, because for a couple of seconds you got too comfortable, you let go and let him in. It was a mistake, and Nolan would surely know that too. You had both decided this was just a transaction of sex, nothing more. You were the one who took it past that. You could have just brushed off the question that Nolan was surely regretting now.

Nolan was regretting asking that question, but not because he didn’t want to know. He regretted it because you were gone now, and he didn’t know how to get you back. You had both promised not to fall in love, not to affect each other’s lives, but that’s exactly what happened. Nolan was in love with you.

Kevin had to spell it out for Nolan as he sat on his couch explaining what had happened. Nolan knew he cared about you, but he hadn’t deciphered what that feeling in the pit of his stomach was when he saw you. He couldn’t explain why he had to constantly rub the back of his neck in nervousness when he caught you staring from across the room. He didn’t know what any of it meant.  

“Dude. I’m dumb. Like I’m big-Boston-hockey-dude dumb, but you’re an idiot. You’re in love with her man.”

“What? We’re friends, I’m just worried about her.”

“Well, she’s in love with you too.”

“It’s just sex.”

“If you were just friends, and if it was just sex, you guys would be fucking right now, and you wouldn’t be mopping here on Saturday night because she told you about her life and won’t talk to you now. She wouldn’t have told you that shit, and she wouldn’t be ignoring you now if she didn’t have feelings for you. You said it yourself, she doesn’t let people in, but she let you in.”

She let me in. That’s all Nolan could think. Maybe Kevin had a point. Maybe he did love her. Maybe you somehow loved him too. Nolan couldn’t quite wrap his mind around it. A couple days later he was getting more comfortable with all the reasons he loved you, but he still couldn’t figure out why you would love him.

He loved you because you were unwavering, absolute, and even a bit brazen. Over time Nolan had found that underneath that outside shell there was so much more. There was a girl who if you were patient and gentle, she might just let you in a little bit at a time. She unveiled her scars and her wounds, and Nolan was going to do anything he could to help them heal. He didn’t know that the feelings you were denying were nearly identical to the ones he was having right now. 

It’s been two weeks since you spoke to Nolan. You had also been ignoring Grace and Travis’ attempts to figure out what the hell was going on. You were telling yourself it was fine, and that everything would blow over. What you didn’t expect to see was a large body sitting in front of your apartment door when you got home from work.

“What are you doing here?” You didn’t meet his eyes as his towering frame rose from the floor. You kept your eyes fixed on your purse as you fished out the keys to your door, and as you stuck them into the door you weren’t sure if you should slam the door behind you or turn to listen to what he had to say.

“I know that you think I’m gonna be like every other guy, and I’m gonna use you or hurt you, and maybe I will, but if you let me try, I’ll try my hardest to never let that happen because it would break me to break you. I don’t need you to give me every piece of yourself right now, I don’t want it right now— “

You scoffed. For an apology or a speech or whatever it was you were listening to, it didn’t seem to be going too well.

“-I don’t want it right now, because I know I don’t deserve it. It has to be earned. Trust is earned and I just want you to give me the chance to earn it. I know what it’s like to feel like you can’t share yourself with people because you think they’ll be disappointed or throw it away because it’s not what they wanted. But that’s not what this is. I’m a huge idiot and I didn’t realize this until recently, but I trust you. I totally and completely trust you. I can’t say that about many people, but I can say that about you. You’ve earned it. I’ve let you into parts of my life and you’ve welcomed them. You brought me closer, and for the first time in a long time I didn’t want to run away. I’m not going to say it, because I know you need time, I know that if we do this, we have to take it slow, but I think you know how I feel about you because you feel the same way about me. Or at least I really really hope you do, because I’m totally falling for you amazing personality and stunning good looks.”

Nolan is practically out of breath after the word vomit that has escaped his mouth. You’re taking it all in. You’re taking him in, and you can’t help but let a smile creep onto your face.  Nolan somehow put everything you didn’t know you needed into words and you still didn’t know what to say, so you didn’t say anything.  Instead, you pulled him close to you and wrapped your short arms around his torso as you felt his own engulf your body. You both melted into each other and for the first time in weeks felt like you could breathe.

Neither of you were sure what was going to happen next, and how this would unfold, but you were willing to give him a chance. You were willing to let him show you what this could be, what you could be together, because you had both earned it. 

how abought some oot zelda hc

Wait wait the thing is getting strange XD

Are u always the same anon? owo

OK SO OOT ENERGY

Her hair isn't as light blonde as Sun or Fable! In artworks, her hair is darker than Time's, while in the game it's lighter. Her ancestor Dot's hair is darker than Four's in artwork too, but it's the same yellow in games, so I guess it's a... "family thing" °^°. I think Time has light blonde hair while Lullaby has it darker.

She's a really huge fan of Malon's cooking. But sometimes, she even pretends to sneak in the ranch to steal the cookies owo

Malon taught her to use bows and arrows. While Malon can't stand fire arrows, and in general she prefers to not use magic, Zelda loves magic arrows!

She has a secret spot in her room in which she keeps maps of the castle, with different paths in various colors that lead out of the castle. Sha has always wanted to escape as a kid. Now those maps are useful for an emergency evacuation plan.

As I said, she has a strong bond with Time and Malon, calling them big bro and sis. But how did this happen? Basically in oot Zelda sent Link back, but we should remember the only real time travel he does is going BACK in time. Because when he wakes up as an adult all those years have really passed. So when Zelda sends him back to his childhood, he is the only one who remembers, because even Zelda had stayed in the "adult timeline". The Zelda he meets at the end of oot is the kid who's looking at Ganon for the first time! Link tries to explain her her plan of taking the master sword and the spiritual stones is wrong, and he even mentions his adventure but Zelda can't understand him. They argue. Zelda had dreamt a boy in green would have helped her saving the world, but instead that boy had just told her it was wrong! That boy had betrayed her! She couldn't stand him, she hated him (she didn't know Link had told the king to put Ganon under surveillance for the Deku Tree's death though). Link is sad and disappointed, he spends some time with the Kokiris and with Malon and Epona, then sets off again to find Navi. Malon convinces Zelda to give him the ocarina because she and Link feel like this new adventure wouldn't be so easy. Zelda agrees only because she and Malon are friends and she trusts her. At the end of MM, only Malon in there to help him heal his scars and have some rest. Zelda is still distant. Link can't get back to his treehouse because now he's 13 and he's growing up, so Malon offers him to live with her and her father as the ranch is quite big and a hand is always useful. Link had returned the ocarina and Zelda had put it away. Malon and Zelda are still friends but even their friendship gets complicated when they talk about Link. When they're 15, they're so distant. In a discussion between the girls, Malon finally tells her to open her eyes. Zelda seems to understand, and in a moment of solitude she plays the ocarina, trying to erase her past hate from her mind. Instead, when she plays, she gets visions of Link's adventures. It's all clear now and she's ready to start again. The trio's friendship grows stronger and stronger. It becomes brotherhood, and even when Time and Malon marry they're all still together being the crazy trio.

1. Sam Wilson x Reader - Song prompt “Sunflower - Post Malone" for softbiker’s “25 Things” Writing Challenge. Due August 1, 2020.

Warnings: Rough training session, repressed emotions.

I am sooooo sorry I'm almost a year late for this writing challenge.

You woke up to darkness and an empty bed. There was a rustling sound and you rolled to see what was happening. There in the shadows you saw the figure of a man quietly putting on their clothes.

“Sam? You’re going?” You asked quietly and he gave a jump.

“Hey, I wasn’t trying to wake you up, but Steve just sent me the info for an urgent mission.” Sam explained as he finished getting dressed.

You stuck your lip out in a pout, “But it’s late, do you have to leave right now?”

Sam gave a small nod, looking at you softly, “I know I always come and go, but it’s out of my control. You know we can’t schedule when missions come in.”

You nodded back at him, “I know, but I was having a really nice dream,” you laughed, “Just tell Steve I expect to be reimbursed for loss of cuddles.”

Sam leaned over and kissed your forehead, “I’ll be sure to tell him that. Go back to sleep, Sunflower. I’ll be home before you know it.”

You let out a soft hum and looked up at Sam, “You better be. How long are you going to be gone?”

Sam looked at his phone again for a moment, “Looks like it should be a quick one, if everything goes well, two days tops.”

You nodded at the information, “Good. I’ll see you in two days. Don’t be late.”

You pulled Sam down to kiss him again, and he gave a low groan, “Every time I’m leaving on you, you don’t make it easy.”

You gave a giggle and pushed Sam back up, “Go, don’t make Steve mad at me.”

Same gave you another quick kiss and picked up his go bag before heading out the door.

__________________________________________________________

While Sam was gone, you did your best to stay occupied. Going to the gym for training was the best option. You were able to get your frustration out and you were able to keep yourself in fighting condition.

That’s where life found you four days later, sparring with Wanda, and getting absolutely wrecked. Every move you made; she was countering. And you were taking quite the beating, red tendrils of power shooting out and blasting you back. Luckily, the walls were padded, but it still hurt.

You were already frustrated about the mission going longer than expected. Everyday that Sam was gone was a day that you worried about him. And now you were getting thrown around by Wanda, and she was taunting you about it. She knew your mind was preoccupied and she was taking advantage of it.

You finally got your opportunity to strike, and you lunged at Wanda, dagger drawn. She was able to get a shield up on time, but you kept going at her, striking again and again, letting out all that frustration. You didn’t realize how much frustration you had been holding on to until Wanda yielded, and you fell to the ground, overcome with emotions.

You felt comforting arms wrap around you and heard a soft voice, “Don’t worry Wanda, I’m keeping her in check.”

Wanda replied out of breath, “She was all bad-bad, especially after your mission got extended.”

You felt a hand brush through your hair, and you looked up into the comforting eyes of Sam. Sighing, you let your self lean into him before you looked between Wanda and Sam.

“Alright, I’m calling it quits now, Baby, I’m a wreck,” you said as you squeezed Sam’s hand.

Sam nodded at laughed lightly, “You can crash at my place, Baby you’re a wreck.”

You lightly hit his hand, “Hey! Only I’m allowed to say that!”

Sam laughed again and picked you up. Carrying you off to his room.

__________________________________________________________

You and Sam were able to spend the rest of your day together, lounging in his room.

The peace and tranquility was interrupted when your phone went off and you saw the notification from Steve.

Groaning, you opened the mission details, “Baby, I got to go. Mission time.”

Sam helped you off his bed and started getting his stuff together, “I’ll come with you, in case you need backup.”

You smiled at him, “It’s ok, Love, it doesn’t look like it’ll be too hard. And you just got back from a mission, you need to rest up. Plus, Bucky is coming with me. I’ll be ok.”

Sam grimaced when you mentioned Bucky, they still had a bit of a tense relationship. He watched you while you gathered up your go bag and extra supplies. “Be safe, don’t let Bucky use his old man ruse to get you on his side.”

You laughed, “Babe, that won’t happen, you know I only have eyes for you.”

You leaned down to give Sam a kiss before turning to head out the door.

“Wait! You forgot something!” Sam yelled after you.

You paused and turned around, “Every time I’m walking out, I can hear you telling me to turn around. What did I forget this time?”

Sam gave you a coy smile, “You forgot to give me a kiss, the most important thing!”

You rolled your eyes and went over to Sam, leaning over and giving him a deep kiss, “Make sure you miss me.”

Sam grabbed your wrist lightly, “Already do. Now go kick some ass.”

You gave him a nod and hefted the bag back over your shoulder. As you walked out the door, you felt the nerves creep up in you. Missions always got the better of you at first, but as soon as you got on the jet, the nerves melted away, but something about this one was keeping you on your toes.

__________________________________________________________

You had been in the field for 10 days at this point. The good news was that you had a roof over your head, the bad news was that you were supposed to be home a week ago.

Today, you were chasing a Hydra agent through the dense forests of some European country. You were pushing yourself to the limits trying to catch up to this agent. You were so focused on the person ahead of you that you didn’t notice the tree root sticking out of the ground, but your foot made sure to find it.

You felt yourself tumble to the ground and roll forward a few feet. A strong hand grabbed your arms and yanked you back to your feet without missing a beat.

You looked up to see the harsh eyes of Bucky Barnes glaring at you. As if he couldn’t believe you let yourself trip. It lasted a few seconds then he was off again, following the Hydra Agent. You immediately followed and after chasing for a while, you were able to apprehend the agent and collect all the information that they had on them.

__________________________________________________________

You were back in the hotel, resting before packing everything up and heading home, when you heard Bucky enter the rooms with a huff. He was grumbling to himself as he packed, and you were not in the mood to deal with that at all.

“What the hell is your problem Winter Boy?” You asked, looking at him from your spot on the bed.

“Just can’t believe you fucking tripped in the field. Aren’t you supposed to be the graceful one out of the group?” He spit out at you, venom lacing his words.

“Well, actually, I think Nat is the graceful one.” You joked, trying to lighten the mood.

“Whatever Y/N, you’re just lucky I was there. You know, you’ll be left in the dust if you keep that up. You’re just lucky that I stuck by ya.” Bucky said, throwing his clothes into his bag.

You rolled your eyes, not letting yourself get sucked into this argument, “We got the job done, that’s what matters. I’ll train more when I get home.”

Bucky gave you a grunt of approval and finished his packing. When you were both packed, you called for the jet and met them at the pickup sight.

As soon as you were on board, you pulled out your sat phone and dialed Sam’s number. He picked up on the second ring.

“Babe? You ok?” He asked.

“I’m fine, just gone longer than I wanted to be, and the Century Man is getting on my nerves.” You explained, trying to ease his concern.

Sam gave a light laugh, “Wish I could be there for you Babe. But you can do it, you’re the Sunflower, if anyone can make it through, it’s you.”

You smiled, “Thank you, that’s all the hope I needed to get through, sometimes I think your love would be too much, and then you do things like this, and I know that could never be a thing.”

Bucky rolls his eyes across from you and holds out his hand, “If you’re done being gross, I’d like to talk to him, update him on what’s happening, you know, proper procedure.”

You stuck your tongue out at him quickly, “Babe, Bucky wants to talk to you. But don’t worry, I’ll see you soon.”

You handed the phone to Bucky and he gives the mission report before informing Sam of the ETA to the compound. You reach your hand out to get the phone back so you can say your goodbyes to Sam. Bucky looks at you and hits the end button on the phone before handing it back to you.

You glared at Bucky before taking the phone. The brief thought of hitting him crossed your mind, but you thought better, knowing that he would never let you live it down if you did.

__________________________________________________________

When you got back to the compound, you immediately went to debriefing and then straight to Sam’s room, flinging yourself onto the bed and curling into him. You both fell asleep quickly in each other’s arms.

This is where Nat found you when she came to invite you down for a family dinner. As she poked her head in, she couldn’t help but smile as she took in the sight.

Nat went back down to dinner and informed the group that you would not be joining and that if anyone went to interrupt the two of you. She personally would the one to, as she said, “Fuck you up.”

Needless to say, no one bothered you two for the rest of the night.

WORK IN PROGRESS NO MORE

I did an AI dungeon and thought "Hey that's cute" so I decided to take the ai dungeon, post it here, and fix it, but I have no motivation or time to do that, so I'm gonna give this away. General summary is

Link is soldier. Link like horses. Link go to Ranch. Link meet Malon. Malon like Link and Link like Malon. They sing and play ocarina (unrelated to Saria or Time) . Link get ring because Link like like Malon. Blue Lynel kill one of Malon's cows. Link fights the Blue Lynel. Link kill Blue Lynel. Link propose. Happily ever after.

I post this cause I want this shit out of my drafts. Feel free to take it and make it your own. I really don't care, just give some kind of credit and change it around for the better. Maybe fix it so it's not first person, that's weird. Anyways, here ya go.

Haha AI Dungeon go brrrrrrr

This is Link. Link is a Knight in the kingdom of Hyrule. Link is living the simple life of the Hylian soldier, when a lovely red head peasant known as Malon has caught his eye, and he wishes to meet her. The only problem is that he has no money for a carriage ride, let alone a date with this pretty girl. In fact, you don't even know where she lives!

> You ask someone of where Malon is. "Hey, do you know where Malon is?" A young man with a long ponytail answers. He looks like he's about your age, but his hair is wilder than yours. He says she lives on Lon Lon Ranch, and that you ought to ride there. "Wow, thanks for the info!" You say. You thank the man and ride off to get yourself there as quickly as possible.

> You find Malon milking the cows. You ride up to the barn, smiling. "Hello!" You call. A young girl with a mess of curly red hair and a kind face walks out. It's Malon. She smiles. She says "Hello, what can I do for you?" Her voice is beautiful. "I'm Link. You're pretty." You say, trying to make your voice sound less... manly. She laughs.

> You say "So what do you do? "

"Oh, nothing much. I just milk the cow, fill jugs with milk, and sometimes... I give fresh milk to people." She says.

> You say "Oh, that's an... interesting life you lead"

"It's boring, but it's simple, so I sleep well at night." You nod. "Where are you going to next?" She asks.

> You say "I don't really know. There are no conflicts right now so me and the rest of the soldiers are just around. If you'd like I can come back tommorow. "

"That would be nice." You nod. "Okay then. See ya later." You wave, and walk back home.

> You travel back to Lon Lon Ranch to meet Malon again on the break of dawn. You arrive at the small house you saw Malon enter earlier. A thought strikes you. "It's odd. I've never had my heart taken before. But then again, I've never really had a..." Malon comes out of the small house and greets us again as if nothing happened the day before. "Hello." She says. "Good day." you say in return. "So... what shall we do today?" You have a few suggestions in mind.

> You say "We could have a walk around that horse stable. It's pretty large."

"Yes, I'd like that." You lead the way as you set out to explore the stable. The stable is large, with room for multiple horses to graze and even a small stream with a fountain.

> You say "I'm sorry if I'm prying, but how do you afford this? "

"Oh, you'd be amazed at what people will pay for." You nod. "How come you don't have a husband?" You ask. She laughs.

> You say "Can I ride one of the horses? "

"Of course." She says, leading the way to the stable. You look at the a few of the foals. They're so young! You just want to pick one up and take them home with you.

> You say "Can I ride this horse here? It says it's name is Epona. "

"Oh, of course!" You pick up the small foals tail and jump onto the horse. You hold on to her mane as she stands still for you to get a good grip.

> You say "This horse is strong"

"It is." You stand up in the stirrups and try to spot something in the distance. As you're turning your head, you feel a little bump in the head.

> You brush it off and ride Epona through the horse riding field. Over the period of some hours, you and Malon have been riding back and forth across the same fields. You stop riding for a moment when you notice the sun beginning to come up.

> You say "How long have we been out here?"

"Oh... I think it's almost dawn." She points to the east, which is just beginning to glow a soft pink. "You know, horses are very social animals. They like being with other horses."

> You say "That's nice. Let's get some sleep. I'll come back tommorow. "

"OK..." She nods, then trots over to a small stream. She stops, nudges the water with her nose, and looks up at you expectantly.

> You go back to your home in Castle Town and rest, it's a quaint little home, possibly a little too small, but it works. The next day, you come back to Lon Lon Ranch and continue with your time with Malon from the previous day. "Yes, that would be nice. I have a few of the cattle drivers in my employ."

"OK. What about musicians? Do you need them? Malon says "No, that won't be necessary I think I can manage to sing my way out of any trouble that may arise." She smiles and stares down, thinking.

> You say "Can you sing for me? My best friend had given me an Ocarina a while back, and I always carry it. i can play it with you while you sing. "

"Yes, that would be lovely!" You smile and fiddle with your ocarina. You play a little melody, and Malon looks positively beaming.

> You say "Can you sing for me your song now? " She nods happily and starts to sway her body to the music. As she starts to sing, you close your eyes and become immersed in the music. You really think that nothing could be better than this.

> You start to play your ocarina in harmony with Malon. You and she begin to play the song in perfect unison. Her emotions are clear in her voice, though you are trying hard to keep focused and just play the ocarina. "That was lovely."

> You say "It truly was. Can I teach you a song? It's called the Minuet of Forest. I learned from an old friend, and I want to teach you the song. "

"Yes, please!" You begin to play the song, and you're a little surprised at how quickly she picks it up. She matches your timing note for note.

> You say "You learned very quickly! Now can you teach me your song?" She nods and begins to play. It's not the same melody you heard from her before, but it's still very pretty. She begins to sing, and you close your eyes and focus on the music again. You and Malon play songs and sing and dance and laugh for hours. It seems that the more you do this, the more you have in common.

> You say "I've never felt such joy in such a long time! Thank you Malon. "

"You're welcome." You place your ocarina back in your pouch "I'm exhausted now. I'll come back the next day, if you don't mind."

"I don't" She beams "Thank you for this. This is the best day in too long."

"It's my pleasure." You go back to Castle Town. This time, to the Jewelry Store instead of home. You enter the store, and the jeweler smiles at you. "How are you today?"

"Fine thank you." > You say "How expensive is this silver ring? "

"Well, it's silver..."

"I mean in terms of money." He sighs. "That depends on what you want it for."

> You say "It's for a special someone. How many rupees is it worth? "

"Hmm, that depends."

"On what?"

"Whether you want to buy it for your wife, mother, sister or yourself." Your face grows red.

> You say "Wife." "Oh, then it's only 500 rupees." You're still a bit red. "OK." He takes out the ring and puts it in a little box. "That will be 500 rupees.

> You give the jeweler 500 rupees and leave. You walk out of the store, and you head back home. You travel back to Lon Lon Ranch the next day to meet Malon yet again. You feel really good when you know she's probably waiting for you. When you arrive, Malon is already there. She looks a little sad though. "Oh... you're back." she says.

> You ask "What happened? " She sighs. "Nothing. That's what happened." You frown and she continues.

> You listen to her. "There was a big storm last night, and I lost Miss Minnie, one of my cows.

> You say "I'm sorry to hear about that. "

"There's more. A huge beast came and killed my other cow!"

"That's horrible! How were you able to fight it off?" Malon answers "I couldn't! It left after a while. Now I only have one cow left, so I can't get enough milk to sell. Not only that, but that beast is still out there, probably not that far off." You look out into the distance and can't help but agree. The beast really could be anywhere.

> Link decided. "I'll find it and kill it."

"You will?" she asks in surprise. "Yeah." you say confidently. She squeals and hugs you. "Thank you so much, from the bottom of my heart!

You think that it's still nearby, but you can't tell. You never see it, but you're sure it's there.The beast arrives. It has horns the size of a Blue-Maned lynel, hooves as sharp as of a Blue-Maned lynel, a mane the color of a Blue-maned lynel- it's a Blue-Maned Lynel! You try to take a stand, but your sword is deflected by it's powerful spear. The beast charges at you, and you barely manage to escape it's path. > You mount it and attack it from the back. You gallop around it, circling it so you can attack from the back. You go for a backstab, but the creature easily turns around and deflects your blade with it's spear. > You stab the jugular. You drive your sword into the creature's neck and try to stab it, but the creature turns around again and manages to knock your sword out of your hand. You're left unarmed and at the mercy of the beast. The beast readies a fire ball, but you deflect it back at the beast, stunning it long enough for you to get your sword back. It charges at you, but this time you dodge out of the way and run up to it. You plant your sword firmly into it's head while it's still running at you. The beast is killed instantly. You're exhausted, but happy that the beast is dead. > You tell Malon of what you've achieved. You return home with your dead foe, and all the while Malon looks on in shock. "You've done it! You've saved the farm!" she squeals. "I'm so happy!" > You say "I know, but it got me bad, so can I have somewhere to rest please? " "Of course." Malon says. You lay down on the floor and drift off to sleep. You begin to feel a warm, comforting sensation. It feels like you're being hugged, and you feel at peace. The next morning, you go to speak with Malon. She's relieved to see that you're back to your old self. "Thank goodness! I was starting to worry about you, what with the beast attacks and all." "Yeah, well I killed the beast." > You say "Now, I have a question to ask of you. " "Oh?" she responds. You take the ring out of your pouch and ask her the question. "Will you marry me?" Malon doesn't say anything for a moment, then she answers. "I'd be honored to marry you." > You lift Malon up into the air with a great big hug. You lift Malon up into the air, and the pair of you hug for a long time. This is definitely how it should be. The next week, a ceremony is held to celebrate your official marriage. It's a simple event, just you and Malon, the Kakariko villagers, your friends, some of the army soldiers, and of course your new horse, Epona.

But it was good. It really was.

If you were making a mixtape (or I guess Spotify playlist or whatev) for someone who had never heard the Indigo Girls before, what would you put on it?

OOH thank you, I love this question!! 

I hate spotify so much, but if I didn’t I would make a legit playlist over there (maybe I will?)-- as it stands this is just a tracklist. I’m putting an explanation of the list below a cut, hopefully it won’t flood anyone’s dash with a text wall!!

1) Closer to Fine2) Land of Canaan3) Kid Fears, live with Trina Meade4) You and Me of the 10,000 Wars5) Three Hits6) Watershed7) Galileo8) Romeo and Juliet (cover)9) Power of Two 10) Mystery11) Reunion12) Language or the Kiss 13) Shame on You14) Get Out the Map15) Go16) Ozilline17) Fill It Up Again18) Heartache for Everyone19) Cordova20) Lay My Head Down21) Pendulum Swinger22) Three County Highway23) True Romantic (!!!!!)24) I’ll Change25) Share the Moon26) Southern California is Your Girlfriend27) Don’t Think Twice, It’s Alright (cover)28) Shit Kickin’

1) Closer to Fine-- this is the song that people are most likely to know, a true classic. Boppy and fun, but with that noodle-y philosophizing I love from Emily. 

2) Land of Canaan-- an Amy song that defines her early songwriting style and hints at her love of rock and punk with the driving guitar. 

3) Kid Fears-- hauntingly layered, with a special appearance by Michael Stipe. Though tbh I prefer the version from Staring Down the Brilliant Dream (their most recent live album) with Trina Meade of Three5Human. When she comes in with “are you on fire?” it’s-- electric. I think the first time I heard it I gasped and clutched my chest. 

4) You and Me of the 10,000 Wars-- perhaps a bit of a deep cut, but one of my favorite early Emily songs. This was a great time for Emily, songwriting wise imo. 

5) Three Hits-- I think Amy was kind of starting to experiment with her sound here and also trying to push beyond the typical personal style of writing that often marks folk rock/singer-songwriter music. Also I’m soft for this entire album (rites of passage); I remember buying it at the mall on cassette with money I got at Christmas. 

6) Watershed-- this song has BIG Saturn return vibes, and has the absolutely excellent line, “every five years or so I look back on my life and have a good laugh.” 

7) Galileo-- another Emily song (I’m not kidding when I say she killed it lyrically from around ‘90-’96 or so) that touches on big philosophical questions with a kind of refreshing lightheartedness. This one is another song many people will have heard before. 

8) Romeo and Juliet (cover)-- this song gets better with each live performance, so it would be fair to include a live version. But I like the album version just as well, and you can’t deny the punch of a dyke singing about the girl who loved her and left her. 

9) Power of Two-- another classic. Soft af. Goddamn it Emily Saliers you beautiful lesbian bard, you really just wrote A Very Gay Experience into a song just like that. 

10) Mystery-- Emily is getting her due right now bc Amy is gonna rise up a few albums later and kick ass. This song, though? So, so gay. I have thought about the lyrics once a day for the past 25 years or so, probably. “Maybe that’s all that we need is to meet in the middle of impossibility?” YES GIRL, my inner dyke and my outer dyke are all screaming. 

11) Reunion-- musically I think this song just does some nice stuff, ok? Also fuckin’ relatable if you’ve ever gone to a reunion and been like-- ehhhh this could end badly but here we go. 

12) Language or the Kiss-- had to add another Emily song because this one is just. so good, ok?? this album is prime Emily!!!!

13) Shame on You-- this one got a lot of radio play in my hometown, and I remember rolling down the window and driving with it blasting. Amy was really starting to push into more overtly political lyrics and you can see it on this song. 

14) Get Out the Map-- perfect roadtrip song! Classic Emily vibes!!

15) Go-- Amy gets rockier, with some nice crunchy guitars (please forgive me for not knowing the right words but like. the guitars sound dirty and a little distorted, it’s like chewing chips in your ears in a good way). This is one of the first albums where her skill for heart-twisting lyrics rises up: “did they tell you you would come undone if you tried to touch the sun? Use your years to psych you out? ‘You’re too old to care, you’re too young to count’? Go, go, go.” 

16) Ozilline-- also Amy explores a slightly more bluegrassy sound? I appreciate that songwriting-wise she’s basically pushing herself in two directions on this album: political but not first person and hyper-personal direct narrative. This one is the latter and you feel it. 

17) Fill It Up Again-- another solid Emily bop! (I should mention I’m not putting on anything from Become You bc while I adore it I think it’s one of their weaker albums over all-- it was one of their last for epic and they were READY to get off a big label, so maybe they rushed it?

18) Heartache for Everyone-- one of my fave Amy songs of all time, would love to hear this covered by so many people. I just love it. Everything. 

19) Cordova-- I am absolutely just including this because it breaks my heart? Idek why. I think I just have such a strong mental picture that goes along with it that’s informed by nothing other than a story I think works with it and. Yeah. It’s not typical of an Amy song musically but I love that. 

20) Lay My Head Down-- a little sloppy lyrically, but the heart of it is beautiful. 

21) Pendulum Swinger-- typical Emily political song, very crunchy and green and honestly middle of the road gay democrat, but in a way that’s actually not the most shitty? 

22) Three County Highway-- a spare and lovely Amy song with slight country vibes. 

23) True Romantic-- this song. THIS FUCKING SONG. it’s gorgeous, it’s raw, and there’s something about it coming out in Amy’s raspy voice that makes it a gut punch! I yell about it every few months. I want very much for Louis Tomlinson to cover it and of course he never will. The injustice. 

24) I’ll Change-- I think this song stands right up with Emily’s earlier stuff. Honestly Poseidon and the Bitter Bug is a truly solid album and it’s hard to pick only a couple of songs from it. 

25) Share the Moon-- a tender and lovely Amy song, the only one I really like off this album (Beauty Queen Sister). I tried listening to the rest of the album so much and ended up putting this song on repeat instead. 

26) Southern California is Your Girlfriend-- ever since I saw a video of Amy and Emily playing this song while Amy’s kid sat listening I was in love. It’s different for Amy but in such a good way. 

27) Don’t Think Twice, It’s Alright (cover)-- this is a great live cover that has Michelle Malone on guest vocals. She was such a staple on their tours for such a long time (and maybe still is, but not on the west coast). 

28) Shit Kickin-- this one is off their upcoming album, and it’s such a good playlist ender? It’s got a kind of funky vibe with lyrics that talk about the pitfalls and problems and pride of southern culture in a way that really resonates with me as a southerner. 

somehow I managed to keep that pretty even--subtracting the two covers i think that Emily and Amy each have 13 songs on here. I might make a somewhat different list on a different day, but this is about right. I would also suggest someone listen to Poseidon and the Bitter Bug, Rites of Passage, Swamp Ophelia, and Staring Down the Brilliant Dream if they wanted a deeper dive into what I think are some of the best albums/songs over all. (Maybe All That We Let In, too). 

hello hello ! it is may again and i... am still 20, using she/her, and in the eastern standard timezone. i can’t say that’s changed in the amount of time between intros. anyway, i do want to say that i like this gif because i feel like it.............. is an accurate representation of ribs at........... almost all times.

‹ TREVANTE RHODES, HE/HIM, CIS MAN, BISEXUAL. › DAVID “RIBS” SHAFFER is the TWENTY-EIGHT year old from EMERYVILLE, CA. when a friend asked them what they thought of the manor they said, ❝ IT LOOKS LIKE SOMEWHERE JAMIE LEE WOULD BE LURED INTO. ❞ they claim ANY HORROR MOVIE WITH JAMIE LEE CURTIS IN IT is their favorite scary movie, and if they were to die in a horror film they would EXPLAIN TO THE KILLER THAT THERE WAS NO WAY HE MET THE CRITERIA FOR THE ‘FINAL GIRL’… JUST TO BE KILLED IN THE MIDDLE OF HIS SPEECH. their fears include HALLUCINATING, PARALYZATION and FIREWORKS, and they don’t know we know, but… HE MADE MONEY AS A DEALER WHILE HE WAS STILL WAITING FOR THE BAND TO TAKE OFF. hope they enjoy their stay. ‹ MUSE B from STRESSED OUT. ›

QUICK FACTS:

full name: david “ribs” isaiah shaffer

date of birth: december 1, 1992

*does not perfectly reflect the below Big Three zodiac chart because that’s so much math

zodiac big three: sagittarius sun, capricorn moon, pisces rising

gender & pronouns: cis man & he/him

sexual orientation: bisexual

occupation: drummer + backup songwriter + history of drug dealing

the song i listen to on repeat while i write the intro: “make or break” - bugzy malone

BACKGROUND INFO:

triggers: violence, mentions of drug dealing, very very very brief mention of self-harm (not the product of a mental illness which is why i forgot to include this until i looked at it again this morning - the product of wanting to keep a lie), very very brief mention of guns and fire in the ‘fears’ section

born to a very loving family bc i need a sunnier background hasfkljwas 

david was never EVER academically inclined. he’ll tell you it’s because he just wasn’t interested and was too involved in music and boxing, both of which will be gone over soon, but that wasn’t entirely true. he was also very busy working odd jobs days and nights as a kid and days and nights at successful businesses when he was 16+ (see: papa john’s)

his parents did own a music shop! they were clearly doing their part! but, in the digital era and the era of guitar center, they were only getting so much traction. they were also much too calm about it, at least outwardly, so david felt as though he needed to help.

but it is true that he spent a lot of time practicing music and boxing! as just mentioned, his parents owned a music store and were both very musically inclined. they taught him how to be, at the very least, INTERMEDIATE at as many instruments as possible. he can now confidently say that, if the band ever needed it, he could play the guitar, piano, bass, or saxophone. 

that being said, his instrument of choice was the drums. he began using jazz drummers, as well as various hip-hop beats, as his inspiration. his original inspirations were buddy rich, gene krupa, chico hamilton, art blakey, and the beats of grime and 90s rap.

it shows.

when he ventured into other genres, however, he began taking inspiration from nick mason, john bonham, neil peart, keith moon, ginger baker, karen carpenter, and ringo starr 

(i have a music theory + history lesson for you if you think ringo is a bad drummer ok - he was a “songwriter’s drummer,” which is much more important to being a drummer in a band than being technically skilled or being able to show off with complex patterns and, thus, overshadowing the song. that’s why the beatles continued asking ringo to play the drums on their songs, even after they broke up. john lennon never said “he’s not even the best drummer in the beatles” - a radio dj made that joke and people started taking it literally. love that.)

(also the same goes for nick mason but his drumming is rly only brought up when he’s brought up since pink floyd isn’t as talked about as the beatles)

ALSO!!! i have decided to be passionate about karen carpenter because girl won a 1975 poll that pit her against john bonham for best drummer and he got so mad and said she couldn’t last ten minutes with led zeppelin. the following is just alleged, but oh my god i hope it’s true: then she proceeded to compliment his drumming, say that she thinks it’s all very subjective, then got behind her set and played “babe i’m gonna leave you” while singing and not missing a single note. we have decided to stan forever.

he also took up boxing. as a kid, he was just practicing and taking any excess frustration out. when he turned 14, however, he found an opportunity in an underground circuit. he started fighting against other people, for real, and would be paid if he won the fight.

so: school from 8a-3p, drum practice from 3:30p-7:30p (i know), family from 8p-10p, boxing from 11p-2a.

his parents knew he boxed, but didn’t know it was as dangerous as it was. they assumed there were more safeguards in place..... but boy was bringing in a LOT of money for there to be a lot of safeguards in place. because of this, david NEVER let them see his matches.

when he was 16, he’d broken his ribs during one of the fights and refused to see a doctor over it. what did he say happened when his parents could TELL something was wrong? he said that he’d been mugged and beaten up. to support this theory, before he ‘showed’ it to them, he dug into himself with a knife to make it look like the muggers had a switchblade.

from there on out, he made everyone call him “ribs”

did his parents ever wonder where his excess income was coming from? DEFINITELY. he told them that, yes, his MINIATURE matches did bring in some money, but the rest of the money came from tips!! because people are clearly that generous!!

he also never showed them the full amount. he’d only give what was necessary, not out of selfishness, rather to keep his secret and save them from worrying about him. he put it in a savings account.

it should also be addressed that, during this time, he became friends with who would become the guitarist in his future band, joakim. he witnessed joakim fight a homophobic teenager and desperately wanted to join in... but his ribs were broken ahflskd

he continued boxing, even after being introduced to joakim’s college friend, gabe - the future singer of their band. that being said, they began jamming with each other and played in a few local circuits.

his parents were very encouraging of this and told him that he should go for this as a career opportunity. 

can you tell they were idealists?

he wanted to... but it was very impractical. by now, however, he was out of school (and he never went to college). his parents let him continue living with them since they were under the belief they were short on cash and it’d be difficult for him to find an affordable apartment under the papa john’s salary.

he decided to take his parents up on this... but, while he was waiting for his band to find success, their music store was closed down. as they both began looking desperately for new jobs, he realized that papa john’s and the fighting payment wasn’t quite enough anymore... so he started selling drugs.

he doesn’t keep his fighting a secret anymore, but he does keep his drug dealing a secret. he fears that it’ll perpetuate stereotypes.

during one of his band’s gigs, he and the others met their future bassist - the missing piece - rory. she was marginally younger than they were, but she was an extremely talented bassist and songwriter, so the lineup was finally complete and devil’s wine was formed.

when they began skyrocketing, he quit drug dealing. he also stopped the dangerous boxing, although he continues to... box safely. he began sending money back home after they really started succeeding. his mother got a teacher licensure in music and his father got the opportunity to own..... a guitar center.

if you can’t beat ‘em, join ‘em.

VERY IMPORTANT: uses a pearl custom kit, istanbul cymbals, aquarian heads, and vic firth sticks.

that was very important.

PERSONALITY INFO:

literally obsessed with jamie lee curtis. watching her movies has also made him very genre-savvy. 

would genuinely die for her.

is the epitome of bob belcher’s “oh my god.” in his band. they get off topic during practice/recording just ONCE?? queue “oh my god.” and the gif above.

isn’t necessarily ashamed of his past dealings (literally) - like, joakim knows - but is genuinely afraid of perpetuating the stereotype of the dirty black boy. he’s open about the rest of his life, but he’s convinced that if people learn he used to sell drugs, he would be setting people back. having a black drummer in a rock band that’s on the radio? he needs to keep up appearances!!

never wears shirts during concerts. has to show off his ribs and also drumming, with a bunch of lights directly on him, is an extreme exercise and guaranteed sweat machine. dresses like bugzy malone otherwise.

ahflskjd again,,, like adrian,,, look @ his chart ig alhkfjd

FEARS:

hallucinating: he hates not only the idea of losing his mind, but also the idea of having a skewed view of reality after he really... saw reality, you know? his uncle had schizophrenia and, while he rarely saw him, the thought of going through what his uncle had/has to go through terrifies him.

paralyzation: this was a constant worry of his during his boxing matches - he was terrified someone would wind up taking out a firearm and would shoot him into a state of paralysis. not to mention, all limbs are required for both drumming and boxing.... so.

fireworks: less deep than the others. the house next door to his was set on fire due to a firework display being too close. while no one died and most of the house was salvaged, the idea of losing anything he has is terrifying to him. also the sounds they make remind him of guns so?

WANTED CONNECTIONS:

ok,,, so unlike adrian,,, he lived in california,,, a state many other characters lived in. while some cities in california can be like,,,, seven hours away,,, IT’S STILL AN IMPROVEMENT, so i’ll list a few past connection ideas too!

fans

people who hate his music

people who’ve seen one of his matches

old friends

someone who was constantly in his parents’ music store

exes

fwb

ons

???? im bad at connections!!!!!! but im down for brainstorming and/or working off of urs!!!!!!

sold to him ❥ post malone

CHAPTER FOUR:

a/n: had some help from a friend:))

———————————————————————————

i didn't know how long i sat there, but it must have been a while. i heard a few cheers and laughs coming from outside the door, but after a while it all went silent and i could feel the tour bus start to move. i didn't know where he was taking me.

there was a soft knock on the door before it slid open partially, just enough for someone to slip through. i looked up just as post malone walked into the room and close the door behind him. he took one step forward before sitting down on the bed. the room wasn't very spacious.

"are you ok, Y/N?" he asked as his gazed rested on me. am i ok? the question repeated in my head. what a dumb question. but of course i wasn't going to say that out loud so i gave a simple shrug.

a few moments went by in silence before i finally spoke "why did you do it? did you buy me for... for shits and giggles?" i asked, not really sure how to put it any other way.

post malone raised his eyebrows at me and sat up straight, as if he was uncomfortable with the question. "Y/N, i did not buy you for shits and giggles" he said, using my own words against me. the saying seemed to be foreign to him, but it seemed he understood my point.

"your mother somehow found out that i was looking for someone, and she contacted me and told me everything about you, even set a few pictures. i had to get to know you right away, but she wouldn't let me meet you unless i paid her... and also if i kept you." he continued, looking away as he finished speaking.

it didn't surprise me that my mother sold me off for more drug money. i knew she wouldn't let me go without her getting some type of benefit. that's why i was 19 and living at home.

post malone stood up and held out his hand. "come on out and have some fun with me. we can talk about this later" he said as i slowly reached over and took his hand.

he pulled me up off the bed and i stood centimeters away from him. it suddenly got really hot. the room was rather dark since there was no natural like coming through, but i could still make out the outlines of his facial features.

"so...am i going to be your sex slave?" i asked nervously, looking up at him through my lashes. he chuckled darkly, his grill glinting in the dim light. "only if that's what you want, y/n. do you want it?" he responded softly, his voice seeming to be much deeper now

i didn't know what to say, so i just looked away from his face and at the floor. he let out another soft chuckle as he opened the door and led me out to the main part of the tour bus, his hand still holding mine.

Homily on Better Now by Post Malone

Here is the preview of Fr. Rossi’s homily on the song Better Now by Post Malone:

Is Post Malone Really “Better Now?” Drinkin' Henny and I'm tryna forget, But I can't get this s--- outta my head. Post Malone is very hot now. He certainly puts on a great show and his songs have a hypnotic sound to them. He’s earned the reputation for being a cheerful clown. He drinks and smokes during his concerts and leads the audience in jumping up and down to his music. He looks particularly fetching in his rhinestone tiaras. __________ He’s not a pretty boy. Somebody said he looks like a fat Shia LaBeouf.   He’s a paradox in other ways, too: his voice is little-boy sweet, but his persona includes gold teeth and braids. He seems to have a complete lack of awareness of why those affectations might not go together, and this sort of makes him lovable.  __________ Oh, yeah, and then there are those tattoos: a line of barbed wire across his forehead, a smiley face and a Playboy bunny under his right eye. The words "always tired" are written under both of his eyes, and there’s a dagger on the left side of his face. The warning "Stay Away" is tattooed above his right eyebrow. __________ One of his songs is entitled, “Congratulations.”  It makes fun of all those people who told him he’d never be a star, but now insist they always knew he had it in him. Songs like that are fun, but, I like Post Malone best when he’s singing about heartache over an ex-girlfriend. __________ He becomes very introspective. Think about the song, “I Fall Apart.” In that song he’s alarmingly unpretentious, even tender. __________ He sings, “I promise, I swear to you, I’ll be OK/You’re only the love of my life,” on the song “Better Now.”  The gap between the childishness of what he’s saying and the pure ache with which he is expressing it is amazing.  I don’t think there’s anybody in music today who’s like him. He’s in his own category. __________ His fans love him, but they might be able to forgive his ex-girlfriend for wanting this guy to go away.  After all, even he admits in “Better Now,”  “I did not believe that it would end, no Everything came second to the Benzo." We may sympathize with her reaction: "You used to keep my picture posted by your bedside Now it's in your dresser with the socks you don't like." You can’t deny it: Post Malone has a good sense of humor about his failed love-life. __________ But, unlucky in love as he may be, Post’s become a superstar.  What does that mean exactly? That means that, for one week this year, nearly half of all the most popular songs in the country were Post Malone’s.  That broke a 54-year record, one previously held by the Beatles. And, there’s a reason why. __________ He’s got an intensity when he makes music—he knows what he is going for, and what he’s doing. Again, consider “Better Now”: It’s one of the best and most affecting “break-up songs” I’ve ever heard.  In that song, he’s wounded, but sweet, like the kid he is. "Twenty candles, blow 'em out and open your eyes We were lookin' forward to the rest of our lives." Really? I wonder if his ex. thought the same? __________ In the song, he’s reminiscing about their defunct relationship. It’s likely that "Better Now" is about the same ex. that Post sang about in "I Fall Apart."  The bad breakup on that tune is one that he experienced at his Texas high school. And that makes sense. The emotions he sings about are real, but pretty juvenile. __________ For instance, he believes probably incorrectly, that his feelings mirror hers.  He thinks they're likely both masking the fact they still have feelings for each other in an attempt to “win the breakup.” All this, even though she’s taken up with another guy and seems perfectly happy with him. __________ Post pleads with her that he "never meant to let you down."  But, you get the sense that he’s forgetting how much he hurt her; that he didn’t respect her as a human being. His focus isn’t on that important detail. What’s he obsessing about? “You knew all my uncles and my aunts.” Wow!!!! You can tell he’s part Italian. __________ “The Lord loves the just”                                 Psalm 146 Was Post Malone “just” to his ex. in the way Jesus is to the poor widow in today’s Gospel? Did he value and recognize her worth as an equal human being? This is a question we need to ask ourselves in all our dealings with others. __________ In “Better Now,” Post says to his ex., "I seen you with your other dude. He seemed like he was pretty cool. I promise, I swear to you, I'll be okay." I hope so. It might help if he puts down the “Henny” and the “Benzo” every now and then. If he does, maybe, just maybe, he’ll treat his next girl a little more justly: a little “better.” And even be sincere about feeling better about himself.

「 gregg sulkin. 27. cismale. he/him. 」 ( bennett adkins ) has worked as a ( personal assistant ) in ( banking ) for ( 2 years ). they’re known to be very ( warm, charming, kind ) but can be ( confused, dubious, worried ) when under the stress of the job. i heard them accidentally blasting ( sunflower by post malone and swae lee ) from their desk earlier, i wonder if that’s the song that helps them get through the day. 「 d. 22. gmt +7. she/her. 」 

— meet ben !

— his story

the son of a former corporate partner at ashford wallace.

has lived his whole life kind of spoiled tbh; was given a lot of luxuries growing up like private school, nice cars, vacations abroad whenever his father had the time, and of course, a very steady and big allowance so he’s never had to worry about anything.

after high school, he went on a gap year so he could experience the world and “grow”, but in actuality it just him partying it up in the states for a whole ass year (spent 2 months in new york city and 10 months in l.a. and he even got a modelling gig??? and an acting job randomly?? it was a commercial about toilet paper but the point is: he’s been in a commercial.)

miraculously graduated from university when he attended upon return. his dad definitely just convinced somebody on the board to get him in. he majored in business because his friends did and till this day he has no idea how he fucking graduated or what he learned at all.

after graduation, he and his friends decided it would be the greatest idea in the world to start a business. his dad was extremely skeptical but was lowkey relieved ben even had plans at all so he was like ok i will support this and gave him some money to pursue this.

it was basically 5 fuckboys starting a clothing line (really basic hoodies, crewnecks, and t-shirts) and it somehow survived 2 years before one of his friends said fuck you to the rest of them and sold it to someone, leaving all of them except that one dude who’d sold it screwed and confused.

ben’s dad allowed him a “grieving period” to process and get over the loss of his “business” but after almost a year and a half of just letting him fuck around and drain his bank of money, his dad was like ok time to get a life

his dad was about to retire from his line of work and as his parting wish he was just like pls take my son he’s a trainwreck who needs structure in his life so they were like u kno wat ok and made ben a personal assistant to someone in banking

it’s the first real job he’s ever had and he had no idea what to do when he started but he figured assistants just do whatever their boss tells them to, so he did just that and picked things up along the way and is actually pretty capable at it now (even if he kind of lowkey still has no idea what the banking dept even does tbh)

he likes his work, has really gotten the hang of it, may even be passionate about it because he feels like helping people and making sure their life is going smoothly is his “calling”

— personality

very friendly around the firm and people know him as “marcus’s kid” who was given a job so he would stop living his life as a rich kid cliche

despite his spoiled background, ben is surprisingly not spoiled in the normal sense; he may be really ignorant in practical things but he’s actually a nice person despite all of the chances and things he’s been given in life

he’s just kind of... dumb??? is all, dumb but not a douche should be a win ok (especially since he gives off major fuckboy vibes with the way he looks and acts and dresses and-- ok maybe he’s a bit of a fuckboy)

starts every bad thing he’s about to tell someone with “but you have to promise not to get mad”

really random but when he was 5 and someone asked him what he wanted to be, he said “american” lmao; uses a lot of american slang and can do a really good american accent (it’s his favorite trick to pull out at parties)

is very approachable and warm, invites people out all of the time for drinks or to do fun things, genuinely just wants people to feel included and have a good time

he realizes a lot of people only see him as the former partner’s kid that was given a handout (he didn’t even earn the lowly job he has) but he ignores it and tries to put his best foot forward, hoping to win people over with his personality and kindness

“not all who wander are mcfreakin’ lost” is ben to a t. like yes he’s just kind of riding the wave right now but it doesn’t mean he’s unhappy or goal-less. he’s just chilling. doing what he can do until he figures out the next step. it ain’t no thang. he’s breezy.

slam that like button if you want to plot or just hit me up with a message! :)

Chapter 6 congrats! Your a princess

I'm certain I didn't hear that right. PRINCESS? ZELDA? HYRULE?

I was frozen with shock. I didn't pay attention to the celebration around me, i didn't notice as my father handed me off to granny to be fed, bathed, and put to bed. The world was spinning around me. DIN? NAYRU? FARORE? HYLEA!?!?!

That couldn't be right! Suddenly little things started to click, words that i hadn't been translating correctly corrected themselves in my head. Princess wasn't just a cute nickname granny and spots had given me, it was tittle.

I wasn't just some elf looking species, i was a hylian. Oh my god.

Staring up at the dark ceiling and listening to the muffled sound of revelry below, Never have i wished more to be old enough to talk.

I needed to curse.

Violently.

Princess ZELDA?

Of all the fictional series, i'm in LEGEND OF ZELDA!!!

The only series that literally has hundreds of iterations of princesses, heroes, and villains named the exact same thing, and I end up in it!

Am I in twilight, skyward sword? Wind waker, spirit tracks?

Ocarina of time?

Oh please don't let me be in the downfall timeline! Or the adult timeline! Or the cdi game! Actually none of the games are particularly fun for zelda, trapped in a crystal, trapped in an eternal sleep, fighting ganon on her own without rest for 100 years!

Oh my god I'm going to dieeeeeeee! AGAIN!

Of ALL the characters! ZELDA!?!?! WHY HER? I could have been LITERALLY anyone else! Malon! Linkle! A random unnamed N.P.C!

Wait,

MAYBE I AM AN UNNAMED NPC!!

All of the hylian princesses are named zelda. How likely is it that I'm a game zelda? There are like 15 games and hundreds of unremarkable generations of zelda's outside of that! How likely is it that I am a game zelda. Most game zeldas are elegant, powerful, intelligent, magical princesses, and in no world am i elegant. I'm probably some forgotten insignificant zelda in a line of majestic queens!

Wait, I need to calm down and think about this rationally. Take a deep breath, and start again.

What do I know. I am a teenage girl nam- i am an infant named Zelda who has memories of her past life. My mother and father are important people who have servants and can afford to live in a richly decorated home and throw lavish parties to celebrate the birth of a healthy baby girl, maybe royalty- ill get back to that. I have two nursemaid's named… I have two nursemaid's nicknamed spots and granny who both call me princess. I'm not human anymore and am a race with pointy ears, better hearing and even features. I… i… ok that's good enough for now for what i know.

What do I suspect, I might be a princess. my new mom and dad might be royalty of some sort. I might be in a world similar to the legend of zelda games. I might be a unimportant zelda in the royal lineage.

Why do I think that I am a princess? I am called princess, we have servants, spots and granny bow when they see mom and dad, and We live in a richly decorated manor or castle of some sort.

Why do i think that i'm in a world similar to legend of zelda? I'm not human anymore, my new race appears strikingly similar to how hylians are depicted, mom mentioned the video game goddess din, nayru, farore, and hylia, and my new name is zelda.

Why do I think that I'm an unimportant zelda? I am not supernaturally wise- wait no i have the mind of a teenager as an infant cross that out. I am not an elegant princ- I am not elegant, and, and… I don't want to be a game zelda.

What's impossible, what's possible but unlikely, what's feasible, and what's certain?

What’s not possible that I am the human I know anymore.

What’s possible but unlikely, I might just be a noble with the nickname princess. I might be on earth centuries in the future. I might be insane and dreaming this all up in a coma. I might have misheard my mother.

What’s feasible? I might be a princess. I might be in a world like the legend of zelda. I might be an insignificant zelda. And… and i might be a zelda mentioned in one of the games.

What's certain? I don't want to die again. I'm not in the world I knew. I'm terrified. I'm slightly calmer than I was before.

My thoughts were still racing but i was slightly calmer than before, and i was exhausted mentaly physically and emotionally but i can't stop now, i need to plan. Now that i'm thinking semi rationally i realized that there is no assurance that i'm NOT a game zelda. It's unlikely but possible. I was a casual fan of the games in my last life the only game that i had really invested myself into was breath of the wild, but i had been pretty involved in the legend of zelda fandom.

My memory for the games wasn't perfect but let's see what i can recall…

I can't be in wind waker or skyward sword zelda wasn't a princess in either of those, princess zelda wasn't in link's awakening, majora's mask, or triforce heroes, but both majoras mask and triforce heroes are technical sequels to games with princess zelda in them so they don't count.

So in what games am i a possible zelda in… all of them except 5… great.

So what games do i remember? Twilight princess, in which zelda is a prisoner and almost dies several times. Fun. the first one in which she is captured for the triforce. Yay. four swords and where she is kidnapped to be the bride of a creepy wizard. Twice. Minish cap where she is turned to stone, or was it incase in crystal? Either way YIKES. Hero of hyrule kidnapped again, several other kidnappings. Ocarina of time where she has to disguise herself for years and STILL ends up kidnapped. Sleeps for like a hundred years in one, is turned into a ghost! I don't even want to think about the tragedy that is princess zelda's life in breath of the wild. And I'm panicking again.

Is there even anything i can do if i am a game zelda?! I don't know the games well enough outside of a few to know the warning signs and what to do to avoid them! The games I do know well enough are literal worst case scenarios! I am literally helpless as a baby right now!

Flipping over I muffle a scream into my cot.

Calm down meg- calm down Zelda. You have literal years to plan. Even if i am in the legend of zelda world, which i'm not certain about, Even if i am a game zelda, which is unlikely, even IF this game takes place when zelda and link are children, which are few. I have Years to plan. At least 6 or 7 and at most like 17!

This is fine. I am fine.

(i was not fine)

Also on FanFiction.Net! https://m.fanfiction.net/s/13547505/6/

I’m a Bad Boy (Gray) -Chapter 2-

Prologue - Ch 1 - Ch 2 -

Artist/Characters - Seonghwa/Sunghwa GrayxReader Jay Park. Simon D, Loco, Ugly Duck, Cha Cha Malone, Hoody, Elo. Genre - Mafia AU/Smut/Fluff/Angst Group - AOMG - VV:D Word count - 1,521 *WARNINGS* Vulgar language, Mentions of death, Gruesome details, Sexual harassment.

*Sunghwa’s POV*

I sit on the cold cement, holding the woman close to keep her warm. I can see her skin turning a tinge of blue. As panic begins to set in I gently place the back of my hand against her forehead, to see if she has a fever. I peer down to look at her face, only to find trails of dried up tears mixed with mascara on her cheeks. I wonder why she’d been crying? I mean, it’s not really my business anyway.. but I’m curious as to what lead her to drive so recklessly. Man.. where the fuck are they? I pull my phone out from my back pocket and begin to dial. Before I could even press call, a black van pulls up beside me. I slowly stand before bending down to lift the unconscious woman from the cold pavement. What a fucking day. Steadily I walk to the vans back doors and place her gently on a pile of blankets and sheets. I hope that’s comfortable enough for her. Audibly sighing as I try to quietly close the doors. Scrambling to the passenger side of the van, Simon was leaning against the passenger door waiting for me to explain the ordeal. he pushes himself off the vehicle, arms going limp as he mutters a few cusses and slowly rushing off to get into the drivers side. Climbing into the van and fastening the seat belt, Simon starts the ignition and speeds off. “What the fuck happened Sunghwa?” Simon clenches his teeth, eyes still set on the road ahead, “She ran a red light, we t-boned her and her car span out of control. I pulled her out but she was unconscious by the time I got to her. I couldn’t ask her questions, and I wasn’t going to let her die on the side of the road.. I’d fee-“ “So you sent your brothers alone to die instead, right?” Simon growled, but not once did he look away from the road. He’s right, I did send them off to a battle that we might lose if there wasn’t someone there to give a back up plan or to help them escape if need be. I still stand by what I said. I wouldn’t want to have the death of an innocent on my conscious, as much as it seems selfish, I just don’t want the blood to be on my hands. “Once we get her to the base, make sure she walks away alive. I’ll take the bike to the location as soon as we pull up. I’ll get to the location before it’s time. I won’t let them fight alone.” I argue. Simon nods “Good.” In no time at all, Simon pulls up outside our base and true to my word, I quickly get onto my motorcycle and speed off to the destination.

*Y/N’s POV*

“Mh.. ugh.. wh-ere am I?” I manage to speak.. throat feeling as if I’d swallowed a ball of fire and my vision blurry. My insides burned, my body aching, I let out a quiet whimper. “Hey, take it easy. You’re ok now but you have to stay still. You’re pretty banged up.. I’m surprised you’re alive in all honestly.” A deep seductive voice sounded from across the room. Blinking a few times, my vision starts to clear and I instantly find myself looking for the face the voice belonged to. A man sat across the room, legs spread, hair a tussled mess, reading a book.. He’d be every womans fantasy if it weren’t for these circumstances. “What happened? Why am I here?” I begin to stir, confused as to why I’m not in a hospital or home in my own bed. “You had a major car accident. You ran a red light, and my friends t-boned your car.” He spoke matter-of-factly. “As for why are you here? Hmm.. We aren’t ordinary people.. you see. We can’t just wonder into a hospital and leave there peacefully. So to save us all the hassle, you’re here in my medical room.” My eyes widen at the new information id been given, still trying to register what the actual fuck is going on. “Don’t worry, I was a registered doctor, I just don’t work as a legal surgeon anymore.” He warmly chuckles, setting down his book and leaning forward to give me a friendly smile. With his presence here, I can’t help but feel more relaxed. However, I remember a voice from earlier.. and this mans voice isn’t it. Sensing my confusion.. once again, he whispers “I wasn’t the one that pulled you out of the wreck, Sunghwa did. He’s not here right now, but he should be back shortly. He’ll be coming by to check up on you. Does that make you feel a little better?” giving a small grin, he waits patiently for my answer. Sunghwa.. so that’s the name of the guy who had saved me.. “I actually feel a lot better after hearing that. I’d want to personally thank him for what he’s done.” I nod curtly. All the man did was smile and nod knowingly. As the room falls into an awkward silence, the man finally speaks up. “I’m Simon by the way. If you ever need anything while you’re here, don’t be afraid to ask. Think of us as friends.” “How long will I be here exactly?” I question, somewhat frustrated from the fact I’ve gone and injured myself bad enough to keep me from getting up and walking out of anywhere as I please. “I’m not sure, but right now you’re in no shape to live like you normally do. You need to rest as much as you can before you leave this place.” Simon sighs, brushing his fingers through his hair. I can tell he’s getting a little agitated from all the questions I’ve been throwing at him. I smile apologetically at him but decide I’ll ask one more thing. “Do you think I could get a glass of water?” Simons smiles, relieved the technical questions are over with for now. “Sure thing, sit tight, I’ll be right back with water and something for you to eat.”, He speeds off quickly, leaving me in this cold and eerie room. It looks like we’re in an abandoned building, the wall tiles and paint are coming away from the walls, the floors look muggy and there’s mould patches in the corners of the room. As I look around the room, it finally dawns on me. This is no ordinary situation at all, Is this a gang hideout? Am I going to be held captive? What the fuck is with my luck today?! as I sit wide eyed, silently cursing myself for being such a pain in the ass, I didn’t here the door to the medical room open. “Hey! You’re awake. How’re you feeling?” That’s the voice! I hurriedly look into the direction the voice came from, and as soon as I make eye contact, I’m struck with awe. He’s so beautiful. Trying to find my voice after it had so rudely been knocked out of me, I manage to stutter “Y-y-yeah, u-um.. thanks for h-helping me earlier.” I tuck a strand of hair behind my ear and look away bashfully. I hear the man named Sunghwa chuckled obviously amused by my timid actions. “I’m glad you’re ok. I got a little worried.” Still smiling warmly at me, he takes a seat beside the bed I lay in. He looks at me curiously, and at this point makes me feel a little self conscious. As I open my mouth to speak, Simon rushes in with a tray of different foods and a few bottles of water. “Oh, Sunghwa. You’re back. How’d it all go?” for some reason, the warmth in Simons voice I’d heard earlier was non-existent, I was cold and scary. Sensing my discomfort Sunghwa speaks up, still keeping a warm tone in his voice.. clearly to keep me feeling comfortable “We should talk about it in another room…” Sunghwa stops “I’m sorry I didn’t ask before.. but what’s your name, love?” Sunghwa asks timidly.. It’s kind of cute.. NO! Stop! Answer the damn question you fool! “My name is…Y/N”. I smile. “Ah! Pretty name. I think we should let Y/N enjoy her food. Go on ahead, I’ll be right out”. Simon nods and leaves the room first. “I’m sorry about that, Simon is a friendly guy.. so don’t be scared of him. He’ll help you while you stay here. You can tell Simon and I what you need for your stay here and we’ll gladly provide it.” Sunghwa stands up from his seat and continues. “I’m really glad you’re ok now.. Y/N”. With that, he leaves the room and shuts the door gently behind him. Simon and Sunghwa seem nice, I’m glad I have friendly people to talk to.. to keep me sane.

As much as I feel at ease, I have a sneaking feeling that something bad might happen soon enough. I’m just hoping I can get out of here before that time comes.

yellin’ at songs, week forty

oops

brief considerations of the songs which debuted on billboard on 10.11.1997, 10.13.2007, and 10.14.2017

10.11.1997

1) "Candle in the Wind 1997/Something in the Way You Look Tonight," by Elton John

princess diana seemed like a nice person and i don't agree that it is good that she passed on. i think she should have continued to live, and finally, i found a song that agrees with my worldview.

44) "Too Gone, Too Long," by En Vogue

So real talk this is late because one week I saw two Post Malone songs and I said fuck it because, like, it's, and I just, I don't think it's fair when older generations yell at younger generations? But the average '90s R&B track was infinitely better than the average '10s anything. You could drive down the street bumping the radio and a song like this, with that small miracle that happens around the 3:00 mark, and this would be like the seventh-best song you'd hear. Kids these days are just listening to songs that don't make any stabs at greatness, they just exist in a way that doesn't motivate you to change the station. The problem is with the children. I'm not actually talking about this song, I'm talking about the way people consume music. This song is heckin' great and everyone should listen to it 20 times and then try to get through a Post Malone song.

58) "Heaven," by Nu Flavor

In this overly intense '90s R&B slo jamz, the R&B boys plead to God to convince this woman to fuck them. That sentence is the last thing I wrote for YAS before taking a weeks-long sabbatical and I'm glad I found it.

63) "Love Gets Me Every Time," by Shania Twain

Where do we rank Shania Twain in the diva pantheon? Like, this is a song with a hook I recognized when I heard it, after 20 years of just not thinking about this song I heard "dolgurn gone and done it" and was like "oh yeah! This jam!" and not all singers can dig that deep into your memory, but in terms of historical import, where does she rank? You can't really argue that "country needs a rep in the pantheon" because um hello? Dolly? but there's at least four Shania songs that are absolutely legendary. Does that merit inclusion among the greats? Or is Shania just on that second tier with a Kelly Clarkson or a Carrie Underwood, reliable but not as powerful as the women we'll tell our grandkids about?

65) "Electric Barbarella," by Duran Duran

One of the things that struck me as odd about the film Sing Street was the reverence with which the film treated Duran Duran. I always sort of thought Duran Duran was a boy band, but there was a film set in the heyday of Duran Duran's popularity, with a scene where an older brother extols the virtues of Duran Duran's musicianship to a younger brother, and I'm just like, "I never would have guessed this band was at the vanguard of new wave?" But I guess maybe they were a less dark Depeche Mode and I should check this out because this song from 1997 probably isn't indicative of peak Duran Duran? Hello welcome back to YAS I'm already asking questions to no one instead of offering criticism, it's like I never left.

70) "They Like it Slow," by H-Town

Sometimes, when you abandon a project for a while and come back, you notice things about the thing you're doing that you never would have noticed if you had worked on it in the last two months. To that end: I just realized all the 1997 and prolly most of the 2007 music videos were shot in 4:3. Like, when they filmed these music videos, they were composing shots with the idea they would be on TVs. That's kind of interesting! Like, when you go to film school, you probably have the idea you're gonna direct films, so having to compose shots for a smaller aspect ratio probably fucks you up a little bit. Anyway, I can't tell if this '90s R&B slo jamz is a parody or not.

87) "A Smile Like Yours," by Natalie Cole

"I have seen the bluest skies/Rainbows that would make you cry." It's absolutely amazing which lines in these songs gain significance from 20 years of events. Like, that line about rainbows takes on a whole new meaning now that we've all enjoyed and then forgot about the Double Rainbow video.

91) "Alright," by Jamiroquai

groovy! i’m okay with this! this is like what all the calvin harris songs would sound like if they were good.

92) "Spin Spin Sugar," by Sneaker Pimps

there's so much cool stuff happening in this song and i really just wanna sit down and get to know this band a lot more because they've always seemed like something i was supposed to like and now i realize that i do actually like them, unfortunately WE'RE LISTENING TO 100 SONGS TONIGHT GOODBYE GOOD SONG I WILL KEEP THIS MEMORY WARM IN MY HEART UNTIL THE END OF TIME

10.13.2007

58) "Tattoo," Jordin Sparks

This is a song that just barely missed the lyric video trend. If any song needed to have words appearing on random actors' skin, it was this one, it would have been such a no-brainer decision. Like, you do it right, hire some calligraphers and tell them to take it up a thousand notches, you have a classic lyric video. Wasn't e'er to be, though. Just a standard music video, and I guess a nice song? It's very2007. It's very the sort of song you'd give to the winner of a forgettable Idol season. "Oh, that? Uh, yeah, keep it. It's either going on this album or in that trash can, might as well use every part of the buffalo that is my brain."

80) "The Way I Am," Ingrid Michaelson

this is the sonic version of a scarf worn indoors in june

86) "Our Song," Tay Tay

"Our song is a slammin' screen door." Did you know Tay Tay's dad was an investment banker? I have reason to believe Tay Tay's only seen a screen door in movies. I dunno. Do rich people have screen doors? I've never been in a mansion, but I don't think screen doors would be appropriate for mansions.

91) "Shoulda Let You Go," Keyshia Cole intro./Amina

I like how Billboard gave Amina an "introducing" credit. You don't see that in music nowadays. Now it's just "hey this 17-year-old has a million plays on Soundcloud, what do you mean you 'haven't heard of him,' he's already been responsible for thirteen memes and they're all dead, we're actually over him already, he's lame now." It is now known that Amina was actually a woman who was okay at rapping. The point still stands, I'd at least like to know that the randos on these songs are people no one but the people who made this song know.

96) "Hypnotized," Piles ft./Akon

"I know she wet 'cuz she told me." I don't know why, but this line tickles me! "Piles, you got me so wet." "YO, SHE'S WET! I MADE HER WET, GUYS!" "You touch mine and I touch yours." Piles must be hypnotized because in my (admittedly limited) experience with his work he doesn't seem like a man who gives head. He seems like a man who needs to be coerced into reciprocating pleasure.

97) "Nothin' Better to Do," LeAnn Rimes

OK so real talk, while I was listening to this song I got distracted because I realized I hadn't updated my Poke Bank subscription in like a year and I have so many precious little babies I need to keep forever, and you know what? This is a fun song. I didn't really need to pay attention to it! It's a song about being naughty that keeps it PG enough to play on country radio, and I wouldn't mind bumping into it again!

100) "Fake It," Seether

So Amy Lee and the dude from Seether broke up. After the break-up, Evanescence hit first with "Call Me When You're Sober," which isn't a particularly devastating song, but the title is incredibly unsubtle, and, like, Seether's a shitty post-grunge band, of course he's an alcoholic, and Amy Lee is right to say "yo I'm kinda done with this, I don't like dealing with the drunk you." Seether strikes back by saying Amy Lee is a liar and that he "feels so raped," and Iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii'm gonna go ahead and say that's #problematic! Amy Lee made a dumb but fair song about how she was out of patience, and here comes Donald Trump by way of Creed to say "YOU ARE RAPING ME WITH THIS BREAK-UP." Like, I'm gonna go ahead and say that the part using rape metaphors to describe their feelings is the one in the wrong in this mediation.

10.14.2017

65) "I Fall Apart," by Post Malone 100) "Go Flex," by Post Malone

i could have spent eight minutes sitting perfectly still listening to ambient noise and have had the same emotional reaction. "never caught a feeling this hard/harder than the liquor i pour." oh fuck off already.

70) "Good Old Days," by Macklemore ft./Kesha

FINALLY. The pop music gods have heard my prayers: Macklemore rapping about nostalgia. Everything I love, in one delightful package! ...He shouts out Minnesota and this is probably gonna end up being the best song from this week because of that and also because this week is lookin' pretty horrible.

94) "Losing Sleep," by Chris Young

OK so real talk during this bro country joint I got distracted because I was looking at new music releases and APPARENTLY THERE'S AN ANIMATED MOVIE BASED ON "ALL I WANT FOR CHRISTMAS IS YOU?" IT WAS MADE THIS YEAR? THIS YEAR. YOU CAN BUY IT ON DVD TODAY AND OWN IT FOR THE REST OF YOUR FUCKING LIFE. I'm sorry. I'm not going to bother processing whatever bullshit this song is about, sex I guess, because THIS WORLD IS CAPABLE OF SO MUCH MORE. This is a movie. This is also a movie which presupposes that this entire time "All I Want for Christmas Is You" is about a puppy that Mariah Carey needed for a... charity fashion show? "Great! We're short one girl with a dog!" "Oh..." This is a cinematic masterpiece and my life is better for having stumbled across it. This and Pokemon Christmas Bash.

95) "Like I Loved You," by Brett Young

So the writer of Mariah Carey's All I Want for Christmas Is You is one Temple Mathews, who has also written The Little Mermaid II, Peter Pan II, and 101 Dalmatians 2. That is a fucking nuts credit roll, Temple. Dude also goes multiple years between projects, which suggests to me he's like someone at Disney's cousin, and every couple years that person at Disney goes "hey, Temple, wanna make $100,000?" and Temple says "fuck yeah bro" and Temple just lives off that. He makes smart investments and lives in a cabin in Montana and has never actually seen a movie because why would you look at pictures when you've got mountains in your backyard? Temple is living the best life. Dude's my hero. He has someone describe a cartoon to him and writes something based off that and never has to write a second draft.

97) "Round Here Buzz," by Eric Church

Listen, if Eric Church is gonna give us repeats of songs he's done before, at least he's giving us repeats of "Give Me Back My Hometown." It's a slower, sadder version of that song, one that can't be misconstrued as an "I'm poor AND PROUD OF IT!" anthem, this is a song that can only be about a dude thinking about a girl living a life without him while he lives a life with her ghost, but also "Give Me Back My Hometown" is more fun? I dunno, this still prolly gets 2017 SOTY, I've just heard it before. Also, Eric Church? Welcome to the Decade Dance Club. You are the 36th member, and the tenth white male country artist.

98) "Plain Jane," by A$AP Ferg

ok nvm this is song of the week, simply because in the first verse Ferg raised and lowered the volume of his voice. this song went somewhere! this song actually did something! it didn't just bleep and bloop for three minutes or be about how it's nice when things are good, Ferg had things he wanted to say and delivered his lines with actual emotions! he did the bare goddamn minimum, and by 2017 standards, that's pretty good! i'm actually going to remember this song a little bit!

Who won the week?

1997. Like, of course 1997 won. It had Sneaker Pimps and Shania, if 1997 lost to these other wack-ass years it would’ve been stunning.

Standings: 1997: 15 2007: 12 2017: 13 oh god all the songs for the next edition look awful, welp